Christian Standard | December 2020 by Christian Standard Media

fr o m th e pu bli sh er

10 Foundation Stones of the Church N o . 8: Spiritual gifts

A FEW YEARS AGO I had the chance to take

my ministry team to the University of Notre Dame. We toured the stadium, but the highlight was going into the locker room, slapping the “PLAY LIKE A CHAMPION TODAY” sign, and running out of the tunnel and onto the field. It was all make-believe, but it pointed up man’s desire to be part of the game. Watching from the bleachers can be fun, but it’s nothing like actually playing in the game. Think about it—from the time we were young, we didn’t merely want to attend games or concerts, we wanted to be on the field or stage. Over time, however, dreams fade, expectations diminish, the crushing weight of reality

sets in, and we resign ourselves to managing our time on the bench. That same crushing reality can take root in the church and within the mission of Jesus Christ. We settle for being spectators instead of participants. Satan dupes us into believing church is something watched and observed rather than a living, breathing organism that can be joined. His false whispers can hold us back and reduce our impact. Along those lines, let’s confront six lies about spiritual gifts that have taken root among many. Lie 1: I don’t have a gift. When you were baptized into Christ, you received the gift of the Holy Spirit, were made a new creation in Christ, and were endowed with one or more gifts (Ephesians 2:10). Satan’s most effective

DECEMBER 2020

Lie 2: My gift is too small. The size of a gift makes no difference. It isn’t about how much you have to offer, but to whom you offer your gift! Putting your gift into the hands of Jesus changes everything. In the Lord’s hands, a sack lunch can feed 5,000 and a shriveled hand regains its strength. Your God is big, so don’t worry that your gift is small! Lie 3: My gift is the greatest! We might have excessive pride in our gift. We might expect others to respect it and give preference to it. It can leave us with little patience, love, or tolerance for others we see as having a lesser gift, or a different gift, or an underutilized gift. You, with your gift of manual service, might disregard those whose gift is counseling or teaching or leading. How foolish! Each of us is dependent upon the other. Each gift is critical to the function of the other gifts, just as a human body is dependent on all of its separate parts (1 Corinthians 12:12-31). A church gifted only in truth would not be loving. A church gifted only in love would lack truth. When we choose not to function in community—when we disconnect from the church—we cannot fully leverage our gift, because we cannot be the body of Christ by ourselves. Lie 4: Serving is optional for Christians. To be in Jesus is to produce fruit. If there is no fruit, then obviously something is missing. Jesus modeled servanthood and it cost him dearly. May it never be said of us that our love for God never cost us anything. How can we stand in the shadow of a blood-stained cross, saved by Jesus’ service to God, and not join him with our whole being in this mission? Lie 5: I should be thanked for serving. Service to God is our gift to him, so when we expect

thanks or seek out thanks from someone else for our validation, we effectively put them in the place of God. God sees what we do, and we can be confident he will richly bless us in this life and in the life to come. But to quit serving God because someone didn’t thank us for serving God is to become a stooge in Satan’s shell game. Lie 6: Healing means doing nothing. It’s not unusual for rock-star leaders to put themselves on the injured reserve list indefinitely— especially when they begin attending another church. Someone may occasionally need to take a break from leading, but not from serving. Every athlete knows their performance will never improve by sitting on the bench. Each child of God needs to continue to work to improve. A Christian might need a breather, but the Spirit does not. A Christian might be tired or done, but the Spirit is not. A Christian might be done with God, but God is not done with the Christian! We shouldn’t want to sit on the sidelines or in the bleachers—we should want the ball! After all, the mission is too great, our calling is too significant, our Savior is too extravagant, and our God is too big! When our life is over, we should have nothing left in the tank. When we enter Heaven, we may be out of breath, tired, beaten up, and bruised, but we will have a smile Satan can never wipe away and be experiencing a joy Satan can never crush. Clayton Hentzel contributed to this essay.

Jerry Harris is publisher of Christian Standard Media and senior pastor of The Crossing, a multisite church located in three states across the Midwest. @_jerryharris /jerrydharris

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combat tactic for neutralizing your gifts is to convince you that you don’t have any! But, in reality, your gifts are significant and special because they are critical to the health of the body.

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In Every Issue 2-3 | from the publisher

Worship God . . . No Matter What Megan Rawlings

8-9 | POLISHED

6-7 | from the Editor

10-11 | HORIZONS Drinking Tea, Sharing Meals, and Making Disciple s Laura McKillip Wood

spotlight

HOPE FROM THE ASHES Erik Tryggestad

a 3-part study on the Prince of Peace

28 32 38 44 48 54 60

a study of Isaiah 9

OUR POWERFUL, ETERNAL PRINCE OF PEACE Arron Chambers a study of James 1:1-12

LET FAITH DO ITS WORK Rudy Hagood a study of Luke 2

THE ANXIETY ANTIDOTE Mark E. Moore

THE NEW YEAR, NO FEAR CHALLENGE Caleb Kaltenbach

HOW SOCIAL MEDIA ROBS US OF PEACE AND JOY . . . AND HOW WE CAN GET IT BACK Tyler McKenzie

HOW TO LEAD A PEACEKEEPING CHURCH Rusty Russell

A BIBLICAL CASE FOR NONCOMPLIANCE Brian Hunt

f rom the archives

ABIDING PEACE IN TROUBLED TIMES J e s s i e We l l s C l a r k

12-13 | MINISTRYLIFE Inconvenient Christmas Marjorie Kruger Gordon

14-15 | METRICS The Year That Was Supposed to Be Kent E. Fillinger

16-18 |

e2:EFFECTIVE ELDERS

95 | INTERACT

Personal Obedience in the Life of an Elder David Roadcup

77-93 | THE LOOKOUT

96 | THE FINAL WORD

f r o m th e edi to r

the missing piece T HE CONCEPT OF PEACE was like a refrain

in my early years. Every Sunday morning in the Catholic church where I grew up, we exchanged a “sign of peace.” I was an admirer of Mother Teresa, who often wrote and spoke about peace. “Works of love are works of peace,” she said. We regularly sang a hymn in our church that begins with the words, “Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with me.” It’s a beautiful song with admirable sentiments. I truly wanted to “take each moment and live each moment” as a peacemaker. Yet, theologically something is missing in that song. On my own I have no peace to give. I recognized early on that I’m much more prone toward rage, resentment, and revenge. Peace must begin with someone other than me. It must begin with the God of peace (Romans 16:20), with Jesus, the Prince of Peace.

The apostle Paul made this clear. Jesus “himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility. . . . His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace” (Ephesians 2:14-15). “Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way” (2 Thessalonians 3:16). Note that several times in the Gospels, when Jesus entered a room with his disciples, especially after his resurrection, he said, “Peace be with you” (John 20:19, 21, 26). This was not wishful thinking or even a command, and it was more than just a familiar Jewish greeting. It was a reality of his presence. Jesus is the true source of peace (and love, wisdom, grace, etc.), and so I can be a peacemaker only when I am connected to him (John 15:1-8). Peace is a fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22); God develops it in me as I remain in him.

I’m sure you’ve heard the adage, “No Jesus, no peace. Know Jesus; know peace.” But it goes beyond this. When we know Jesus, we can also share his peace—that is, peace with one another and peace with God—with others. When we know him, we can be his peace in a culture of hate and discord. “Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness” (James 3:18). If we as leaders in Christ’s church want to promote peace in our world, we don’t start by teaching our people to be peacemakers—we train them to fully follow the Peacemaker. When the Prince of Peace is truly Lord of people’s lives, when they live in obedience to him and in communion with him, when they regularly abide in him, then they will overflow his peace to people around them. In other words, we don’t need to focus on producing peacemakers, we need to focus on developing disciples. When we do that, we will get peacemakers. If there is a lack of peace in our world—and in our churches!— it means we are not living in abiding connection to the Prince of Peace. We have been cut off from the Source and become useless branches lying on the ground. No wonder we live in a society so poverty-stricken of peace. I recall a plaque containing the Prayer of Saint Francis that hung in our kitchen when I was a kid. I believe it’s a more accurate, biblical description of how peace can come to this world. I altered it slightly to drive home the point: Lord, make me an instrument of your peace. Where there is hatred, let me bring your love. Where there is offence, let me bring your pardon. Where there is discord, let me bring your union. Where there is error, let me bring your truth. Where there is doubt, let me bring your faith. Where there is despair, let me bring your hope. Where there is darkness, let me bring your light. Where there is sadness, let me bring your joy. Amen. Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with you, Jesus! Grow us and bear the fruit of your peace through us. @michaelcmack @michaelcmack @michaelcmack /authormichaelcmack

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Po li sh ed

Worship God . . . No Matter What BY MEGAN RAWLINGS

TH R E E

H U N D R E D C H I L D R E N were dressed and ready for school when the orphanage’s housemother came to George Mueller and told him there was no food to feed them. Without panicking, Mueller asked her to take the children to the dining room and prepare them for a meal. He blessed the food that they did not have, and he waited. He was confident God would provide. Within minutes, there was a knock at the door. It was a baker who said he could not sleep and somehow knew the orphanage needed bread that day. The baker brought in three batches of bread, and the children started eating. Soon after that, a milkman stopped in front of the orphanage to fix a broken wagon wheel. Had he tried to make deliveries after this time-consuming repair, the milk would have

spoiled. He asked Mueller if the orphanage could use the milk, and Mueller heartily agreed. So, the children were given something to drink with their bread. This generations-old story reminds us that God is faithful. But what if we ask God to provide and we don’t receive the outcome we expect? In this Christmas season, after a nearly yearlong battle with the coronavirus, I think it’s necessary to ask this question and explore the answers.

Megan Rawlings is the founder and CEO of The Bold Movement. She is an extrovert, pastor’s wife, and lover of the Scriptures. /tbmministry @tbm_ministry @tbm_ministry @theboldmovement theboldmovement.com

The Old Testament story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego can help us discover an answer. As a quick recap, the book of Daniel tells of a king named Nebuchadnezzar who besieged Judah and took the best and brightest as captives to Babylon.

DECEMBER 2020

We sometimes misremember the wording in this passage as, “Our God can and will save us, but if not, he’s still good.” While it’s correct, of course, that God is unconditionally good, the trio actually said, “But if not, we will never worship your golden image.” Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego proclaimed loyalty to God, regardless of the outcome.

God Can The first part of their statement to the king was, “Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us.” This message still resonates today. In the New Testament, Paul wrote, “For by him [Christ] all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities— all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together” (Colossians 1:16-17, ESV). Jesus made everything that exists, these verses proclaim, and he also is the reason they remain in existence. Nothing is too tempting for Jesus to overcome; he demonstrated that concept by becoming one of us and never sinning. Nothing is too overwhelming for Jesus to comprehend; he showed us that by facing death with bravery. Nothing is too powerful for Jesus to conquer; he showed us that with an empty tomb.

God Will The next part of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego’s response was said with confidence: “He will deliver us out of your hand.” How incredibly bold for these captives to proclaim that God was on their side to a king who had overthrown their country. They did not know if God was going to save their lives in this particular instance, but they knew he was going to do his will and deliver them from Nebuchadnezzar’s hand, and they were satisfied with that. The New Testament says, “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28, ESV). That promise still applies today.

But If He Doesn’t . . . The last part of their response is, by far, the most impressive to me. No matter what happens, these brave men said, “we will not serve your gods.” Talk about a gut check. My life has never been threatened due to my faith. I have had safe worship experiences my entire life. However, I can hide these words in my heart (Psalm 119:11) and remember them when God does not answer my prayers the way I want. So, if and when God says no, I must choose to continue worshipping him alone despite the surrounding circumstances. “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:8-9). God sees and knows more than we could ever comprehend. Friend, I want you to know that even if God doesn’t answer my prayers the way I want, I will continue to worship him. Will you? 

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Sometime later, a huge golden idol was cast and all the people—including the three Jewish captives mentioned above, who by now were high-ranking officials—were told to worship it. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refused. So the king ordered them to be thrown into a fiery furnace. But before it happened, they said, “Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up” (Daniel 3:17-18, English Standard Version).

horizons

drinking tea, sharing meals, and making disciples BY LAURA MCKILLIP WOOD

M USA* LIVES IN A MUSLIM COUNTRY in the Middle East. Since he grew up hearing stories about the great prophet Jesus, he thought he knew all about him. That changed when he became roommates with Yosef*. Yosef shared his faith in Christ as the Messiah with Musa, and they began studying the Bible together. Before long, Musa accepted Jesus and wanted to be baptized. Christians in his country usually baptize new believers in a river, but because of the pandemic occurring at the time, public beaches were all closed. Musa’s baptism would have to wait.

As time passed, Musa became more and more convinced he shouldn’t wait to be baptized. Yosef called a missionary friend named Brent, and they ultimately borrowed a large kiddie pool, and Musa was baptized into Christ later that day. Yosef moved away not long after that, but before he left, he connected Musa with the local pastor in hopes of helping strengthen his tie to the church. He also asked Brent to disciple Musa. “Musa and I [are] becoming good friends,” Brent reports. “I pray that the Lord will do great things for the kingdom through him.”

A Last-Minute Change of Plans Brent Marion had decided to join the Marines after he graduated from high school in 2011. In fact, he had already signed the papers to do so. The Marines extended his start date to allow him to go on a mission

trip he had been planning long before signing up. On the trip, Brent became convinced God was telling him to go into full-time ministry instead of the Marines. After a lot of soul-searching and praying, he decided not to go to boot camp. Instead, two months later, he moved onto campus at Johnson University in Knoxville, Tennessee, where he began pursuing a degree in intercultural studies. During a game of floor hockey at Johnson he met Mary, who would eventually become his wife. After graduation, Brent and Mary went on a vision trip to Venezuela with Team Expansion. They used that time to pray about where God wanted them to go. Since they originally had hoped to move to a Spanish-speaking country, they were surprised when they felt God directing them to the Middle East. By 2017, they had moved to the Middle Eastern country where they now live with their two little girls.

Life in the Middle East

Laura McKillip Wood, former missionary to Ukraine, now lives in Papillion, Nebraska. She serves as an on-call chaplain at Children’s Hospital and Medical Center in Omaha. She and her husband, Andrew, have three teenagers. /laura.wood2 @woodlaura30 @woodlaura30 lauramckillipwood.com lauramckillipwood@gmail.com

“I enjoy being outside and exploring new things,” Brent says. “One reason I love living in the Middle East is because of the rich cultural and biblical history and the many ancient places we get to explore.” The Marions also enjoy playing with their pets, which include a dog, a cat, some fish, and two tortoises. However, their main focus is a growing ministry directed mainly to an unreached people group living as refugees in their area. They love to meet

They recently started a community center that offers English classes and serves as a gathering place. The center opens doors for them and helps them reach out to their community in ways not possible before. It helps them build relationships and enables them to extend and accept invitations to meet in their new friends’ homes for meals and plenty of conversation. “We focus on home visits because this is a more intimate and informal setting,” Brent says. They can have open conversations about faith. “It is in these moments where I find the most joy in our work—the moments when I get to sit down and explain who Jesus really is.”

Plans for the Future Long-term, the Marions and their teammates hope to start a disciple-making movement. Using this model, they will disciple a core group, and each person in the group will then disciple more people, and then each of those people will begin to disciple their own people. This model can lead to exponential growth. “We want to see disciples making disciples and home churches planting home churches,” Brent says. In the meantime, the Marions work to learn Arabic, a task that can be long and difficult. They also want to be sensitive to God’s leading as they search for people who might be interested in learning about Jesus.

A Response to COVID-19 The people in the Marions’ new country have been dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic, as have people in the rest of the world. Their government implemented a strict lockdown early on and has maintained it to varying degrees. The people have been very supportive of the government’s approach because it has minimized the spread of the virus. However, the curfews and restrictions have made it harder for many people to provide for their families because many shops and businesses have remained closed for months. As stores and buildings have slowly begun to reopen, life is beginning to feel more normal than it has in a long time.

Challenges and Rewards Although sharing Christ with Muslims can be challenging, the Marion family appreciates the culture and people in the country where they work. The people they meet often already have an idea of who Jesus is since the Koran teaches that Jesus was a prophet and contains stories from his life. Muslim people assume they know all they need to know about Jesus; they say things like, “Christians and Muslims—we’re all the same,” Brent says. This makes it challenging to lead people to a deeper relationship with Jesus and help them see him in a different way. But it can also be very rewarding. Brent and Mary say their favorite part of living and working crossculturally is “seeing people who were once lost in darkness now following Jesus Christ and being baptized into him.” Forming relationships with people like Musa, who has become a brother in Christ, brings personal rewards as well. Brent recalls how a language mistake led to a friendship. Brent went to a restaurant where he accidentally asked the man behind the counter for two cans of cocaine instead of two cans of Coca-Cola. In the confusion that followed, a friendship started that has developed into a real relationship. “His family even helped us decorate our house for Christmas and read the Christmas story in Arabic to our kids. We pray daily that they will come to know Jesus.” In this relationship and others like it, the Marion family and their teammates hope to lead more people to a deep relationship with Christ.  *Names have been changed.

DECEMBER 2020

The re strictions have affe cte d the Marions’ work. Their community center has grown slowly because people are not allowed to participate in public activities. Some of their supporting churches donated funds to help those struggling to feed their families. “God has opened many doors during this time, and we pray that some of these new relationships will develop into much greater things.”

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new people and socialize with them by drinking tea and talking about life.

Mi n i stry Li f e

Inconvenient Christmas BY MARJORIE KRUGER GORDON

I AWOKE TO A PICTURE-PERFECT Christmas. The world glistened under a blanket of sparkling white snow.

I’m on ambulance-call today and can’t get the car out.”

The bad news. I had duty with the volunteer ambulance service that day. When my EMT neighbor discovered I was an RN, he talked me into joining his team. I never envisioned how my commitment might inconvenience my family. Our children, still in their fuzzy new pajamas, clamored to open Christmas presents. I hugged them. “I’m so sorry. I need you to help your dad and me shovel snow from our driveway.

