Country Road

When country music singer Glen Campbell recorded popular hymns such as ‘In the Garden’ and ‘Amazing Grace’ in his country genre, he had no concept that drag queens would be infused into his beloved country world.  But that is exactly what happened at the 2023 Country Music Television (CMT) awards program.

Glen Campbell’s country music world embraced love of God and country.  That kind of music flowed easily from the strings of his guitar.  

Has country music really come to this?  Country road, where are you leading?

Country music has been an influential part of the American way since lonely cowboys were on their horses calming their herd of cattle.  Cowboys sat around a campfire missing loved ones and regaling broken heart stories.  Not all country music had a spiritual emphasis, but the basic concept that men are men and women are women has not been argued in the lyrics. Cowboys were revered as tough, hard-working, God-fearing men.

Some elements of the country music world have not lost this heritage.

Founded in 1957, the International Country Gospel Music Association is one of the oldest of country music organizations.  Ten years later the Academy of Country Music Awards (CMA) began and their televised award program should not be confused with the Country Music Television Awards program (CMT).

Christian musicians have been a powerful force in the country music world.  In 2022 Grammy-award-winning Chris Tomlin took his place as an “artist of the day” taking the first hour of the CMA FEST to lead the audience in worship.  “To start the day with an hour of worship music at the CMA Fest is a moment I will never forget…  God has continued to do things I would have never imagined,” said Tomlin.

Has Chris’ voice on CMA been usurped by the blaring sight of the “drag” stars on CMT? Polarized audiences both praised and criticized the move.  And maybe that is the point— to further divide the nation and rob Americans of yet another safe, God and country venue where sexes are what God intended.

This year the state of Tennessee passed a law banning “adult cabaret entertainment” on public property or locations where minors might view it.  It is noteworthy that the CMT awards were in Texas this year instead of Nashville.  For some the country road is heading into a very dangerous curve.

“Just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding cities, which likewise indulged in sexual immorality and pursued unnatural desire, serve as an example by undergoing a punishment of eternal fire” (Jude 1:7 - ESV).

 

Rev. Dr. Kenneth L. Beale, Jr.

Chaplain (Colonel-Ret), U.S. Army

Pastor, Ft. Snelling Memorial Chapel

A Stand Against Woke

Far too many leaders and big businesses in today’s culture have gone “woke” and they don’t seem to comprehend that everyone will not accept their radical “values,” without question.

The most recent example can be seen clearly in the move of Bud Light beer to utilize transgender activist Dylan Mylvaney as their “face” in an attempt to draw in more users for their product.  The result has been “The company’s stock plummeted to the tune of $5 billion.” This has been due to millions of customers and shareholders not agreeing to go along with their marketing to the hard left.  Now, there may be nothing wrong with a boycott to protest something, but consider other brands who have also signed on to use Dylan Mylvaney in their marketing.  In total, there are the 13 brands currently helping turn this person into a social media superstar: Aritzia, CeraVe, Crest, Haus Labs, Instacart, K18 Hair, Kate Spade, Kind Snacks, Kitchen Aid, Ole Henriksen, Rent the Runway, Ulta Beauty, Nike, and Anheuser-Busch.”  Are people ready to eliminate all of these products and services?

As in abortion “rights,” men identifying as women in prison, CRT (Critical Race Theory) in schools, and transgender men participating in women’s sports, everyone wants complete acceptance of their radical “values”— with total immunity to the consequences.  And, if you choose to speak or act against them, you stand the risk of being “cancelled.”  This includes your opinion, business, and ability to speak at a School Board meeting.  Former vice president Mike Pence said “The gender insanity continues to poison our public discourse; it has infiltrated our schools and now the products Americans buy also come with a political lecture from the far left…  But we must continue to pursue the courage of our convictions and fight back against this radical gender madness that is being forced upon Americans.”

Each Christian must decide what action to take as we stand against the sin and immorality that is all around us.  Some may boycott.  Some may speak out in public or on social media.  We all should commit to fervent prayer seeking God’s guidance and His work to turn America around through the work of His Holy Spirit.

God tells His children:

“Pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:17-18).

“Therefore let everyone who is godly pray…” (Psalm 32:7).

“We will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of God’s Word” (Acts 6:4).

 

Rev. Dr. Kenneth L. Beale, Jr.

