Today's Christian Living September 2021

Rescuing a Child Slave • Christian Living Resource Guide • Enough Is Enough

Encourage • Equip • Engage

UFOs

CHURCH

What Are They?

Some surprising insights

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Christy Nockels on aiming for the bull’s-eye

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TODAY’S CHRISTIAN LIVING

SEPTEMBER 2021

ALABAMA | DELAWARE | FLORIDA | GEORGIA | MARYLAND | NEW JERSEY | NORTH CAROLINA | PENNSYLVANIA | SOUTH CAROLINA

TODAY’S On the Cover: Singer, songwriter, and worship leader Christy Nockels. Photo courtesy Meshali Mitchell Photography

LIVING SEPTEMBER 2021

Features 6

God’s Gracious Grounding: Christy Nockels on Discovering Her Identity as God’s Beloved

by Stephanie Rische Christy Nockels was serving wholeheartedly as a singer, songwriter, and worship leader, but when she reached burnout, she discovered that her value wasn’t defined by ministry.

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Church Initiative: Bringing Healing to the Hurting Through Christ-Focused Groups

by Pam S. Walker Serving 25,000 congregations, Church Initiative offers biblically based support and counseling for divorcees, children of divorcees, single parents, and those grieving the loss of loved ones.

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Rescuing a Child Slave: How I Got to Know God Better

by Dr. David Vanderpool When Dr. David Vanderpool discovered a verse in Jeremiah, he realized how God was calling him to draw closer.

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On Wings of Eagles

by Charles H. Huettner Charles Huettner learned as a teen how to listen to the Holy Spirit’s guidance, and that relationship has served him well, guiding him in his career path to influential government and civilian positions.

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UFOs: What Are They?

by Dan Brownell Are aliens visiting Earth? Learn what the government report revealed and get a perspective from a Christian worldview.

34 Christian Living Resource Guide

Find guidance for spiritual growth and

Christian living.

VOL. 59 NUMBER 5

6 Columns

Departments

10 Living in Wisdom

Not Forsaking the Assembly

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16 Ask Dr. Walt

Weighing in on Weight Loss

38 Laugh Lines

20 Live Right Now

Take Initiative to Do

What’s Right

The Fine Print

23 Daily Bible Connection 40 Quick Takes 44 Kids of the Kingdom

22 Turning Point

Knowing Jesus My Redeemer 26 Dave Says

Take Control of Your Money 42

Persecution Report Coptic Women Forced to Convert and Marry Muslim Men

46 Grace Notes

Enough Is Enough

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THE FINE PRINT

Our True Battle “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places” (Eph. 6:12 ESV).

The conflict raging around us seems to grow more intense by the day. In the midst of the battle, it’s easy to forget that the true source of the conflict isn’t other people — it’s Satan.

He’s the instigator behind the scenes stirring up rebellion against God and antagonism with each other. As Paul explains in the book of Ephesians, we don’t wrestle against flesh and blood but against the forces of evil.

Since Satan’s rebellion and fall, he’s been working relentlessly to undermine God’s kingdom and trying to convince us to join his uprising. Satan is the father of lies (John 8:44). He lied in the Garden and deceived Adam and Eve. He’s been employing the same deceitful tactics ever since. In fact, confronting lies is a theme in this issue. For example, singer Christy Nockels explains in “God’s Gracious Grounding” (pg. 6) how she struggled with misplaced priorities believing that God values our work more than our relationship with Him. But she escaped that trap when she realigned her thinking with the truth of her real identity revealed in Scripture. In “Rescuing a Child Slave” (pg. 18), an innocent child was literally enslaved by the lie that his life was only worth the free labor he provided — until he was set free by a doctor committed to carrying out the truth of God’s Word. And the article “UFOs: What Are They?” (pg. 28) reveals spiritual deception behind the mysterious phenomenon of UFOs. In this article, Dr. Ron Rhodes shares important insight about UFOs, and his book Spiritual Warfare in the End Times is featured in Quick Takes (pg. 40).

God has called us to oppose Satan, but not through our own strength and wisdom. We’re to rely on the truth and power of His Word: “For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ” (2 Cor. 10:4–5 ESV).

During Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness (Matt. 4:1-11), He modeled how we’re to confront Satan’s lies, countering each lie with Scripture. In order to follow His example, we must know His Word and wield it skillfully and accurately.

Given the amount of conflict and deception around us, we certainly have ample opportunity to put this strategy into practice.

“The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever” (Isa. 40:8 ESV).

“Every word of God proves true; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him” (Prov. 30:5 ESV).

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President/Publisher Diana Jones dianaj@jpmediallc.com Editor Dan Brownell danb@jpmediallc.com Contributing Editors Dr. Sabrina Black Walt Larimore, M.D. Dave Ramsey Jerry Rose Shirley Rose Jeff Sellers Sales Account Executive Jill Maggio jillm@jpmediallc.com 800-397-8161 ext. 5 Senior Graphic Designer Bill Kuffel Editorial Director Rocky Landsverk Bulk Circulation Nancy Plaski 800-397-8161 Founder Kenneth N. Taylor Letters to the Editor: Write Today’s Christian Living, PO Box 282, Iola, WI 54945. Or e-mail: editor@todayschristianliving.org Individual Subscriptions: Visit www.todayschristianliving.org/subscribe or call 800-223-3161.

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Today’s Christian Living

In Christ, Dan Brownell, Editor

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Vol. 59

SEPTEMBER 2021

P.O. Box 282 Iola, WI 54945 Phone: (800) 223-3161 www.todayschristianliving.org Copyright 2021

The Good News

A man accused of murder was brought before a judge. The man admitted to the crime, the guilty verdict was read, and the death penalty pronounced. Even though the guilty man was his own son, the judge could not dismiss the verdict or he would be a corrupt, unjust judge. So great was the judge’s love for his son that he decided to pay the debt for him. The judge stepped down from the bench, removed his robe, traded places with him, and was executed in his place.

This is what Jesus has done for us. Jesus was sinless, but paid the penalty for our sin, dying on the cross in our place. This is called substitutionary atonement, but the atonement only takes effect if we are willing to accept this incredible gift; God won’t force His love on us. To receive this forgiveness, we must admit our guilt and sins and repent of them. If you have never done this, you can do it now. Tell God that you are sorry for your sins and want to turn away from them. If you truly repent, He will wash your sins away and give you a new life. He will send the Holy Spirit to live inside you and to change you from the inside out.

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”

(2 Cor. 5:17 ESV) TODAYSCHRISTIANLIVING.ORG

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GOD’S GRACIOUS GROUNDING

Christy Nockels on Discovering Her Identity as God’s Beloved

By Stephanie Rische

Christy uses the metaphor of a bull’s-eye to illustrate how God wants us to set our priorities. Photo courtesy Meshali Mitchell Photography 6

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Christy at one of her concerts. Through her songs, she shares the message of God’s grace all over America. Photo courtesy Christy Nockels

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he was living the dream of a Christian artist: writing and singing songs about Jesus, leading worship at major conferences, recording No. 1 radio singles, receiving nominations for prestigious music awards, and touring the country.

She was gifted. She was successful. She was serving the Lord.

And she was exhausted.

Fifteen years ago, Christy Nockels, who with her husband made up the Christian music duo Watermark, hit a wall. “Nathan and I were doing good things — we were using our gifts for God and working hard to steward those gifts. We loved what we were doing. But we were spread thin, and we were constantly torn up by how the demands of our career pulled us away from the most important people in our lives — our children.”

The pressure wasn’t just external; Christy was also struggling with an internal battle for her soul. “I wasn’t stopping to be filled up and rest in God’s presence,” Christy said. “In working so hard for Him, I was missing encounters with Him.” At the time, social media was starting to gain popularity. “In addition to the demands of touring, there was the added pressure of looking around and comparing my life to what everyone else was doing.”

God used this time of tension to get Christy’s attention. “God is faithful and relentless,” she said. “He meets us in places we don’t know we need rescuing, or places we’ve given up trying to surrender. I finally realized I’d yessed myself into exhaustion.

I couldn’t do it all.”

Farm Table Epiphany

One day, at the height of Watermark’s success, God met Christy in a mundane moment and changed the trajectory of her life.

“I was cleaning the bathroom, of all things!” she said with a laugh. “God revealed to me that my gifts and the stewardship of them had become a burden. All the hustle was holding me back from what my heart was really longing for: connection with Him. If I wanted to serve Him, I needed to be filled up myself.”

After Christy finished cleaning the toilet, she went downstairs and just let her Bible fall open. “I call what happened next my farm table epiphany,” she said. Her Bible opened to Psalm 37 — the Scripture that had led her to salvation at the age of 7.

When she was a child, Christy and her siblings each had a plaque with a verse on it. Hers said, “Christy, follower of Christ,” along with the words of Psalm 37:5. One night when her dad was preaching, Christy was sitting in a pew, writing out her verse by hand. Her mom turned the paper over and paraphrased it: “If Christy gives her life to Jesus, He will show her the way to go.” In that moment, Christy knew she needed a Savior. “I was terrified, but I went forward. I grabbed my earthly father’s hand and embraced my heavenly Father’s heart.”

Two decades later, as Christy sat at her kitchen table, this verse brought her back to the heart of the gospel. “I was reminded that God’s promises aren’t just for eternity, but for right now. He wanted to transform my career, my family, my songs, my fears, my anxieties. He was bringing me back, and that began a beautiful unfolding.”

Christy didn’t know what this would mean exactly; she just knew she had an intense desire to come home and rest. The Lord brought to her mind the image of a bull’s-eye. “I felt the Holy Spirit pressing in and asking me: What would it look like if you hit the bull’s-eye and I take the rest? You’re out here running ragged in the outer rings and missing out on my work in your life.” It was time to surrender some of the things dearest to her so she could trust God in a way she’d never done before.

Laying Down the Good for the Best

After her epiphany, Christy felt the Lord calling her to surrender her career. “I recognized that God was calling me home — and that was both a physical call and a spiritual call. I needed to lay down my career to take care of my kids. I wasn’t sure if that was forever or just for a time.”

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made,” she said. “In the past, I rushed through bedtime, wanting to get them down so I could do things that would make me a better me. But God taught me to slow down and sing over them. The Lord exposed to me that the stuff of real life was right there in the mundane.”

Christy sees the very outer ring of the bull’s-eye as our capacity — what we do and the way we use our gifts. When we get this order reversed, it inevitably leads to burnout. “People are exhausted from living out something that doesn’t seem to be working for them. This is the result of an outsidein approach — pushing in from barrenness instead of emerging out of belovedness.” When we know who God is and who we are, we can serve from the overflow.

Christy with her husband, Nathan, and their three children: Noah, Elliana, and Annie Rose. Photo courtesy Meshali Mitchell Photography

In the aftermath of that decision, Christy learned the equation for soul-level rest: surrender + trust = rest. When we surrender what we have to the One who gave us those gifts in the first place, and then trust that God is sovereign and sees us and loves us, we are able to stop the striving and the hustle. “When you live from your belovedness, you understand your identity. You’re able to value God above all the things you’re trying to build.”

As Christy began to live “from the inside out,” she found that the outer rings were reclaimed as well. “There’s a divine order,” Christy said. “First pursue God, then pursue the community around you. When you live from the center, you start to truly see other people.” That new perspective marked a shift in the way she interacted with her children. “They weren’t just blobs who needed something from me, but individuals God had

THE LIFE YOU LONG FOR

In Christy’s new book, The Life You Long For, she reflects on her journey of relearning her true identity as God’s beloved. So often we buy into the lie that what we do determines how valuable we are — to God and to other people. As we hustle through life, doing so much for God, we often end up missing what He truly wants from us. It’s only when we know God and understand who we are in Him that we can find true contentment and rest. And it’s only then that our relationships and our work can find their proper place.

Christy’s podcast, The Glorious in the Mundane, inspires listeners to fully embrace what God has placed right in front of them, knowing that He can meet them anytime and anywhere. As it turns out, the seemingly small things in life are sometimes the most significant of all.

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Our Identity as God’s Beloved

So what does it look like to rest in our belovedness? “There are days when this is harder than others,” Christy said. “Even before my feet hit the floor in the morning, I need to remind myself to return to this truth.”

Christy recalls Sunday school teachers who emphasized the need for a daily quiet time. “I’ve rearranged that in my mind,” she said. “Now I think of my time with the Lord not as something to accomplish or an item to check off my to-do list, but as a chance to remember. That’s where I go to intentionally reset my mind, to be reminded of who God is and who I am in Him. God lifts my head to a larger story and invites me to rest in Him.” This invitation doesn’t end the moment we shut our Bible. “As we go about our day, we can carry with us what we’ve set our minds on. We become the quiet time. We become the remembrance.”

On a practical level, Christy has found that she needs to set boundaries to help her remember her true identity. “Throughout the workday, I keep my phone in another room, and I have checkpoints when I look at it. I need to be intentional about what I put in my mind — I know what it will stir up in me and what my limits are. I try to check social media only at night, and I try to look at these platforms more as a place of output than input.”

Fifteen years later, Christy’s three children are now teenagers and young adults. “So much of what I do publicly starts with discipling my own kids,” Christy said. “First and foremost, I want to be intentional about helping them experience more of who God is. Secondarily, I want them to understand their identity and who they truly are in Christ.”

No matter what stage of life we’re in or what our day holds, we all have the same goal at the center of our target: to reconsecrate our hearts to God and live from our belovedness. This is the only way to experience soul rest . . . and the only way to find the life we’ve always longed for.  Stephanie Rische edits and writes in the Chicago area, where she lives with her husband and two sons. When she isn’t chasing down commas or little boys, she blogs at stephanierische.com.

Her memoir, I Was Blind (Dating), but Now I See, recounts how God surprised her with His grace and love.

