Largest Christian Newspaper in America • goodnewsfl.org • November 2023 • Volume 25, Issue 8
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PUBLISHER 6 November 2023 www.goodnewsfl.org Good News • South Florida edition Tomorrow? I am reminded there are no guarantees about tomorrow; that’s His call not mine, so I find myself in a lot of reflection since October 7th, and I can’t seem to shake it. Where is the outrage? Where is the passion? I often find myself wrestling with what I believe to be utter hypocrisy - probably nothing bothers me more than hypocrisy. Somehow, we understand and can justify outrage. If you believe in the Bible, you have deep conviction, not passive conviction. If you believe that Israel is the “Holy Land,” and you gather yourself with great pride to travel and visit the Holy Land once, twice or even 50 times, you’re going because of your deep conviction. It’s where Jesus walked, and it’s the most historically significant piece of earth in the history of the world. Where is the outrage when you see it under attack? The brutal attack on humanity, albeit Jewish, Christian or Muslim, can be horrific and incomprehensible. My focus is simply the hypocritical nature of calling Israel the Holy Land, a land that is now in peril and may be reduced to rubble at any moment. Where is the outrage? It’s more than a tourist attraction. It’s the Holy Land. It’s not like Disney World in Orlando or in Tokyo or in other parts of the world as a theme park. This is Israel we’re talking about, the Holy Land. And to watch and to have the world watch as its being bombed, have we now substituted an iron dome system instead of God? We can’t build another Israel. And its quite possible going forward no one will travel to Israel ever again if it has been destroyed. There would be nothing to look at except rubble. Are you going to point to where the Garden of Gethsemane used to be? Where is the outrage? Would we sit by as a society and passively watch people light Bibles on fire until there are no more Bibles left? If we call it the Holy Land, are we willing to fight for it? Again I ask, where is the outrage? Why is the Church so silent? We are watching an uprising throughout the world right now where people are comfortable chanting death to Israel and death to all Jews as they murder thousands of Jews because they are Jewish. The hypocrisy is numbing, and I just don’t understand it. Although I could engage in an argument of righteousness versus evil, I choose to focus on only one thing at this moment: the Holy Land is so significant. As faithful Christians we assume God is going to take care of this. I know in biblical terms God’s timing is always perfect, and only He knows the reason for things that are beyond mortal comprehension. All I ask is a simple question: Why is the Church so silent? We pray for survival; we pray for peace. Am Yisrael Chai Les South Florida Edition • Good News • November 2023 • Volume 25, Issue 8 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 in more 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 2023. 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] Advertising & Marketing: Robert “Buddy” Helland Jr. V.P. Sr. Marketing Manager [email protected] Art Director: Milton McPherson [email protected] Associate Art Director: Joseph Sammaritano [email protected] Social Media Manager: Ariel Feldman [email protected] Editorial Assistant: Eric Solomon [email protected] Cover Photography: Justus Martin [email protected] Leslie J. Feldman PERSPECTIVE . . . . . . . . .10 Grateforgetfulness - by Stephan N. Tchividjian IN THE WORD . . . . . . . .12 “I Felt The Love of Jesus Through The Shoebox!” – by Franklin Graham THE CODE . . . . . . . . . . . .14 God’s Promise to Israel – by Dr. O.S. Hawkins FROM THE PULPIT . . . .16 The Nations Rage in Vain by – Dr. Robert J. Pacienza PARENTING . . . . . . . . . .18 It’s Time to Teach Time by – Dr. Bob and Rosemary Barnes FOSTER CARE . . . . . . . .20 Who Has Been Adopted? by – Kevin Enders MARRIAGE . . . . . . . . . . .22 Maintaining Marital Satisfaction Through the Seasons and Stages of Life by – Lisa May HEART AND SOUL . . . .24 Palm Beach Atlantic University to Celebrate American Free Enterprise Day – by Dr. Debra Schwinn YOU ASK WHY? . . . . . . 26 Giving God Our Best…Not The Rest? – by Dr. Tommy Boland FAITH AND VOCATION . .28 Elijah and Elisha: Mentoring And Connection In Modern Lifeby – Jeffrey Rice GOOD NEWS SALUTES 2023 – 2024 LEADING CHARITIES AND FOUNDATIONS . . .29 – 52 GOOD NEWS WANTS TO KNOW . . .54 56 If you could live one of the days of someone else's life, who would it be and why? ENCOURAGEMENT . . .58 God Doesn’t Move Parked Cars – by Omar Aleman LEGAL Q&A . . . . . . . . . .60 Charitable Giving Strategies: How To Be A Bigger Blessing – by William “Bill” C. Davell and Christine Yates INSIGHT . . . . . . . . . . . . .62 A Heart of Thanksgiving: Jesus’ Acts of Gratitude by – Rob Hoskins WE GET LETTERS . . . . .64 CALENDAR . . . . . .74 – 75 CLASSIFIEDS . . . . .76 – 79 Where Is The Outrage? On The Cover Good News Salutes Leading Charities and Foundations 2023-2024 in the cover photo shoot graciously hosted by Pastor Rob Pacienza and the talented team at Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church. Front Row (L-R): Dr. Mary Drabick, South Florida Theological Seminary; Stephan N. Tchividjian, National Christian Foundation South Florida; Nancy Robin, Habitat for Humanity of Broward; Sean Stepelton, The Festus and Helen Stacy Foundation; 2nd Row: Steve Solomon, CBMC South Florida; Kevin Enders, 4KIDS; Joy Wright, Hope Women’s Centers; Edwin Copeland, Church United; Nidia M. Sica, Adoption by Shepherd Care; Wendy L. Elliott, Elite Foundation; 3rd Row: Chris Lane, First Priority of South Florida; Kelly Miller, Cross International; Joyce Lello Feldman, BiG Children’s Foundation, Inc.; Lisa May, Live the Life South Florida; Rev. Ronald Brummitt, The Caring Place; Dr. Fred Scarbrough, HOPE South Florida; Robin Martin, Executive