Largest Christian Newspaper in America • goodnewsfl.org • July 2022 • Volume 24, Issue 4
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On The Cover BransonAcademy for theAdvancement of Music and Theatre (BAAMT) board members gather in the studio at Meadows Images, in Branson, Missouri. (Marshall Meadows, photographer) Pictured from left to right: Bob Nichols, President, BAAMT; Lena Hughes, Director, Hughes Brothers Theater; Sheila Dutton, Director, The Dutton Family Theater; Mike Patrick, Director, Grand Country Music Hall; Brandon Mabe, Director, Branson Famous Theatre, BaldKnobbers; Not pictured: Larry Wilhite, Director, Mansion Theater for PerformingArts; Jeannie Horton, Director, Dick Clark’s American Bandstand Theater, Home of Legends in Concert; and Marshall Howden, City of Branson Board of Aldermen Representative. These are some of the leaders who are making a global impact through the BRANSON CARES initiative by raising funds and awareness to provide wheelchairs for children with severe disabilities. Read the Cover Story on pages 28 and 29. PUBLISHER 6 JULY 2022 www.goodnewsfl.org Good News • South Florida Edition We go through life, and it can be a wonderful journey if we take in the sights. Sometimes we are in such a hurry to reach our destination we don’t notice things along the way. Ahectic life is like that. My curiosity often gets the best of me, and it’s the journey, not the travel. I’ve spent the majority of my life in and around the allied fields of entertainment. It’s an industry that moves the needle. I like that. When in reflection or in Bible Study, my mind does a 360⁰ and I seek the lesson, not somuch the story. How can I use or learn from this?What’s my takeaway? Not themeaning in life’s cliches. God puts the pieces together. We know this, but are we aware of it while it’s happening? Our cover feature “BRANSON CARES” is about motivation. It’s about encouragement. It’s about engagement. For the past fifty years I’ve loved being in and around the Arts and Entertainment world; it’s the creative “can do” where people constantly create music, plays and movies. Use me. I get it and I relate to it. It’s a beautiful thing when you have a vision and can see a finish line. In 1981 one of my best friends and mentors at that time was theatrical producer Zev Buffman. Zev was producer at the Parker Playhouse and was 10 years deep into getting the Broward Center built before they actually broke ground. Zev was a visionary and the actual creator of what is now called BroadwayAcrossAmerica and founder/owner of the Miami Heat in the National Basketball Association. I met Hollywood movie star Elizabeth Taylor, who was just cast by Buffman to play the Parker and star in “The Little Foxes” prior to her NYBroadway debut. Now I could dispense with all the name dropping, but by eliminating that, it would suggest that this story is about something I did and not what I learned from others and how God used me to put some of the pieces together. Between 1981 and 1984 Miss Taylor’s follow up to Foxes was to again star on Broadway with Richard Burton in “Private Lives” another Buffman Production. Miss Taylor had enormous empathy for what was totally devastating Hollywood and Broadway at that time and that was HIV/AIDS. Taylor founded amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research. Taylor’s huge unparalleled star power helped morph what later became the seed for “Broadway Cares.” I was there. I watched. I interjected through my publishing endeavors at PLAYBILL ®, and we all learned together when an industry, in this case a village pulls together without ego of authorship and digs in. Please read the cover story by Good News Editor Shelly Pond on pages 2829. I’m simply a vessel who recognized an extraordinary village called Branson, Missouri, where you’re likely to see more white church vans than passenger cars loaded with God’s finest coming in from seven surrounding states, for a few days of Gospel and Country Music. That I first discovered in 1995, when Theater owners invited me in and wanted a PLAYBILL program for Branson. I get Theater people, I like Theater people, and I embraced Theater people. God found the right time to inspireme to engage, and that chapter is currently being written as an entire city is passionately embracing BRANSON CARES to provide for Hope Haven International, a Global Wheelchair Ministry providing pediatric wheelchairs for children with severe disabilities. BransonCares.com Let this be a moment to observe how a city inspired can do wonderful things together. Motivate. Inspire. Engage. We are alive. We are blessed. Les South Florida Edition • Good News • July 2022 • Volume 24, Issue 4 Advertising: We reach over 110,000 readers each month. 80,000 in print and 30,000 via our online digital edition. Placing an ad in our publication is affordable and effective to help grow your business. Call us today! Distribution: Available inmore than 800 locations throughout South Florida. To become a free distribution point for the newspaper, please contact Shelly. The Good News is published by Good News Media Group, LLC, Reproduction in whole or part strictly forbidden without the consent of the publisher. Copyright 2022. All rights reserved. Good News Media Group, LLC. PO Box 670368, Coral Springs, FL 33067 954-564-5378 • www.goodnewsfl.org Publisher: Leslie J. Feldman [email protected] Editor: Shelly Pond [email protected] Art Director: Milton McPherson [email protected] Advertising & Marketing: Robert “Buddy” Helland Jr. V.P. Sr. Marketing Manager [email protected] Al Lehman Sr. Marketing Director [email protected] Vice President: Michael Denker Corporate Engagement [email protected] Social Media Manager: Ariel Feldman [email protected] Editorial Assistant: Eric Solomon [email protected] Cover Photography: Justus Martin [email protected] Use me, Lord PERSPECTIVE . . . . . . . . . . .8 Hiking with Tequila – by Stephan N. Tchividjian IN THE WORD . . . . . . . . .10 Franklin Graham: Triumphing Over Evil – by Franklin Graham CHURCH UNITED . . . . . .12 Roe v. Wade Overturned. Now What? - by Edwin Copeland OPINION . