Today's Christian Living May 2022

At First Light • Reconciling Good and Hard • Moms, Dads & Grads

Encourage • Equip • Engage

BEYOND THE RED CARPET

REVIVE OUR HEARTS

Kirsten Watson on making home a safe haven

A Daily Infusion of God’s Word

Blake & Jenna

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Bolerjack

$4.95 US / $5.95 Canada

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Facing the Storms of Life With Jesus

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The door is always open For Dr. Alfred Muli, Corporate Director of Spiritual Life for Acts RetirementLife Communities, loving kindness is more than just words, it’s a mission and a calling. It’s a dedication to being there for residents, staff, and family whenever they need support, spiritual guidance, or just someone to listen. That’s what makes Acts different. The values we share. The faith in God’s grace. Find out how retirement can lift your spirit. Come home to an Acts Retirement-Life Community today.

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TODAY’S On the Cover: Award-winning musicians Blake and Jenna Bolerjack.

Photo courtesy of Cameron Powell cameronpowell.net

LIVING MAY 2022

Features 6 Blake & Jenna Bolerjack: Facing the Storms of Life With Jesus

by Dan Brownell Not long after Blake Bolerjack wrote the song “Bring on the Storm,” he and his wife, Jenna, had to face a lifechanging storm that put their faith to the test.

VOL. 60 NUMBER 3

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12 Revive Our Hearts: Providing a Daily Infusion of God’s Word

by Pam S. Walker Revive Our Hearts began as a daily radio broadcast in 2001 but has greatly expanded to meet the growing demand for a daily strengthening through Scripture.

18 At First Light

by Walt Larimore World War II hero Captain Phil Larimore lost his leg in combat but found his faith when a chaplain pointed him to Jesus.

22 Beyond the Red Carpet

by Kirsten Watson Kirsten Watson lives part of her life in the spotlight with her husband, NFL great Benjamin Watson. But her top priority is creating a home that’s a God-focused sanctuary for her family.

25 Moms, Dads & Grads Resource Guide Raising kids has never been harder. Find help and encouragement here.

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Departments 4

The Fine Print

18

11 Daily Bible Connection 37 Laugh Lines 38 Quick Takes 44 Kids of the Kingdom

Columns 10 Living in Wisdom Stewardship: A Biblical View 16 Ask Dr. Walt Fruitful Fasting 24 Turning Point Reconciling Good and Hard 40 Persecution Report 2022 World Watch List Report 46 Grace Notes God on the Road of Despair TODAYSCHRISTIANLIVING.ORG

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THE FINE PRINT

God Is Still at Work

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uch has happened in the world since Feb. 3, the day we sent our last issue to the printer. On Feb. 24, Russia invaded Ukraine, unleashing the most destructive war and the greatest humanitarian catastrophe in Europe since World War II. More than 10 million Ukrainians have fled their homes, with over 4 million leaving the country to seek refuge.

While most Americans have followed the news from afar through the media, some have seen it up close. A missionary we know has seen the chaos firsthand. As an American married to a Ukrainian, he felt a special urgency to help Ukrainian refugees. Over the last month, his in-laws have spent night after sleepless night praying while hunkered in their basement as Russian shells rained down on their village all around them. So far, their house hasn’t been hit and they remain uninjured, but they, their fellow church members, and their neighbors are starving, as their area has been cut off from delivery of food and other essentials.

The missionary traveled to a country bordering Ukraine and sent out a fundraising plea to his supporting churches. One small church alone raised more than $11,000 in about 10 days. We knew he would be using the money to purchase food, and he sent photos of one of the vanloads of food that was driven into Ukraine in the dark with headlights off. What I didn’t expect was that the first $900 needed to be spent on tourniquets. My heart sank when I heard that. The situation is so much worse than we can imagine.

Yet God is always at work behind the scenes of even the most horrific events to lead people to a new or deeper relationship with Him. The Bible highlights that divine perspective. From a human frame of reference, Jesus’ crucifixion seemed a disaster, but from an eternal standpoint, it was the greatest victory in history, as it was the pivotal event that provided the opportunity for eternal life to all those who call upon Him. God’s mercy is greater than man’s evil intentions. Corrie ten Boom, survivor of the brutal Ravensbrück concentration camp, said it well, “There is no pit so deep, that God’s love is not deeper still.” Yet it is usually our pain that brings us to Him. “God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our consciences, but shouts in our pains. It is his megaphone to rouse a deaf world,” said C.S. Lewis.

In this issue, you’ll discover how Blake and Jenna Bolerjack found strength and a closer walk with Jesus when faced with their own deep suffering. And you’ll also learn how World War II hero Phil Larimore came to faith after suffering a lifealtering combat injury.

Psalm 23 assures of His care when we walk through the valley of death, and we’re wise to rest in His promises despite the darkness of the circumstances around us.

In Christ, Dan Brownell, Editor

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Vol. 60

MAY 2022

P.O. Box 282 Iola, WI 54945 Phone: (800) 223-3161 www.todayschristianliving.org Copyright 2022

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)

Presents

10th Annual Writing Contest

Submit your story about everyday people who are making a difference for Jesus.

Keep it between 800 and 1,200 words. Visit todayschristianliving.org for more details and tips on submitting a winning entry.

1st Prize:

$300 and we publish your article

2nd Prize:

$200 and we publish your article

3rd Prize:

$100 and we publish your article

Submissions must be received by June 6, 2022.

Email submissions to danb@jpmediallc.com.

Include Contest Submission in the Subject line.

All submissions must be previously unpublished both in print and digitally and your own work. If you enter, you are granting us permission to publish your story if you win. All winning submissions become the property of Today’s Christian Living and may be edited for length and to fit the style of the publication.

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BOLERJACK Facing the Storms of Life With Jesus

By Dan Brownell

W

hen Christian artist Blake Bolerjack wrote the hit song “Bring on the Storm” in October 2015, he wanted to share the biblical principle that we shouldn’t run from the difficulties of life, but rather face them head on, because they’re the very things God uses to help us mature spiritually. Since we inevitably go through storms in life, we can embrace them, knowing that with Jesus’ help, we can come out the other side more conformed to His image (Rom. 8:29, Phil. 1:6). In James chapter 1, we see this paradoxical, countercultural truth, which points out that we’re not just called to endure, but actually rejoice in suffering because of the characterbuilding fruit it produces.

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything” (James 1:2-4 NIV).

What Blake didn’t realize when he wrote the lyrics of the song was that he and his wife would face a major storm in their own lives just a few months later. In December 2015, Jenna was diagnosed with an especially aggressive form of breast cancer and was already in stage 2. She immediately began treatment with eight chemotherapy sessions, followed by major surgery in May 2016.

During this time, Blake and Jenna realized they needed to live out his song — and they did. Jenna continued to sing while battling cancer, with Blake supporting her all along their challenging journey, demonstrating their persevering faith in Jesus.

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“Jenna continued traveling with me and singing throughout her treatment,” Blake said. “She even recorded our first fulllength duet CD project with me in the short weeks between her last chemo treatment and surgery.

Photo courtesy of Cameron Powell cameronpowell.net

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BLAKE JENNA

“Since then, we’ve recorded four CDs together with many more to come, God willing. In our concerts we sing and declare what the Lord has done and how we’ve gotten to experience firsthand His faithfulness, provision, and joy through this lifethreatening storm.”

They don’t believe God guaranteed that Jenna would avoid physical suffering or even death from the cancer, just that He would uphold them through the crisis, and that He would use the situation to encourage others as well.

“Jenna has gotten to proclaim the goodness of God in her doctors’ appointments, interactions with other patients, and sharing about how she does not have to fear bad news because she knows who holds her in His capable hands. We take the time, wherever we go, to give thanks that whatever the prognosis, whatever the situation, in Jesus we have a win-win situation.”

Jenna remains cancer-free so far, but many Christians don’t survive cancer, other serious diseases, or accidents. All those who trust in Jesus will eventually receive healing one way or another, though. If not now, then in heaven. Jenna recounted a letter that she received from a man who said that after hearing her testimony, his perspective changed. “After praying so fervently for his father to be healed of cancer, he saw how God did heal him after all by taking him to heaven,” Jenna said. “That man, only a couple months later after the concert, was diagnosed with cancer himself and went to be with the Lord. The family wrote me saying that my testimony truly affected him, and his journey through cancer was eased by that outlook of trusting God whatever came his way.”

Blake’s Storm

Blake faced a major crisis of his own as a teenager, in which he attempted suicide. “A perfectionist by nature, Blake felt he had to be perfect in every area of his life, even his walk with the Lord,”

Jenna explained. “And he would trash talk himself so badly, it resulted in crippling anxiety and clinical depression. Things got so bad that he couldn’t function and was placed in a hospital; it was there he attempted to take his life at age 17.

“But, by the grace of God, he was rescued both physically and emotionally. At the lowest point of his life, Blake says the love of God was overwhelmingly real, and he experienced God’s grace in a whole new way. He hit rock bottom and found out God still loved him and wanted him.

“When he talks about his emotional healing, he is passionate to communicate that others can know the freedom of Christ and the love that is extended to them. To this day, Blake marvels that God can heal and restore even when your own choices have imprisoned you.”

The Bolerjacks’ Beginnings

Both Blake and Jenna grew up in strong, Christian homes. “I’m very fortunate to have the family I have,” said Blake. “My parents, Buddy and Barbara Bolerjack, both believers, did their very best to bring me and my older brother Brent up in a Christ-centered home. They were extremely proactive in teaching us about Jesus and discipling us in our walk.”

“I was also raised in a Christian home with godly parents who lived their faith and passed it on to me,” Jenna added. “My dad would take me to concerts growing up and many times they’d be our ‘daddy daughter monthly date night’ outing. I have really strong memories of those Christian concerts growing up and I think those experiences made me very aware of the impact Christian concerts can have.”

Blake and Jenna met at Oklahoma Baptist University. Blake had just transferred there, and Jenna was a freshman. They attended a beginning-of-the-year meeting in the theater department, where they met.

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“I noticed him across the room but didn’t get to meet him during the event,” Jenna explained. “He noticed me, too, and made sure we walked out the door at the same time so he could meet me. He forgot to get my number at that time, but we ran into each other a week later in the cafeteria and he made sure to get my number then! I remember writing his name down on a sticky note after we first met, hoping that he’d be someone I would be spending more time with in the near future.”

“I would like to say that Jenna was drawn to me by my good looks and charming wit,” Blake said.

“But she probably just felt sorry for me. As for me, I was drawn to Jenna right away. I saw how she interacted with people. She is very kind, and her faith was evident with how she lived her life and treated others … and she was pretty cute.”