Director, Rebuilding Together Broward County, Inc.; 4th Row: Richard Aspden, Faith Farm; Oksana Horton, Torch and Trumpet Theatre Company; Christine Auker, StrikeForce 421; Tewannah Aman, Broward Right to Life; Antony Tchividjian, Calvary House; Michael Chin Quee, Food For The Poor; 5th Row: Desmond Cook, Fellowship of Christian Athletes; Tia Diaz-Balart, Youth for Christ Miami and Broward; Suzanne Marcellus, House of Protection, Inc.; Lori Lassen, Rejoice Marriage Ministries; Dennis DeMarois, Gathering Palm Beach County; Dr. Mary Kinirons, Heart Gallery of Broward County; Coach Rick Andreassen, SAINTS of Florida Homeschool P.E.; 6th Row: Rev. Frank Trotta, Love Life; Dan West, Restoration Bridge International; Jaene Miranda, Boys and Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County, Inc.; Heather Palacios, Wondherful, Inc.; Dr. Teo A. Babun, Outreach Aid to the Americas, Inc.; 7th Row: Tyler Graeff, Teen Challenge of Florida Davie Women’s Home; Abby Mosher, Tomorrow’s Rainbow; Elena Hershey, Suits Stilettos and Lipstick Foundation; Coleen LaCosta, Speak Up For Kids; Chris Gentile, Boys and Girls Clubs of Broward County; 8th Row: James Oilar, Victory Ahead; David Killian, Palm Beach County Youth for Christ; Angela Curatalo; Respect Life; Sherese James-Grow; Love INC of Broward; Angela Ball, Hearts for Moms. Photo by Justus Martin. www.justusmartinphoto.com CONTENTS Good News • November • Volume 25 Issue 8
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PERSPECTIVE 10 November 2023 www.goodnewsfl.org Good News • South Florida edition Imagine with me that you are experiencing some type of chronic pain. The pain is excruciating and without cure. The pain has affected every aspect of your life. You are no longer able to work except in some very limited capacity, and your dream job is gone. The pain has affected every relationship you have, including your marriage and family. You are unable to embrace your loved ones and feel their touch. Loneliness has become your constant companion. Your loved ones and best friends make every effort to live up to the expectations you have of them, but they have become weary of the challenge and their lives move on. Imagine that everything that used to bring you joy or pleasure has been taken from you. There is no more enjoyment in life except, oddly, music, which allows you to escape momentarily into another reality. Cash and Nina Simone You manage the pain by visiting a clinic seven days per week, and in this clinic, you get some reprieve. The staff at the clinic appear caring but distant. The other patients that are experiencing the same pain as you, become familiar faces, as they glance at you with an understanding nod. The frequency of visits allows friendships to become a possibility, simply because of the shared experience. The friendships are not normal ones, experiencing very little laughter, joy and communication. The grimacing expressions are interrupted by the eyes. The eyes tell the story. The eyes moisten with a mixture of the present pain and the memory of shared loss. The dreams have died and the realization of the new reality is a constant story in one’s head. Then one day, something is different. A stranger comes to visit the clinic while you and your new friends are receiving your daily treatment. The visitor says nothing as he sets up a place in a corner and proceeds to play the most beautiful and unfamiliar music you have ever heard (think Cash, Aznavour, Streisand and Nina Simone with a little Mozart). The instrument is unfamiliar to you. The music is enjoyed by all. Something mystical happens as the music is played and the pain seems to abate and then slowly disappear entirely. You imagine, at first, that it’s just your imagination but the eyes of your fellow patients seem to affirm your experience. Are they too experiencing the same thing? The experience continues for what appears to be an eternity as the music continues to be played and the melody fills the room and your imagination. Is the pain going away? Will the music ever stop? Will the pain return when the music stops? You then allow yourself the permission to simply mouth a whisper, “I hope not.” Where are the others? The music did stop and so did the pain. Medical tests and doctors verified that the pain was forever gone. You received a clean bill of health for the first time in years. Your life now had all the possibility of becoming normal and everything that was lost was being retrieved again. The joy you were experiencing was contagious and that smile was permanently plastered on your face. Oh, by the way, the eyes, they tell a different story now. One sees empathy mixed with joy and hope with every glance. One day you hear a familiar sound, and as you move closer to it you recognize not only the music but the musician. The same one that played that melody that changed your life. You, now able to speak, approach him with the greatest expression of gratitude you can imagine. You make a scene with your many thank yous, hugs, tears and Travolta-like dance moves. You feel completely inadequate as you try to express your heartfelt thanks. The musician seems to enjoy your efforts to show you gratitude and grins with a chuckle that quickly matches your expression (dance moves too). The two of you are now making a scene that cause onlookers to assume you have known each other forever and are celebrating a shared victory. Two strangers forever bonded together by a shared experience. The musician then opens his mouth for the first time and asks a simple but sincere question, “where are the others”? Reject… deflect… accept I had to reflect on the ability that I have to be “grateforgetful.” I’m on the receiving end of many blessings by God. The ultimate gift He’s ever given me is that He healed me from the painful toxicity of my sin, which like the narrative above, isolated and dismantled my life. Therefore, it’s worth noting that I have choices on how to respond to the melody of God’s healing power. I have identified three, of many. I can choose to deflect God’s presence and power by simply seeing it as no big deal, so familiar and perhaps something I deserve. I can also choose to reject it completely, meaning, I don’t believe it and I would rather accept the status quo. However, I can also simply accept it, acknowledging the mystery and in doing so find myself looking for every opportunity to let Him know just how grateful I am, perhaps make a scene and get Him to chuckle and join in. Stephan N. Tchividjian is the CEO and co-founder of the National Christian Foundation South Florida. Visit southflorida.ncfgiving.com to learn more. - Stephan Tchividjian - CEO and Co-Founder, National Christian Foundation South Florida Grateforgetfulness