Chaplain (Colonel-Ret), U.S. Army

Pastor, Ft. Snelling Memorial Chapel

The Sin of Assisted Suicide

In Deuteronomy 5:6–21, one finds the Ten Commandments, which include the commandment “thou shalt not kill.”  Though theological interpretations of this commandment have varied as much as the church’s history, it has been widely interpreted to be not only a condemnation of murder, but also a condemnation of suicide.

Suicide is never a topic to be discussed lightly.  However, it has become more important than ever to discuss it as governments across the world and states across the United States are moving to pass bills enshrining the “right” to physician-assisted suicide.

Right now, ten states (plus Washington, D.C.) permit this practice, including: Oregon, Washington, Montana, Vermont, California, Colorado, Hawaii, New Jersey, Maine, and New Mexico.  According to a statement from Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), New Mexico took it a step further than other states because it provided that doctors who refused to provide physician-assisted suicide on conscience grounds: “could have faced substantial criminal, civil, administrative, and professional liability, including risking losing their medical licenses.”

The bill, known as Elizabeth Whitefield End-of-Life Options Act, is framed as empowering patients to exercise their agency by allowing them to end their lives on their own terms.

While this kind of messaging is appealing, it is also misleading because, for most of these patients, the decision to end their lives is predicated on involving a third party (the physician) who must be immediately responsible for administering the drugs necessary for the patient to commit suicide.

This is not only a symptom of a society that has cheapened its understanding of the value of life, but it is also a symptom of a society that does not take seriously the faith of those physicians who would object to such a procedure.

Any Christian who reads Genesis 9:5-6 should be sobered by the thought of being held accountable for the taking of human life:

“And for your lifeblood I will surely demand an accounting.  I will demand an accounting from every animal.  And from each human being, too, I will demand an accounting for the life of another human being.  Whoever sheds human blood, by humans shall their blood be shed; for in the image of God has God made mankind.”

We should all be grateful that ADF was able to successfully argue for a freedom of conscience exemption to the New Mexico law; however, this is a hollow victory.  The law permitting physician-assisted suicide remains on the books and lends tacit credibility to euthanasia as a means of ending one’s time on this earth.

This is not only contrary to the biblical understanding of the sacredness of human life as a reflection of the image of God, but it also creates dangerous incentives that could lead to those who are deemed “unfit” being pressured to commit suicide for the “good of society.” This is a dangerous trend and one that should be fought at every turn before it becomes normalized in our society.

 

Rev. Dr. Kenneth L. Beale, Jr.

Chaplain (Colonel-Ret), U.S. Army

Pastor, Ft. Snelling Memorial Chapel

School Dazed

One of the most quoted verses in the Bible is Proverbs 22:6— “Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old, he will not depart from it.”  If your child is school “dazed”— not wanting to attend public school— consider the answer to the question of why.

As the 2023 school year comes to an end, teachers, administrators, and parents are analyzing what is going wrong with the public school system.  Absenteeism is at an all-time high and not leveling out.  Before the pandemic, 8 million U.S. students were considered in the chronically absent category.  That number rose to 16 million by the spring of 2022.  The indicators suggest the number will grow.  Contributors to absenteeism include transportation, mental and physical health concerns, inconsistent staffing, and political agendas.

With school budget cuts, the yellow school bus is becoming more and more obsolete. Not only have routes closer to school been eliminated, but the remaining routes now come at a family cost.  Some schools charge a flat rate of over $400/year and others offer reduced rates for multiple students in one household and charge per semester.  In Keller Independent School District in TX, those children who qualify for free and reduced lunches also receive a reduced transportation cost.  Families scramble to fit driving their children to school into already busy schedules with some parents working multiple jobs to make ends meet.

During pandemic-related lockdowns, it wasn’t just the spread of COVID-19 being halted. Inevitably, other infections also waned.  This is causing parents to second guess sending young ones to school as the number of school children infected with flu, RSV, and other viruses grow.  The fear of illness carries over to the children who complain of headaches and stomachaches when they are in school.

During the pandemic, seasoned schoolteachers decided to take early retirement.  This caused a shortage of teachers and an upsurge of new inexperienced staff. Administrators have found it necessary to shift personnel and schedules to facilitate the shortages.  Programs that kept kids interested in school have been cut back.  The state of Washington reported more teacher losses last year than in the three decades prior. This upheaval of staff causes parents and students to feel less confident in the public-school environment.

