Obama needs a weak Biden. The question is how much of the weakening is he doing?  The post How Obama Took Over the Biden Administration appeared first on Frontpage Mag.

Isabella came to Christ after friends invited her to a church youth group. After high school‚ she wanted to do mission work‚ so she studied Russian and global studies at her university then went to seminary. Isabella felt called to do Bible translation work in Eastern Europe‚ and she prayed God would provide her a godly husband she could work alongside. The trouble was the pool of eligible men at her seminary who spoke Russian and wanted to do translation work was nonexistent. Isabella’s mom said‚ “You need to lower your bar. How are you going to find someone like that?” Undeterred and trusting the Lord‚ Isabella pressed ahead. Soon she began attending a Christian singles Bible study. There she met a believer named David who‚ amazingly‚ wanted to do translation work in Eastern Europe. David and Isabella began dating‚ and within a year‚ the two married and began preparing for a move. A story like this one may feel like a meet-cute from an evangelical rom-com‚ but it’s true (though I’ve changed the names and minor details). It also illustrates an important truth. When single Christians experience anxiety over finding a spouse‚ church leaders shouldn’t pressure them to pursue marriage at all costs. Instead‚ we must remind singles that God’s path to blessing is found by putting Christ and his mission first. Why Don’t People Get Married Anymore? The share of people ages 18 to 35 who are married fell from 59 percent in 1978 to 29 percent in 2018. As psychologist Jean Twenge observes in her important new book‚ younger generations now wait until later in life both to walk down the aisle and to have children. Many choose not to marry at all. Several factors contribute to this change. “Adolescents and young adults in 2019—even before the pandemic—spent 25 minutes less a day socializing in person with others than those in 2012‚” Twenge writes. That’s 3 hours per week‚ 13 hours per month‚ and 152 hours less per year. She believes changing technology and growing individualism have influenced many young people to turn inward. But it’s not just that the kids are all on screens and going out less. Often‚ young men and women don’t inhabit the same spaces. Women have become much more likely to attend college‚ and religious attendance is on the decline for both sexes. So much for meeting a spouse at school or church. Plus‚ in a post-#MeToo world‚ a young woman doesn’t see a guy who awkwardly introduces himself in an elevator as a “hopeless romantic.” No‚ Twenge writes‚ “She’d probably think‚ ‘Creeper! Get away from me.’” How Has the Church Responded? In the wake of these sad trends‚ some Christian leaders have doubled down on promoting marriage‚ fidelity‚ family‚ and home as the ideal biblical portrait. They’ve encouraged young men and women to find spouses and fill their new homes with children. There’s a godly instinct here. Many of God’s good purposes for human society are only accomplished when couples get married and have kids. But when church leaders write and teach on the importance of biblical marriage‚ we must remember the anxiety many single believers already feel about their relationship status. Many feel like life can’t begin until they’re married. How do we guard against letting our anxiety over bad cultural trends make this problem worse? The answer is found in going back to the biblical narrative. Marriage‚ Singleness‚ and the Overlap of the Ages In Genesis 2:18‚ God states‚ “It is not good that the man should be alone.” God wanted our first parents to fulfill his creation mandate by marrying and multiplying. As we come to the New Testament‚ God’s mission expands beyond the implications of the creation mandate. Matthew 28:18–20 makes clear that God wants to fill the earth not only through new babies but also through conversions and new baptisms. When church leaders write and teach on the importance of biblical marriage‚ we must remember the anxiety many single believers already feel about their relationship status. Jesus lived out God’s disciple-making mission while single. So did Paul. The arc of redemptive history bends toward this trajectory. Consider that in the new heavens and earth‚ we will not marry (Matt. 22:30). Corporately‚ the church will be Christ’s Bride. Individually‚ we’ll be like the angels in a “single” eternity. We live in a liminal time—the new covenant era of biblical history when the creation mandate for this earth and the new-earth-oriented Great Commission overlap. This overlap helps us understand exactly what Paul wanted to promote in the Corinthian congregation when he addressed that church’s practical questions about marriage and singleness. Paul’s Answers to the Corinthians’ Practical Questions When Jesus told his disciples some would be “eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom” (Matt. 19:12)‚ he made clear some believers are called to singleness for the sake of Christian ministry. Apparently‚ the Corinthians were aware of this teaching‚ and it prompted three questions. 