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12 November 2023 www.goodnewsfl.org Good News • South Florida edition IN THE WORD As we look forward to celebrating the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, Operation Christmas Child is also marking a birthday. This year marks 30 years since Samaritan's Purse began collecting shoeboxes filled with gifts for hurting children around the world. In 1993, a man in England asked us to collect Christmas gifts for children in war-torn Bosnia. I called a church in Charlotte, where Pastor Ross Rhoads invited his congregation to fill shoeboxes with children's gifts, and they overwhelmed us with 11 thousand boxes—so many that the church ran out of room to store them. I'll never forget Ross telling me, "Franklin, this is obviously something the Lord has blessed." From the start, Operation Christmas Child has always been dedicated to sharing the Gospel, and the Lord has blessed us with an abundance of gift boxes — 209 million over 30 years. Around the world, a whole generation of children have grown up after coming to know Jesus through Operation Christmas Child. Let me tell you about a couple of examples. Decades ago, a 13-yearold boy named Manar in a Middle Eastern country opened a shoebox and could not believe how many gifts were packed inside. "The toy store came to me!" he said. "I felt the love of Jesus through the shoebox. It taught me how God is great, that God thought about me and sent me that gift." All these years later, Manar has kept several of his dearest gifts, including a stuffed bear in a red sweater, a monkey-shaped keychain, and an Etch-a-Sketch that he called "my iPad." He'll never forget the letter he found inside the box that said: "Jesus loves you and I'm praying for you." Today, Manar is a doctor who has settled in the United States and coordinates shoebox collections at his church—demonstrating God's love to hurting and impoverished children around the world. If you have been packing shoebox gifts for years, maybe you packed the gifts that warmed the heart of Manar. Or if this is your first time getting involved in Operation Christmas Child, know that you will be blessing the life of a child. Now is the time to get started, as our National Collection Week will be the week before Thanksgiving, Nov. 13-20. Have fun! It is always exciting to hear how the Lord uses shoebox gifts to take the Gospel to the ends of the earth. On the island of Madagascar, a retiring pastor heard God calling him to one final mission—bringing the Gospel to 15 notorious villages that are home to bandits. Government authorities do not dare go there. One village ran off their pastor seven years ago and burned down the church building. Working through village schools, the pastor brought in hundreds of shoebox gifts and boldy shared the true meaning of Christmas, the birth of our Lord and Savior. He knew the risk of being violently rejected, yet 75 percent of the crowd—adults as well as children—responded "yes" to Jesus. In another village, people asked for a church, and a young pastor has answered the call to live in these villages and disciple new believers. The spirit of evil was so heavy that children used to play games by throwing rocks at each other. Now, they play together with soccer balls and other toys from their shoeboxes. Many were excited to get school supplies so they can get an education. The pastor asked us to thank you for gifts that will transform a generation of the Bara people. As the Lord provides, we are planning to ship 11 million shoebox gifts this year. Praise God, we've come a long way from 11 thousand that first year. On behalf of children around the world, thank you for your prayers and generosity. Individuals, families, and groups still have time to transform empty shoeboxes into fun gifts. Volunteers are preparing to collect shoebox gifts during National Collection Week, November 15 – 22. Participants can find the nearest drop-off location and more information on how to pack their shoebox at www.samaritanspurse.org/what-we-do/operation-christmas-child/ - Franklin Graham - President and CEO Samaritan’s Purse and Billy Graham Evangelistic Association “I Felt The Love of Jesus Through The Shoebox!” Volunteering at a shoebox processing center can be great fun! Photo courtesy: Samaritan’s Purse A trio of girls in Mongolia rejoice over their shoebox gifts. Photo Courtesy: Samaritan’s Purse In Namibia, a boy celebrates the toy cars he received in his shoebox gift. Photo Courtesy: Samaritan’s Purse