They married in January 2006 after Jenna graduated. “I had already had the first seven months of being a soloist under my belt while we were engaged and were waiting for Jenna to graduate,” Blake said. “Jenna’s folks had always told Jenna they would pay for her college as long as she waited to get married, so graduation could not come fast enough.”

Concert Ministry

Blake and Jenna have traveled together full time in concert ministry since 2006, but for the first 10 years, Blake primarily sang solo, with Jenna only singing one or two songs with him per concert. Her main role was to run the sound equipment and manage their schedule, as she preferred to stay in the background. She felt a strong impression from God that was what He wanted for her at that point in her life.

THE BOLERJACKS’ ACCOMPLISHMENTS

• Blake and Jenna have recorded 11 projects so far, with the last six as a duet. They’re currently signed with Berry Hill Records of Nashville.

• Blake had the honor of recording the original “Prayer Force One” theme song and performing it at the Oklahoma State Capitol in April 2007. The song has since been played at every state capitol in the U.S. • Blake won the grand prize for “Bring On the Storm” in the Singing News magazine national songwriting competition in 2017.

• Blake gained national recognition when his solo single “Somebody Cares” topped radio charts. Blake and Jenna have since topped charts with multiple songs, including their two original songs “Bring On the Storm” and “I’ve Got My Reservation.”

• Blake and Jenna won SGN Scoops magazine’s Sunrise Duet of the Year award in 2018. They also were a Top 10 finalist for Favorite Duet with Singing News Fan Awards in 2021, and have had interviews and performances on TBN and VTN networks.

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“I was happy behind the scenes,” Jenna said.

“Over time, though, that red light became yellow, and then one day as I was reading in Romans about using our gifts to encourage others, it became a clear green light for me, and I was moved to approach Blake about joining him on stage as a duo full time. He was totally on board, and we started planning how to come together as artists and minister together.

But I needed time to grow vocally, to be able to handle singing a full concert with Blake.”

Over the course of about a year, she gradually eased into that role, building her stamina. That transition time was when she was diagnosed with cancer, but that made her performances on stage all the more impactful to their audiences.

“We were blessed to be able to see God in ways we wouldn’t have, had we not gone through these trials,” Blake said. “As the Lord walked us through this, it allowed Jenna to have a platform where we could relate and communicate to more people, giving an opportunity to share with others and edify fellow believers.

“So, we make plans, but God has changed our plans on a continuing basis, and His ministry doesn’t stop and doesn’t return void.”

Making His Name Known Around the World

“Although churches are the primary place we sing, we also sing in a lot of other venues, too,” Jenna said. “We’ve sung in festivals in the U.S. and Canada and have sung in theaters in Branson and Dollywood. We’ve also sung in Germany to theaters, churches, and seminaries there. But churches have been a wonderful setting for us to bring concerts to, encouraging local church congregations and also providing a special event for people to invite their friends and neighbors to. We’ve found that a lot of people are more likely to come to a concert if they’re uneasy about coming to a regular church service.”

Testimonies of God’s Grace

“We know people each week are affected by our music because they tell us so many stories after the concerts,” said Jenna. “For example, there was a teen who was in the hospital in a coma. His music pastor would visit him regularly and play Christian music to him, including our CDs. After many days of prayer, when the young man finally woke, he was humming our music!

“We’ve been told of multiple people requesting our music be played as they drew their final breaths — and also of family members watching their loved ones pass away and playing our music in their final moments.

“Blake recalls a young teen girl in tears after a concert telling him she finally believed that God loved her after hearing Blake sing ‘Somebody Cares.’”

Those stories are a reminder to Blake and Jenna that all the work and travel their ministry requires is worth it. And they wouldn’t have it any other way.

For more information about the Bolerjacks, visit blakeandjenna.com. 

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LIVING IN WISDOM

By Jerry and Shirley Rose

Stewardship: A Biblical View

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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hirley and I have frequent opportunities to trembling … but the Holy Spirit’s power was in my minister, and when appropriate, we end our words” (TLB). speech with “an altar call.” That’s an oldI recall a personal conversation with Billy Grafashioned term meaning we give the audience an ham a few years ago where he demonstrated a opportunity to accept Christ. I usually say some- similar attitude about his ministry. I was remindthing like, “Would you like to accept Christ and ing him about an incident at an earlier National make Him Lord of your life?”

Religious Broadcasters meeting when I actually Through many years of working with multide- had to speak in place of President George H. Bush, nominational audiences, I have learned that many who had gotten severe laryngitis. He was to be inpeople, even church members, can believe in God, troduced by his friend Billy Graham. Of course, even love God, but don’t really have a relation- I asked Dr. Graham to speak in his place, but he ship with Christ. What does it take then to be a refused. He insisted that as president of NRB, I true Christ-follower? What kind of maturity does should speak. I could not convince him otherwise. it take to know the Lord intimately, live a righteous I shared with him how scary that was and how nerlife, share the message of Christ with others, and vous I had been to have to fill in for the president make a difference for eternity? It takes a true un- of the United States. His response shocked me and derstanding of spiritual stewardship. The question was, no doubt, an insight into why his ministry had is, “Am I the Lord of my life, or is Christ the Lord such a powerful anointing. of my life?

“You know Jerry,” he said, “I’m nervous every We often think of being a good steward as man- time I step in the pulpit. In fact, there are times I’m aging our finances well or being faithful in paying so scared that my knees actually knock together. our tithes and offerings. This is an important ap- I guess,” he concluded, “it’s because I realize the plication, but it is much more than just the man- incredible responsibility I have standing there as agement of our money, our possesGod’s messenger.” Billy Graham, sions, our time, our environment, the apostle Paul, had a firm “Am I the Lord of my like or health. It is the foundation of grasp on what it meant to be a stewlife, or is Christ the ard and he took the responsibilour relationship with God. Stewardship is our obedience to God’s ity seriously, but totally relied upon Lord of my life? sovereignty and defines what kind God’s power. of Christian we are. It reveals our Though our lives will probably priorities and ministry and fruitfulness for the not have the world-changing impact of the Apostle Kingdom. It is the measure of just how yielded we Paul or Billy Graham, we all do have a vital place are to the Lord. in the kingdom of God, and we need to take our In 1 Corinthians 9:17, the apostle Paul writes, management job as seriously as those men.

“I have been entrusted with a stewardship.” The As we seek to please God in all we do and grow Greek word here is oikonomos, which is usually in our faith walk, let us consider again what it translated steward, administrator, or manager. means to be a good steward. Yes, we are managers Paul gives it more significance, as he sees his re- of our finances and our time, but we should think sponsibility for preaching the gospel as a divine of it as “whole life” management encompassing trust of which he is the steward. every aspect of who we are. Our money, our time, We must remember, however, that it takes more our mind, our talents and gifts, our families, and than human effort. Once we have accepted our even biblical truth. They are all gifts from God place in the body of Christ, the stewardship re- entrusted to us for a time but belonging to our quired of us is not the result of our own power or Heavenly Father. We are under His constant auabilities, but through the power of the Holy Spirit. thority as we administer His affairs. May we do so Paul acknowledged this in 1 Corinthians 2:1-4: responsibly and in a way that gives glory to God “Dear brothers, even when I came to you I didn’t and His kingdom. use lofty words and brilliant ideas to tell you God’s Finally, ask yourself again, “Am I the Lord of my message…I came to you in weakness — timid and Life, or is Christ the Lord of my life?” 

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MAY 2022

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

1

Numbers 8; Psalm 44

8

Numbers 16; Psalms 52-54

15

Numbers 24; Psalms 66-67

22

Numbers 31; Psalms 75-76

29

MONDAY

2

Numbers 9; Psalm 45

9

Numbers 17-18; Psalm 55

16

Numbers 25; Psalm 68

23

Numbers 32; Psalm 77

30

TUESDAY

3

Numbers 10; Psalms 46-47

10

Numbers 19; Psalms 56-57

17

Numbers 26; Psalm 69

24

Numbers 33; Psalms 78:1-37

31

Deuteronomy 2; Psalms 83-84

Deuteronomy 3; Psalm 85

Deuteronomy 4; Psalms 86-87

SUNDAY

MONDAY

TUESDAY

JUNE

WEDNESDAY

4

Numbers 11; Psalm 48

11

Numbers 20; Psalms 58-59

18

Numbers 27; Psalms 70-71

25

Numbers 34; Psalms 78:38ff

THURSDAY

5

Numbers 12-13; Psalm 49

12

Numbers 21; Psalms 60-61

19

Numbers 28; Psalm 72

26

Numbers 35; Psalm 79

FRIDAY

6

Numbers 14; Psalm 50

13

Numbers 22; Psalms 62-63

20

Numbers 29; Psalm 73

27

SATURDAY

7

Numbers 15; Psalm 51

14

Numbers 23; Psalms 64-65

21

Numbers 30; Psalm 74

28

Numbers 36; Psalm 80

Deuteronomy 1; Psalms 81-82

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

MAY WEDNESDAY

1

Deuteronomy 5; Psalm 88

THURSDAY

2

Deuteronomy 6; Psalm 89

9

3

Deuteronomy 8; Psalm 91

10

11

18

5

6

7

8

12

13

14

15

16

17

19

20

21

22

23

24

Deuteronomy 9; Deuteronomy 10; Deuteronomy 11; Deuteronomy 12; Psalms 92-93 Psalm 94 Psalms 95-96 Psalms 97-98

Deuteronomy 13-14; Psalms 99-101

4

Deuteronomy 7; Psalm 90

Deuteronomy 15; Deuteronomy 16; Psalm 102 Psalm 103

Deuteronomy 17; Deuteronomy 18; Deuteronomy 19; Deuteronomy 20; Deuteronomy 21; Deuteronomy 22; Deuteronomy 23; Psalm 104 Psalm 105 Psalm 106 Psalm 107 Psalms 108-109 Psalms 110-111 Psalms 112-113

25 Deuteronomy Deuteronomy Deuteronomy 24; Deuteronomy 25; Deuteronomy 26; Deuteronomy 29; Deuteronomy 30; 27-28:19; 28:20ff; Psalms 114-115 Psalm 116 Psalms 117-118 Psalms 119:49-72 Psalms 119:73-96 Psalms 119:1-24 Psalms 119:25-48 26

Deuteronomy 31; Psalms 119:97120

27

Deuteronomy 32; Psalms 119:121-144

28

Deuteronomy 33-34; Psalms 119:145-176

29

Joshua 1; Psalms 120-122

30

Joshua 2; Psalms 123-125

TODAYSCHRISTIANLIVING.ORG

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Revive Our Hearts Providing a Daily Infusion of God’s Word

I

By Pam S. Walker

f there ever was a time when our culture needed a shot of biblical truth, it’s now. One organization providing women with a much-needed infusion of truth is Revive Our Hearts.

