God's Goodness

God’s Goodness

King of My Heart – Written: John Mark McMillan and Sarah McMillan

(Performed by Bethel Music)

 

You are good, good, Oh  

You are good, good, Oh  

Let the King of my heart be

The wind inside my sails

The anchor in the waves; Oh

He is my song

Let the King of my heart be

The fire inside my veins

And the echo of my; Oh

He is my song.

Last night, for the first and likely last time in her life, my beautiful wife Elizabeth became a Prom Queen. The BrAva MomProm is a ladies-only event the proceeds of which are used to help raise awareness and provide research funding for pediatric cancer, specifically in the Mid-Ohio Valley. Hundreds of women buy tickets months in advance, sell raffle tickets, develop sponsorships, decorate the venue, and buy luminaries with the mission of saving just one more child or preventing one more diagnosis.

Many of the women in attendance are “Cancer Moms” having walked the bleak path of mothering a child with pediatric cancer. Some of those children have triumphed and are thriving, some are still in the midst of their battle, and some now smile down on their mothers from the lap of God. Last year, Elizabeth joined this elite group of warriors against her will, becoming a statistic to some, an inspiration to others, and leader to many. Over the past 12 months I have watched Elizabeth break apart, crushed under the weight of our situation, only to dry her tears, rise from her knees, and keep fighting. Her journey, just as many others, has shaped the reality of our today with a ferocious intensity that nearly destroyed our family. But it didn’t.

Elizabeth and Hazel are the pillars of strength that sustain our family. Last night, hundreds of other women proved to Elizabeth what we have always known, that she is a warrior queen that leads our family with love, compassion, and faith.

Part of the presentation ceremony last night included a dedication to Hazel, which Elizabeth and I wrote. For those who could not attend, I have included it below. Today, and in all our days, we continue to praise God for his goodness to us.

Hazel’s Dedication:

Hazel Miller is three years old, loves the color yellow, and enjoys spending time with her family. Her favorite food is macaroni and cheese, she is best friends with her dog named Serenity, and her favorite place on earth is on a beach with sand between her toes and the salty wind in her hair. Hazel is rambunctious, rowdy, and inquisitive, with a tender love of life that stems from pure imagination and an untainted wonder for the world around her.

Hazel is just like any other three-year old, save for one thing: she has spent the past year battling Pre-B Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. On Easter weekend of 2017, Hazel’s world changed forever as she was diagnosed with cancer. Hazel has spent the past 12 months in and out of the hospital, withstanding round after round of chemotherapy, countless operations, and constant poking, prodding, and testing. Hazel’s cancer journey has been more positive than some, but by no means easy. She has lost the beautiful locks of bright, cherry red hair that she had since she was born. Side effects of chemotherapy have left her weak and off-balance, unable to play with her siblings or even walk at times. Her immune system has been compromised to the point of near decimation, leaving her constantly vulnerable to even the most benign germs and bacteria. Hazel has spent a year in near isolation, missing birthday parties, family get togethers, trips, and holiday celebrations. And yet, Hazel remains unstoppable. The spark in her eyes has never faded and the vibrancy of her life never waned as she has trod this difficult path laid before her.

Cancer is awful. Cancer is hateful. It doesn’t care how much of life you have lived, you can be 83 years old or 3 years old and it will still rob you of time, of happiness, and of security. Never again will Hazel’s family rest easy. Never again will a fever just be “a fever”, a rite of passage of being a normal kid. Hazel’s parents will spend the rest of their days lying awake at night worrying, praying, hoping that their little girl will have the chance to grow up to become the amazing force they know her to be.

Hazel Miller is a warrior, and like so many other little warriors around the world, she has toed the line with a hideous disease and gone blow for blow against a killer. Some battles have been won and some battles lost, but every day Hazel has had the courage to stand up and fight. The impact of Hazel’s fight has touched many; inspiring incredible acts of benevolence by organizations, groups, and individuals that far overshadow the ugliness of the disease with which she fights.

Hazel’s journey with cancer is not yet over, but today the tide remains turned in her favor. Trips to the hospital are fewer and farther between, side effects are less drastic, and her life resembles what can be termed as “normal”. Her hair is returning and maintains the deep auburn hew that was a characteristic of her appearance prior to cancer. She has faint freckles that seem to drip from her ocean-blue eyes, pointing to the dimples that pockmark her cheeks each time she grins or laughs. 

Hazel’s home echoes with her giggles as she once again gallops through each room with siblings and cousins at her heels, each hoping to catch her and steal hugs before she gets away.

Hazel is fiercely and recklessly loved by so many. Her life is good, her life is meaningful, and no disease – no matter how terrible – can rob her of that.