THE CODE 14 November 2023 www.goodnewsfl.org Good News • South Florida edition I will bring back the captives of My people Israel; They shall build the waste cities and inhabit them; They shall plant vineyards and drink wine from them; They shall also make gardens and eat fruit from them. I will plant them in their land, And no longer shall they be pulled up From the land I have given them,” Says the Lord your God. (Amos 9:14–15 NKJV) One of the greatest tangible proofs that the Bible is true is the way prophecies are made and fulfilled and the way promises are made and kept. The most obvious of all these prophecies and promises are the ones God has made and kept with His chosen people, the Jews. No volume written about the promises of God would be complete without a review of the promises to the Jewish people and the Jewish state of Israel. If you are looking for proof that God will keep His promises, take a trip to Israel and observe the miracle of a people dispersed among the nations for almost two thousand years who have returned to the land of promise and made the desert bloom and whose nation has against all odds reemerged as a world leader — just as God has promised. Israel plays a prominent role in the plan of God. Not only did God use these people to give His Word to the world (Romans 3:1–2), but the Jews were the vehicle He used to give His Son to the world as well (Romans 9). In our modern world, all eyes are on Israel. Pick up a newspaper or magazine, scan the internet for world news and you will find mention of Israel in some form or fashion. This little country, the size of the state of New Jersey, has, in many ways, become the center of world trouble, just as the prophets prophesied and just as God promised. Keeping an eye on Israel keeps our finger on the pulse of world history and Bible prophecy. God’s promise Way back in the unfolding chapters of Genesis, God made a promise to Abraham, saying, “Get out… to a land that I will show you. I will make you a great nation… and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed” (Genesis 12:1–3). Then the Lord enlarged on His promise of giving Israel a land, saying, “I will establish My covenant… for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and your descendants… also I give to you and your descendants after you the land… as an everlasting possession; and I will be their God” (Genesis 17:7–8). God repeated His promise of the land not only to Abraham and his son Isaac but to Jacob as well: “The land on which you lie I will give to you and your descendants… and in you and in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed” (Genesis 28:13–14). God kept His promise. Joshua led the children of Israel into the promised land and took possession of it. Israel became a world power under the kingships of David and Solomon. But because they began to follow other gods, the kingdom was divided, and ultimately, the Jews were taken into captivity by foreign nations. The holy city of Jerusalem was ravaged by the Romans, and the Jews were left without a land or a country. But what God had promised, He would perform in His own timing and in His own way. God had warned Israel He would not tolerate her worship of foreign gods. The Lord scattered the people among the nations, warning, “You will be left few in number among the nations where the Lord will drive you… you shall find no rest (Deuteronomy 4:27; 28:65). True to His word, the Jewish people were scattered in AD 70 when Titus and his Roman legions destroyed Jerusalem. For two thousand years they lived as a despised and persecuted people without a land to call their own. One in three Jews in all the world were annihilated in Hitler’s concentration camps. Against all odds, these chosen people maintained their identity and lived with the constant hope that they would celebrate their annual feasts “next year in Jerusalem.” A sovereign nation God promised there would come a day when He would regather the Jews from all over the four corners of the world, bring them back into their own land, and reestablish them as a nation. He promised, “I will take you from among the nations, gather you out of all countries, and bring you into your own land” (Ezekiel 36:24). And what HE promised, He performed. On May 14, 1948, the United Nations took a vote that startled the world and recognized the reestablished state of Israel as a sovereign nation after two millennia of exile. Never in recorded history was a nation reborn in such a fashion. The ancient Hebrew language was restored, and in a short time, Israel grew to become a world power. Twenty-five hundred years earlier, through the prophet Isaiah, God had promised, “It shall come to pass in that day that the Lord shall set His hand again the second time to recover the remnant of His people… assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth” (Isaiah 11:11–12). Today, Israel is a thriving nation, blessing the world with its advanced scientific and medical research, leading the way in helping keep the world safe with one of the world’s most sophisticated intelligence networks and powerful military structures, and bringing hope and help through its contributions to literature and the arts. Walk the streets of Jerusalem today and you will see Russian Jews who fled persecution and pogroms; dark-skinned Ethiopian Jews, descendants of Solomon and the Queen of Sheba; Sephardic Jews from the Arab world; and Ashkenazi Jews from Eastern Europe all blending together, just as God promised, into one nation, God’s own chosen people. If you want to know if God keeps His promises, just look at Israel and the people we call the Jews. No wonder we call it the promised land! A promise and a prayer Now the Lord said to Abram… “I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed (Genesis 12:1–3) Lord, how blessed to see and know that You are faithful, that what you promise, You will always provide — in Your own way and in Your own timing. In Jesus’ name, amen. Taken from The Promise Code by O.S. Hawkins. Copyright © 2022 by Dr. O.S. Hawkins. Used by permission of Thomas Nelson. O. S. Hawkins is the chancellor of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. He 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 served as president of GuideStone Financial Resources, with assets under management of $20 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 nationwide. All of the author’s royalties and proceeds from the Code series support Mission:Dignity. You can learn more about Mission:Dignity by visiting MissionDignity.org. - Dr. O.S. Hawkins - Chancellor, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary God’s Promise to Israel Roofs of Old City with Holy Sepulcher Church Dome, Jerusalem, Israel
