Attention Word Slingers readers: Beginning December 11, 2019, all posts will be available at BaptistMessenger.com. Thank you for reading Word Slingers!
New U.S. Census data shows that the number of births out of wedlock in Oklahoma is up. Way up. In fact, some 40 percent of births in Oklahoma in 2011 were to unwed mothers, which is higher than the national average. This represents a significant challenge and opportunity for churches in Oklahoma, which remains one of the most churched states in America.
While an increasing number of churches realize we should minister with and to single mothers, there has been a cost to the removal of stigma to out-of-wedlock births. Namely, more children are being born into broken homes.
Expectations matter. The script for those desiring children used to be, “First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes the baby carriage.” Today, shows like Here Comes Honey Boo Boo too closely reflects the reality of women becoming pregnant out of wedlock.
The biggest loser in this equation of out-of-wedlock births is children. A close second, though, is the mothers who raise them. Coming off nearly Scott free are men, who sleep around and take no responsibility for their offspring. We have, in a way, catered to the barbarians in society. We have lost the whole idea of a “shotgun wedding.” This must change.
First, let’s face the fact that this is mostly the fault of men. A woman cannot become pregnant without a man, and the pool of guys out there is getting worse and worse. In his 2004 essay, “Wimps and Barbarians: The Sons of Murphey Brown,” Terrence O. Moore predicted we would see what we are seeing ten years later. Moore examined societal attitudes about single mothers, when Vice President Dan Quayle criticized fictional TV anchor “Murphey Brown” for purposefully becoming a single mother. Moore argues that Brown’s son would grow up to be one of two extremes, either a wimp or a barbarian.
Boys without fathers, as it turns out, often trend toward one of these extremes. By God’s grace, a single mother can raise godly children, but it is an uphill battle. Therefore, the church must respond in love by supporting mothers who are single, by telling men who abandon women and children they are living in sin and encouraging them to take responsibility for their actions, and by a recommitment to God’s best for a family, having a mother and a father.
Jesus, while compassionate to the woman at the well (John 4), did chide her for living with a man “who is not your husband.” Our Lord forgave her and restored her, as well as set her on a new path for life. Part of her old, sinful way was cohabitation. The church should not be afraid to tell women and men that God does not want them to have sex outside of marriage, nor does he smile upon cohabitation. God is not trying to spoil any fun. He is trying to protect us from ourselves.
Until a fundament shift in expectations occurs in society, we likely will continue to see the unwed birth rates climb. God’s people, though, can be accountable for our own and our actions. Let’s pray that we will take this Census news as a wake-up call and compassionately help young adult Christians stay on the best path.
Each of us reading this was born of a woman. In some circumstances, our birth mother was not the one to raise us, yet in a vast majority of cases, we each were raised and reared by the woman we call “Mother.”
Too often, we relegate honorable treatment of our mothers to one day a year—Mothers’ Day. Even at that, we let this Hallmark holiday sneak up on us, and we haphazardly voice some platitudes of compliments and hurriedly buy a card and flowers for Mom.
What God describes, instead, is a day-in and day-out honorable treatment of them. In fact, it is in Ten Commandments to honor our mothers. It has been said you will know how a young man will treat his future wife by looking at how he treats his mother. How are you treating your mother these days?
Not every woman, even among Christians, can fulfill the ideal we read of in Prov. 31. Yet by God’s grace, many women have attained to that level.
“A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies. Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value. She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life.”
The passage goes on to describe a women who is virtuous, hard-working and compassionate to the poor. She is wise and industrious, as well as organized in her home.
Today’s society, meanwhile, glorifies only women who are beautiful or “sexy.” Even in outward beauty there is no restraint as “pretty” has given way to “hot.” Think of the very notion of “Desperate Housewives” to see how far we have digressed from God’s best.
What the Bible extols, however, is not outward beauty or youth. God extols something more lasting. When shopping for your mother (or wife or sister or daughter-who-is-a-mother) this year, try to think of gifts that underscore this lasting value. Do not buy her hair coloring so she will look younger or, heaven forbid, yoga classes so she can be trendy, or a self-help book. Invest in her lasting characteristics.