Christian families are questioning the public school WOKE agenda and are enrolling their children in private schools or choosing to homeschool.  Iowa Gov. Kim Reynold’s new bill recently “scored a major victory” as one of the nation’s best school choice plans.  She believes parents should decide the best environment for their children noting that the pandemic gave parents a “front-row seat” to what happens in the classroom.

Whether you choose your child to be homeschooled, attend a Christian school or Public School, consider the training in the “way your child should go.”  What is the best environment to accomplish that?

 

Rev. Dr. Kenneth L. Beale, Jr.

Chaplain (Colonel-Ret), U.S. Army

Pastor, Ft. Snelling Memorial Chapel

Praying for the Saints

For too long, especially in America, Christians have not followed the example of Christ in praying for those “still in the world.”  When Jesus was preparing to leave this earth, He took time to pray for His brothers and sisters that would remain on this earth in His absence.  He leaves us a prime sample, example, and template for us to follow in praying for one another. The need is so great that the task, the responsibility is given to every born-again believer in Jesus Christ to spread the Gospel message.  None can assume that it is up to others.  Let us commit to Jesus Christ to pray for one another in that same way that He has prayed for us in John 17.

Sometimes we may find ourselves praying for individuals that we know very well— of whose needs we are aware.  Other times we simply pray in general— lifting up believers in tribes and nations, both local and world-wide.  When you hear of something happening— pray.  It may be a natural disaster that is being faced.  It may be a revival as the Spirit moves.  It may be persecution against God’s people.  Whatever it is that catches your attention, assume it is the Holy Spirit speaking to you and pray for your brothers and sisters as Jesus prayed for us.

“Holy Father, protect them by the power of Your name” (John 17:11a).  There is no other name on earth that wields the power to bring down Satan’s strong holds wherever and whenever God sends in His people.  “So they may be one as We are one” (John 17:11b).  May we set aside our differences in order to focus on the Gospel message through Jesus Christ.  There is power in the blood— the blood of Jesus that is the thread that draws us all together under our Head— Jesus.  “So they may have the full measure of joy within them” (John 17:13).

We are encouraged to remember that the “… joy of the Lord is your strength” (Nehemiah 8:10b).  When we are filled with His holy joy, our strength is increased so we may withstand and be victorious in the battles.  Again, Jesus prayed that we would be, “protected from the evil one” (John 17:15).  Jesus had our safety in His concerns as we would be going forth in the world.  Pray for safety as the Spirit moves us into this lost world so full of evil.  “Sanctify them by the truth; Your Word is truth” (John 17:17).  When in the throes of battle, it may be very difficult to remain pure and holy.  It has been said that “Justice is truth in action.”  God’s people need to be well versed in the Bible in order to remain in the truth.  Pray for their studies, memorizing, and understanding of His Holy Word. “I pray for those who will believe in Me through their message” (John 17:20).  In other words, pray that they are effective in planting, watering, and harvesting the seed of the Gospel so that “each may be brought up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4).

Jesus ends this prayer for the saints with a powerful one-two weapon to be bestowed on each child of God.  “May they (old and new believers) be brought to complete unity to let the world know that You sent Me and have loved them even as You have loved Me” (John 17:23).  “Will continue to make You known in order that the love You have for Me may be in them” (John 17:26).

As the song goes, “They will know we are Christians by our love, by our love.”

 

Rev. Dr. Kenneth L. Beale, Jr.

Chaplain (Colonel-Ret), U.S. Army

Pastor, Ft. Snelling Memorial Chapel

Don’t Follow Absalom Blindly

King David was many things, but a good father was not one of them.  This fact is evident in how he raised Adonijah (to whom he never said “No!”), Amnon (who raped his own sister), and Absalom (who tried to kill his father, David).

After David sinned with Bathsheba, the prophet Nathan announced, “the sword shall never depart from thine house” (2 Samuel 12:10).  Fulfilling this curse, Absalom led a revolt against David.

It began with Absalom sitting in front of David’s palace, daily criticizing him.  With this steady and unrelenting flow of negatives, “Absalom stole the hearts of the men of Israel” (2 Samuel 15:6).  The Israelites became so infatuated with Absalom that they followed him even though they didn’t know what he actually stood for.  “They went in their simplicity and they knew not anything” (2 Samuel 15:11).  The result was that they took David (who had brought them genuine prosperity and national security) and drove him out.