Founded as a daily radio ministry in 2001 by Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth, its mission is to call women to experience the joy of personal revival and to embrace their design as true women, as defined in God’s Word.

Janine Nelson, Senior Director of Advancement for Revive Our Hearts, expressed the critical need for this truth. “These are trying times. Women in every demographic are confused, misguided, and fearful, living in a world where gender roles seem fluid, basic biblical literacy is on a steep decline, and there are so many voices vying for women’s allegiance. The need for solid, trustworthy messages is urgent.”

Since its early days, Wolgemuth saw the daily radio ministry serve as “an IV in people’s arms, providing a steady drip, drip, drip of the truth into people’s lives.”

Nelson explained how this daily drip of truth has become a core component of the ministry’s messages, helping women live out biblical truths in the following ways: D = Discover and embrace God’s design for womanhood.

R = Reflect the beauty of Christ to the world around them.

I = Intentionally focus on passing the baton of Truth to the next generation.

P = Pray faithfully for their homes, churches, and communities.

In the Beginning Was Radio

The Revive Our Hearts daily radio ministry began as a successor to Elisabeth Elliot’s radio program, Gateway to Joy. Twenty years later, it has expanded to a global movement that offers several forms of audio teaching, biblical resources, digital outreach, and life-changing conferences. Revive Our Hearts content is available in more than a dozen languages with additional languages being added consistently.

Teaching by Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth, founder of Revive Our Hearts and best-selling author, can be heard through popular daily podcasts, including Seeking Him, which offers bite-sized Bible teaching on many topics, and Revive Our Hearts, a 25-minute program that helps women grow in their love for the Word and Christ.

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Nelson said, “In the past two decades, our methods may have evolved from a single daily audio broadcast to podcasts, blogs, print resources, conferences, and more, but our mission remains the same. We still exist to call women to surrender their whole lives to Christ, knowing that’s the only way to find true freedom and to experience the fullness and fruitfulness that comes with living for Him.” Wolgemuth’s daily teaching can be heard through the popular daily podcasts, Revive Our Hearts, a 25-minute program that helps women grow in their love for the Word and Christ, and Seeking Him, which offers bite-sized Bible teaching on many topics.

Other podcasts and videocasts offered by Wolgemuth and other trusted teachers of the Word include Women of the Bible, Revive Our Hearts Weekend, Grounded, The Deep Well, and Expect Something Beautiful. In addition, True Girl offers biblical teaching for tween girls, their moms, and young-at-heart girls. Numerous podcasts are offered in English, Spanish, Afrikaans, Tsonga, Portuguese, French, and Farsi. According to the ministry’s 2021 Praise Report, it had 63.3 million digital listens, with 49% in English and 51% in Spanish. These podcasts can be heard through various podcast services, the radio, or through the Revive Our Hearts App.

Trusted Resources Just a Click Away

Those looking for biblical teaching from trusted sources will find a plethora of material on the Revive Our Heart’s website, which organizes its resource library by seasons of life, including mothers, teenagers, single women, married women, and empty nesters. Visitors can also search resources listed by category, such as hurting women, mentors, ministry leaders, and students of the Word, as well as search by topics. Resources include videos, episodes, articles, featured books, Bible study resources, conference messages, 30-day challenges, products, wallpapers, and newsletters.

Many women have been introduced to the Revive Our Hearts ministry through Wolgemuth’s best-selling books. More than 5 million copies of Wolgemuth’s books have been distributed worldwide and translated into 32 languages. Her books include

More than 70,000 have attended a True Woman three-day event, held each year throughout the country, with hundreds of thousands participating via livestream from around the world.

These faith-equipping events call women to experience the joy of personal revival and to embrace their design and true women, as defined in God’s Word.

the popular Lies Women Believe and the Truth That Sets Them Free (updated in 2018 and releasing in softcover on April 1, 2022), Seeking Him (coauthored), Adorned: Living Out the Beauty of the Gospel Together, and You Can Trust God to Write Your Story, which was coauthored with her husband, Robert.

In September, she will be releasing a new book, Heaven Rules.

A One-Stop-Shop for Biblical Truth and Encouragement

The ministry’s popular website, ReviveOurHearts.com, offers a one-stop-shop for women, and even men, of all ages and seasons of life looking for resources to read, watch, and listen to, and provides information on upcoming events and conferences. According to its 2021 Annual Praise Report, the ministry has reached almost 1 million followers in the top four social media channels and more than 2,000 women have participated in online studies. Countries with the most visitors include Mexico, the United States, Colombia, Argentina, and Peru. Visits to the website available in Spanish have doubled in the last three years, with more than 7.1 million visits.

Revive Our Hearts maintains a popular blog in English along with several Spanish blogs. The ministry receives numerous testimonies of how its resources are impacting the lives of women, including the following testimony received from Lexi: “Several of your posts are about the exact thing that I’ve been dealing with: loneliness, lack of friendships, and sadness. I praise God for showing me this site! Your posts have given me so much to think about, so much to pray about it, and more than anything, encouragement. It’s going on my ‘Favorites’ on my browser now!”

Faith-Equipping Events Bringing Lasting Impact

Another significant aspect of the Revive Our Hearts ministry is its international events, ministry partner gatherings, and True Woman conferences held in-person and livestreamed.

According to Nelson, nearly 70,000 have attended one of their events in person, with hundreds of thousands participating via livestream. Through these faith-equipping events, Nelson said they are “elevating God’s Word and helping women around the globe experience personal revival and embrace His calling in their lives. A woman who is grounded in her identity in Christ and committed to bearing His image is a powerful force for good in her home, church, and community.”

The Revive Our Hearts team is currently preparing for the True Woman ’22 conference (TrueWoman22.com), scheduled for September 22–24, in Indianapolis, Indiana. With the theme “Heaven Rules,” this three-day conference features teaching by Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth, Dannah Gresh, Kay Arthur, Joni Eareckson Tada (via video), and many more. A preconference offering titled “Gender and Sexuality: Clarity in an Age of Confusion” is planned as well.

The ministry has received many testimonies from conference attendees that highlight how their lives have been impacted.

One attendee had this to say after attending a True Woman TODAYSCHRISTIANLIVING.ORG

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The ministry’s faith-equipping events help women around the globe experience freedom, fullness, and fruitfulness in Christ through elevating God’s Word. The Revive Our Hearts team is currently preparing for the True Woman ’22 conference in Indianapolis, Indiana which has a theme “Heaven Rules.”

conference: “I ran through just about every emotion possible: laughter, awe, understanding, pride, shame, conviction, realization, worship, sadness, relief, anger, joy, peace, and most of all, thankfulness. I will be forever changed.”

Becoming a Worldwide Movement

In its 20 years of ministry, more women around the world are experiencing freedom, fullness, and fruitfulness in Christ thanks to much of its content being translated into multiple languages. According to Nelson, Revive Our Hearts web content is now available in more than 12 languages. And because

of dedicated translation efforts, they have 22 of their books in 32 languages. They hope to provide women around the world with the opportunity to engage in their core content in 40 languages by 2040.

Nelson said that although Revive Our Hearts didn’t set out to become an international ministry, God’s plans far exceeded what they could have imagined. “A group of women from the Dominican Republic attended the first True Woman conference in 2008, and our Spanish ministry Aviva Nuestros Corazones was formed out of a vision the Lord put in the hearts of those women. God continues to open doors internationally,” she explained.

Nelson added, “As the ministry moves forward, they will continue to invite women to experience the freedom that only comes from knowing Christ and embracing His Word by teaching them to cry out along with the Psalmist, “You who seek God, let your hearts revive” (Psalm 69:32).

No matter what the interaction is with Revive Our Hearts, whether listening to a podcast during your daily walk, searching on the website for articles on how to pray for your husband, or attending a True Woman conference, you’ll get a steady drip of biblical truth and infusion of God’s Word whenever you connect with this ministry.  Pam S. Walker is the former national editor of Answers magazine, a publication of Answers in Genesis, and is a freelance writer and editor living in the Cincinnati area where she writes for various Christian publications.

EQUIPPING SERVANT LEADERS FOR MINISTRY

The Revive Our Hearts website offers a variety of tools that help servant leaders sharpen their gifts, thrive in their calling, and connect them with other likeminded servants who want to help support women’s ministry. These tools include: Ambassadors — These volunteers assist leaders in carrying on the important work of women’s ministry through prayer, encouragement, and support. Last year, the Ambassador team of 48 ambassadors in 20 states and eight countries donated 8,800 hours of service to the Revive Our Hearts ministry throughout the year. The website includes information on how to become an Ambassador, as well as how to find an Ambassador in your local area.

The Leader Connection — This digital hub provides valuable resources to leaders at all levels of ministry, including those who are wanting to start or grow a women’s ministry, develop as a leader, lead in prayer, study and teach the Bible, lead a small group, plan an event, help hurting women, grow as a pastor’s wife, and more.

Event Planning Toolbox — This includes all the resources needed to introduce other women to the Revive Our Heart ministry through planning a customized event that includes recorded messages on revival and true womanhood. The Event Kit includes a Starter Guide, schedules, choice of recorded messages, promo materials, and more.

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ASK DR. WALT

By Walt Larimore, MD

Fruitful Fasting

Prepare Yourself Spiritually

Dear Dr. Walt, I’ve done some food fasts that have lasted a few days. I’m considering trying a longer one. Any advice?

—Faster in Idaho 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 bestselling author of 30 books. You can find Dr. Walt’s health blog and free daily devotional at www.DrWalt.com.

You can also watch him on Liftable TV at Liftable TV.com/ DoctorWalt. Have questions for Dr. Walt?

Email them to editor@ todayschristianliving.org.

Dear Abstainer, The practice of fasting (abstinence from all or some foods or drinks for a set period of time) is mentioned over 70 times in both the Old Testament and New Testament. Moses, Daniel, King David, the Apostles, and even Jesus fasted!

Fasting helps us focus on prayer and seeking God’s will. Through fasting God can give us guidance and wisdom while helping us grow in a more intimate relationship with Christ and opening our eyes and hearts to what He wants to teach us.

Fasting is a practice I’ve prescribed to many of my patients for over four decades. Besides its spiritual and emotional benefits, fasting has been shown to have many health benefits, from increased weight loss to reduced inflammation, along with better brain and heart function. Here are some steps I recommend for a fruitful time of fasting.

Set Your Objectives

Why are you fasting? Spiritual renewal? Guidance? Healing? Resolution of problems? Special grace for a difficult situation? Ask the Holy Spirit to clarify His leading and objectives for your fasting and prayer.

