U.K. – REVIVAL OF FAITH AMONG GEN Z

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A new study reveals a significant shift in religious attitudes among Gen Zers in the United Kingdom, those born in 1997 or later, suggesting a potential revival of faith and increased spiritual questioning. The research found that individuals aged 18-24 exhibit higher levels of religiosity than any other age group.

The study shows that 69% of respondents aged 18-24 believe their faith significantly impacts their lives, compared to only 51% of those older than 65.

Further, 72% of young adults in this age group stated that their religion helps them find purpose in life, a stark contrast to the 47% of those older than 65 who said the same, according to the survey conducted by the Institute for the Impact of Faith in Life and carried out by Whitestone Insight.

One notable aspect of the study, involving over 2,000 U.K. adults, is the diversity and openness among younger believers. It was found that 76% of 18- to 24-year-olds have friends with different faiths or beliefs, suggesting a higher degree of tolerance and acceptance. This contrasts with older generations who are less likely to have diverse friendship groups.

Moreover, 45% of Gen Z respondents expressed openness to changing their religious beliefs, compared to 22% of those older than 65.

The survey also found that Gen Zers are more likely to view faith as a positive force in public life. They support the idea of politicians discussing their faith publicly and believe in the involvement of faith leaders in social and political matters. This contrasts with the overall low confidence in religion as a force for good in society, as only 36% of the general population agreed with this sentiment.

Among religious respondents, 55% saw religion as a positive force, highlighting the generational divide in attitudes toward faith.

Charlotte Littlewood, a senior research associate at IIFL, noted that while the U.K. has been on a general course of secularization legally and politically, British youth increasingly value faith. “The results have shown that whilst legally and politically the U.K. has been on a general course of secularization, British youth are more believing than those half a century their senior,” Littlewood said, according to Christian Today. “Faith is seen of higher value, significance, and impact to Gen Z, compared with previous generations.”

The survey also examines broader societal views on religion.

For instance, while there is general resistance to religion in the workplace and politics, 42% view religion in the workplace positively compared to 41% who disagree. Younger generations see more value in religious discussions in public spheres.

The media’s portrayal of religion also came under scrutiny in the study. A significant 71% of respondents agreed that the media is biased, and 63% did not favor more media coverage of religion. This mistrust suggests a gap between the media’s representation of religion and the public’s experience.

Despite these challenges, the study highlights positive aspects of faith in the U.K. For example, 62% of respondents agreed that Christian heritage is important to the U.K., and there is a perception that the country welcomes religious diversity. Further, 73% of respondents reported having friends of different faiths, indicating strong interfaith relationships.

Faith’s role in education is also seen as crucial by many respondents. The survey found that 61% of participants believe religious education is important in schools, and 80% agree that knowledge of other faiths is essential.

The study’s findings resonate with broader trends observed in the United States and elsewhere.

The Survey Center on American Life noted generational shifts in religious affiliation and participation in the U.S. While young adults in the U.S. are less religiously affiliated than previous generations, those who engage with religion often show a strong commitment to their faith.

A 2023 report in the U.S. revealed that while younger generations of Americans are less religious and less engaged with the Bible than older generations, roughly half credit the Bible’s message for transforming their lives.

The American Bible Society’s State of the Bible USA 2023 report showed that although a higher percentage of Gen Zers identify as agnostics, atheists or “nones” (34%) compared to older generations, 58% of Gen Z respondents identify as Christians.

Despite the lower levels of Scripture engagement among America’s youth, about half of Gen Z respondents agreed with the statement, “The message of the Bible has transformed my life.” Specifically, 49% of Gen Z adults aged 18 to 21 and 52% of those aged 22 to 26 felt the Bible had a transformative effect on their lives.

What a good truth to end the post on “The message of the Bible has transformed my life“. It always will if you spend time in it, and even more so if you have accepted Jesus as your Lord and Saviour and received the Holy Spirit. He is your teacher, counsellor, and comforter. He will lead you into all truth.

