Fruit of the Spirit: Gentleness

Galatians 5:22-23

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

(ESV)

Proverbs 15:4 reminds us that gentle speech is a tree of life as opposed to a perverse or wicked tongue which breaks the spirit.  When believers confront a person caught in a transgression we are to restore them in a spirit of gentleness with a warning to guard our own hearts against not falling into temptation ourselves (Galatians 6:1).  1 Peter 3:4 encourages us to adorn ourselves with a gentle and quiet spirit, something very precious in the sight of God.  Granted this passage is in the context of how a woman is to adorn herself, I believe there is also a spiritual context urging everyone to pay more attention the fruits of the spirit emanating from a heart in tune with God than outward appearances. 

The Greek word translated gentle in Galatians 5:23 is crhstothj which in addition to gentle carries the meaning of usefulness i.e. moral excellence in character and demeanor, goodness, and kindness.  (1)  This expansion of the meaning of gentleness serves to stress even more the need for the fruit of the spirit of gentleness in our world today.  The world needs to see God’s people showing,

1)      Usefulness of moral character and demeanor - With the tsunami of moral improprieties dominating our world and media today, there has never been a greater need for useful men and women showing moral excellence in character and demeanor. 

2)      Goodness in a rude divisive culture – I have previously written about the increase in rude behavior in our society.  Acts of gentleness stand in opposition to rude behavior and serve to remind us of the sweet taste of the fruit of gentleness.  I encourage everyone reading this to go out of their way to smile, say thank you, and excuse me during this Christmas season.  I also encourage everyone to hold a door for someone, smile at cashiers and store clerks. 

3)      Kindness of behavior – In a world and media filled with wicked perverse speech, the words of Proverbs 15:4 remind us to counter this speech with gentle kind words of speech bringing life to others.  During this busy Christmas season, people notice our gentle words of kindness but why only speak in this manner during Christmas and not all year. 

One area in major need of gentleness is social media.  It appears that even the gentlest and kindest person can turn vicious and even perverse behind the anonymity of the keyboard.  This is especially difficult when someone we believe is a friend replies to us in a perverse and evil manner over social media.  While our first response is to lash out in an equally rude and perverse manner, I encourage my readers to instead reply in a gentle manner, even if it is only letting them know we will pray for them. 

Political discourse could definitely use a dose of the fruit of gentleness.  Despite continuous attacks, the Trump Presidency has been effective with a burgeoning stock market, debt has decreased $100 billion as opposed to an increase in debt of $560 billion in the first three months the Obama Presidency.  In addition, there has been an addition of 298,000 jobs, NATO has reported an increase of $10 billion in allied spending, and the addition of an originalist justice the U.S. Supreme Court.  (2) 

In addition, New evidence shows that the dossier, supposedly providing evidence of collusion between candidate Trump and the Russians rigging the 2016 election is a fictional piece of opposition research funded by opposition to the Trump Campaign.  This revelation of fake evidence demonstrates the purpose of the hateful speech in media and government against the duly elected President is nothing more than lying perverse speech with the goal of taking down the President.  We no longer work our political disagreements out in a gentle manner perpetuating divisiveness in the nation and culture instead of teaming up to solve genuine problems in society. 

We need a return to gentle behavior and speech in our culture, on social media, and in our political discourse.  While we as individuals may not have the power and influence to affect a return to gentleness in our world, we can begin to bear this delicious fruit in our sphere of influence by acts of gentleness in public all year long and not just during Christmas.  We can stand out in social media by being gentle in our speech by not believing the anonymity of the keyboard gives justification for using perverse speech.  When engaging in political speech, we should avoid course confrontational and combative political discourse and instead encourage those disagreeing with us to engage in gentle political debate.  If the other party refuses to engage in a gentle manner, leave letting them know this is not the manner you believe civilized people work out their political differences. 

Next Wednesday we will look at the spirit of self-control and see how that spirit provides a catalyst for the growth of the other fruits of the Spirit. 

1. Godrules.net. Crhstothj. www.godrules.net. [Online] Godrules. [Cited: November 26, 2017.] http://www.godrules.net/library/strongs2b/gre5544.htm.

2. Roger Stone News. DESPITE CONTINUOUS ATTACKS, TRUMP GETTING THE JOB DONE. www.stonecoldtruth.com. [Online] Stonecoldtruth, July 5, 2017. [Cited: November 26, 2017.] https://stonecoldtruth.com/despite-continuous-attacks-trump-getting-the-job-done/.

Reinstalling the Guardrails

By:  Dale Weckbacher

Romans 12:2

Do not be conformed to this world,^[a] but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

(ESV)

On a trip to Yellowstone Park back in 2001, My family and I traveled through an area of the park known as the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone.  The scenery was beautiful, at least that is what my family told me for while they were admiring the scenery, I as making sure the car stayed on the road that was missing an important item, guardrails.  This experience taught me the role of guardrails on the highway, the role of preventing cars from going off the edge to their destruction.  However, guardrails play a role in our lives too for they prevent us from immoral behavior sending our reputation off the edge into oblivion. 

