Largest Christian Newspaper in America • goodnewsfl.org • March 2022 • Volume 23, Issue 12
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On The Cover The Forman family gathered in Fort Lauderdale on christmas Eve in the backyard of their beautiful ranch-style home where the expansive backyard is a playground for the grandchildren and hundreds of families have been welcomed to participate in Bible studies over the years. The Forman family legacy spans 100 years in Florida, impacting education, church, charities, missions and more. read the cover article on page 28. Pictured from left to right, Seated: carmen cargill, Jennifer Forman, h. collins Forman, Jr.; Standing: Nathaniel Forman, hamilton Forman, robin Forman, alyssa Forman, Becky Forman, Timothy Forman, Daniel Forman, amanda Forman, John Forman, Sarah Forman and Ezekiel Forman. Photo credit: Justus Martin www.justusmartinphoto.com PUBLISHER 6 March 2022 www.goodnewsfl.org Good News • South Florida Edition I grew up in a city of somebodies. Regardless of who you met or introduced, it was either proceeded or followed by a brief story. You see Stevie over there? His father is the guy you need to know if you want to get into Joe’s; he owns the place, no wait; you get a table immediately. I guess it was a cultural thing? As a young guy I was fascinated by the paradigm of who you knew, which belied what you knew. Kinda like, “You’re going over to the Jordan River? Hook up with this guy John; he’s a Baptist and that’s his gig.” My fascination, of course, included politics because the action was nonstop. Bada beep, bada boop. Everybody was a “somebody.” While in college my buds were getting directionally set-up: building contractors, doctors, financial planners or future bookies - take your pick - and of course lawyers, tons of lawyers. Even at that age, the cultural planning shunned ambulance chasing, and you’d set your sights higher to a judgeship. InMiami back inmy day and through political circles, I started to hear the name “Ham” Forman from friends. Interesting and unforgettable name “Ham” in a community of lox and bagels where we had the best deli restaurants in the world: Wolfie’s, Rascal House and Pumpernick’s. Ham Forman had this interesting formula that I kept running across at some printing plants, me being a publisher. Keeping a keen eye, noticingwhat others were printing, especially in the political season, was important: flyers, brochures and comic books. Comic books? Political candidate comic books? Not real comic books but comic book looking; they blanketed the condo lobbies, bank buildings and everyone’s mail boxes. Those story similarities were like the Good Housekeeping seal of approval. Savvy. Very savvy. You needed Hamilton Forman’s backing if you wanted to run for judge in Florida, and without his backing you could run, but you wouldn’t win. You might think I’m being figurative. No, I’m being literal. If a judgeship came open and the Florida Governor needed to fill the slot, Ham Forman provided the name and the Governor said, OK: that literal. Years back I meet H. Collins Forman, a cool guy and lawyer who preferred to talk a little Rock ‘n Roll about groups and stuff. I love that interaction and it could be endless. Forman? Not Foreman?Are you any relation to Hamilton Forman? I asked. Yeah, H. Collins said, My dad. Boy, would my college buddies be impressed. Now you’ll read the “rest of the story” and the incredible 100-year Forman Family Florida Legacy: education, church and missions. You’d never hear the story from them; it’s not their way. But 100 years in Florida? In Florida if you came here in 1995, you would be considered an old timer, so the Good News wants to bring this inspiring story to you. It’s a Family Legacy and the fifth family we’ve featured in our series of “Family Legacy.” Please read the fascinating Forman Legacy story by Good News Editor Shelly Pond on page 28. Inspire others by your example of good deeds. Les South Florida Edition • Good News • March 2022 • Volume 23, Issue 12 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 2021. 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] 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] Legacy Families PERSPECTIVE . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Tension– by Stephan N. Tchividjian IN THEWORD . . . . . . . . . .10 Franklin Graham: Lift Up Your Head – by Franklin Graham OPINION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 Out of One, Many – by Newton Fairweather PARENTING . . . . . . . . . . . .14 How to Bring Peace to Your Home – by Dr. Bob Barnes & Torrey Roberts LIVE THE LIFE . . . . . . . . . . .16 The Good News is Still The Good News- by Lisa May YOU ASKWHY? . . . . . . . . .18 Don’t Just Do Something . . . Stand There! – by Tommy Boland THE CODE . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20 Paul vs. James —The Main Event – by Dr. O.S. Hawkins HEART AND SOUL . . . . . .22 Faculty and Students Blend Faith with Inquiry at Research Conference – by Dr. Debra A. Schwinn CHURCHUNITED . . . . . . .24 Digital EvangelismCampaignAttracts 30,000 Clicks Locally – by Edwin Copeland INSIGHT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26 Polycentric Leadership – by Rob Hoskins COVER STORY . . . . . .28 - 29 Forman Family Legacy Spans 100 Years in Florida – by Shelly Pond LEGAL Q&A . . . . . . . . . . . . .30 Higher Condo Fees? Here’s What You Can do – byWilliam“Bill” C. Davell andMatthewZifrony GOOD NEWSWANTS TO KNOW . . . . . . . . .32 – 33 Have you ever witnessed a miracle? THERE & BACK AGAIN . .34 5000! – by Dr. Gene L. Green ENCOURAGEMENT . . . . .36 Here Comes The Sun – by Omar Aleman VILLAGE HYMNS . . . . . . . .38 Collaboration With The Creator by Jonas Maldonado CALENDAR . . . . . . . .50 – 51 CLASSIFIEDS . . . . . . . . .52 55 C O N T E N T S Good News • March • Volume 23 Issue 12