FIND US ONLINE with fresh content and encouraging words at www.todayschristianliving.org Join our email newsletter at www.todayschristianliving.org facebook

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LIVING IN WISDOM

By Jerry and Shirley Rose

Not Forsaking the Assembly Jerry Rose is an internationally known Christian broadcaster and is former president/ CEO of the Total Living Network. He currently serves as TLN’s chairman of the board and hosts the Emmy awardwinning program Significant Living. Jerry is an ordained minister and the author of five books, including Deep Faith for Dark Valleys and Significant Living, co-authored with his wife Shirley. He is the past president of the National Religious Broadcasters and currently serves on its board of directors. Jerry is an avid golfer, equestrian, photographer, and grandfather of 20.

Shirley Rose has been in ministry with her husband, Jerry, for more than 30 years.

Her career in Christian television focused on hosting several programs, including the Emmy Award-winning women’s program Aspiring Women. She has authored five books, including The Eve Factor, A Wise Woman Once Said…, and Significant Living, and has contributed to numerous anthologies and periodicals. She is actively pursuing her calling to help other women through writing, speaking, and hosting women’s groups in her home. Her favorite pastimes are country line dancing, travel, and spending time with her 20 grandchildren.

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I’m more excited about television ministry today than I was 50 years ago when God first called me.

With the incredible advances in digital media, I’m convinced there are greater opportunities to share the gospel than ever before in the history of mankind. It is imperative we take advantage of it.

While many churches have understood the power of electronic media and used it effectively, most have not. That is, until the COVID-19 pandemic led to the shuttering of churches and its congregants being confined to their homes. Even though abortion clinics, strip clubs, and other businesses were deemed “essential,” churches were not. The challenge was twofold.

How do we continue to minister to the people we are called to reach, and how do we survive as a church?

The answer was to offer church services online.

For many churches, it was an exciting new and enlightening experience. What had previously been a ministry to a local body of believers and a local community suddenly expanded into a national or even international outreach. It was heady stuff for a local pastor. Though I had talked several times to my pastor about the importance of electronic media, he was hesitant to move forward — until he was compelled by circumstances to begin online services. He told me recently, “I had no idea how many people would actually watch online and how widespread that audience would be.”

As my pastor and others across the country now realize the potential of the digital church, you can be sure as the pandemic fades and churches reopen, “online services” are here to stay. But there is a huge downside. Because the internet services were so well received, there are discussions about fully online churches. That’s a disturbing trend. While I enthusiastically support all uses of digital media to reach the world for Christ, the concept of a church being exclusively online would be harmful to the body of believers.

While working for Christian Broadcast Network in Virginia, I first heard the term “TV church.” It really bothered me because it is a contradiction in terms, an oxymoron. When I began our television ministry in Chicago, we made it clear that we weren’t a church, nor were we pastors. We emphasized the need for a commitment to a local church body. The names of those converted through our ministry were sent to cooperating Bible-believing churches for follow-up and discipleship. Spiritual stability and true Christian

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growth happen through a real, live pastor who can marry your youth and bury your loved ones and hold your hand and pray you through the dark times. It comes through fellowship with other believers.

The physical church building is a place to go for fellowship, prayer, and spiritual growth. The Greek word for fellowship is koinonia, meaning the intimate spiritual communion and sharing in a common religious commitment and spiritual community. New Testament believers prayed together, shared possessions, and cared for each other. On the day of Pentecost, 120 were gathered in prayer when the Holy Spirit fell on them, giving them the spiritual power to change the world.

Our objective has always been to support the ministry of the local church — not replace it. Even faithbased television is impersonal. There is a sense of disconnection. I know, because while Shirley and I could only watch our services online, we missed the fellowship. We missed the intimacy of our small groups. And while we enjoyed experiencing church in our pajamas, the sense of belonging and commitment was missing. I heard a pastor say recently, “If you’re continuing to watch church only online, perhaps you’re merely being lazy.”

The fellowship of believers was foundational in the early church. “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer” (Acts 2:42 NIV).

The Village Church in Flower Mound, Texas, is sensitive about the balance between the physical church and its online activity. Lead Pastor Matt Chandler often starts a video service with a disclaimer such as “This is never meant to substitute God’s good plan for you to be in a community of faith where the Word of God is preached and proclaimed.” Yet, the local church serves as a lighthouse, projecting its beacon of hope and biblical truth to the surrounding community.

It’s true that in countries where Christians are persecuted, electronics may provide the only source of the life-changing message of Jesus. Also, for those who are ill or physically unable to gather with others, the online church is a lifeline. Thank God for the miracle of Christian TV, radio, the internet, and more. But these tools, wherever possible, should be used alongside the local church. Digital media is here to stay, but the local church — and the fellowship that happens there — must also be here to stay. 

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A Church

I nitiative Bringing Healing to the Hurting

Through Christ-Focused Groups

By Pam S. Walker

Steve Grissom, who with his wife, Cheryl, founded Church Initiative.

fter losing her husband of 53 years, Joan Shope’s life was difficult and filled with many challenges. As a believer, she knew God would give her peace and wisdom during this tough time, just as he had many times before. When she heard about GriefShare, a support group that met at churches, her initial thought was God had always been her support and she didn’t need GriefShare. However, she was curious and decided to see what it had to offer.

There she found strength and comfort in sharing with others what God had done for her through her own grief. Seeing God bring people together with similar needs to pray and encourage one another gave her a greater awareness of how God can use GriefShare in the lives of those hurting. It didn’t take long before she decided to approach her own church, Grace Fellowship Church in Florence, Kentucky, about starting a GriefShare group. With its support, she facilitated a GriefShare group that she led for two years.

Now in its fourth year, the church has expanded to offering the program at its other campuses.

Grace Fellowship Church is one of 28,000 churches worldwide that offers biblical, Christcentered support group ministries like GriefShare. Thanks to the work by Church Initiative — a nondenominational ministry that equips and serves local churches for ministry to people experiencing life crises such as death and divorce — people like Joan are turning their mourning and suffering to hope and healing.

A Ministry Born Out of Pain and Loss Through Divorce

Founded in 1993 by Steve and Cheryl Grissom, the ministry was born out of the pain and loss they both experienced through difficult divorces.

Wanting to help people who were hurting due to marriage breakup, they asked their church for permission to start a support group. With the church’s encouragement, they formed a group in their home. From the beginning, their biggest challenge was finding material or curriculum designed to help lay people lead such a group.

Sensing that God was leading them to create such a curriculum, Steve and Cheryl left their careers in broadcasting and pharmacy to pursue full-time ministry. Together they set out to create biblically based and Christ-centered material that would draw upon the expertise of top experts in divorce recovery. Steve sought out and interviewed 12

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top experts on divorce recovery and combined them with real-life stories of people going through divorce. The result was 13 weekly videos that supported DivorceCare sessions and included a leader’s guide and participant’s guide.

At first, Steve was concerned that creating a curriculum around his divorce story wouldn’t have much credibility. “I was just one more guy with a painful divorce story,” he explained. “But God reminded me that I knew how to identify and do video interviews with experts because of my journalism training and experience.”

When DivorceCare shipped in 1994, Steve said they had no idea how many churches would adopt the materials when they were originally released. “I was worried that churches might be reluctant to offer divorce recovery because it might be perceived that they were endorsing divorce, even though we have a strong theme of forgiveness and reconciliation throughout the materials,” Steve said. “Thankfully I was wrong!”

A Biblically Based Program That Points to Christ as Source of Healing

From the beginning, Steve and Cheryl set out to create a biblically based program that points to Christ as the source of healing, is church sponsored, designed to be facilitated by lay leadership, and serves as an outreach tool. As Steve pointed out, many groups report 50% or more attendees are nonbelievers and don’t attend church.

“I like to ask pastors where else they can find an outreach tool that will bring a nonmember or nonbeliever to his church

every week for 13 weeks, and often 26 or 39 weeks, because it’s not unusual for a person to go through a program two or three times!” Steve said.

DivorceCare offers churches and lay leaders everything they need to promote and facilitate the program. Their website walks a pastor or lay leader through the process of starting a group. They also have a staff of ministry coaches who are skilled group leaders available to guide church or lay leaders through the startup process for no charge.

Since its launch, more than 15,000 churches have been equipped and more than 1 million people have been helped by participating in DivorceCare. As Steve explained, the major driver of their growth has been through word-of-mouth, where pastors tell other pastors about the program and group members are inspired to take DivorceCare to their home churches.

Turning Mourning to Joy Through GriefShare

It didn’t take long before churches asked to see a similar program for those experiencing grief through the loss of a loved one. Using the same lay-led format as DivorceCare, the Church Initiative team launched GriefShare in 1998 where leaders help group members turn their mourning to joy. The 13-week video series offers valuable insights and biblical teachings from 46 leading Christian pastors, teachers, and theologians. Each kit offers everything that churches need to start the program, including leader and participant guides, promotional materials, support tools on the website, and even a free webinar that pastors can take on how to implement GriefShare at their church.

Steve said they have seen some exciting fruit from GriefShare, which has grown to become their largest ministry. This includes outreach to non-believers, healing and restoration as a group, and a real sense of community as they gain God’s perspective on life, death and dying, and heaven. And he and Cheryl have seen nonbelievers become aware of their mortality and some become Christ-followers.

“Clearly, we want to help people heal from the hurt of their experience,” Steve explained. “But we can’t do that without the help of Christ in their lives. They are hurting so deeply, that perhaps for the first time in their lives they are open to a spiritual solution to their pain. I’m thrilled when we hear reports of people coming to Christ as the result of participating in one of our groups.”

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Helping Children Impacted by Divorce Through DivorceCare for Kids (DC4K)

With the continued success of the two lay-led programs, the ministry’s staff began getting calls from group leaders and pastors expressing the need for material directed towards children who had been impacted by divorce. They started exploring what it would take to do a divorce curriculum for children, complete with videos, games, music, and crafts. Their research and prayers continued for years as did the phone calls asking for the program.

Around 2002, their prayers were answered when they found the right person to develop the extensive curriculum and the funding became available. Together they developed a comprehensive program that includes activity books; a 362-page leader’s guide; lesson plans; publicity brochures and posters; a two-CD music album that contains 17 original songs about divorce and 14 original tracks of Bible songs; Herby, a hand puppet that includes six interchangeable faces; a training video; and many valuable resources on the website, including free consulting for leaders. The program is designed for children ages 5–12.

Providing Much-Needed Support for Single Parents

In 2011, Steve and Cheryl saw a need for additional help for single parents once they completed the DivorceCare program, and they developed a 13-week program called Single & Parenting that offers support for single parents who are divorced, widowed, or never married.

Facing the challenges of being a single parent was something Cheryl knew firsthand.

“I was completely overwhelmed as a single mom,” she said. “It was continually stressful to balance parenting, my work schedule, child care, and the pressures of the divorce process. I saw firsthand the need for a program like Single & Parenting.”

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Steve explained that the program teaches that a single-parent home does not have to be a “broken” home. Through the program, they have seen many positive results that include structure and order restored in single-parent homes, single parents existing in a “community” where they can support each other, and better communication between parents and children. If an ex-spouse exists, they’ve seen healthier interactions with him or her.

Virtual Groups: Here to Stay?

Just as churches have had to adapt to hosting online services during the pandemic, so have DivorceCare and GriefShare groups. When these groups could no longer meet in person due to quarantines and shutdowns, Church Initiative had to scramble to make the move online. During their peak season, they estimate up to 6,000 groups are meeting in any given week.

Steve said he expects online groups to be here to stay, even after the pandemic is over. In fact, he said they have proven to be a viable complement to the in-person group, and he expects this digital delivery infrastructure will greatly enhance their ministry in the coming years. “Online groups are great for people who live beyond a reasonable driving range of a group, for elderly people who don’t like to drive at night, and for busy parents who would otherwise have to arrange for child care. We believe that digital groups are going to accelerate our growth.”

In addition to seeing their online groups grow, Church Initiative is excited about their expansion internationally. While they are already in international locations where English is spoken, they expect the digital delivery, combined with translated versions of their curriculum, will allow them to expand globally. Pilot translations are currently being used in Korea and Singapore.

For more information on the ministry, including how to get these groups started at your church, visit churchinitiative.org.  Pam S. Walker is the former national editor of Answers magazine, a publication of Answers in Genesis, and is a freelance writer living in the Cincinnati area where she writes for various Christian publications.

Pastors, As a way to thank you for serving the body of Christ, we would like to encourage and bless you with a FREE print subscription to Today’s Pastor.

Sign up at todayspastor.org/subscribe TODAYSCHRISTIANLIVING.ORG

15

ASK DR. WALT

Dangers of Being Overweight or Obese Dear Dr. Walt,

Walt Larimore, MD, has been called one of America’s best-known family physicians and has been named in “The Best Doctors in America” and “Who’s Who in Medicine and Healthcare.” He’s also an award-winning medical journalist and the best-selling author of 30 books.

You can find Dr. Walt’s health blog and free daily devotional at www.DrWalt.com.

Have questions for Dr. Walt? Email them to editor@ todayschristianliving.org.

Is being overweight or obese really dangerous? My family doctor seems to think so, but I read conflicting opinions. Some say you can be fit and overweight. I’d like to believe that’s true!

—Carrying Too Much Weight in Wyoming Dear Uncertain, Obesity and overweight are conditions that are epidemic in America. The CDC reports that nearly 75% of U.S. adults are overweight or obese. The repercussions of being overweight or obese are enormous in that you have increased risks of . . .

• Diabetes (risk increases 10- to 20-fold) • Elevated blood pressure, along with heart and brain damaging levels of cholesterol or inflammatory chemicals • Osteoarthritis (also called “wear and tear” or “degenerative” arthritis) • Some types of cancer • Sleep apnea and other breathing and sleeping problems • Clinical depression, anxiety, and other mental disorders • Lower quality of life and difficulty with physical functioning • All causes of death The first two on this list are “silent killers” because they initially have no symptoms while boosting your risk of cardiovascular disease (including heart attack, heart failure, and stroke), chronic kidney failure, and premature death.1 The bottom line is that being overweight or obese can reduce both your quality and quantity of life.