A NATION WITHOUT FAITH IS A NATION WITHOUT HOPE

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Fifty-three years back, in 1971, 87 percent of Australians identified as religious, and overwhelmingly as Christian. Now it’s just 54 percent. It is a similar decline as in the U.S.A.

And here’s the really striking feature: only five years ago, 52 percent of us identified as Christian. Now it’s just 44 percent. That’s an almost 20 percent decline in Christian belief in just five years. Some of that will be people who don’t worship regularly anymore and feel fraudulent in ticking the religion box even though their faith is still with them. For others, it represents a clear rejection of organised religion. Five years back, only 30 percent of Australians identified as having no religion. Now it’s 39 percent. That’s a 30 percent leap in just five years, making no religion the fastest-growing “creed” in the country. Why does that matter? It may not be fashionable to say so but in reality, our culture is built on a Christian foundation. Our democracy, for instance, rests on the notion that everyone is equal in rights and dignity, something that’s come down to us through the Christian gospels. Elsewhere in our culture, our justice system rests on the notion that we should treat others as we’d be treated; again that comes from Christian teaching. Our sense of community too rests on the notion that we should “love our neighbours as we love ourselves”. It’s a commandment at the heart of our volunteerism and philanthropy. Then there’s the significant matter of what religious organisations contribute to social uplift. Beyond a values-based education, they run many health and community services. To reference the largest Christian denomination, the Catholic Church, as an example, there are 80 Catholic hospitals across the country and 25,000-plus aged-care beds in Catholic nursing homes, as well as social welfare bodies and charities with a broader Christian inspiration – from the Salvation Army to the St Vincent de Paul Society, to Anglicare, to Lifeline, and Alcoholics Anonymous – all organisations that are generally thought to be serving Australians well, however, discredited the zeitgeist might find the faith which inspires their good works.

When people believe there is no God then of course they make up their own rules. It is survival of the fittest and truth is what you make it. Your truth may not be my truth. Gay marriage, homosexuality, and transgenderism are just the start. The only true reality is built on the first sentence of the Bible: “In the beginning God created”. Our Creator has given us the truth about the origins of our Cosmos and humankind. If you want answers to the big questions: Who Am I? then there is only one place to go God’s Word. Can I also suggest Martyn Isles book Who Am I?

Evolution and billions of years is the God of this World, Satan’s, greatest strategy. He has convinced even our learned scholars, our educators that the Cosmos did not need a Creator. It is absurd as nothing comes from nothing. This highly complex universe with its laws and interconnectedness had to have an omnipotent designer but, our learned scholars cannot countenance the supernatural yet, it is the obvious, in fact, the only possible solution.

If you want proof of creation versus evolution and the Biblical account of creation, then go to http://www.answersingenesis.org and http://www.creation.com.

Source of much of this information: Peta Credlin is the host of Credlin on Sky News.

UNASHAMED OF THE GOSPEL AND TAKING A STAND

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This post was taken from the article by Sarah Holliday entitled “The Korbin Albert Incident Reminds Us That Believers Are Called to Be Unashamed in The Washington Stand April 1, 2024

Korbin Albert, a new player on the U.S. women’s national soccer team, recently shared a video on her personal TikTok account that featured a powerful testimony of a Christian man who shared his struggle with thinking he was a woman and how he was saved by Jesus Christ. I mean, this is what Jesus does — He saves! And the church is called to share this Good News. At first glance, that’s what Albert did. Who knows how that video shared through her platform could’ve spoken to someone who needed to hear its message?

The enemy hates what’s good. He hates God and God’s people. And while suffering is an inevitable part of a fallen world, many trials we encounter are due to the devil’s scheming. Though he has won nothing, Satan has a sinister grip on many lives to do what he does best: lie, cheat, steal, and destroy.

Megan Rapinoe, is a prominent LGBT activist with a tendency to blame God for her problems (like when she claimed her career-ending injury was “proof” God doesn’t exist). While she wasn’t the only one to criticize Albert’s post, Rapinoe appeared to be the cherry topping a sundae of insults. Her less than impressive remark goes as follows: “To the people who want to hide behind ‘my beliefs’ I would just ask one question, are you making any time of space safer, more inclusive, more whole, any semblance of better, bringing the best out of anyone? … because if you aren’t all you believe in is hate. And Kids are literally killing themselves because of this hate. Wake TF up! Yours Truly, #15.”