PERSPECTIVE 8 March 2022 www.goodnewsfl.org Good News • South Florida Edition There is a tension that exists between our physical bodies and our spiritual ones. Have you heard the phrase, “you can be so heavenly bound that you are no earthly good?” The general idea is that sometimes we allow one to disconnect from the other, and that is not how God created us. I am guilty of allowing the “cares of this world” to infiltrate my perspective. Sometimes I am so focused on the here and now that I lose a sense of purpose and focus, my world gets cluttered, and I tend to drift. However, there are times that I am guilty of so longing for my heavenly home that I dissociate with the here and now. I lose my sense of empathy and compassion. Tension is typically found in the middle. For example, if you are exercising, you are willingly putting your body in a state of tension. Too much exertion and you can harm yourself. Too little exertion and you are wasting your time. Therefore, the middle is where I find myself and from that middle I can grow. Our world seems to be intoxicated with chaos. The overwhelming amount of information that we are exposed to, much of it beyond our understanding and context, can only heighten this tension between the physical and the spiritual. There are times that I find myself so distracted that I either drown myself in the physical, that which I can define with my senses, or I escape by myself into my spiritual cave oblivious to that which is around me. God, who is ever-present and has asked me to walk with Him, is the consummate teacher, coach and guide. His constant presence provides me the instruction to live within this tension. What must I do to better understand and live within the tension? How do I respond to His guidance? I have found that a few things help. Slowing down helps The fast pace of my life can easily interrupt a larger more important story God is telling. The old adage of “slow down and smell the roses” rings true. I have found that if I slow my life down and seek some quiet, I am better able to experience what God is trying to show me. Remember when you were a child, you were told to chew your food, not just swallow it. Why were we told that? Well, one, it’s safer to chew and can prevent one from choking; however, it also slowed us down to actually enjoy the experience. Sometimes I think I just swallow life, and I don’t actually “chew on it.” For example, I remember a large family dinner where everyone was talking all at once. I interrupted with a suggestion for a discussion. I suggested that we all go around the table and share one thing God had shown us in the past six months. I don’t remember much about the meal, but I do remember one of the answers to the question. My grandmother simply said, “God is faithful.” I knew there was depth to those three words. The dinner was an example of a physical experience that set the table for a spiritual lesson. Steps of faith are critical I have also found that the curiosity of faith can lead me where God wants me to go. God gently nudges me to experiences that I naturally may shy away from. He creates that tension because He wants me to grow. There are times that the tension can be a bit intense. I remember visiting a leper colony in the Dominican Republic as a teenager. I was fearful of what I may see and experience. I had seen the movies and was apprehensive of being in the presence of these poor people whose disease had disfigured their bodies. I had learned that leprosy robs its victim of sensations, and as a result, the person harms themselves without knowing it. For example, forgetting to blink can lead to blindness, and many lepers are blind for that reason. I remember my fear and apprehension disappearing as I came to realize that these people were precious in the eyes of God. The two Catholic sisters that had dedicated their lives to caring for these precious people acted as a guide for me. They helped me understand the tension that existed, loving people that may be hard to love with the supernatural love of God. I better understood God’s ability to love me, despite my grotesque sin. A random trip on a tropical island to the home of lepers was another example of living in the tension, where God wants me. How do I allow my experience then to be shaped by the pen in God’s hand as He writes my story? Be present Lastly, being present is how God created me. Too often I live in the past or future and miss out on what God is doing now. I recently found myself standing in the corner of a small room, somewhat unnoticed, as I watched the whirlwind of activity. The room was a mixture of adults and children. Several were dancing to a children’s music video, mimicking every dance move and singing along with every word. Two others were playing a game of indoor basketball oblivious to the dance moves of the others, perhaps seeing them as the opposing team. One had grabbed a vacuum cleaner and started cleaning up and arranging the room that had become a den of chaos. The whole scene probably lasted about three minutes and then within seconds everyone disappeared, and life had become quiet again. I chose to stand there and quietly watch. What was God showing me? In the midst of the loud and chaotic scene, He was showing me His joy. In this case it was members of a family being playful. God created us to play, laugh, dance and sing… even while we are surrounded by serious things. He gave me a glimpse of what He sees. Again, God has called me to live in the tension between the here and now and the eternal perspective that He sees. The world we live in is broken, and yet He has promised to never leave me nor forsake me. He’s called me to live in the tension of what I see and what He sees. Therefore, it’s critical for me to stay close to Him. God is writing His story and He has just included me as part of it. 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 Tension