I am sure most of those reading this post are tiring of the constant drone in media of sexual harassment.  Granted sexual harassment is a serious crime calling for severe punishment for anyone found guilty of it but as we are seeing in the case of Judge Moore, it can be a political tool used to affect the result of an upcoming election.  Whether Judge Moore is guilty or not is immaterial for what matters at this point is that the determination of guilt or innocence will not occur prior to the election on December 12, 2017.  (1)  Therefore, it is the voters and not a court of law that will decide whether Judge Moore’s fitness to serve as Alabama’s next Senator, a stance taken by both the White House and the Alabama GOP.  (2) (3)

Now it appears sexual harassment and sexual predators in the U.S. Senate is nothing new.  (4) This preponderance of sexual harassment in the House and Senate has prompted resolutions requiring all House and Senate members to take part in training on sexual harassment.  And now we can put a face on a member of the Senate who has demonstrated a disregard for women by assaulting, not just harassing a woman on a military plane with a photo presented as evidence.  (5)  Hollywood and the entertainment industry are also full of cases of sexual harassment.  (6) 

Minus the guardrails of morality, those with fame, fortune, and power have nothing preventing them from engaging in these activities believing their fame and power give immunity from penalty for these crimes.  Politicians threatened by someone running for office can bring allegations just before an election accusing a candidate they disagree with of sexual harassment knowing that there is insufficient time for due process in a court of law leaving voters to decide only based on unsubstantiated reports in media.  Those already in office believe they live above the laws they pass and enforce and freely take part in harassing activities that would result in termination of employment and jail time for anyone else.  Hollywood producers with the power to decide who works and who does not in Hollywood abuse their power by forcing women to engage in sexually deviant behavior just to work, a hiring practice illegal in any other profession. 

It is time to reinstall the guardrails of morality in our society by,

1)      Not allowing 38-year-old allegations suddenly appearing a month before an election determine a candidate’s fitness for office and instead look at the candidate’s accomplishments that amazingly are free of such allegations.

2)       Not simply requiring potential harassers to attend training when there are accusations of sexual harassment but instead investigate these allegations, terminating the perpetrators of the harassment

3)      Not funding movies or television programs produced, directed, or staring sexual harassers by watching them and instead give our entertainment money to movies and programs promoting morality and family values. 

Minus these moves to restore the missing guardrails of morality in our society, society is on the path of running off the edge of cultural oblivion.  While some reading this may view this opinion as old fashioned and crude, the victims of sexual harassment who have had their lives destroyed either by being victims of harassment or falsely accused of it would disagree.  The seriousness of the crime of sexual harassment requires not just the punishment of those found guilty of the crime but also measures to attach guardrails preventing the injury of more innocent victims. 

1. State, Alabama Secretary of. 2017 Election Information. sos.alabama.gov. [Online] Alabama Secretary of State. [Cited: November 19, 2017.] http://sos.alabama.gov/alabama-votes/voter/election-information/2017.

2. Staff, WBRC. Alabama GOP: We stand behind Roy Moore; Let voters decide. www.wbrc.com. [Online] WBRC Fox 6 News, November 16, 2017. [Cited: November 19, 2017.] http://www.wbrc.com/story/36863931/alabama-gop-we-stand-behind-roy-moore-let-voters-decide.

3. Berry, Gregory Korte and Deborah Barfield. White House on Roy Moore: 'The people of Alabama should decide' his fate. www.usatoday.com. [Online] USA Today, November 16, 2017. [Cited: November 19, 2017.] https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2017/11/16/white-house-roy-moore-the-people-alabama-should-decide-his-fate/871569001/.

4. Rogers, Yamiche Alcondor and Katie. House and Senate are 'Among the Worst' for Harassment, Representative Says. www.nytimes.com. [Online] The New York Times, November 13, 2017. [Cited: November 19, 2017.] https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/13/us/politics/sexual-harassment-congress-capitol-hill.html.

5. Culhane, Patty. US Senator Al Franken accused of sexual harassment. www.aljazeera.com. [Online] Al Jazeera, November 18, 2017. [Cited: November 19, 2017.] http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/11/senator-al-franken-accused-sexual-harassment-171118102454688.html.

6. Criss, Douglas. The (incomplete) list of powerful men accused of sexual harassment after Harvey Weinstein. www.cnn.com. [Online] CNN, November 1, 2017. [Cited: November 19, 2017.] http://www.cnn.com/2017/10/25/us/list-of-accused-after-weinstein-scandal-trnd/index.html.

Fruit of the Spirit: Faithfulness

Fruit of the Spirit: Faithfulness

By:  Dale Weckbacher

Due to a technical glitch, the hot links in the body of this posting that normal come up by clicking on the numerical citation in the text do not work but the links in the reverence section at the end do work so to view the articles supporting the ideas in the text, you can go there.  Fortunately the links to Bible verses do work.  