Make Your Commitment

Prayerfully determine how long God wants you to fast — one meal, one day, one week, several weeks, 40 days? (Warning: beginners should start slowly and build up to longer fasts.) What type of fast does God want you to undertake? Intake: water only, water and juice only, certain foods, all foods?

And how often for each? Activity: no internet, no TV, etc.?

Determine how much time you’re being led to fast (i.e., how much time each day or how many days). Decide how much time you’ll devote to quiet time, prayer, God’s Word, mediation, and memorization. Making these types of commitments ahead of time will help sustain your fast when temptations and life’s pressures tempt you to abandon it.

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The foundation of fasting and prayer is repentance. Unconfessed sin will hinder your prayers.

Ask God to help you make a comprehensive list of your sins as they come to mind. Ask God to fill you with His Holy Spirit according to His command in Ephesians 5:18 and His promise in 1 John 5:14–15.

Begin to meditate on the attributes of God — His love, sovereignty, power, wisdom, faithfulness, grace, and compassion. Then, when you begin your time of fasting and prayer, you’ll do so with an expectant heart.

Prepare Yourself Physically

Fasting requires wise preparation and precautions. If you are not 100% healthy, if you are over 50 years old, if you take any medications, or if you have any chronic medical or emotional conditions, consult your personal physician first. Don’t rush into your fast. Prepare your body for several weeks or a month ahead by eating smaller portions. Avoid or reduce saturated and trans fats and begin to emphasize plant-based fats. Avoid or reduce simple sugars and caffeine and begin to emphasize whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and water. Finally, avoid or reduce animal proteins and begin to emphasize plant proteins. Physical preparation makes fasting a little easier so you can turn your full attention to the Lord.

While You Fast

Limit your exertion and exercise. Rest as much as your schedule will allow. Consider getting 8 to 9 hours of sleep a night and naps if needed and possible. Be prepared for emotional and relational discomforts, such as impatience, irritability, crankiness, anxiety, and anger. Also, be ready for physical discomforts, especially on the second and third days — hunger pains, dizziness, the blahs, weakness, tiredness, or sleepiness. When you feel hunger pains, increase your liquid intake. Be aware that headaches can come from caffeine and sugar withdrawal. The first two or three days are usually the hardest; however, as your fast continues, you’ll likely experience a sense of well-being both physically and spiritually.

Put Yourself on a Schedule

For maximum spiritual benefit, set aside ample time to be alone with the Lord. Listen to His leading. The more time you spend with Him, the more meaningful your fast will be. Here are some ideas to consider:

Prayerfully determine how long God wants you to fast — one meal, one day, one week, several weeks, 40 days?

Photo by Jack Sharp on Unsplash

• Upon awakening, begin with prayer, silently sing a hymn, or review any Scripture you’re memorizing.

• During the morning, begin with praise and worship. Find a quiet spot to read and meditate on God’s Word (especially the Psalms and Proverbs). Focus on Scripture to memorize. Invite the Holy Spirit to work in you to will and to do His good pleasure. Ask Him to show you how to influence the world into which He has placed you (family, church, work, and community). Spend time praying for His vision for your life and the empowerment to accomplish His will.

Spend time listening to and singing hymns.

• At mid-day, return to prayer and God’s Word (especially the Gospels). Try to take a prayer or worship walk. Spend time in intercessory prayer for your family, community, nation, and leaders. Pray for the lost you know. Perhaps listen to Christian music.

• In the late afternoon or evening, get alone for an unhurried time of seeking His face. Fast from television, the newspaper, magazines, and other distractions that may dampen your spiritual focus. Read a Christian book, perhaps one about a hero of our faith.

• At bedtime, have a time of solitude and prayer. Sing a hymn.

Pray with your spouse if married. Review your Scripture memory verses.

• Besides having a spiritual activity scheduled, consider a diet routine. This one is suggested by Dr. Julio C. Ruibal: 5–8 a.m.: Fruit juices, preferably freshly squeezed or blended and diluted in 50% distilled water if the fruit is acid. Apple, pear, grapefruit, papaya, watermelon, or other fruit juices are generally preferred. If you can’t make your own fresh juice, buy juices without sugar or additives.

10:30 a.m. –noon: Fresh vegetable juice from equal parts lettuce, celery, and carrots. Drinking fruit or vegetable juice will decrease your hunger pains and give you natural energy.

2:30–4 p.m.: Herbal tea with a drop of honey. Avoid caffeinated tea.

6–8:30 p.m.: Broth made from boiling potatoes, celery, and carrots, with no salt. After boiling about a half hour, cool, pour water into a container, and drink. In cold weather, you may enjoy warm vegetable broth.

• Avoid gum or mints, as they stimulate digestive action in your stomach.

End Your Fast Gradually

How you break your fast is extremely important to your physical and spiritual well-being. Be sure to end your fast gradually. Begin eating gradually. Don’t eat solid foods immediately after your fast. Suddenly reintroducing solid food to your stomach and digestive tract may have negative consequences.

Try several smaller meals or snacks each day. Consider slowly adding the BRATS foods: B = bananas, watermelon, pears, melons, R = rice, wild or brown and mixed greens, A = applesauce, apples, steamed veggies, T= toast, crackers, baked/boiled potatoes, and S = soups — vegetable soups, not creamy or spicy.

After Your Fast

Consider the lessons you learned to improve your spiritual health: Is the Lord leading you to more regular times of prayer, Bible reading, Scripture memorization, private and corporate worship, and increased fellowship with other followers of Jesus? Do you need to seek forgiveness from any you have offended and to forgive all who have hurt you? Do you need to ask the Holy Spirit to guard your walk against complacency and mediocrity? Do you need to begin to praise and give thanks to God continually in all ways, on all days, regardless of your circumstances? Do you need to more consistently hunger and thirst after righteousness and to love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength? Do you need to seek to share Christ daily as a way of life and to daily seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness?

Consider the lessons you learned to improve your physical, relational, and emotional health: How can you improve your nutrition, exercise, sleep, and relationships? How can you simplify and reduce stress and anxiety? Should you consider avoiding or reducing screen time (TV, video games, internet time, cellphone time, etc.) or starting family meals, worship, walks or exercise, and talks?

The late Dr. Bill Bright, the founder of CRU, cautioned: “The single fast, however, is not a spiritual cure-all. Just as we need fresh infillings of the Holy Spirit daily, we also need new times of fasting before God. A 24-hour fast each week has been greatly rewarding to many Christians.”

He also wrote, “It takes time to build your spiritual fasting muscles. If you fail to make it through your first fast, do not be discouraged. You may have tried to fast too long the first time out, or you many need to strengthen your understanding and resolve. As soon as possible, undertake another fast, until you do succeed. God will honor your faithfulness” — and your fast!  TODAYSCHRISTIANLIVING.ORG

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A Son of a World War II Hero Shares His Father’s Incredible Story of Courage and Sacrifice

By Walt Larimore

Right: Phil Larimore was a skilled horseman who loved to ride in horse shows, participate in foxhunts, and engage in steeplechase competitions. Here he’s pictured with his favorite horse, Chugwater.

Inset: Growing up, Phil was unruly. He preferred to swim, hunt, fish, and ride horses rather than do schoolwork.

He became so challenging that his parents sent him to Gulf Coast Military Academy (GCMA) in Gulfport, Mississippi, where he boarded during his high school years.

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ike almost every boy who grew up in the 1950s and early 1960s with World War II epics on TV and at the movie theaters, I wanted to believe that my daddy had been a brave and courageous soldier when he fought in the war. Maybe he was an unknown hero or another Audie Murphy — someone I could boast about to my friends.

But since Dad never talked about his experiences as a soldier, I couldn’t match the tales other boys told when they bragged about their fathers’ exploits on the battlefield. When I asked Mom why, all she would say was, “He doesn’t like to talk about it.”

I now understand why. For frontline soldiers like my father, the war was indescribably horrible. I also knew that

MAY 2022

Dad’s right leg had been amputated only one month before the end of the war, so it made sense why he never wanted to talk about how he lost his limb.

Then, on his 50th wedding anniversary in 1999, we were sitting together when I casually mentioned to him that I had been asked to preach a Fourth of July sermon at our church on the topic “Freedom Isn’t Free.” I wondered if he might tell me a little more about his adventures during the war years.

Perhaps he was feeling nostalgic after a half-century of marriage and keeping his past concealed, but for whatever reason, he decided that was the right moment to share parts of a remarkable adventure when he fought in Europe alongside 2 million other young men. He strongly denied being a hero, however. “I was one of over 550,000 U.S. casualties in the European theater of operations,” he told me. “Of those, a little over a hundred thousand were killed in action. Son, those were the heroes. Not me!”

But Dad sure sounded like a hero to me when he showed me the shadow box in his office with some of his medals, including the Distinguished Service Cross, the U.S. Army’s secondhighest military decoration for soldiers who display extraordinary heroism in combat with an armed enemy force.1 Dad’s bravery was also evident when he told me about being part of an extremely risky top-secret mission far behind enemy lines near the end of the war that would save the world-famous Lipizzaner horses from near extinction.

But nothing topped Dad’s story of heroism when he described the day he lost his leg. After more than 15 months of non-stop fighting, he was commanding a frontline infantry company in April 1945 when they got caught in a firefight in a heavily wooded forest bordering the German village Rottershausen. German snipers nestled in towering firs were picking off his men one at a time. Machine gun nests hidden behind a camouflage of evergreen boughs kept the GIs pinned down. Simultaneously, wellcamouflaged artillery fired projectiles into the canopy of hundred-foot-tall evergreens, timed to burst and rain splintered wood and white-hot shrapnel on the soldiers below.

In the chaos, Dad organized a counterattack to save his surrounded squad of men. But as he was laying down suppressing fire, an excruciating jolt of searing agony shot up his right leg. He hit the ground, groaning. Despite unbearable pain, Dad managed to roll himself into a shallow ditch.

From the safety of cover, he peeked over the edge. Scores of Germans, firing as fast as they could while screaming at the top of their lungs, were rushing toward him. When the Nazi soldiers were only 20 to 30 yards away, Dad lowered his head and played dead. Within seconds, the enemy soldiers leaped over the ditch and kept running.

His commander found him, close to death, as dusk fell. The surgeons saved his life but not his leg.

He was shipped to Lawson General Hospital in Atlanta for rehabilitation. It was there that Dad had a series of heartfelt con-

Above: Phil’s mother received a Western Union telegram on two occasions of Phil being wounded. Both resulted in battlefield decorations including two Purple Hearts, one Silver Star, and a Distinguished Service Cross. After receiving his second leg wound in 1944, Phil recuperated in a field hospital in a bed next to World War II hero Audie Murphy.

