Get Those Kids in Church!

“Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing.” - Hebrews 10:24-25

 

For years, historians and researchers have warned us that Christianity is dying in America.

Study after study has confirmed that belief in God, church attendance, and commitment to biblical values are ALL on the decline. In 2019, the year before the Covid-19 lockdowns, 3,000 new churches opened in America. That sounds great until you realize that 4,500 existing churches closed. And during the pandemic, the situation went from bad to worse.

 

Why? Researchers agree that the biggest reason is the growing number of “nones” in our country. In recent years, researchers have started using this term as a label for people who don’t claim any religion. Some “nones” are atheists; others are agnostics; still others say they’re religious but don’t identify with any specific religion.

 

Since the year 2000, the number of “nones” in America has grown dramatically across all age groups—but especially the younger generations. According to a 2021 Barna Group study, about half of Generation Z (those between ages 14 and 29) claim to be Christians … but around 30% of them claim no religion at all. Some studies show that number over 40%.

 

And here’s an even scarier number. According to Barna’s research, only 4% of those 14-to-29-year-olds have a biblical worldview. In other words, although over 50% of Generation Z claim to be Christians, only 4 out of every 100 actually believe the Bible to be the inspired Word of God and that Jesus is the only path to salvation.

 

It didn’t have to be this way. Parents, to a very large extent, it’s our own darn fault. Not only have we failed to teach our kids God’s Word every day in our homes, we have failed to surround our kids with other Christians who are ready and willing to teach them God’s Word at church.

 

We haven’t maintained our commitment to the Church – the Bride of Christ – and we haven’t taught our kids about commitment to church. And if you’re worried that “dragging them to church” will chase them away from God, believe me: There’s a much higher likelihood of them walking away from God if they’re not in church at all.

 

God’s Word in Hebrews 10:24 is clear: “Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.” And that begins at home. You’ve taught your kids to persevere in school work, in their chores and in brushing their teeth. Now, teach them to persevere in the most important way: Teach them to persevere with the Church to bring honor and glory to God. 

 

Dane Davis is the pastor of Impact Christian Church in Victorville. Join us at Impact for Sunday services: in person or online at 9 a.m. on Facebook Live or YouTube. For more information, visit www.GreaterImpact.cc.

How Would Jesus Vote? (Part 1)

"Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne.” 

– Psalm 89:14

Two ladies met at church one day. We’ll call them Mary and Mabel. They struck up a great conversation after the church service and talked about getting together for coffee later that week. But as they made their way to the parking lot, each of them got the shock of her life.

Mabel was beside herself when she looked at the back of Mary’s car and saw a bumper sticker that said “Biden-Harris”. Mabel thought, “How on earth could this sweet Christian lady be a Democrat?” Meanwhile, Mary glanced at the back of Mabel’s car and almost blew her top when she noticed a Trump sticker. She shook her head in disgust and thought, “How could ANY Christian support Donald Trump?”

This scene repeats itself in some form or another every week across America. And there’s a reason for it. If you didn’t know it already, let me be the first to tell you: Jesus isn’t running for President. Neither is Moses, King David or the Apostle Paul. Instead, we have two flawed men running for president, and each one has certain strengths and certain weaknesses.

If Jesus was a registered voter in the United States today, I’m convinced that he wouldn’t be a registered Republican. I’m also convinced that he wouldn’t be a registered Democrat. You see, Jesus was NEVER one to join political parties. In 1st Century Israel there were political and religious parties: The zealots, the Herodians, the Pharisees, the Sadducees, and the Essenes. Which one did Jesus join? None of them! Jesus represents only one governing body—the kingdom of heaven.

Since Jesus isn’t running for office, when it comes to voting, followers of Christ have to do the next best thing. 1) Determine the heart of Christ on the issues, because Jesus DOES care about many issues that our government leaders deal with on a daily basis. 2) Prayerfully determine which political candidate, party, and propositions are most in sync with the heart of Christ. Now, let’s see how both the Republican and Democratic party platforms measure up to some issues that matter most to our Lord.  