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 OVERTURNED! Leaders Respond to the Historical Reversal of Roe v. Wade YOU ASKWHY? . . . . . . . .16 Living In-Dependence– by Dr. Tommy Boland LIVE THE LIFE . . . . . . . . . .18 Is the Destruction of our Families Fostering Mental Illness? – by Lisa May PARENTING . . . . . . . . . . . .20 Some Assembly Required – by Dr. Bob Barnes & Torrey Roberts HEART AND SOUL . . . . .22 Reflections on the Meaning of Independence Day – by Dr. Debra A. Schwinn GOOD NEWS WANTS TO KNOW . . . . . . . . .24 - 26 What TV show character (past or present) would be the most fun to change places with for a week? COVER STORY . . . . . .28 - 29 How the Entertainment Industry is Leading a Community to Make a Global Impact – by Shelly Pond THE CODE . . . . . . . . . . . . .30 Stress: Five Fascinating Facts – by Dr. O.S. Hawkins VILLAGE HYMNS . . . . . . .32 Why We Worship – by Ryan Galloway OPINION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34 Don’t Worry; Get Busy Living! – by Newton Fairweather LEGAL Q&A . . . . . . . . . . . .36 New Insurance and Condo Reforms – by William “Bill” C. Davell and Matthew Zifrony FAITH AND VOCATION .38 The Dreaded D Word – by Dr. Tracy Timberlake OUT OF ZION . . . . . . . . . .40 The Blessing of a Little Shabbat Shalom – by Susan Michael CALENDAR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43 CLASSIFIEDS . . . . . . . . . . . .44 - 47 Leslie J. Feldman C O N T E N T S Good News • July • Volume 24 Issue 4
PERSPECTIVE 8 JULY 2022 www.goodnewsfl.org Good News • South Florida Edition I love to hike. I could truly say that it’s one of my favorite pastimes. I could honestly do it everyday. I have had some incredible adventures throughout the years hiking. I have hiked alone. I have hiked with my wife, Lisa. I have hiked with friends, and I have hiked with strangers. My hikes have been beautiful. My hikes have been frightening. My hikes have caused injury. My hikes have been long. My hikes have been short. My hikes have been hot, and my hikes have been cold. My hikes have been…oh, you get the idea…my hikes have simply been incredible experiences. I tend to hike on mission…sometimes so much so that I miss the beauty of it all. However, when you hike on mission, getting to the hoped-for destination in record time becomes the objective even at the chagrin of those around you. Lisa and my children, on the other hand, have a more respectful leisurely approach to hiking. The destination is not very important, and the pace is really not important. In fact, one could surmise that the pace has a direct correlation to comfort – the more discomfort the slower the pace and vice versa. I would have to actually admit that the approach Lisa (and most rational humans take) is the more reasonable one. One such hike One such hike recently occurred when Lisa and my daughter joined me on a small trail in the mountains of Switzerland (my homeland). The weather, the trail and the destination (a small alpine restaurant serving a famous Rosti) all made for a very enjoyable adventure. The hike was set up perfectly. I, in true fashion, was ahead of Lisa and my daughter and would stop from time to time to see where they were, wait, provide the obligatory words of encouragement, then jump back on my mission. Halfway up the side of the mountain I stopped to check on my hiking companions and noticed a visitor was fast approaching them. Initially, that concerned me because someone was actually gaining on us and making better time than our troop, which was utterly (cow pun unintentional) unacceptable. Remember, I am on a mission and want to “win” …whatever that means. The “fast hiker” was a single man with a dog. I could observe this fellow from my perch higher on the trail. I enjoyed watching the dog wander off to push his limits with the grazing herd of annoyed cows. The dog, like my companions, also wanted to stop often for some rest. A few minutes passed, and the “fast hiker” made it to where my wife and daughter were, which gave them another excuse to stop to have a conversation. The brief reprieve delighted everyone, including me, who now had more time to gain ground. However, what if this person was not nice, a hostile hiker, a bad dude? Remember, we were in the SwissAlps, and you never know who may steal your cheese, melt your chocolate or uncork your wine bottle. The new troop of friends eventually made their way to where I was waiting. A conversation started up, and the niceties were shared. The “fast hiker” was actually delightful. We talked about various hikes, he being on this one for the first time as were we. We talked about the dog, whose name was Tequila (not sure why, but I’m sure there is a story there), and we talked about what hikers talk about on a hike. He eventually decided it was time to go. The dog apparently no longer needed the rest, and Lisa and my daughter appeared to have recovered as well. The parting words of our new friend were simple. Acknowledging that we were probably never going to see each other again, he simply said, “Have a nice life.” I pondered that as we finished our hike and finally had our delightful lunch of Rosti in the Alpine shack Leaving residue I pondered what residue we leave behind the people we encounter. I pondered that many of the conversations throughout the day are with people that I will never speak with again. Think about it. The other day I spoke to a customer service representative for Delta Airlines regarding a change on an airline ticket. I will never speak to that person again. How about the hostess at a restaurant in a city you are visiting? How about the person that handles the return of that purchase you made (though the UPS driver is now considered family, thanks toAmazon Prime)? Think about the many experiences we have with people that are only going to happen once, a onetime encounter. The