Weight-Loss Supplements Dear Dr. Walt,

It seems that there are countless weight loss supplements advertised. What works?

—Needing to Lose Weight in Nebraska Dear Craving, I’m not sure there are “countless” weight-loss supplements, but there are a lot. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) couldn’t be clearer: “Ads for weight loss products promise miracles. They might 16

TODAY’S CHRISTIAN LIVING

SEPTEMBER 2021

By Walt Larimore, MD

say that the product works for everyone or will let you lose weight permanently. Those claims are lies.

Dishonest advertisers will tell you anything to get you to buy their product.” They add, “The FTC has investigated, sued, and stopped many companies that made false weight-loss claims in their ads. If you get wooed by a weight-loss ad with wild promises, all you’ll lose is your money. And the products might not even be safe.”2 Unfortunately, for every deceitful or fraudulent product the FTC stops, another 10 pop up.

FTC scientists join with almost every objective, independent expert in pointing out just a few of the false promises from weight loss ads: 3 • “Lose weight without dieting or exercising.

(You won’t.)

• You don’t have to watch what you eat to lose weight. (You do.)

• If you use this product, you’ll lose weight permanently. (Wrong.)

• To lose weight, all you have to do is take this pill. (Not true.)

• You can lose 30 pounds in 30 days and keep it off forever. (Nope.)

• This product works for everyone. (It doesn’t.)

• Lose weight with this patch or cream. (You can’t.)”

The National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements (NIH ODS) writes, “There’s little scientific evidence that weight-loss supplements work.”4 ConsumerLab.com advises, “There isn’t overwhelming evidence that any dietary supplement enables significant, long-term weight loss.”

According to the experts at Natural MedicinesTM, there is no herb, vitamin, or dietary supplement that is both “safe” and “effective” for weight loss.

What’s the Harm from WeightLoss Supplements?

Dear Dr. Walt,

On your new TV show, “Ask Dr. Walt” (Liftable.TV/ DoctorWalt), you mentioned weight-loss supplements could cause harm. Like what?

—Interested in Indiana Dear Concerned, The NIH ODS warns that dietary supplements “are expensive, some can interact or interfere with medications, and a few might be harmful.”5 Harvard experts write, “Dietary supplements sold for weight loss … have been shown to be ineffective and pose serious health risks to consumers due to contamination with banned substances, prescription pharmaceuticals, and other dangerous chemicals.” They add, “In fact, FDA [Food and Drug Administration] has issued special warnings to consumers regarding supplements sold for weight loss . . . as being more likely than other supplements to be deceptively marketed and tainted with toxic ingredients.”6 FDA regulators explain, “Know this: most so-called ‘miracle’ weight loss supplements don’t live up to their claims. Worse, they can cause serious harm.” The FDA has discovered myriad dietary supplements that contain hidden active ingredients such as prescription drugs, unsafe ingredients, or compounds that have not been adequately studied in humans.

The FDA warns, “Enforcement actions and consumer advisories for tainted products only cover a small fraction of the tainted over the counter products on the market…. These deceptive products are increasingly becoming a problem in products promoted for weight loss.”7

What Works for Weight Loss?

Dear Dr. Walt,

I’ve read in your blog (www.DrWalt.com/blog) that you do not recommend weight-loss supplements. What do you recommend?

—Advice Sought in Arkansas Dear Inquirer, There is no magic bullet, no instantly successful pill or potion.

But there are suitable and potentially successful options to consider.

•H ealthful nutrition. Every year, the editors of U.S. News and World Report convene a panel of food and health experts to rank diets. They consider “the diet’s ability to help a person lose weight in the short and long term.” In 2021, the “Best Weight-Loss Diets” were (1) Weight Watchers (2) Vegan and (3) Volumetrics. In the “Best Fast Weight Loss” category: (1) HMR (2) Optavia and (3) Atkins. In the “Best Commercial Diet Plans”: (1) Weight Watchers (2) Jenny Craig and (3) Nutritarian. For several years, the Mediterranean Diet ranked No. 1 as the “Best Diet Overall.” If you

can afford it, I’d start with one of the top commercial plans, and then once you’re successful, transition to the Mediterranean Diet or a plant-based nutrition plan. You can read much more about each of these at tinyurl.com/jefsu753.

•M ovement. Aim for at least 150 minutes a week. That’s just 30 minutes a day, five days a week. And, your 30 minutes doesn’t have to be in one session. The CDC says three 10-minute sessions have the same healthful benefits as a single 30-minute session.8 According to JAMA, “Even two minutes of any physical activity — taking the stairs, walking the dog, or carrying out the trash — can add up to significant health benefits, such as improved blood pressure, enhanced brain function, reduced risk of cancer, and weight loss.”9 •R estful sleep. As WebMD writes, “Catching enough ZZZs is almost as important as exercise or nutrition if you’re looking to lose weight. Studies link a lack of sleep to feeling hungrier and gaining weight. When you skimp on shut-eye, you’re more likely to eat bigger portions, crave high-carb foods, and choose fatty snacks. Plus, chances are you’ll be too tired to work out — a double whammy.”10 •B lond psyllium. This is the one natural medicine with some potential for weight loss. It’s a water-soluble fiber that has some clinical evidence of reduced appetite and body weight in people who are overweight or obese. ConsumerLab.com writes, “Psyllium (such as in Metamucil®) may help control hunger although mild to moderate gastrointestinal side effects were reported by some. A side benefit of blond psyllium is that it may help lower abnormal levels of cholesterol, blood pressure, and blood sugar while treating constipation.” Two of the most commercially prominent products are Metamucil® and Konsyl.

•C ombining options. The National Weight Control Registry housed at Brown School of Medicine is following over 10,000 people who have lost at least 30 pounds of weight and kept it off for at least one year.11 How did they do it? Almost 98% modified their food intake, while 94% increased their exercise. About 45% lost weight on their own, while 55% received help from some type of program. Also, the majority watch less TV than average and engage in moderate-intensity physical activity daily.12 It’s not easy, but it’s doable!  Adapted from The Natural Medicines Handbook: The Truth about the Most Effective Herbs, Vitamins, and Supplements for Common Conditions by Walt Larimore, MD, published by Baker Publishing Group, Ada, Michigan, 49301. bakerpublishinggroup.com. Used by permission.

7 tinyurl.com/u9ls6j5 tinyurl.com/y54jljlw 8 tinyurl.com/y6tc8fjx tinyurl.com/yb5uxcnq 3 tinyurl.com/yy89tbn8 9 tinyurl.com/y59eedzg 4 10 tinyurl.com/yxul6pat tinyurl.com/t7o7cyu 5 11 tinyurl.com/yxul6pat tinyurl.com/tggulyt 6 12 tinyurl.com/y2s6fxsa tinyurl.com/rm5ocvl For easy access to all of these links, visit todayschristianliving.org/sep21 1 2

TODAYSCHRISTIANLIVING.ORG

17

Rescuing a How I Got to Know God Better

CHILD SLAVE

By Dr. David Vanderpool

S

everal years ago, I joined a medical team venturing into the remote region of Ghana to provide healthcare to the local tribes. Covertly, we were also working alongside the Ghanaian organization Pacodep to aid in extricating children from the clutches of slavery.

While Ghana is one of the more developed countries on a continent often defined by its struggles, the regions and villages outside the urban areas lack medicine, vaccines, and adequate care. Drug runners use the Ghanaian ports to transfer illegal shipments, while human traffickers prey on large families who believe they must sell some of their own children to feed the rest. These children were our quarry.

Driven by economic desperation, the parents sell their children — usually under the age of 5 — into slavery for about $20. The girls will become house slaves or enter the sex trade, while the boys are consigned to forced labor. They are beaten, starved, and made to work excruciating hours until they die or decide to try to outrun their masters. Bound by slavery in their own country, the young children’s only crime is being born into “too large” a family.

As we neared one of the rural villages, a young boy stood before us, paralyzed in fear at the sight of strangers approaching — sheer terror in his eyes. The coming of outsiders usually brought calamity.

He was small and looked quite young, but his mouth full of teeth suggested he was close to 8. Wearing what might have been a man’s old polo shirt, it was turned inside out and backward. His bowed head and dull, downcast eyes told us of his chronic despair.

I could tell he had pinkeye by the pus streaming down both of his cheeks. A sickening stench of stale sweat and infection reeked from his small body.

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The moment I saw the boy, I said a prayer, hoping that he and others would allow us to help them. Using our interpreter and visual aids, we indicated our purpose to the village leaders who gathered around. When they were convinced we came in peace, my son David and I were ushered to the chief’s hut.

In return for our offered assistance, we asked the chief to use his influence to help us locate and release enslaved children.

Surprisingly, the lure of free healthcare and clean water for his people overcame any reluctance he may have felt to confront the slave masters.

As our medical team dove into the overwhelming tide of the ill, and our prayer team offered the gospel, someone shoved the little boy I had seen before into our midst — a child who had been taught to be terrified of unknown visitors. Slave masters ingrained the idea into the children’s minds that foreigners will torture, kill, and eat them. They convince the innocent children that Americans are dangerous, and so this dear child was terrified but tried to remain brave.

One of our translators leaned in to confirm that this boy, named Kwame, was indeed a slave and then communicated to this child that we were there to help him and take him to a safe place where he would be cared for. Though uncertain, his fear began to melt as he was gently examined and started on necessary treatments. Soon he had been cleaned, dressed, fed, and medicated and was lovingly embraced by a dear woman on our team.

Later, a tall and muscular man, standing with his arms crossed and eyes locked in on us, was discreetly pointed out by our translator. No translation was needed to know what he wanted — to reclaim his “property.”

Approaching our assumed nemesis, I grabbed my son, and the translator followed along to make our point clear — the master would be losing a slave. The fight was over before it even started.

We refused to buy the boy, as that would only provide him with money to purchase another child right after we left. Unhappy at the prospect of losing his investment but cowed by our determination, he turned and left the village.

With little Kwame on board, we headed back to our base camp in exhaustion but filled with relief. He was full, clean, and clothed for the first time in years — he was finally free.

For a child who had been enslaved for at least half of his life, Kwame soon caught on to life in the Christian orphanage run

by Touch a Life. It very quickly became his home, as he found a place that was bright, happy, and full of new friends. He soon became the new champion of the soccer field, enjoyed three meals a day, went to school and, most importantly, felt safe. His life had been forever changed, being officially adopted within a few years of his rescue.

Only by the grace of God were we able to help liberate five other children during our visit to Ghana. That time taught me something new about getting to know God. For years I’ve prioritized my morning Bible study and entering into worship daily in hopes of building a close relationship with God. One day I was quite shocked as I happened across this Scripture: “He defended the cause of the poor and needy, and so all went well. Isn’t this what it means to know me?” declares the Lord” (Jeremiah 22:16, emphasis mine).

Did that just say what I think it said? Did God just tell me how I can get to know Him? I immediately started asking questions and thinking about the idea of defending the cause of the poor and needy. I desperately wanted to know how someone could do that and what it all meant.

Below from left: Dr. Vanderpool’s son David walking alongside one of the mud huts in the Ghanaian village where they installed water treatment facilities and offered free medical clinics. • Dr. David Vanderpool, left, operating on one of the slave children rescued during their mission to Ghana. • Dr. David Vanderpool with Chief Parka of the Ghanian village of Bakpa, where they provided medical care, water treatment, and rescued child slaves.

Above: Dr. Vanderpool’s son David with one of the slave children rescued during their mission to Ghana. Photos courtesy LiveBeyond.

I came to realize that God is at work for the cause of the poor. He is called: “Father of the fatherless,” “Protector of widows,” “Hope of the hopeless.” He is the “Defender of the poor.” If we want to know God, we work beside Him and take up the call of defending the cause of the poor and needy.

We may get hurt, insulted, slandered, and defamed. We will get our hands dirty and forced out of our comfort zone. There is no guarantee that it will be easy, and we can even learn that from looking at the life of Jesus. He was ready to defend people who were different, even those who betrayed Him. Jesus died for people like you and me — willingly sacrificed Himself so that we could live.

If we want to know God, we need to live just like that. Care for the people who are radically different and love everyone — including those who don’t express appreciation for your efforts. Doing so, we are better able to discover the secret that Scripture has whispered ... “Take care of the poor and you will get to know me; sacrifice your own life and you’ll find real life; live beyond yourself and my light will shine on you.”  Dr. David Vanderpool is the founder and CEO of LiveBeyond, a faith-based humanitarian development organization focused on improving conditions for women and children in need around the world. A successful trauma surgeon, Dr. Vanderpool served as a volunteer for more than 20 years providing free health care in developing countries that suffered from either natural or manmade disasters, before selling his home and practice and moving to Haiti full time following the devastating earthquake there in 2010. This article is adapted with permission from his book, Live Beyond: A Radical Call to Surrender and Serve.

TODAYSCHRISTIANLIVING.ORG

19

LIVE RIGHT NOW

Treated Like a Boarder

Dr. Sabrina Black is a professor, counselor, life coach, conference retreat speaker, and international humanitarian. She is the CEO of Abundant Life Counseling, founder of Global Projects for Hope, Help and Healing (GPH3), and author of Live Right Now. To contact Dr. Black or book her for a speaking engagement, visit www.drsabrinablack.com or call 313-201-6286.

Q. My 80-year-old father is being abused by his live-in caregiver. He has asked me not to put him in a nursing care facility because his life and memories are in his home. He would like to stay there until God calls him to his eternal home. I hired the daughter of dad’s friend to live in and care for him. She has been with him two years now. Dad was happy to have her, and she agreed that it was a good fit, as she was tired of apartment living. But when I recently visited my dad, he was sad and withdrawn. I had to coax him into telling me what was wrong. He finally said he feels like a boarder in his own home.