In Psalm 89:14a, the psalmist summarizes God’s perfect government this way: “Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne.” When God rules, He always does what is right. And He always does what is just. So, any leader who is going to please the heart of God must also do what is right and just. When it comes to choosing our political leaders, every Christian should ask: “Will this candidate do what is RIGHT in God’s eyes?” And, “Will this candidate do what is JUST in God’s eyes?”

If you, like Mary and Mabel, have ever wondered how committed Christians could vote differently than you, consider this: Christians who vote Republican tend to identify with Christ’s heart for righteousness, while Christians who vote Democrat tend to identify with Christ’s heart for justice. If you keep this in mind, it will help you better understand your Christian brothers and sisters on the other side of the aisle instead of judging them.

Here are two policy positions in the Republican party platform that are Biblically RIGHT:

Policy Position #1: The sanctity of human life. The Republican party platform states, “the unborn child has a fundamental right to life which cannot be infringed.” The party supports state and federal efforts “against the cruelest forms of abortion, especially dismemberment abortion procedures, in which unborn babies are literally torn apart limb from limb.” On the other side of the life cycle, the Republican Party also stands strongly against all forms of euthanasia including physician-assisted suicide.  

Policy Position #2: Marriage and family. The Republican party supports traditional marriage. Their platform says, “Every child deserves a married mom and dad, and our laws and government regulations should actively promote married family life as the basis of a stable and prosperous society.” Although the Republican Party has largely caved to public pressure to accept gay marriage, their party platform supports biblical marriage between one man and one woman.

On the other side of the coin, here are two policy positions in the Democratic party platform that are Biblically JUST:

Policy Position #1: Ending poverty. The 2020 Democratic platform states: “Democrats remain committed to ending poverty and enabling all Americans to live up to their God-given potential.… Directing more federal investment to the communities most in need will help create jobs; improve and expand housing; modernize and expand transportation, clean water, wastewater, energy, and broadband infrastructure; and promote shared prosperity.” This is, without a doubt, a Christ-honoring, just goal.

Policy Position #2: Achieving racial justice and equity. The Bible is very clear that God does not show favoritism, and neither should his followers. So, there is no place for racism in the church OR in America. The Democratic Party is absolutely just in standing strong against racism in America. Now, personally I think that some of the Democrat’s policies for eliminating racism are not biblical at all. But the fact still remains: The basic policy position is biblically just.

As the election approaches, remember: As Christians we are called to lead people to Christ, not to an elephant or a donkey. Don’t allow your politics to sabotage your witness to unbelievers or your fellowship with believers. Our loyalty must be to Christ. So, do some research, and vote in line with the heart of Christ. Let’s do our best to vote for right and just leaders, and to pray for righteousness and justice in the hearts of those who are elected.

Dane Davis is the Pastor of Impact Christian Church. Please join us for our live outdoor worship service tomorrow at 9 a.m. at 17746 George Blvd. in Victorville. Or, join us online at 10 a.m. on our YouTube channel (Impact Christian Church) or on Facebook.

For Such a Time As This

“Who knows but that you have come to your … position for such a time as this?”

– Esther 4:14

My wife team-teaches second grade at Victor Valley Christian School. Last month, when I popped into her classroom, I overheard something that really struck me. Her team teacher, who is also a pastor’s wife, was giving the Bible lesson to the kids. She told them, “In this class we don’t call them Bible stories, because they are true. We call them Bible TRUTHS.”

We must never forget that. Whenever we refer to a Bible “story,” it’s not something that can be lumped in with “The Lion King” or “Aladdin.” Bible stories are in a league of their own, because they are true, and they are part of God’s word. So, with that in mind, I want to share with you one of my favorite stories in the whole Bible: The story of Queen Esther.