idea is somewhat staggering when I also think that I am the representative of the love and character of God here on this earth. Does the Bible not say that we are the ambassadors of God? I like the residue of “have a nice life.” I find that it puts things in perspective. The hike becomes larger, more of a metaphor of our lives. I think of the residue I left behind when Lisa and I found ourselves in a conversation with David, the owner of a nice boutique restaurant in a small town called Gryon. He was kind enough to come by and sit with us as we had a delightful conversation about life, including what prompted him to move from Australia with his family to open a restaurant, his hobby of kite boarding and on and on. He happened to mention an upcoming bucket list trip he was taking within the next month to go kite surfing in New Caledonia. We didn’t think twice about the conversation outside of noting that we were touched by his willingness and graciousness to care so much about his guests. Lisa and I learned about a month later that David was tragically killed by a shark attack during this adventure that he had talked about. I was sad, but more importantly wondered what residue I left him in our conversation. I know that his family has suffered, his business has suffered, and his loved ones mourn his tragic departure. Did I use the opportunity to wish him a nice life? Did I leave him better off? Did he want to know more of Jesus from our encounter? Did I even mention Jesus? So, as you think about your day today, think about those once in-a-lifetime encounters and make them count. “…God leads us from place to place in one perpetual victory parade. Through us, he brings knowledge of Christ. Everywhere we go, people breathe in the exquisite fragrance. Because of Christ, we give off a sweet scent rising to God, which is recognized by those on the way of salvation — an aroma redolent with life” (2 Corinthians 2:15, The Message). Stephan N. Tchividjian is the president and founder of the National Christian Foundation South Florida. Visit southflorida.ncfgiving.com to learn more. - Stephan N. Tchividjian - National Christian Foundation President Hiking with Tequila
10 JULY 2022 www.goodnewsfl.org Good News • South Florida Edition IN THE WORD The tragic shooting deaths of 19 young school children and two teachers in the south Texas town of Uvalde left us all heartbroken. The gunman was an 18-year-old troubled teen who shot his own grandmother before entering Robb Elementary School and killing innocent fourth graders who were only two days away from the end of the school year. Not surprisingly, the conversation in the media and in the political realm quickly turned to gun control. Ban certain weapons, is the thinking, and these kinds of tragedies can be averted. Sadly, they’re looking in the wrong place. Evil lurks not in a weapon, but in the human heart. “Out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies” (Matthew 15:19). Weseesuchwickednessatworkaround theworld. The secretary-general of the United Nations, António Guterres, made recent visits to Russia and Ukraine to speak with both heads of state. While in Ukraine, he spoke to reporters in a town just outside Kyiv. Behind him were buildings that had been destroyed during recent shelling. He said the scene made him think about what it would be like for his own family to live in the midst of the deadly conflict. He then called the war in Ukraine “an absurdity in the 21st century.” Guterres, a native of Portugal, was echoing the same sentiment that I have heard numerous times — how can we explain such horror and devastation in this enlightened age in which we now live? I have an answer that most in our elite and enlightened cultures probably don’t want to hear or believe, but it comes from the sure and authoritative Word of God. “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?” (Jeremiah 17:9). From the time of the first family on planet Earth, when Cain murdered his brother Abel, to the return of Christ one day soon, evil has been the plague of mankind. Wars and conflicts are but one manifestation of such evil that comes from sin — mankind’s ongoing rebellion against God. Sin is the source of all evil through the millennia, since all of mankind is born in a sinful state — alienated and separated from God. “There is none righteous, no, not one; … They have all turned aside; they have together become unprofitable; there is none who does good, no, not one” (Romans 3:10, 12). And here’s the sobering truth — the closer we get to the return of Christ, the more heightened and prevalent evil will become. “For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of sorrows” (Matthew 24:7-8). As the pain intensifies for a woman in labor, so the effects of evil will accelerate and amplify as the day of the Lord draws near, and Christ returns to establish His millennial Kingdom. The most important question we can ask is: “Are we ready for Christ’s return?” So while we hear growing or renewed threats of nuclear war, or the possibility of another Cold War, or the chance that another plague like COVID descends on the globe, the real focus of every believer in every age should be living for Christ and expectantly hoping for His Second Coming. “For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:11-13). This expectant hope and pursuit of holiness in our daily lives is in stark contrast to a world that drifts further away from Biblical truth and refuses to repent of sin and turn to Christ. Wickedness grows more evil, and sin grows more vile. The Book of Revelation, written by the aging Apostle John on the Isle of Patmos, gives penetrating insight into the heart of mankind as God’s wrath and judgment is poured out ahead of His return. Incredibly, despite the plagues that God sends from His throne to earth, people simply grow more hardened in their evil hearts. As the plagues are poured out, the response is the same. The people curse the Name of God and do not repent