Marjorie Gordon has written dozens of articles encouraging readers for decades. Her readerfriendly book, Jumpstart to Power Prayers, is saturated with Scripture to help others pray with greater power than ever before. margegordon.net

We bundled up, grabbed shovels, and cleared snow from the garage to the street. Then we devoured steaming hot chocolate and hearty breakfast casserole. We opened gifts amid laughter in a room strewn with bright paper and ribbons. At noon, my portable alarm’s shrill signal went off. I grabbed my red jacket and raced to the car. “Sorry to abandon you on Christmas Day,” I called. I really was.

DECEMBER 2020

I asked him if he knew Jesus as his personal Lord and Savior.

I quickly boarded the ambulance. My two experienced team members waited. “This is a transportation call.”

Now I knew why I was alone with him. From the small white New Testament I carried in my pocket, I read the twenty-third psalm to him. “The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want . . . even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil, for you are with me . . . Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”

I was relieved we weren’t heading to an accident scene. A frightened teenage girl welcomed us. “My dad is at the end of the hall.” She wiped away tears. A frail man lay on the bed. The unmistakable odor of terminal cancer filled the room. We gently lifted him onto the stretcher. While my co-workers moved him into the ambulance, I comforted his anxious daughter, giving her a small blue New Testament. “This contains God’s love letters for you. Inside is a list of special passages to comfort you.” She offered a weak smile. I knew I had just given her a fitting Christmas gift. I hugged and assured her, “We’ll take good care of your father.” With the stretcher secured in the back of the ambulance, my partner moved to ride with the driver. Strange. I was alone with the patient. The father’s face revealed his pain and defeat. I prayed silently while we rode to the hospital. My partner called, “Is everything OK back there?” “Just fine,” I answered. I discovered the man was only 51 years old. “Are you a Christian?” I asked. He nodded.

He smiled faintly and whispered, “Yes.”

I held his hand while I prayed for him and his family. I reminded him of God’s promise to never leave him or his family. A peaceful expression appeared on his weary face. When I placed my New Testament in his hand, he closed his fingers firmly around it. Another perfect Christmas gift. After the fragile father was admitted to the emergency room, we returned to clean up our van. “How could you stand that odor?” my partner asked. “I knew I’d be sick if I remained in back. I’m sorry I deserted you.” “I was so concerned for that poor man and his frightened daughter, I forgot to notice,” I replied. Driving home from the ambulance garage, I gazed at the peaceful, sparkling-white landscape. Had my inconvenient absence from the family spoiled their Christmas Day? When I turned into my driveway at home, a giant snowman with a red scarf and an orange carrot nose greeted me. Flames flickered in the fireplace. 

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As I rushed to the ambulance garage, I prayed, “Lord, I wouldn’t be doing this if I didn’t know you were with me. Give me your wisdom. Enable me to be your servant to this one in need.”

metr i cs

the year that was supposed to be (and nine action steps for 2021) BY KENT E. FILLINGER

THE YEAR 2020 and the new decade seemed a

perfect opportunity for preachers to capitalize on the “20/20 vision” metaphor. The fanfare and excitement quickly turned from bright and crisp to blurry and cautious, however, as the coronavirus forced churches to turn off their lights and close their doors for weeks or even months. In January, when I surveyed over 400 churches, among the questions I asked was, “What is your church most looking forward to in 2020?” I planned to use the responses to generate potential articles detailing the exciting plans and ideas churches of all sizes had for the new year. But the list of visionary ideas soon got shuffled to the bottom of my stack as the COVID-19 pandemic arrived and churches were forced to press pause. When I read through the list of responses recently, it felt as if I was examining a time capsule of predictions and plans for a year that was supposed to be, but never materialized as expected.

launching a generosity campaign, opening new satellite campuses, building new facilities, renovating existing spaces, establishing church campuses in prisons, purchasing property, hiring new ministry staff, implementing new vision and ministry strategies, celebrating milestone church anniversaries, balancing the budget, increasing community involvement, adding a midweek worship service, creating new discipleship pathways, sending out more short-term mission teams, exploring multisite options, renewing evangelism efforts, hosting a Night to Shine event, paying off the mortgage, improving the leadership development process, relocating, beginning a dyslexia ministry, bridging the cultural divide, focusing on marriage enrichment, onboarding new elders, transitioning to a new lead minister, emphasizing small groups, training new leaders, increasing the focus on corporate and personal prayer, and improving technology and the online worship service.

Paused Plans Many churches started the year with high hopes and great expectations. One medium-size church said, “The future looks good and we are excited.” A very small church said they were looking forward to “a fresh start.” Here’s a taste of the plans churches had developed for this year: starting a leadership residency program,

Kent E. Fillinger serves as president of 3:STRANDS Consulting, Indianapolis, Indiana, and regional vice president (Ohio, Pennsylvania, Michigan) with Christian Financial Resources.

/3strandsconsulting 3strandsconsulting.com

I don’t know how many of these grand visions came to fruition, but my guess is most of them, excluding the last two, were shelved or scrapped. Social distancing, seat reservations for worship, limited programming for children and students, trying to sing worship songs with a mask on, hand-sanitizing stations, and limited contact with others have all contributed to making “church” look and feel quite different today than it did pre-COVID-19.

David Kinnaman, president of the Barna Group, predicted in late August that as many as one in five churches could permanently close because of shutdowns stemming from the coronavirus pandemic. “In the long run,” Kinnaman said, “I think we’ll look back at this pandemic as a fundamental change to the way Americans . . . attend church.” Even before the pandemic, interest in attending church was waning; the pandemic and ensuing church closures have intensified that trend. Years ago, I heard John Maxwell say, “Momentum is a leader’s best friend.” COVID-19 halted the momentum of most churches this year. Here are nine actions steps you and your church can take to reset and regain momentum as you move into 2021. 1. Recognize the unrealized expectations and plans that were changed by the pandemic. Years ago, Paul Harvey said, “In times like these, it helps to recall that there have always been times like these.” Acknowledge and grieve the losses and then move forward with these next steps. 2. Redeem what you can. Legendary basketball coach John Wooden said, “Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do.” Identify the pieces of your plan that still work and continue to work those parts. 3. Retool your ministries and staff as needed. It may be time to rethink the roles and responsibilities of your church staff and then shift some

4. Resolve to keep trying new approaches to ministry. Thomas Edison said, “I am not discouraged, because every wrong attempt discarded is another step forward.” The strategies and programs of the past may no longer work today, so look for new ways your church can gather, grow, and go despite the restrictions and health concerns. 5. Refresh your vision and mission. Do not just look at the obstacles facing your church, try to see the opportunities that lie ahead. J. Oswald Sanders said, “Eyes that look are common. Eyes that see are rare.” Ask yourself these questions: What do I see God challenging me or my church to do or be in this next year? Who will I share this dream with over the next two weeks? How will we seize this goal and make it a reality? 6. Redirect resources appropriately. Now is the time to rework your church budget to better fit the needs of today and your plans for the future. Identify any changes in giving trends since COVID-19 and do your best to make reasonable projections for 2021. By doing so, you can be more strategic as you align your budget with your refreshed vision and ministry plans. 7. Recommit to your core focus of making disciples who make disciples. Emphasize your church’s ongoing commitment to the Great Commission. Engage your congregation to be disciple makers in person and/or online. The methods you use might look different than before, but the church’s mission has not changed. 8. Restore the value of faith’s fundamentals. Congregations are constantly changing, but it is critical to keep fanning the flames of commitment to fundamental practices of the faith modeled by the early church in Acts 2:42. 9. Remember, God will not leave you or forsake you. There’s an old saying, “I don’t know what the future holds, but I do know who holds the future.” Move forward in faith, trusting God will walk with you and your church, and that he will provide you with what you need in his perfect timing. 

DECEMBER 2020

Because each church is at a different stage of regathering, there is no single answer or uniform response to the question, “Where do we go from here?” Some churches are back to their preCOVID-19 worship attendance numbers, while most churches have seen less than half of their members and attendees return. Some churches lost members who went to other churches that reopened sooner or to churches they found online while “shopping” around. Some folks have decided they prefer watching church online from the comfort of their home. And some have lost the personal rhythm of attending church altogether.

people around. You may need to shelve or restructure some ministries to better meet more pressing needs. Make necessary changes now.

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Where Do We Go from Here?

e 2 : ef f ecti v e elder s

Personal Obedience in the Life of an Elder BY DAVID ROADCUP

MONG T HE M A N Y NOTA BL E T H I NG S about the Great Pyramid in Giza, Egypt, are the massive foundational stones that were carefully crafted and precisely positioned. The foundation for the Great Pyramid had to be formidable to support the weight that was to come.

them in his listings of qualifications for elders. Qualities like abiding faith, personal integrity, honesty, dependability, competence, morality, and personal purity. Cultivating each of these is important.

Foundations are key to the success or failure of a structure. As elders and church staff, it is critical we understand that the foundation for our leadership is our personal, growing relationship with Jesus. Our personal spiritual development forms the foundation for our service. This foundation is made up of several key “stones.” Paul mentions many of

David Roadcup is cofounder and outreach director for e2: effective elders. He serves as professor of discipleship and global outreach representative with TCM International Institute. He is also on the board of directors of Christian Arabic Services.

/e2elders @e2elders

The discipline of obedience is another key aspect of a leader who is growing spiritually and leading by example. Obedience is one of the bedrock aspects of leadership in the body of Christ. Without it, it is impossible to lead effectively. Credibility is the by-product of obedience. Credibility to lead comes from a leader’s life, witness, and example. It isn’t that we try to create credibility with others. It must be part of the life and discipline of every church leader.

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Christian author Martha Thatcher provided an excellent definition. She wrote, “Obedience is the prompt, personal response of an available life to God and His Word, always characterized by a focus on God and a commitment to action.” Her use of the words prompt, personal, and available bring us to the heart of obedience.

Our Obedience Grows as Our Love for Jesus Grows When a believer arranges their schedule and priorities to allow for more quality time with Jesus, and for studying Scripture and praying, we begin to see obedience grow. We get to know Jesus better, and we begin to love him more. We experience his presence and power. We want to please him. We truly receive Jesus’ saving grace and complete acceptance. We become astounded at the height and depth of his love. As our relationship matures, we want to obey him in more and better ways. It is critical to understand that our obedience must originate and grow from our love for Jesus. Authentic, ongoing obedience comes from our heartfelt love and affection for him. Jesus said, “If you love me, keep my commands. . . . Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them” (John 14:15, 21). Jesus repeatedly said the acid test of our love for him is our obedience to him. As elders and church staff, obedience is easy when we are at church and with church

people. But I think the Lord is also interested in seeing our obedience when we are away from church people, in the trenches of daily life, out in the world at work or play. How do we handle serious temptation then? Our obedience is where the rubber meets the road in the nitty-gritty of our daily lives. If Jesus addressed the issue of personal obedience with a group of leaders today, I believe he would say something like this: I love your praise songs. They are a blessing to me. But I really want to know one thing. When you are in the daily heat of your work, family, or social life . . . and you happen to be struggling . . . and an incredibly strong temptation comes along—in that moment, can I depend on you to come through for me? Praise is important, but talk is cheap. Will you follow me in obedience as I have asked you to do? Even when the temptations are fierce? This is how I will know if you really love me—if you follow me and do what I ask you to do. Here is the key question: Can Jesus count on me when the temptation to sin is most intense? Leaders, our obedience truly is part of the foundation for our leadership.

Personal Submission Is the Heart of Obedience Surrender is key when we are seeking to grow in obedience. Surrender is acknowledgment

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that someone else is in charge. Who reigns as king of your life, Jesus or your ego? Perfect obedience is surrendering everything I am and everything I have to Jesus daily. We need to remember that, at baptism, we gave up the right to say no to Jesus about anything. Hupakoe is the New Testament word for obedience; it is comprised of two Greek words, hupo (meaning “under”), and akouo (meaning “to hear”). So to obey is “to hear under.” Obedience involves listening attentively with a heart of compliant submission and obeying God’s Word. Admittedly, we grow into this part of our relationship with Jesus. But growing to complete surrender is imperative for a leader in the church. Our obedience must grow to the place where it becomes radical. Church leader Bob Sorge said it well: “By ‘radical obedience,’ I mean immediate obedience that fulfills the commandment to its fullest measure. Radical obedience does not seek to comply to the minimal standards but pursues extravagant, lavish fulfillment. If Jesus says, ‘Sell all,’ then we sell all! Immediately.” Honest leaders will admit it is hard to submit. It is an ongoing struggle and growth point for all of us. Submission necessitates we die to ourselves daily and allow the Lord to guide our lives. It means we replace our own cravings, desires, and will with the will of Jesus. We grow to realize that obeying Jesus is more important than meeting our own needs or desires. This is submission. One servant of Christ

wrote, “There is no demand so unreasonable that God cannot make it of my life.” Submission is an intellectual decision; it is an act of our will. We mentally and spiritually commit to the lordship of Jesus. We work to see that our attitudes, emotions, actions, and heart follow. It comes down to this: What place does Jesus truly hold in our hearts? Sincerely we say, “Jesus, I am coming to your blood-stained cross, kneeling down and inviting you to come into my interior world, my inner person. I am laying all of my desires, ambitions, habits, thoughts, motives, and priorities at your feet. You now own me lock, stock, and barrel. I am submitting to your lordship in my life; I am yours. Take me and use me as you wish.” Short of this, we individually go our own way, living our own life with a veneer of religion, with an acceptable superficial piety when, in reality, we do not submit to Christ’s lordship. In our hearts, we know where we stand with surrender and discipleship. A final thought: God always blesses obedience. When we follow Jesus in obedience, he is pleased with our hearts and abundant blessing always follows. Fellow soldiers, leaders bearing the cross, let’s be very aware and focused on the place of obedience in our daily walk with Jesus. He is counting on us to keep our word and obey him in all things. Work hard to cultivate this important discipline. 

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IN THE MIDST OF RENOVATION, LEWIS STREET CHURCH OF CHRIST WAS FIREBOMBED. PEOPLE ACROSS THE COUNTRY HAVE COME TOGETHER TO RESTORE THE BUILDING . . . AND MUCH MORE.

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Just weeks after he was named minister of the Lewis Street Church of Christ, Jameel Robinson delivered a message that shocked the congregation: Get out of the building. It wasn’t a “go into the community and serve” sermon, said Robinson, who had just moved from Mississippi to preach for the Little Rock, Arkansas, church. It wasn’t a sermon at all. The congregation literally could not be in the building. Robinson worked for 15 years as an environmental engineer before taking the pulpit job for the predominantly Black congregation. He inspected the church’s nearly 100-year-old meeting place and saw a hole in an unused room that opened to the sky. There was mold from repeated flooding—and asbestos in the walls. “I put everybody out,” he said. “I thought I was going to be fired. Some of them were so upset.” In the weeks that followed, the new minister had the building remediated, removing the harmful materials. A cardiac episode then landed him in the hospital. About a month later, the church’s roof caved in and the building flooded. Electrical problems followed. Then it flooded again. “I said, ‘Lord, I think you sent me to the wrong congregation,’” Robinson said. He met representatives of The Solomon Foundation, a nonprofit church extension fund, and secured a loan to upgrade the facility, though he soon learned that most of the money would have to go toward bringing the building up to code. Robinson coordinated the project “with the heart of Nehemiah, with the determination of Joshua,” he said. He underwent surgery to correct the problem that had put him in the hospital. As he recovered, he conducted conference calls on the project from his bedroom. His wife fussed at him for not resting. “I just really felt like the church deserved this great facility,” he said, “a beacon of hope to the community.”

On May 31, with about 75 percent of the renovation done, the church building was firebombed in the midst of protests over the death of George Floyd in Minnesota. Once again there were holes, this time from flames that snaked up the walls and punched through the ceiling. The renovation was ruined. “I poured my heart into this project,” said the 39-year-old minister. “I felt like I had failed God. I felt like I had failed the church.”

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From 500 miles away, Leslie Topps’s heart broke for the Lewis Street church. “Of all the churches, why would that happen to them?” said the Atlanta-based publicist who grew up in the pews of the Little Rock congregation. She still has the certificates she and her family members were given after they were baptized there. Topps now worships with the Renaissance Church of Christ, a predominantly Black congregation that completed construction of a new worship facility a few years ago. Both the 1,400-member Renaissance church and the 100-member Lewis Street church had attempted to secure traditional building loans from the large banks where they have accounts. Both were declined. The Renaissance church—formerly known as the West End Church of Christ—was financially sound, said minister Orpheus Heyward. The congregation owned its $2.2 million property with no mortgage and had ample funds in its bank account. “An African-American church can have all of its financials in line,” Heyward said, “and still run into issues when applying for a loan.” That doesn’t make sense to Doug Crozier, The Solomon Foundation’s chief executive officer. His nonprofit funded construction of Renaissance church’s new facility. “I’ve funded probably over 1,400 churches in the Restoration Movement,” Crozier said. After reviewing Renaissance’s financials, he concluded that “every bank should fund that project. It opened my eyes.”