In a search that played out like a real-life version of The Bachelor, Xerxes, the king of Persia, conducted a kingdom-wide search for a bride. From the most beautiful young maidens in the kingdom, he chose a lovely Jewish woman named Esther to be his bride, and she became Queen of Persia in chapter 2 of the Book of Esther. But there was a problem. Because of the hostility toward Jews in Persia at that time, Esther’s cousin Mordecai ordered her not to reveal her nationality and family background. Esther was on thin ice … and then, in chapter 3, a scoundrel by the name of Haman became the second most powerful leader in Persia. Haman hated Esther’s cousin Mordecai—so much, in fact, that he plotted not only to kill him, but everyone in his family. Haman tricked the king into signing an edict saying that on the 13^th day of the 12^th month of that year, every Jew in the kingdom of Persia would be killed.

In Chapter 4, Mordecai sent word to Esther, telling her to go into the king’s presence to beg for mercy for her people. Esther was hesitant. She sent word back to Mordecai, explaining that anyone who approached the king without an invitation could be put to death on the spot—and it had been a month since Xerxes had sent for her. Mordecai sent back this memorable reply: “Do not think that because you are in the king’s house you alone of all the Jews will escape. For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?” (vs. 13-14).

“For such a time as this”—these are the six most famous words in all of Esther. She was afraid to do what Mordecai had asked. She didn’t want to suffer. She didn’t want to die. But Mordecai’s words won her over. Esther believed that God had raised her up “for such a time as this.” So, she took a stand—and she successfully stood up for her people.

As our church moves to a new location, there’s a really important question that we need to answer: Why are we moving? Numerous reasons spring to mind. The drive up George Boulevard to our current location, surrounded by abandoned air base housing, is scary. Our church isn’t growing in its location. We’re not getting many first-time visitors, and many feel the drive to get here is too long. The list goes on and on. But there’s really only one answer that matters. Why are we moving? Because we believe God said so.

Now, let me be clear. None of our staff or leaders heard the audible voice of God say, “Move your church to the Ralph Baker School in September 2019.” None of us received a late-night visit from the Angel Gabriel. We didn’t even get an email from Roma Downey from “Touched by an Angel.”  But each of us has a relationship with God. Each of us talks with God regularly. And we believe God has been clearly leading our church in this direction, and He opened many doors to prove it.

The Lord has been so amazing over these past eight months. There’s a reason He brought us a buyer for our building two years ago. There’s a reason that a brand new school in a strategic location was available for rent at just the right time. There’s a reason I was introduced to the superintendent of the school district in February. There’s a reason that the decision-makers at the school have been so supportive. We believe God was clearly calling us to take a leap of faith and move on from here to make a greater impact for Christ in our community.

For the past 25 years, the former airbase chapel has been Ground Zero for some great ministry. We’ve baptized 582 adults, teens and kids. We’ve blessed low income families with more than 5,000 backpacks. Thousands of lives have been touched by the ministries that have taken place over the past 25 years. We have made an impact in our community from a very challenging location, and I believe God is saying to our church, “Well done!”

But God has also made it clear that we cannot settle for the status quo. What He’s been doing over the past 25 years has been preparing us for this next season. We believe God has called our church to its new home for such a time as this. And could it be that all of the challenges, trials and difficulties you’ve experienced have been God’s training ground—preparing you for such a time as this?

Dane Davis is the Lead Pastor of Impact Christian Church. Join us for our Grand Opening at 10 am Sunday, October 6^th at the new Ralph Baker School in Victorville. For more information, visit www.GreaterImpact.cc.

The Invisible War

“He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me scatters.”

– Luke 11:23

Back in the mid-1980s, Christian author Frank Peretti published a novel that rattled a lot of Christians—including me. The novel, “This Present Darkness,” is set in the small college town of Ashton. In the story, the chief editor of the local newspaper and the pastor of the town’s struggling church discover something very unnerving: Ashton is a ground zero for a flood of demonic activity. Thousands of demons are flying overhead and lurking in shadows, steering the course of events in their little town. Like puppeteers, these demons are pulling nonChristians’ strings to get them to do exactly what Satan wants them to do.

In one scene I don’t think I’ll ever forget, a demon hovers over someone’s head, sticks his bony little finger through his skull, and stirs his thoughts. As a teenager, that image just about gave me nightmares. In his book, Frank Peretti shared vivid and imaginative ideas of what demonic activity might look like in the invisible realm. And even though it was a fictional story, it opened a lot of Christians’ minds to the reality of spiritual warfare. 