of their deeds and give Him glory (see Revelation 16:8-11). When great hailstones weighing 100 pounds fall from Heaven, unrepentant man curses God. How can this be? We run for cover when hail the size of golf balls falls from the sky. Why would they not repent and turn to God? Because they hate God, they hate His Son, Jesus Christ, and they hate Christians. They are rebels all the way, even as they descend into hell. The only hope for our rapidly decaying culture is repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. The only cure for wickedness and sin is salvation. That alone will transform hearts and minds, and perhaps, by God’s mercy and grace, bring a fresh season of revival. As believers, committed followers of Jesus Christ who love the Lord and abide in His Word, we must be vigilant in prayer and steadfast in obedience. We are to keep our wicks trimmed and burning brightly in devotion to Christ, not yielding to the wayward drift and allures of the culture. Somehow, in some way, the believer who makes it a point to grow in holiness and purity in the midst of an evil age can even hasten the return of the Savior. “Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat?” (2 Peter 3:11-12). That’s quite the incentive to live righteously! And when that day comes, it won’t be like Christ’s first advent, when He came to die on a cross for sin, and be raised from the dead on the third day. This time, He will come as a Conquering King and Mighty Warrior. No one will miss it. The Bible tells us the heavens will be filled with lightning from the east to the west for all the world to see. It will be spectacular, the moment we as His children have been longing for. I say along with John in the last lines of the Revelation: “Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus!” (Revelation 22:20). Scripture quotations are taken from The Holy Bible, New King James Version. ©2021 Samaritan's Purse ©2021 Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. BGEA is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Used by permission decisionmagazine.com - Franklin Graham - President and CEO Samaritan’s Purse and Billy Graham Evangelistic Association Franklin Graham: Triumphing Over Evil The closer we get to the return of Christ, the more heightened and prevalent evil will become. ” “ The real focus of every believer in every age should be living for Christ and expectantly hoping for His Second Coming. ” “
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12 JULY 2022 www.goodnewsfl.org Good News • South Florida Edition CHURCH UNITED If I’m honest, the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade came as a complete surprise to me. Never in my lifetime did I think this would happen. As I took in the breaking news alert displayed on my phone, I immediately began to ponder the implications of what this meant for the local church— for God’s people — for me. I was raised in a pro-life home, and some of my earliest church memories include my family volunteering at pregnancy centers and witnessing pastoral advocacy for pro-life movements. I am unapologetically prolife and believe that any reading of Scripture points us towards advocating for, caring for, providing for and protecting life — from womb to tomb. God’s people in South Florida have a strong heritage and legacy of caring for and protecting life. From pregnancy centers to foster care prevention, foster care to homelessness, single mothers and the elderly, marriage ministries and Christian counseling, the Church in South Florida has been on the frontlines of a womb to tomb understanding of what it means and looks like to be pro-life. However, our work has been imperfect and in many ways is only just getting started. Count the cost Being pro-life is costly beyond finance. It’s messy. It’s inconvenient. It’s easy to post a statement on social media, to rally for the protection of the unborn, to write a check to a local pregnancy center or foster care agency. However, being pro-life costs time, sacrifice and the willingness to step out of our comfort zone and be inconvenienced for the sake of others. Christian businessmen and philanthropist Mart Green recently asked the question: “How has the greatest love story in all of human history become known as a hate group?” While the answer to that question is complicated, a simplistic answer is the Church is often known more for what we are against, rather than what we are for. We have often and at times unintentionally been callous with our words, cheap with our actions and have lacked empathy and grace for those who are lost and hurting. The watching world has taken notice. Despite our best efforts, we may have “won” the legal battle, but the war for hearts and minds continues. Church response South Florida is one of the most diverse regions of the country, and the expression of Church is no exception. The overturning of Roe. v. Wade exposes the challenge of diversity — not just in ethnicity, race and economics, but in the way we interpret the values we hold. Even the Miami Herald and Sun-Sentinel picked up on this and ran articles that showcased the division of local churches over this issue of Roe. v. Wade being overturned. In a Sunday morning statement following the court’s ruling, Pastor DawnChere and Rich Wilkerson Jr. of Vous church in Miami said, “We’re pro-life, and that’s not a political statement for us by any means, it really comes into our interpretation of God’s Word. We understand that there are people in this room and part of our [church] community who see it differently, and today you’re hurting, today you’re confused, and we don’t take that lightly, and we definitely don’t just brush it to the side. This is your family. This is where you belong.” Here’s the thing though, family is messy. Forgiveness, grace, generosity, empathy and conversation are all requirements for family to function. In a family you can’t speak loud enough to speak over the volume of your example. At the end of the day, you