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WEEKLY NEWS SUMMARY - AUGUST 17, 2022
In this week's Intersect, read about:
A Conversation with Ken Ham: Why Understanding Genesis is Foundational to the Christian Worldview
“According to Answers in Genesis founder Ken Ham, if we truly understand what it means to think correctly as Christians, our worldview will have a position on everything. There is no neutrality because we start with the authority of the Word of God. And that foundation comes from Genesis 1 to 11. In this insightful conversation between Ken and My Faith Votes, CEO, Jason Yates, Ken brings simple clarity and bold authority to issues we are facing both in culture and within the church. Issues like abortion, racism, gender, and marriage and questions like ‘How can there be a loving God if there is death and suffering in the world?’ You'll learn how to defend your faith. And you'll find out the answer to the #1 question he gets asked every day.” Watch the conversation at MFV-TV
THINK.
CEO and founder of the highly acclaimed Creation Museum, and the Ark Encounter, Ken Ham challenges us to take a deeper look at the truths in Genesis to be able to defend our faith in an increasingly hostile culture. It’s true that Genesis establishes the basic parameters of living on God’s earth according to the precepts in his Word. It sets forth the Creator’s design and instruction for all that is, including humanity. Major biblical doctrines are found in Genesis and many of the great questions of life are answered in Genesis: Where did I come from? (Genesis 1:1) Why am I here? (Genesis 15:6) Where am I going? (Genesis 25:8). As I once heard my pastor say, “Genesis appeals to the scientist, the historian, the theologian, the mom, the farmer, the traveler, and the man and woman of God.” But how can we defend our faith and boldly stand for truth if we don’t know what God’s Word says? Research shows we have shocking levels of biblical illiteracy. The Cultural Research Center recently found that only 9% of professing American Christians truly possess a biblical worldview. Even fewer (6%) understand how to live out this worldview by applying biblical principles to their entire lives. Yet over half (51%) of self-identified Christians believe their worldview is biblical. In other words, the vast majority (at least 82%) of professing Christians who think they have a biblical worldview really do not. Instead, nearly 9 in 10 Americans embrace a hodgepodge of often inconsistent, contradictory beliefs mashed together to form a worldview. That’s like taking the perfect glasses God gave us, smashing them with a hammer, and trying to glue pieces back into place that don’t fit together. No such glasses could possibly reveal a clear picture of reality. Filling ourselves consistently with Scripture equips us to better resist temptation, recognize lies, and reach biblical decisions in every area. That’s what living out a biblical worldview means—not only viewing everything through the lens of Scripture, but also responding accordingly in all our day-to-day decisions…including the voting booth.
PRAY.
Heavenly Father, thank You that You are our creator God Who made the heavens and earth and who made us in Your image. Thank You for Your immutable Word and the truths that it contains. Your Word gives us everything we need for life and godliness, so we pray for the daily resolve to pursue it, read it, study it, believe it, marinate in it, be filled with it, be shaped by it and stand boldly for it.
ACT.
When was the last time you read through the first eleven chapters of Genesis? Set aside time this week to do just that. If you’d like to go deeper in studying this foundational book of the Bible, Hillsdale College offers a free online course you can utilize at any time.
World’s Largest Youth Trans Clinic Shuts Down Over Poor Science
“The largest youth trans clinic in the world is closing because its methods and results have been found to be deeply harmful to young people’s health. The U.K.’s Tavistock Centre in North London is being shuttered after being “accused of rushing teenagers into life-altering treatment on hormone-blocking drugs” according to major media reports. This closure comes after an independent in-depth review of the clinic’s practices by Dr. Hilary Cass and leading British pediatrician and former president of the Royal College of Pediatrics and Child Health. Dr Cass was asked to conduct this careful, in-depth review by England’s National Health Services (NHS).” read more at the Daily Citizen
THINK.