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Since the 1930s, Black families in the U.S. have suffered from discriminatory practices in mortgage lending. The practice of redlining, denying of financial services and insurance in a particular neighborhood based on its ethnic composition, was outlawed by legislation that included the Fair Housing Act of 1968 and the 1977 Community Reinvestment Act. However, housing advocates say the practice continues in more subtle ways, including the subprime loans that precipitated the 2008 financial crisis. A November 2019 analysis of mortgages by professors of law and business at the University of California at Berkeley found that Black and Latino applicants were charged higher interest and heavier refinance fees than White borrowers. The trend affects predominantly Black churches, according to a 2017 study by Indiana University. Black congregations are disproportionally represented in bankruptcy filings, have fewer options to refinance, and are more likely to fall victim to predatory lenders. Earlier this year, pastors at predominantly Black churches said they had trouble accessing COVID-19 relief funds issued through the Paycheck Protection Program administered by the Small Business Administration, according to a report by National Public Radio. Steve Mack, a banker with 38 years of experience making loans, said he hasn’t seen direct evidence of discrimination against predominantly Black churches, but he suspects it happens. “And I’m sorry to say that,” said Mack, chief executive officer of San Antonio-based Texas Heritage Bank. In the financial industry, “I know we’ve got some history that’s not particularly positive.” Banks make and price loans based on risk, said Mack, an elder with the Oak Hills Church in San Antonio. Among the considerations for churches are the size of the congregation, the number of “giving units” (families or individuals), their history of giving, and their debt service ratio—the proportion of the church’s annual giving that is used to pay existing debts. Public relations is another consideration, said Ed White, a commercial lender who works for Texas Heritage Bank. “The last thing a bank wants to do is foreclose on a church,” White said. “I truly believe that large banks look at church lending as unsecured lending.” Christian Standard reached out to representatives of Bank of America, the second-largest bank in the U.S. in terms of assets, for this report and did not receive a response.

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White has approved loans to churches, but said he’s also had to decline loans because “I couldn’t get comfortable with the financials.” He advises churches on how they can make themselves “more bankable,” including conducting capital campaigns for building or renovation projects that have widespread support and financial commitments from church members. A financing project may be more attractive to lenders if the church designs its facilities in such a way that they could be used for some other purpose—retail or office space, for example—should the congregation later sell the property. White, who is African American, serves on the trustee board of a Church of God congregation. When his church underwent renovations, it secured a loan through a lending entity associated with that denomination. Other faith groups have similar entities that provide loans for churches within their fellowships, such as the Baptist Church Loan Corporation. Such entities are regulated differently from banks, Mack said, so churches considering such loans should be aware of the lender’s funding sources, management practices, and whether or not they undergo internal or external audits. White also advised churches to compare the lender’s interest rates to current market rates. A discrepancy far above or below that rate could be a warning sign of mismanagement, he said.

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VISIT PROJECTHOPE2020.COM TO LEARN MORE OR DONATE

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The Solomon Foundation undergoes annual audits and follows specific guidelines similar to those followed by banks, Crozier said, including minimum capital ratio (a borrower’s assets divided by its liabilities) and minimum liquidity ratio (a measure of the debt-repaying ability of the borrower). The nonprofit also is regulated by entities in each state where it does business—mostly by securities commissions but sometimes by the banking or insurance sector, Crozier said. Solomon has committed 20 percent of its assets to help predominantly Black, a cappella churches of Christ, Crozier said. So far, the nonprofit has funded 55 such loans, worth more than $84 million. “They’ve got tremendous ministries and they’re doing a great job,” Crozier said of the preachers for these congregations. “A lot of them are bi-vocational, which tells me of a higher commitment.” Heyward, the minister for the Renaissance church, said representatives of Solomon took time to learn about the congregation’s vision. “They take a really great assessment of infrastructure and give you techniques and methodologies,” Heyward said. “They don’t dictate how to do ministry, but they help you manifest the vision.”

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In Little Rock, after the Lewis Street Church of Christ building was firebombed, minister Robinson said, “I wanted to throw in the towel. I thought about just moving to another location. God said no.” Crozier was worshipping with his congregation, Southeast Christian Church in Parker, Colorado, when he learned of the firebombing. He immediately reached out to Robinson. “We’re 100 percent behind you,” Crozier told the minister. “We’ll be there to help you rebuild. We will.” A few weeks after the incident, Solomon launched an initiative to raise $2 million or more for the church. The campaign has netted about $400,000 so far, Crozier said. The foundation has committed some matching funds toward the project, which Robinson dubbed Project Hope (www.projecthope2020.com). Instead of refurbishing the building, “we’re tearing it down and building a new building in its place,” Crozier said. “The original dream was to rebuild the church from the ground up. We’re going to challenge people from across the country to help us.” In addition to the new facility, Robinson hopes to bring in a Spanish-speaking minister and reach out to Little Rock’s Latino community. He’s invited White ministers to speak to the congregation, which currently meets in its gym, staggered, spread out, and masked due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Diversity, the minister said, should be “rooted and embedded in the very walls where we worship.” Kim Tate, a longtime member of Lewis Street, serves as the church’s communication director. “We keep trying to jump over hurdle after hurdle after hurdle,” she said of the building project, “but every trial and tribulation we go through helps us come up with a bigger and better plan.”

Church members have caught the vision, said Marcus Harlston, a 35-year-old who oversees the church’s social media accounts. “In the Bible, there’s no bond, no free, no Jew vs. Gentile,” he said. “We’re all one so we need to show the city, the state, the United States how to come together.” As for Project Hope, he added, “I can’t wait to see the finished product.” 

Erik Tryggestad serves as president and CEO of The Christian Chronicle.

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UR POWERFUL, ETERNAL PRINCE OF PEACE A Study of Isaiah 9â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Three Timely Truths We Desperately Need Today

By Arron Chambers

DECEMBER 2020

Peace in the face of a deadly virus. Peace among divided families, friends, churches, and cities. Peace for those who are facing financial and employment uncertainty. Peace for those who are experiencing social injustice.

love Hallmark Christmas movies. I can imagine that, this year, Hallmark might air A Very COVID Christmas, where a newly single woman—who used to live in the big city and work for a huge company—moves back to her small hometown to sell the house she grew up in after the recent death of her mother . . . and then the pandemic hits!

While quarantined in her childhood home, she has meals delivered from her favorite local diner by a food delivery service. The delivery guy—a recently widowed and now single father who is just trying to make ends meet—captures her attention. After ordering the same meal for two months, they finally talk—while maintaining appropriate social distancing, of course—and more than a virus starts to break out. In light of COVID-19, people can find extra joy this Christmas in being able to tell their in-laws, “We really wanted to have you all for Christmas, but because of this stupid virus, that’s just not going to work this year.” And I wonder how many kids will say to their Grandma, “Thanks for the homemade mask.” Regardless, as you read this, I hope there’s a chill in the air, that COVID-19 is diminishing, and that Christians still trust God regardless of who’s currently in the White House. And I certainly hope we’re in for a familiar, comforting, and peaceful Christmas—even if it is a very COVID Christmas.

And peace for all who find themselves in the grips of depression, anxiety, and fear. I pray that the Prince of Peace is incarnated wherever his peace is most needed this Christmas, because we are living in a time when we are in great need of peace. The prophet Isaiah was called into ministry during just such a time, too. Isaiah was probably a young man when God called him and gave him a chance to change the world. Isaiah was a prophet of the Southern Kingdom, Judah. For 150 years prior to Isaiah’s time, the Assyrian Empire had been expanding and absorbing other nations. Tiglath-Pilesar came to the throne in 745 BC and continued to expand the empire by subjugating surrounding countries. Six years later, in 739 BC, Isaiah received his call as a prophet and responded, “Here am I. Send me!” (Isaiah 6:8). Isaiah was called to minister in an apparently hopeless situation. The people of Judah were spiraling deeper and deeper into sin and their hearts were hardened to Isaiah’s message. Judah was attacked by Assyria, 200,000 captives were taken into captivity, 46 walled cities were destroyed, and only a remnant remained in Judah—and they were persecuted. Isaiah endured lifelong Assyrian threats, witnessed his nation’s ruin, and saw his kings ignore his warnings and be defeated. Isaiah lived in a world in desperate need of peace, which is why what he shared about Jesus is so relevant and important to us today.

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I’m especially praying for peace this Christmas.

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this (Isaiah 9:6-7, English Standard Version). This passage reveals three important and timely truths about peace.

Isaiah prophesied, “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given” (v. 6, emphasis mine). God wants to give us peace this Christmas. You need to believe that, especially this year. God’s desire is not for you, or any of us, to live in a constant state of emotional, physical, financial, and spiritual turmoil. When God sent Jesus to this world, he really was sending us peace. The people of Judah were facing actual war. They were suffering and they needed hope. So God, through Isaiah, made a promise to them . . . and it’s a promise for us, too. God promised that, at just the right time, his zeal for peace—and all things good—would be made manifest in a child who would be called “Immanuel” (Isaiah 7:14). I love that we don’t have to sit and watch one person, or a small group of people, open this amazing gift for themselves . . . because this gift of love and peace is for all of us!

Jesus Offers Us Unending Peace

Isaiah prophesied, “Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end” (Isaiah 9:7). I saw that word end translated as, “at the end of an infinite process.” As we all face what seem to be endless trials— viruses, storms, divisions, closures, layoffs, politics, financial problems, and no toilet paper—we must hold on to this truth the people of Judah were told to hang on to: the Prince of Peace gets the last word! When the words the coronavirus are spoken for the last time, Jesus will still be saying and sharing Peace! When the words social distancing are spoken for the last time, Jesus will still be saying and sharing Peace! When, in the far-off future, the words pandemic, bankruptcy, divorce, abuse, cancer, human trafficking, social injustice, racism, murder, depression, anxiety, and fear are spoken for the last time, Jesus will still be saying and sharing, until the very last moment of infinity, Peace!

The Powerful Prince of Peace Cannot Be Stopped!

When the Lord, through his prophet, said, “The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this” (v. 7), he meant that the powerful Prince of Peace cannot be stopped! The promise of peace within those 10 words is so empowering. It’s an amazing gift we should all gladly receive this COVID Christmas! Start by looking at the name he used here, “Lord of hosts.” It’s one of my favorite names for the Lord. It is a military title that reminds us the Lord commands armies of angels! You and I have not been alone as we have faced trials in 2020, and we will not be alone as we stand against the trials we will most certainly face until we draw our last breaths. Standing with us— behind us, before us, and around us—are uncountable numbers of angels who all wage war on our behalf under the absolute power and authority of the Prince of Peace. This is a promise we can depend on because it’s backed up by the “zeal” of the Lord. Peace is what the Lord wants . . . it’s his passion! He’s jealous and zealous for it, so peace is what the Lord will get . . . at just the right time. As Isaiah prophesied, “[The Lord] will do this,” or more literally, “will perform this.” The feeling of the word used for do in the original language is what you’d say of a “doer of wonders” more so than just a “doer of deeds.” It’s as if Isaiah was introducing the most incredible miracle worker of all time (at just the right time) and wanted us to know that what we were about to see—what the Lord was about to “perform” in our midst—would be amazing and unstoppable! And what the Lord “performed” in sending the Prince of Peace to bring peace to this broken world truly was wonderful. It was the best Christmas present we could ever receive this COVID Christmas . . . or any Christmas.  Arron Chambers serves as lead minister of Journey Christian Church in Greeley, Colorado, and is the author of seven books, including Eats with Sinners: Loving Like Jesus. /ArronChambersOfficial @ArronChambers arronchambers.com

DECEMBER 2020

God Wants Us to Have Peace

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ET FAITH DO ITS WORK

A Study of James 1:1-12â&#x20AC;&#x201D; The Battle between What We Want and What Our Faith Wants

By Rudy Hagood

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At the start of his Epistle, James, the brother of Jesus, shared his curious idea about faith. A war is going on within us between what we want and what our faith wants. And so, he said, we have to let faith do its work. As individuals, we want things that get in the way of what our faith wants. We want convenience, familiarity, and the good life—but these things are at war with faith . . . and faith has its own goal. Religious leaders (like me) have reinforced ideas of the good life instead of what Paul may have called “the good warfare.” We have called people to the Savior—and that’s great—but not the struggle. “For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake” (Philippians 1:29; all Scripture verses are from the English Standard Version). Let’s look more closely at the blessed struggle to which we’ve been invited.

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Be Steadfast in Your Situation “James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes in the Dispersion: Greetings” (James 1:1). This letter was written during a time of persecution that included Stephen’s sermon and stoning, Saul’s rise (Acts 6:6–8:4), and Nero’s sadistic killing of Christians. This is the situation to which James called his readers to “count it all joy” (James 1:2). Acts 8:4 noted, “Now those who were scattered went about preaching the word.” In other words, the persecution did not minimize the mission! God’s people were scattered, but they were not lost. Today, a global pandemic, an economic crisis, and civil unrest have made many people feel scattered as well, but let me assure you, you are not lost! God knows exactly where you are, and he has a similar message for you. James delivered this message to those who were scattered: “For you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing” (James 1:3-4). God’s desire is not to make us happy; rather, God’s desire is to make us holy. God gives us this gift of faith, but faith has a purpose, and we have to let that gift do its work. Regardless of our situation, we have two things to do—count and ask. And we have two things to be—tested and blessed.

DECEMBER 2020

“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds” (James 1:2).

man fade away in the midst of his pursuits (James 1:5-11).

This initial encouragement is cognitive. It means to calculate or reckon . . . to think about trials in God’s way rather than in our own, more natural way. Through James, God offered us the mind of Christ! This is the kind of mind that would leave Heaven and come to earth. In other words, there must be holy thinking before we proceed to holy speaking and holy acting. The primary obstacle to holiness is our mind. Some of the older sisters in the church used to call it “that stinking thinking.”

James provided two stipulations to help us understand how to ask. We ask without doubting, and we ask from the reality of our situation. This is not the wisdom to get activities done. This is the wisdom to let faith do her work. To receive this kind of wisdom, as children of God, we must be prudent in how we ask.

We don’t count it all joy. Instead, we grumble on Facebook and Instagram. Our tests today don’t seem to produce growth; instead, they typically produce groaning and complaining that actually minimize our maturity. As a church, we’ve got to change our thinking. Trials are not to be seen as troubles, but as tests. The purpose of a test is to see if a student can pass. Child of God, you’re going to be OK. The global pandemic is a test for growth. The economic crisis is a test for growth. The civil unrest is a test for growth. This is a time for us to grow individually and as the church. Growth in these circumstances may have little appeal to you; and that’s why we also need to ask. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. Let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation, and the rich in his humiliation, because like a flower of the grass he will pass away. For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beauty perishes. So also will the rich

First, we must ask from what faith wants, not from what we want. Doubting, in this context, is when what we want disagrees with what faith wants. Doubt (diakrinomenos), in this context, means wavering and vacillating. We dare not come to God in an unsure and unsteady way, as if we are tossed about by the wind like a sea wave. Our God finds no joy in the “double-minded” (dipsychos), which in this passage literally means “two souled.” That person is unstable in all they do; they are like a staggering spiritual drunk. One soul wants to make you happy, the other wants to make you holy. Next, we must ask from the reality of our current situation. The reality of those who had been scattered was that some were poor and some were rich. James was not saying the poor should desire to remain poor or that the rich should desire to give up being rich. Rather, he meant each situation creates the posture of prayer . . . or asking. (By the way, if you have 20 shirts in your closet and yet think you have nothing to wear, you are the rich in this scenario.) The poor should boast because their situation in life is a constant trial from which God will create growth. They should pray out of that situation. The rich should boast in their humiliation by being generous—by walking away from constant convenience and learning to depend on God. The best situations are not always what seem best for us. The easy life creates flowers that wither. God endeavors to create silver that lasts forever.

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Count and Ask

Godâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s desire is not to make us happy; rather, Godâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s desire is to make us holy.

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Be Tested and Blessed We need to be tested. For you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. . . . Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him (James 1:3, 12). Silversmiths test silver to purify it. James was using a word common to that profession. Silversmiths would ignite the fire, and when the silver reached a certain temperature, the impurities would rise to the top. The silversmith would repeat this process—this testing—until he could see his reflection in the silver, and then he would know it was ready. God follows a similar process with us, his children. He places us in the fire and observes whether we’re ready. He turns up the heat, testing us again and again. When he looks and sees his own image, he knows we are ready! Tested became synonymous with proven. The silversmith and God both desire to see their reflection . . . to see purity. God doesn’t aim for the low goal of making us happy; rather, God wants to make us holy.

James borrowed from the structure of Jesus’ Beatitudes (Matthew 5:3-11) and used the word blessed (translated as happy in several Bible versions) to get you where God wants you to be, which is holy. The blessing comes through the testing. It now should be clear why we can count it all joy when we face trials of many kinds. The comfortable life is not blessed. The convenient life is not blessed. The easy life is not blessed. No, it’s the holy life that’s blessed! We just need to let it do its work! Faith has its own goal! There is a war within us between what we want and what our faith wants. That’s why James said, “Let it do its work.” God’s desire is not to make us happy, but to make us holy. Oh, and by the way, holy people are usually happier people . . . because faith is always fruitful. 

We also want to be blessed. Look again at verse 12: “Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.”

Rudy Hagood serves as lead pastor with University Christian Church in Los Angeles. He is married to the lovely and dynamic Osharye Hagood. He is a graduate of Hope International University and Southwestern Christian College.

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HE ANXIETY ANTIDOTE

A Study of Luke 2â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Two Announcements of Peace and How We Live In Between

By Mark E. Moore

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And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people” (Luke 2:8-10). What a sweet story. We can almost hear Linus recounting the entire passage in “A Charlie Brown Christmas.” We see images of sweet children in a Christmas play. It seems so precious. But it’s not. Virtually everything about this story is subversive.