“And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love.” – 1 Corinthians 13:13

How to Defend Your Biblical Worldview

Note: The following is a report on the practical applications of Rod Parsley's new book, Culturally Incorrect: How Clashing Worldviews Affect Your Future, (Thomas Nelson, 2007).

American culture today is a jumbled mess of clashing worldviews that lead many people astray from biblical truth. Don’t let yourself fall victim to confused thinking that harms your spiritual health. Instead, take a stand for the biblical worldview and help heal our culture in the process.

Here’s how you can defend a biblical worldview in our confused culture:

Learn how to be in the world, but not of it. Don’t just assimilate into the broader culture by living a lifestyle that’s the same or similar to the way unbelievers live. Instead, live out your faith by following biblical principles in all areas of your life so people can clearly see that you, as a Christian, are distinctly different from unbelievers. Ask God to help you identify areas of your life in which you need to be more faithful, and to give you the grace you need to grow in those areas.

Trade comfort for sacrifice and service. Realize that faith isn’t about seeking your own comfort, but about making sacrifices and serving others so you can grow into the person God wants you to become. Ask God to help you stop looking inward with self-absorption and start looking outward with compassion so you can embrace the rigors of discipleship and the joys of selfless service. Recognize that you can powerfully influence unbelievers by loving them in practical ways.

Engage the culture rather than withdrawing from it. Meet the culture in the marketplace of ideas and present the Gospel message in relevant ways instead of isolating yourself in a Christian subculture. Understand that your faith isn’t meant to be private; it’s meant to be lived out in all situations – at work, at home, at school, at parks, at your local stores and restaurants, and wherever else you engage with others. Realize that, even if you’re not in professional ministry, you still have a full-time calling to minister to others by shining the light of faith brightly into other people’s lives. Strive for excellence in all you do.

Be clear about what constitutes a biblical worldview. Make sure you know exactly what you believe as a Christian, and why you believe it. Don’t take your faith for granted or fall victim to the widespread confusion in our culture. Read, study, and meditate on the Bible often. Ask the Holy Spirit to renew your mind so you won’t conform to the pattern of the culture’s muddled thinking and will be able to discern God’s wisdom. Figure out how the Bible answers these key questions that help form a worldview: “What is prime reality – the really real?”, “What is the nature of external reality, that is, the world around us?”, “What is a human being?”, “What happens to a person at death?”, “Why is it possible to know anything at all?”, “How do we know what is right and wrong?” and “What is the meaning of human history?”.

Understand other worldviews. Get to know the non-biblical worldviews that are swirling around in our culture. Know that it’s crucial to understand what other people believe in order to ultimately be able to persuade them to consider the truth. Reach out to unbelievers and engage them in meaningful conversations in loving and respectful ways. Don’t think of people who disagree with you as “stupid, crazy, or evil,” but as people made in God’s image who are loved by Him yet lost in confusion. Identify the false assumptions underlying the arguments of those who hold non-biblical worldviews and learn how to challenge those assumptions with respect and grace. Look for worldview clues in the media and learn to think critically about the messages they communicate.

Model Jesus’ compassion. Show hurting people how much Jesus loves them by following His example and helping them. Pray for God to show you specific people He wants you to help in specific ways. Then take action to serve them in Jesus’ name. Help people like family members, friends, and neighbors through one-on-one acts of kindness as God leads you, and do volunteer work through charities, ministries and other groups to bring relief to groups of poor and oppressed people both in your community and around the world. Be generous with financial donations to your church and other organizations that help hurting people. Invite God to use your life as a channel through which He can pour out His love to people in need. Be alert to opportunities to serve, and follow the Holy Spirit’s promptings to give your resources (time, energy, or money) to the opportunities God wants you to pursue.

Take political action. Whenever there’s an election at any level in your area, be sure to vote, knowing that your voice will make a real difference in the future of your nation, state, and local community. Get to know where the various candidates stand on issues, and support the ones who are true to biblical principles. Organize voter registration campaigns. Attend events like party caucuses or precinct meetings. Volunteer your time and energy to champion various causes and work on political campaigns. Contact your elected representatives to express your views on issues you care about. Be prepared to make a strong and clear case for your position on the issues, but make that case with respect, grace, and compassion. Support organizations that are fighting for religious freedom and Christians’ rights in the courts. Support legislation and constitutional amendments (state and federal) that protect the traditional definition of marriage and the integrity of the family. Overcome racial, economic, and other differences to stand in unity with other believers on issues you all champion so you can exert tremendous political influence.

Let awe for God’s creation lead you to engage the world of science. Understand that the common notion that faith and science must be at odds is just plain wrong. Realize that science is actually a natural extension of the Christian faith, because it helps us to appreciate God’s intelligent design and how His creation functions according to immutable principles. Learn about the latest scientific discoveries, and think and pray about the many ethical issues our culture is now facing in fields such as biological technology. Take stands for or against certain practices, such as opposing funding for forms of medical research that require the destruction of human embryos. Support school board candidates who understand the value of informing students about intelligent design rather than just evolution.