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FROM THE PULPIT 16 November 2023 www.goodnewsfl.org Good News • South Florida edition The last few years have witnessed increased tensions among the world’s powers. China has attempted to control the South China Sea. Russia launched a series of unjust strikes against Ukraine and is embroiled in a full-fledged conventional war. And now, Hamas launched a surprise attack against Israel, slaughtering many civilians, and now seeks the support of Iran and Hezbollah in its jihad to obliterate Israel from the map. We should be unsurprised. In this time “between the times” of Christ’s first and second comings, there will be wars and rumors of war. Our world is irreparably broken and can only be fixed by him. Thus, we await his return, knowing that he is righting all wrongs, crushing his enemies underfoot, and liberating his people to dwell in eternal peace. How does this relate to the outbreak of war in the Middle East? It should cause us to remember that Jesus Christ is the sovereign king even over terrorist groups like Hamas and Hezbollah. He will return one day to rectify the world’s great injustices, and in the meantime, he calls us to live as ambassadors of his kingdom. Jesus Christ is the Sovereign King over the whole world. During Jesus’ first coming, he assumed the role of Suffering Servant. As God, he took on human flesh so that, on our behalf, he could live a morally perfect life and die a substitutionary death. The irony is strong: the torture and slaughter of the God-man was the most unjust action ever taken in human history, and yet at the same time it brought about the greatest good the world has ever seen. As religious, military, and political powers colluded to crucify Jesus, God the Trinity conspired to save the world. During Jesus’ second coming, however, he will assume the role of Sovereign King. After all, he is the Creator and therefore the Lord of all things. Through Jesus, God created everything that exists (Jn 1:3; Col 1:16; Heb 1:2). Through him, the world is upheld and continues to exist (Col 1:17; Heb 1:3). In other words, the world would not have come into existence without him and cannot continue in existence without him. Even—and especially—when we cannot make sense of his sovereign plan, we must rest assured that he indeed keeps the world in his hands. In our fallen world of systematic injustice, brutality, and oppression, we can take comfort in the Man of Sorrows who is well-acquainted with grief and empathizes from on high. He, and he alone, is uniquely positioned to judge the nations. Jesus Christ will return one day to rectify the world’s injustices. Yet, it seems unjust that the Just One didn’t intervene while Israeli families and children were killed in their beds. How can he sit idly by while the terrorists rage? This is the question King David posed repeatedly in the Psalms. It was difficult for him, as it is for us, to understand why God doesn’t act decisively now to defeat those who perpetrate great evils. And yet, David’s repeated questions came from a place of faith; the great King of Israel believed that even when it seems that Evil has the upper hand, God remains on his throne and will one day judge the evil actors of this world. Consider Psalm 2, David’s prayer-prophecy in which he poses the rhetorical question, “Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain?” (2:1). To his own question, he answers, “He who sits in the heavens laughs; the Lord holds them in derision” (2:4). What’s more, he declares that the Son will “break [the nations] with a rod of iron and dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel” (2:7-9). In other words, while it might seem that the “big men” of this world strut their injustices with impunity, God is not mocked. One day, the score will be settled. The enemies of God will tremble when Jesus returns to settle the score. This was Paul’s point at the Areopagus when he told his pagan audience that God will judge the world by the very man who rose from the dead (Acts 17:31), and his point to the Philippians when he declared that one day every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord (Phil 2:10-11). It was likewise John’s point when he prophesies Jesus riding in on a white horse to cast judgment and make war (Rev 19:11). So, although powerful men with evil intent may seem to be escaping justice, they are not. The same suffering Savior they have rejected will return one day as conquering King. They will be held accountable for their sins. Jesus Christ calls us to live as ambassadors of his kingdom in the here-and-now. In the meantime, during this time “between the times,” Jesus calls us to live as ambassadors of his kingdom. But what does this mean, practically, in the midst of a war-torn world? Concerning God’s justice, it means that we should trust that God has things in control. Like David, we must trust that God is sovereign even when it seems he is not. In God’s own timing, he will send his Son to set the world to rights. In relation to God’s timing, it means that we shouldn’t distract ourselves—as some Christians do—by trying to figure out if this particular war involving Israel is a sign of the end times. When the disciples begged Jesus to let them in on the “secret” of when he would return, he rebuked them by saying, in effect, “It’s not really any of your business to know when I will return; rather, devote your energies to being my representatives on earth” (Acts 1: 6-8). So, instead of studying prophecy charts, listening to end-times podcasts, and trying to figure out if the end of the world is nigh, we should get on with the business of representing Christ until he returns. With regard to God’s cultural mandate—his call for Christians to represent his interests in every sphere of culture—it means we should support the nation of Israel as it defends itself against egregiously unjust attacks. In this