can’t win hearts with legislation. Only gospel-driven sacrificial love, grace, generosity and care towards our neighbors can. No matter where our neighbors stand on the issues of life they should feel welcome at our churches. They will know we are Christians by our love. Period. In the gospel, it is possible to have great concern for the unborn and at the same time carry great concern and love for women who have to battle against the very real challenge, and in some cases, crisis of unwanted pregnancies. Statistics According to a recent study from Lifeway and Pew Research, one in four women will have an abortion by the age of 45. Seven out of 10 women who get abortions identify as Christians. Yet only 16 percent of church-going women speak to anyone at their church before making the decision to have an abortion. Whether you agree with these statistics or not, there are women in our local churches who are carrying deep pain, shame and guilt. They don’t feel safe or seen. Our efforts to win the legal battle have come at a cost — and the price has all too often been the hearts of these women. If that’s you, God’s word to you is - I see you. I love you. I amwith you. You are not alone, forsaken or abandoned. You are more loved and cherished than you could ever dare dream or image. Get involved We have much work to do and a strong foundation to build on. It’s time to get messy— to be inconvenienced and dig deep. No matter who you are or what your gifting is, we all have a role to play in seeing the number of abortions continue to decrease in our community. For some that means fighting for expanded access to healthcare, paid maternity and paternity leave, donating money, volunteering at a crisis pregnancy center, advocating for a single mother to keep custody of her child, becoming a foster parent, mentoring a student, babysitting a neighbor’s kid, serving a meal to the homeless or caring for the elderly. The time for action is now. This is what God’s people were made for. Edwin Copeland serves as the Director of Church United with the National Christian Foundation of South Florida where he works to unify the Church through collaboration and celebration to see faith, hope, and love spread throughout South Florida. To learn more about Church United, visit churchunitedfl.com Roe v. Wade Overturned. NowWhat? - Edwin Copeland - Church United Director January 21, 2022 - Activists march in Washington, D.C. to the Supreme Court in hopes of the overturn of Roe v. Wade.
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OPINION 14 JULY 2022 www.goodnewsfl.org Good News • South Florida Edition OVERTURNED! Leaders Respond to the Historical Reversal of Roe v. Wade Rob Pacienza, Lead Pastor, Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church Friday, June 24th, 2022, was certainly a watershed moment for our nation. The highest court in our land upheld the sanctity of human life and rightly defended the most vulnerable in our society, the unborn. After 49 years and the cruel slaughter of more than 63 million babies, the US Supreme Court has finally reversed its 1973 decision Roe v. Wade. By overruling Roe, the Supreme Court has finally acknowledged that the greatest civil authority in the United States is the Constitution. This is extraordinarily good news for all Americans, especially the unborn. While it means justice for some preborn children, others remain at risk. The reversal of Roe means the issue of abortion will be left to the democratic process at the state level. This decision immediately triggers laws in 13 states, greatly limiting abortion, and we will likely see fast legislation to protect the unborn in 13 more, but the battle is far from over. New York State, for instance, has enshrined abortion at any stage of pregnancy right up until birth in its constitution. Dick’s Sporting Goods, for another example, has promised its employees up to $4000 to help them travel to other states to have abortions. This is nothing short of demonic evil. I believe we will continue to see the increased wickedness of the pro-abortion movement in the weeks and months ahead, but the reversal of Roe is also a watershed moment for the church. This is something for all Christians to celebrate. We prayed this day would come and it has. I'm personally grateful for the men and women who have courageously led the way, including our founder and my pastor as a young man, D. James Kennedy. The church is the hope of the world and has been advancing a culture of life for the past 2000 years, whether it's been defending the unborn, the orphan, the widow or the slave. We have been driven by the cardinal truth that all human beings are created in the image of God. Our worth and value is not based on what we do, but in who we are. From the moment of conception, we are fearfully and wonderfully made. This is an incredible moment to be alive and an incredible moment to be a Christian. In a society that is divided and gripped by fear, we have the opportunity to offer real hope and the good news that the church has been proclaiming for centuries. We have the opportunity to speak the truth in love concerning the sanctity of human life. We have the opportunity to share lifesaving alternatives with mothers and fathers facing unplanned pregnancies. We have the opportunity to volunteer and support our local pregnancy centers and other pro-life organizations, and lastly, we have the opportunity to minister to those who have had an abortion reminding them that God is the God who redeems our past through the grace and mercy of Jesus Christ. We must continue to fight the good fight, remembering that this is a spiritual battle. Scripture tells us we are not waging war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. The Supreme Court decision was an important part of this process. Our laws must reflect a moral and just society, and Christians must be leading the charge in this cultural moment. But changing the laws of our country is just part of the