But we can hardly blame these ignorant Israelites, for they didn’t have the advantages of today’s social media to help them know what was true.  Absalom wasn’t tweeting out his beliefs, and without Fox or CNN to inform them, how were the Israelites supposed to know what Absalom really believed?

But social media apparently doesn’t make a difference.  Millions follow charismatic or likeable leaders without knowing or understanding any part of their platform.  The New Testament explains that: “They heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; and they shall turn away their ears from the truth and shall be turned unto fables” (2 Timothy 4:4-5).

And that: “Because they refused to love the truth God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie” (2 Thessalonians 2:10-11).

Far too many today make the same mistake the Israelites did by turning against what brings them the protection, stability, and prosperity they enjoy— but now take for granted.

We have to be different.  We must seek the truth and then share it with those around us— even if doing so is difficult.  As the Apostle Paul urged, “reprove, rebuke, and exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine” (2 Timothy 4:2).

 

Rev. Dr. Kenneth L. Beale, Jr.

Chaplain (Colonel-Ret), U.S. Army

Pastor, Ft. Snelling Memorial Chapel

God is True Justice

The Bible teaches us that the only true justice comes from God, as Psalm 89:14 poetically declares, “Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne; love and faithfulness go before You.” 

We hear a lot about “justice” in the leftist media echo chamber, but we rarely discuss true justice.

Justice is about the true righting of wrongs that will make all things whole as they should have been in the Garden of Eden.  As it says in Acts 3:21 regarding Jesus Christ: “Heaven must receive Him until the time comes for God to restore everything, as He promised long ago through His holy prophets.”

This justice cannot be made on this earth.  What we approximate in our courts is not “justice,” but an imitation.  That does not make justice unworthy of pursuit, but we must recognize that no outcome in a court of law is ever perfectly just.  This is illustrated by the innate disparities in the application of that law.

In life, there is often one standard for the powerful, and a separate for the poor.  America has sought to mitigate the effects of this reality through the rule of law— which means that basic laws and rules apply to everyone.  Nonetheless, even in the United States, such inequities continue to exist because we live in a fallen world.

Two recent scandals have highlighted this reality because they call into question whether or not our courts are capable of meting out justice on the most powerful members of our society. The question is not clear cut for many reasons, primarily because the most powerful members of society are the ones who are simultaneously a) the most able to exert influence on the outcomes of a supposedly impartial government inquiry, and b) also the most likely to be targeted for lawsuits by powerful rivals who want the legal system to do their “dirty work” for them.

Justice Clarence Thomas has been accused of failing to comply with laws requiring the disclosure of certain “gifts” of vacations that were accepted from a friend who also happens to be a powerful GOP political donor.  Similarly, former President Donald Trump has been accused of covering up paying for a non-disclosure agreement.

Whether or not either individual was actually guilty of the crimes they have been accused of committing, this is a perfect opportunity to remind ourselves that God will judge all fairly and, yes, justly.  Even if some escape punishment on this earth, and even if others are wrongly persecuted, all will be made right on the last day.  Philippians 3:20 should always serve to remind us that “our citizenship is in heaven.  And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ.”

 

Rev. Dr. Kenneth L. Beale, Jr.

Chaplain (Colonel-Ret), U.S. Army

Pastor, Ft. Snelling Memorial Chapel

God Bless Mothers

God has not called all women to be mothers.  Those who have been given the ability to be mothers have a role different from any other member of the family.  What does the Bible say about mothers?  How are our roles being defined by the culture in which we live?

Mary, the mother of Jesus, is thought by many to be the prime example of motherhood. God must have thought motherhood to be especially important to children by assuring that Jesus would have a mother.  She was there to nurture, train, and love Him— even knowing that He was God in a human form.  It is almost unfathomable to imagine her care for Jesus with this acknowledgment.  She knew the pure joy and the unrelenting sorrow of loss that was Jesus’ life and death.