The caregiver had taken over the house and kept him in his room most of the time. She replaced the pictures of our family with her family pictures. She changed the curtains and moved the furniture. She did not allow him to make any decisions. She was changing his home into hers. How should I handle this?

Signed: He Feels Like a Boarder in His Own Home A. Dear He Feels Like a Boarder in His Own Home, This type of treatment is considered abusive and should be addressed. Discovering that someone you love is the victim of any type of abuse, whether emotional, psychological, or physical, can be devastating. Neglect is the most common form of abuse against elders. It occurs when someone willfully refuses or unintentionally fails to act in the best interest of the senior or if the person fails to perform their caregiving duties.

One of the main reasons for your father staying in his home was to be in a familiar setting with his things around him. Items that your father remembers from his life, marriage, and family are important to his serenity. If those things have been removed or shifted, it may be difficult for him to move about or get his bearings.

Exodus 20:12 tells us to “Honor your father and mother” (NIV). You can honor your father by seeing that he’s taken care of. You should have a talk with the caregiver as soon as possible.

The longer you wait, the harder it will be to undo any damage that may be done to your father. If the caregiver is a true friend, she’ll understand and make the necessary corrections. She may have thought it was helpful to change and fresh-

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TODAY’S CHRISTIAN LIVING

SEPTEMBER 2021

By Dr. Sabrina Black

en up things around the house. Talk it over with your father, then set the guidelines for her responsibilities. If your father is able, he should be included in making decisions about his life and his home.

This young woman may have misunderstood the arrangement. Since she moved out of her apartment into a house, she may very well be trying to make that house her home. But in addressing the problem, it would be best to consider the long-term situation and avoid unnecessary overreactions. It may be better to try to fix the situation with the current caregiver. What will happen if you ask her to leave? Who will be hurt most?

Elders are often timid about speaking up when care is less than satisfactory. Since your father has been courageous enough to share his concerns and confide in you, he is expecting you to take some type of action. Honor your father by responding and following up regularly.

I’ve confessed to the Lord and I believe He has forgiven me. But I still can’t sleep and am restless at night. I’ve considered stepping down from ministry. Am I overreacting? Do I need to confess to someone else? I’m not sure if I can go on much longer like this.

Signed: Am I Overreacting?

Still Grieving

Q. My husband died last year. He was sick a long time.

I recently went out with a group of friends and found that I was challenged by the questions they asked me.

They wanted to know why I was still wearing my wedding ring and when I planned to take it off. I feel like I’m still married, and I’m not ready to think about those things yet.

Signed: What Should I Say About My Ring?

A. Dear What Should I Say About My Ring?, You gave the short answer that could stop all the questions: You don’t know what you’re going to do about those things yet. You’ll need to think about and answer those questions for yourself as you move forward. What you say about your status is your personal decision. How long you wear the ring is strictly up to you. There are no guidelines or timelines to determine when or whether you should remove your ring. Some people choose to wear it for the rest of their life on their right hand or on a chain around their neck.

Others have them made into a piece of jewelry or a family heirloom.

The ring serves as a reminder of the one you loved and lost and the relationship you had. Everyone grieves at their own pace. Psalm147:3 tells us that God heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. When you’re ready, do what feels right for you.

Your friends may want to fix you up so that you’re not lonely. Or they may relate to you most as a couple. Sometimes it’s easier to talk about the living than the deceased. Whatever their reason, how long you should wait before dating is up to you. Some people are ready after six months or so, others after several years. Help your friends hear your voice about when you’re ready to discuss new relationships. They need to respect the time you need. Be led by the timing of the Lord not the pressure of your friends.

A. Dear Am I Overreacting?

No, you aren’t overreacting. Being in a right relationship with God is of the utmost importance. In 1 Timothy 4:6, we read, “If thou put the brethren in remembrance of these things, thou shalt be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine, whereunto thou hast attained” (KJV). This is the Word of God that you preached to others, and I want to remind you of what you already know.

As Christians we know sin is always tempting us, but we must master it.

You said that you’ve confessed your sins, but did you repent and turn away from them? We must stop playing and dabbling in sin. Our walk with the Lord isn’t a game. This is especially true for those who are in ministry and influence others. We must lead with utmost reverence and integrity because we represent Jesus. Read aloud I John 1:1: “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life” (KJV).

Ask forgiveness of those who have been affected by your sin if you haven’t already done so. Also confess to and seek counsel from other Christian leaders. You may need to step down from ministry depending on the nature of your sin, but not all sin will require this step. If everyone stepped down from ministry for every sin, there would be no one left in ministry because no one except Jesus is sinless. We are saved from sin

by God’s grace, and we must live in humble dependence on Him, as Ephesians 2:8–9 indicate: “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast” (KJV).

Your sins aren’t bigger than God and His forgiveness. If you believe His Word is true, you know that He loves you and has forgiven you if you have repented. But you may need to take a sabbatical and have someone minister the Word to you for a while. 

Overwhelmed With Guilt

Q. I’ve been in full-time ministry serving the Lord for more than 20 years. But there are sins in my life that I struggle with that have been eating me up on the inside. No one knows that I’m overwhelmed with guilt.

TODAYSCHRISTIANLIVING.ORG

21

TURNING POINT

By Carolyn Kazmierczak

Knowing Jesus My Redeemer Carolyn Kazmierczak lives in East Texas with her husband, Greg. They have two married children and three grandsons, Jaxon, Luke, and Everett. She loves writing and has had several articles published in various Christian magazines. Visit her website at www. reassuringhope. com.

If you have a turning point in your life you would like to share, email your story to editor@ todayschristianliving.org.

All submissions must be under 800 words. If we print your story, we will pay you $75. We reserve the right to edit for length and content.

All submissions become the property of Today’s Christian Living.

22

F

or years I perceived life as fragmented or broken, but I never really knew why. I suppose that’s just the way I saw life in general. My days were a continuous and steady realm of monotony until I finally discovered there was a reason why I felt uncertain about my existence and even what my purpose in life would be or could be.

I had never really understood nor embraced the redemptive work of Jesus that He had so graciously offered me. But I trusted Jesus for my salvation at the very young age of 10 and that was about the extent of my awareness of beginning a new life in Christ. There was no real guidance offered to me at that point in my life, so I continued my walk not much different than before, which was naive, shy, and oblivious to the ways of the world and what it had to offer.

I believed my life had been made for simplicity and was uninspiring, since I didn’t seem to have the qualities necessary to be anything more than that. I had accepted that I would never be significant. And since that’s what I’d chosen to believe, that’s pretty much what happened. It wasn’t until I finally decided how much I wanted to know and trust Jesus that my life gradually changed for the better. I came to know Him while learning to trust Him fully and completely because of a need that God used me to fill. But God knew I wasn’t quite ready for this task just yet.

I was a member of a good church where my family and I attended Sunday school and church and Wednesday night services. My husband and I taught the fifth- and sixth-grade Sunday school class on Sunday mornings, and our children became actively involved in their classes and many church activities. We gained the reputation of being the perfect Christian family, but what most people didn’t know was that we were far from perfect. I was a children’s Sunday school teacher, but I didn’t offer much more than just the basic Bible stories. Plus, I spent most of my time trying to keep the children under control from their constant

TODAY’S CHRISTIAN LIVING

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chatter so they could participate in the activities I had deemed so worthy of their attention.

After teaching the class for about four years, our class was scheduled to dissolve because of changes to the public school system. It was decided that sixth grade would become a part of the high school, while the fifth grade would remain part of the elementary school. Our church decided to adopt the new grade system to be consistent with the school.

That left me wondering how I would serve in our church.

Ultimately, I joined the Esther class, a ladies’ group of women older than me, but I quickly discovered that I loved these ladies more than I ever expected. I didn’t know who Esther was, but it wasn’t long before I learned all about her, and it was through this class that my perspective began to change about Sunday school, the Bible, and how to have a deeper walk and faith in Jesus.

There was a vast difference between spending my Sunday mornings with children versus mature Christian women who knew a lot more about the Bible than I did. I felt like my eyes had been opened to a colorful world of new promises, and my mind had been freed from a prison that had confined it for more years than I could even comprehend.

From the moment I set foot in the Esther class, I knew it would change my life, my perspective, and my relationship with Jesus forever. I knew without a doubt this would be the beginning of an emotional and endearing bond between me and Jesus and a fruitful and spiritual kinship with these special ladies.

Today, I’m the teacher of that Sunday school class, and I couldn’t be more pleased that God chose me to be a teacher. I love what He taught me through the Sunday school teachers before me and what He continues to teach me today through my obedience to Him. I also cherish the fact that He patiently waited as I grew to know Him in a much deeper and more personal relationship before He gave me the task of teaching. At just the right time, the Esther class teacher position became available — a task Jesus had created just for me. 

DAILY BIBLE CONNECTION

Developed by R. M. M’Cheyne and D. A. Carson

If you follow this reading calendar, you will read through the Old Testament in two years and the Psalms and New Testament in a year.

SUNDAY

MONDAY

TUESDAY

September 5

Ezekiel 8; Psalms 46, 47

12

Ezekiel 15; Psalms 56, 57

19

Ezekiel 22; Psalm 69

26

6

Ezekiel 9; Psalm 48

13

Ezekiel 16; Psalms 58, 59

20

Ezekiel 23; Psalms 70, 71

27

7

Ezekiel 10; Psalm 49

14

Ezekiel 17; Psalms 60, 61

21

Ezekiel 24; Psalm 72

28

WEDNESDAY

1

Ezekiel 4; Psalms 40, 41

8

Ezekiel 11; Psalm 50

15

Ezekiel 18; Psalms 62, 63

22

Ezekiel 25; Psalm 73

29

THURSDAY

2

Ezekiel 5; Psalms 42, 43

9

Ezekiel 12; Psalm 51

16

Ezekiel 19; Psalms 64, 65

23

Ezekiel 26; Psalm 74

Ezekiel 30; Psalm 78:38-72

Ezekiel 31; Psalm 79

Ezekiel 32; Psalm 80

Ezekiel 33; Psalms 81, 82

SUNDAY

MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

3

4

Ezekiel 36; Psalm 86

Ezekiel 37; Psalms 87, 88

10

11

Ezekiel 43; Psalms 95, 96

17

Ezekiel 44; Psalms 97, 98

18

5

Ezekiel 38; Psalm 89

12

Ezekiel 45; Psalms 99, 100, 101

19

17

Ezekiel 20; Psalms 66, 67

24

6

Ezekiel 39; Psalm 90

13

Ezekiel 46; Psalm 102

20

Daniel 4; Psalms 108, 109

Daniel 5; Psalms 110, 111

24

25

26

27

Daniel 11; Daniel 12; Psalm 119:25-48 Psalm 119:49-72

4

Ezekiel 7; Psalm 45

11

Ezekiel 14; Psalm 55

18

Ezekiel 21; Psalm 68

25

Ezekiel 27; Psalms 75, 76

Ezekiel 28; Psalm 77

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

1

Daniel 3; Psalm 107

Daniel 10; Psalm 119:1-24

10

Ezekiel 13; Psalms 52, 53, 54

Ezekiel 34; Psalms 83, 84

Daniel 2; Psalm 106

Daniel 9; Psalms 117, 118

3

Ezekiel 6; Psalm 44

SATURDAY

30

Ezekiel 29; Psalm 78:1-37

October

FRIDAY

7

Ezekiel 40; Psalm 91

14

Ezekiel 47; Psalm 103

21

Daniel 6; Psalms 112, 113

28

Hosea 1; Psalm 119:73-96

8

Ezekiel 41; Psalms 92, 93

15

Ezekiel 48; Psalm 104

22

Daniel 7; Psalms 114, 115

29

Hosea 2; Psalm 119:97-120

2

Ezekiel 35; Psalm 85

9

Ezekiel 42; Psalm 94

16

Daniel 1; Psalm 105

23

Daniel 8; Psalm 116

30

Hosea 3, 4; Psalm 119:121-144

31

Hosea 5, 6; Psalm 119:145-176

TODAYSCHRISTIANLIVING.ORG

23

On Wings

of Eagles

By Charles H. Huettner

I

was 15 years old and a member of my high school wrestling team. It was February, about 5:30 p.m., cold and dark. I was walking home about a half mile from the school on a lonely sidewalk. I could see my breath, and having showered after practice, my hair and ears were freezing. As I started to climb the hill before me, the cold and the fatigue from the practice started to get to me. Without even thinking, I said a little prayer under my breath: “Dear Lord, it sure is cold.” Then the Holy Spirit touched me. A startling wave of warmth rose from my toes to my head. I knew God had answered my prayer. I started to run. I couldn’t contain myself. I thanked God and ran the rest of the way home. I burst into the kitchen where my mother was cooking dinner and announced, “I am going to be a minister.” That event is as clear to me today as it was then. From that day on, I have been sure that God lives, hears our prayers, loves us, wants a personal relationship with us, and is concerned and involved in events here on earth.

Fast forward to college. I was at a fraternity summer conclave in the Bahamas. One late afternoon, I was in the hotel pool. As I floated on my back looking up at the sky, thoughts came to me of the blessings God had given me. I told God I would dedicate my life to Him and asked Him to lead me as He wanted; He has. I will explain with an example of God’s actions early in my career.

After college, I became a pilot in the U.S. Air Force. As the war in Vietnam wound down, I left active duty and was ready to pursue a civilian career. My dream was to become an airline pilot, and I was eminently qualified, having more than 3,000 hours of heavy jet flight time in the C-141 Starlifter. Unfortunately, none of the airlines were hiring, so I joined the FAA as an Air Carrier operations inspector. The FAA was good to me and sent me to United Airlines B-747 school to get a captain rat24

TODAY’S CHRISTIAN LIVING

SEPTEMBER 2021

Above: Charles outside the West Wing of the White House.