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The Beginning Let’s start with the shepherds. Though they create a bucolic image in our minds, in the Middle East, they elicited a different feeling. Shepherds were physically and spiritually dirty. Their jobs rendered them ritually unclean and required them to trespass on farmers’ property, which not infrequently led to suspicion. In terms of occupational hierarchy, they were one rung above tax collectors. Furthermore, these particular shepherds were hirelings. They had the night shift, roughly equivalent to being a midnight attendant at a 7-Eleven. They were neither noble nor powerful. The fact that God chose them as the first witnesses to the incarnation was scandalous. Then there was the message itself: “Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger” (Luke 2:11-12). These events are acted out in Christmas pageants, typically as soft strings play in the background. The beating of a tympani drum—a harbinger of doom—would be more fitting accompaniment. Herod was about to slaughter the other infants of Bethlehem due to this child. The birth of Jesus was good news to the world, for sure, but it came at a terrible price to the locals. The Messiah was not welcomed by the powerful. And many who followed him in faith paid the price with their lives. Moreover, this Messiah, the hope of Israel, had an inauspicious entrance in a manger. He shared a bed with beasts of burden. His humble beginnings didn’t bode well for his ultimate success. It was an extreme paradox. Finally, there was the announcement: “Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests’” (Luke 2:13-14). Have you stopped to think about the oddness of this announcement? An army announced there was peace. Has an army ever arrived to announce peace? Oh, sure, some army might return from war declaring they had won. But this was different. This army was invading enemy territory and declaring, prior to the battle, that peace had already been won. This should make us stand at attention.

We live between the beginning and the end. The angels announced peace at the beginning of Luke’s Gospel. Jesus promised peace when he comes again. But we live in the middle. And, my, what a middle we have had in 2020. This will no doubt go down as one of the worst years of our lifetimes. We have faced a physical pandemic of COVID-19, which led to an economic crisis due to the lockdown, which led to a social crisis of anxiety.

The End What we read about in Bethlehem repeated itself in the upper room. “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid” (John 14:27). The battle was about to rage, yet Jesus announced peace to his disciples. That’s right, he announced peace to those who would flee from the authorities, hunker down in the upper room, preach in the teeth of opposition, and eventually give their lives for their testimony. Peace was upon them. How was that remotely possible? Well, in the same way the angels announced peace. The victory was assured, even in the midst of the fray. Jesus and the angels agreed. We need not fear in the face of chaos when we know the battle has already been won. Jesus’ death and resurrection promised life beyond death. Our earthly enemies are not our ultimate foes. Jesus’ humble beginnings and humbling end pulled back the veil of eternity so we could see with clarity that our greatest enemy was sin. Our suffering in the present is barely a blip on the radar of eternity. Our earthly enemies can’t touch eternity and all that really matters. Our sin has been atoned for, our identity has been secured as children of God, and our salvation is firmly established in Jesus. So what, pray tell, is our worry in this world?

In a normal year, anxiety disorders affect approximately 20 percent of the adult population. This could include general anxiety, panic attacks, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and posttraumatic stress disorder. Because so few seek help, many professionals estimate at least 30 percent of American adults experience an anxiety episode each year. The annual price tag for treatment is approximately $48 billion. These types of disorders are invading the younger ages. It is estimated the average high school student today has a stress level equivalent to a psychiatric patient of the 1950s. Among middle school students, the level of anxiety generally aligns with their engagement on social media. Though anxiety disorders are the most common in today’s greatest mental health crisis, the good news is these disorders are also the most treatable. Unfortunately, only 36.9 percent of sufferers receive treatment. Then there is the really bad news: COVID-19. In May 2020, a federal emergency hotline for people in emotional distress registered more than a 1,000 percent increase in calls. People are hurting more than ever. Nearly half of Americans report the coronavirus crisis is harming their mental health, according to a Kaiser Family Foundation poll. In my home state of Arizona, suicide rates are up 162 percent over the same period last year. Most devastating of all, calls to Arizona Child Protective Services are down 90 percent. No, that is not good news; it is terrible news. We know that child abuse has spiked due to all this anxiety. Yet those with eyes trained to spot abuse are blinded. Schools, churches, and day cares were closed for a considerable time. Hence the closest observers outside the home had no way of monitoring the health of the most vulnerable in society.

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In Between

The antidote is not a program but a person. A focus on jesus can mitigate anxiety.

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How Can We Find (and Make) Peace in a World of Chaos? If you experience more than two of the following physical manifestations, you may need to seek counseling or medical help: shortness of breath, racing heart, dizziness, persistent digestive issues, insomnia, panic attacks, muscle twitches, or headaches lasting longer than two days. I’m serious—please get the help you need. Regardless of where you are on the spectrum, all of us can significantly minimize anxiety. The antidote is not a program but a person. A focus on Jesus can mitigate anxiety. An ancient document containing modern wisdom offers four simple steps. Let’s start with the first two: Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:6-7, emphasis mine). 1. Pray There are three different words for prayer in this passage. Pray a lot, pray in every way, and pray for everything. There is much you cannot control but nothing God cannot control. The more we invite him into our chaos, the less room there is for worry. 2. Give Thanks Sit down and make a list of things you are thankful for. Psychotherapists affirm an inverse relationship exists between gratitude and anxiety. If you control your gratitude, anxiety will be unable to control you. Now, the final two steps:

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you (Philippians 4:8-9, emphasis mine). 3. Control the Narrative Set your mind on things that are noble. This may mean altering your playlist, reading more Scripture, journaling daily, or guarding your Sabbath. What you allow to dominate your thoughts will determine your emotional direction. 4. Do What You Can Feelings of anxiety swell when individuals feel out of control. Self-determination is an antidote to anxiety. You can never completely control any situation. However, there is always some small thing you can do in any situation. “Put it into practice.” This lesson is not just for you. As Christ’s ambassadors, your presence of peace can mitigate anxiety in others. When others are at their worst, we need to be at our best. Jesus’ peace will emanate from your presence at home. Jesus’ peace will permeate the room with your words about him at work. Jesus’ peace will incarnate in you when you practice peace with your neighbors. May it be said of you, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God” (Matthew 5:9).  Mark E. Moore serves as teaching pastor at Christ’s Church of the Valley in Peoria, Arizona, and is author of Core52: A Fifteen-Minute Daily Guide to Build Your Bible IQ in a Year.

THE

New Year

B Y C A L E B K A LT E N B A C H

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No Fear

CHALLENGE

H O W Y O U C A N B E G I N 2 0 2 1 W I T H C O U R A G E A N D U N D E R S TA N D I N G

This year-end article was written in mid-September. Due to the magazine’s production schedule, I simply don’t have the luxury of knowing if we’ve made strides toward loving each other well, who won the election, the state of the economy, or whether there is a coronavirus vaccine. As I type these words, my mother is suffering from COVID-19. She’s older, in poor health, and already fighting cancer, so I have no clue whether she will survive or go to be with the Lord. Remember the old saying, “hindsight is 20-20”? If you’re reading this article, you possess hindsight while I’m still plagued with uncertainty. Fear can be a side effect of uncertainty. We fear what we don’t understand and that which makes us feel powerless. Whether a circumstance, person, group, idea, or animal, we fear whoever or whatever makes us feel “less than.” Contrary to popular opinion, fear isn’t always bad. If you’re hiking and see a rattlesnake, you shouldn’t pick it up and cuddle it! It’s not wise to

hug a stranger—especially if he’s wearing a hockey mask and carrying a chainsaw! Fear can warn us, prompt us to investigate further, and protect us. However, fear becomes toxic when it determines our relationships, dictates how we treat others, or directs our life. Unhealthy fear fosters the worst in us. In March 2020, the Christian Post quoted Tony Evans as saying, “Our anxiety, worry, and fear is outpacing the problem of the virus.” I would go a step further to add that our fear is outpacing the problems of 2020! Let’s face it, 2020 has provided many opportunities for fear: COVID-19 (with its attendant deaths, quarantines, mental health stressors, and loneliness), racism, economic disaster, hate, the worst of U.S. politics, ambiguity about church gatherings, violence, and so on. Here’s a challenge as 2020 winds down: Don’t end 2020 and begin 2021 with fear. God can help you manage your fears before 2020 concludes. Here’s what I mean.

2020 WAS NOT UNCHARTED TERRITORY COVID-19, quarantines, and such were new ordeals for us 21st-century folk, but foundationally, 2020 was not uncharted territory. As novelist James Baldwin wrote in 1963, “It was books that taught me that the things that tormented me most were the very things that connected me with all the people who were alive, who had ever been alive.” His words added to those of King Solomon: “What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 1:9). History reminds us that many suffered pandemics, lived through quarantines, braved economic meltdowns, and detested political attitudes. And if they moved forward with God’s help, so can we. Another reason 2020 wasn’t uncharted territory: God walked through 2020 before we were born. We humans live within the arena of time, but God inhabits eternity (Isaiah 57:15). As the great I Am, God is timeless. He was, is, and is to come (Psalm 93:2; Isaiah 44:6; Revelation 1:8; 22:13), so God has no problem existing and acting both inside and outside of time’s boundaries (2 Timothy 1:9). Nothing in 2020 surprised God, and not a single event in 2021 will frustrate him. God helped people in the past, and he can do the same for us today.

GOD HELPED PEOPLE

in the past;

UNDERSTANDING KILLS UNHEALTHY FEAR Maya Angelou believed that history needn’t repeat itself. The poet wrote, “History, despite its wrenching pain, cannot be unlived, but if faced with courage, need not be lived again.” Courage is the key word, because toxic fear is a tremendous enemy. If there are parts of your life you haven’t surrendered to God, fear can make you a prisoner of your past. Fear can leverage your previous decisions, actions, and scars to intimidate you from taking necessary steps toward growth. In his book Teaching to Change Lives, Howard Hendricks wrote, “Experience does not necessarily make you better; in fact it tends to make you worse, unless it’s evaluated experience.” If unhealthy fear resides in the unrelinquished areas of our lives, then we need courage to “look in the mirror.” Confronting our 2020 experiences is more than challenging—it wounds us all over again. As C.S. Lewis lamented in The Problem of Pain, “It is easier to say ‘My tooth is aching’ than to

say ‘My heart is broken.’” Perceiving our mistakes and weighing our troubles is gut-wrenching. Yet, being courageous enough to process what happened yesterday can make tomorrow better. Though our hearts may shatter all over again, God will help us acknowledge and process our emotional wounds, missteps, and attitudes. Surrendering to God invites

• What were my five best decisions this year? Why did I make those decisions? • What were my five worst decisions this year? How did I arrive at those decisions? • How did I treat people with whom I disagreed? • When did I feel joyful during 2020? What made me joyful? • What caused me the most pain this year? • What were my low points? What transpired to put me in those low places? • How did I grow closer with my family and friends? • How did I not make good use of time with my loved ones?

HE CAN DO THE SAME

for us today.

him to strengthen and teach us. After all, he was fully present for every mistake, loss, and tear. How do we process 2020? Pray about what’s happened and how you responded. Invite others to speak into your life about who you were in 2020. Listen to them! Consider speaking with a Christian therapist. Answer questions such as these:

• What five things did I complain about most frequently this year? Did complaining make my life better or worse? • To whom do I need to apologize? • Do I need to relinquish any shame or misappropriated guilt? • Where is God currently working in my life? Two-time Nobel Prize winner Marie Curie said, “Nothing in life is to be feared. It is only to be understood. Now is the time to understand more, so that we may fear less.” Earlier I said that we fear what we don’t understand or whatever makes us feel powerless. Take a moment and contemplate what you know today versus what worried you earlier in 2020. By this time, you certainly have a better understanding of COVID-19. Perhaps you also now appreciate the need for more work and dialogue around race and identity. Maybe you’ve noticed society’s ideological false dichotomies and can better discern how to engage them. You may have gained a high regard for law enforcement officers with stellar integrity. More than anything, I hope we all now recognize how desperately people need Jesus. That’s one of my biggest lessons from 2020, and it will be a huge focus for me in 2021. I hope it is for you as well.  Caleb Kaltenbach is an author and leads The Messy Grace Group. /calebwilds

@calebwilds

messygracegroup.org

How Social Media Robs Us of Peace & Joy

and How We Can Get It Back

BY TYLER MCKENZIE

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I’m not a doomsayer. I do not believe social media is inherently evil. Instead, I believe it’s morally neutral. Like most technology, its capacity for good or evil lies in the hands of those who wield it. However, to pretend that you and I are the hands that truly wield it is naïve at best and irresponsible at worst. You may have good intentions when you sign in, but once you tap on that app you are entering a space that lauds your ability to shape the world by what you share, but in actuality, social media tends to shape you. Obscene amounts of money, research, and energy are being invested by those far shrewder than you and me. And be warned—they don’t see social media as nice little apps to share baby pictures, stay connected, or fight over politics. Instead, they see social media as a means to an end—a way to distract you, profit from you, and influence you. In other words, it seeks to become the object of your worship. In Christian speak, these platforms are utilized as “discipleship tools.” Only problem is, the folks investing the most money aren’t trying to disciple you into a follower of Jesus. Instead, they are trying to get you to purchase their product, embody their brand, vote for their candidate, vilify their enemy, or embrace their cultural vision for “the good life.” Social media provides them with a gold mine of information to learn more about how they can (1) reach you and (2) use this connection as a platform to speak their uniquely contextualized message to you. Making matters worse, every one of us overestimates our ability to resist these powerful discipling

influences while underestimating the time we actually spend on social media platforms. Put simply, we overestimate our holiness and underestimate our addiction. Because of that, social media has become the favorite tool of politicians, brands, businesses, and power brokers who want to shape our imaginations and capture our loyalty. I’m reminded of Augustine’s words, “You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it rests in you.” In a day of screen addictions, attention economy, big data, ad-based media, algorithms, and echo chambers, there is no rest to be found.

BIG DATA Social media platforms first seek to learn about you. I heard recently that after 10 likes, Facebook can identify your political persuasion. After 50, they know more about you than your friends. After 100 likes, they know more about you than your family. After 300, they know more about you than you. And of course, most of us have had the horrifying experience of opening our phone to see an ad for Ben & Jerry’s ice cream, only to realize, “Wait a second! I just had a conversation with my wife about Ben & Jerry’s like two minutes ago.” It doesn’t take long for the algorithms to get so good they can predict your needs, wants, and dilemmas before you are conscious of them yourself. Then they fill your feeds with ads that speak your language and promise to scratch your itch.

“

You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it rests in you. —AUGUSTINE

Clickbait captures people’s attention. By that, I mean headlines and images pertaining to hate, war, violence, injustice, villains, doomsday, chaos, conspiracy, outrage, sex, scandal, seduction, desire, pleasure, affluence, and beauty. These are the captivating enticements of the attention economy. The strategy is simple: “We will surround you with screens, push this content, capture your attention, and then we can own you.” These online influencers are finding much success. The popular news outlets can help illustrate how this works. In them, we see a masterful (or perhaps diabolical) coalescing of curated content, sensationalized rhetoric, and shocking commentary. As a thought experiment, for several days this past July, I made it part of my daily routine to go to the following news websites: MSNBC, CNN, Fox News, and One America News. Each morning, I took screenshots of the headlines on each of their home pages. Then I looked at the four screenshots together and compared. What I observed was incredible but not surprising. Two words—curation and interpretation. Each news outlet curated the news they shared in dramatically different ways. They reported only stories that fit their narrative of what is right and wrong, good and evil, important and trivial in the world. For example, one weekday One America News featured the following on their front page: an article promising stimulus money thanks to the White House, a Second Amendment story on how an Indiana man wielded his gun to save others, three sympathy pieces supporting police amid rioting, one Obama/Biden “hit piece” on how they handled H1N1, a lament on the Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque being taken over by Muslims, and a large scoreboard in the top right corner tallying the cost of illegal immigrants in the United States. On that same day, MSNBC featured eight hit pieces focusing on President Trump that derided his dishonesty, incompetency, efforts to twist voting laws, dictatorial tendencies, secret police in Portland, etc. If

On certain days during 2020 I’ve scrolled my social media feed and wondered aloud how Christians— who share eternity in common—could post such antithetical content and have such opposing worldviews. This is how. Depending on what ecosystem of news you live in, you will be spoon-fed a drastically different totalizing narrative of the world. Social media algorithms reinforce this by winnowing your news feed down into echo chambers of those who live, think, vote, and believe like you.

THE LOSS OF PEACE To summarize, the voices you listen to are the voices that disciple you. Far too many of us spend far too much time “listening” to our screens. These screens are constantly: • learning more about us • selling us with tailored ads that tell us what we “need” in nearly irresistible ways • grabbing at our attention with spectacle, catastrophe, and propaganda • discipling and distracting us from what can offer our hearts true rest No wonder we have no peace. Look at the toxicity we consume daily. No wonder we have no joy. Ad-based media keep us in a constant state of believing we need more . . . and many people never discover that more is never enough. Peace isn’t all that profitable for the power brokers and moneymakers at the top. It’s a lot easier to capture and keep people’s attention with conflict, controversy, and clickbait. The people pulling the strings don’t want us to experience joy; rather, they need us to believe that joy is just one purchase or one vote away. These are the voices we are listening to. These are the voices interpreting the world for us. These are the voices that have learned our ways, adopted our language, infiltrated our days, and stolen our loyalties. These are the voices embedded in social media. Social media is the new “high priest” for all the false gods that own us.

DECEMBER 2020

We are living in a time some sociologists and number crunchers have deemed the attention economy. Consumer businesses, political parties, and others see your limited attention span as a scarce commodity. They believe this: “If we can get their attention long enough, we can control them.” This is why we see an increase in sensationalized and catastrophized content.

curation wasn’t enough, they then took these stories and interpreted them by using sensationalized rhetoric and catastrophized worst-case scenarios in order to incite powerful human emotions like fear, rage, and uncertainty.

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THE ATTENTION ECONOMY

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WHAT DO WE DO? Having described this intentional strategy to disciple us, we must develop an aggressive counterstrategy to resist. I have found four tactics to be particularly helpful:

1 2 3 4

I carefully curate the voices I listen to most intently and most often.

I actively pursue disciplines of disengagement.

I detox.

I do everything I can to rest my heart in Jesus alone.