Galatians 5:22-23

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

(ESV)

The truth is something lacking in much of our modern society.  However, Jesus who said He is the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6) is someone that will never lie to us.  This same Jesus also said he would never leave us (Hebrews 13:5) and that He is always faithful and just in forgiving our sins (1 John 1:9).  While our Lord and Savior is always faithful, people struggle with bearing the fruit of faithfulness. 

It was the unfaithfulness of Adam and Eve in disobeying Gods command to not eat of the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil that caused sin to enter the world (Genesis 2:16-17).  Jesus, the first fruit of those resurrected from the dead has become the life-giving fruit canceling the sin brought upon humanity through the disobedience of Adam and Eve (1 Corinthians 15:20-28).  Jesus faithfully surrendered His life for the sins of humanity, providing a perfect example of the fruit of faithfulness we should all practice.  Unfortunately, even though Jesus came, died, and resurrected from the dead, the seed of unfaithfulness still lives in us as evidenced by

1)      Unfaithfulness in business – Most all transactions in business involve some form of contract.  This contract may or may not be in written form but whether its written or not, every transaction involves some type of contract.  Unfortunately, many are unfaithful in fulfilling their contractual obligations and as a result we live in a litigant society.  A 2010 survey conducted by the Lawyers for Civil Justice, Civil Justice Reform Group, and the U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform surveyed 200 Fortune 200 companies of which 20 percent responded.  The survey thus represents a broad cross-section of industries with 14 of 19 industry sectors represented.  The average outside litigation cost of the respondents as of 2010 was $115 million in 2008 up 66 percent from the number in 2000.  (1)  While this data is 10 years old, the costs of litigation continue to rise as evidenced by a 7 percent rise in claims over all areas of law from 2011 to 2015.  (2)  Corporations incurring these costs do not just absorb them but pass them on to consumers in higher prices.  For example, a rule in the Dodd-Frank Act limits or bans the use of arbitration agreements in consumer financial contracts if the Bureau concludes these restrictions are “in the public interest and for the protection of consumers.”  In 2017 the bureau issued its final rule prohibiting arbitration to resolve disputes.  The result was the creation of 3,000 additional class action lawsuits over a five-year period resulting in an additional cost of $500 million per year, costs absorbed by the consumers of financial products.  (3)  Unfaithfulness in business deals comes at a high price.

2)      Marital unfaithfulness – While marriage is a legal contractual agreement between a man and a woman, it is also an emotional transaction.  When a married couple stays faithful to their vows, a marriage of faith and trust ensues.  However, when a couple breaks their vows and the marriage ends in divorce, there is both a high financial and emotional cost to pay.  According to Legal Zoom, the cost of a do it yourself uncontested divorce can be less than $500.  When a couple hires an attorney, the flat rate is between $200 to $1500 with hourly costs ranging from $250 to $450 per hour.  (4)  However, this is just the financial cost, the emotional costs of a divorce are hard to place a numerical value on.  One way of measuring it numerically however is in looking at the greater percentage of people incarcerated coming from single parent households as opposed to those with two parents, and the number of single divorced parents living in poverty.  According to thefatherlessgeneration.wordpress.com the statistics of increased suicides, criminal activity, and the increased drop-out rate of children from fatherless homes is nothing less than alarming.  Not considering the emotional costs, the financial costs of incarcerating these individuals and subsidizing them financially adds to taxes and deficits already ballooning out of control in the United States.  (5)  Unlike business unfaithfulness, marital unfaithfulness comes with both a massive financial cost to society as well as an unmeasurable emotional cost.

3)      Political unfaithfulness of leaders – In representative republics like the United States, voters elect representatives to represent them.  They elect these representatives with the hope they will be faithful to the promises they stated when running for office.  As of this writing, the approval rating of President Trump is 38.4% but worse yet the approval rating of Congress is a meager 13%.  (6) (7)  Much of this disapproval stems from politicians failing to fulfill campaign promises.  The political cost of this unfaithfulness towards voters is not measurable in dollars and cents but does reveal itself in low voter turnout as disenfranchised voters believe their vote does not count.  The result of this lack of representation is a government unresponsive to many voter’s desires. 

On the tree of the knowledge of good and evil we find the fruits of ignorance and arrogance.  We find ignorance of the Word of God and the grace of God allowing us to fall for the deception of the Devil as Eve did.  Arrogance because this fruit makes us believe we are like God.  These are the fruits of unfaithfulness.

The fruits of faithfulness are knowledge of the Word of God but also of the grace of God.  While the penalty of Adam and Eve’s disobedience was death, due to God’s grace, Adam and Eve did not immediately die and God even provided a covering of animal skins for them.  Interestingly these animal skins were the result of the sacrifice of an animal, a shadow of the sacrifice of Jesus the Lamb of God as a covering for our sins.  The fruit of faithfulness also involves humility to God’s will in our lives instead of the fruit of arrogance and going our own way.  The world needs more of the fruit of faithfulness to God from those treasuring God’s Word and will in their lives and less of the fruits of unfaithfulness or ignorance of God and arrogance or selfishness. 