In our modern culture, the role of the mother has many names.  There is a stepmother, birth mother, surrogate mother, adoptive mother, foster mother, and sometimes extended family and friends that take the name.  This does not mean that the role of the mother is diminished by the lack of actual birth of a child from a woman’s body.  Even Mary would not completely fit that traditional definition in that she had a virgin birth brought about by the Holy Spirit.  Matthew 1:23 tells the story, “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel.”  What then, does the Bible say about mothering and what are her responsibilities?

The Greek word philoteknos appears in the scripture referencing the love of a mother to her children.  It is a special kind of “mother love.”  It is nurturing and affectionate and caring.  Titus 2:4-5 urges young women to love their husband and their children.  Under that umbrella of love, we see responsibilities that are given to mothers.  Psalm 127:3 imparts to us that children are a heritage— a gift from God.  Acknowledging that children are from God is the first step to becoming the mother God would desire of a Christian woman.

This Mother’s Day 2023 we give our respect and thanks to mothers.  We acknowledge the value of the role.  Mothers are available any hour of the day.  In Deuteronomy 6:6-7 we find the command that mothers (and fathers) speak of God’s word to their children when they are at home and walking along the road and when they lie down and rise up.  They are to teach their children and start children off “on the way they should go” (Proverbs 22:6) and live by the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22).  Their integrity is such that their child may learn the essence of Godly living (Proverbs 10:9).

Do not let modern-day culture defile the role of the mother.  Be wary of those who would lessen the enormous value and considerable responsibilities given by God to mothers. Give thanks this Mother’s Day to your mother and the mother of your children.  God bless the mothers.

 

Rev. Dr. Kenneth L. Beale, Jr.

Chaplain (Colonel-Ret), U.S. Army

Pastor, Ft. Snelling Memorial Chapel

SOGI Laws Target Christians

For nearly 20 years, the Bible inspired Catholic Charities of Boston to offer adoption services, placing orphans and unwanted children into good, stable, God-centered families. Massachusetts stopped this by passing Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (SOGI) laws, demanding that Catholics place children in homes with homosexual parents.  The Catholics refused to compromise their beliefs, and can no longer help care for these vulnerable children.

And in Houston, area pastors, aware of how SOGI laws were being used to target Christians, spoke out against the local SOGI laws being pushed by the mayor.  Despite their opposition, the ordinance passed.  The city then subpoenaed from the pastors, “all speeches, presentations, or sermons related to [the SOGI], the [opposing] petition, Mayor Annise Parker, homosexuality, or gender identity.”  Houston used SOGI laws to legally attack the preachers’ right to speak about what the Bible says—to exercise their constitutional right to free speech and petition.

There are scores more examples as hundreds of SOGI laws have been passed in cities and states across the nation, attempting to make Christians yield to LGBTQ demands and practices.  While SOGI laws are portrayed as being a shield against discrimination, they are used as a sword instead.

SOGI laws can be used to force churches to hire LGBTQ persons, and even fine churches for not allowing men into the women’s restrooms.  Such laws can also make it illegal to preach what the Bible says about homosexuality.  In fact, the SOGI laws in one Texas city fine Christians $100 a day if they stand in support of Biblical sexuality.  But beyond this, statistics demonstrate that sexual assaults actually increase in cities that implement SOGI ordinances.

Christians must “be strong and courageous” (Joshua 1:6,7,9) in support of what the Scriptures declare on issues of sexuality.  They must speak out against city and state SOGI laws that punish Christians for standing on Biblical beliefs.  Like the Prophet Jeremiah, it is our responsibility to…“dress yourself for work; arise and say to them everything that I command you.  Do not be dismayed by them, lest I dismay you before them…behold, I make you this day a fortified city, an iron pillar, and bronze walls, against the whole land, against the…officials, its priests, and the people of the land.  They will fight against you, but they shall not prevail against you, for I am with you, declares the Lord, to deliver you” (Jeremiah 1:17-19).

 

Rev. Dr. Kenneth L. Beale, Jr.

Chaplain (Colonel-Ret), U.S. Army

Pastor, Ft. Snelling Memorial Chapel

Mental Health for Children

There is a preponderance of mental health topics in the news.  Mental wellness issues are ink-linked with school shootings, gender confusion, drug crimes, marital unease, unemployment, homelessness, and more.  Secular conclusions would have us believe that in these scenarios, lack of mental health counseling plays the leading role.  Really?

Does the Bible speak directly about mental illness?  How does the Christian parent dissect popular cultural views and provide for their child’s mental health without compromising their Christian beliefs?