Where do I get my news? Who do I follow on Twitter? What people do I allow to interpret the world for me? How much of my attention goes where? If we are being honest, most of us spend substantially more time on social media (and other media) platforms than we do connecting with God. Here’s a test for you. Which equation gets more of your time? • Social media + news media + political leaders + entertainment media • Scripture + prayer + teachers of the Bible + intentional Christian community This should be something you consider with your kids as well. A key today for parents is not teaching your children new information but helping to teach them how to find trustworthy sources of information. These disciplines—which push back against social media strategies—include such things as solitude, sabbath, silence, study, prayer, and fasting. Rather than doing or saying or posting or buying or sharing or learning something, disciplines of disengagement force you to just be with God. We live in a time that offers unending stimulation and distraction. We never have to be bored if we don’t want to be. Most of us can’t even wait in the grocery store line or at a red light without pulling out our phone, texting a friend, flipping on Facebook, or crushing some candy. We do everything to avoid boredom. But what if comfort with boredom is essential to unlocking intimacy with God? Engagement has become the new golden metric as churches try to build preeminent online ministries. But let us not lose sight of the ancient disciplines of disengagement. Daily doses of putting the phone in a drawer or on DND (do not disturb) are essential. In fact, try fasting from your phone for a few days in a row. I’m reminded that the prophet Elijah found God in “a sound of sheer silence” (1 Kings 19:12; New Revised Standard Version).

The world around us is constantly telling us—selling us—that peace is contingent on our physical circumstances. Brands tell us we will find joy if we adopt their lifestyle. Political parties tell us we will find prosperity if we can elect their political savior. Consumer culture tells us we will find contentment on the other side of “more.” The filtered, sanitized, Instaperfect lives of others we see online tell us our normal lives don’t measure up. But they are all wrong. If you want to find peace amid ever-changing circumstances, you need to find it in an unchanging God. If you want to find joy that transcends even the fear of death, you must place your trust in something—Someone—more powerful than death. There is a New Testament passage that I hope shapes our vision and imagination moving forward. Set your sights here.

“Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God. And when Christ, who is your life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all his glory” (Colossians 3:1-4).  Tyler McKenzie serves as lead pastor at Northeast Christian Church in Louisville, Kentucky.

o t w o H a d a e l g n i p e e k e c pea h c r u ch

DECEMBER 2020

By Rusty Russell

Never before has peacekeeping in the church been so difficult! This past summer in the middle of the COVID-19 crisis, I received two emails from people who were upset at how we were handling the situation. The first said she was leaving the church because we weren’t properly social distancing (although we thought we were) and we weren’t making people wear masks. The second said she was leaving the church because we were listening to the liberal media and refusing to loosen restrictions on social distancing. Our church members have not only been polarized about masks, riots, and the 2020 election, they’ve also been more judgmental than I’ve ever seen them. I believe it’s a product of the world’s influence. The world preaches tolerance but practices judgmentalism and divisiveness. Observe the tone of tweets and social media posts, or listen as newsroom commentators debate one another. Seldom are disagreements debated civilly, and never do you hear even the slightest decorum or respect given to the opposition. We show zero respect for the humanity of others when we behave as if they’re not fit to live because they disagree with us. It’s the kind of hatred Jesus condemned in the Sermon on the Mount as being equal with murder. This horrendous worldly habit has often infiltrated the church. How do we exemplify peace in such a nasty environment? I’d like to suggest three important leadership habits that will help foster an atmosphere of peace in your church. Hopefully, our example of peacekeeping will spill over into our communities and our nation.

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Pra c t i ce T h es e T h r ee C r u c i a l H a b i t s t o Li ve a t Pea ce w i t h Eve r yo n e and to Be an Example f o r O u r Co m m u n i t i es a n d N a t i o n t o Fo l l ow

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CL AR IF Y YOUR POSITI ON The Bible says, “If the trumpet does not sound a clear call, who will get ready for battle?” (1 Corinthians 14:8). We mistakenly think if we’re just a little vague, then we won’t offend anyone and both sides will be happy. Instead, nobody’s happy in such circumstances. We forget that people are like sheep. Most people in your flock are not entrenched on a side but are looking for leadership. Without a leader giving clear direction, they will bicker and fight. Though it’s counterintuitive, you will take giant steps toward peace in your church when people know exactly where leadership stands. That’s true even if your stance is not to take a stance. In a recent sermon on 2 Thessalonians 2, I clarified my personal position on Bible prophecy. (I consider myself a historic premillennialist —today. I might change my mind tomorrow.) Later in the sermon, one of my points of application was, “Don’t be dogmatic.” I said, “This is very important: New Day does not take an official position on Bible prophecy. You can disagree with my position and still be an elder or teacher here.” People loved the clarity, and it helped to stave off potential divisiveness. It brought peace. (It helped that I joked that even my dad and I disagree about the timing of the rapture; he’s not wrong very often but nobody’s perfect!) Some other issues are tougher, but our flock needs to know where the church stands on abortion, homosexuality, racial relations, politics, Marxism, the age of the earth, women’s role in the church, baptism, and so on. When we as church leaders take a stand on a clear biblical principle, we should take that stand boldly; if we don’t take a stand, we must make sure people understand why. Our movement has always borrowed the old slogan, “In doctrine, unity; in opinion, liberty; in all things, charity.”

Don’t succumb to the popular notion that preachers shouldn’t wade into such things or they will divide the church and drive the unchurched away. Vagueness will divide the church, and the world will lose respect for you—if they had any to begin with. Your core church members will respect you and rally around you for having the boldness to speak the truth in love. Outsiders will be drawn to someone who knows what they believe and isn’t cowardly. (By the way, I’ve especially witnessed this among young dads in the community. Young men are drawn to courageous leaders even when they disagree with them.)

BUILD T RUS T The Bible says, “Love always trusts” (1 Corinthians 13:6-7). The inability to trust one another has divided our nation. We don’t trust the heart or motives of those leading the other side. Maybe with good reason! But as long as we can’t trust each other, the divisiveness will continue. Such mistrust shouldn’t characterize the church. Leading with trust will help to unite your church. Not long ago our staff and elders read The Speed of Trust by Stephen M. R. Covey. It’s sad it took a secular book to help me understand this biblical principle, but it was extremely helpful to me. The title conveys the book’s concept. Your organization will fly with lightning speed if you know how to do two things: extend trust and be a trustworthy person. Without trust, your organization (or your nation) will be characterized by mistrust, fear, and conflict. Extending trust and being trustworthy will lead to peaceful relationships and a peaceful church. If your church is characterized by unrest and tension instead of peace, try focusing on this issue of trust.

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Start by assessing yourself as the leader. Are you extending trust and being trustworthy? Do you say to your staff and elders, “I trust you”? Do they believe you trust them? Are you committed to being someone they can trust—someone who tells the truth, shows up on time, has their back, gets the job done, and genuinely cares about them? Next, evaluate your staff and elders. Is there someone who has proven not to be trustworthy? They’ve got to repent or be let go. Shortly after I graduated from Bible college several decades ago, I read two books that had recently been published about difficult people in the church. The first book, Well-Intentioned Dragons, described people who meant well but unintentionally sucked the life out of you. They needed to be shepherded in the right direction. The second book, Antagonists in the Church, described troubled people who were determined to undermine everything you do. A true antagonist, the second book explained, is concerned only about power, and so their motives can never be trusted. Such an untrustworthy person must be removed from power or they will divide the church. I encountered such an antagonist in my first church. Unfortunately, the board wasn’t strong enough to recognize and remove him. After two years, I decided to leave the church before the unrest broke me or caused a church split. In the flesh, we want to keep the peace so badly that we appease the antagonist. But that creates a false and temporary peace. An untrustworthy person cannot be in power or your church will never have true peace. True peace requires mutual trust, so do your part to foster an atmosphere of trust in your congregation.

DECEMBER 2020

One other important principle for a peaceful church is that leaders must love those who oppose them. Even the antagonist has to be loved. Jesus said, “Love your enemies.” You may need to remove them from leadership, but you don’t stop loving them. Stories have surfaced lately about megachurch pastors who couldn’t control their temper. They lost the respect of those around them and eventually lost their jobs. Self-control certainly has been part of the problem, but deep down these men didn’t love those who opposed them. A simple test of character is whether you can love those who disagree with you. An insecure leader thinks of others as disloyal simply for disagreeing with them. Great leaders surround themselves with people who aren’t afraid to disagree; in fact, they will search out disagreement just to test the strength of their position. One of our deacons, Roger, modeled this well for me when COVID-19 hit. From the beginning, my gut told me the seriousness of the virus was being exaggerated and I didn’t want to shut down the church. But I heard through the grapevine that Roger believed it was more serious. I forced myself to call him and listen to his opinion. To be honest, it was fairly easy to call him because I trust him. Trust, as I mentioned, brings peace. Roger is an incredible man—a retired surgeon with a strong understanding of Scripture and a pastoral heart. And it helped that I knew he was politically conservative. He told me he thought this could be a serious virus and that it would soon dissipate, but for a time we should take

it seriously. That helped me have a more balanced perspective. I didn’t come all the way to his side on every concern, but he and I had some great conversations, and I appreciated his polite demeanor when we disagreed. It’s possible to disagree and remain friends, even when the situation is very serious and opinions are strong. Roger modeled what it means to love someone who holds a different opinion. He didn’t get mad, scream and yell, or threaten to leave the church if we didn’t follow his advice. I gained so much respect for him! And frankly, his peaceful demeanor had an added benefit: It allowed him the flexibility to adapt and change his recommendations without losing face as more information came in. From the beginning, he was right about how the virus spreads and how serious it can be, especially for those with comorbidity factors. His perspective kept us centered and helped us make some great decisions. But more importantly, he modeled what it means to love the opposition. The Bible says, “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone” (Romans 12:18). As leaders, we’re called to model peacekeeping in the church. But let’s not cave into a false peace. Real, lasting peace requires a clear explanation of the truth, a genuine extension of trust, and a courageous effort to love those who disagree. Remember Jesus’ words, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid” (John 14:27). 

Rusty Russell serves as lead pastor of New Day Christian Church in Port Charlotte, Florida. He has coauthored several books with his father, Bob Russell, including When God Answers Prayer and When God Builds a Church. Rusty is also the player development coach for the Port Charlotte High School football team.

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L O V E T HE OPPOSI TI ON

A BIBLICAL CASE FOR NONCOMPLIANCE How We Chose to Deal with the Restrictions and Mandates Placed on Us by State and Local Governments

“I had some serious thoughts of suicide in December. I was making headway with the help of my mental health classes and church, then both were taken away from me. Now, with nowhere else to physically go, I’m struggling.” This was a direct message from a church member who reached out to me for help during the coronavirus pandemic. This precious believer was struggling, lost, hurting, and losing hope. It crushed me because I felt helpless to do anything about it. I’m sure this is similar to what you’re seeing with the people you care for. These stories have become all too familiar. It breaks my heart, and I’m sure it breaks yours. Evidence of this pandemic manifests itself in many ways—it’s all around us. Divorce rates are climbing. Addiction and alcohol consumption are skyrocketing. People suffering from anxiety and depression are flooding hospitals. Suicide is on the rise.

By Brian Hunt

Self-harm among students in California was increasing even before COVID-19 became known in every household. In fact, the unhealthy trend compelled the state to enact a law requiring schools to put the suicide prevention hotline number on the back of every student ID. There is no denying the social and emotional health of students has grown worse during this long period of social isolation and lack of extracurricular activities. Our students are starving for attention and interaction. And I think it’s gone beyond that—our world is losing hope. But what really got me were the first few words of my friend’s message: “I seriously can’t even begin to explain how bad I need to be at Crossroads.” The deepest desire of this broken person was to physically be at church. They needed the church. They craved the church. They needed the community and support that only church can provide. And for so many, that feeling, connection, and community don’t really happen online.

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AN OVERWHELMING WEIGHT FOR LEADERS I realize most people pivoted like James Harden on a step-back three-pointer during these uncharted times. We’ve started online services, outdoor services, Zoom services, podcasts, and morning shows to reach our people. The church needed all of these innovative changes, regardless of whether the coronavirus occurred or not. But the question remains: “What about the indoor, in-person services?” Many of us literally sit outside of our buildings looking at what used to be. And as we gaze upon those empty buildings, we are reminded that we’re outside of our norm; we’re reminded of the uncertainty all around us. The current overriding issue for leadership is how to deal with the restrictions and mandates placed on us by our state and local governments. What do we do with Romans 13:1; 1 Peter 2:13-15; and Titus 3:1 that tell us to “be subject to rulers and authorities”? Then again, the writer of Hebrews told us to “not [give] up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing” (Hebrews 10:25). So, how are we to do that when we’re told not to meet—or, at least, not to meet in the manner we always have? On top of that, how do we keep people safe in the middle of a pandemic when the worst still might be yet to come? As individual leaders, we are expected to care for the spiritual and physical health of people, while also balancing the public perception of our church’s decisions. I don’t know how you feel about this, but for me, that weight is becoming overwhelming. And while we deliberate on what to do, our flock is scattering. So how do we honor the authority above us while also pastoring a flock that is scattering due to fear and lack of hope? This is what keeps me up at night.

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FOUR TYPES OF NONCOMPLIANCE FOUND IN SCRIPTURE Then I realized—actually, God showed me in a new and fresh way—there is biblical precedence to work outside the mandates of our government for the sake of those hurting around us. To fully understand, we need to look at the four types of noncompliance we find in the Bible. 1. Sinful Noncompliance This is when we choose not to comply with authority and it results in sinful and ungodly acts for which God is not glorified. A noncompliant decision to disobey authority is never justified when the end result is sinful and only distances us from God’s will. Examples of this are murder, rape, stealing, and so many other horrific acts that litter the pages of Scripture, stain our world, and necessitated Jesus’ sacrifice. 2. Civil Noncompliance This is when we choose not to comply with authority to bring attention to a greater ungodly wrong in society. A noncompliant decision to disobey authority is biblically justified when it circumvents a greater civil wrong that is ungodly and out of line with biblical principles. Some examples include the Maccabean revolt of 167 BC, the 95 theses Martin Luther nailed to the Wittenberg door, and Martin Luther King Jr.’s fight against segregation. 3. Gospel-Preserving Noncompliance This is choosing not to comply with authority that is bent on suppressing, oppressing, or persecuting those who would preach the gospel. A decision to disobey authority is biblically justified when proclamation of God’s Word is the goal. God is honored by this bold noncompliance. There are many examples in our Bible and throughout history of brave men and women who have stood up for the gospel message against terrible odds. Peter in front of the Sanhedrin (Acts 5); Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the fiery furnace (Daniel 3); Daniel in the lions’ den (Daniel 6); the stoning of Stephen (Acts 7); and the examples of all other Christian martyrs throughout history! However, the fourth type of noncompliance was what changed the game for me.

4. God-Centered, Ethical Noncompliance This involves choosing noncompliance to protect the well-being of another person or persons. A decision to disobey authority is biblically justified to protect the well-being of others and prevent harm to them for the sake of God-centered purposes. The Bible contains many examples of this; among them, Rahab lying to protect the two Israelite spies (Joshua 2), Moses killing the Egyptian to save the Hebrew (Exodus 2), Michal lying to King Saul to save her husband David (1 Samuel 19:11-17), the Magi ignoring Herod’s instructions to save Jesus (Matthew 2), and even Jesus working on the Sabbath to heal the lame man (Luke 13:10-17; Mark 3:1-6). As I considered this fourth form of noncompliance, the Bible came to life for me in a new way. Time and again, the Bible showed me men and women who chose not to comply with the religious or government authority in order to help those in need. This discovery gave me a great feeling of freedom and confidence. It allowed me to make bolder decisions about the future of our church by standing on the sure footing of the rock of God’s Word rather than just my gut feelings. This freedom allows me to confidently say, The decision to provide an indoor, in-person option of our worship service to bring hope to the hopeless in spite of the state mandate is biblically justified by God-centered, ethical noncompliance. However, we must also consider that the method of shepherding our flock is not to herd them into only one model of worship. Just because we can do something doesn’t mean we must do it.

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DECEMBER 2020

Now, I realize that all churches and leaders are different. We all have different factors and leadings from God on what we should do next. What you feel God is telling you is what you need to follow. I’m not shaming someone for not returning to indoor worship. There is already too much division in the church, and we certainly don’t need more. I also know that all of us want to build bridges, not burn them, with our local authorities. We have worked so hard with these officials during this pandemic, so the thought of losing that connection is something to consider. I get it. I feel it too.

THE POWER TO CHOOSE We need to remember that we have sheep at many levels of faith and unease. We have some sheep who are very concerned about COVID-19, others who are somewhat concerned, and still others who are not concerned at all. We also have sheep who are coming to know Jesus, some who have a very deep and loving faith in him, others who are wandering from him, and still others who are almost completely lost. Yet, we have a Savior who will leave the 99 to go after the wandering and lost ones of the world. So, to reach these different populations of people, we need to give them a power that COVID-19 has taken away from them—and that is the power to choose. We need to provide them with options of how they can connect with God and find hope.

This is why we believed we needed to reach out to our local government and explain our intentions to them. By doing that, we’ve gained their support and backing as much as possible as we offer our inside service option again. The bottom line is we can’t lose sight of the wandering and lost sheep who are in need of hope. We need to be bold in our leadership in the face of uncertain times. The reality is our world is broken, lost, and without hope. And we know Jesus is the hope this world needs. It is critical that we bring the hope of Jesus to the hopeless. And for us, that means offering as many options as we can so we can reach as many people as we can. So keep leading boldly, stay rooted in God’s promises, and continue to shepherd a scattering flock back to Jesus. 

Brian Hunt serves as the lead pastor with Crossroads Grace Community Church in Manteca, California.

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This is why we as a church have decided to begin offering inside, outside, and online services to our community. We want to empower people to choose the appropriate amount of risk they feel comfortable with for them and their family. We feel it is both necessary and biblically justified to offer inside and in-person worship as an option despite what the state has mandated.