I’m sure that was very difficult for Albert to read. But her own teammates took Rapinoe’s side, and Albert received other harsh comments like, “[I]f you’re gonna be a bigot at least do it in private.” Another read, “You can be Christian and not a homophobic transphobic bigot.”

Not surprisingly in this cancel culture, Albert was overwhelmed with hostility. She apologized for sharing the post and proceeded to remove it from her social media. She said she would strive “to do better” because “sharing … offensive, insensitive and hurtful” posts “was immature and disrespectful.” She expressed disappointment in herself and said it was never her intention to offend anyone.

The first thought that came to mind when I read about this was Romans 1:16, where Paul wrote, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.” As believers, we’re called to be unashamed of the truth of Scripture. Christians boldly broadcast that life, in and out of the womb, has inherent value in being made in the image of God. We gallantly declare, according to faith and science, there are two sexes, and switching between them is patently impossible. We unabashedly share the gospel message, which is initially offensive, that we’re sinners in need of a Savior, we must repent of those sins, and that Christ is the only way to eternal life.

Those who are born again and raised to new life in Christ know this is difficult for those dead in their sins and trespasses to hear. But we also know the least loving thing we can do is deprive someone of these truths and watch as they march away from the glory of God and the gift of salvation.

Am I saying Albert is ashamed of the gospel? Not necessarily. I don’t know her heart, so I refuse to make a claim on her behalf. What I do believe is her regrets reflect that she needs prayer, encouragement, and some reminders. And, really, what I’m about to detail pertains to all believers.

Jesus said in John 15:18, “If the world hates you, know that it has hated Me before it hated you.” Additionally, in Matthew 10:22a, He asserted, “you will be hated by all for my names sake.” It’s pretty clear in Scripture that following Christ means we will be hated. But one isn’t required to read Scripture to know that. Just look around — just look at what happened to Albert!

But Albert, like all of us, needs grace and compassion. Like all of us, she needs prayer to remain steadfast amid persecution. Before we judge how she responded, we should put ourselves in her shoes. Truly, we can only pray that we don’t respond the same way she did to such vehement hate and anger.

Notably, we, too, often forget what’s proclaimed in Romans 10:11, namely, “Everyone who believes in Him will not be put to shame.” Or Romans 8:1, which states, “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” We overlook, as outlined in Romans 8:15, that we “did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but … have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, ‘Abba! Father!’” And despite the pain we endure in this fallen world, Jesus said “the one who endures to the end will be saved” (Matthew 10:22b). We forget these things because we don’t meditate on them.

NO REASONABLE PERSON DISPUTES THAT JESUS HEALED HUNDREDS IF NOT THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE

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During His earthly ministry, “Great crowds came to Jesus, bringing the lame, the blind, the crippled, the dumb and many others, and laid them at His feet; and He healed them. The people were amazed when they saw people raised from the dead, dumb speaking, the crippled made well, the lame walking, and the blind seeing. And they praised the God of Israel” Matthew 15:30-31

Earlier in the previous century, even the New Testament skeptical scholar Rudolf Bultmann acknowledged that there could be no doubt that Jesus healed sick individuals and expelled demons. More recently, Jarl Fossum notes: “That Jesus was a miracle worker is central to the Christology of the New Testament Gospels and Acts.” Perhaps surprisingly, prominent Jesus Seminar member Marcus Borg attested quite strongly, “Despite the difficulty which miracles pose for the modern mind, on historical grounds it is virtually indisputable that Jesus was a healer and exorcist.” Further, Jesus’s healing cases cannot all be accounted for simply as “faith healings” alone, for we do not know how far Jesus’s powers actually extended. Prominent historical Jesus researcher John Meier states, “In sum, the statement that Jesus acted as and was viewed as an exorcist and healer during his public ministry has as much historical corroboration as almost any other statement we can make about the Jesus of history.”