time between the times, we can only ever achieve a provisional peace if evil actors are thwarted by physical force. Thus, in order for Israel to uphold her calling as a government, she must secure her borders and defend her people (Rom 13:4). And we, her allies, must not desert her. Finally, concerning God’s promise, it means that we should pray for Christ’s soon return. During World War II, as fascists sought to exterminate the Jews, theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer put it well: “It means looking out beyond the borders of our own nation, across the whole world, and praying that the gospel of the kingdom, which puts an end to all war, now may come over all nations and that then the end may come, that Christ may draw near.” Indeed. Come, Lord Jesus. Throughout history, the big men of the world have strutted across the stage, defying God and waging unjust wars. But God will have the last laugh. He has appointed his Son with full authority to set the world to rights. And, in the meantime, we should get on with the business of representing him in an egregiously unjust world. Dr. Robert J. Pacienza is the Senior Pastor of Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church (Fort Lauderdale), the CEO/President of Coral Ridge Ministries, and the Founder of the Institute for Faith and Culture. He serves on the General Council of the Gospel Reformation Network and is a contributor to WORLD Opinions. Rob is a graduate of Samford University (B.A. ’03), Knox Theological Seminary (M.Div. ’12), and Westminster Theological Seminary, Philadelphia (D.Min. ’23). His doctorate project was entitled, This Is My Father’s World: A Vision for Equipping Culture-Shaping Christians. Rob is married to Jennifer and they have three children – Preston, Lydia, and Lilianne. -Dr. Robert J. Pacienza - Senior Pastor, Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church The Nations Rage in Vain
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18 November 2023 www.goodnewsfl.org Good News • South Florida edition PARENTING This article, that was written by Mom and Dad, is so timely as we wrap up the first quarter of school and head into the second. It resonated with me deeply as I was the one helping a child “catch up” on a research paper this last week. I hope it is a good reminder for you as you organize the second quarter of your family and the holidays! -Torrey Roberts Mothers across America have been heard to say, “I hope you know we will never go through this again!” This phrase has been shouted right after the weekend of the science project nightmare. Once again the project has been put off until the last minute, and mother and child must spend the weekend scrambling to throw something together. So often we miss the point in our parenting opportunities. “Train up a child in the way he should go so that when he is old he won’t depart from it.” Proverbs 22:6 mandates that parents prepare children for adulthood. Time management will be a very significant discipline for every child to have when he or she grows up. Dr. Wendell Hawley is one of my mentors. In his capacity as Editor-inChief of Tyndale House Publishers, he reads one or two books a day. During one of his annual visits, I said to him, “You read everything you can get your hands on. You are one of the smartest men I know. Why haven’t you ever written a book of your own?” His response was hilarious and very revealing. “It doesn’t take brains to write a book, Bob. You are a living example of that. It takes time management to write books, and that is one of your disciplines. Everyone probably has a book in them, but they just don’t have the discipline to get it down on paper.” Training ground Science projects and school book reports are training opportunities. They have very little, if anything, to do with the results of the project. Neither of my children has grown up to build more plaster volcanoes. They have grown up to face the responsibility of making time management decisions. Training them up in the way they should go means teaching them how to manage their time. From first grade on children need the opportunity to use a calendar. A calendar is not to see what I have scheduled for today. A calendar is so that I can get out front and schedule the things I am responsible to accomplish. It teaches a child to get things done by biting them off a little at a time rather than at the last minute. It also means learning the difficult task of saying “no” to some opportunities because that time slot has already been taken up on the calendar. Begin by finding out when the child’s long-term assignments are due. If a book report is due by the end of a quarter, sit with the child at the beginning and attempt to determine how long it will take him to read the one hundred-twenty pages. Let’s say it will take ten forty-minute segments. Help him select the particular evenings each week that he can schedule himself to read. At the front end of his schedule, the child will quickly realize that there are many areas of potential conflict. He cannot read on Wednesday night because he has church. Perhaps he can schedule himself to read Wednesday afternoon or Saturday morning. Better yet he can do some reading in the car or before he goes to bed. Next, schedule in the science projects and other activities that will require preparation. While you are at it, coordinate everyone’s calendar and schedule in a family night for fun. The child’s calendar will begin to fill up and two things will become evident. The child cannot do everything, and the child has to make some difficult decisions. What should he drop? Making choices My children realized that there were so many things to do that they had no time during the week for television. They also realized that they could not play a sport every season. By choosing wisely, they scheduled themselves into church rather than remove church from their schedule. This is a time management skill that has remained with them into their adult lives. It is so important to teach your children to get out front and schedule in the important things they need to do with their lives. You either manage your schedule or your schedule manages you. Far too many people have grown up without an understanding of scheduling priorities only to wake up one day to find that they have lost their families. They just did not know how to put them in their calendar first before the world stole every unscheduled hour. Visit parentingonpurpose.org for more advice from Dr. Bob Barnes and Torrey Roberts. - Dr. Bob Barnes and Torrey Roberts - Sheridan House Family Ministries It’s Time to Teach Time