Jesus understood spiritual warfare better than anyone. At the very beginning of his ministry, freshly baptized and filled with the Holy Spirit, Jesus went mano-a-mano with Satan himself. He spent 40 days and 40 nights in the desert battling Satan’s temptations, overcoming every one of them with the Word of God lifted up in prayer. Over the next three years of his earthly ministry, Jesus encountered demons time and time again. And in Luke 11:23, Jesus makes it clear that it is impossible to be on the fence in spiritual warfare: “He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me scatters.”

In verses 24-26, Jesus tells of a demon who, for whatever reason, vacates a man’s soul. The demon wanders the desert looking for rest and doesn’t find it. So, he decides to return to the man he left. “When [the demon] arrives, it finds the house swept clean and put in order” (v. 25). In other words, the man had cleaned up his act since the demon left him. Perhaps he got off drugs, stopped cheating on his wife, and got himself a steady job. But his soul was empty because he still hadn’t invited the Spirit of Jesus Christ into his life.

In the parable, Jesus continues: “Then it goes and takes seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that person is worse than the first” (vs. 25-26). In other words, the demon said to himself, “Easy smeezy! I’ll grab seven of my buddies, and the eight of us will have no problem storming the gates to this man’s soul and moving right back in.” The demons did just that, and as time passed, the man’s condition was worse than ever. What happened? Well, let me share three lessons that William Barclay draws from Jesus’ illustration:

#1: You can’t leave a man’s soul EMPTY. In our pride we think we have so much willpower against Satan’s attacks. We think we can sit on the sidelines of the great spiritual war and not take sides. We think we can leave our souls empty. But we can’t. If we don’t freely choose to join Jesus’ team and ask him to fill our hearts, whether we like it or not, Satan will drag us onto his team, and he will fill our hearts. If God is not in the driver’s seat of your life, one way or another, Satan will be in the driver’s seat.

#2: It’s not real religion if it’s nothing but NEGATIVES. The man in Jesus’ illustration thought that getting rid of the demon was all it took to be in a good place. The evil was gone. So, life must be good … right? No. It doesn’t work that way. Good isn’t simply the absence of bad. True religion does include the negative—NOT doing certain things. But it can’t be boiled down to a list of “Thou shalt nots.” Far too many nonChristians in our community have been given the impression that Christianity is just an oppressive list of “don’ts.” But Christianity is so much more. It’s not just about expelling the evil. It’s about being filled with our good Savior and penetrating this world with his mercy and grace and love and goodness.

#3: The best way to avoid evil is to do good. I don’t know about you, but I find that I’m not nearly as mean to people when I’m being nice to people. My actions tend to steer clear of evil when I’m busy doing what is good. My thoughts don’t wander off in depressed or bitter or lustful directions when I’m keeping myself busy doing God’s work. In James 1:27, God’s word tells us, “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: To look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.”

You and I must choose a side: Either Jesus Christ’s side or Satan’s side. And the word of the Lord is this: “Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved.” In other words, “Trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, and he will come inside you and fill your heart and your soul. And when he does, you will be full of God, and there will be no room for the enemy.” So, choose Jesus. Be filled with Jesus. Obey his word, and you will be blessed.

  

Dane Davis is the Lead Pastor of First Christian Church in Victorville and the author of "Holy Huldah: Lessons You Should Never Forget from Bible Characters You've Never Heard Of." For more information, visit www.YourVictorvilleChurch.com, and join us for our Worship Celebration Sundays at 10 a.m.

You Won’t Find Him in the Ashes

“Why are you looking for the Living One in a cemetery?” – Luke 24:5

Two weeks ago, millions of people around the world watched in horror as the Notre Dame Cathedral went up in flames. This monument has stood for over 800 years, and it’s the most visited landmark in France. That’s right—the Cathedral draws more tourists than the Eiffel Tower, with over 13 million visitors every year. That comes out to an average of 35,000 visitors every day … more than the population of 99 percent of the cities in France.