FROM THE C H R I ST I A N STA NDA R D A R C HIVE S, D EC . 23 , 1 950

ABIDING P E ACE I N TROU BLE D TI M E S By Jessie Wells Clark

DECEMBER 2020

and Nazi bombers were raining death and destruction from the air. Yet, in London’s underground shelters, the people sang, seemingly oblivious of the pandemonium above:

O little town of Bethlehem, how still we see thee lie! Above thy deep and dreamless sleep, the silent stars go by; Yet in thy dark streets shineth the everlasting Light. The hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight. What a picture that must have brought to the minds of those singers! Perhaps never before had they realized the beauty that shone on that first Christmas night. The stillness of Bethlehem and the silent stars contrasted with the bursting bombs! They could not even see the stars, for enemy planes had driven the people underground. And then that line, “Yet in thy dark streets shineth the everlasting Light.” Surely they realized, as never before, that while man had the power to force these blackouts upon them, there was a Light that could not be extinguished. Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12). With the assurance there was a Light no enemy could put out, can you hear the new note of triumph as they sang again of the Savior’s birth?

It came upon a midnight clear, That glorious song of old, From angels bending near the earth, To touch their harps of gold: “Peace on the earth, goodwill to men, From heaven’s all-gracious King.” The world in solemn stillness lay, To hear the angels sing.

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IT was the Christmas season in 1940, but there was no peace. England was at war,

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FROM And there must have been a note of sadness as they sang on:

Yet with the woes of sin and strife The world hath suffered long; Beneath the angel-strain have rolled Two thousand years of wrong; And man, at war with man, hears not The words of peace they bring: O hush the noise, ye men of strife, And hear the angels sing. Now, let your imagination transport you thousands of miles to South America to a statue known as Christ the Redeemer of the Andes. In your mind’s eye, can you see it standing there in the Andes Mountains on the border between Chile and Argentina, with arms outstretched as though pleading with a reluctant world, imploring it to come to him for peace and protection? How beautiful and fitting that the statue was made of old melted cannonballs by two nations who pledged to remain at peace with one another. And how impressive is the inscription: “Sooner shall these mountains crumble into dust than the people of Argentina and Chile break the peace which they have sworn at the feet of Christ the Redeemer.” As a prayer, we might well use Henry Van Dyke’s words, which were inspired by this statue:

“Christ of the Andes,” Christ of everywhere . . . Patient lover of impatient men, . . . Who blindly strive and sin and strive again, . . . Oh, teach the world, warring and wondering still, The way of Peace, the foot path of Good Will! The enormity of the struggles going on about us make it seem impossible that that prayer shall ever be answered. It seems there will always be men whose hearts are not right with God, and nations that want only to tear at each other’s throats. Yes, it seems impossible. But there is a way. An African king once expressed the desire to find the town that had first gone to war so that he might destroy it.

“I know the place where war began,” one of his chiefs said, “but I do not think you can ever capture it. War began in man’s heart, and I am afraid that is a town you cannot take.” Herbert Hoover said essentially the same thing: “Peace is not made at the council table or by treaties, but in the hearts of men.” This matter of peace comes back to each individual Christian. We have no reason to believe this world shall ever be completely at peace until that day when Christ returns, but we, as Christians, have the terrible responsibility of doing all we can in our small circle to change the hearts of men and bring them in tune with the Almighty. As we work, recall that a pebble tossed into a pond causes circular ripples that grow and grow until, at last, they melt into the shore. We never can know the extent of our influence, but surely with the great God back of us, it must of necessity be far-reaching, even though it may never bring about the peace we long and hope for. With the enormity of the task of world peace leaving us awed and afraid, we must look for another peace. And thanks be to God there is a peace that is sure. A personal peace in the midst of a world gone mad. How can it be found? I saw this written: “Look to the heavens. Find the stars, they are still there. . . . The Magi in the quiet of the night turned their telescopes to the heavens and saw the star which led them to the Christ. So, in the quiet, we keep our tryst with God and through communion with him there comes a glimpse of the eternal things that cannot be destroyed—a glimpse of Christ who can bring to our hearts an abiding peace in troublous times and make us say with confidence, ‘God’s in his heaven, all’s well with the world.’” In “Calm Me, My God,” Scottish churchman and poet Horatius Bonar asked for such peace:

Calm me, my God, and keep me calm, Soft resting on Thy breast; Soothe me with holy hymn and psalm, And bid my spirit rest. Calm as the ray of sun or star Which storms assail in vain; Moving unruffled thro’ earth’s war, The eternal calm to gain. 

This essay is adapted from “There Is a Place of Perfect Peace,” by Jessie Wells Clark, which appeared in Christian Standard on December 23, 1950. The issue noted only that Clark lived in Newark, New Jersey. A brief editorial in March 1952 said that “for some time . . . [Miss Clark] has been engaged in a quiet but effective work of encouragement and assistance among Negro churches and ministers in New York City.”

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DECEMBER 2020

THE ARCHIVES

My Road to Peace

As the pandemic unfolded in March, I quickly became concerned . . . about catching the virus, about our economy, and about churches. On March 9, during my last airline flight (from Detroit to Denver) before most everything shut down, it became obvious to me I was not the only one concerned. Before that week ended, our country was in total lockdown. I could feel the tension rising within me, and I could sense the tension in others. As with many others, my wife and I spent a great deal of time watching the daily coronavirus briefings from the White House and monitoring what local governors, mayors, and the pandemic task force had to say. We also repeatedly checked how neighboring communities and other states were choosing to deal with COVID-19. Before we knew it, everything in our area was closed, including The Solomon Foundation offices. At TSF, we had to devise creative solutions to remain operational. But of all the places I was barred from entering, the prohibition from gathering with our church was the hardest for me to deal with. I never imagined our church building could be closed. My wife and I coped with the closure by driving to the church parking lot on Sundays and watching the service online from our car. I found I just needed to be there, to be close, to keep alive the routine of getting up and going to church on Sunday mornings. I admit to being a workaholic who thrives on “getting out there” and “pounding the pavement” and “pressing the flesh.” These personal traits have made COVID-19 all the more challenging for me personally. Our ministry at The Solomon Foundation is based on relationships—face-to-face relationships, whenever possible. Early in the pandemic, I fell in line with my fellow Americans and signed onto Zoom. I made a lot of phone calls and I wrote a lot of emails. I even made the difficult, but correct, decision to suspend work-related travel by our staff. That was gut-wrenching to endure. Anxiety was high, fear was creeping in, and many were frozen in place watching the time pass.

Hitting the Road On one of TSF’s first weekly calls with leaders of churches we partner with, Ken Idleman challenged each of us to “make something special of this time—do not let this season before us be wasted!” To that end, my wife and I quite literally mapped out a road to peace. We studied an atlas and thoughtfully charted out two road trips. We analyzed COVID-19 reports and took seriously our safety and the safety of those we would be visiting. Our mission was to responsibly and carefully visit with and pour into the church leaders we love. We started the eastern road trip, which took us through eastern Colorado, Nebraska, Missouri, southern Illinois and Indiana, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas, Louisiana, and northern Texas. All totaled, we were on the road 33 days, made 41 ministry visits, and traveled 6,364 miles. Then, after three weeks back in Denver to get caught up with the TSF staff, we embarked on our western swing through Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, Oregon, California, Arizona, and New Mexico. On this trip, we were on the road 47 days, made 49 ministry visits, and traveled 7,405 miles. During our travels, we did not turn on a radio or TV the whole time. By removing the voice of the world, we were able to tune in to God’s voice; this enabled us to experience a true sense of security and relaxation.

Leading the Way Many people are naturally curious about what is going on in the rest of America and what is happening in our movement of churches. I can quickly summarize: Our churches are leading the way in the evangelical church movement in America. Our churches and our leaders refuse to suspend their ministry—they insist on reaching people for Christ. They follow the rules (though many states have been guilty of overreaching). They find ways to connect with people. I could provide example after example of the creativity and dedication I have witnessed in our churches over the last seven months. Here are some of my current favorites:

LIBBY CHRISTIAN CHURCH Libby, Montana Phil Alspaw, preaching pastor

Libby is located in the far northwestern corner of Montana, not far from the Canadian border; its population is less than 3,000. The Montana governor decreed that only 40 people could meet for church (even though every casino, Walmart, and Home Depot parking lot was full). LCC has a drive-in church. You pull into the parking lot and are welcomed by greeters who give you packaged Communion and a bulletin, ask you to tune your radio to 100.7 FM, and help you find a parking space. The lot was full the day we were there. The worship team and pastor stood on a large flatbed truck upfront. People honked their horns. LCC was averaging about 800 before coronavirus and had more than 600 in their parking lot that day! Montana’s governor was not going to stop LCC from gathering.

EKKLESIA CHRISTIAN CHURCH Conway, South Carolina Matt Wilson, lead pastor

When the schools in and around Conway closed, ECC switched their afterschool program for children into an all-day program. Now it’s likely ECC will start a Christian school. Thanks to one of their members, ECC found hydroxyl generator fans provided very clean air throughout their facility; this gave parents and the community a sense of safety. Ekklesia is now almost 100 percent back to their pre-COVID-19 attendance numbers.

LEWIS STREET CHURCH OF CHRIST Little Rock, Arkansas Jameel Robinson, senior pastor

On May 30, someone firebombed Lewis Street Church of Christ, destroying the inside of the facility. LSCC and TSF are partnering to rebuild the structure. LSCC’s members have remained strong and have been meeting every week in a recreational building located next to the firebombed sanctuary. (See “Hope from the Ashes,” p. 20.)

RENAISSANCE CHURCH OF CHRIST Atlanta, Georgia Orpheus J. Heyward, senior minister

RCC, one of the largest African-American, noninstrumental churches of Christ, launched a massive online effort through multiple venues and has been reaching thousands with their services. Renaissance developed better online programs than any other church I have visited.

WEST VALLEY CHRISTIAN CHURCH

West Hills (Greater Los Angeles), California Rob Denton, lead pastor

California’s governor imposed very strict rules on churches, so WVCC launched an outdoor service on the West Valley Christian School sports field (at the same address). Worshippers tailgate, bring their pop-ups for shade, and stay after service to eat and fellowship. The church met at 9 a.m. Sundays during the summer (due to the heat), and the field was packed.

THE REFINERY CHRISTIAN CHURCH Goodyear (Greater Phoenix), Arizona Chad Goucher, lead pastor

TRCC, which was one of the fastest-growing churches in America prior to coronavirus, has reopened with five services; it provides childcare at three of them. The church followed all the requirements outlined by Arizona.

REAL LIFE MINISTRIES SILVER VALLEY Pinehurst, Idaho Gene Jacobs, lead pastor

Real Life opened their new facility during COVID-19 and grew from 300 to 500! When it reopened, the county where the church lies had seen only four cases and no deaths, so there were only limited special requirements in place.

All seven of those churches have either met or exceeded their giving budgets. Who would have thought church giving could increase during a pandemic? These are just a few of the many examples of Restoration Movement churches finding new ways to spread the gospel in challenging circumstances. These churches didn’t simply fold up their tents; instead, they found ways to expand the kingdom. What a great time to be part of the Restoration Movement! The road trip had a goal of helping churches grow, but in the end, it brought me immeasurable joy and helped me grow personally. The national parks we visited filled my heart with thankfulness to God for his creation. The time my wife and I spent together talking, exploring, and helping address ministry challenges brought a renewed love and connection. The time we spent sitting across tables from my favorite people in America—church leaders—filled my cup. Praying over hard choices and making good decisions brought me peace. I’m praying you are also passionately pursing God’s will for your life in this season. Stay on that road and I know you will find a peace that passes all understanding. Doug Crozier serves as chief executive officer of The Solomon Foundation in Parker, Colorado.

C H R I S T I A N S TA N D A R D - 7 6 DECEMBER 2020

how to use

Each week has a lesson aim, lesson text, and supplemental text.

Tabs indicate the week of each lesson.

Each week features three sections: Study, Application, and Discovery. Use the Discovery questions to study, discuss, and apply the Scripture passages in a group or class.

fulf illed

l e t J e s u s b r i n g y o u i n t o h i s f a m i l y.

book of matthew

lesson text:

supplemental text:

We e k 1

M a t t h e w 1 :1 - 1 7

2 S a m u e l 7 :1 1 b - 1 3

s t u dy

FulFilled Through generations by mark scott The New Testament begins with a genealogy. Is that an odd place or perfect place to start? The tax collector from Capernaum (Matthew, also called Levi) thought it was the perfect place to begin. For he and the other disciples had found in Jesus of Nazareth the desire of the nations (Haggai 2:7) and the fulfillment of God’s promise to Abraham (Genesis 12:1-3). The Old Testament began in Genesis and the Hebrew Bible ended (in 2 Chronicles) in the same manner as the New Testament begins—with a genealogy. Fulfillment and discipleship are two themes from Matthew’s Gospel that we will study in December and January. Fulfillment was a major theme for Matthew. The word appears 15 times in the Gospel (the most of any of the Synoptic Gospels). Jesus fulfilled the Law, the Prophets, and the Scriptures at large. Jesus came to save us, to forgive us, to die on the cross, and to bring us life and peace, but he also came to fulfill God’s promise to Israel. God is true to himself and always keeps his word. If he said he would bring a messiah to the world, then he would do it. In addition, this fulfillment was effectual in that it brought connections from Jesus’ family to ours. Family of Promise Matthew 1:1-6

This promise came down through people who “needed a therapist,” according to John Ortberg. I mean, look at these people: Abraham lied about his wife, Isaac loved one son over the other, Jacob had a poker face, and the list goes on. The place of women is quite significant in this first section. The listing of women’s names in genealogies for that time was not unheard of, but it was rare. Four women are mentioned in this section: Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, and Bathsheba (though, technically, Bathsheba was referred to as Solomon’s mother . . . formerly “Uriah’s wife”). These were not ladies you would put in the front row for a family reunion photo. All had issues of some sort—immorality, deceit, or were considered outsiders. But these names

C H R I S T I A N S TA N D A R D

Family of Royalty Matthew 1:7-11 As soon as Matthew named David, the genealogy took a “kingly” turn. In fact, the whole genealogy turned on the gematria (numeric values that are assigned to letters of the Jewish alphabet) associated with David’s name. David’s name had three consonants. Their numerical value equaled 14, and Matthew noted the significance of that (v. 17). Some of David’s descendants were good kings (e.g. Asa, Uzziah, Hezekiah, and Josiah). Others compromised their royalty by their waywardness (Rehoboam and Jeconiah, also called Jehoiachin). But once again, God’s grace worked through broken people to advance his messianic mission. Some people have wondered about certain names being left out of Matthew’s genealogy. Some names are missing when we compare Luke’s genealogy (Luke 3:23-37) with the names in Chronicles. But, as John F. Walvoord says in The Bible Knowledge Commentary, “Jewish reckoning did not require every name in order to satisfy a genealogy.” The royal part of the genealogy showed that “Jesus Christ is the only Jew alive today who can prove the rights to the throne of David” (Wiersbe’s Expository Outlines of the New Testament). Family of Exiles Matthew 1:12-17 In this last section there were no patriarchs and no kings. Why? Because God’s people were in exile during that time. They were being punished by God and certainly were not in charge of their own destiny. Nebuchadnezzar besieged Jerusalem in 586 BC and burned the temple. He hauled many of the Jewish people into captivity. Would God’s plan to rescue creation come to naught? No, God would preserve a faithful remnant. In fact, God’s people often returned from exile (think Egypt, Babylon, and sin). God raised up a pagan king named Cyrus (Isaiah 45:1), who allowed the Jews to go home in three waves with Zerubbabel, Ezra, and Nehemiah. It was through the faithful people in exile, some of whom are named in Matthew’s genealogy, that the Messiah would come. Ultimately this genealogy came down to a man named Joseph who was the husband of Mary from whom came the Christ. Theology may have been God’s purpose in the Christmas story, but history was his method. Faithful Rescue 2 Timothy 4:16-18

Paul wrote this Epistle in the shadow of his own death. There would be no physical or earthly rescue from that. But, previous to that entrance into glory, the Lord had rescued Paul many times (Acts 14:19-20; 2 Corinthians 11:23-29), including many times in court (Acts 21–26). He referred to one such time as the Epistle ends. He referenced his first defense (preliminary hearing that would lead to an ultimate trial). Even though others deserted (left behind) Paul, the Lord stood by his side and strengthened him. But God did not do that solely for Paul’s sake. He did it so that the gospel that Paul preached to the Gentiles would go forth. Paul held no animosity against those who did not stand with him. His actions mirrored those of Jesus and Stephen, in that Paul did not wish them ill (Luke 23:34; Acts 7:60). Paul served the Lord faithfully because the mouth (likely a reference to the emperor Nero). was ready to face the possibility that God might praise for God who had the power to rescue Faithful Res2 Timothy 4:16-18

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Lord’s record of faithfulness was without question. Paul had been delivered from the lion’s Paul was confident that if God wanted to deliver him, the Lord would do so again. But Paul also give him the ultimate rescue and bring him safely to his heavenly kingdom. Paul burst out in him. cue

Paul wrote this Epistle in the shadow of his own into glory, the Lord had rescued Paul many referred to one such time as the Epistle ends. though others deserted (left behind) Paul, the He did it so that the gospel that Paul preached him. His actions mirrored those of Jesus and

death. There would be no physical or earthly rescue from that. But, previous to that entrance times (Acts 14:19-20; 2 Corinthians 11:23-29), including many times in court (Acts 21–26). He He referenced his first defense (preliminary hearing that would lead to an ultimate trial). Even Lord stood by his side and strengthened him. But God did not do that solely for Paul’s sake. to the Gentiles would go forth. Paul held no animosity against those who did not stand with Stephen, in that Paul did not wish them ill (Luke 23:34; Acts 7:60).