10 March 2022 www.goodnewsfl.org Good News • South Florida Edition IN THE WORD We all know the terrible toll that the COVID19 virus has taken on countries around the globe. The pandemic has taken more than 5.5 million lives worldwide, includingmore than 850,000 here in the United States. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, COVID-19 has become the third-leading cause of death, behind cancer and heart disease (obviously not counting abortion). As horrific as those totals are, the disease has not only attacked our health but also our society. Illicit drug use has skyrocketed. Suicides have soared. Economies are deeply distressed, with serious worker shortages still remaining and the supply chain of goods and services severely disrupted. The outbreak of theOmicron variant has led to further restrictions on international travel, and threats of vaccine mandates are lurking for domestic flights here in the United States. Unfortunately, we have seen government officials worldwide use this deadly outbreak to become increasingly authoritarian, imposing sweeping mandates on the general public and inserting government into the private lives of citizens in unprecedented fashion. I don’t know exactly how, but I do believe this virus pandemic is somehow setting the stage for what the Bible describes in the Book of Revelation as a oneworld government, dominated by the Antichrist and the beast he employs in his dark global rule. Just recently, we heard of a company in Sweden that has developed a “vaccine passport,” a tiny microchip that will track all vaccine test results and data for travel and entry into vaccine-only eateries. The microchip is grain-sized and is implanted just under the skin on the hand or elsewhere. But don’t think for a minute that tracking vaccines is all this technology will do. Listen to the comments from its developer. “It is easy to update the implant; you can use an app on your phone to change what is on the chip. So I can add new info to the chip every day—yesterday it was my LinkedIn, today it’s my COVID certificate, tomorrow it could be something else.” Scripture prophesies about a “mark of the beast”—a horned beast who speaks like a dragon. “He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast” (Revelation 13:16-17). Whatever form that mark ultimately takes, it’s clear that it will be a universal mandate straight from the pit of hell; one that is controlled and monitored by the enemy that seeks to exert its wicked tyranny over mankind in a last-gasp attempt to deceive and destroy. For those believers whose names have been written in the Lamb’s Book of Life, however, there is nothing to fear. Though the beast will make war against the saints, it is worshipped and served only by those “whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world” (Revelation 13:8). In other words, believers whose names have been written in the Book of Life of the slain Lamb, inscribed by the atoning blood of our Lord Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sin, will never give homage to the beast. Believers need not fear the rage of the devil, for we are eternally secure in Christ. In fact, the chaos and destruction that mark the end times is actually an occasion to celebrate the soon return of our Lord and King. As unbelievers faint in fear and tremble at cosmic cataclysms, followers of Christ are markedly different: “Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near” (Luke 21:27-28). Look up at the marvelous return of our King, who will bring a final end to the treachery of the Antichrist. “And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming” (2 Thessalonians 2:8). With overwhelming ease, our mighty God will conquer and destroy! Until that time, God’s people are to be watching and waiting expectantly, studying and obeying the Scriptures and praying fervently for the Lord’s will to be done on Earth as it is in Heaven. Believers’ lives should be marked by holiness, purity, faith and repentance, being conformed to the image of Christ until we see Him face to face. But that’s not all. We are called and commanded to take the saving Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ to as many people as possible. “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations… teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:19-20). Fulfilling that command is crucial to the return of the Lord. “And this gospel of the kingdomwill be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come” (Matthew 24:14). Of course, that is exactly what the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association has been doing for more than 70 years with Crusades across America and reaching the far corners of the world. By God’s grace, and with His help, we’ll keep doing exactly that in the coming year and in the years to come. Through radio, television and the internet, we will reach tens of millions of people with the Good News of Christ’s death, burial and resurrection. However, it’s also the command for every believer to live out the Gospel truth in word and deed, reaching friends, families and neighbors with the only message that gives eternal hope and salvation. So as you hear of the continuing chaos and turmoil that now marks our days, don’t yield for a moment to pessimism or hysteria. Straighten your back, lift up your head and look up, for your full redemption is about to take place. What a day that will be! Scripture quotations are taken from The Holy Bible, New King James Version. Photo: ©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: Lift Up Your Head Believers need not fear the rage of the devil, for we are eternally secure in Christ. ” “ God’s people are to be watching and waiting expectantly, studying and obeying the Scriptures and praying fervently for the Lord’s will to be done on Earth as it is in Heaven. ” “