Even Jesus’ opponents did not contest the proclamations that He did healings and exorcisms, but “they claimed that his powers came from the lord of the evil spirits,” thereby admitting the existence of the events themselves by their very criticism. In this way, Jesus’s disciples, the crowds of people who heard and saw Jesus, and even His adversaries all agreed to what happened and that at least these healings and exorcisms were due to Jesus’s skills and power.

What about you? Do you praise the Lord because of the mighty miracles Jesus performed? Or do you ignore Jesus and live life as your own god? It is easy to ignore the Lord while loving the world and loving your sin. None of us would ever turn to God apart from the power of the Holy Spirit who produces repentance and faith in a man’s heart.

So, are you resisting the Holy Spirit even as you read these words? Or are you open to the idea that you need Jesus and the forgiveness only He can give you? Do you realize why Jesus endured the agony of the cross? He did it to pay for your sins so that you do not suffer the consequences of your sins. You will face Jesus at the White Throne judgment and you will be thrown into the Lake of Fire for punishment and a second death.

“But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.” Revelation 21:8 Also, Revelation 2:11, Revelation 20:6, and Revelation 20:14

Did you ignore the cross once again this Easter? When will you finally get serious about your sin and your need for the Savior?

Like everyone, a day will come when you experience tremendous storms in your life. Perhaps you are going through a terrible storm right now. Jesus has the power and authority to calm storms, just like He did when His disciples encountered a “furious squall” one day while out in a boat (see Mark 4:35-41. Jesus rebuked the wind, and it became completely calm, His disciples were “terrified and asked each other, ‘Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey Him!’”  

Who will you turn to during the personal storms ahead of you? The longer you ignore the Messiah, the harder your heart will become toward the Savior. On the other hand, the miracle-working Messiah will save your soul the moment you come to Christ in faith. The Apostle John explained it beautifully:

“Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life (eternal life) in His name.” John 20:30-31

One day “the Jews demanded of Jesus, ‘What miraculous sign can you show us to prove your authority to do all this?’ Jesus answered them, ‘Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days’” (John 2:19). The miracle of miracles was the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. The Messiah who had raised Lazarus (see John 11:38-44) and others from the dead (see Matthew 9:23-25; Luke 7:11-17) would Himself come back to life after His crucifixion.

After His resurrection, Jesus appeared to many of His followers, including “more than 500 of the brothers at the same time” (1 Corinthians 15:6). Why else would the apostles have laid down their lives for the Gospel? If they had not seen and touched the risen Christ, Christianity would never have gotten off the ground (see John 20:24-31). Christ’s enemies couldn’t track down His body because Jesus did in fact rise from the dead.

So, are you spiritually dead, or spiritually alive? Have you risen from your tomb of unbelief? You can either ignore the miracle-working Messiah or trust Him to forgive your sins and perform the miracle of the new birth within your soul (see John 3:1-8; 1 Peter 1:3-5). You will never know what you have been missing until you give your life to Christ and become one of His followers. Whatever you do, please don’t ignore this soul-saving invitation: “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved” (Acts 16:31).

Adapted from an article in Christian Post “Why Multitudes Ignore the miracle-working Messiah” by Dan Delzell and excerpts from On the Resurrection, Volume 1: Evidences by Gary R. Habermas (B&H Academic, 2024).

THE TRUTH OF IT

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God’s existence confronts us with the reality that there is an ultimate, secure truth from outside ourselves that has something decisive to say about who each of us is. We cannot escape this truth. We can only submit to it or rebel against it.