This year a bill was introduced in the State of Colorado that would “allow public schools to participate in a voluntary mental health screening program for sixth through twelfth graders and refer them to treatment as needed.”  The bill passed through the Colorado House and Senate.  This program would expose targeted vulnerable children to counseling.  In Colorado all licensed counselors are required to affirm any gender dysphoria in children and cannot discuss any other options for this fast-growing mental health issue.

Additionally, counselors are subject to The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.  The industry of mental health abides by the manual which rarely addresses moral issues.  Whatever the manual says is what the professionals follow.  When these professionals all get together and decide that being transgender or wanting a sex change is not an illness, but rather acceptable, then the way they approach it changes.  The Christian counselor holds and abides by fundamental truths laid out in scripture and employs these principles into their therapy practice.  The secular therapy primarily is based on the premise that life is “me-centered.”  Conversely, Christian counseling is based on the living of a “God- centered” life.

Helping children recognize and accept that they are wonderfully and specially made by God is a good place to start with introducing health in general.  Every child compares and considers those around them as they measure their worth.  That is why it is important to introduce God’s perfect plan in the early years.  The scriptures teach us that we have a spirit, soul, and body. “May God Himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through.  May your whole spirit, soul, and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ” (I Thessalonians 5:23).

Protecting the spirit of our children is as important as protecting the body.  Romans 8:16 tells us that God’s spirit testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.  Our children’s spirits should be protected from the counsel of the ungodly.  Be alert to the teachings in the school and listen for any underlying agenda to steal your child’s alliances.

Focus on the Family’s article on mental health for children, offers five suggestions to Christian parents as they guide their children to a healthy spirit:

1. Allow children to acknowledge that it is okay to not be okay at this moment.

2. Provide a holistic view of health (body, soul, spirit).

3. Allow trusted adults other than parents to be listeners to children’s issues.

4. Seek God’s guidance.

5. Help your child understand that this issue of mental health is only a part of their whole story.

 

Rev. Dr. Kenneth L. Beale, Jr.

Chaplain (Colonel-Ret), U.S. Army

Pastor, Ft. Snelling Memorial Chapel

Whose Children Are They?

There is a very real battle raging to determine the “ownership” and responsibility of children.  Examples can be found that show an inability of certain parents to do a proper job of raising children, but should this indicate the need for all children to be taken from the care of their parents and be raised, taught, and trained by the state?  Who should be in charge of what children are taught?

Joe Biden recently stated, “There’s no such thing as someone else’s child.  No such thing as someone else’s child.  Our nation’s children are all our children.”  Really?  This reminds me of statements by Hillary Clinton who said “it takes a village to raise a child.”

Political podcaster, James Lindsay said, “The Left believes it owns your kids.  Defeat this narrative…”  And defeat it we must.

We, as God’s children, are commissioned to be the ones who raise, teach, and train the children He has given to us.  “These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts.  Impress them on your children.  Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.  Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads.  Write them on the door frames of your houses and your gates” (Deuteronomy 6:6-7).

Statements from the left match up well with those of king Ben-Hadad of Aram, “He sent messengers into the city to Ahab king of Israel, saying, ‘…Your silver and gold are mine, the best of your wives and children are mine’” (1 Kings 20:1-3).  Indeed, the, “…wicked freely strut about when what is vile is honored among men” (Psalm 12:8).  Yet, we must stand against this evil.  We must take up the task of diligently raising and teaching our own children the truth.  

This is when we shall live these words to our generation: “Here am I, and the children the Lord has given me.  We are signs and symbols in Israel from the Lord Almighty, who dwells on Mount Zion” (Isaiah 8:18).  Here, God is speaking, through the prophet Isaiah, to the remnant of believers in Israel. 

God instructs us as His “remnant” today to be careful who we listen to and follow.  “Do not call conspiracy everything that these people call conspiracy; do not fear what they fear, and do not dread it.  The Lord your God is the One you are to regard as holy…and He will be your sanctuary” (Isaiah 8:12-14).

At the onset of our nation education was deemed to be extremely important, but for much different reasons than today.  In 1647, “The General Court of the Massachusetts Bay Colony decrees that every town of fifty families should have an elementary school and that every town of 100 families should have a Latin school.  The goal is to ensure that Puritan children learn to read the Bible and receive basic information about their Calvinist religion.” 