1. Lawyers for Civil Justicem, Civil Justice Reform Group, U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform. www.uscourts.gov. [Online] Duke Law School, May 10-11, 2010. [Cited: November 18, 2017.] http://www.uscourts.gov/sites/default/files/litigation_cost_survey_of_major_companies_0.pdf.

2. Lawpro. Litigation claims on the rise. www.practicepro.ca. [Online] Practice Pro, August 1, 2017. [Cited: November 18, 2017.] https://www.practicepro.ca/2017/08/litigation-claims-on-the-rise/.

3. U.S. Department of Treasury. LIMITING CONSUMER CHOICE, EXPANDING COSTLY LITIGATION: AN ANALYSIS OF THE CFPB ARBITRATION RULE. www.treasury.gov. [Online] U.S. Department of the Treasury, October 23, 2017. [Cited: November 18, 2017.] https://www.treasury.gov/press-center/press-releases/Documents/10-23-17%20Analysis%20of%20CFPB%20arbitration%20rule.pdf.

4. Bird, Beverly. The Average Cost of an Uncontested Divorc. info.legalzoom.com. [Online] Legal Zoom. [Cited: November 18, 2017.] http://info.legalzoom.com/average-cost-uncontested-divorce-20665.html.

5. The Fatherless Generation. The Fatherless Generation. thefatherlessgeneration.wordpress.com. [Online] The Fatherless Generation. [Cited: November 18, 2017.] https://thefatherlessgeneration.wordpress.com/statistics/.

6. Politics, Real Clear. President Trump Job Approval. www.realclearpolitics.com. [Online] REal Clear Politics. [Cited: November 18, 2017.] https://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/other/president_trump_job_approval-6179.html.

7.Politics, Real Clear. Congressional Job Approval. www.realclearpolitics.com. [Online] Real Clear Politics. [Cited: November 18, 2017.] https://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/other/congressional_job_approval-903.html.

Dismantling Consolidated Power in Education

By:  Dale Weckbacher

John 8:32

“and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

(ESV)

While the truth has a liberating effect, it can also be harsh revealing areas of our lives needing attention and change we may not want to do.  However, when we step back and look at the truth God is trying to teach us, we come to realize that even though the truth is harsh and pointing us in a direction we do not want to go, it is God lovingly correcting us.  While truth may not be politically correct, truth from the Word of God is always in our best interest and what we should adopt in our lives. 

Unfortunately, political correctness in education has diluted the truth and turned our once great educational institutions into indoctrination centers with an agenda of indoctrinating students into a liberal post-modernist and humanistic philosophy that goes against the truths of the Word of God.  Like what occurred in media, we have seen a consolidation of power in education that has facilitated this shift.  However, just as technological innovation broke up the once powerful consolidation of power in media, innovative technology has the potential of breaking up the consolidation of power in education but first we must break up the bureaucratic strongholds of education.

1)      Tenure – Tenure of university professors is defined as “an indefinite appointment that can be terminated only for cause under extraordinary circumstances such as financial exigency and program discontinuation.”  (1)  Its initial purpose was the protection of academic freedom insuring professors had the freedom to teach and conduct research without fear of losing their positions due to the subject of their teaching or research.  While academic freedom of teachers and professors to conduct research, and enrich the knowledge base in education is important, a blanket policy of tenure making it impossible to terminate ineffective teachers is harmful to students.  The striking down of five State laws governing school personnel decisions by the judicial ruling in Vergara v. State of California has begun the process of dismantling tenure.  Judge Treu ruled that “disadvantaged students were far more likely to find themselves in a classroom with an ineffective teacher than children from more affluent families.”  (2)  While the number of tenured teachers has declined to about 21 percent as of 2014, (1) a potential of 21 percent of educators becoming ineffective due to tenure can do irreparable harm to the education of thousands of students if they continue to teach ineffectively.  In other professions employees have the freedom to practice their profession but also understand they must continue to remain effective to keep their jobs.  Imagine if your doctor had tenure and there was nothing you as a patient could do if they were guilty of malpractice.  Part of breaking up the consolidation of power in education is weeding out ineffective teachers and replacing them with effective ones by giving schools the freedom to terminate ineffective teachers. 

2)      U.S. Department of Education (3) – The original Department of Education, created in 1867 had the purpose of collecting information on schools and teaching that would help the States set up effective school systems.  Since that time the name of the department changed to the U.S. Department of Education and became a cabinet position in 1980.  One of the current debates in education is common core a standard of uniformity that takes control of education from teachers and local governments.  (4)  This consolidation of power in the Washington DC bureaucracy means that a teacher in an inner-city school or a rural community more familiar with the specific educational needs of the students in their classroom cannot tailor make a curriculum helping their students and must instead implement an ineffective program like common core.  The real victim once again here is the student who fails to learn.  