Left: In his captain’s portrait, Phil is wearing several of his battle awards. The striped patch on his left shoulder represents the “Blue and White Devils” of the 3rd Infantry Division. Phil was wounded six times in battle but refused three of the six offered Purple Hearts.

versations with a chaplain. My father was feeling incredibly depressed about his status as an amputee. His self-image was shattered; his future was uncertain.

After confessing these awkward feelings to the chaplain, he heard this life-altering advice: “Son, your wound will either make you a bitter person or a better person. It will either harden your heart or soften it. You will either be a person changed for the worse, or one who chooses to make the world better. In my opinion, the worst disability in life isn’t being disabled; it’s being disabled with a bad attitude. The Germans smashed your leg, but don’t let them shatter your heart, your talents, your gifts, your will, or your faith in God and His plan for you. The choice is really up to you.”

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were more than twice as likely to turn to prayer as those who did not. That was sure certainly true for me and my men.”

Dad reached into his wallet and pulled out an unfolded a piece of paper. “This is what I came to believe in combat,” he said.

No shell or bomb can on me burst, except my God permit it first.

Then let my heart be kept in peace; His watchful care will never cease.

No bomb above, nor mine below, need cause my heart one pang of woe.

The Lord of Hosts encircles me; He is the Lord of earth and sea.

Above: After the war, while waiting for a decision on his discharge, Phil was assigned to ceremonial duties for the Military District of Washington. One of his tasks was attending the visits of dignitaries. Phil is standing next to General Dwight D. Eisenhower (seen just at the right of Eisenhower’s shoulder) and British Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery.

Right: After Phil received the Distinguished Service Cross in a ceremony at Fort Myer, his story was featured in this newspaper clipping that noted how he was the youngest man commissioned as an infantry officer during World War II.

Dad’s prayers began to change. He asked for God’s guidance through the storms instead of a miraculous rescue from them. He prayed for a sense of peace to reign in his heart.

My father knew U.S. Army policy stipulated that any officer requiring an amputation would be forced to leave the military, but he felt led to formally fight this unjust policy. Although he knew it would be an uphill battle, it was one worth fighting.

Unfortunately, my father lost the final hearing in which he was told by one hearing officer, “Amputee officers simply don’t have a place in our Army!” Another exclaimed, “You’re a cripple! Mind you, a highly decorated cripple, but still a cripple!”

Dad determined that the Lord had another plan for him. He finished college and succeeded in a long career as a professor of cartography at Louisiana State University, where he published several books and founded and oversaw the Louisiana Geography Bee for years. He and Mom were also active members of St. Alban’s Chapel in Baton Rouge and enthusiastically involved in student ministry at the LSU Episcopal Student Center. Most of all, he was a loyal and devoted husband and father.

But Dad didn’t manifest his spiritual faith the same way I saw among my friends who were evangelical Christians. I remember asking him one time whether he felt he had a personal relationship with God. He thought for a moment and told me, “In World War II, there was a popular phrase: ‘There are no atheists in foxholes.’ I remember reading that the Department of Defense reported that less than 1% of the armed forces said they were atheists. They also said that in the heat of the war, men who experienced intense combat 20

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My dad taught me that true spiritual faith — a true relationship with God the Father, through the sacrifice of Jesus — is manifested in our being controlled and empowered by the Holy Spirit in such a way that any true faith fills and overflows from our hearts and into our actions. True faith, he would say, is not merely worn on one’s shirt sleeve.

During the last few years of his life, Dad more frequently shared his stories and his faith with family and friends. He finally seemed to be at peace with his past and died a happy man, in his sleep, on October 31, 2003.

Despite Dad’s distinguished service, the only honor guard the Army could muster for his burial was two elderly volunteers wearing Veterans of Foreign War (VFW) caps, who played a cassette tape of “Taps” from a portable boombox. It wasn’t that the Army didn’t care or didn’t want to honor his fantastic feats on the battlefield, but this country was losing more than a thousand soldiers a day at the time. There was no way to keep up.

I remember what I was thinking that day, standing next to his grave with tears of gratitude streaking down my cheeks: Dad, I always loved being your son. Now more than ever, I’m honored by it.  1.

The shadow box also included two Silver Stars, two Bronze Stars (both with the “V” device for valor), four Purple Hearts, the European Theater of Operations Campaign Medal with Four Bronze Stars and an Arrowhead, three Presidential Unit Citations, along with the American Campaign Medal, World War II Victory Medal, and Combat Infantryman Badge, as well as a Fourragere and two Croix D’Guerre medals from the French. He was one of the youngest and most decorated frontline soldiers in World War II.

Walt Larimore has chronicled the exploits of his father, Philip B. Larimore, Jr., in At First Light: A True World War II Story of a Hero, His Bravery, and an Amazing Horse, which has been endorsed by numerous former generals like Gen. David Petraeus, Lt. Gen. William G. Boykin, and Gen. Ann E. Dunwoody; sports celebrities that include Mike “Coach K” Krzyzewski, Dan Reeves, and Joe Gibbs; nationallysyndicated columnist Cal Thomas, and multi-New York Times best-selling authors Jerry B. Jenkins and Marcus Brotherton.

For more information, visit tinyurl.com/OrderAtFirstLight.

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Beyondthe

Red Carpet

A

By Kirsten Watson

s the wife of Benjamin Watson, a 16-year veteran of the NFL, I’ve walked down red carpets with my husband as camera lights flashed. I’ve given media interviews about what it’s like for millions of football fans to learn I’m pregnant. I’ve watched professional football games from the “friends and family” section of the stadium. But that’s just a tiny sliver of my life. Maybe 2%.

What most people don’t see is the other 98%, the times when I’m doing laundry and making breakfast and waiting in the carpool line, with my hair in a ponytail.

When people look at the public sliver of our lives on TV, they might assume that we have it super easy, that our days are filled with great clothes and tons of people waiting on us.

That may be a portion of the professional athlete experience, but it’s not the main part of our life. The reality is that most of the time, our days are not glamorous.

God Turns Small Acts of Obedience Into Something Extraordinary

Home as a Safe Haven

With our family, I wanted to be intentional from the very beginning that our home would be a safe place, not a shrine devoted to accolades, jerseys, and football memorabilia. I wanted the walls of our house to be filled with photos that show our family as it’s grown — wedding pictures of Benjamin and me, then pictures of our kids (all seven of them!). All along, I’ve wanted to communicate to Benjamin that football is what he does (or what he did), not who he is.

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Left: The Watson family (left to right): Isaiah, Naomi, Eden, Benjamin, Kirsten, Asher, Grace, Levi, and Judah.

I also wanted to communicate to our children that Benjamin is their dad who happens to play football — not a football player who happens to have kids. The kids enjoyed going to Benjamin’s games, but they knew him as daddy first, not as a football player for a certain team. I guess that’s why they’re always a little surprised when someone wants his autograph!

Finding My People

I think one of the hardest parts of the social media frenzy we live in is that we see everyone’s highlight reel, not the struggles they’re going through. The result is often shallow interactions — relationships that have no depth, no realness.

It’s difficult to be vulnerable in a place where you feel everything has to be perfect.

Deep down, we yearn for realness, to not have to be “on” all the time on. It’s exhausting to continually put a mask over our true identity. If we do this for too long, we eventually come to a point where unimportant things make their way to the top of our priority list.

God has a deeper vision for our relationships — He has a way of flipping around what the world says. He wants us to be vulnerable and share our lives with one another. We are often afraid that if people see who we truly are, they won’t accept us. In reality, however, people are drawn to authenticity. That’s where true connection is formed.

In my own relationships, I want to be real. When I announced my new book on social media, part of me longed to be glammed up, to make sure I measured up. But that isn’t my daily reality. So, I posted a picture of myself in the midst of my real life: I’d just worked out and picked up the kids from school, and my hair was pulled back in a ponytail. If we want others to be real with us, we need to take the first step and be vulnerable ourselves.

Moments of Quiet Obedience

For many years, Benjamin was in the limelight while I was at home doing regular stuff. After graduating from the University of Georgia with a degree in marketing and Spanish, I worked for a Fortune 500 company. I walked into a corporate job straight out of college, having been chosen as one of a handful of nationally recognized graduates for an elite two-year business leadership program. I figured I’d work my way up the ranks until I was living it up in the C-suite.

At the time, I never would have believed the way God would radically redirect my course. I do have a job helping lead a corporation these days, but it’s for our family of nine!

What has surprised me is that God didn’t waste those daily things that didn’t seem important at the time — things like changing diapers and washing dishes and reading the same picture book over and over. I often think about David when he was just a shepherd, long before he had any inkling of becoming the king of Israel. He was alone, doing ordinary tasks,

when God called him. God has taught me that when I “You’re being was doing these small acts of obedience behind the obedient to scenes, I was actually preparing for something bigger an audience that I couldn’t have foreseen at the time. of one. Stay Now I’m grateful for those years of preparation, and for in it.” the women who spoke truth into my life. I had mentors and friends who reminded me, “You’re serving your family; you’re being obedient to an audience of one. Stay in it.” I had no idea at the time that God would bring me on this journey. It hasn’t been a meteoric rise to the top; it’s been a series of doing the next right thing. I’ve tried to be obedient, even when I’m scared, even when I don’t want to. It’s been a journey of saying yes and learning to trust.

Manna and a Miracle

Every morning, I ask the Lord for “manna for the day.”

Over the years I’ve found that He supplies just what we need — nothing more, nothing less. Sure, there’s stuff coming up that I could be stressed about. But I ask God to let me focus on this day. I don’t know what’s ahead, and I don’t even have a guarantee that I’ll be there. So, I ask God to give me what I need for today. When I get overwhelmed, I ask God to help me prioritize and then I try to let go.

Another daily prayer of mine is “Lord, multiply what I have.”

I come to Jesus with my small offering, like the boy who offered Him the five loaves and two fish in his lunch. “This is all I have in this basket,” I tell him. Then I trust Him to make it into something more.

Every day, I tell God what I need: manna and a miracle.

That’s the only way I know not to go crazy.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed right now, I wish I could sit down with you. I would look into your eyes and say, “Take a breath!” Sometimes we do so much and move so fast that we don’t breathe in the moment. If we just stop for a moment and inhale, it’s enough to pause our minds and stop our hearts from racing.

I don’t know your exact story, but I know there’s a lot going on for all of us right now. Whatever you’re up against, I encourage you to take a breath. God’s got you. You will get through.  Kirsten Watson is an NFL wife, a mother, an activist, a speaker, and the author of Sis, Take a Breath: Encouragement for the Woman Who’s Trying to Live and Love Well (but Secretly Just Wants to Take a Nap).