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FOSTER CARE 20 November 2023 www.goodnewsfl.org Good News • South Florida edition I can remember one of the very first 4KIDS events I attended over 15 years ago now, where 4KIDS VP of Engagement, Tom Lukasik, asked the room a poignant question. He asked us, “How many of you here were adopted?” Just a couple of people raised their hands while the rest of us waited. Tom then said, “Remember, if you follow Jesus, you’ve been adopted into the family of God. So, who here has been adopted?” We then all smiled and raised our hands. The heart of adoption It’s such a simple illustration, but a powerful reminder that every single Christian life has been touched by God’s heart for adoption. November is National Adoption Month, and with it we honor and celebrate the families that have been created through adoption. While it’s our heart at 4KIDS that families experience healthy reunification after foster care, that isn’t always an option for kids in need. We know that God promises in Psalm 68:5-6, “A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in His holy dwelling. God sets the lonely in families …” God sets the lonely in families in many, unique ways. Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS) reports that 54% of kids in foster care today experience reunification with their families, but another 25% of kids in foster care find their forever family through adoption. Over 800 of the kids who have entered a 4KIDS Foster Family in the last 26 years have been adopted by a 4KIDS Family. These families are a living picture of the gospel. They have extended themselves and opened their hearts and their homes to children not just for a season but for their lives – what an incredible calling! Locally, the Heart Gallery of Broward works to facilitate adoptions for kids who are waiting to find their forever family. I recently met the Heart Gallery’s Executive Director, Dr. Mary Kinirons, who herself is an adoptive mom to a sibling group of three! She shared, “On any given day, there are an average of 60 foster youth in Broward waiting for a family to call their own. Many of them will age out and enter the adult world alone unless more families step up to open their hearts and their homes to our county’s most difficult-to-place foster youth.” A story of adoption There are many ways to honor National Adoption Month; one way is through a community-wide National Adoption Day. Every year on the Saturday before Thanksgiving, dozens of families across our communities adopt on this special day. Throughout the whole month we see many families adopting as part of National Adoption Month. Last year, one 4KIDS Foster Family, the Youngs, adopted their son during National Adoption Month. Adoptive mom Lauren Young shared, “Foster care and adoption has been one of the most challenging but most rewarding things our family has ever done. It has been amazing to see our children love our foster and adoptive children as if they were biological siblings.” Supporting adoptive families We know the journey doesn’t end for families on adoption day; in fact, in many ways the journey is just beginning. For many families in the years following adoption there can be emotional pain and difficult behaviors that come to the surface for many kids. 4KIDS EPIC Therapeutic Approach is all about helping parents and kids form healthy connections while experiencing healing from trauma. Through training, digital resources, and one-on-one and family therapy, the 4KIDS Clinical Team is there to support adoptive families in life-changing ways. EPIC extends beyond just our 4KIDS families and benefits other community adoptive families as well. If you or someone you know is experiencing any kind of struggle within an adoptive family, 4KIDS is here to help. Visit EPICHealing.org or scan the QR code at the end of this article to get started on a therapy inquiry or to access our free resources. Opening your heart and home This National Adoption Month I’d urge you to pray about opening your own home to a child who needs a place to belong with people who love them. There are so many ways to impact the life of a child through foster care or through adoption. Right now in the areas 4KIDS serves, over 400 children are in group homes and shelters who need a loving foster family and over 100 children are waiting for a forever family. Imagine if we could meet every single one of them with a loving, Christian home? 4KIDS Adoptive mom, Lauren Young, also powerfully shared, “As believers, we are called to stand up for those who cannot stand up for themselves. If we don't fight for these kids, who will!? If every church took in just one foster child, we could eradicate the foster care problem literally overnight. Yes, the road will be hard and messy and painful at times, but God will show up and use you to share his love with a child in need...and will change you deeply along the way.” Who Has Been Adopted? - Kevin Enders - 4KIDS President & CEO Learn More About the Heart Gallery of Broward: www.heartgalleryofbroward.org/ (QR Code) 4KIDS Foster Parent Interest: www.4KIDS.us/programs/foster-care (QR Code) Access EPIC Resources or Referral Form: www.EPICHealing.org (QR Code) HopeConnect is a Free Resource for Families: www.HopeConnect.org (QR Code) Justin and Lauren Young and family.