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OPINION 12 March 2022 www.goodnewsfl.org Good News • South Florida Edition The lens One of the greatest wrestling matches you will have is when you try to put pen to paper. Or in my case, it is 4 a.m. when you cannot sleep, and you must write. There are some wrestling matches you must lose. Why? Because it cannot be your will, it must be God’s will. I am certain that some of you have had this experience in whatever lane you are in. Although my viewpoint on this writing has change over the years, there are still some things that have not changed. The skin that I am in asks to write this story. However, you the reader are a vital part of this story because without you there is no story. His story and your story Historically, in the greatest country of the world, we have celebrated Black History in the month of February. Yet, it is bigger than just the 28 days of February. I have always felt that it should be celebrated 365 days of the year. One must be proud of who God made them to be. Black history is Human history. It is American history. It is Jewish history. It is Christian history. It is Muslim history. It is Hispanic history. It is Spanish history. It is European history, and it is African history. It is a big tent. We cannot celebrate any of our cultural history without Black history. Where is the evidence? Just start with reading your Bible. The melting pot Black history is a melting pot that holds all the cultures in it. Woven together like a beautiful robe of many colors, such as the one Jacob gave to Joseph, and no matter how hard the various cultural issues may try to separate us, we can never be separated. We all have a variety of challenges. Those self-imposed lines of history created “Walls of Jericho,” and to this day we are still marching around some of them. The season of this pandemic clearly shows how we are all tied together, particularly in our response to the term “all hands on deck.” The fox hole/silos of just trying to survive have caused us to love God more, while giving us the opportunity to love our neighbors as ourselves. We need each other. For example, we do not care what our first responders look like as we understand that the expression of love, support and care is the same no matter the culture. The fierce urgency Black history has always spoken to the American consciousness, reminding us all of our responsibility. Recently I was reading one of Dr. Martin Luther King’s speeches titled “I Have a Dream” given on August 28, 1963. I had read this speech hundreds of times, yet I did not see this point as clearly as I see it now. It was as if I had peeled back another layer of an onion; it was so real. I quote: “We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation. So, we have come to cash this check, a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice. We have also come to this hollowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of Now.” The “fierce urgency of now” is what captures my attention. I pondered what he meant then, and what it means now. I also pondered what it means for me and my personal responsibility. This urgency suggests that there is some uncertainty about tomorrow, but today is real. Procrastination is the thief of time and energy. It is an enemy of the urgency of now. The term “fierce urgency of now” is exhibited through the following mindsets: 1. Challenge the status quo. 2. Never get stuck in your limitation. 3. Life is more than just being comfortable. 4. Be an agent of change. 5. It is never too late to do the right thing. 6. The baton is in your hands, and you will have to pass it eventually. What are you passing on? Nothing stays the same In 1968 America experienced change. Not just a normal change, it was a seismic change. On February 6, 1968, Dr. King stated these words in his speech and little did we know that a few months later he would transition to heaven. Listen to the urgency in his words: “On some positions cowardice asks the question, is it safe? Expediency asks the question, is it politic? Vanity asks the question, is it popular? But conscience asks the question, is it right? And there comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular but he must take it because conscience tells him it is right.” God operates often in our hearts and our thoughts. Our thoughts are important to GOD. His Word judges the thoughts and intents of our heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account. (Hebrews 4:12b-13 NIV) Therefore, we want our actions to be led by God, not my will but thy will be done. Black history, your history, can be summarized in the following verse: 1 Corinthians 12:12-13 (AMP). “For just as the body is one and yet has many parts, and all the parts, though many, form [only] one body, so it is with Christ. For by one [Holy] Spirit we were all baptized into one body, [spiritually transformed — united together] whether Jews or Greeks (Gentiles), slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one [Holy] Spirit [since the same Holy Spirit fills each life].” History is a record of how God has done life with us and will continue to do life through us. Newton Fairweather is the pastor of Faith and Joy Church and the CBMC Fort Lauderdale Board Chaplin. Out of One, Many - Newton Fairweather - Pastor, Faith and Joy Church and CBMC Fort Lauderdale Board Chaplin