Left: While Charles didn’t become an ordained pastor, he did earn a diploma from Virginia Theological Seminary, and God has used his gifts to accomplish His purposes and calling. Charles is currently serving as president of Charles Huettner Associates.

ing, so I could administer flight evaluations to senior airline crews. At that time, I was 29, the world’s youngest 747 captain. Later, I was selected for a position at FAA’s Washington, D.C. headquarters. One day, I saw a notice that United Airlines would begin to hire its first pilot training class in seven years. This was my chance. I called United’s chief pilot at Washington National Airport and asked if I could meet with him. He agreed. This began an experience with the Holy Spirit that set the course of my life.

On the day of my meeting, my wife picked me up at FAA headquarters and drove me to United’s office, which was in a hangar at the airport. There was an empty parking slot near the front door, so we parked, and I went in to talk to the chief pilot. I described my

aviation career with the military and FAA. I also told him I had received B-747 training as a captain at United’s training center in Denver. This was music to his ears. I had experience in large jets, with the FAA, the agency that regulates United, and I had proven myself to United’s own training department in its most advanced aircraft. He gave me an application, put his initials at the top, and invited me to send it back to him personally. I was on cloud nine.

If I could get into United’s first training class in years at my age, I could one day become its chief pilot. This was because all the pilots in the union senior to me would one day be retired before me.

My head was spinning as I left the building and got back into my car. I joyfully told my wife what had happened and went to start the car. The battery was dead. When I turned the key, I couldn’t even hear a click. I couldn’t believe it. We had just driven and parked 15 minutes before. As I was trying to figure out what to do, someone miraculously stopped and asked me if they could help me jumpstart the car.

I gratefully agreed. After the car started, my wife drove me back to work and returned home. We never had battery trouble in that car again. This, however, was only the first of a series of unusual events that followed the interview.

That evening, I filled in the United Airlines pilot application with great enthusiasm. As I completed the form, I began to feel very uncomfortable. I decided I would wait until the next day and review the application again. Perhaps my uncomfortable feeling was because I had done something wrong on the application, and I would discover what it was when I reviewed it with fresh eyes. The uneasiness continued the next day at work, so I was anxious to get back to the application when I got home. That evening, I reviewed the application again but could not find any problems. I put it in the envelope, added several stamps so it surely had enough postage, and went out the front door to mail the application at the mailbox on the corner. But I couldn’t put the application into the mailbox.

As I opened the mailbox, my uneasiness turned to dread. That is the only way I can describe it. It is like the feeling you have when you hear a loved one has died. I backed away from the mailbox and brought the application back home. I didn’t realize at the time that it was the Holy Spirit guiding me. I thought I was simply nervous and should give myself some more time.

I went to work the next day and received a call from my boss’s boss at the FAA. He told me I had been selected to enter an executive training program that would lead me to becoming a member of the federal Senior Executive Service and a position of great responsibility. This came out of the blue the day after I didn’t mail the application while I was wrestling with the decision to apply to United.

That night was a restless one for me. My dream had been to become an airline pilot. How could I simply walk away from

Above: Charles with C-141.

Left: Charles at about age 15 with parents Ruth and Henry. • Charles in B-747 cockpit.

this fabulous opportunity? Work only 15 days a month, with a much higher salary than FAA, and have free airline passes.

I’m a sucker to turn this down, I thought.

Yet something wasn’t right. That brought me to the Bible and prayer. I don’t remember what I read or said to God. There was no burning bush or vision, just a gentle calm as I decided to stay with the FAA. I sometimes think you don’t know what the right decision is until after you make it. But in this case, I’m sure the Holy Spirit was guiding me.

I’ve had many other personal experiences of the Holy Spirit acting in my career and my personal life. It is through experiences like these that I grew in my ability to listen to the Spirit and see what it’s like to have a personal relationship with God. I talk to Him almost constantly. My relationship with God continued to open opportunities beyond my dreams. They included creating the airline simulator training regulations, establishing an aviation safety data analysis center, leading an aviation safety research program at NASA, being the Aviation policy adviser in the White House on 9/11, and leading the Presidential Commission on the Future of the U.S. Aerospace Industry. I certainly wouldn’t have guessed that would be the outcome in 1977 when God chose a different path for me from my desire to be an airline pilot. I learned to listen to God and watch the Holy Spirit work within the context of my life. Unexpected “coincidences” in my life now alert me to pray and listen to the Holy Spirit. I’m sure God has a personal relationship with me, and He wants one with you.  Charles H. Huettner was a senior executive at FAA and NASA, and the aviation adviser in the White House on 9/11. He retired as a colonel in the USAF, has degrees from the University of Akron and Harvard Kennedy School of Government, and a diploma from Virginia Theological Seminary.

TODAYSCHRISTIANLIVING.ORG

25

DAVE SAYS

Don’t Most People Already Know?

Dear Dave,

Dave Ramsey is a seven-time national best-selling author, personal finance expert, and host of The Dave Ramsey Show, heard by more than 16 million listeners each week. He has appeared on Good Morning America, CBS This Morning, Today Show, Fox News, CNN, Fox Business, and many more. Since 1992, Dave has helped people regain control of their money, build wealth, and enhance their lives. He also serves as CEO for Ramsey Solutions.

26

You talk a lot about budgeting, and how important it is in getting control of your money. But don’t most people already have a good idea of what they’re spending, and how much they have in the bank, without going through all the time and trouble of developing an actual budget?

—Carter

Dear Carter,

Well, if that were true, why are people paying billions in overdraft fees every year? Why are so many people deep in debt and living paycheck to paycheck, even without taking the effects of a pandemic into account? It’s because most people don’t really know where their money’s going each month.

Let’s start with a simple definition of budgeting. A budget is just a plan. It’s not a restriction on spending; it’s a strategy for what you’ll do with all your money. It’s tracking what’s coming in and what’s going out. When you budget every month, you’re giving your money purpose. You’re controlling your money, and telling it where to go, instead of scratching your head and wondering where it all went.

The word “budget” gets a bum rap because some people think it’ll be like putting a straitjacket on their spending and their lives. But that really isn’t true at all. Budgeting actually gives you the power to spend wisely and with purpose. Budgeting even causes feelings of fear, intimidation, and anger in some folks. Sure, it takes a little time and effort at first to create a budget that really works. But once you get the hang of it, and it doesn’t take long, the hard part is over.

Still, to make your cash flow plan work, you have to do it consistently. That means sitting down every month and making a budget for the upcoming month. Don’t let the fear of what you might find stop you, and don’t overcomplicate things. It’s as

TODAY’S CHRISTIAN LIVING

SEPTEMBER 2021

By Dave Ramsey

easy as writing down your income and everything that requires money for the month, then doing a little basic math. And once you have a plan in place, stick to it! Too many people get lazy, or “forget” to do a monthly budget.

Give it a shot, Carter. You’ll experience a sense of freedom, security, and accomplishment like you’ve never felt before once you’ve taken that first step toward gaining control of your money!

—Dave

Get Dialed In Dear Dave,

My wife and I have two kids and one on the way. We’re debt-free except for our home, and we have our emergency fund in place.

We’ve also been saving for retirement, with me putting 15% into a 401(k) and her putting 10% into her retirement account. On top of all this, we’re putting a little money toward college funds for the kids. We talked the other night, and after that we started thinking about pulling back from retirement saving and getting the house paid off. What do you think about that?

—Callen

Dear Callen,

I teach people to start investing 15% of their household income for retirement after they’ve completed Baby Step 3, which is saving three to six months of expenses for an emergency fund. Baby Step 4 would be both of you putting 15% of your income into retirement, and you’re not quite doing that yet. Saving for college comes next in Baby Step 5.

I don’t teach people to put less than 15% of their income into retirement in order to pay off the house a little earlier. It’s tempting when you’ve got the debt-free bug, but it’s not the shortest distance between where you are right now and wealth. The average person who follows my plan — the Baby Steps — can pay off their home in about seven years.

Once you pay him for the work he does, then you have chances for more teachable moments about saving, spending, and giving — and the importance of each.

If I were you, I wouldn’t run in and fix things. By this, I mean I wouldn’t just hand him money he didn’t earn so he can still get or do what he had in mind. But don’t fuss at him or brush it off, either. Gently explain why things didn’t work out the way he hoped. Then, talk through what he might have done differently to help make the situation better next time.

Kids are smarter and often have more understanding and comprehension skills than we give them credit for. My guess, Ethan, is you won’t need to have this kind of conversation more than once or twice!

—Dave

You’ve got offense and defense to think about, Callen. Defense is getting rid of debt, and the offense is building wealth.

You don’t want to let your guard down on offense in order to just play defense and get the house paid off. What you’re talking about is a normal reaction for lots of folks in your position, but it’s not what I would recommend right now.

I love your fire, but follow the Baby Steps as they’re laid out.

My goal isn’t just helping people get out of debt. It’s to teach people how to become wealthy as a result of being out of debt and encouraging them to be outrageously generous along the way!

—Dave

Let Kids Make Mistakes (and Learn From Them) Dear Dave,

We just started teaching our 7-year-old about money.

He’s very eager to learn, and he seems to be grasping the basic ideas quickly. He’s young, though, and of course he makes mistakes from time to time. Should we step in and fix things when a mistake he made means he can’t do something he wanted to do?

Planning for Future Purchases Dear Dave,

How far in advance do you recommend figuring future purchases into your budget?

—Robbie

Dear Robbie,

I recommend starting to put money aside and including it in your budget as soon as you know the need for an item is a real possibility. Waiting until things go wrong or something breaks down will leave you in a real mess, more times than not.

For example, if you’re pretty sure you’ll need another vehicle in a year or two, the smart thing is to start putting money aside now. Do some research on prices, then do the math to see how much you’ll need to set aside each month.

And remember, it’s a whole lot easier to save money when you don’t have things like credit card payments and other debt hanging around your neck. That’s one of the big reasons I want to help people learn to live debt-free!

—Dave

—Ethan

Dear Ethan,

It’s always hard on parents when they see their children suffer because of a choice the child made. But sometimes it’s best to love them so much that you’ll let them make mistakes, and make sure they learn from them, while they’re still under your protection. Reality can be a great teacher when it comes to learning how the world works, and sometimes one sting from a bad decision when you’re young is all it takes to teach a kid a lesson that will last a lifetime.

As a parent, you’re always looking for teachable moments.

First, make sure you’re giving him a chance to earn some money. That means work, no allowances. We’re talking about kidsized, age-appropriate tasks. There’s a ton of value and self-esteem that go hand-in-hand with being paid for a job well done.

TODAYSCHRISTIANLIVING.ORG

27

UFOs What Are They?

By Dan Brownell

A

re UFOs carrying aliens from outer space? This is an important topic for Christians to consider because what we believe about them influences our view of the universe, the assumptions that form our worldview, the existence of God, our relationship with and accountability to Him, and eternity.

The question of the existence of aliens has been a pressing one since at least 1947, when Kenneth Arnold, a pilot in Washington State, reported seeing a string of nine saucer-shaped objects flying past Mount Rainier at a speed of at least 1,200 mph. That incident was followed several weeks later by the alleged UFO crash near Roswell, New Mexico, that kicked off the widespread fascination with UFOs. Over the decades, the U.S. government has quietly investigated UFOs but has — at least publicly — dismissed them (although it used sensational media reports as cover for its top-secret military research). But in December 2020, Congress ordered the U.S. intelligence community to divulge what it knows within six months. On June 25, 2021, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence released the nine-page unclassified report “Preliminary Assessment: Unidentified Aerial Phenomena.” (The government now uses the term “UAP” to avoid the stigma associated with UFOs.) A PDF of the report is available online at bit.ly/UAP-Report.

The report is significant in that it was widely expected to provide concrete evidence for the existence of technologically advanced aliens. UFOs/UAPs are so deeply ingrained in pop culture that many — consciously or unconsciously — assume that, if a flying object’s identity is unknown, it must be of extraterrestrial origin. But the report showed no evidence of aliens.

The UAP Report’s Major Findings

According to the report, there’s no evidence that UAPs are American technology or of alien origin. In addition, it said that few solid conclusions can be drawn at all because of the relatively sparse data. The report states, “The limited amount of high-quality reporting on unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP) hampers our ability to draw firm conclusions about the nature or intent of UAP” (UAP Report, pg. 3).

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TODAY’S CHRISTIAN LIVING

SEPTEMBER 2021

According to a recent Axios survey of 10,417 U.S. residents (bit.ly/Axios-Stat), 76% of respondents under 30 believe there’s intelligent life on other planets.

The report also explains that experts could reach few conclusions because of the risk of misinterpreting the data. It concedes that the most puzzling sightings “could be the result of sensor errors, spoofing, or observer misperception and require additional rigorous analysis” (UAP Report, pg. 3).

For UFO enthusiasts, the report was disappointing. Rather than providing earthshaking revelations, it presented little detail. Of the 144 UAPs mentioned in the report, the only one positively identified was a “large, deflating balloon.”

Four Explanations for UAPs

The report listed five possible explanations for UAPs: “airborne clutter, natural atmospheric phenomena, USG [U.S government] or U.S. industry developmental programs, foreign adversary systems, and a catchall ‘other’ bin” (UAP Report, pg. 3). This article reorganizes the five explanations into four groups, combining some in the UAP report and adding “Satanic Deception,” a category the report doesn’t consider because of its secular worldview and assumptions.

1. Natural Phenomenon 2. Human Technology (American or Foreign Adversary) 3. Alien Technology 4. Satanic Deception

1. Natural Phenomenon

According to CGI.org’s article “UFOs Exist! But What Are They?” (bit.ly/CGI-UFO) a high percentage of UAPs have a simple explanation. “Most UFO sightings — about 95% — do have a natural explanation, and more than a few have been deliberate hoaxes and pranks. Some photographs have been found to be nothing more than pictures of flung hubcaps and garbage can lids, shot to deceive a gullible public. Most UFO sightings are, in fact, nothing more than mysterious ‘blobs of

light’ in the sky. Numerous explanations have been attributed to various UFO sightings: satellites, planes, weather balloons, temperature inversions, phases of the moon, ball lightning, marsh gas, mirages, clouds, stars, migrating birds, light leaks in cameras, and even vivid imaginations.”