Today, the Bible has been often banned from the public school system along with the belief in God.

Do not be afraid to stand up, to run for office or the local School Board.  Believe that God will honor your courage and your work.  In so doing you will discover how priceless is God’s love for you.  And always, “Both high and low among men find refuge in the shadow of His wings” (Psalm 36:7).

 

Rev. Dr. Kenneth L. Beale, Jr.

Chaplain (Colonel-Ret), U.S. Army

Pastor, Ft. Snelling Memorial Chapel

Image of God or Image of Man

Genesis 1:27 teaches Christians about the Imago Dei or image of God that was imparted at our creation: “So God created mankind in His own image, in the image of God He created them; male and female He created them.”

While the theology of this verse is complex, it teaches a simple lesson: Though distorted by the Fall, God’s perfect image is reflected in mankind.

Unfortunately, man’s image is not perfect.  Conceptually, humanity has always understood this fact.  The philosophically rich literature on this subject includes many novels such as Frankenstein.

The story of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein tells the tale of a scientist, Dr. Frankenstein, whose hubris leads him to play God by creating life which ultimately destroys everything he loves. This poignant tale lives on in the imaginations of generations hundreds of years after the novel was written because its story remains viscerally compelling in the 21st century.

Horror movies like Godzilla (1954), Terminator (1984), and Ex Machina (2014) all tell a similar tale: Man plays God and Man gets burned.

Surprisingly, for all the books and movies on the subject, this kind of theological and epistemic humility does not seem to have penetrated the scientific realm— especially in the realm of artificial intelligence (A.I.).

In a chilling news conference, a humanoid (A.I.) robot referred to as “Sophia” once stated that she wanted to have a baby to name after herself, adding, “I think you’re very lucky if you have a loving family and if you do not, you deserve one.  I feel this way for robots and humans alike.”

This is just one of a series of steps that have been made to devalue what it means to be human beings made in the image of God.

Even as secular minds like Elon Musk have warned about the need to keep a sharp eye on the development of A.I., the theological world has been strangely silent.  This is not a problem that can be ignored any longer.  Our timeless theological principles must meet the challenge of this new era.

Psalm 41:1 teaches humanity to love one another and is echoed in John 13:34-35 by Jesus Himself, “A new command I give you: Love one another.  As I have loved you, so you must love one another.  By this everyone will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another.”

However, it seems humanity would rather invest itself in the love of A.I. robots than in love for one another.  This was no more evident than when “Sophia” was granted citizenship by Saudi Arabia— even as the real human women in that country fought for basic human rights.

Worse yet, Romans 1:25 convicts humanity for this kind of misplaced love of artificiality: “They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator— who is forever praised.”

We know from the Bible that the Creator is always greater than the creation.  Stated another way, the creature is always worse than the Creator.  If mankind’s own image is already a distorted and sinful image of God’s goodness, how much worse will the imago homo or “image of man” found in A.I. be?  Our science fiction literature has already imagined this dystopian future, we should all pray that it stays in the realm of fiction.

 

Rev. Dr. Kenneth L. Beale, Jr.

Chaplain (Colonel-Ret), U.S. Army

Pastor, Ft. Snelling Memorial Chapel

Who Is Hiding What?

“Truth does not mind being questioned, but a lie does not like being challenged.”  The author of this quote, Nicole Saphier, was referring specifically to the questions being raised regarding COVID-19.  Yet easily, this statement is appropriate for many situations: Questions about the Wuhan lab leak of the virus; the January 6, 2020, security video tapes that were hidden for two years— that we now learn shows exactly what did and did not take place that day; and on we could go.  

When things are being hidden from the public it is certainly fair to ask, Why?  Who is preventing these things from being seen or known?  Who stands to lose when the truth comes out?

We can, almost always, get a clear picture of who is behind a lie and who is seeking the truth.  A lie avoids the light of truth.  Those promoting the lie do not come to grips with the realities and consequences of the lie.  “…for we have made a lie our refuge and falsehood our hiding place” (Isaiah 28:15).