  1. We are made by God (Genesis 1:26). Nothing makes itself, particularly a Cosmos as intricately designed as it is to sustain all forms of life.
  2. We are made to bear God’s image (Genesis 1:27). There is a high calling for our lives, which involves putting God’s character on display through a holy life and righteous actions.
  3. We are made with a breath of life from God (Genesis 2:7): “The Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature.“
  4. We have a spirit: “Thus declares the Lord, who stretched out the heavens and founded the earth and formed the spirit of man within him” (Zechariah 12:1), “For who knows a person’s thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? (1 Corinth. 2:11). This is an important verse: human self-awareness, intellect, creativity, personality, and temperament – everything that enables human accomplishment come through the unseen presence of the human spirit. “Man is going to his eternal home… and the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it.” (Ecclesiastes 12:7), “The spirit of man is the lamp of the Lord, searching all his innermost parts.” (Proverbs 20:27). When a person accepts Jesus as their Saviour and Lord, they receive the Holy Spirit from our Heavenly Father so that the spirit of man can truly be the lamp of the Lord. A lamp cannot function without oil (Holy Spirit). Our spirit was always meant to be indwelt by the Holy Spirit.
  5. We are made from the dust of the ground (Genesis 2:7). This means that even though we were made in God’s image, we are not gods. We are creatures—finite, lacking certain power and knowledge, and wholly dependent. We are not immortal. “He who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality,” (1 Timothy 6:15-16)
  6. We were made for dominion (Genesis 1:26)—to bring God’s will to God’s world.
  7. We were made to live up to a design as either a male or a female (Genesis 1:27). This is the calling for our lives.
  8. We are fallen in Adam (Genesis 3, 5:1–3; Romans 5:12). Because of the fall, our identity contains sin and death. Our inner selves are corrupt. Our eternity is an eternal second death. This is the great tragedy of the modern identity worldview. It traps people in themselves. It traps us in our sin.
  9. We can be restored to glory and eternity through the Lord Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 15:49), the true image of God in the “dust” of human flesh (Colossians 1:15). When we accept Jesus as our Saviour and Lord our Heavenly Father sends the Holy Spirit to indwell our spirit, so it can once again be the lamp of the Lord.

MAN’S WORD VERSUS GOD’S WORD

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Churches need to teach foundationally, and Christians need to understand our thinking must start with God’s Word, Genesis chapters 1–11, the foundation for everything. Because so many Christian leaders have compromised Genesis 1–11 with evolution and millions of years, most Christians have not been taught the foundational doctrines and therefore a true biblical worldview.

Many Christians just look at what they perceive as the “problems” and try to figure out how to take these to the Bible to understand what to do. But those with a true biblical worldview know that God’s Word beginning in Genesis is the foundation for that worldview. They also know there are ultimately only two foundations for people’s worldviews—God’s Word or man’s word.

For those who build their thinking on man’s word (the foundation of the secular education system), a worldview of moral relativism results. Thus, marriage is how they define it. Because man is seen as just an animal, abortion is no different than killing an animal. People who are aged and infirm are seen as a drain on the health system and therefore euthanasia should be used to stop their suffering and costly care. Gender is plastic and one can (try to) change gender using drugs and surgery if they want.

When a person builds their thinking on God’s Word, their worldview is determined by God our Creator. Thus, God created marriage, so there’s only one marriage—one man and one woman. Humans are made in the image of God, so abortion (at any stage) is murder. God made only two genders of humans: male and female.

Two foundations with two very different worldviews. The clash we see happening in our culture is one between two totally opposite worldviews, and at a foundational level, it’s a battle between God’s Word and man’s word.

Once we understand the real battle is at the foundational level, we understand that to battle all the social issues (abortion, gender, gay “marriage,” racism, etc.), one must recognize them as symptoms of a foundational problem. The problem is that people have built their worldview on the wrong foundation of man’s word.

Now, if all those social issues are the same ultimate problem, they must have the same solution. And they do. The solution has always been the truth of God’s Word and the saving gospel. Many, though, have been indoctrinated to think the Bible is an outdated book of mythology and that science proves it can’t be trusted, particularly in its history in Genesis 1–11. That’s where apologetics answers the attacks on God’s Word and shows we can defend the Christian faith. That’s why Answers in Genesis provides scientific and biblical answers to the questions of our day that are used to attack and undermine God’s Word. So the solution to the social issues is to battle at a foundation level. To do that, we need to raise up generations who know how to think foundationally and are equipped with apologetics.

Go to http://www.answersingenesis.org and http://www.creation.com for resources to equip you with answers to young people’s questions on origins.