Like most of you, my heart sank as I watched the video clips of the flames and the destruction they left behind. But in the days that followed, I found myself wondering if I was making too big a fuss over it. Our hearts tend to drop whenever we see a beloved historical landmark or building being destroyed. But the Notre Dame Cathedral fire affected millions of people at a much deeper level, because, as a Catholic cathedral, it seemed as if a big part of their religion and their faith went up in flames. And that shouldn’t be.

In the days that followed, people sifted through the ashes at Notre Dame, feverishly searching for relics and artifacts that they value as an important part of their faith. But God’s word tells us to stop sifting through the ashes. Why? Because we won’t find Jesus there. Similarly, on the first Easter morning, three women went to Jesus’ tomb to anoint his body with spices. Instead of a body, they found an empty tomb and an angel who asked them an important question: “Why do you look for the living among the dead?” (Luke 24:5) Or, as The Message paraphrases the question: “Why are you looking for the Living One in a cemetery?”

Great question! Jesus wasn’t hanging out in the tomb. Tombs are for dead people. Yet many people today still make the mistake of looking for Jesus among the dead. Those people believe things about Jesus that are true … but fall short of the full truth because they ignore Jesus’ resurrection. Here are a few of those misleading “cemetery thoughts.”

Cemetery Thought #1: Jesus was a great man. Many people believe Jesus was a great man just as Abraham Lincoln was a great man, just as Martin Luther King Jr. was a great man, just as Billy Graham was a great man. But all those “great” men are dead. Jesus was a great man, but that’s just part of the truth. When he walked this earth, Jesus was 100% man, but he was also 100% God. Jesus Christ was the great God-man 2,000 years ago, he is still the great God-man today, and he will continue to be the great God-man throughout all eternity. Because Jesus is alive, he isn’t a “was.” Jesus has always been and always will be an “is.” He is the Great I Am—the same yesterday, today and forever.

Cemetery Thought #2: Jesus’ teachings should be studied. Without a doubt, every follower of Christ must read and study Jesus’ teachings. But here’s the problem: Many people address the Bible and Jesus from merely an academic point of view. They study the Bible and they study Jesus’ teachings, but they do so in much the same way that they would study “Hamlet” or the Magna Carta or the U.S. Constitution. But because of that first Resurrection Sunday, Jesus’ teachings can never be reduced to academics. Jesus is alive, which means his words are alive. Or as the writer of Hebrews puts it, his word is “living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” William Barclay, a 20^th century pastor and professor, said it well: “Beyond doubt, study is necessary, but Jesus is not only someone to be studied; he is someone to be met and lived with every day.” That’s so true. Don’t just study Jesus. Meet Jesus, and live in relationship with Jesus every day.

Cemetery Thought #3: Jesus’ life should be modeled. Once again, there is some important truth in this statement. Jesus is our ultimate role model. If we’re going to pattern our life after someone, that someone should be Jesus. But Jesus is not a dead role model. Dead role models can only speak to us from the past from their finite lives. But because Jesus conquered death on that first resurrection Sunday, he is a living role model who continues to set a good example, who can answer all your questions, who can show you how to do the right thing. He can speak to us, not only from the past, but also right now in the present. Jesus is alive and active today. He helps us. He guides us. He is a living, active Lord and Savior.

And just as Jesus Christ doesn’t hang out in cemeteries, he also doesn’t hang out in temples or cathedrals or even in churches. When God shows up in a church building, it’s for one reason and one reason only: Because living people are there. You see, our living Savior spends his time among the LIVING.

With over one billion dollars already pledged in support to rebuild the Cathedral at Notre Dame, I’m pretty confident that, one way or another, it will be rebuilt. But I hope and pray that people aren’t short-sighted enough to think that during the rebuilding process Jesus is going to be hanging out in the ashes—with one exception. Jesus will gladly wade into the ashes to rescue someone who’s living in the ashes and needs to be set free.

Dane Davis is the Lead Pastor of First Christian Church in Victorville. For more information, visit www.YourVictorvilleChurch.com, and join us for our Worship Celebration Sundays at 10 a.m.