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MARRIAGE 22 November 2023 www.goodnewsfl.org Good News • South Florida edition I was recently blessed to renew a friendship from 40 years ago. Some of my most hilarious moments were with this person, but over the years we had lost touch with bits of news from mutual friends. I was looking forward to connecting personally, but I needed to see a pic on social media to recognize them. I called their name, and even then, I wasn't sure it was them. I looked at them, searching for the face, eyes or smile I knew so well decades earlier. Not even a glimmer! I was listening for anything that reminded me of the sound of their voice and laughter. Were their likes and dislikes the same? Had their taste in music and entertainment changed? I wondered if they were thinking the same thoughts about me… surely not! LOL As the seasons and leaves change, so do we. It's common to hear, "I don't even know them anymore; they've changed, and I barely recognize them."The people we are in our twenties change as we move between the decades. We have similarities, but parenting, work, finances, life experiences and health change us physically and mentally. So how do we maintain marital satisfaction if we're not the people we married? How do we grow together through the stages of life? Fun, kindness, patience and long conversations were natural early on but must become intentional later on; you must be proactive. The good news is that marital satisfaction depends on factors and skills couples can do something about in any season or stage of life. Ted Cunningham, MACE recommends: Decide what you believe about marriage How will we make our decisions? Before deciding what you believe, you must determine how you'll choose. We all have an US bus. Imagine seats on a bus. You have the driver, the front seat passenger; you have seats that make up your experiences, a seat for your emotions, your traditions, your reasoning and the Scriptures. So what's going to drive the bus? The driver determines where the bus goes. Our experience only determines some things on the bus. It's essential, but not the authority. Most couples have emotions driving the bus. An example would be "destination addiction." The idea is that I can't enjoy my marriage and life at this church or this town, but it awaits me at the next place or with the next person. The Scriptures tell us that our hearts will deceive us, so we have to allow the Scriptures to drive the bus, not our feelings. What does the Scripture say about marriage? Hebrews 13:4 says, "Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure." Matthew 19: 4-6 states that at the beginning the Creator made them male and female, and said, "for this reason, a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh. So they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore, what God has joined together, let no one separate.” So, what are the parameters according to the Scripture? The first is the marriage bed is kept pure. In other words, it's exclusive. Matthew states that we are made male and female, and marriage is designed for a union between the opposite sex. Decide what you believe about each other Once we decide to allow the Scriptures to be the driver, we can choose what we believe about each other. As an image bearer of God, we should be honored and esteemed. Honor recognizes worth; it doesn't determine it. Create an honors list of all the reasons your spouse is highly valuable. This can serve as a reminder on the more challenging days. You could make a long list in the early days, but this can be difficult as our seasons and stages change. No matter our feelings, our spouse is worthy of honor if for no other reason than they are God's image bearer and creation. Please list at least three things that make your spouse honorable. Add to it at least once weekly as you see and experience their words and deeds. We naturally lean toward the negative, so look for the positive. Avoid a kid centered home Prioritize your marriage over the children. Genesis 2:24 says, "For this reason, a MAN will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh. Note that MAN is capitalized. Prolonged adolescence, too much privilege and not enough responsibility delay manhood. One of the best parenting strategies is a mom and dad who love one another. Make quality time a priority According to Cunningham, every marriage needs a daily delay, a weekly withdrawal, and an annual abandon. A daily delay can be 15-20 minutes focused on one another only in a focused kid-free zone. Live the Life's Daily Temperature Reading is the perfect tool for this. A weekly withdrawal can be a date night without the kids. The annual abandon should be an out-of-town or in-town, out-of-the-house weekend. Plan your time and anticipate your togetherness. Making quality couple time a priority tells family and friends that your marriage is important. Lean in and LISTEN! How well do you listen? Are you distracted or entirely focused? Listening means you matter. Healthy people are open to hearing other people's thoughts and opinions. Listen for understanding. Ask questions, but give them less of your mouth and more of your ear. Being heard by most is almost indistinguishable from being loved. Recruit backup singers Every marriage duet needs backup singers who advocate for the couple, not just the spouse. Who do you need to turn up? Who do you need to turn down? Who do you need to turn off? You should make a list with the answers to the above questions. Combine the list and decide who are your positive marriage influencers and who aren't. A love that laughs Couples who laugh together manage stress and work through difficult conversations more easily. Humor opens us to truth, helps us cope, relieves pain, makes us more attractive, bonds us, diffuses tension and makes us more relatable. “A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones” (Proverbs 17:22). There's abundant research indicating that couples that remain and maintain their lifelong commitment to one another are happier, healthier, wealthier and have better sex lives than those choosing differently. Live the Life exists to strengthen marriages and families through healthy relationship education. If we can do anything to come alongside, please don't hesitate to reach out to [email protected] - Lisa May - Executive Director, Live the Life South Florida Maintaining Marital Satisfaction Through the Seasons and Stages of Life
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