Apologist Dr. Ron Rhodes, author of more than 60 books and president of Reasoning from the Scriptures (ronrhodes.org), agrees with CGI.org’s assessment, and his book UFOS: The Truth About UFOs and Aliens — A Christian Assessment provides more insight into the UFO-like characteristics of ball lightning: “The ball lightning explanation for UFOs has been explored in some detail by researcher Philip Klass. This little-known kind of lightning, which involves plasma, ‘is usually oval in shape and an intense red, is often heard to sizzle, and moves around with unpredictable vigor, sometimes hanging motionless, at other times darting about at high speeds with instantaneous changes in direction.’

“Klass studied some 746 UFO sightings, and in almost every case, he discovered that the reported UFOs displayed characteristics typical of plasma — color, shape, erratic movement, and hissing. He writes: ‘The strong electrical charge of a plasma could also explain the frequent reports of interference with radios, lights, and automobile electrical systems in the vicinity of UFOs. Since a plasma has little mass and is responsive to electromagnetic fields, its erratic flight and high-speed reversals of direction posed no theoretical problem. Moreover, plasmas reflect radio waves, so they cannot be ruled out when UFOs appear on radar screens.’

“There are still further possible explanations for UFO sightings.

For example, we now know that the military is working on various methods of displaying 3-D (three dimensional) holographical images in the sky as a form of nonlethal weaponry. Obviously such images would not be detected by radar, which is consistent with many UFO reports. Someone could easily see such an image in the sky and think it was an alien spacecraft.”

According to the Smithsonian Channel report “What Radar Jamming Has to Do With UFOs” (bit.ly/SC-RadJam), some UAP sightings may be the result of radar jamming, a military electronic countermeasure in which artificial targets are created on radar to fool adversaries. The story explored an account of a Belgian Air Force pilot’s pursuit of what a radar signal processing expert later determined was a deliberate spoof to mislead the pilot. At one point, the speed of the radar target’s plunge was so extreme it was “beyond the performance of any known aircraft.” And tellingly, the pilot never actually saw the target. It only appeared on radar.

False sightings can be attributed to many other reasons, too, including camera lens distortions known as “bokehs.” In addition, Rhodes also explained that thousands of pieces of space junk orbiting the Earth — including old satellites — can reflect sunlight and appear to be UAPs. In fact, space is becoming so cluttered that a recent Nature.com article (bit.ly/Nat-Sat) points out that the huge increase in satellites is causing visual pollution in the atmosphere and interference with astronomical observations. “Aerospace companies have launched about 2,000 internet satellites into orbit around Earth over the past two years, nearly doubling the number of active satellites…. Now, in what would be the biggest international step yet towards ad-

dressing these concerns, diplomats at a United Nations forum next month might discuss whether humanity has a right to ‘dark and quiet skies.’”

2. Human Technology (American or Foreign Adversary)

Not Technology Developed by America (U.S. Government or Private Industry) The UAP report states there’s no evidence that UAP sightings are linked to U.S. technology. While it’s possible that secret American technology has been developed that’s not disclosed in the unclassified report, well-established scientific principles discount the possibility they could account for UAPs that violate the laws of physics.

The most baffling incidents are those that exhibit unique characteristics described by the Department of Defense Unidentified Aerial Phenomena Task Force (UAPTF) as “The Five Observables.” These attributes are discussed in detail in a History.com article (bit.ly/Hist-5-Obs).

The Five Observables 1. Anti-gravity lift. In these incidents, witnesses report there are no visible control surfaces, such as wings, and no discernible means of propulsion.

2. Sudden and instantaneous acceleration. These craft are reported to feature instant acceleration, stopping, and changes of direction that would rip apart manmade vehicles and their occupants.

3. Hypersonic velocities without signatures. These UAPs leave no detectable signatures, unlike known manmade aircraft, which leave behind telltale signs such as exhaust gasses, vapor trails, heat trails, and sonic booms.

4. Low observability, or cloaking. Observers report that even when they have a clear view of a UAP, it’s often hazy and indistinct.

5. Trans-medium travel. These craft can travel through multiple media and can easily transit from one to the other.

As mysterious as these incidents are, they can have simple, down-to-earth explanations. In a Guardian article (bit.ly/GuardMW), British UFO skeptic Mick West quickly solved an alleged UFO incident that fooled numerous Chilean military and civilian experts for two years. The UAP turned out to be a commercial aircraft. It was identified as “Iberia flight 6830, departing Santiago airport…. Radar data confirmed that the exact location of the plane matched the UFO.” These baffling cases involving The Five Observables bear marked similarities to traits associated with the occult, and many are likely explained by supernatural origins, as will be explained under the Satanic Deception section.

Not Technology Developed by Foreign Adversaries In recent years, China and Russia have made major strides in military technology, and it’s possible they’re using advanced technology to covertly assess U.S. defense capabilities. Frequent sightings of UAPs near U.S. military installations and Navy ships TODAYSCHRISTIANLIVING.ORG

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could point to this. High-tech espionage poses a serious national security concern and is one of the main reasons the report was commissioned. The degree of threat is unknown, however, and these clusters of sightings may occur merely because the military is better positioned and equipped to encounter the phenomena.

The report says the U.S. military sightings “may result from a collection bias as a result of focused attention, greater numbers of latest-generation sensors operating in those areas, unit expectations, and guidance to report anomalies” (UAP Report, pg. 5).

In any case, both Americans and foreign adversaries are bound by the laws of physics, so they can’t account for sightings that violate those laws. In addition, it seems unlikely that China and Russia would be so advanced in one area of technology yet remain lagging in others. China is only now beginning to develop an aircraft carrier-capable navy and has struggled with the engineering needed to produce fighter jets with engines and control surfaces that can compete with the U.S., so it’s hard to believe that they could field spacecraft capable of the feats reported by witnesses.

Finally, if China or Russia — countries with aspirations for global dominance — currently had technology that advanced, they probably would have already used it to overpower the U.S. and the rest of the world. They have openly boasted of their desire to rule the world, so they would be eager to use this technology to achieve their goals.

Considering all these factors, it seems extremely unlikely that either American or foreign adversaries are responsible for the sightings linked to The Five Observables.

3. Alien Technology

Lack of Physical Evidence The UAP report doesn’t mention any physical evidence of alien spacecraft, spacecraft wreckage, or alien bodies despite the long-held belief that the U.S. government is hiding some.

Non-governmental science research doesn’t show support for intelligent alien life either. In fact, no one has provided evidence of any life at all beyond Earth — not even a single cell. Reputable experts are skeptical too. According to a Space.com article (bit.ly/Space-UFO), Ravi Kumar Kopparapu, a research scientist at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, said he’s hesitant to call UAPs extraterrestrial. “There is absolutely no concrete evidence that I know of that points to them as being extraterrestrial.”

Insurmountable Barriers According to Jay Seegert, a physics major and speaker for The Starting Point Project apologetics ministry (thestartingpointproject.com), space travel from another planet is implausible. The closest planet outside our solar system is 4.37 light years or 26 trillion miles away. Even if aliens were traveling at one-tenth the speed of light (about 18,600 miles per second), it would take them 43 years to reach us. During that time, they would have to dodge 100,000 bits of space dust per cubic kilometer. If they struck a single piece of space dust, their ship would suffer catastrophic damage. Using the formula ½MV2 to calculate the impact force, a spaceship traveling at one-tenth the speed of light colliding with a speck of space dust weighing one-tenth of a gram would result in an explosion equivalent to 10 tons of TNT. 30

TODAY’S CHRISTIAN LIVING

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“Exotic” Materials Aren’t Really Exotic Luis Elizondo, a former U.S. intelligence specialist, has claimed that the government possesses exotic materials, allegedly from UFO crash debris. However, the UAP report makes no mention of this. While it’s possible this data was omitted from the unclassified report, another source reveals additional insight that casts doubt on the claim. A Vice article (bit.ly/Vice-Ex) reported that some purported UFO material belonging to the private company To the Stars, which now employs Elizondo, may just be an industrial byproduct. Dr. Chris Cogswell, who holds a PhD in chemical engineering, said, “The chances of it being important scientifically are extremely slim. On top of that, it may not be much more than a piece of slag from an industrial process, for instance it has been suggested this may be from the Betterton-Kroll process.”

In addition, the term “exotic” is somewhat of a misnomer. It implies that the substance is composed of an unknown material that doesn’t exist on Earth, but the exotic materials mentioned in the article have been identified as aluminum and bismuth/magnesium-zinc, which are known metals found on Earth: .

Furthermore, the To the Stars company doesn’t have the objectivity and singular focus typically associated with serious science research. The company founder, Tom DeLonge, is a rock musician with an interest in UFOs and paranormal activity. To the Stars is part of the larger organization To the Stars Academy of Arts and Sciences (tothestarsacademy.com), which has an entertainment division and publishes books and other materials about the paranormal. Its website says, “The entertainment division creates worlds. Science fiction stories for millennials that inspire and transcend. We are a publisher, a merchandiser, and a production studio. We have stories about dreams, consciousness, paranormal, UFOs, and many other things that once used to be taboo....”

Objections From Logic The “alien technology” theory doesn’t withstand the scrutiny of logic either. If the craft are piloted by aliens, their actions seem inconsistent and contradictory. They raise questions such as the following: • If the aliens are so advanced that they’ve somehow discovered a way to overcome the laws of physics, why are there so many reports of them crashing? If they’ve overcome the laws of physics for flying, shouldn’t they have overcome them enough to prevent crashing?

• Why are these craft so elusive? If their intent is to remain hidden, they’re doing a poor job. Their advanced technology should allow them to remain undetected within Earth’s atmosphere because, so far, they’ve stayed completely invisible in our solar system and in their approach and departure from Earth. Radiotelescopes can pick up small asteroids from great distances, and the Department of Defense’s global Space Surveillance Network (SSN) tracks more than 27,000 pieces of space junk, frequently guiding the International Space Station out of the path of even tiny pieces that could damage it, yet none of these highly sensitive instruments has ever detected a UFO entering or departing Earth’s atmosphere, the solar system, or beyond.

So if aliens can be that stealthy in space, why not on Earth?

On the other hand, if these craft want to be observed, they could do a much better job of that as well. They could allow detailed and undeniable evidence of their presence. They could even make contact if they wanted to, landing at the U.N. building and introducing themselves to the media and representatives of all the world’s leaders. Instead, they seem to be playing a cosmic game of cat and mouse.

• If the aliens’ intentions are friendly, why haven’t they intervened to help mankind? If their intentions are hostile, why haven’t they already attacked us?

The Fermi Paradox, named for renowned physicist Enrico Fermi, points out the problem of unconfirmed alien life: If so many habitable planets exist, why don’t we have conclusive proof?

Objections From Theology Scripture seems to preclude intelligent alien life. This isn’t just an argument from silence. Throughout the Bible, God reveals a unique and exclusive relationship with humans. The timeline of Scripture and its focus on Earth point to this exclusivity.

For instance, God called Israel to be His chosen people and made an exclusive covenant with them. As part of that covenant, He made His dwelling place enthroned above the cherubim on the Ark of the Covenant in the Holy of Holies, first in the tabernacle and then in the temple. Later, when the Old Covenant of the law was superseded by the New Covenant through salvation in Jesus, the church became the “Bride of Christ,” using marriage, the closest and most exclusive relationship in human experience, to picture the exclusivity of the relationship between Jesus and Christians. The end times prophecies, which reveal the eventual fate of the entire universe — its complete destruction and replacement by the New Heavens, the New Earth, and the New Jerusalem — are tied directly to human events on Earth.

If God had created intelligent beings on other planets, it would have created an irreconcilable conflict within His creation and with His plan of redemption on Earth. Scripture states

that Jesus could only be incarnated, crucified, and resurrected once. “The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God” (Rom. 6:10 NIV). If God had created intelligent beings on other planets, He would have given them a free will because that’s consistent with His nature. At some point, these beings would have disobeyed Him and would have needed a savior too, which wouldn’t be possible because there’s only one Savior.

There would have been other conflicts within His creation as well. According to Romans 8, when Adam and Eve sinned, they caused all creation to fall. If beings on another world existed, they would have suffered because of the choices that Adam and Eve made on Earth.

Finally, the exclusivity of mankind is evident in that Jesus took on a human form permanently at His incarnation.

Throughout all eternity, He will retain His dual nature, being 100% God, yet also 100% human. Because of His great love and sacrifice for us, Jesus will forever be in physical human form.

Aliens Point Away From God Not only do the events and focus of the Bible challenge the existence of intelligent alien life, but the idea of alien life presents other biblical inconsistencies as well. For example, if aliens were sinless, we would expect that they would be like God’s holy angels and continually give glory to Him. But there are no reports of this. If aliens were sinful but redeemed, we would expect that they would be given the opportunity and responsibility of being messengers to share the good news of salvation with humans. But we don’t hear of this happening either.

If, however, aliens are sinners but are unredeemed, we would expect them to consistently point us away from God (like the fallen angels do), which matches what we know about them. For example, in 1997, 39 members of the Heaven’s Gate cult committed suicide, believing they would go to heaven after their death by being transported aboard a UFO trailing the Hale-Bopp Comet.

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Explaining Away the Rapture Christians have speculated for years that the Rapture (1 Cor. 15:51-53; 1 Thess. 4:14–17) will be explained away as aliens ridding Earth of those who stand in the way of progress. Mankind has certainly been conditioned to accept this premise, as the media has been cultivating the idea of aliens through countless movies and TV shows since the 1950s, from Buck Rogers and Lost in Space to Star Trek, Star Wars, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, and countless others. And indeed, the idea that aliens will cleanse Earth of those who reject New Age philosophies is widely held among followers of the occult and paranormal.