3)      Teachers Unions (5) – The union movement dates back to the eighteenth century and the industrial revolution in Europe.  The most famous labor union in the United States is the American Federation of Labor, founded by Samuel Gompers in 1886.  (5)  While teachers’ unions initially supported common core, most recently they have begun to question their support.  (6) (7)  Once the realization sunk in that Common Core wrestled control of the classroom from the teachers these unions represent, they began doing what a labor union should do, protect the jobs of their members.  However, while teacher unions insist they have the best interests of children at heart, their insistence on support of seniority and tenure instead of a merit based system of teacher evaluation demonstrates their interest is primarily in their teacher members and not the students they educate.  (8)  While taking on the powerful teachers’ unions is a politically dangerous mine field, it is a field one can navigate as Governor Walker in Wisconsin demonstrated.  (9)  While teacher unions continue to support tenure and its consolidation of power to a few elite educators having no incentive to effectively teach students, inroads into the U.S. Department of Education consolidation are occurring with unions questioning Common Core. 

 While dismantling the consolidation of power in education will be difficult, the recent questioning of the viability of Common Core by Teachers Unions (7) (6) and even the decertification of teachers unions in Wisconsin demonstrate it can be done.  (9)  However, we must also explore the use of innovative technology just as occurred in breaking up the media consolidation of power as a means of further breaking up the consolidation in education. 

Home schooling is gaining in prominence in our society primarily driven by parents desire to provide moral or religious instruction to their children, concerns about the school environment, and dissatisfaction with the quality of academic instruction offered in traditional public schools.  (10)  Home schooled students scored among the 84^th to 89^th percentile on standardized achievement tests while their traditionally educated counterparts scored in the 50^th percentile.  This shows that quality education is deliverable without students needing to attend traditional classes in a classroom.  However, not every parent can afford to have one of their income earning parents stay at home educating their children. 

Online education was once something I believed to be a fad that would quickly go away as they graduated students having inadequate social skills.  However, enrollment in online education courses continues to grow along with the reputation of the quality of online courses.  (11)  Social skills are teachable through involvement of students in programs at religious organizations, sporting events, etc. so parents of students enrolled in these online programs should involve their children in these programs that develop social skills. 

Online education is beneficial because it does away with the need to construct expensive facilities for classrooms.  Without these expensive startup costs, more educational organizations can emerge increasing competition in education and just as we saw increased competition break up the consolidation of power in media, we could see a similar break up of consolidated educational power as well. 

Consolidation of power in the method of delivery of truth and education open the door for deception with no competition present to offer any contradictory views.  The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution as added as insurance against such consolidation of power.  The freedom to deliver truth through media and education must continue for truth does indeed set us free (John 8:32). 

1. American Association of University Professors. Tenure. www.aaup.org. [Online] American Association of University Professors. [Cited: November 12, 2017.] https://www.aaup.org/issues/tenure.

2. Burke, Lindsey. How Teacher Tenure Hurts Students. dailysignal.com. [Online] The Daily Signal, July 5, 2014. [Cited: November 12, 2017.] http://dailysignal.com/2014/07/05/tenure-teachers-may-effective/.

3. U.S. Department of Education. The Federal Role in Education. www2.ed.gov. [Online] U.S. Department of Education. [Cited: November 12, 2017.] https://www2.ed.gov/about/overview/fed/role.html.

4. Classical The Difference. Common Core's Five-Way Power Play. www.clasicaldifference.com. [Online] Classical The Difference: Bringing Life to the Classroom, Fall 2016. [Cited: November 12, 2017.] http://www.classicaldifference.com/common-cores-five-way-power-play/.

5. Union Plus. www.unionplus.org. A Brief History of Unions. [Online] Union Plus. [Cited: November 12, 2017.] https://www.unionplus.org/page/brief-history-unions.

6. Simon, Stephanie. AFT union takes on Common Core. www.politico.com. [Online] Politico, July 11, 2014. [Cited: November 12, 2017.] https://www.politico.com/story/2014/07/american-federation-of-teachers-common-core-108793.

7. NEA. NEA President: We Need a Course Correction on Common Core. neatoday.org. [Online] NEA, February 19, 2014. [Cited: November 12, 2017.] http://neatoday.org/2014/02/19/nea-president-we-need-a-course-correction-on-common-core/.

8. Shumate, Sam. End teacher tenure. The education of children takes precedence over job security for adults. www.nationalreview.com. [Online] National Review, May 16, 2017. [Cited: November 12, 2017.] http://www.nationalreview.com/article/447697/teacher-tenure-unions-stop-putting-seniority-performance.

9. Chakraborty, Barnini. Wisconsin teachers union decertified in latest blow to labor under Walker law. www.foxnews.com. [Online] Fox News, September 15, 2013. [Cited: November 12, 2017.] http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/09/15/wisconsin-teachers-union-decertified-in-latest-blow-to-labor-under-walker-law.html.

10. The Washington Times. HOME-SCHOOLING: Outstanding results on national tests. www.washingtontimes.com. [Online] The Washington Times, August 30, 2009. [Cited: November 12, 2017.] https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/aug/30/home-schooling-outstanding-results-national-tests/.