In Romans 1, the Apostle Paul describes human depravity as it sank to new lows. He talks about idolatry and lying and sexual immorality. He makes a most interesting statement, saying, “For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature” (Rom. 1:26). In this verse, he was condemning sexual sins, but he says, “even their women.” Paul knew that men are more likely to rush into sin.
Today, in our moral freefall, we are seeing that even women are being brought down with it. New statistics show that women are going along with the pornography boom. Women are toying with New Age religion more and more, and giving in to gossip in social media circles. Who will save us?
Thanks be to God, Christ Jesus helps us to stand firm, even in the darkest days. As we continue the downward spiral in America, it is increasingly important to uphold and praise the ideal. So in your own family, when you see the women of the family exhibit Proverbs 31 traits, let’s be like her family.
“Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: ‘Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all.’ Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.” (Prov. 31:28-30)
The Food and Drug Administration has created a new policy that will almost certainly further the culture of death in America. To be specific, the FDA approved the so-called morning-after pill (“Plan B”), making it available over-the-counter without a prescription to women as young as 15 years old.
The FDA, with former President George W. Bush’s approval, first made it over-the-counter in 2006 (but not for minors). At the time, courageous leaders like U.S. Senator Tom Coburn, an Oklahoma medical doctor, warned that this was a tragic move.
Why, Dr. Coburn wondered, would the FDA make the super-dose of birth control, which can likely terminate a pregnancy, available over-the-counter, when the ordinary birth control pill requires a prescription? It does not make sense.
Further, we have done a disservice to pharmacists, who have now been degraded to mere vending machines for abortifascient pills through this policy. What’s more, there are serious side effects to these drugs for women, let alone their offspring who may be killed.
Regarding the abortion debate, much has changed since the 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling, and certainly many technological advancements have helped the pro-life cause, such as ultrasound.
These abortion-in-a-bottle pills, however, represented a significant shift in which the average abortion may not occur at a clinic, but result from a trip to the local pharmacy. In other words, while the culture is moving more and more against abortionists like Kermit Gosnell, it grows increasingly comfortable with abortion tactics like the FDA is offering here.
Some in the pro-choice camp are praising the FDA’s decision. Some, however, want to go even farther. According to the New York Times, “Nancy Northup, president of the Center for Reproductive Rights, which filed the lawsuit that Judge Korman ruled on, said the decision on Tuesday was unsatisfactory. ‘We will continue our battle in court to remove these arbitrary restrictions on emergency contraception for all women,’ she said.”
In her mind, limiting so-called emergency contraceptives at all is too restrictive. It is a sad day in America when a trip to the local pharmacy could mean the end of a life. With Jesus Christ, however, there is always hope. Let us pray for those in leadership (1 Timothy 2:1-4) and that Christ Himself, who came to give us “life and life abundantly” (John 10:10) would save us from our own devices.
For those of you paying attention to our Chronicles of Narnia book reviews, you may have noticed that I am going out of order in the way the Narnia books are often organized. If you own at set of books, you will see that book one is The Magician’s Nephew. Meanwhile, I began with The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe and then Prince Caspian. The reason behind this is that I am reviewing them in the order in which they were released by C.S. Lewis.
To that end, the next book in the series is The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. For those of you who did not see the movie rendition when it was released in 2010, do yourself a favor and rent it on Netflix tonight. Of the books turned movie, this was perhaps the most well-done, at least from a Christian parent’s perspective.
A borrowed summary reads, “Lucy and Edmund Pevensie return to Narnia with their cousin Eustace where they meet up with Prince Caspian for a trip across the sea aboard the royal ship the Dawn Treader. Along the way they encounter dragons, dwarves, merfolk, and a band of lost warriors before reaching the edge of the world.”
The movie does not entirely follow the book, but there are some thrilling scenes to behold, and the Christian references in the movie are the most explicit. Without ruining the plot, there is a powerful allegory comparison made between Aslan and Christ himself that children will understand.