4. Satanic Deception

Satan Is a Deceiver Scripture tells us that Satan is the “father of lies” (John 8:44 NIV) and will use “all sorts of displays of power through signs and wonders that serve the lie” (2 Thess. 2:9 NIV). Satan is known as “the prince of the power of the air” (Eph. 2:2). This title could mean that in addition to ruling over the spiritual realm of evil, he may also rule over the physical atmosphere, which is the primary domain of UFOs. The Occult Connection UFOs have a direct association with the occult. In times and places where people honor the God of the Bible and Scripture, the occult has much less influence. But wherever atheism or non-Christian religions have sway, occult influences greatly increase because God loosens His leash on Satan and his fellow fallen angels. The Bible explains that God allows this to point rebellious and self-destructive people back to His loving care. He doesn’t force them against their will, but rather allows the natural consequences of their rebellion to show them that His path is right and leads from death to life. This principle is revealed in the Parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32).

The rise of UFOs began in the 1940s and ’50s. Before that, UFO reports were rare in the Christianized West, but they spiked in the middle of the 20th century when we began to turn away from God and toward the occult. Since then, we’ve been conditioned through pop culture — comic books, novels, music, radio, television, movies, social media, and the internet, etc. — to accept the idea that alien life is real, but Satan isn’t.

As C.S. Lewis pointed out, one of Satan’s most effective strategies is to convince us he doesn’t exist.

Some UFOs May Be Satanic Manifestations While most UFOs can be explained by natural phenomenon, some may be Satanic imitations. In UFOS: The Truth About UFOs and Aliens, Rhodes, says, “When we keep in mind the scriptural fact that Satan has the ability to bring about counterfeit miracles, signs, and wonders (2 Thessalonians 2:9), I think a viable explanation of those UFO sightings that are not rooted in natural phenomena may in fact be rooted in the work of Satan.” He adds, “In seeking to unravel who these ‘aliens’ are, it is highly revealing that while UFOs typically do not respond 32

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to aerial pursuit or standard approaches (such as radio contact), the standard tools of the occult have often been claimed to have established contact in innumerable cases. Those who successfully make ‘contact’ are those typically involved in one or more of the following: trance states, seances, clairvoyance, spiritism, automatic handwriting, peering into crystals, levitation, out-of-body experiences, and the like.”

Many people have claimed to have been abducted by aliens.

Rhodes suggests these alleged encounters are also related to the occult. “Could it be that, particularly for those already involved in the occult, Satan blinds their minds and in some way induces a mystical dream-like experience in their minds in which they ‘perceive’ that they are being abducted (though they are not actually physically abducted) — a dream that is later ‘recalled’ and ‘remembered’ by means of hypnosis as being a ‘true event’?”

Can Satanic Deception Account for The Five Observables?

Satanic deception may explain the science-defying characteristics of The Five Observables. If demons are posing as UFOs, that would explain why they can defy the laws of physics. Rhodes elaborates: “In support of the idea that UFOs may in fact be manifestations of Satan or demons is the belief by some individuals that the UFOs themselves are alive. Brad Steiger, who has written a number of books on the UFO phenomenon, said: ‘I have even come to suspect that in some instances, what we have been calling “spaceships” may actually be a form of higher intelligence rather than vehicles transporting occupants.’ Likewise, John Keel noted that ‘over and over again, witnesses have told me in hushed tones, ‘You know, I don’t think that thing I saw was mechanical at all. I got the distinct impression that it was alive.’”

Rhodes also points to Jacques Vallee, the French UFO researcher who was the inspiration for a counterpart character in Close Encounters of the Third Kind. According to Rhodes, Vallee “cites the ability of these objects to seemingly materialize on the spot — very abruptly, out of nowhere, as it were — as a key evidence. These objects sometimes seem to have a ghostly, apparition-like demeanor — sometimes giving indication of having the ability to ‘float’ through solid matter. Further, even though these entities seem to appear out of another dimension, Vallee says ‘this does not exclude a material physical presence at the time of the sighting.’”

Conclusion

We don’t need to worry about an alien invasion, but we do need to be concerned about Satanic deception and spiritual warfare. Whatever the identity of the UAPs, there’s overwhelming evidence based on theology, science, and logic that they’re not aliens from other planets. As mentioned previously, as many as 95% of UAP reports have a natural explanation. For that reason, Rhodes suggests that “When one sees a UFO, one is on safest ground assuming that there is a natural explanation.

Now, it could be that there is not a natural explanation — and in that case it may involve occultism or demonic phenomena….

But a good starting point is to suspect a natural explanation.” 

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Christian Living Resource Guide

he Bible tells us that God offers wisdom to those who ask Him: “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him” (James 1:5 ESV). We can also find wisdom in the advice and guidance of other believers.

In this guide, you’ll find resources for Christian living, including Bibles and books on prayer, parenting, building strong families, and more to help develop a deep faith that endures.

“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect” (Rom. 12:2 ESV).

“I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship” (Rom. 12:1 ESV).

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction” (Prov. 1:7 ESV).

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“Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is” (Eph. 5:15-17 ESV).

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“I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Gal. 2:20 ESV).

Take your kids on an adventure through God’s Word! The best-selling NIV Adventure Bible captivates kids with full-color features that make reading Scripture and memorizing their favorite verses engaging and fun. The Adventure Bible is recommended by more Christian schools and churches than any other Bible for kids. AdventureBible.com

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The God of the Garden

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Award-winning author and songwriter Andrew Peterson reflects on the Christian life and his own life using the central motif of “trees.” bit.ly/BH-Garden

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Holier Than Thou

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LAUGH LINES

A

couple with three children waited in line at San Francisco’s Pier 41 to purchase tickets for a boat trip to Alcatraz.

Others watched with varying degrees of sympathy and irritation as the young children fidgeted, whined, and punched one another. The frazzled parents reprimanded them to no avail.

Finally they reached the ticket window.

“Five tickets, please,” the father said. “Two round trip, three one way.”

—From Mikey’s Funnies (www.mikeysfunnies.com)

T

he salesman at the furniture store told me, “This sofa will seat five people without any problems.”

I said, “And just where am I going to find five people without any problems?”

—From Mikey’s Funnies (www.mikeysfunnies.com) If you have a joke or funny story you’d like to share, email editor@todayschristianliving.org. If we print your joke, we’ll pay you $25.

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QUICK TAKES

Spiritual Warfare in the End Times

By Ron Rhodes [Harvest House]

Understand the battle before you enter it. When you think about the end times, you’ve probably already considered the rapture, the tribulation, and the Antichrist. But are you prepared for the spiritual warfare that is already escalating around us as we draw closer to the final days? Now more than ever, it is essential to equip yourself with God’s truth so you can stand against the encroaching darkness.

In Spiritual Warfare in the End Times, best-selling prophecy author Ron Rhodes powerfully exposes Satan’s most destructive and effective tools of spiritual injury — and the means of rendering them ineffective. Ron will help you understand...

• t he identity, tactics, and dominion of Satan — and the spiritual armor God has given you for protection • t he pivotal roles the Holy Spirit and the Word of God play in your spiritual victory • t he sheep (Christians) who keep close to the Shepherd (Jesus) are safest from the predatory wolf (Satan) Satan wants to diminish your capacity to serve in God’s kingdom, but God promises you’ll never fight him alone. Spiritual Warfare in the End Times shows what you need for victory.

The Path Out of Loneliness: Finding and Fostering Connection to God, Ourselves, and One Another Dr. Mark Mayfield [Tyndale]

Loneliness has reached epidemic proportions. We have lost the art of connection and relationship, and it’s killing us.

Odds are good that you have a loved one or friend whose struggle with addiction, mental illness, suicidal thoughts, or selfinjury stems from loneliness. Maybe it’s you. Perhaps you’re feeling depressed or anxious, struggling with compulsive behavior, or simply questioning whether you are truly seen, loved, and valued. The culprit could well be that you’re lonely.

Dr. Mark Mayfield understands the crisis well, as it led to him nearly taking his own life as a teen. As a board-certified counselor, he has built a reputable counseling practice on the forefront of brain science and attachment therapies, dedicating his life to helping adults and adolescents confront their feelings of isolation and alienation.

The Path out of Loneliness will help move you from isolation to connection and guide you, the people you love, and the community you live in toward a richer, fuller, healthier life.

Divided Nation: Cultures in Chaos & A Conflicted Church

I Choose Peace: How to Quiet Your Heart in an Anxious World

Divided Nation: Cultures in Chaos & A Conflicted Church provides families and their churches biblical mandates to awaken and arise as influencers in today’s turbulent times. As Christian persecution increases, the Body of Christ needs to take a bold stand. Ken Ham, CEO and founder of Answers in Genesis-US, the Creation Museum, and Ark Encounter, sounds the call for bringing God’s people back to the authority of the Word of God beginning in Genesis.

Can the church regain a position of influence among this generation of “truth seekers” who reject God and His Word?

To combat today’s chaotic culture and the conflicted church, Ham addresses five specific issues: • There is no neutral position • Everyone has a religion • There are ultimately only two religions • Creation apologetics • How to develop a truly Christian worldview Make a stand for the soul of this generation. Divided Nation shines an empowering light on the struggle of the church to retain young believers. Glean from it the issues that must be addressed and find clarity amidst the chaos of the culturally conflicted church.

Our lives are fraught with anxiety. Conflict in our relationships, fears about the future, information overload, financial pressure, lack of contentment — all of them can steal our joy because they steal our peace. Through Christ we’re promised peace, but how can we feel peace when we live in a world of chaos?

Because, says Chip Ingram, peace isn’t a feeling; it’s a choice.

We must “willfully, purposefully choose to walk in the peace He gave us. It isn’t automatic. Even though we already have it, we tend to pursue peace on the world’s terms.” But, as Chip points out, seeking the world’s shallow version of peace “robs us of the peace we’ve already been given.”

In I Choose Peace, Chip unpacks Philippians 4 to show us how we can choose peace in • relational conflict • anxious moments • a broken world • difficult circumstances • a materialistic culture If you’re tired of feeling anxious over the state of the world, your relationships, or your own heart, this encouraging book will help you quiet your worries and experience real, lasting peace that doesn’t depend on what’s going on around you.

By Chip Ingram [Baker Books]

By Ken Ham [Master Books]

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Faithful Presence: The Promise and the Peril of Faith in the Public Square

Table for Two: Biblical Counsel for Eating Disorders

As a former mayor and governor, Bill Haslam has long been at the center of politics and policy on local, state, and federal levels. And he has consistently been guided by his faith, which influenced his actions on issues ranging from capital punishment to pardons, health care to abortion, welfare to free college tuition.

Yet the place of faith in public life has been hotly debated since our nation’s founding, and the relationship of church and state remains contentious to this day — and for good reason.

Too often, Bill Haslam argues, Christians end up shaping their faith to fit their politics rather than forming their politics to their faith. They seem to forget their calling is to be used by God in service of others rather than to use God to reach their own desires and ends.

Faithful Presence calls for a different way. Haslam envisions a redemptive role of faith in politics while examining some of the most complex issues of our time. For Christians ready to be salt and light, Faithful Presence argues that faith can be a healing presence in the public square.

Breaking free from an eating disorder is difficult and complex. Those who are suffering often struggle with feeling alone and afraid, ashamed to tell those closest to them. Their loved ones also feel helpless and ill-equipped to care for them. Within this dynamic, hurt, disappointment, and neglect often thrive. From the unique perspective of a husband-and-wife team, Table for Two shares Krista Dunham’s journey to freedom from her eating disorder, while David shares insights as the loved one coming alongside her.

Without minimizing complicated issues, the Dunhams provide practical, gospel hope and biblical encouragement to those suffering and help for loved ones walking with them.

They share personal narratives, interactive exercises, and biblical direction for those navigating recovery. This powerful, redemptive book reveals an intimacy beyond personal stories of struggle told through a biblical counseling lens; it highlights the close-knit relationship of husband and wife and a home life where one person struggles with an eating disorder.

By Bill Haslam [Thomas Nelson]

Designed to Heal: What the Body Shows Us about Healing Wounds, Repairing Relationships, and Restoring Community

By Jennie A. McLaurin and Cymbeline Tancongco Culiat [Tyndale]

Our bodies are designed to heal. We fall off our bikes and skin our knees ― and without effort on our part, the skin looks like new in a few days. But while our skinned knees easily heal, it can sometimes feel like our emotional and relational wounds are left gaping open, broken beyond repair. If our bodies instinctively know how to heal physical injuries, could they also help us understand how to restore painful emotional and relational ruptures?

In their groundbreaking debut book, Designed to Heal, physician Jennie McLaurin and scientist Cymbeline T. Culiat take a fascinating look at how the restorative processes of the body can model patterns we may adapt to heal the acute and chronic wounds of our social bodies. Through engaging patient stories, imaginative travels through the body’s microcellular landscapes, accessible references to current research, and reflections on the image of God, Designed to Heal offers a new perspective for healing our social divisions. By learning how the body is created with mechanisms that optimize a flourishing recovery from life’s inevitable wounds, we are given a model for hopeful, faithful, and enduring healing in all other aspects of our lives. Our wounds don’t have to have the last word.

By David R. Dunham and Krista Dunham [New Growth Press]

Live Like There’s No Yesterday: Discover the Freedom of Leaving the Past Behind

By John F. Westfall [Revell]

What if yesterday never happened?

What if you were free from your old hurts, trauma, sadness, and mistakes? What if you could be healthier, happier, and freer to be yourself? What if your life could be transformed just by changing your mind?

It can. Drawing on the call in Romans 12 to “be transformed by the renewing of your mind,” pastor and speaker John F. Westfall shows how you can overcome yesterday to live with hope and gratitude today. A self-described “world champion negative thinker,” Westfall knows how hard it can be to let go of the past.