11. Lytle, Ryan. Study: Online Education Continues Growth. www.usnews.com. [Online] U.S. News and World Report, November 11, 2011. [Cited: November 12, 2017.] https://www.usnews.com/education/online-education/articles/2011/11/11/study-online-education-continues-growth.

Balance in a Chaotic Unbalanced World

By:  Dale Weckbacher

Matthew 6:33

But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

(ESV)

Next Wednesday we will resume our continuing study on the fruits of the Spirit.  Looking at the chaotic world in which we live makes it difficult for us to find balance and peace.  While we often apply Matthew 6:33 in the context of God supplying a financial or material need, it also has an application for adding peace and comfort during chaotic times. 

While many leadership theories abound, many industries are now adopting the adaptive leadership theory due to the chaotic environment businesses and organizations must function within.  The theory is appealing due to its adapting to situational changes like changes in technology and cultural demographics.  The theory also gives guidance on leadership behavior and how they can lead those following them into adoption of changes creating chaos around them.  (1)

How we behave and react in chaotic times will determine if we can achieve and keep balance in our lives.  Jesus behavior during His ministry on earth provides an example of an adaptive leader achieving a balance of holding firm in his beliefs and mission while adapting to chaotic changes occurring around him.  Let us take a moment to look at each of the behaviors outlined in the adaptive leadership theory and how Jesus demonstrated them in His ministry.

1)      Get on the balcony (1) – The imagery here is one of a leader standing on a balcony looking over the situation, gaining a loftier perspective.  After cleansing a leper and telling him to present himself to the priest, reports of the healing spread and great crowds began to gather to hear Jesus’ teaching and receive healing.  However, instead of immediately jumping into ministering to these needy followers, Jesus would withdraw to desolate places and pray (Luke5:12-16).  Jesus knew the importance of getting on the balcony of prayer.  In the middle of chaos, the temptation is to jump into the situation and try to fix it, but it is wiser to get on the balcony of prayer to achieve a loftier Godly perspective.

2)      Identify the adaptive challenge (1) – Adaptive challenges involve the leadership challenge of encouraging followers to solve and tackle problems.  Jesus knew what would happen to him and that when he left, the Disciples would be those spreading the news of the Gospel.  To tackle this adaptive challenge, Jesus sent them out to minister with a warning that persecution would come but to have no fear and that the message would not bring peace but a sword (Matthew 10:5-39).  While we do not know exactly what will happen in our lives as Jesus did, we can reach out to Jesus in faith and know that when we seek him, he will meet our needs (Matthew 6:33)

3)      Regulate distress (1) – Imagine following a man you believe is the one who will save you from the oppressive government occupation you have been experiencing.  He enters the capital to accolades and many including yourself believe he will march in and overthrow the oppressors.  However, instead of victory you see your leader brutally murdered.  This is exactly how the two men on the road to Emmaus must have felt (Luke24:13-35).  However, Jesus regulated their destress through showing them in scripture that His crucifixion was part of the plan and then revealed His identity to them, showing them that he had risen from the dead.  We too can mitigate the stress of chaotic situations occurring in our lives through spending time with Christ through His Word and prayer. 

4)      Maintain disciplined attention (1) – When faced with the reality that the one he believed was his savior would suffer death by crucifixion, Peter reacted out of fear by denying he knew Jesus (Matthew 26:69-75).  If Peter was to become the leader of the early church it was important for Jesus to maintain disciplined attention on the mission of the church, spreading the Gospel (Mark 16:15).  After seeing the resurrected Lord, having Him restore and forgive Him (John 21:15-19), and receiving the baptism of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2), we see the restoration of Peter’s focus and discipline on the mission at hand.  Pausing to meditate on the truth that God sent His Only Son to die for our sins and spending time in the Word of God allowing the Holy Spirit to interpret its meaning in our lives is what everyone needs to support spiritual discipline in their lives. 

5)      Give the work back to the people (1) – While Jesus as God did many things through His earthly ministry, if He were the only person doing the work, there would have been limits to His outreach.  However, after His ascension to Heaven, God sent the Holy Spirit, the same Spirit that descended upon Jesus at His baptism to fill every believer giving the work of the Gospel back to the people (Mark16:17, Acts 1:8).   Jesus is still alive and the master delegator.  We who are in the church today have the privilege of continuing the work Jesus has delegated to us but are we willing to take up the work.  

6)      Protect leadership voices from Below (1) – Good leaders listen to all that follow them understanding that often those considered at the bottom or the fringes of the organization are closer and more impacted by changes occurring in the environment within which the organization functions.  Therefore, Jesus did not go to the religious leaders of His time but instead called ordinary people as His disciples (Matthew 4:18-22).  When criticized for His association with tax collectors and sinners, Jesus reminded the religious leaders that it is not the healthy that need a doctor but the sick (Mark 2:15-17).  We all are sinners (Romans 3:23) and fall into the category of the sick, yet even in this state Jesus became one of us and died for us (Romans 5:8).