solution. I'm not interested in just making abortion illegal but doing everything possible to make it unthinkable. Who is going to carry the flag for the unborn? Who is going to stand in their defense? That responsibility falls on us, and the Bible clearly says that our call is to the least of these, to defend those who literally cannot defend themselves. Doug Sauder, Lead Pastor, Calvary Chapel Fort Lauderdale The following is an excerpt from Pastor Doug Sauder's remarks at Calvary Chapel Fort Lauderdale on Sunday, June 26, 2022. Just a couple of days ago we saw the reversal of Roe v. Wade, and we want to celebrate as God’s people that children are going to be protected in new ways and with new measures. But how do we respond? It's not just with clapping, though we should celebrate, and it's not just posting on social media, though we should advocate. Here's what we're going to find in the next few weeks. People are going to be talking past each other instead of to each other. If there's ever been a time for the church to listen, this is the time listen to the pain of the world and the brokenness the world and the needs of the world. If there's ever been a time to pray, now is the time. It's not just how we listen, and it's not just how we pray, but it's Mother Teresa Takes Pro-Life Message to Supreme Court Mother Teresa of Calcutta confronted President Clinton on his proabortion stand in early February at the National Prayer Breakfast. Last week she took her pro-life message to the highest court in the land. Her lawyers filed an amicus brief with the Supreme Court urging it to recognize the unborn child's inalienable right to life. She urged the court to hear the case Alexander Loce vs. The State of New Jersey, which involves the issue of whether or not the unborn child is a human being entitled to 14thAmendment protection. Loce was convicted of trespassing for attempting to prevent his fiancee from having an abortion. Mother Teresa's petition is a powerful witness in defense of life. It includes the following passage: "America needs no words fromme to see how your decision in Roe vs. Wade has deformed a great nation. The so-called right to abortion has pitted mothers against their children and women against men. It has sown violence and discord at the heart of the most intimate human relationships. It has aggravated the derogation of the father's role in an increasingly fatherless society. It has portrayed the greatest of gifts—a child—as a competitor, an intrusion and an inconvenience. It has nominally accorded mothers unfettered dominion over the dependent lives of their physically dependent sons and daughters. And, in granting this unconscionable power, it has exposed many women to unjust and selfish demands from their husbands or other sexual partners. "Human rights are not a privilege conferred by government," she said. "They are every human being's entitlement by virtue of his humanity. The right to life does not depend, and must not be contingent, on the pleasure of anyone else, not even a parent or sovereign. The Constitutional Court of the Federal Republic of Germany recently ruled: 'The unborn child is entitled to its right to life independently of its acceptance by its mother; this is an elementary and inalienable right which emanates from the dignity of the human being.' "Americans may feel justly proud that Germany in 1993 was able to recognize the sanctity of human life. You must weep that your own government, at present, seems blind to this truth." This article is taken from the February 24, 1994 issue of The Arlington Catholic Herald.
OPINION 15 JULY 2022 www.goodnewsfl.org Good News • South Florida Edition also how we serve - because it is a decision thousands of miles away that is going to affect a person who you work with or live next to, or who's going to find herself in a crisis pregnancy. We're going to need, more than ever, people to volunteer in crisis pregnancy centers, people to be foster or adoptive families, people serving, caring for women in crisis at the very moment of need. Because we all know that Jesus didn't just try to win the argument. He tried to win the heart of a person, and he did that by walking toward the mess and having those conversations and looking people in the eyes and loving them in his day. This is what we're called to do as Christians. We are the light of the world. We are the salt of the earth, and so I want to just pray for us that we can be ready for the moment that happens this week at work or on social media - not to win the argument, but to listen and to pray and to win the person to the gospel of Jesus. James R. Welch, Lead Pastor, First Baptist Church of Fort Lauderdale In 1974 a fifteen-year-old freshman in high school learned she was pregnant. She was afraid and wondered what the future would hold. Upon learning of her pregnancy, some encouraged her to kill the child through an abortive procedure. Thankfully she chose life! Her then-boyfriend and father of the child married her. This year they celebrated 48 years of marriage. The baby is now 47 years old and your Lead Pastor at First Baptist Church of Fort Lauderdale. I am thankful that Judy Johnson (now Judy Welch) chose life. However, the nation should have never allowed for choice… Today, there is relief among the faithful as Roe has fallen. In 2021 Amy and I marched down BrowardAve with other faithful saints to pray in front of an abortion clinic. Over the years, we have prayed, marched, and advocated for the end of abortion. I think of those who have invested their time, talent, and treasure to see Roe fall. I rejoice with my fellowAmericans and Christians who have sought this miracle moment. I pray this is a NEW day for America. I believe that this ruling is better for us as a nation. I pray for each state as they now have to determine their course in choosing life. The church can play a vital role in this historicmoment. 