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14 March 2022 www.goodnewsfl.org Good News • South Florida Edition PARENTING It was twenty-four hours before hurricane Andrew was to come crashing in on south Florida. My elementary age children were helping us get the shutters up and put away outside furniture. Our house was a whirl wind of activity, and I was totally oblivious to the wide-eyed fear on the faces of my kids as they ran around trying to help me get ready. Our home also had two guests: two single, female Christian school teachers from the school my children attended at the time. They were staying with us to ride out their first hurricane. When the windows were covered and we were ready to lock ourselves in, my wife Rosemary pulled me aside and said, “Everyone is scared. It would be good if you stopped, got us all together and thanked God for His protection.” As I pulled everyone together, I realized Rosemary was right; they were all frightened about the fact that they didn’t know what was coming. A simple prayer My prayer was simple, but it had an impact that was much more than I expected. I thanked God for the fact that we live in a time when we get hurricane warnings and then I put our well being totally in His hands. I ended our prayer with, “Lord, we have done everything we know to do, now the rest of this adventure is totally up to you…and we are very happy that we are in your incredibly strong hands. Thank you.” As soon as I finished the prayer, I said, “Who wants to play Pictionary?” Immediately my children were racing to find the game. They completely turned a corner on their fear. If their father was confident that everything would be okay, then they too were confident…actually even excited. Prior to the prayer they had been following me around with a worried look on their faces, but now they were totally past it and ready to play. What was the difference? The hurricane was still coming. The object of their original fear hadn’t changed a bit. The difference was in the confidence and peace of their father. Parents set the tone Parents bring peace in times of fear. If mom or dad seem out of control and worried, it sends terror into the heart of the child. It’s amazing that facing the same circumstance the response of their parent can either bring calm or fear, and it’s all wrapped around our reaction. It’s not that a parent should hide the difficulty from the child. It’s that a parent can respond with a calm confidence that can be very instructive. Parents play a major part in the development of the child’s “truster.” It is bigger than simply leadership in the home. This is about the beginning of the building of a child’s ability to trust what he can’t see by observing a parents trust rather than panic. As a child learns from the Peace and strength of their parent, it will be easier for them to understand peace when it comes to trusting their Heavenly Father. My children didn’t understand the hurricane, but they trusted their dad’s peace concerning that impending hurricane. They didn’t lean to their own understanding and the things they were seeing on the television (Proverbs 3:5-6). They instead chose to trust with a childlike faith … initially in their dad. Point to their Heavenly Father This was the beginning of learning to trust. Next comes a parent’s responsibility to shift the focal point of that trust to their Heavenly Father. A child will sense when their parent is calmly lifting the situation to God. This communicates a confidence in God’s ability to protect. The children gleaned confidence from their parents’ calm. Next a parent has the responsibility to point to the love and power of God to protect from any storm. Parents play a very significant role in the conquering of fear and the development of trust. A child’s trust grows even stronger as they see their parents respond to life’s challenges with a confidence in God. Over time that “trust baton” gets passed from a parent to the heavenly Father. Through the past few years, we have lived through lots of changes in the world around us. And it almost feels as though we are waiting for the next thing to hit. One thing we can do as parents is consistently communicate the supernatural Peace that surpasses all understanding. Through this our children will see our faith and trust in our Father and know that He is faithful and trustworthy. What things can you do to bring His Peace into your home today? Visit parentingonpurpose.org for more advice from Dr. Bob Barnes and Torrey Roberts. - Dr. Bob Barnes and Torrey Roberts - Sheridan House FamilyMinistries How to Bring Peace to Your Home
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LIVE THE LIFE 16 March 2022 www.goodnewsfl.org Good News • South Florida Edition I recently spoke with a counselor about the pressure the pandemic has brought to bear; his practice hasministered tomore than 30,000 people sinceCOVID.Working remotely, fewer family gatherings, less timewith our various community groups combinedwith death and fear have been harrowing and traumatic circumstances to everyone. The positive has been that the open conversation about our mental health and emotional well-being has been destigmatized. What was once spoken about in a private, inner circle-only conversation is on all the newsstands and airways with global celebrities such as Olympian Simon Biles and Michael Phelps speaking out. The science of thought Dr. Caroline Leaf studied whether the mind can change the brain. Themind is separate from the brain, but themind influences the brain. The brain is an organ like our heart; it operates automatically, but our brain is neuroplastic; our thoughts can change it. Thoughts in our brain form on our neurons and look like trees. Due to brain imaging technology, we can now see that healthy thought versus unhealthy thought can change our brain, but it must be stimulated. So, the more you direct your mind, the more it changes the brain. The brain is