The best way to achieve balance in chaotic times is through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.  If you have not already done so, I encourage you to pray with me and enter into this relationship giving stability in chaotic times, 

Dear Lord Jesus, I know I have sinned (Romans 3:23) and know that the penalty for my sin is death (Romans 6:23).  I ask you to forgive me of my sin and cleanse me as you promise in your Word (1 John 1:9).  I believe you died, was buried, and resurrected from the dead and now declare you Lord of my life.

While the chaos may continue around our lives, having a personal relationship with Jesus gives us someone on the balcony we can turn to receiving a loftier perspective to our situation and Godly guidance.  Chaotic times like these require following the greatest adaptive leader to live, Jesus Christ.  Jesus is the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6) something we all need in chaotic times. 

1. Miller, Andrew. What is adaptive leadership? www.andrewmiller.com. [Online] Andrew Miller, January 8, 2016. [Cited: November 10, 2017.] http://www.andrewemiller.com/2016/01/08/what-is-adaptive-leadership/.

Evolution of Fake News

By:  Dale Weckbacher

Genesis 11:6-7

And the Lord said, “Behold, they are one people, and they have all one language, and this is only the beginning of what they will do. And nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them. ⁷ Come, let us go down and there confuse their language, so that they may not understand one another's speech.”

(ESV)

The account in Scripture of the Tower of Babel is an example of what can occur when sinful humans have consolidated power (Genesis11:1-9).  God had just finished destroying all humanity except for Noah and his family with a flood with the purpose of ridding the world of evil (Genesis 6:1-8).  Now we see the descendants of Noah beginning the process of combining their evil intentions.  Instead of bringing another destructive flood, God breaks up their consolidation of evil by confounding their language. 

I see a similarity to this breaking up of consolidated power with the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution where the founders granted citizens freedom of speech, freedom to practice their religion, and freedom of the press.  Their greatest fear was that the new government would become like the tyrannical regime they had fought for independence from.  They understood that if the new government could consolidate power and control the means of communication, it could eliminate the liberties they had fought for.  (1) 

The confounding of language as a means of ending the consolidation of global evil by God is still in effect as evidenced by the many languages still in existence in the world today.  However, the belief that the freedom of speech, religion, and press in the first amendment would prevent consolidation of governmental power is under threat today.  Left unchecked, this threat could allow government control of the means of communication and aid in advancing their antiliberty liberal and progressive agenda.  However, its once powerful stranglehold on communication control is breaking up.

I grew up during the late 50’s, 60’s, and 70’s.  As such I recall when there were only three television networks each having an evening news program.  With only three network programs where people received most of their news, it was easy for politicians to have control over the dissemination of information the public received.  During this time the media helped Kennedy win election to the presidency through the imagery of the first televised debates. (2) They were also able to stoke antiwar sentiment resulting in animus against military veterans who served and gave their lives defending the country in Vietnam. (3) In the 70’s media was able to force a president to resign under the controversy of Watergate.  (4)

In the 80’s however, a new phenomenon, and innovative technology entered the scene that broke up this media conglomerate.  The phenomenon is talk radio and cable news, mainly Fox news, the internet, and now social media. 

1)      Emergence of talk radio and cable news (5) (6) – Prior to talk radio and cable news, people waited until returning home from work to get the news of the day.  With the emergence of these new media, people already knew what had happened in the news prior to the evening news broadcasts and this news often came with a more conservative spin in contradiction to the liberal progressive spin people heard from the big three networks.  The medias conglomeration of power over communication of facts was beginning to crumble.  

2)      Internet and blogs (7) – Blogging and the internet further opened the media door by giving ordinary people, like myself, a media outlet from which to practice freedom of speech, religion, and press.  The once consolidated media empire takes another hit.

3)      Social media (8) – One of the major complaints offered by people in traditional media is President Trump’s use of Twitter.  While at time he does tweet things that he should not have said, he sees Twitter as a means of communicating directly with the people he swore to lead as President.  I believe traditional media is most upset by his tweeting because it represents the final nail in the coffin of their once strong consolidated control over communication. 

While it is comforting to see media control of communication breaking up, there is another consolidation of power harming the country.  I am speaking of the threat represented by the liberal consolidation of power that exists in education.  That will be our discussion next Saturday. 

1. Urban, Joe. What is the purpose of the First Amendment and why is it important? www.quora.com. [Online] Quora. [Cited: November 4, 2017.] https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-purpose-of-the-First-Amendment-and-why-is-it-important.

2. Webley, Kala. How the Nixon-Kennedy Debate Changed the World. content.tome.com. [Online] Time, September 23, 2010. [Cited: November 4, 2017.] http://content.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,2021078,00.html.

3. Alpha History. The Anti-War Movement. alphahistory.com. [Online] Alpha History. [Cited: November 4, 2017.] http://alphahistory.com/vietnamwar/anti-war-movement/.