Embrace the arts. Recognize that the arts have great value, despite the many artists in the entertainment and media worlds who present messages that are disrespectful or hostile to the Christian faith. Instead of avoiding the arts, embrace movies, music, literature and other forms of art that are inspiring. Support edifying art and artists. Learn to recognize bias in the media and think critically about messages communicated through what you watch, hear, and read. Consider contributing to the arts yourself, acting as salt and light to express God’s truths to people in fresh and creative ways.

Pursue revival. Ask God to give you the courage and wisdom to take a moral inventory of your life and recognize wrong attitudes and behaviors. Then repent of them and rely on God’s strength to help you grow so you can live with integrity before a watching world. Become outwardly focused rather than inwardly focused so you’ll be less prone to self-absorption and more likely to put your faith into action. Pray for revival in America, interceding for government and cultural leaders (like the President, movie stars, and sports figures) who are currently in influential positions.

Become a seed. Be willing to give up your own agenda for the sake of God’s will, letting your selfish desires die so your faith can grow like a seed maturing into a healthy and productive plant. Invite God to do whatever is necessary to fulfill all of His purposes for your life. Pray for the strength and courage you need to contribute to the world in all the ways He wants you to do so.

[column by Whitney Hopler]

Jesus wants the rose!

An excellent message on the absolute importance of never losing sight of why Jesus really came. I may not agree with Mr. Chandler on all levels, but in this instance he is dead on. As we seek to be His hands and feet we must see as he sees and love as he loves!

The Crux of the Story

There is a vacuum at the heart of our culture. As Saul Bellow argued in his 1976 Noble Laureate lecture, “The intelligent public is waiting to hear from art what it does not hear from theology, philosophy, and social theory and what it cannot hear from pure science: a broader, fuller, more coherent, more comprehensive account of what we human beings are, who we are, and what this life is for. If writers do not come into the center, it will not be because the center is pre-empted; it is not.” Very simply stated, there is no center to hold things together. Or to put it differently, there is no over-arching story to life by which all the particulars can be interpreted. The pursuit of knowledge without knowing who we are or why we exist, combined with a war on our imaginations by our entertainment industry, leaves us at the mercy of power with no morality. May I illustrate this?

On many different occasions while driving and listening to music, every now and then a piece comes on that I find either unmusical or jarring. I usually shut the radio off. But then one day I was taken to see a play called The Phantom of the Opera. Suddenly I realized that some of the music I had not quite enjoyed was from this play. I was amazed at the difference knowing the story made, whenever I heard the music subsequently. In fact the music in some portions is utterly magnificent. The love songs, the discourses, yes, even the arguments made sense when you know the story. Life needs a story for one to understand the details. Life needs to hold together at the center if we are to reach to distant horizons. But our culture owns neither a story, nor holds at the center.

If such is the reality of our culture, where does that leave us? The challenge, as I see it, is this: How do you communicate to a generation that hears with its eyes and thinks with its feelings?

Ironically, postmodernism may be one of the most opportune thought patterns presented to us for the propagation of the gospel because in a sense, it has cleared the playing field. All disciplines have lost their “final authority.” The hopes that modernity had brought, the triumph of “Reason” and “Science,” which many thought would bring the utopia, have failed in almost every respect. With all of our material gains, there is still a hunger for the spiritual. In virtually every part of the world, students linger long after every session to talk and plead for answers to their barren lives. All the education one gets does not diminish that search for inner coherence and a story-line for one’s own life.

As much as postmodernism has confused language and definitions, there is a yearning that the postmodernist’s own cavalier attitude does not weaken. Moreover, there is indeed a story and one who stands at the center who answers this yearning. Only in the gospel message that culminates in worship is there coherence--which in turn brings coherence within the community of believers, where both individuality and community are affirmed. The worship of the living God is what ultimately binds the various inclinations of the heart and gives them focus. A worshipping community in spirit and in truth binds the diversity of our culture, the diversity of our education, the diversity of our backgrounds, and brings us together into a corporate expression of worship.

With all that the cultural terrain presents to us, the injunction that “to find one’s self, one must lose one’s self,” contains a truth any seeker of self-fulfillment needs to grasp. This is a reminder the Church must keep in mind, too. Apart from the Cross of Jesus Christ, I know of no other hope. The songwriter said it simply: We’ve a story to tell to the nations. The last stanza of that great hymn says:

We’ve a Savior to show to the nations
Who the path of sorrow hath trod,
That all of the world’s great peoples
Might come to the truth of God.
For the darkness shall turn to dawning,
And the dawning to noon-day bright,
And Christ’s great kingdom shall come to earth,
The kingdom of love and light.

~Ravi Zacharias~