subservient towhat we dowith our mind. The brain responds to how the mind is functioning. Our choice is to either direct our mind to positive or negative thoughts. When we apply disciplined, deep, focused thinking with repeated effort, we will cause learning to take place with the capacity to mold our brains. The mind is what changes the brain; our thoughts change our minds. We can't control many events and circumstances that happen to us, but we can choose our reaction. So what does this have to do with our mental health and emotional well-being? Boosting our “happiness” means cultivating thought patterns. How do we do that? Wisdom as old as time Gratitude • The Happiness Research Institute in Copenhagen suggests keeping a record of happy memories, also known as a gratitude journal. This keeps us focused on positive things and trains our brains to do the same. • GodSays: “Rejoicealways, praywithout ceasing, give thanks inall circumstances; for this is thewill of God inChrist Jesus for you” (1Thessalonians 5:16-18). “I will give thanks to you, Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonderful deeds” (Psalm 9:1). “This is the Day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it” (Psalm 118:24). “Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for mankind, for he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things” (Psalm 107:8-9). “But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear” (Matthew 13:16). “To you, oh God of my fathers, I give thanks and praise, for you have given me wisdom and power” (Daniel 2:23). Social connections • Maintaining in-person relationships is good for our physical health. A 2017 study found that a lack of social connectedness carried a risk comparable to smoking 15 cigarettes a day. Rangan Chatterjee, author of The Stress Solution, encourages physical touch because the nerve fibers in our skin's touch receptors go to our emotional brain, lowering stress. • God Says: “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (John 15:13). “The LORDGod said, ‘It is not good for theman to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him’” (Genesis 2:18). “Donot giveupmeeting together, as someare in thehabit of doing, but encouraging oneanother—andall themoreas you see theDay approaching” (Hebrews 10:25). Rest • Slumber andwellbeing are connected. Neuroscientist MatthewWalker found that brain scans showed participants with a night of sleep deprivation had amygdalae (where we process our emotions) that were 60% more reactive to emotionally negative stimuli than when having a regular 7-9 hours of sleep. • God says: "Six days you shall labor, but on the seventh Day you shall rest; even during the plowing season and harvest you must rest” (Exodus 34:21). "‘Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.’ Then Jesus said, ‘Let's go off by ourselves to a quiet place and...’” (Matthew 6:31). Care for others • Emma Seppala, science director of StanfordUniversity's Center for Compassion andAltruismResearch and author of TheHappinessTrack, found that more compassionate and generous people are happier and healthier and may even live longer than those who aren't. • God says: “Not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others” (Philippians 2:4). “Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep” (Romans 12:15). “We who are strong ought to bear with the shortcomings of the weak and not to please ourselves” (Romans 15:1). Meditate • ChristopherWillard, PsyD, an expert, finds that meditation can grownewconnections in your brain, such as the prefrontal cortex. • God says: “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable— if anything is excellent or praiseworthy— think about such things” (Philippians 4:8). Seek counsel or therapy • Since the pandemic, the request and need for therapy have escalated. There's no shame in seeing someone to help us process our thoughts, feelings and help us reframe our thinking. We all need someone to “talk” to. • God says: “Pray in the Spirit at all times, with every kind of prayer and petition. To this end, stay alert with all perseverance in your prayers for all the saints” (Ephesians 6:18). The great news is that the Good News is still the Good News. God knew how He created us andwhat was best for us. Regardless of our beliefs, truth is truth. Living a life based on biblical precepts is good for us as individuals, for our marriages and families, in our workplaces and our communities. Sooner or later, science always catches up to God’s Word. Live the Life South Florida exists to strengthen marriages and families through healthy relationship education, beginning in middle school through senior adults. We are educators, coaches and pastoral counselors. If you're looking for a clinical counselor or therapist, we are blessed to havemany in the South Florida community. We'd be honored to provide you a list of highly qualified and reputable individuals. Visit livethelifesoflo.org - Lisa May - Executive Director, Live the Life South Florida The Good News Is Still The Good News