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TURNING POINT

By Tammy Darling

Reconciling Good and Hard

“A Tammy Darling is the author of over 1,400 published articles and three books. She writes from her home in rural Pennsylvania.

ll you have to do is write one true sentence. Write the truest sentence that you know.” Words spoken by a man dead for 60-plus years caused my pen to flow again. Ernest Hemingway doesn’t know it, but he brought this writer’s heart back to life.

Until I acknowledged and accepted the truth that life is both good and hard, I couldn’t truly live.

I couldn’t move on. I couldn’t let go of what was to embrace what is.

Layer upon layer of heartache with no time to process or heal sent me into a downward spiral with no foreseeable end in view. I lost sight of the good and could only see the hard.

And isn’t that just like us? To see only what is right in front of us? If it’s good, we see good. If it’s hard, we see hard. Pretty straightforward black and white, isn’t it? Or is it?

What happens when the good and hard collide?

We tend to think good and hard are irreconcilable differences, an oxymoron of sorts, but what if they are simpatico? What if they’re actually two peas in the same pod?

When Good Meets Hard

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.

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When my husband and I decided to adopt a child, all was good … for a while. Fast-forward five years into the adoption process and “good” was now HARD — bold print, capital letters, and all.

After our son finally came home, hard got harder, and good seemed to be nothing more than a distant memory. When all was said and done, our adoption dream came to an end with a secondary placement and I was left standing in the rubble of a shattered life, sorting the good from the hard. And it was then that I realized they’re one and the same.

It turned out that God had used us to get our son out of Haiti and to America for a family that was unable to do so. The couple that adopted him has close ties to Haiti, are unable to have children of their own, and wanted to adopt a Haitian child but couldn’t because of the country’s strict laws and they didn’t qualify. God is good and He worked through our hard time for the good of our son and his permanent adoptive family.

The good is often hard and the hard is always good, as Paul points out in Romans 8:28. This I know to be true. The good was never really gone; it was just enfolded, unable to be seen. Without the

TODAY’S CHRISTIAN LIVING

MAY 2022

proper perspective, I was unable to see the good in the hard. I only saw hard, and it dictated my emotions, attitude, and even words.

Now I know to look for the good in the hard. The collateral beauty is there; I just have to search for it.

Yes, even the hard can be holy and beautiful and good.

At the same time the above was taking place, I was also betrayed by someone very important to me. Hard upon hard. I did the only thing I could do — I ran to Jesus and did the whole ugly cry thing.

He told me to pick up my pen and write … poetry.

I hate poetry. But I still did what He said. And I found the good in the hard.

The months I spent writing nothing but poetry were therapeutic and healing. I came out of that season with a printed book for my own personal use and more “good” than I could have ever imagined from such trauma.

I’ve often viewed my life as one big contradiction — sorrow/joy, tears/laughter, loss/relief — but these too I now see as not contradictory but as complementary. Without sorrow, I would never know what true joy is. Without tears, laughter would not be as precious. And without loss, I would never know the relief of the resurrected life. There is hope in the good and the hard.

As I watch my mama, 11 years into a dementia diagnosis, I’m filled with all sorts of emotions — good and hard. This is a lesson in reconciling the two I wouldn’t wish on anyone. And yet, here I stand at the crossroads of wanting to hang on to my mama for as long as I can and wanting Jesus to take her home so she can truly be healed, healthy, and happy once again. If I had my choice, I’d choose my mother’s gain over my loss, which would also be good and hard simultaneously.

I know others have it worse, yet every pain is valid; every heartache is real. It’s equally true for every one of us that life is both good and hard. May we have eyes to see the good in the hard. May we be blessed with increased wisdom and insight as we navigate the hard. May we be determined to find the good.

They say the comeback is greater than the setback. Do you believe that to be true? I do. Reconciling that life is both good and hard has brought much growth, peace, and joy to my life. Yes, joy… even among the hard. There can be both simultaneously, this too I now know. 

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MOMS, DADS & GRADS RESOURCE GUIDE

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arenting isn’t for the faint of heart. Raising children to follow the Lord is no easy task in today’s world, with all the cultural influences and pressures that both kids and adults face. Following are resources to guide you in this crucial role with eternal impact.

“These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates” (Deut. 6:6¬–9 NIV).

“Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it” (Prov. 22:6 NIV).

“No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it” (Heb. 12:11 NIV).

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Oswald Chambers’s words in My Utmost for His Highest are simultaneously penetrating and invigorating, and they trigger something in your soul leaving you forever changed.

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Stand Strong: 350 Devotions for Men by Men

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When pressure rises from the expectations of life, men need to know that they can stand strong in the power of the Lord. This collection of short meditations encourages you to grow in your relationship with God, live a life of integrity, and build a legacy of faith. amzn.to/3u80QPa

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[Thomas Nelson]

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By Becky Thompson and Dr. Mark Pitts [Thomas Nelson]

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Give the moms in your life a beautiful gift of encouragement, reassurance, and peace amidst uncertainty. Jesus Calling for Moms features 50 relevant devotions from Sarah Young’s New York Times best-seller Jesus Calling®, to celebrate mothers and their love, comfort, and strength, offering timely, biblical truth. bit.ly/JCFM-TN 28

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Every stage of being a dad comes with challenges. But one challenge encompasses them all — how do I become the best dad I can be?

Author Becky Thompson and Dr. Mark Pitts lead a journey of discovering the Father’s heart so you can be encouraged, strengthened, and challenged in your role. bit.ly/MDD-TN

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God’s Wisdom for the Graduate: Class of 2022

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First-Class Fatherhood: Advice and Wisdom From High-Profile Dads

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In One Green Thing, noted environmentalist Heather White shows you how to contribute to the climate movement through a simple plan of daily habits based on your unique personality, interests, and strengths. bit.ly/OneGreenThing4You

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Cleaning Up Your Mental Mess: 5 Simple, Scientifically Proven Steps to Reduce Anxiety, Stress, and Toxic Thinking

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Best-selling author and neuroscientist offers five proven steps to help you overcome the unhealthy thinking habits that contribute to anxiety, depression, and intrusive thoughts, and replace them with positive thinking that leads to health, happiness, and success. BakerBookHouse.com

Welcome to Adulting: Navigating Faith, Friendship, Finances, and the Future

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Popular speaker and New York Times best-selling author takes a refreshingly honest and humorous look at overthinking — identifying what it masquerades as (being prepared), calling it what it really is (fear), and offering a simple plan to turn it from a super problem into a superpower.

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The Five Marks of a Man: Finding Your Path to Courageous Manhood

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Soundtracks: The Surprising Solution to Overthinking

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Pastor Brian Tome challenges men who find themselves at a pressure point — relationally, occupationally, emotionally, or spiritually — to rise to the level of manhood God intended, one defined by strength, purpose, and a code of honor.

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The Men We Need: God’s Purpose for the Manly Man, the Avid Indoorsman, or Any Man Willing to Show Up

By Brant Hansen [Baker Books]

Have we gotten biblical manhood all wrong? Popular Christian radio host and podcaster gives men an inspiring vision and practical wisdom for being who they were uniquely created to be — no matter their personality, interests, or abilities. BakerBookHouse.com

Stand Up, Stand Strong: A Call to Bold Faith in a Confused Culture

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Foster the Family: Encouragement, Hope, and Practical Help for the Christian Foster Parent

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From the creator of the largest online support group for foster parents comes real-time gospel principles that apply to the unique calling and challenges of foster parenting — offering “from the trenches” advice, hope, and encouragement for foster parents. BakerBookHouse.com

The Powerful Purpose of Introverts: Why the World Needs YOU to BE YOU

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Best-selling author, counselor, and life coach uses brain science, powerful stories, research, and biblical principles to help introverts embrace who God created them to be — both for their own benefit and that of a noisy world in desperate need of their quiet strengths.

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By Mary Marantz [Revell]

By Joyce Meyer [FaithWords]

By Jonathan and Erica Catherman [Revell]

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Slow Growth Equals Strong Roots: Finding Grace, Freedom, and Purpose in an Overachieving World

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Welcome to College: A ChristFollower’s Guide for the Journey

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Christian discussion of technology tends to focus on prescriptive ideas. Don’t let social media lead you to pride. Don’t look at the wrong pictures.

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Learn about the fruit of the Spirit together!

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What’s Your Function?

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By Jason Wilson [Thomas Nelson]

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LAUGH LINES

A

dentist was about to leave his office with his golf bag on his shoulder when the phone rang.

“Doctor,” the caller said, “I have a terrible toothache. Can I stop by your office in a few minutes?”

“Sorry,” replied the dentist, “but I have a previous appointment to fill 18 cavities this afternoon.”

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

I

had a job offer from a large company and they offered to fly me out to the interview on business class.

During the return flight we were given gourmet brownies and cookies. Not hungry, I decided to save them for later, so I placed them in an airsickness courtesy bag.

After the plane landed, I got up to leave and a flight attendant approached me if I wanted her to dispose of the bag.

I said, “No thanks, I’m saving it for my kids.”

—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

ESV Men’s Study Bible [Crossway]

The ESV Men’s Study Bible was created for men in all seasons of life who are serious about God’s Word, to help them pursue a deeper, transformational understanding of Scripture. It features additional content written especially for men, including daily devotionals and articles from more than 100 acclaimed scholars and pastors. Along with robust Bible study notes to increase their understanding of Scripture, men will find encouraging resources to help them develop a deeper love for the Lord.

•R obust Bible Study Materials: Features 12,000 theologically rich study notes, comprehensive introductions of each Bible book, 120 character profiles, and 900 key biblical facts •D aily Devotionals: Readings for each day of the year are tied to key Bible texts •C ontributions from Leading Bible Teachers: Includes content from Alistair Begg, Bryan Chapell, Sam Storms, and more •S cripture Application Content for Men: 14 articles cover topics such as identity, communion with God, and leadership •B eautifully Illustrated: Includes artwork from Peter Voth throughout to immerse readers in God’s Word

Finding Freedom and Joy in Self-Forgetfulness

By Michelle Howe [Tyndale House]

Finding Freedom and Joy in Self-Forgetfulness teaches readers that self-forgetfulness is a biblically robust principle that can set us free from the inside out. It shows how when we forget about ourselves and focus on helping others, we find freedom and joy.

Self-care is important, but have you ever found yourself paralyzed with indecision or anxiety from focusing too much on your own needs and wants? With her characteristic warmth and wit, Michele Howe offers us another way: When we entrust ourselves to God’s care, we’re subsequently empowered to live more fearlessly and freely. When we seek to live from a position of intentional self-forgetfulness, we set into motion a beautiful display of God’s grace in our lives. And when we ask God to help us forget about ourselves so we can effectively serve others, we discover a wonderful freedom within and without.