The Dawn Treader book is crucial to the whole Narnia series in several ways, one of which is the introduction of the character Eustace Scrubb, who appears in other books in the Chronicles. The opening line of the book says, “There was a boy called Eustace Clarence Scrubb, and he almost deserved it.”
The transformation of Eustace from a snobby, cowardly, childish, annoying little boy to a redeemed one is remarkable. It involves the assistance of Reepicheep the mouse, one of C.S. Lewis most endearing characters in all of Narnia.
In the book, as with the movie, there are some suspenseful moments that may frighten the youngest readers and viewers. With that caution aside, this sea-faring adventure of a book is one of the most delightful in all of the Narnia series. It will entertain, uplift and challenge us all to live a more virtuous life, by the grace of God.
From time to time, a book comes along that captures the heart (and pocketbook) of Christian book readers. A few years ago it was The Shack, today it is a new devotional, Jesus Calling.
Until now, I have put off reading and reviewing the book, which offers daily devotionals to the reader. The book’s appeal is readily apparent. Attractively bound and laid out, any believer could quickly import the book into his or her daily life. It has bite-sized readings for each day and Scripture references at the bottom, perfect for someone’s daily “quiet time.”
What’s more, the author, Sarah Young has hit upon a novel concept. She has written each entry as if Jesus Himself is talking directly to you. “Enjoying Peace in His Presence,” is the book’s promise. Indeed, many of the writings speak exactly to the perceived everyday struggles for the Christian walk.
I have personally spoken to many Christians who testify to the book’s powerful impact on their lives and spirit. However, I have some significant problems with the book that I must air, in descending order.
Problem #3: Becomes a substitute
Time is limited. In today’s fast paced society, with all the distractions of media, believers are bombarded with messages that distract from our time with the Lord. By the grace of God, having time with the Lord has become a standard for being a disciple of Christ.
Every day, millions throughout the world start and end their day with Scripture and prayer. To augment those times, many believes will invite in a devotional or study aide. In doing so, we must carefully choose what we invite in.
This extended review from noted Christian blogger Tim Challies underscores why, for theological reasons, “Jesus Calling” is not a good pick for devotional times. Furthermore, while many devotionals quote directly from the Scripture, this work only lists cites that you have to go look up, and when it does, only singular verses. The average reader will not take time to do this and therefore the book becomes an inadequate substitute for time that could have been spent in the Word.
Problem #2: Not His teachings
In the book of Acts, about the Berean Jews “were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.” (Acts 17:11). In other words, the Bereans were good at comparing teachings they heard to the Bible. Anyone familiar with the words of Christ to those in this book will leave the reader scratching his head.
Here is a sample from the August 12 entry (pg. 235):
“Do not compare yourself with others, who seem to skip along their life-paths with ease. Their journeys have been different from yours, and I have gifted them with abundant energy. I have gifted you with fragility, providing opportunities for your spirit to blossom in My Presence.”
Even if this line of thinking were consistent with Scripture, it is a far cry from Christ saying He has come to “seek and save the lost.” It is far from the real blood He shed. In fact, it sounds more like afternoon talk show advice than the living Son of God. Unfortunately, examples like this are not uncommon in the book.
Problem #1: Not His voice
It would be problematic enough if Young were claiming to have captured the voice of Christ. From interviews, however, it appears that she claims to have captured the very words of Christ.
Sarah Young has said, “I knew that God communicated with me through the Bible, but I yearned for more. Increasingly, I wanted to hear what God had to say to me personally on a given day. I decided to listen to God with pen in hand, writing down whatever I believe He was saying. I felt awkward the first time I tried this, but I received a message. It was short, biblical, and appropriate. It addressed topics that were current in my life: trust, fear, and closeness to God. I responded by writing in my prayer journal.”
When considering a book, consider the author as well. We have here, from her own lips, her stated purpose for the book. The Bible, meanwhile, forbids adding to the Word of God (Rev. 22:19, Deut. 4:2, Prov. 30:6). In penning this work, Young walks onto dangerously thin ice.
While I am sure the book is of course not all bad, its problems are significant enough that readers should set it aside. In the end, what promises to be a live call on the phone line from Christ ends up being more like a prank call.