It is interesting to note that even Quillete, an Australian-based magazine that touts humanism as one of its guiding values, has a partially accurate perspective on the reckless practices of the Tavistock Centre. “An American-style ‘gender affirming’ treatment model zeroed in on a dysphoric child’s supposedly immutable trans soul and gave too little weight to a patient’s more earthly issues such as psychiatric disorders, struggles with same-sex attraction, autism, or family trauma.” To put it in biblical terms, Genesis chapter 1 tells us God’s design for human beings as male and female. The 3rd chapter of Genesis tells us why the world is broken. While this brokenness affects us all in various ways (Romans 8:22-23), some struggle particularly with issues that lead them to desire to rebel against the way God made them. The Christian response, then is two-fold: First, we share about the God who redeems and transforms our hearts now through faith in Jesus Christ, and who will transform our broken bodies when He comes in glory. But we also stand firm on the conviction that fighting against God’s design for our bodies is not the way to healing. We want people to be whole in both mind and body. Sadly, that is not the mainstream perspective in America, with tragic consequences for children and their parents. A video from Boston Children’s Hospital that has caused a firestorm features one of their pediatric gynecologists explaining what a “gender-affirming hysterectomy” is to the viewer. While it is not clear whether the hospital performs this surgery on adolescents, they do perform other procedures that alter and even disfigure a young person’s healthy body in the name of “gender affirmation.” While a children’s hospital promoting such atrocities with parental consent is bad enough, this ideology is also pervasive in our schools–where children may be “socially transitioned” without
their parents’ consent. In one Iowa school district, the conservative group Parents Defending Education is suing the Linn-Mar Community School District over a policy that allows schools to help a student create a “Gender Support Plan” without the parents’ knowledge. This plan includes calling the child by a different name and pronouns at school than they use at home, letting the child use the bathroom of the opposite sex, and enrolling in sports activities according to their new identity. As you take a stand against such policies in your own community, remember that you are not the radical one. You have the Bible, reason, and science in your court.
PRAY.
Lord, forgive us for our nationwide rebellion against Your wonderful design. Our rebellion has led astray and hurt so many children. As we, Your church, lovingly and boldly speak the truth, help us to be “blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast to the word of life…” (Philippians 4:15-16a)
ACT.
How did we get here? I highly recommend digging deeper and taking a few minutes to read this article, “The Twisted Self,” by Carl Truman, a brilliant author who summarizes the history of the sexual revolution and its effects on us today. As he says, “this strangeness has a logic to it. And while its roots are deep and its foundations well established, grasping that logic is surely the first step to mounting a thoughtful response.”
Children's Safety, School Transparency Are Top Concerns for Nearly Half of American Parents
With summer drawing to a close and families gearing up for another school year, many parents are considering education options for their children other than their local in-person public school. That's according to a survey by Stride, Inc. which found that nearly half (45%) of parents or guardians with children enrolled in public school would prefer they attend a private school. Top among parents' concerns are school safety and school transparency. With school leaders across the U.S. reporting a nearly 50% increase in violent threats from students and more than a 70% increase in generally disruptive student behavior between 2019 and 2021, half of parents surveyed by Stride expressed concerns about their children's safety in a public school environment. More than half (54%) of parents say they are explicitly concerned about the threat of gun violence at their children's school. In addition, parents feel their children's public school does not provide enough insight into student curricula and activities, with an overwhelming majority (81%) of parents saying they wish they knew more about what was happening at their child's school. read more at businesswire
THINK.
All over the nation, public schools are experiencing a noticeable decline in enrollment. According to a recent report, “Enrollment in preschool to 12th grade dropped by 2.6% across 41 states last fall.” This doesn’t sound like much, until one realizes that it’s 2.6% of nearly 50 million students, which equates to 1 million students missing from public school classrooms this Fall. Maybe the decline is because trust in public schools is moving toward an all-time low with only 14% of Republicans expressing confidence in public schools. It's clear that there’s a problem with education in America.
Debate has erupted at the national and local levels over school curricula touching on racism, gender, and sexual orientation. With these issues as the forefront, legislation is being passed or debated in numerous states to curtail such curricula (Florida providing the most prominent example), it’s important to remember this critical perspective: Parents are in charge of educating and protecting their children, not the state. More than ever, it is vital that parents take this right seriously. By asking specific, sometimes uncomfortable questions, parents not only protect their own children, but they also provide an opportunity for transparency, maybe even change. That protects every child from bad ideas that threaten to overtake every element of their lives. A tremendous free tool for parents is the Promise to America’s Parents, a project of the Alliance Defending Freedom, in partnership with other organizations such as My Faith Votes. In addition to legal assistance for those facing discrimination based on their religious convictions, this project gives a roadmap and a toolkit for parents when it comes to education and healthcare. As parents, do we believe our most important charge, our legacy, is the children we raise? Are we following the instruction of God’s Word? Voddie Baucham shares what many parents often dismiss: “Whoever is teaching our children is also discipling them.” In reference to Luke 6:40, may we, as parents, be the primary teachers to our children, always pointing them to God and His all-sufficient Word.