CHRISTIANS RISK BEING BRANDED ‘EXTREMISTS’ BY UK GOV’T

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Christians are at risk of being branded “extremists” under the UK government’s new definition of extremism published this week, a campaign group has warned. 

The new definition says that “extremism is the promotion or advancement of an ideology based on violence, hatred or intolerance, that aims to” among other things “negate or destroy the fundamental rights and freedoms of others.”

Christian Concern said that Christians who are pro-life, gender-critical, or have traditionalist beliefs about marriage might fall foul of the new definition. 

Christians who are pro-life could be seen as being opposed to an ‘assumed fundamental right’ to abortion and thus to be intolerant and hence extremist. It is already the case that being anti-abortion is on a Prevent list of ideologies.

Prevent is a national program “that aims to stop people from becoming terrorists or supporting terrorism seen as potential extremism”, the organisation said.

Christian Concern said that the new extremism definition was “vague” and could lead to Christians being excluded from influencing government policy. 

Andrea Williams, chief executive of Christian Concern, said the definition was “not fit for purpose” and that she expected to see more Christians being reported to Prevent.

“It is absurd that Christians could be deemed ‘extremist’ for believing in real marriage or for being pro-life,” she said. 

“Christian Concern has supported Christians referred to Prevent for expressing their Christian beliefs. The new definition of extremism should have ensured this would not happen again.

“Sadly, I now expect to see more referrals of Christians to Prevent, not less.”

She called on the government to clarify that ‘fundamental rights’ do not include abortion, same-sex marriage, or identifying as the opposite sex.

“Without this clarification, Christians who express their legitimate belief that marriage is between a man and a woman would risk being deemed ‘extremist’ by the government,” she said. 

Originally published at Christian Today UK

Over the eight years, I have been posting on Living Eternal Now persecution of Christians has been escalating and many other end times prophecies are being fulfilled. Thank goodness, God has told us what will unfold as we approach the time of Jesus second coming. Jesus told us it would be like the days of Noah when God poured out His wrath upon the earth for the first time; godlessness and lawlessness will abound.

THE CHURCH THAT IS LEFT BEHIND

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The tragic shooting at Joel Osteen’s Lakewood Church in Houston is another sad reminder that sin is irrational, evil, and enduring.

The mayhem caused when a woman with a rifle opened fire led Osteen to say, “In the face of such darkness, we must hold onto our faith and remember evil will not prevail.” That’s good theology: In the long run, the God of the Bible triumphs. But that long run is much less temporal than it is eternal. Christians know no immunity from pain in a world cursed by sin. Instead, they look to a universe cleansed from sin and everlasting life in the presence of their Lord and King.

Osteen seems eager to talk about other things. According to him, “We’ve got to make our [church] services good. They’ve got to uplift people. They’ve got to walk away saying, ‘You know what, I feel better today.”’

Walk away feeling good? “Uplift?” Is this why God became both a man and, on the cross, the very essence of sin (II Corinthians 5:21)? This is Christianity without Christ, a spiritual oxymoron that removes the centre of the gospel and then throws only a shadow of hope on those in desperate need of transformation. It is grace reduced to psychological slobber and truth as a buffet from which you can select only those things you find appealing.

Lakewood’s statement of belief is sound, although basic. It’s my hope that Osteen and those on his large staff truly believe in the necessity of new birth in Christ and the need for faithful obedience to Him. But these things are not what Osteen preaches. His best-selling “Your Best Life Now” is hundreds of pages about how to obtain fulfillment without a single mention of dying to self and the cost of following Jesus. Instead, Pastor Joel recommends “letting go of the past” and tells us that we must “find strength through adversity.” In themselves, these things can aid you in regaining your emotional equilibrium. But is that it? Is this the message of the cross? Is this why, all over the world, martyrs are dying for their love of Jesus?