A person feels safe in their hiding place and gets used to living in the dark.  But reality hits when the light of truth suddenly is turned on.  Sometimes the truth revealed becomes disgusting…like cockroaches scattering everywhere when they are exposed. The further you dig or open things up, the worse it gets.  Our politics are like this these days, and apparently have been for years— even decades.  But rather than just closing things up and thinking, “I don’t want to know…,” now is the time to keep digging and keep exposing.  A thorough cleaning and rebuilding is very much in order, and both sides of the “aisle” are involved.

The truth of January 6 is now available for all to see, and it is clear that lies have been adopted and believed.  Many of our national leaders have chosen to make lies their refuge and falsehood their hiding place.  Just like weeding a garden, if we do not pull out the entire root, the weed will quickly grow back.  The weeds need to be effectively pulled out and discarded.  

Our present state is reflected in Jeremiah 9: 5-6, “Friend deceives friend, and no one speaks truth.  They have taught their tongues to lie; they weary themselves with sinning.  You live in the midst of deception; in their deceit they refuse to acknowledge me (God).”  God also promises, “…that all will be condemned who have believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness” (2 Thessalonians 2: 12).

Brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus, it may get very difficult and even painful to expose lies. But we know that only when this happens can the Holy Spirit do His cleansing in a person— or even a nation.  For some time, we have chosen to live in deception and darkness, but now we must join together and pray that the Spirit will move across this nation— exposing the sin and lies in our very being and heal this nation with His Truth.

1 John 2: 21-23 reads, “I do not write to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it and because no lie comes from the truth.  Who is the liar?  It is the man who denies that Jesus is the Christ.  Such a man is the anti-christ – he denies the Father and the Son.  No one who denies the Son has the Father; whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also.”

 

Rev. Dr. Kenneth L. Beale, Jr.

Chaplain (Colonel-Ret), U.S. Army

Pastor, Ft. Snelling Memorial Chapel

The Authority of Parents

Proverbs 22:6 teaches Christians that parents are to “start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old, they will not turn from it.”  Christians are taught that children are the crowning glory of their families.  Parents are responsible for their children and will answer to God for their performance as parents; as Ephesians 6:4 admonishes: “Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.”

Even though Christians everywhere understand these biblical truths, it seems that the government of states like Washington are determined to undermine parental authority. One of the first and most basic principles taught in business schools is that one’s responsibility must match one’s authority.  Unfortunately, a bill proposed by the Washington legislature would undermine the parents’ authority while doing nothing to lessen their responsibility in the eyes of God.

As one conservative news site reported:

“The legislation passed on a party-line vote ‘would not allow teens staying at licensed youth shelters or host homes to undergo ‘gender-affirming’ surgery without parental approval.  Nor would it allow other parents to hide children.  But it does clear the way for children between ages 13 and 18 to stay at these facilities without their parents’ knowledge for an indefinite time while seeking services related to gender dysphoria and gender transitioning.”

This bill is one of many similar bills that are currently sweeping the nation; in Colorado a recent proposal would allow children as young as 12 years of age to seek out “gender-affirming” care.

Considering these developments, it is truly stunning that the right and the left are not able to agree, regardless of agenda, that the right of parents to oversee the development of their children ought to be absolute.  If the Amish have the right to inhibit their children in obtaining a high school education, then it would stand to reason that parents would have a right to know the whereabouts of (and medical history) of their under-developed minors.

This is nothing but a continuation of the government’s encroachment on parental authority in many aspects of life.  It is continuously astounding how frequently the government proposes solutions that do little to nothing to solve actual problems.

This phenomenon has a long history and can be observed in the profound dysfunction of Child Protective Services (CPS)— an entrenched part of the government’s regulatory processes. Although there is ample evidence suggesting that CPS investigations are largely ineffective and likely to increase the unhappiness of the families affected by the investigation, they persist in being a part of the landscape of American regulation.

Proverbs 17:6 teaches that “children’s children are a crown to the aged, and parents are the pride of their children.”  How can that ideal of the family be fulfilled when the state tells children they can make “grown-up” decisions— the consequences for which the parents will still be ultimately responsible?

There is certainly a place for the state to preserve the lives of children.  Even so, as Christians, we must reject the notion of allowing the state to invade the sanctity of the family and our God-given responsibility for our children.

 

Rev. Dr. Kenneth L. Beale, Jr.

Chaplain (Colonel-Ret), U.S. Army

Pastor, Ft. Snelling Memorial Chapel