PRAY.
Guide our parenting, God. Let us lead our children to You, knowing You care intimately for them, as You do for us. May the next generations serve Your Kingdom even more boldly than the last.
ACT.
Join us this Friday, August 19, at 2pm (ET) for a free livestream event called “Celebration of Promise to America's Parents,” hosted by Alliance Defending Freedom. We’ll be there in person, but you can join us virtually!
One Thing the Inflation Reduction Act May Not Do: Lower Inflation
“The Inflation Reduction Act is aimed at tackling a host of problems, from climate change to catching tax cheats, but there's one issue it may not solve: reducing inflation. That's the conclusion of the Penn Wharton Budget Model, a group of economists and data scientists at University of Pennsylvania who analyze public policies to predict their economic and fiscal impacts. Its analysis, published Friday, comes as inflation remains near a 40-year high, crimping the budgets of consumers and businesses alike.” read more at CBS News
THINK.
We’ve spent the last two weeks in the Intersect looking at what this bill does. Now that it has become law, we need to look at how we got to this point where our country is desperately in debt, passing bills that are more hurtful than helpful, and deceiving the public about it. We also must consider how we can reverse course. Our problem is driven by poor stewardship. A steward is someone who manages something for another person. America has a stewardship problem in several areas: 1) We have forgotten that the owner of all resources is God. As God has blessed us with prosperity, we have said, as in Deuteronomy 8:17, “My power and the strength of my hand made me this wealth.” Instead of humble stewards, we are acting like reckless owners. 2) We have not been responsible stewards of our freedom and our vote. We have let the federal government become our caretaker through out-of-control spending, rather than restraining the government to its protective function while we take responsibility for being the caretakers of our families and our neighbors. 3) We have been poor stewards of the truth.
Many of the policies which hurt the economy, particularly those who can least afford it, are done in the name of “combatting climate change,” which is touted as such a dire emergency that the most burdensome regulations are justified. Ken Ham, whom we mentioned above, has been faithful to tell the truth. “There’s not a ‘climate crisis’ or ‘climate emergency,’ but there sure is a ‘spiritual crisis’ and a need to declare a ‘spiritual emergency’ in this nation,” he has said. “God guarantees man cannot and will not destroy the earth. As God promised ‘While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and winter and summer, day and night shall not cease’ (Genesis 8:22) ...Wake up America! The only solutions to man's problems are the truth of God’s word and the saving gospel.” He is right. When we believe in Christ as our Savior and Lord, we should live our lives as though He is the Owner of all our wealth, the Authority over our government, and the One to whom we will give account for the stewardship of our financial and natural resources, our vote, and our responsibility to love our neighbors.
PRAY.
The writer of Hebrews encouraged Christians: “Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’ We can confidently say, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?’” (Hebrews 13:5-6) Fear can cause us to compromise our integrity when we otherwise wouldn’t. Spend a few minutes admitting your fears (financial or otherwise) to God, trusting Him to be Your helper.
ACT.
Elections have consequences. We see every administration has its own agenda - and the one we see coming to fruition under the Biden administration is creating fear, driving panic, and shackling the taxpayer with burdensome inflation while creating public policies that portray “the government” as the only one who can deliver peace, calm, and relief from financial burdens. Nothing could be further from the truth! Stand for Biblical values at the polls this November 8. Check your voter registration or register to vote, and sign up for election reminders, all right here. Make sure you are ready to Pray, Think, and Vote.
My Faith Votes—is a nonpartisan movement that motivates, equips and activates Christians in America to vote in every election, transforming our communities and influencing our nation with biblical truth. By partnering with national faith leaders, My Faith Votes provides resources to help Christians Pray, Think, and Act to create an America where God is honored in the public square.
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