John Piper has outlined six problems with the “feel good” gospel. His analysis is a useful summary of where preachers like Osteen go far afield from “the faith once delivered” (Jude 1:3). According to Piper, such ministries as Osteen’s are characterized by:

  1. An absence of a serious doctrine of the biblical necessity and normalcy of suffering
  2. An absence of a clear and prominent doctrine of self-denial
  3. An absence of serious exposition of Scripture
  4. A failure to deal with tensions in Scripture
  5. Church leaders who have exorbitant lifestyles
  6. The prominence of self and marginalization of the greatness of God

The “serious exposition” of the good news of Christ involves things sinners often dislike hearing. As theologian Ray Ortlund reminds us, “The good news of the gospel begins with some really bad news. Our sins only provoke a bigger problem: the wrath of God. Our real problem is not our sins but God. He is angry, he isn’t going away, and there is nothing we can do about it.”

Nothing. We. Can. Do. About. It. No self-talk, no therapy, no learned technique to quell genuine guilt or silence the voice of divine conviction. This is the broad way against which Jesus so vividly warned, the way of Oprah and mysticism and prideful self-reliance. It might indeed lead to transient happiness but invariably takes one through the gates of hell.

The bad news of human sin and our inability to redeem ourselves is not the end of the story. “You were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked … and were by nature children of wrath,” Paul writes to the Christians in Ephesus, “But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ.” Once dead, now alive: this is the key to your best life now and forever. “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast” Ephesians 2:1-9

Followers of Jesus should pray that God would so arrest the heart and mind of Joel Osteen and all like him that they would repent of the false gospel they so happily broadcast and issue a new message, one that announces the righteous anger of a holy God and the gracious offer of a loving Father. He is one and the same, and His offer of hope, meaning, transformation, and life itself never changes.

Sadly, Joel and Lakewood Church represent the church of Laodicea that is left behind to go through the Trumpet and Bowl judgements of God.

‘I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see. Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent.” Revelation 3:15-19

Compare this with the church of Philadelphia which is the church that is raptured at the trumpet blast at the opening of the seventh seal.

“‘I know your works. Behold, I have set before you an open door, which no one is able to shut. I know that you have but little power, and yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name… Because you have kept my word about patient endurance, I will keep you from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world, to try those who dwell on the earth. I am coming soon. Hold fast to what you have, so that no one may seize your crown. The one who conquers, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God.” Revelation 3:10-12

BE ENCOURAGED AND PRAY FOR OUR PERSECUTED BROTHERS & SISTERS

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Deep in the capital of Lebanon, thousands of Christians recently gathered to praise Jesus in a one-night worship experience that organizers say became “a beacon of hope and joy” for the Middle East. “Beirut 2024” was an ecumenical musical event that brought together believers from different Christian faith traditions to worship God and instill hope in its attendees.  The event was held as part of celebrations for the annual Week of Prayer for Christian Unity and the 50th anniversary of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC).

The MECC organized the gathering and estimated that about 10,000 people were in attendance. According to the “Beirut 2024″ website, the celebration was an event that sought to “showcase the Holy Spirit’s presence in the Church’s worship across ages.” With escalating tensions in the Middle East, leaders also decided to hold a “unique prayer meeting” to unite “diverse Churches in praise, fostering unity as outlined in Ephesians 1. Additionally, it symbolized a beacon of hope and joy for Lebanon and the wider Middle East.” “It is an opportunity to pray for peace in Lebanon and repentance for its people,” the website shares.

A choir of 300 singers and musicians from different churches led the congregation of church leaders and worshippers through the night of prayer and praise. “No one is surprised that this blessed choir speaks with multiple languages, for it is filled with the Holy Spirit who gave it to speak in this way, as happened on the day of Pentecost. Our chant tonight will be ascending to heaven, with the power of the Spirit that unites us, and it will be stronger than the screams of haters and murderers of man, and louder than the blast of their bombs,” said Professor Dr. Michel Abs, Secretary General of the MECC. “Our ecumenical spiritual evening is the product of the Holy Spirit, through believers, who worked with persistence and determination to make it happen and bring together the one Church of Christ with its cultural diversity and richness, in which the Middle East abounds,” he added. Those who attended reflected on the importance of praying for unity and peace in the Middle East. The event was broadcast live on the Lebanese MTV channel and other Christian stations.

Source: CBNNews