18 March 2022 www.goodnewsfl.org Good News • South Florida Edition YOU ASK WHY Don’t Just Do Something . . . Stand There! We’ve all heard the phrase, “Don’t just stand there; do something!” Surely many of the Israelites who embarked on the great exodus out of Egypt felt that way when they found themselves trapped between the Red Sea and Pharaoh’s chariots. They would have looked anxiously at Moses, who had led them into what appeared to be an utterly hopeless situation, expecting him to be racing back and forth, barking orders, and setting up defensive fortifications. “Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die?” they snarled. Moses did nothing; he stood gazing up at the heavens, waiting for God’s command. Surely at that point many of the terrified Israelites shouted the Hebrew equivalent of “Don’t just stand there, Moses; do something!” Moses turned to the people. “Stand still,” he said calmly, “and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will accomplish for you today.” And they did! Unexpected ways This would not be the last time that God’s people found His means of deliverance completely counterintuitive. You would think the parting of the Red Sea had convinced them that salvation belongs to God (Revelation 7:10), but much like you and me, they needed divine reminders. “The people grew impatient on the way; they spoke against God and against Moses, and said, ‘Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the desert? There is no bread! There is no water! And we detest this miserable food!’ Then the Lord sent venomous snakes among them; they bit the people and many Israelites died. . . . The Lord said to Moses, ‘Make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live.’ . . . Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, he lived” (Numbers 21:4-6, 8-9) Can you picture it? You’re an Israelite; you’ve been traveling through this wilderness for years. God has met your every need; He has given you manna from heaven (called “the bread of angels” in Psalm 78:25), provided water, and your clothes and shoes have not worn out. But it’s hot . . . you’re tired of walking . . . sick of the monotonous landscape . . . and I suppose even angel food cake may start to taste a little bland after eating it every day for years on end. So you forget how much you hated your slavery in Egypt, you forget how you cried out to God to deliver you from bondage, and you begin to grumble. Today we wonder how people who had seen God part an ocean could grumble against that good and gracious and powerful God . . . but are we any different? Do you really believe you wouldn’t have lost faith? You never would have grumbled against Moses, who was leading you on a seemingly meandering path to nowhere? You never would have looked up to heaven as the sweat stung your eyes and growled, “This is just great, Lord. Another day in this lousy desert!” Are you sure? Or perhaps you have a lot more in common with the people of Israel than you thought? So here you are, trudging across the desert, grumbling as you go. Suddenly a snake springs from behind a rock and sinks its fangs into your calf. The pain is agonizing! You flail desperately with your staff, and the creature slithers off, but it’s too late. You can feel the venom coursing through your body. You cry out in terror, “Moses, help me!” And once again, Moses offers a nonsensical solution! “Look to the bronze serpent that is lifted up on a pole! Look to the serpent and live!” “Look?!” you sputter incredulously. “I’ve been bitten by a serpent! I’m dying! There must be something I can do to save myself!” A venomous sting We have all been bitten by the serpent called sin, and the venom that brings inevitable death is coursing through our veins. We’re dying! The day will come when we will stand before a perfectly holy, righteous God and give account for the way we lived . . . we will confess how badly the venom poisoned our lives. Surely there must be something I can do! Man has invented many religions that require us to work our way toward God. If we just observe certain behaviors, live in the prescribed manner, perhaps simply do more good than harm, all will be well. We assure ourselves that we will go to “a better place.” Yet the one true God tells us the same thing He told the people of Israel more than three thousand years ago: Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord! Jesus told Nicodemus, “Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life” (John 3:14-15). It didn’t make sense to Nicodemus, at least not right away, and it didn’t make sense to many of those who followed Jesus. Surely there was something they must do! They asked Him directly, “What must we do to do the works God requires?” Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent. . . . My Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day” (John 6:28-29, 40). In essence, our Lord was saying, “Don’t just do something . . . stand there! Look to Me and live.” Many turned away from following Jesus after that. They refused to believe that salvation is by grace alone, through faith in Christ alone. They had ignored or misread the warning in Proverbs 30:12 that there are “Those who are pure in their own eyes and yet are not cleansed of their filth.” They knew they had been bitten by the serpent, but they believed they could manufacture the anti-venom themselves. There are millions today who believe the same thing. They have embraced the lie of serpent: “You will not surely die . . . You will be like God, knowing good and evil.” Their hearts thrill to the humanists creed, “I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul.” That is the spirit that insists, “Don’t just stand there; do something!” The Gospel of God is completely counterintuitive. There is nothing we can do to save ourselves except look to Jesus Christ lifted up on cross. That is the Gospel of the One True God, the righteous Judge of all men, who says, “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved.” How is it with you? Have you looked to Jesus? Have you placed your trust in His atoning death on your behalf? If so, you have seen the salvation of the Lord, which He has accomplished for you. Don’t just do something; look and live. There is no other way. This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . 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 Bratislava, Slovakia. Icon of Moses with the bronze serpent on a pole to protect the Israelites from dying. The Greek Catholic church of the Exaltation of the Venerable Cross.