4. Schudson, Michael. When the media had enough: Watergate, Vietnam and the birth of the adversarial press. www.salon.com. [Online] Salon, October 10, 2015. [Cited: November 4, 2017.] https://www.salon.com/2015/10/10/when_the_media_had_enough_watergate_vietnam_and_the_birth_of_the_adversarial_press/.

5. PBS. Overview: The Rise of Talk Radio. www.pbs.org. [Online] PBS, July 12, 2005. [Cited: November 4, 2017.] http://www.pbs.org/pov/thefirenexttime/overview-the-rise-of-talk-radio/.

6. Ray, Michael. Fox News Channel. www.britannica.com. [Online] Encyclopedia Britannica, October 23, 2017. [Cited: November 4, 2017.] https://www.britannica.com/topic/Fox-News-Channel.

7. webdesignerdepot.com. A Brief History of Blogging. www.webdesignerdepot.com. [Online] webdesignerdepot.com. [Cited: November 4, 2017.] https://www.webdesignerdepot.com/2011/03/a-brief-history-of-blogging/.

8. Omowole, Agbolade. Why Social media threatens traditional media. www.vanguardngr.com. [Online] Vanguard, October 13, 2015. [Cited: November 4, 2017.] https://www.vanguardngr.com/2015/10/why-social-media-threatens-traditional-media/.

Fruit of the Spirit: Goodness

By:  Dale Weckbacher

When I wrote this posting, the church shooting in Sutherland Springs, Texas had not occurred.  Please join me in praying for the families, and community victimized by this shooting.   

Galatians 5:22-23

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

(ESV)

The mass murder at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas and now the terrorist attack in New York serve to remind us that goodness, like the other fruits of the Spirit is a rare commodity the world needs.  As people born into sin (Romans 3:23) a mind set on the flesh is hostile to God (Romans 8:7) and it is only through transformation by the Holy Spirit and the Word of God that removes this fleshly hostility towards God (Romans 12:2).  The fruit of true goodness only comes from God and is the anthesis of the evil prevalent in the world.  While goodness is a quality most people strive to reach, goodness alone is not enough to make us right with God for our salvation comes because of the finished work of Jesus on the cross (Ephesians 2:8). 

If you have not accepted this free gift of goodness offered to us by God when He gave us His Only Son (John 3:16) I encourage you do so now by praying with me,

Dear Lord Jesus, I know I have sinned (Romans 3:23) and know that the penalty for my sin is death (Romans 6:23).  I ask you to forgive me of my sin and cleanse me as you promise in your Word (1 John 1:9).  I believe you died, was buried, and resurrected from the dead and now declare you Lord of my life.

You have now experienced God’s goodness and grace, but the fruit of the Spirit of goodness mentioned in Galatians 5:22 is us showing goodness to others.  James 2:14 reminds us that faith without works is dead.  While some interpret this as a contradiction to Ephesians 2:8, James is speaking of those of us who have experienced the goodness of God’s gift of salvation sharing that goodness with others while Paul is speaking of our works being insufficient to provide forgiveness from sins. 

Mother Teresa left a legacy of good works that led to her canonization as s saint.  Her inspiring goodness was,

1)      Purposeful – While Mother Teresa initially came to India to teach, once seeing the poverty of the people of Calcutta she realized God had another purpose for her life.  (1)  While we like to plan ahead in our lives believing we know our purpose, we must be open to hearing from God for when we do we will discover our Godly purpose and discover where we can best bear the fruit of goodness.

2)      Sacrificial – Showing goodness is not something we do for profit.  Mother Teresa and a group of nuns practiced total devotion to their mission, surviving on little income and food.  (1)  However, God was faithful honoring their sacrificial devotion by taking care of their needs.  While God may not call most of us to the level of sacrifice Mother Teresa practiced, we must insure we perform acts of goodness with the right motive, to serve God and not our own profit.

3)      Persistent in the face of criticism – Mother Teresa persisted in the face of criticism due to her strong and passionate devotion to the calling from God she received.  (1)

4)      Respectful – Even though Mother Teresa had many opportunities to proselytize and convert people of other faiths to Christ, she instead remained respectful and allowed her goodness done out of her personal devotion to her Lord and Savior do the talking.  (1)  We may never know this side of heaven how many may have received Christ through her acts of goodness, and I believe we will discover many did.  

5)      Determined – During the last years of Mother Teresa’s life she suffered many issues with her personal health, but she never let these setbacks prevent her from carrying on her works of goodness.  (1)  I believe James would have pointed to Mother Teresa’s determination to perform good works as an example of faith that is not dead but very alive. 

An evil world full of mass shootings and acts of terrorism needs a diet consisting of more of the fruit of goodness.  While it was a forbidden fruit that brought evil into the world, let us follow the example of Mother Teresa and ask God to reveal places we can perform works of goodness showing others the goodness of God’s grace that lives inside us. 

1. Feeling Success. Mother Teresa’s 5 Inspiring Deeds. www.feelingsuccess.com. [Online] Feeling Success, February 4, 2015. [Cited: November 4, 2017.] https://www.feelingsuccess.com/mother-teresas-5-inspiring-deeds/.