1. The church must disciple for Biblical Manhood: True manhood demands more of men. Jesus' life embodied true masculinity. It was a life of selflessness and sacrifice. Masculine leadership isn't an opportunity to be served but a calling to serve sacrificially. The church must speak into the fatherless culture of today. Proclaiming a clear view of Biblical Manhood inside and outside of the church will encourage women in the wake of Roe falling. 2. The church must teach abstinence: The Apostle Paul instructed the church, "For this is the will of God, your sanctification, that is, that you abstain from sexual immorality." The church must call people to personal holiness, especially in their sexual lives. Sexual purity needs to be taught in churches and championed in culture. 3. The church must minister to women: One in five pregnancies has been ending in abortion. The abortion industry and the progressive left have exploited women and their emotions. The church must rise and care deeply for hurting and marginalized women. We must create or partner with a Woman's Advocacy Center. You, as an individual, can volunteer and financially support one. One local ministry our church partners with and celebrates is Sheridan House. 4. The church must advocate for adoption: The church should be a place for the fatherless, and Christian homes should be shelters for them. The way that Christians are to understands the gospel is through adoption. We have been adopted into Christ and are now sons and daughters of the King. The Bible says that how we receive fatherless children speaks to the gospel. The way the church receives fatherless children will remind us constantly of the gospel that has received us. Consider working with a local foster care or adoption agency. One local ministry our church partners with and celebrates is 4Kids. I hope that abortion will one day be unthinkable in the United States of America. I am thankful for the courageous and reasoned justices that voted to overturn Roe. I am grateful for President George H. W. Bush, President George W. Bush, and President Donald J. Trump and the appointment of Conservative Jurists. Join me today in thanksgiving to God for the monumental decision and day. O’Neal Dozier, Pastor, The Worldwide Christian Center Praise the Lord! Our congregation celebrates the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to strike down Roe v. Wade, that gave women the right to abort their babies. As a lawyer and a pastor, I told our congregation that Roe v. Wade was wrongfully decided by the U. S. Supreme Court in 1973, because the U.S. Supreme Court erroneously stated that the U.S. Constitution recognizes that a woman has a “right of privacy” that gives her the right to decide what she can and cannot do with her body. Such “right of privacy” is not specifically mentioned nor even impliedly mentioned in the U.S. Constitution, but on January 22, 1973, seven of the nine Supreme Court justices erroneously implied that women have a “right of personal privacy,” protected by the first, fourth, fifth, ninth and fourteenth amendments of the U.S. Constitution. I further explained to our congregation that based upon Psalm 24:1, 1st Corinthians 6:19-20 and 1st Corinthians 3:16-17 that our bodies belong to God, saved or unsaved. Therefore, it is not her body, nor her choice to abort her baby. Now, in order to curtail future illegal abortions, the church must preach the Gospel of Christ Jesus and witness to the lost souls to win them to Christ Jesus. Tewannah Aman, Executive Director, Broward County Right to Life You’ve heard the news. Together, we are celebrating a major victory for life! The U.S. Supreme Court handed down an historic decision Friday by rejecting Roe v. Wade. Since 1973, over 63,000,000 unborn babies have lost their lives. And countless men and women have suffered after an abortion. I understand. I was one of them. But now, there is no longer a constitutional right to have an abortion. (And, in truth, there never was—as Justice Alito's opinion powerfully shows.) We give God thanks and praise!! This is a glorious step forward in the battle for life. We want to thank President Donald Trump for choosing the three justices who made the right decision. When asked about it, Trump said, “God made the decision. This brings everything back to the states where it has always belonged. This is following the Constitution and giving rights back when they should have been given long ago.” Amen—this is God’s doing and an answer to the prayers of millions for the past 49 years. May He be praised! But our work is not over. There is still much to do. Each state will now act to either protect the unborn or expand laws to end their lives. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is strongly pro-life. We must now call on him and the Florida legislature to protect every unborn child from abortion and do everything possible to help women considering abortion choose life. For all of those who have prayed, worked, cried, stood and sacrificed . . . (it was all of us together, a united front) . . . this is a historic victory that dramatically changes America. We praise God and give Him thanks! Miracles do happen. Thank you for standing with us. Please know that we appreciate each one of you. And please pray as we move forward. Let’s celebrate that ROE V. WADE IS NO LONGER THE LAW OF THE LAND! And yet, let’s also remember that abortion is still legal today in Florida. And for that reason . . . We will continue to stand out in front of abortion facilities and offer help and hope to women. We will continue to work to inform, educate and equip individuals to speak for those who can’t speak for themselves. We will minister to those who find themselves struggling with their abortion decision. We will call on our elected leaders to fully protect the most vulnerable among us . . . the unborn. There is much left to do. But what a wonderful victory this is! n