Intentional self-forgetfulness is an essential Christian virtue desperately needed in today’s heartbroken world. So join Michele on a journey to stand up and reach out with courageous, self-sacrificial boldness.

Finding Freedom and Joy in Self-Forgetfulness includes 30 chapters with Scripture passages, real-life stories with essays, and helpful points and prayers. Learn how to make self-forgetfulness an intentional part of your everyday life and find the freedom and joy that come as a result.

Restored: Transforming the Sting of Your Past into Purpose for Today

The 7 Resolutions: Where Self-Help Ends and God’s Power Begins

Imagine a world in which every person’s pain makes them better not bitter, kind rather than angry, and selfless instead of greedy and insecure. There is messiness in each of our stories, but we can use that mess intentionally to craft a life that points to God and proclaims his glory.

In Restored, prominent pastor and speaker Chris Brown recounts some of the extraordinary tragedies and trials he has experienced, including homelessness, violence, abuse, drugs, and the loss of loved ones. Reflecting on these difficult times in his own story, Chris shares his hard-won countercultural perspective on pain, offering practical tips to inspire those of us who feel disqualified or discouraged by our circumstances.

No matter how messy it was, our past is a gift because it paves the way for us to develop the unique Christ-honoring message the world needs us to share.

Have you grown accustomed to bad habits, written off lifelong battles as unwinnable, or believed that some destructive behaviors can never be altered? Then The 7 Resolutions is for you.

This book will teach you how to overthrow old patterns, create new life systems, and take hold of God’s promises. Resolve to: • Join God • Think Truth • Kill Sin • Choose Friends • Take Risks • Focus Effort • Redeem Time Never settle for too little. The time is now for humble dependence on God and a plan to walk in His power. It’s time to come alive!

By Chris Brown [Revell]

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By Karl Clauson [Moody Publishers]

MAY 2022

Uncanceled: Finding Meaning and Peace in a Culture of Accusations, Shame, and Condemnation

By Phil Robertson [Thomas Nelson]

After Phil Robertson quoted Scripture in an interview with a national magazine, his hit show, Duck Dynasty, put him on “indefinite hiatus.” Phil immediately knew what had happened: he had become a target of cancel culture.

Since that time, Phil has spoken out against public shaming, strategic campaigns to get Bible-believing employees fired, and other tactics that are wreaking havoc in our society. In a deeply divided country, with so many bent on condemning and silencing others, Phil calls for us to carry out the unifying message of Jesus Christ.

In Uncanceled, Phil shares his own experiences with cancel culture as he: • encourages us to turn to Scripture as we navigate politics, personal conversations, and new cultural norms • helps us see the psychological and political motivations behind silencing conservative voices Uncanceled is a blueprint for standing up for the truth of Jesus Christ in a culture that has forgotten how to have respectful conversations. As Phil reminds us, when we embrace the truth that Jesus Christ already paid an enormous debt to cancel our sins, we find a path to redemption, a way to forgiveness, and a means for godly connection.

Cultural Counterfeits: Confronting 5 Empty Promises of Our Age and How We Were Made for So Much More

By Jen Oshman [Crossway]

In today’s culture, women and girls are influenced by idols that promise purpose and meaning for their lives outward beauty and ability, sex, abortion, and gender fluidity. Christian women aren’t exempt from these temptations either and can even elevate good things like marriage and motherhood to the status of idolatry. Women may sense that these idols are hollow and leave them feeling unsettled, but where should they turn instead?

In Cultural Counterfeits, Jen Oshman encourages women to reject the empty, destructive promises these idols offer and embrace something much more satisfying. She casts a vision for women to experience real hope and peace in Jesus, calling them to recognize their unshakeable and eternal identities in him. This timely and compelling resource will help women find freedom and joy as they explore God’s good design and purpose for their lives.

Creation to Babel: A Commentary for Families

By Ken Ham [Master Books]

It seems we wake each day to a world engulfed in chaos and confusion … a society mired in godlessness and humanism ... and families struggling to guide their children in faith. Yet, God gave us the answer … His Holy Word. Begin as He recorded for us to begin, with Genesis.

After many years of teaching and speaking on the importance of foundational faith, leading apologetics author Ken Ham of Answers in Genesis has created a clear and powerful study that helps root families and young or struggling believers in biblical truth. He makes it easy to build a vital Genesisfounded worldview in this simple yet profound study that explores the importance and implications of pivotal events, verse by verse, from Creation to Babel.

• Discover important context to answer relevant faith questions.

• Easy-to-understand exploration of the biblical text.

• The essential guide to laying a faith-foundational view.

Faith without a strong foundation crumbles in the face of today’s relentless cultural rejections. Christians, young and old, will find the strong foundation they need in the biblical bedrock of Genesis.

Terms of Service: The Real Cost of Social Media

By Chris Martin [B&H Books]

Social media is brilliant and obscene. It sharpens the mind and dulls it. It brings nations together and tears them apart. It perpetuates, reveals, and repairs injustice.

It is an untamed beast upon which we can only hope to ride, but never quite corral.

What is it doing to us?

In Terms of Service, Chris Martin brings readers his years of expertise and experience from building online brands, coaching authors and speakers about social media use, and thinking theologically about the effects of social media. The book isn’t a call to abandon all online mediums, but rather an invitation to a more intentional use of social media.

As you read this book, you will: • learn how social media has come to dominate the role the internet plays in your life • learn how the “social internet” affects you in ways you may not realize • be equipped to push back against the hold the internet has on your mind and your heart TODAYSCHRISTIANLIVING.ORG

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PERSECUTION REPORT

By Jerry Dykstra and Open Doors contributors

By Jeff M. Sellers

2022 World Watch List Report

W 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.

hile Afghanistan has overtaken North Korea’s long-held position as the most dangerous place to be a Christian on Open Doors’ 2022 World Watch List, there were also several countries where persecution was not as severe but increased sharply.

Some of those countries are ones we hardly ever hear about. Making the biggest jump from the previous year was Niger, which went from 54th place — not even in the top 50 — to 33rd. This was attributed to a surge in Islamic extremist violence during the reporting period (Oct. 1, 2020 to Sept. 30, 2021), by the insurgent Boko Haram and its offshoot, the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP).

Niger has the misfortune of sharing a border with Nigeria, where Boko Haram and ISWAP have long sought to impose sharia (Islamic law), and it was in areas near that border that churches in Niger were set ablaze and Christians forced to flee their homes.

For perspective, out of the WWL report’s top metric of 16.7, Niger had a violence level of 14.8, only slightly less than Afghanistan’s violence level of 15.

Most people in Niger believe that to be a Nigerien is to be a Muslim, so any converts to Christianity also come under intense pressure from family and neighbors.

Niger experienced the biggest jump in persecution from the previous year, moving up from 54th place to 33rd. To put this increase in context, Niger had a violence level of 14.8, only slightly less than Afghanistan’s violence level of 15. Photo courtesy of IMB

Prayer Points: • That Christians in China will find ways to connect amid a new draconian law against unauthorized online communications amid the pandemic and church closures.

• That God would pour out His Spirit to change the hearts of aggressors worldwide and remove governments that kill or permit killing of His children.

• That the faith of persecuted Christians would remain strong, falling prey to neither unbelief nor retaliation.

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While Niger jumped 21 places, the next highest bump was Indonesia’s at 19 places, from 47th to 28th. Churches active in evangelism were at risk of being targeted by Islamic extremist groups, especially in West Java or Aceh, where terrorists influence society and politics, according to the report.

“There were three attacks on Christians within a six-month period, killing eight believers, while Indonesian society has taken on a more conservative Islamic character, putting added pressure on Christians,” the report stated.

In one of the attacks, the Mujahideen Indonesia Timur (MIT) killed four farmers in Central Sulawesi, beheading one of the Christians. The MIT also killed four residents of a Salvation Army settlement in Central Sulawesi, reportedly beheading one of them as well, and set houses on fire. A suicide attack on a Catholic cathedral in South Sulawesi wounded at least 20 people.

The next highest jump was Cuba’s at 14 places, from 51st to 37th. The communist government imposed severe restrictions on churches considered opponents of the regime, especially non-registered Protestant ones, and new congregations were routinely denied registration. This forced many churches to operate illegally, leading to denial of licenses, heavy fines, confiscation of property and even demolition or closure of churches, including house churches, according to the WWL report.

In Santiago de Cuba in October 2020, authorities arrested pastor Alaín Toledano for Facebook posts criticizing the demolition of an Assemblies of God church. Church leaders also were arrested for participating in peaceful demonstrations. While held in custody on charges of public disorder, priest Castor Álvarez Devesa suffered a blow to the head with a baseball bat, the report states.

“The government reacts harshly against opposition voices and demonstrators, and so when church leaders or Christian activists criticize the regime, they face arrest, closure of their churches or businesses, prison sentences, and harassment by the government and its sympathizers,” the WWL report states.

In the Middle East, Qatar moved 11 spots, from 29th to 18th, largely because of abuse of Christian migrant workers and authorities’ refusal to permit unregistered house churches to reopen after COVID-19 restrictions were relaxed. The WWL report acknowledges that it is sometimes hard to dis-

In one attack in Indonesia, the Mujahideen Indonesia Timur (MIT) killed four farmers in Central Sulawesi, beheading one of the Christians. A suicide attack on a Catholic cathedral in South Sulawesi wounded at least 20 people. Photo courtesy of Open Doors

cern whether migrant workers are abused because of their faith.

Qatar nationals who convert from Islam to Christianity, meantime, continue to face severe pressure from family and neighbors and can lose property and child custody because of their faith.

The worst five, according to the WWL report: Afghanistan — While North Korea’s overall persecution metric went up by 2 points, to 96 out of 100, the Taliban regaining control of Afghanistan resulted in a crackdown on Christians that brought Afghanistan’s total up 4 points, to 98. Thus, Afghanistan edged out North Korea for the dubious distinction of being the most dangerous place to be a Christian.

The WWL report noted that while the world feared the Taliban would curtail freedoms, for Christians there were no freedoms to lose — Afghanistan had been No. 2 on the list for several years, “and Christian persecution remains extreme in all spheres of public and private life.” As before, it is impossible to live openly as a Christian in Afghanistan. Christians must either flee the country or be killed if discovered, and under the Taliban the risk of discovery has increased.

North Korea — As noted, North Korea’s total persecution metric went up 2 points, to 96, as arrests and house church closures increased, according to the report.

“Because of the government’s closure of all borders as a COVID-19 precaution, Christians are even more at risk,” the report said. “The limited ability of some believers to escape to China for help with food and medicine has become even more difficult.”