Paul served the Lord faithfully because the mouth (likely a reference to the emperor Nero). was ready to face the possibility that God might praise for God who had the power to rescue

DECEMBER 2020

WEEK OF december 06

Jesus had the right roots. He had human roots (Matthew 1:1-17) and divine roots (vv. 18-25). Both sets of roots legitimized him as the Messiah. Jesus’ story started long before he arrived on the scene. It began with the patriarchs. Abraham was the father of (literally “begat”) Isaac. Whenever we read the Old Testament, we must always ask, “What is happening to the promise of Genesis 12?” Is it being advanced? Is it being compromised? Is it being derailed? In many ways, the Bible is a “theology of promise.”

demonstrate that God can hit a “straight lick with a crooked stick.” The promise flowed through grace.

A p p l i c at i o n

Why Begin with Begats? by David Faust

Imagine you’re reading the Bible through for the first time. The Old Testament comes to a close, and you sense silent centuries passing by while God prepares to turn the page to a new day and a new covenant. Eager to read the groundbreaking good news, you turn to Matthew 1, only to find the New Testament begins with “begats”—branches on a Hebrew family tree. If you and I wrote the Bible, we probably wouldn’t have done it this way. Writers usually try to grab their readers’ attention with a strong lead paragraph, a thought-provoking question, or an interesting story, not by pointing out that “Ram was the father of Amminadab” (Matthew 1:4). For many of us, genealogical records sound about as interesting as the federal tax code. When I was a boy, my eyes fogged over with boredom whenever Dad droned on about my great-aunts or third cousins—relatives I barely knew. Fortunately, the Holy Spirit didn’t ask my opinion when he inspired the biblical authors. Boring or not, the opening verses of Matthew’s Gospel are important because they root the good news of Jesus in the fertile soil of Hebrew history, they create a bridge connecting the Old and New Testaments, and they introduce Jesus’ qualifications as the Messiah who saves us from our sins. What else does Jesus’ human ancestry reveal about God’s plan? The Redemption Story Is About Real People Christ’s incarnation isn’t a fairy tale. God reveals his will through the stories and struggles of real-life individuals and their families. History is “his story,” but it’s our story, too. Some of the names in Matthew 1 may look uninteresting to us, but every person listed there—in fact, everyone who’s ever lived—has a story that matters to God.

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The Messiah Entered Our Mess Christ himself was sinless, but multiple mess-ups tainted his human bloodline. Abraham lied. Rahab was a prostitute. David committed adultery. Solomon’s wives led him astray. Uzziah was prideful. King Manasseh and King Amon “did evil in the eyes of the Lord” (2 Chronicles 33:22). Yet, all of these individuals appear among the Messiah’s human ancestors. Jesus’ genealogy underscores his ability to identify with sinners, and it illustrates how the God of grace brings good out of messy circumstances. Good Things Take Time We tend to be impatient, but the eternal God follows his own timetable. Sin crushed humanity in Genesis 3. Many centuries and multiple generations passed before Christ came to crush sin once and for all. In my teens I wanted to discover God’s will for my life, but I found it elusive. I prayed, but the answers weren’t always clear. I read the Bible, but no verses told me whom to marry or what college to attend. Someone recommended a booklet called Affirming the Will of God. The author, Paul E. Little, used a simple illustration. He said most often, God’s guidance isn’t a magic package that drops down from Heaven on a string. Usually it’s like a scroll that unrolls a bit more each day. Over time, God unrolled the scroll and fulfilled his plan of redemption through Jesus Christ. His faithfulness over the long haul gives me hope. And it helps me realize that Matthew 1 can make interesting reading after all. Personal Challenge: Is there a part of the Bible that seems boring to you? This week, select and study a section of Scripture you find difficult to understand and apply. Ask the Lord to help you see it with new understanding and appreciation. - 80 -

DECEMBER 2020

D i s c ove ry

by Michael C. Mack

1. What challenges did you face last week? 2. Since we last met, with whom did you personally seek reconciliation or share God’s message of reconciliation? Ask three people—two readers and one reteller—to help. Ask the readers to read Matthew 1:1-17 aloud, one after the other, preferably from different Bible versions. Ask the third person to briefly summarize the passage. 3.

What stands out to you most in this passage?

4. Let’s dig more deeply into the passage. • Luke’s genealogy (Luke 3:23-38) went all the way back to Adam. What would Matthew’s choice of starting with Abraham convey to Jewish readers? • What do the titles for Jesus in this passage tell you about Matthew’s purpose for writing this account? • Matthew divided his genealogy into three sections. What important events or transitions in Jewish history did this call out? • Whom do you recognize in this genealogy, and what do you know about him or her? • While women were rarely listed in most genealogies of that time, five are referred to in this one (Tamar in verse 3; Rahab and Ruth, verse 5; Uriah’s former wife, Bathsheba, verse 6; and Mary, verse 16). What do you find interesting or informative about that? 5. What do you learn about God from this passage? 6. What do you learn about people? 7. What do you learn from the people on this list about the importance of obeying God?

• How can we as a group work toward growing in numbers and reproducing? 9. Based on our study and discussion, complete this sentence: “This week, I will . . .” 10. What challenges do you anticipate facing this week? For Next Week: Over the next week, read and reflect on Matthew 1:18-25; 22:34-40. You can also read next week’s supplemental texts as well as the Study and Application sections as part of your personal study.

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DECEMBER 2020

WEEK OF december 06

8. God’s people are directed to be fruitful, grow in numbers, and reproduce (Genesis 1:22, 28; 9:1, 7; etc.). How can we do that in a spiritual sense?

fulf illed

let the bir th of Jesus lead you to live by love.

book of matthew

lesson text:

supplemental text:

We e k 2

M a t t h e w 1 :1 8 -2 5 22:34-40

1 J o h n 4 : 7- 1 2

s t u dy

Fulfilled through Love by mark scott

How does Christmas affect your love life? The question is not about how Christmas affects the present you buy for the love of your life. Rather, how does the coming of God in Christ affect loving him and others? “Joseph Davidson” (Joseph, son of David, earthly father of Jesus—Haddon Robinson called him the “forgotten man of Christmas”) had some love lessons to learn. But so did an unnamed Pharisee who was an expert in the law. Joseph’s Love for Mary Matthew 1:18-25 Matthew’s account of the birth of Jesus (technically only one verse is devoted to the birth of Jesus—most of the text is devoted to the conception of Jesus) followed the genealogy of Jesus. The text begins, “This is how the birth (genesis) of Jesus the Messiah came about.” It started with a problem. Mary is pregnant, and the baby is not Joseph’s (they had not yet come together). Mary and Joseph were only pledged (betrothed—think “seriously engaged”—notice that Joseph is referred to as her husband in v. 19).

While this passage had a meaning in its original context of King Ahaz’s court, its ultimate (maybe layered or typological) meaning was fulfilled in Jesus. Jesus was to come from a virgin. The virgin birth is not discussed much in the Bible. But the church has fought tooth and nail to maintain it as one of its dearest-held doctrines. It would seem that to lose the virgin birth is to lose a unique aspect of Jesus’ divinity. And not only would he be called Jesus, but he would also be called Immanuel (i.e., God with us). So the Gospel began and so it ended (Matthew 28:20). Joseph was perfectly obedient to the angel. He married Mary. But he did not consummate their marriage (“know” her). There was no commandment for Joseph not to be intimate with his wife. This was a chosen posture on his part to ensure that all would know that Jesus was biologically Mary’s son, legally Joseph’s son, but fundamentally God’s Son (Warren Wiersbe). Joseph loved Mary with a most noble love. The Pharisee’s Lack of Love for Jesus Matthew 22:34-40 Christmas calls us to love Jesus more. The Pharisee in our text was yet to learn that truth. Following the three events (triumphal entry, cleansing the temple, and the cursing of the fig tree—Matthew 21:1-22) and the three parables (sons, servants, and wedding banquet—Matthew 21:28–22:14), Jesus encountered three questions (Matthew 22:15-40). First there was the question of taxes, then the marriage question, and finally the greatest commandment question.

Joseph could “consider” nothing else. He was wrecked by the news of Mary’s pregnancy. But God showed his tender love for Joseph by giving him a dream (Joseph’s Old Testament namesake was also a dreamer). Joseph was to be brought up to speed with Mary (Luke 1:26-38). The unnamed angel (Gabriel?) said what angels typically say: “Do not be afraid.” Joseph was to take Mary home as his wife. She really was pregnant by the power of the Holy Spirit. Her story was true. When the baby was born he was to be named Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins. In his name was his mission.

An unnamed Pharisee saw how Jesus had put both the Pharisees and Sadducees to shame. So he tested (the same word is used of the devil in Matthew 4:1) Jesus with a final question. He asked Jesus about the greatest commandment. This was often up for debate in rabbinic circles. Jesus answered from Deuteronomy 6:4 and Leviticus 19:18. Moses had his 10 famous “words” (the Ten Commandments) but the Law and the Prophets (a way of speaking about the entire Old Testament) hang (depend) on these two commandments. They summarized all of the commandments. Perhaps this lawyer who put Jesus to the test had a change of heart during their encounter (Mark 12:32-34). Joseph and the Pharisee shared one thing in common: their fidelity to God’s law. But there was one glaring difference between them: Joseph acted in love.

Matthew interrupted his narrative by inserting the first of 62 Old Testament citations and the first of 15 specific fulfillments. Mary’s pregnancy by the Holy Spirit was actually a fulfillment of a prophecy from Isaiah 7:14.

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Faithful Rescue 2 Timothy 4:16-18

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DECEMBER 2020

Paul served the Lord faithfully because the mouth (likely a reference to the emperor Nero). was ready to face the possibility that God might praise for God who had the power to rescue

WEEK OF December 13

Joseph was a very good man. He might not have been “an expert in the law,” as the Pharisee mentioned later was, but he was faithful to the law (that is, he was just). Maybe obedience “to” God trumps knowledge “of” God. Joseph knew what the law required about Mary’s unfaithfulness (Deuteronomy 24:1). But he loved Mary and decided to divorce her quietly. Joseph faced a dilemma. His justice demanded one thing, but his mercy called him to do another (cf. James 2:13).

A p p l i c at i o n

The Second Choice by David Faust

Joseph’s second choice impresses me more than his first one. His first choice was relatively easy. Mary was an eligible young woman, and no doubt Joseph found her attractive. Nazareth wasn’t a big town. It’s likely their families knew each other well and their parents approved of their engagement. The local grapevine buzzed with cheerful chatter about their upcoming wedding. As a gift for his wife, Joseph may have used his carpentry skills to build furniture for their home—a kitchen table or a frame for their bed. But soon, the grapevine buzzed with a different kind of news. Mary was visibly pregnant, and Joseph knew he wasn’t the father. In his workshop, the carpenter pounded out his frustrations and pondered his options. End the betrothal and divorce her quietly? That wasn’t his first choice, but it seemed like the best option for everyone. Conceiving the Inconceivable God interrupted Joseph’s contemplation by interjecting a new thought. “Do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife” (Matthew 1:20). The inconceivable had been conceived. “What is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit” (v. 20). God himself handled the gender reveal: “She will give birth to a son”; claimed the paternal naming rights: “You are to give him the name Jesus”; and foretold the child’s future destiny: “He will save his people from their sins” (v. 21). This is where Joseph’s second choice came in. The first time he decided to marry Mary, it was easy. Now the situation was messy and the decision was more difficult. Joseph’s second choice required him to follow God’s leading more than his own reasoning. It required ongoing restraint to wait until after the baby was born to consummate the marriage. And by obeying God’s instructions, Joseph would have to endure his neighbors’ misunderstanding and criticism.

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Loving at a Deeper Level Motivated by faith, Joseph made tough choices over and over again. In the opening chapters of Matthew, three times God instructed him to do something difficult: (1) “Take Mary home as your wife” (1:20); (2) “Take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt” (2:13); and (3) “Take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel” (2:20). The carpenter obeyed each time—each decision required courage and sacrifice—but by obeying God, Joseph participated in the fulfillment of ancient prophecies and helped to alter the course of history. You and I face second choices, too. The decision to marry is exciting. But when the initial shine wears off and disagreements, illnesses, or financial pressures rise, love goes to a deeper level. The husband and wife must decide over and over again to be faithful “for richer or poorer, in sickness and health.” It’s easy to love your church when the members get along, the minister’s messages are inspiring, and new believers are being baptized. But what about when your congregation goes through hard times? What about when things get messy and the body of Christ is hard to love? Jesus loved his disciples even when they were unlovable—when they misunderstood his teachings, quarreled among themselves, and asked foolish questions. “He loved them to the end” (John 13:1). It’s good to say, “I love you.” It’s even better when we make the choice to love over and over again. Personal Challenge: In your journal or on a piece of paper, write down the name of a person or persons you’re currently struggling to love. This week, find a specific, practical way to demonstrate God’s love to them. - 84 -

DECEMBER 2020

D i s c ove ry

by Michael C. Mack

1. What from this past week would you like to thank God for? 2. In what way did you bear fruit over the last week? Ask three people—two readers and one reteller—to help. Ask the readers to read Matthew 1:18-25 one after the other, preferably from different Bible versions. Ask the third person to retell the story as if telling it to a group of high school students. Then ask two readers (the same two or two others) to read Matthew 22:34-40 one after the other. Ask a third person to briefly retell this story. 3. What connections do you see between these two stories? 4. Let’s dig more deeply into the passages. • What character traits do you see in Joseph? • Put yourself in Joseph’s sandals. How would you describe his situation and the choices he needed to make? • In what ways did Joseph help fulfill ancient prophecies? • What role does obedience play in this story? • What did Joseph and the experts in the law (Pharisees and Sadducees) have in common? • How were they different? • In what ways do all the Law and Prophets hang on the two commandments Jesus gave? 5. What do you learn about God’s sovereignty (his control over everything) from these passages? 6. What do you learn about people? 7. What do you learn from Joseph about obeying God and the results of doing so?

9. Based on our study and discussion, complete this sentence: “This week, I will . . .” 10. Since God is indeed with us, what would you like to tell him—and us—about the challenges you may face this week? For Next Week: Over the next week, read and reflect on Matthew 2:1-15. You can also read next week’s supplemental texts as well as the Study and Application sections as part of your personal study.

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DECEMBER 2020

WEEK OF December 13

8. The name “Jesus” comes from the Hebrew word Yeshua (or Joshua), which means “the Lord saves.” He is also known as Immanuel, which means “God is with us.” As Christmas approaches, how will you share those messages with the people God puts around you?

fulf illed

let the fulf illed promise of Jesus' bir th lead you to worship.

book of matthew

lesson text:

supplemental text:

We e k 3

M a t t h e w 2 :1 - 1 5

D a n i e l 7 :1 3 - 1 4 G e n e s i s 4 9 :1 0

s t u dy

Fulfilled through Promise by mark scott

The Old Testament repeatedly says, “Someone is coming.” The end of the Bible says, “Someone is coming again.” And in between the beginning and end, the Bible says, “Someone came.” At its most basic level, Christmas is evidence God keeps his word. The Bible is a theology of promise. Even foreign dignitaries, indifferent religious leaders, and wicked kings learned that. Promised Star Matthew 2:1-2 After Matthew traced Jesus’ human roots (1:1-17) and divine roots (1:18-25), he told the story of the visit of the Magi, King Herod’s reaction to their visit, and the Holy Family’s trip to Egypt (2:1-15). This text is steeped in Matthew’s typological use of three Old Testament texts and a storyline that retraces Israel’s early history. (In fact, the visiting Magi retraced Abraham’s journey from Ur through Haran to the land of promise; cf. Genesis 12:1-20.) Even in his earliest earthly days, Jesus showed himself to be the new and true Israel of God. Our text is a Christmas text, but it is probably two years removed from Jesus’ actual birth. By the time the Magi arrived in Bethlehem, Jesus was not an infant. Jesus was called child—not infant—six times in this passage. At this point, Mary and Joseph had moved into a house. And Jesus being a toddler gave credence to Herod’s effort to kill the babies “two years old and under” (Matthew 2:16).

The Old Testament does not say much about the star. But the strange narrative about Balak and Balaam included this prediction: “A star will come out of Jacob” (Numbers 24:17). Since the Magi might have been exposed to the Hebrew Bible as a result of the Jews living in captivity in Babylon, the Magi may well have connected the dots between this astrological phenomena and the birth of a messiah. They at least knew that their posture should be one of worship.

C H R I S T I A N S TA N D A R D

Herod the Great was an outstanding builder and a horrible person. He was emotionally undone by any threat to his throne. He was disturbed (torn to pieces) when he learned of the Magi’s search. He quickly assembled the religious leaders and inquired about the birthplace of this supposed Messiah. The chief priests and teachers of the law (Sadducees and Pharisees that composed the Sanhedrin) based their response to Herod on Micah 5:2. This Messiah would be born in Bethlehem (King David’s town just six miles to the south), he would be a ruler (leader) from the tribe of Judah, and his rule would be exercised through shepherding people—in contrast to Herod’s style of leadership. In feigned loyalty, Herod called the Magi secretly (the same word used for what Joseph contemplated in Matthew 1:19) and sent them to Bethlehem to find this child king with the notion that he too would worship Jesus. But the Magi could smell a rat. They probably saw past his pathetic and duplicitous request. The angel later confirmed their feelings by sending them home by another route. In the meantime, the Magi reengaged with the star, which led them south to Bethlehem. They found the Holy Family and worshiped (the third time this word appeared in our text) through the giving of gifts. (The gold, frankincense, and myrrh served as emblems of Jesus’ identity and mission, and they may have helped finance the family’s upcoming trip to Egypt.) Promised Son Matthew 2:13-15 While the Magi returned home, and while Herod organized his butchers to head to Bethlehem, Joseph, in obedience to the angel’s instructions, took Mary and toddler Jesus to Egypt. God’s people had grown numerous during their centuries living in Egypt (Genesis 46–Exodus 3). As the Magi retraced Abraham’s journey, so now Jesus and his family retraced Moses’ journey. In time, Herod died (Matthew 2:19). Joseph, after another angelic encounter, took his family back to the Promised Land. Matthew connected the dots between Hosea 11:1 (a clear collective reference to Israel as God’s Son) and Jesus leaving Egypt. Because Jesus truly was the promised Son, the Magi responded appropriately—they worshiped him. Faithful Rescue 2 Timothy 4:16-18

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DECEMBER 2020

Paul served the Lord faithfully because the mouth (likely a reference to the emperor Nero). was ready to face the possibility that God might praise for God who had the power to rescue

Faithful Res2 Timothy 4:16-18

cue

Paul served the Lord faithfully because the mouth (likely a reference to the emperor Nero). was ready to face the possibility that God might praise for God who had the power to rescue

WEEK OF December 20

There are many theories about the identity of the Magi. Were they astronomers? Astrologers? Sorcerers? (The same word is used of Simon in Acts 8:9.) Priests? Kings? (Tertullian thought so.) All we know for sure about them is what Matthew told us—i.e., they came from the east, sought to find Jesus, were tipped off by Herod and religious leaders that they should go to Bethlehem, worshiped Jesus through the giving of their gifts, and left to go back home and by-passed Jerusalem in the process.