16 JULY 2022 www.goodnewsfl.org Good News • South Florida Edition YOU ASK WHY Living IN-Dependence In our country, we celebrateAmerican Independence Day on July 4th. This represents the adoption of the Declaration of Independence and the day the Continental Congress approved the final wording of this important document. The Colonists, having already declared their independence from the authority and tyrannical rule of the British crown on July 2nd, 1776, two days later, 56 delegates to the Continental Congress signed their names to the parchment paper. Now as important as this day is in the life of our great nation for our independence, I pray we will be reminded to declare our utter dependence upon God, not only on this day, but every day throughout the year.As disciples of our Lord Jesus Christ, we are to be living IN-DEPENDENCE upon God to satisfy our every physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual need, every step of the way into glory. When teaching about the Vine and the Branches, Jesus makes it crystal clear just how important it is to live IN-DEPENDENCE upon God. “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the world I have spoken to you. Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:1-5). In the Garden In my pastoral ministry, I encounter many people who mistakenly believe our dependence upon God began after Adam and Eve sinned against God in the Garden of Eden. Not true! Before the first sin entered into humanity, Adam and Eve were totally dependent upon God for everything. Their divine design was one of utter dependence upon Omnipotence. They were made by God, for God and were never to live a single moment independent from God. Self-reliance, self-sufficiency and self-rule were never a part of their divine design. Rather, these sins of “self” were the immediate and visible fruits of their rebellion against God in seeking autonomy from the Almighty, the Creator and Sustainer of the entire universe. “And the Lord God commanded the man, ‘You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die’” (Genesis 2:16-17). With every imaginable provision and only one prohibition, the serpent convinced Adam and Eve to seek independence from God and live above and apart from the One who created them with these words, “You will not certainly die. For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil” (Genesis 3:4). They bought into the devil’s lie and immediately found out just how dependent they were upon God. Only now, they were dependent upon God for His mercy (not getting what they deserved), and grace (getting what they did not deserve), which they were promised in the first gospel proclamation in the Bible. “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel . . . And the Lord God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothes them” (Genesis 3:15, 21). God would have been totally justified to strike both of them dead right on the spot to satisfy His holy justice. But He did not. What God’s justice required . . . payment for sin . . . God’s undeserved mercy and unmerited grace provided in the giving of His precious Son, Jesus Christ. Adam and Eve were totally dependent upon God for life prior to sin and they were totally dependent upon God for life after sin by believing in God’s promise that would ultimately find it's fulfillment through the sinless life, sacrificial death and supernatural resurrection of Christ. Meaning, significance and purpose When was the last time you considered just how dependent you are upon God? For most people, they immediately reflect back on a season of struggle, suffering or sorrow and how God and God alone brought them through it. But what about the times in life when the sky is blue, the clouds are fleecy, and the sun is brightly shining? In seasons of plenty and prosperity, abundance and affluence, we all have a tendency to forget about our total dependence upon God. “But remember theLordyourGod, for it ishewhogivesyoutheabilitytoproducewealth, andsoconfirmshis covenant, whichheswore toyour ancestors” (Deuteronomy8:18). Regardless of where this finds you, your next breath is dependent upon God. Your hearing, eyesight, and the circulation of your blood are dependent upon God. If God were not upholding you right now, you would cease to exist. This is true not only for you, but for everyone and everything that was ever created. Everything was created by God, for God, and is totally dependent upon God, and it originally existed as a holy hymn for His glory. So, as we celebrate our independence as a nation this July 4th, let us all be reminded of our total dependence upon God, “for in him we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:28). The Bible makes it clear that the person who is most aware of his dependence uponGod ismost often pursuingGod throughHisWord, prayer and corporateworship. The more you feel your need for Him, the more time you will spend with Him. If your time in theWord, on your knees and in church is short or shallow, you can be assured your sense of dependency upon God is short circuited. To be sure, the Bible is full of examples of saints sold out in pursuing God by any means necessary. The model of course is our Master who was in constant communion with His Father in heaven, through the Word, prayer, corporate worship in the synagogue as was His custom. Remember, to live IN-DEPENDENCE upon God is the only way to live a life of meaning, significance and purpose. This is the life that leaves a lasting legacy under the Lordship of Jesus Christ. What better time than right now as we celebrate Independence Day, to declare and celebrate our total dependence upon the One who said, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). Have a blessed Independence Day, as you live increasingly IN-DEPENDENCE uponGodall thedaysof your life. ThisistheGospel.Thisisgraceforyourrace.NEVERFORGETTHAT. . .AMEN! Dr. Tommy Boland is senior pastor of Cross Community Church in Deerfield Beach (www.thecrosscc.org). He blogs regularly at tommyboland.com. - Tommy Boland - Cross Community Church Pastor
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