1. Should married couples abstain from sex for the sake of undistracted ministry? No‚ Paul says. Married men and women still face this-earthly temptations‚ so if you choose to abstain from sex‚ let it be for a short time and for prayer (1 Cor. 7:1–5). Married believers can’t ignore God’s command to be fruitful and multiply simply because the end of the ages has dawned. To do so would be to think we have more of God’s future blessings now than we do. That’s what theologians call an overrealized eschatology. 2. Should singles refrain from marriage for the sake of undistracted ministry? Perhaps. After all‚ our time is short (v. 29). Paul knows “the present form of this world is passing away” (v. 31)‚ so God’s mission must be the priority. The apostle wants all believers to have a singular‚ missional focus‚ and he knows single people can serve God “free from anxieties” that married people endure (vv. 32–35). Paul goes so far as to say he wishes every Christian could be single and serve without distraction like he does (vv. 7‚ 38). So‚ denying the goodness of a mission-oriented gift of singleness or viewing marriage as morally superior to singleness in every situation is an underrealized eschatology. 3. Then is it wrong for single Christians to get married? No. That’s an overrealized eschatology again. Paul knows singleness isn’t everyone’s lifelong call. “Each has his own gift from God‚” he says. So marriage isn’t a sin‚ and the church shouldn’t prevent single believers from pursuing it (vv. 7‚ 9‚ 36). Elsewhere‚ Paul goes even further. In one place‚ he makes marriage a moral imperative‚ telling younger widows they should “marry‚ bear children‚ and manage their households” (1 Tim. 5:14). He’s concerned these younger women with too much time on their hands will be idle and use their singleness in socially and spiritually destructive ways. In their case‚ Paul’s not worried that getting married will be a distraction from ministry; he’s convinced it’ll promote their holiness. Gospel Answer for Anxiety What can we learn from how Paul answers these questions? It’s striking that Paul makes neither marriage nor singleness the answer in every situation. Instead‚ he frames human relationships in light of the bigger story of God’s mission. In every case‚ he first prioritizes devotion to Christ. So how should church leaders encourage the anxious singles in their congregations? 1. Tell stories. Katelyn Beaty has written about how single missionaries in church history serve as role models for single believers “over and against [our society’s] materialistic‚ me-first story of fulfillment.” Using the church newsletter and the pulpit to celebrate the stories of God’s good work through unmarried believers in history and today will help the singles among us to see their dignity and usefulness in God’s kingdom. 2. Help singles fight self-centered individualism by promoting everyday Great Commission work. Offer opportunities for singles to use their varied gifts in service of the congregation and its surrounding community. Give them avenues to share their faith‚ make disciples‚ and extend God’s mercy to neighbors. A mission-and-discipleship focus can help a young man or woman resist wasting time on self-centered scrolling‚ entertainment‚ or gossip. As an added benefit‚ serving others can help a young person build the kind of character and charisma that godly members of the opposite sex find attractive. 3. Encourage Christian singles to see marriage as a missional partnership. In our me-first society‚ it’s easy for young people to think the most important factor in a potential marriage partner is attractiveness. A guy wants a girl with a certain look. The girl wants a guy with “rizz‚” one with whom she feels sexual chemistry. But a Christian marriage goes beyond fleeting attractiveness. As Tim Keller wrote‚ it’s “for helping each other to become our future glory-selves‚ the new creations that God will eventually make us.” Paul makes neither marriage nor singleness the answer in every situation. In every case‚ he first prioritizes devotion to Christ. That means when Christian parents and church leaders train young men and women on what to look for in a spouse‚ the most important factor is the character needed to build a robust friendship and to help one another along a lifelong journey as partners in mission. Yes‚ discipling young singles will sometimes mean telling a young man‚ “Shut off the video games and ask the girl out!” But those encouragements should be part of a broader discipleship framework that helps young people see God’s purposes for both marriage and singleness through a missional and redemptive lens. I’m confident that promoting God’s mission will bear fruit. If we lead with anxiety‚ we risk cultivating ministry environments for singles that feel like pressure-packed speed dating events. But if we keep the mission first‚ we’ll see mature‚ Jesus-loving believers who learn to live out their Christian callings. This will give dignity to those who remain single. And by God’s grace‚ a focus on God’s mission may even help some of them—like David and Isabella—to find one another.