Promised Ruler Matthew 2:3-12

A p p l i c at i o n

The Day I Visited a King's Palace by David Faust

While in Israel filming a documentary about the basics of the Christian faith, I visited Herodium, the palatial residence designed for King Herod’s protection and pleasure. By all accounts Herod was paranoid and cruel. He tortured and killed family members, servants, and bodyguards. Ironically, this ruthless ruler who destroyed so many lives was an innovative and prolific builder who oversaw the construction of enormous forts, palaces, water projects, and Jerusalem’s crown jewel, the Jewish temple. Herodium (also known as Herodion) is now one of Israel’s national parks. It is a 300-foot-high hill resembling a volcano, jutting into the sky about a 10-minute drive from Bethlehem. On the day we visited, a cool breeze blew across the site and thunder rumbled in the distance. At the time of Jesus’ birth, Herodium was the largest palace in the Roman world. Near the bottom of the hill was a sprawling 40-acre complex that contained houses, stables, gardens, and a gigantic pool more than 200 feet long watered by an elaborate system of aqueducts. On top of the hill was a lavish royal residence finished a few years before the birth of Christ. Herodium served as Herod’s personal country club complete with banquet rooms, a bathhouse, courtyards, a Roman theater, and living quarters for the king and his guests—all surrounded by stone walls and four large guard towers. King Herod literally could look down on his subjects from his hilltop perch. At Herodium he escaped the heat of Jerusalem’s summers and its always-simmering political pressures. When Herod knew his death was approaching, he ordered that prominent Jewish citizens should be imprisoned and executed on the day he died to ensure the nation would mourn. Instead, when Herod died in Jericho at about age 69, the prisoners were

C H R I S T I A N S TA N D A R D

released and rejoicing filled the land. According to the historian Josephus, Herod was buried at Herodium with his body “covered with purple; and a diadem was put upon his head, and a crown of gold above it, and a scepter in his right hand.” It was a burial fit for a king (at least, a certain kind of king). Stooping Down I looked down across the valley below, enjoying the panoramic view from Herodium’s high walls. In the northwest I saw Bethlehem, barely three miles away. Standing there in Herod’s palace, I reflected on the contrast between two kings—one a fearful tyrant, the other a faithful servant. Herod slept in a palace while Jesus slept in a manger. Herod surrounded himself with soldiers and armaments; shepherds surrounded the baby Jesus. Herod terrified his subjects with threats and violence; Christ drew his followers with sacrificial love. Herod elevated himself; Christ lowered himself, exchanging the privileges of Heaven for the problems of earth. Herod leveraged other people’s money for his own personal pleasure. Christ—even as a young child—attracted seekers from far away who honored him with voluntary gifts. Herod savored his amenities; Jesus loved his enemies. Herod pushed others down to prop himself up; Christ established an eternal kingdom by stooping down to serve. There in the dusty, deserted house of a long-gone king, I felt grateful that God sent his Son to a manger, not to a gated country club made of stone. The King of kings lives and rules in our hearts. You and I are his palace. Personal Challenge: What will you do this week— and what will you do in the coming year—that requires you to stoop down and serve humbly rather than demanding a position of power? - 88 -

DECEMBER 2020

D i s c ove ry

by Michael C. Mack

1. What challenge did you face last week? 2. In what way did you tell others about Jesus (“the Lord saves”) and Immanuel (“God is with us”) last week? Ask three people—two readers and one reteller—to help. Ask the readers to read Matthew 2:1-15 one after the other, preferably from different Bible versions. Ask the third person to retell the story as if sharing it with a group of adults and kids gathered in front of a fireplace. 3. The rest of you: What would you change or add to that retelling? 4. Let’s dig more deeply into the passage. • Discuss the five Ws from this narrative: (a) Who is involved? (b) What is happening? (c) When did these events happen? (Be as specific about timing of events as possible.) (d) Where did these events take place? (e) Why did each of these events occur as they did? • What evidence do you see in this text that these events likely occurred a couple years after Jesus’ birth? (Also see v. 16.) • What roles do supernatural events (including dreams) play in this narrative? • What role does worship (both real and feigned) play? 5. What do you learn about God from this passage? 6. What do you learn about people? 7. What do you learn from the Magi about obeying God and the results of doing so? • What do you learn from Joseph about faithfulness and obedience?

9. Based on our study and discussion, complete this sentence: “This week, I will . . .” 10. As Christmas approaches, what challenges or blessings might you experience this week? For Next Week: Over the next week, read and reflect on Matthew 12:1-23. You can also read next week’s supplemental texts as well as the Study and Application sections as part of your personal study.

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DECEMBER 2020

WEEK OF December 20

8. The Magi made innumerable personal sacrifices that enabled them to worship Jesus. What are you willing to surrender to worship him and to tell others about him?

fulf illed

let Jesus change your life as you pursue hope in the son of David.

book of matthew

lesson text:

supplemental text:

We e k 4

M a t t h e w 1 2 :1 -2 3

1 S a m u e l 2 1 :1 - 6 L e v i t i c u s 24 : 5 - 9 Numbers 28: 9 -10

H o s e a 6 : 6 -7 M a t t h e w 5 :1 7-2 0 I s a i a h 4 2 :1 -7

s t u dy

Fulfilled through Hope by mark scott

One day in class at Denver Seminary, Haddon Robinson said, “Hope is the music of the future, and faith is the courage to dance to it now.” Humans, by nature, are creatures of hope. As we approach a new year, people hope that 2021 will be better than 2020. But hope is only as secure as the object in which it is placed. We hope that science can give us good vaccines for pandemics. We hope the political process can give us leaders who can right the wrongs of injustice. But are science and politics secure havens for our hope? Is there something better? Is there someone better? Hope for a Defense Matthew 12:1-14 Matthew 11 ends with what is called “The Great Invitation.” Jesus called the weary to rest and the religiously fatigued to discipleship. The very next thing Matthew recorded were two “rest” (Sabbath) controversies. In both of these events, Jesus claimed the title Lord of the Sabbath. Jesus had returned from the Passover in Jerusalem (John 5). Somewhere en route, the Pharisees criticized Jesus’ disciples for picking and eating heads of grain. (They criticized Jesus too, according to Luke 6.) Jesus defended himself and his disciples. Jesus first presented a narrative defense. He referenced a story from 1 Samuel 21. David was running from Saul and needed food for his men. David stopped at Nob where Ahimelek gave him consecrated bread from the tabernacle. This was technically forbidden, but human need trumped rules—and Jesus was related to David. Next, Jesus offered a legal defense. The law taught to do no work on the Sabbath. But the priests had to exercise some work in the temple even on the Sabbath— and Jesus was greater than the temple.

The Pharisees’ criticism grew into looking for a reason to bring charges against Jesus as he made his way into a synagogue along the way. Jesus healed a man with a shriveled (withered; dried-up) hand. The Pharisees’ question was loaded, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?” Jesus answered with a defense about a sheep, a pit, and the Sabbath. If the sheep falls in a pit, it does not matter what day it is, you rescue the sheep. And people are more important than sheep. C H R I S T I A N S TA N D A R D

Hope for Compassion Matthew 12:15-21 The disciples and the man with the shriveled hand must have felt affirmed when Jesus defended them. They would feel even better when Jesus showered his compassion on them. Jesus withdrew from the religious leaders. But it was nearly impossible for him to hide (cf. Mark 7:24). The crowds followed him, and he healed all who were ill. Jesus brought about justice by acts of compassion (e.g., healing people). Matthew connected what Jesus was doing with the longest quotation from the Old Testament in this Gospel. Verses 18-21 were taken from Isaiah 42:1-4 and clearly were messianic. The servant was not Israel (as a nation) or Cyrus or some other appointee. The servant was God’s Messiah. The Father was (and is) endeared to him (chosen, loved, and delighted in), and the Father has enabled him (that is, empowered him with the Spirit). This equipped the Messiah to proclaim justice to the nations. But the way of the Messiah was compassion— not quarreling, not breaking reeds, and not blowing out smoldering wicks (i.e., lifting their heads rather than stomping on their hearts). Hope in the Son of David Matthew 12:22-23 As a result of the many miracles Jesus performed, people brought to him a man with three problems— he was demon-possessed, blind, and mute. Jesus healed him, and the crowd entertained the question and confession of faith, “Could this be the Son of David?” That potential confession brought a stinging accusation from the religious leaders: “This man casts out demons only by Beelzebul the ruler of the demons” (12:24, New American Standard Bible). Jesus would go on to teach about the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. As we approach the dawn of a new year, is our hope located in religious systems or rules . . . or in the Son of David? Faithful Rescue 2 Timothy 4:16-18

- 91 -

Paul served the Lord faithfully because the mouth (likely a reference to the emperor Nero). was ready to face the possibility that God might praise for God who had the power to rescue

DECEMBER 2020

WEEK OF December 27

The third defense was a prophetic defense. For the second time in Matthew’s Gospel, Hosea 6:6 was cited: God desired mercy, not sacrifice. Mercy is the great loving-kindness or loyal love of God—and Jesus exemplified it. Jesus defended his disciples.

After that lesson, Jesus healed the man, who gave evidence of his healing by stretching out his hand for all to see. Jesus first defended his disciples, and then he defended the man with the shriveled hand. Jesus was painted as a total lawbreaker, which is why they plotted how they might kill Jesus.

A p p l i c at i o n

He's Got Your Back by David Faust

Last December 31 when we celebrated the New Year, I told my wife, “2019 has been rough, but I have a good feeling about 2020. It’s going to be a great year!” Clearly, I don’t have the gift of prophecy. The year 2020 brought a global pandemic, racial strife, economic upheaval, and political turmoil. Someone joked that in the future 2020 will become a one-word catchphrase to describe a big mess. When asked, “How was your day?” you can say, “A total 2020,” and everyone will understand. How did your faith weather the storms this year? As 2020 winds down and a new year begins, what is your attitude about the future? There’s always hope if we fix our eyes on Jesus (Hebrews 12:2) and “press on toward the goal” (Philippians 3:14). Our Rear Guard Isaiah did have the gift of prophecy. Centuries before the Messiah walked the earth, Isaiah foretold what the Messiah would do. The predictions included: • “He will bring justice to the nations” (Isaiah 42:1; Matthew 12:18). • “He will not shout or cry out, or raise his voice in the streets” (Isaiah 42:2; Matthew 12:19). Jesus disrupted social and religious norms, but he wasn’t merely a rebel and a rabble-rouser. He altered history by changing hearts. • “A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out” (Isaiah 42:3; Matthew 12:20). If you’re bruised, he won’t break you. If you’re on the verge of burnout, he won’t blow out the fire you have left; he wants to fan the flames again. • “In his name the islands [nations] will put their hope” (Isaiah 42:4; Matthew 12:21).

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A few verses before predicting the crucifixion where Christ was “crushed for our iniquities” (Isaiah 53:5), the prophet used a military image to encourage God’s people. He said, “For the Lord will go before you, the God of Israel will be your rear guard” (Isaiah 52:12). The rear guard fulfills an important role. Generals position soldiers at the rear of their advancing troops to protect the army from behind. As we face the future, God leads us forward (“the Lord will go before you”) and he protects us from behind as well (“the God of Israel will be your rear guard”). God has our backs! We’re Not Alone There was a large barn on the farm where I grew up. It was built in the 1890s with sturdy hand-hewn timbers fastened together with wooden pegs. When I was a boy, I worked in that barn every day—and I played there, too, because Dad installed a basketball backboard and hoop inside so my brothers and I could play even on bad weather days. I liked that barn during the daylight hours. At night, though, it was a scary place with creaky boards underfoot and hidden dangers behind its dark corners. I didn’t like going into the barn at night. One thing made a big difference. If Dad was with me, the darkness didn’t bother me. The barn wasn’t scary when my father was there. We have gone through a rough year in 2020. What will happen in 2021? Only God knows. But we can approach the future with faith, not fear—with hope, not despair. Even when we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, the Father will be with us. Personal Challenge: On a piece of paper or in your journal, write a letter to God. Reflect on the lessons you learned in 2020. List the challenges and opportunities you face in 2021 and ask the Lord to help you with each one. - 92 -

DECEMBER 2020

D i s c ove ry

by Michael C. Mack Leader: Provide extra time for this lesson, especially for question 2 as you recap this past year and question 9 as you plan for next year 1. What challenge or blessing did you experience last week? 2. What was your biggest challenge and your biggest blessing of 2020? Ask three people—two readers and one reteller—to help. Ask the readers to read Matthew 12:1-23 one after the other, preferably from different Bible versions. Ask the third person to retell the story in one minute or less. 3. Would anyone else like to change or add to that retelling? 4. Let’s dig more deeply into the passage. • What in general were the Pharisees accusing Jesus and his disciples of? • How were the crowds responding to Jesus? • How would you compare and contrast the focus of the Pharisees with that of Jesus? • What attributes of Jesus do you glean from this passage? • Look again at Isaiah’s prophesy about the Messiah in verses 18-20. How specifically do you see these descriptions fulfilled in Jesus in the rest of this passage? • Reread verse 21. If you were the people being healed, the rest of the crowds, Jesus’ disciples, even the Pharisees, how would Jesus give you hope? 5. What do you learn about God’s love from this passage? 6. What do you learn, both good and bad, about people? 7. As you seek to follow Jesus, which of his attributes, convictions, or actions in this passage will you pursue? 8. Based on our study and discussion, complete this sentence: “This week, I will . . .”

10. What challenges or blessings do you anticipate this week as we begin a new year? For Next Week: Over the next week, read and reflect on Matthew 5:1-16 as we begin a new unit on the Sermon on the Mount. You can also read next week’s supplemental texts as well as the Study and Application sections as part of your personal study.

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- 93 -

DECEMBER 2020

WEEK OF December 27

9. As a group let’s take some time to make (and write down) some plans for 2021. What will we do next year in our community to: • show mercy? • bring restoration? • bring healing? • proclaim justice? • bring about hope?

DECEMBER 2020

Brotherhood News . . . David Empson, Executive Director, International Conference on Missions I love that you all do this [weekly email newsletter]. I remember being in youth ministry decades ago; the only thing I looked for in Christian Standard (at the time) was who got ordained, who was moving where, and what was going on in the brotherhood. I pray for the Standard; we need fellowship, prayers for one another, and communication to keep our churches linked together. Thank you for your ministry.

The Impact of Politics (cont’d) . . . Victor Knowles, President, Peace On Earth Ministries Like many other readers of Christian Standard, I was taught to “respect my elders” (1 Peter 5:5) when I was a boy. Therefore, I could hardly believe my eyes when I read the unchecked and uncharitable responses of several of your readers to brother [Bob] Russell’s recent article “The Impact of Politics on the Church” [p. 20, July 2020] in the Interact section of the October 2020 issue. Wow! Accusing Bob of “divisive and extreme far right-wing views,” “sacrificing himself on the altar of President Trump,” and even “twisting the Scriptures” (a very serious charge) was bad enough. However, lecturing this elder statesman among us was way over the top (“Bob, please wake up” and “News flash, Mr. Russell”). Even the archangel Michael, when disputing with the devil in Jude 9, did not dare to bring a railing accusation (“abusive condemnation” in the Amplified Bible) against him. Evidently fools still rush in where angels fear to tread. We all need to heed the apostolic admonition, “If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other” (Galatians 5:15). Let’s let our speech be seasoned with salt, not peppered with discourtesy.

Unmasked . . . Clyde Reed What can we say to some prominent pastors who are publicly defying orders of the California governor by holding indoor worship services, with no social distancing or mask requirements? Some are even bragging about their actions. It’s getting monotonous [“Finally Moving Forward: 5 Strategic Ministry Shifts During the Pandemic Changed Our Perspective,” by Matt Summers with Janice Summers, p. 52, September 2020]. Interesting, when you realize that when the world was coming out of the Dark Ages, the foundations of modern science were laid by Christians, ignoring the superstitious pagans who considered themselves the doctors. Now we have a highly educated clergy and laity who ignore the best medical science available for fighting this pandemic and instead listen to quack doctors and politicians with an ax to grind. And they won’t sacrifice a little personal convenience by wearing a mask even though it will possibly save the lives of friends and strangers around them. As for me, with my age and multiple comorbidities, I’ll attend worship services online, for now, and continue tithing online and praying.

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For space, length, readability, relevance, and civility, comments sent to Interact may remain unpublished or be edited. We do read them all and prayerfully take them to heart. If we publish your comment, we will try to honestly reproduce your thoughts with those considerations in mind. Where we disagree, let’s continue to keep P.H. Welshimer’s words in mind to “disagree without being disagreeable.”

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