THE CODE 20 March 2022 www.goodnewsfl.org Good News • South Florida Edition “What Does It Profit, My Brethren, If Someone Says He Has Faith but Does Not Have Works? Can Faith Save Him?” (James 2:14). Throughout Christian history, people have tried to pit Paul, with his emphasis on grace, against James, with his emphasis on works. The apparent conflict has been presented like the main event of a heavyweight prizefight: “In this corner, wearing the grace trunks, is the apostle Paul, born in Tarsus, educated by the renowned Gamaliel, and the undisputed brilliant mind of this new movement called Christianity! He says, ‘By grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God’ (Ephesians 2:8). And in the other corner, wearing the works trunks is James, the son of Joseph and Mary from Nazareth, converted after the resurrection of Jesus, and known as the respected leader of the Jerusalem church! He teaches, ‘Faith without works is dead’ (James 2:26).” in some Christian circles, the prizefight between faith and works continues two thousand years later. The ongoing debate over the nature of salvation tends to gravitate toward two extremes. One school of thought is often referred to as “easy believism.” This overemphasis on faith and underemphasis on fruit, or works, leads some to say that people can pray a simple “sinner’s prayer” when they are children, live the rest of their days with no desire whatsoever for spiritual things, and still be saved from the consequences of their sin and God’s wrath to come. The other extreme overemphasizes works and underemphasizes faith. This ideology teaches that it is faith plus something else (like baptism or some other kind of human effort) that saves. Still other Christians believe God has some type of huge scale, and they hope that when the final bell rings, their good works will outweigh their bad, and all will end well. Let’s get inside the ring with Paul and James, between grace and works, and see if we can determine the winner. Round One: Paul on the offense Paul begins with a left jab: he says, “For by grace you have been saved” (Ephesians 2:8). He plunges right into the fight insisting that salvation is God’s work, that salvation is “by grace.” God’s gift of salvation is not in response to any of our human efforts. it originates with Him, not with man. Our salvation is by grace, a word that can be defined as “getting what we don’t deserve.” Again, Paul taught that grace is “the gift of God” (v. 8), a blessing freely given by the Father, a blessing that can never be earned. As quick as a flash Paul strikes again with a right cross to the chin when he explains that salvation is God’s work in God’s way. Paul insists that salvation comes “through faith, and that not of yourselves” (v. 8). Salvation is God’s work, and it must be accomplished in God’s way, which is through faith in Jesus Christ. Even as I type these words, I find myself wanting to shout, “By faith! Not of yourselves! Not of works! The gift of God!” Do you realize that there are only two religions in the whole world? They are true religion and false religion. True religion originates in Jesus Christ, who said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except throughMe” (John 14:6). Paul, sensing an opportunity, now delivers an uppercut: “Salvation is God’s work in God’s way according to God’s will.” Paul continues, “For we are [God’s] workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10). God created each one of us unique, His own one-of-a-kind work of art; no one else on the planet has DNA like yours. And that is not all: God prepared us “beforehand,” back in the eternal recesses of time. So, Paul makes a strong case for grace. James seems to be on the ropes. Round Two: James counters James stands his ground. He is now toe-to-toe with Paul. He counters, “A faith without fruit is a false faith.” More specifically, James asks, “what good is it if you say you have faith and have not works? Can this kind of faith save you?” (James 2:14, paraphrased). With lightning speed he keeps coming: “Faith without fruit is not only false faith; it is also futile faith.” Then James issues this challenge: “you say you have faith. Show me! even the demons believe and tremble” (vv. 18– 19, paraphrased). The Final Bell When the bell rings, both Paul and James are still standing. In fact, they are actually hugging each other. Then, at the same moment, they grab the other’s arm and lift it high in victory. They both win! How? Because in the final analysis, these two men of God are saying the same thing. The judges determine that Paul is saying what James is saying: “We are [God’s] workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works!” (Ephesians 2:10, emphasis added). And James is saying what Paul is saying: “Of [God’s] own will He brought us forth [chose us] by the word of truth” (James 1:18). The teachings of these men of God complement each other; they are not contradictory. Paul was primarily writing to the Judaizers, those people of the Jewish faith who had infiltrated the early church with their false teaching that people had to add to faith works that were in line with ancient Jewish law in order to be saved. In response, Paul emphasized the primacy of faith: salvation is wholly by grace and through faith alone. James, on the other hand, was writing primarily to people who went to the far extreme of grace and insisted that they could live any way they wanted as long as they “believed.” Thus, James’ emphasis was on what our Lord called the fruit of our faith. What evidence of your faith do others see in your life? So, faith and works walk out of the ring arm in arm. That is as it should be because this fight about the Christian life is not about faith and works but about a faith that works. Thus, works are never a requirement for our salvation; works are the result of our salvation. Yes, it is faith alone that saves, but faith that saves is never alone! Faith that saves is never isolated from works. Taken from The Jesus Code by O.S. Hawkins. Copyright © 2014 by Dr. O.S. Hawkins. Used by permission of Thomas Nelson. O. S. Hawkins has served pastorates, including the First Baptist Church in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and the First Baptist Church in Dallas, Texas, for more than 25 years. A native of Fort Worth, Texas, he has a BBA from Texas Christian University and his MDiv and Ph.D. from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. For almost a quarter of a century, he has served as president of GuideStone Financial Resources, with assets under management of $21.5 billion, serving 250,000 pastors, church staff members, missionaries, doctors, university professors, and other workers in various Christian organizations with their investment, retirement and benefit service needs. He is the author of more than 40 books, and regularly speaks to business groups and churches all across the nation. All of the author’s royalties and proceeds from the entire Code series go to support Mission:Dignity. You can learn more about Mission:Dignity by visiting MissionDignity.org. - Dr. O.S. Hawkins - President, Guidestone Financial Resources Paul vs. James —The Main Event
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