With great compassion and practical advice, he motivates you to let the Holy Spirit change the way you think, releasing you from negative thoughts and destructive patterns.

Chapters include: • Fuhgeddaboudit! There’s No Future in the Past • Binocular Vision — Seeing With 20/20 Distortion • Why Am I Worrying about Worrying?

• Living Beyond Past Trauma • What We Need to Know to Live Like There’s No Yesterday • The Power to Change • Plan Your Past Today • Renewed Mind = Transformed Life TODAYSCHRISTIANLIVING.ORG

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PERSECUTION REPORT

By Jerry Dykstra and Open Doors contributors

By Jeff M. Sellers

Coptic Women Forced to Convert and Marry Muslim Men Jeff M. Sellers is founder and editor of Morning Star News morningstarnews.org, the only independent news service exclusively covering persecution of Christians. Previously he was an associate editor at Christianity Today magazine, where he wrote a regular column on persecuted Christians for five years. He worked seven years as an editor at Open Doors International and three years as a writer at World Vision.

With a journalism degree from Arizona State University and a Master’s in Marketplace Theology from Regent College in Vancouver, British Columbia, he has also reported on persecution, economy, politics, and cultural issues for USA Today, The Globe and Mail, and other media as a journalist in Mexico City, Mexico, and Madrid, Spain.

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Coptic Christian woman who was a high school teacher and mother of three daughters in northern Egypt’s Nile Delta suddenly disappeared last year. A few days later, 39-year-old Ranya Abd al-Masih appeared in a video wearing an Islamic niqab that covered all of her face except the eyes, saying she had left her house of her own free will, that she had not been kidnapped, and that she had converted to Islam.

“At the end of the video, she recited the Islamic creed and asked her husband to stop looking for her,” said a report by the advocacy group Coptic Solidarity. “There are several inconsistencies in the video, since Ranya did not take her personal belongings with her from her home, and during the video she appears to be in tears as she recites what she is being told to say.”

Coptic Solidarity’s 2020 report, titled “Jihad of the Womb,” says kidnapping and forced conversion of women and girls in Egypt skyrocketed in the past few years; this year, such abductions have been reported every month. A Coptic priest in Upper Egypt’s Minya Governorate said at least 15 girls every year are kidnapped or tricked into forced conversions/marriages in his area alone, according to the report.

Networks related to Salafist groups, which advocate a strict adherence to sharia (Islamic law), appear linked to this drive to reduce the number of Christian women while simultaneously increasing the number of Muslim babies. As common as brute kidnappings off the street are the kinds of tactics of deception that human traffickers use. A Muslim will tell a Christian woman or girl that he loves her and wants to convert to Christianity for her, a repentant, former Egyptian trafficker said in the report.

Prayer Points: • F or change in the Egyptian security forces and legal system that will protect Coptic girls and women from kidnapping.

• That the Lord will bring recovery and healing for kidnapped Coptic girls and women.

*not real name 42

• That Islamic extremist groups in the Sinai and elsewhere will be defeated.

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“They start a romantic relationship until, one day, they decide to ‘escape’ together,” the repentant source said. “What the girls don’t know is that they are actually being kidnapped. Most of the time they will not marry their kidnapper, but someone else.”

The pressures the women come under to convert and marry a Muslim are intense, from rape and other violence done to them, to threats to kill their families, to filming and blackmailing them.

“I remember a Coptic Christian girl from a rich, well-known family in Minya,” the former trafficker said. “She was kidnapped by five Muslim men. They held her in a house, stripped her, and filmed her naked. In the video, one of them also undressed.

They threatened to make the video public if the girl wouldn’t marry him.”

Christian women and girls are easily identified in Egypt, as most are not wearing a hijab covering the hair and wear a cross necklace, and both male and female Copts commonly have crosses tattooed on their wrists. (Derived from the Greek “qubt” to refer to natives of Roman Egypt before Muslim Arab conquerors arrived, “Copt” still means Egyptian Christian, whether Catholic, Orthodox, or another denomination.)

In the case of kidnappings off the street, typically a group of Muslims who have monitored Christians’ movements will meet in a mosque to discuss potential victims, according to the former kidnapper.

“The tactics include utilizing or planting Muslim female neighbors, colleagues, coworkers, or friends to invite Coptic women to their home or travel across town, during which time they are kidnapped by the groups who organized with the known female,” he said.

Once the victims reach legal age, the kidnappers arrange for an Islamic representative to issue a conversion certificate, which allows the victims to change the religious designation on their national ID cards (though there is no provision in Egyptian law for a Muslim to change the religious designation to Christian). The Islamist networks enjoy support from high-ranking officials among police, national security, and local administrations, the former trafficker said.

COPTIC BUSINESSMAN MARTYRED

Coptic Christian hurt in attack on St. Mark’s Coptic Orthodox Cathedral in April 2013.

(Morning Star News photo)

“Their roles include refusal to lodge official complaints by the victims’ families, falsifying police investigations, organizing the formal sessions of conversion to Islam at Al-Azhar [in Cairo, the Middle East’s most prestigious Islamic university/mosque], or harassing families into silence and acceptance of the de facto trafficking of their loved ones.”

This corruption among authorities, coupled with Coptic girls initially agreeing to elopements that turn out to be fake, make it difficult to hold the Egyptian government accountable for its failure to prosecute such atrocious crimes, Coptic Solidarity noted. Egypt has laws against such trafficking, but officials dismiss most cases with claims that Coptic girls willingly converted, left their homes and families, and married Muslim men, according to the report.

Some kidnapping cases have ended in recovery of the girls and women, presumably through ransom payments; how victims are rescued is usually kept quiet. In Ranya Masih’s case, her family and a church leader in Menoufia Governorate identified only as Bishop Binjiman pressured authorities and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi, and on July 15, 2020, she was suddenly returned to her family.

Coptic Solidarity’s report cites Bishop Binjiman as confirming that two women kidnapped Masih by pushing her into a car in April 2020, and for the next three months she was sexually, psychologically, and spiritually abused while in captivity.

“Of note, Rayna’s family was directed by the police to stop talking publicly about her case,” the report said. 

After Islamic terrorists released a video in April showing the execution of a 62-year-old Coptic Christian businessman in the North Sinai, his daughter said his family was devastated but proud of him.

“He lived and died a great man,” Marina Salama said of her father, Nabil Habashi Salama. “He is now in a better place, with Jesus whom he loved and served.”

When Salama was kidnapped in Bir al Abd in early November, it was not clear who had done it or why.

Nabil Habashi Salama The three unmasked men who seized Salama off the in screenshot from street had to steal a vehicle to make their getaway, video before his somewhat less sophisticated than a typical Islamic execution. (Twitter) State (ISIS) operation.

The reasons for his execution became clearer with the release of the video. His son told Coptic Orthodox leaders that while in captivity, his father told him he was kidnapped for his role in building the church of St. Mary, St. Karas, and St. Abanoub, in Bir al Abd, according to a tweet by a church bishop.

The bishop reported Peter Salama telling him, “In their efforts to have him abandon the faith, they humiliated my father, and broke all his teeth to torture him. Yet, through all this, he held on, and we are so joyful for him.”

In the video, one of three ISIS terrorists standing with rifles behind the kneeling Salama says, “We thank the great Allah who ordered his followers to kill, and the kafirs [apostates] to be subjugated until they pay the jizya while down on their knees. This is a message to Crusaders in every spot on earth: As you fight, you will be fought, and as you capture you will be captured.”

Then the militant, using a derogatory term for Christians, addresses Egyptian Christians, saying, “This is your reward for supporting the Egyptian army,” and shoots Salama in the head, killing him, according to the Egyptian newspaper Watani.

The Egyptian military has waged a campaign against ISIS in the Sinai, and the Islamic extremist militants see Copts as supporting the army, even as some Copts lament indifference by the government and security forces’ lack of effectiveness. Critics say the government could have rescued Salama long ago.

Islamic extremists who have long terrorized the Sinai ramped up violence in 2013 after the army deposed President Mohamed Morsi, an Islamist of the Muslim Brotherhood, as part of a popular uprising. Christians were among ISIS’s favorite targets for torture and murder.

The Coptic Orthodox archbishop in his tweet quotes Salama’s son as saying, “We are telling our kids that their grandfather is now a saint in the highest places of heaven. The ISIS militants used to contact me during the time when my father was kidnapped…He explained to me that the militants wanted to enforce the Jizya tax on the Christians, and that he was kidnapped due to his efforts in building the church.”

The Jizya, a koranic protection “tax” on Christians and other non-Muslims, grants the right to practice another religion but is used to subdue them as second-class citizens.

“It was heart-wrenching to see the execution of my father,” Peter Salama told Watani, adding that since his father’s execution, he has received threats from ISIS terrorists. “He had never done anything wrong; in fact, he loved to serve everyone and was loved by all in Bir al-Abd.” TODAYSCHRISTIANLIVING.ORG

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KIDS OF THE KINGDOM

“Dad,” said Little Johnny, “I’m late for football practice. Would you please do my homework for me?”

The father said irately, “Son, it just wouldn’t be right.”

“That’s okay,” replied Little Johnny, “but you could at least give it a try, couldn’t you?”

—From Mikey’s Funnies (www.mikeysfunnies.com) If you have a joke or funny story you’d like to share, email editor@todayschristianliving.org.

If we print your joke, we’ll pay you $25.

INDEX & WEB LISTING ACTS Retirement-Life Communities......................................2 www.actsretirement.org B&H Publishing Group....................................................35-36 www.bhpublishinggroup.com Building Family Strengths...................................................36 bit.ly/BldFamStr Christianbook......................................................................48 www.christianbook.com Focus Publishing.................................................................36 www.focuspublishing.com HarperCollins Christian Publishing.............................1, 34-35 www.harpercollinschristian.com Josh McDowell Ministry......................................................37 www.josh.org Total Living Network — TLN..............................................47 www.tln.com Westbow Press....................................................................37 www.westbowpress.com Please note: The Advertisers’ Index is published as a convenience to our readers. While every effort is made to obtain accuracy and completeness, last minute changes may occasionally result in unavoidable omissions or errors.

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GRACE NOTES

By Renee Robinson

Enough Is Enough Renee Robinson is married to her high school sweetheart and is a homeschool mom to three teenage boys. She writes to inspire and encourage believers to live with intentional purpose and learn to see God in all of life. In addition to writing, Renee creates Scripture pillowcases and runs an online gift shop to help fill hearts and homes with more of God’s Word.

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“Ma’am, you’ll need to step to the side while we Jacob insisted on his gifts being received by the examine your bags.” brother he scorned. The brother who chose to acI shot a nervous glance toward my waiting cept him because God had been enough for him. traveling companions. They zipped through seWhen God is our enough, we have everything curity with ease. I braced myself for the coming we need. embarrassment.

When God fills us, we’re able to do the impossible.

One by one the security attendant removed bot“‘Please take my present that was brought to you, tle after bottle after bottle of mosquito repellent. I because God has been gracious to me and I have had warned my husband that I may have erred a everything I need.’ So Jacob urged him until he aclittle extreme, but his eyes revealed he had no idea cepted” (Gen. 33:11 CSB). about the extent of my fears. We were bound for Both brothers, the one who cheated and the one Haiti on a mission trip. I had a mosquito fear. More who was cheated, experienced God’s grace over precisely, I had a malaria fear. their lives. They both had enough.

The security attendant asked “He is Lord over it all.

“The LORD is my shepherd; there me why I needed so much repelis nothing I lack” (Ps. 23:1 HCSB).

He is all we need. In lent. What exactly did I plan to do I have enough. with all the DEET heavy chemicals?

“I have everything I need and Him we have more Clearly, it was more than enough to more than enough…” (Phil. 4:18 than enough.” protect me from the biting insects I NLV). believed were waiting to feast on me.

I have more than enough.

Most of my protection found a home in the trash.

Neither Jacob nor Esau needed to fear because I was allowed to bring two bottles with me, which God had been enough. I’m tempted to look at what was more than enough. That’s when I stood face to is right before my eyes and believe I need more. I face with the true question residing in my heart. need more to protect myself from harm or danger.

Was God alone enough? Was His protection I need more to protect myself from hurt. I need enough? Was His provision enough? What was more to rectify and right a situation gone wrong. enough for me?

I need more to heal the wounds I’ve experienced.

Recently I found myself reading Genesis 33, the But when I read this story with fresh eyes, all the reunion story of Jacob and Esau. Jacob brings a Lord kept ringing in my ears were the words, “I procession of gifts he intends to give Esau in order have enough.” to find favor with the brother he cheated. When I I returned from our mission trip in Haiti withread the response of Esau, I stopped and meditated out a single mosquito bite. While God provided on his short reply. abundant protection, He taught me how to begin “I have enough, my brother,” Esau replied. “Keep the process of releasing my fears to Him and alwhat you have” (Gen 33:9 CSB). lowing Him to be enough to cover every single one Simple words. I have enough. of them.

Materially, yes, Esau seemed to have enough. But Even if I’d returned home covered in bites, or there’s more here begging to be seen. Didn’t Esau worse, having contracted a mosquito borne illwant an apology, redemption, or revenge? More ness, God would have still been enough. He would than the gifts and possessions, didn’t Esau need have been enough in my trial and suffering. He is something more? enough in our every situation.

I began to ask myself a question. Do I demand Now when I find myself in a situation where I more than I actually need? Do I allow God to am tempted to step in and provide for myself or fill the places in my heart where I’ve been hurt, demand more than God has required, God brings cheated, or lied to by others? Do I take my fears to mind my enormous fear of his little biting creato Him and allow Him to be my protector and tures. He is Lord over it all. He is all we need. In comforter?

Him we have more than enough. 

TODAY’S CHRISTIAN LIVING

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SPIR SPIRIT IT

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