At the same time, North Korea’s network of prison camps expanded by at least 20,000 people. An estimated 50,000 to 70,000 Christians are imprisoned in North Korea’s prisons and labor camps, as anyone caught following Christ is at immediate risk of imprisonment, torture, and death. Family members of the Christian captured often suffer the same punishment.

“The government ruled by the Kim family views Christians as the most dangerous political class of people, and the persecution is violent and intense,” the report states. “North Korean parents often hide their faith from their children, churches of more than a few people are non-existent, and most worship is done as secretly as possible.”

Somalia — Conversion to Christianity is regarded as a betrayal of the family and clan, and relatives and clan leaders harass, intimidate, and kill Somalis suspected of converting to Christianity. Despite a slight decrease in attacks on Christians, persecution remains severe.

“In every sphere of life — private, family, community, and national — being exposed as a convert to Christianity means life-threatening danger, often leading to immediate execution,”

the WWL report states. “Church life simply is not possible.

Over the last years, the situation appears to have worsened.”

Islamic militants intensified their hunt for Christian leaders in recent years. Al-Shabaab rebels have repeatedly expressed their desire to eradicate Christianity from the country and have killed converts on the spot when discovered. Foreign jihadists are also present in the country.

Libya — Secret converts from Islam fear being discovered by Muslim relatives and face threats from Islamic extremist militants. Lack of a central government and lawlessness leave Christians vulnerable to open persecution in a society where converts from Islam are expected to be left homeless and jobless.

The estimated 34,500 Christians are defenseless before Islamist factions and militias, and sharing non-Islamic faith is illegal.

Expatriate congregations face the possibility of eviction from their rented facilities at any time without reason. Churches are illegal, and migrant workers from Egypt and elsewhere are more noticeable and thus especially vulnerable to attacks from extremists.

Yemen — While persecution has been severe for years, Yemen rose two spots as pressure on converts from Islam reached its highest levels in every sphere of life. Christianity is forbidden.

Highly tribal Yemeni culture punishes leaving Islam with death or banishment. Christians suffered physical and mental abuse, sexual harassment and rape, forced marriages, and expulsion.

Islamic extremist groups are a constant threat, especially in the south where Al-Qaeda is strong. Converts also indicated there was more pressure in Shiite Muslim-controlled areas in the west than in areas under control of the Sunni government. At one-third of the Yemen territory, the Shiite-controlled areas are heavily policed — dissenting opinion is rigorously repressed and likely to lead to imprisonment, torture, or worse. 

GLOBALLY, ONE IN SEVEN CHRISTIANS SUFFERS INTENSE PERSECUTION In Open Doors’ 2022 World Watch List, 11 countries have “extreme” levels of persecution and 39 have “very high” levels — the second consecutive year that all 50 nations had at least “very high” persecution levels. Another five nations outside the top 50 also qualify as “very high”: Kenya, Sri Lanka, Comoros, United Arab Emirates, and Tanzania. Other key findings: • More than 360 million Christians suffer high levels of persecution and/or discrimination for their faith; 312 million of those are in the 50 countries where persecution is highest — one of every seven Christians worldwide, two of every five in Asia, one of every five in Africa, and one of every 15 in Latin America.

• The 5,898 Christians killed for their faith from Oct. 1, 2020 to Sept. 30, 2021 represent an increase of 24% over the previous year.

• Nigeria, which jumped to seventh place overall from ninth place the previous year, was again the country with the most Christians killed for their faith, at 4,650 or 79% of the worldwide total. Pakistan was a distant second with 620 Christians killed, or 11% of the total.

• 5,110 churches or Christian buildings were attacked.

• 4,765 Christians were detained for their faith.

• 3,829 Christians were abducted for faith-related reasons.

• The countries where Christians face the most violence were, in order, Nigeria, Pakistan, India, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Mozambique, Cameroon, Afghanistan, Mali, and South Sudan.

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1. Afghanistan 2. North Korea 3. Somalia 4. Libya 5. Yemen 6. Eritrea 7. Nigeria 42

8. Pakistan 9. Iran 10. India 11. Saudi Arabia 12. Myanmar 13. Sudan 14. Iraq

TODAY’S CHRISTIAN LIVING

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15. Syria 16. Maldives 17. China 18. Qatar 19. Vietnam 20. Egypt 21. Uzbekistan

22. Algeria 23. Mauritania 24. Mali 25. Turkmenistan 26. Laos 27. Morocco 28. Indonesia

29. Bangladesh 30. Colombia 31. Central African Republic 32. Burkina Faso 33. Niger 34. Bhutan

35. Tunisia 36. Oman 37. Cuba 38. Ethiopia 39. Jordan 40. Democratic Republic of Congo

41. Mozambique 42. Turkey 43. Mexico 44. Cameroon 45. Tajikistan 46. Brunei 47. Kazakhstan

48. Nepal 49. Kuwait 50. Malaysia

TODAYSCHRISTIANLIVING.ORG

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KIDS OF THE KINGDOM

D

ispatching her 10-year-old son to pick up a pizza, my sister handed him money and a $2 coupon.

Later he came home with the pizza and the coupon.

When asked to explain, he replied, “Mom, I had enough money. I didn’t need the coupon.”

—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.....www.actsretirement.org...............................2 Baker Books..........................................www.bakerpublishinggroup.com.. 15 , 30, 31 BroadStreet Publishing Group .............www.broadstreetpublishing.com ...............35 Cruciform Press.....................................https://cruciformpress.com..........................35 Discovery House Publishers..................https://dhp.org.............................................25 Focus Publishing...................................www.focuspublishing.com..........................36 Hachette Book Group...........................www.hachettebookgroup.com...................32 HarperCollins Christian Publishing ......www.harpercollinschristian.com..... 26-29, 36 Josh McDowell Ministry........................www.josh.org...............................................36 Judson Press..........................................www.judsonpress.com ..........................34, 35 Kregel Publications...............................www.kregel.com..........................................33 New Leaf Publishing Group..................www.nlpg.com.............................................48 The Gospel Hymn Box...........................newfriendentertainment.com.....................36 Today’s Pastor........................................www.todayspastor.org.................................21 Total Living Network — TLN...............www.tln.com...............................................47 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 Mark Mynheir

God on the Road of Despair

M Mark Mynheir has written five novels, one of which was a finalist for a Christy Award in 2010.

He’s also written articles for Focus on the Family’s teen magazine Breakaway, The Lookout magazine, Christian Fiction Online, and CBN. com. In addition, he co-authored two prayer books with Max Lucado: Pocket Prayers for Dads and Pocket Prayers for Military Life. Besides being a prolific writer, Mark has been a police officer for more than 33 years.

46

y pulse quickened and emotions welled up within me, ready to burst, as I drove along the sparsely inhabited stretch of highway.

The midday Florida sun cooked the asphalt, and heat waves pulsed on the horizon. I was about a mile away from the section of road where my oldest son, Christopher, had died in a car accident a mere two months before, and it was all I could do to keep it together as I closed in on the site.

As a part of my job, I traveled this thoroughfare between Orlando and the coast regularly, although it was nearly 50 miles from my home. I had passed the spot a couple of times since the accident, generating a torrent of tears and the soul-crushing agony that comes from the traumatic death of a child, but I never had the desire or strength to stop. This day was different. I was going to visit the place where my son died.

I didn’t know why I felt drawn to go to the accident site — especially alone. Maybe it was curiosity or to seek some semblance of understanding of the whys and hows of such a loss. Perhaps God was leading me there as part of my healing journey, to move closer toward closure, which felt all but impossible at that point. The fog of the initial trauma was lifting, making way for a dark, oppressive blanket of depression and despair. Chris was a passionate and unapologetic follower of the Lord, and his death at the prime of his life was so sudden and senseless. I wasn’t sure if I could survive one more day, much less move forward, and my prayers for answers appeared to go unheeded. My faith — like my emotions — was unsteady and teetering on the brink. God seemed silent and so very distant from me, as though I had been forgotten or abandoned

by Him in the darkest time of my life.

I arrived at the location and eased onto the shoulder of the road and drew a deep breath, preparing for another brutal bout of emotions to overwhelm me once again. I hesitated for a moment and wondered if I had made a huge mistake.

“God, help me” was all I could manage as I got out and walked a few yards ahead of my car to the tragic plot of road. I expected the flood of tears and anguish that had become so familiar at the slightest thought of my son or his death. But as I stood on the road, a strange, inexplicable peace held me fast. I turned in a circle, soaking in the entire scene, wondering what exactly I was looking for. Yet, nothing. No raw emo-

TODAY’S CHRISTIAN LIVING

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tions. No cathartic outpouring of love or sorrow. Just a few still moments on the side of a road.

The unnatural serenity continued, and I felt God was impressing upon me that this place had no significance to me, my son, or our family. It was just where the accident happened, nothing more. Chris was with Him in Heaven, a place of pure love and joy and the presence of the Lord. I had not felt God speak to me in such a clear and compelling way since the accident.

I took one more good look around and got back into my car, still trying to process what just happened. I exhaled the spent nerves away and was ready to leave when a car pulled up behind mine.

Thinking it was a police officer checking on me, I got out and expected to see a patrol car, but instead, it was an SUV. A friend named Anne stepped out and called to me.

“Mark, are you okay?” she said.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” I said, stunned. “What are you doing here?”

Anne was a close friend of ours, and she and her family celebrated holidays and get-togethers with us. They had joined us at the Fourth of July celebration a week before Chris’s death, and she knew him well.

Anne explained that her son in Orlando had lost his driver’s license and needed her to bring some documents over to him right away. She considered taking a different, more direct route to Orlando, but at the last minute, she changed her mind and drove this road instead. She saw me outside of my car as she was passing by, and she felt God telling her to turn around and pray with me. So, she did.

The odds were astronomical that Anne would have to travel to Orlando at that precise time in the middle of the day nearly 50 miles away from either of our homes, change her mind on the direction to take, pass by me when I was out of my car, which was only a minute or two at the most, and to hear God’s voice to turn around and pray with me. Only God could have arranged the exact timing and circumstances of that meeting.

My composure crumbled, and I wept uncontrollably. Anne prayed over me as I grieved my son in that place. God never abandoned me, then or now, and He sent a friend to intercede for me in that moment to prove it. “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you” (Heb. 13:5). 

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Faith without a strong foundation crumbles in the face of today’s relentless cultural rejections.

Christians, young and old, will find the strong foundation they need in the biblical bedrock of Genesis.

New Release: Available Now! Full Color Interior 7X9, 288 PAGE PAPERBACK ISBN: 9781683442905 $21.99

VISIT 48

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OR CALL (800)999-3777