When I was a kid‚ my family was camping in northern California when lightning struck 50 feet from our tent. The crack of the lightning was unbelievably loud‚ but it was nothing compared to the weight of the thunder. It felt like our campsite was pressed into the ground. In that moment‚ the thunder was terrifying‚ and it felt heavy‚ but it didn’t crush us under its weight. It only left us quietly lying—shaking—in awe of the power we experienced. In the presence of that wave of thunder‚ as we were hidden from the public eye‚ our responses had nothing to do with who we felt we should be and everything to do with who we truly were. John Starke challenges the cultural ideal that the most important things about us are what can be performed in public. In The Secret Place of Thunder: Trading Our Need to Be Noticed for a Hidden Life with Christ‚ he argues that Jesus “teaches us that the most important things about us are practiced in secret” (7). Starke exposes our desire to perform for others‚ showing that maturity is found through a life lived in God’s presence: “Hiddenness is not hiding; it is living fundamentally before the Father‚ who ‘sees in secret’ and gives more satisfying rewards than those offered by the world” (10). Performative Individualism The Christian life is lived. It’s performed. Christianity isn’t simply a set of propositions to which we intellectually assent. It has a bearing on our day-to-day lives. Jesus said a good tree will bear good fruit (Matt. 7:17). So the question for the Christian isn’t whether we’re performing our Christianity but for whom and why. According to Starke‚ lead pastor at Apostles Church Uptown in New York City‚ our culture demands “performative individualism.” This entails an inward-focused‚ public self-expression. Starke writes‚ “Our culture supports individual expressions of a self-curated identity.” At first‚ this sounds like Robert Bellah’s “expressive individualism.” But Starke argues it goes a step further: “If our self-expression doesn’t meet certain socially constructed expectations‚ we will be ignored‚ isolated‚ dismissed‚ or canceled” (5). Although most Christians aren’t social media influencers‚ readers who have felt the pressure to present a shiny spiritual life via Instagram or Facebook will benefit from the freedom Starke offers. The question for the Christian isn’t whether we’re performing our Christianity but for whom and why. In our particular cultural moment‚ Starke argues‚ “the performance of self is more important than the reality of self” (16). It’s more important to appear a certain way than to be truly good if we’re going to be accepted by the world. Our world clamors for authentic performances‚ but only if our authenticity meets approved cultural guidelines. For example‚ Christians can feel pressure to speak out on every hot topic that hits the news‚ but we are also expected to agree with the right people‚ even when the issue is not doctrinal in nature. Living like this is vain‚ destructive‚ hollow‚ and downright exhausting. This isn’t just a modern problem. In the Sermon on the Mount‚ Jesus warned against giving‚ praying‚ and fasting in ways that are primarily for the onlooking eyes of contemporaries (Matt. 6:1–18). That sort of performance is ultimately for the glory of self. “He is warning us that the human heart has an impulse to trumpet itself‚” Starke explains. “We want to be seen and admired” (19). We may appear vulnerable at times‚ but only on our terms and if it serves our purposes. Christian Maturity When our eyes are opened to see the plague of our perpetual performances‚ our natural inclination is to suppress these actions. However‚ Starke asserts‚ “Simply removing or curbing troubling behavior does not do justice to what Christ wants to do within us” (40). God isn’t interested in mere change but in maturity. He doesn’t want us just to die to self but to be raised to life with him. We don’t offer him a transformed life—we offer our life‚ and he’s the One who transforms it. Our world clamors for authentic performances‚ but only if our authenticity meets approved cultural guidelines. To mature in Christ is to become more like him. It means seeking God’s approval more than any public applause. Salvation for humanity came through Jesus’s “dying to fame‚ dying to power‚ and dying to life itself” (59). In his moments of greatest distress‚ Jesus was able to withstand the agony of his people’s betrayal and calls for his crucifixion because he had the affirmation of his Father who is in heaven. He overcame temptation in the wilderness because he heard and believed the voice of his Father (Matt. 4:1–11). This is the way of transformative maturity in the Christian life. This is the authentic life available to all Christians through a hidden life with Christ. We can throw off the weight of the world’s requirements. We can feel the weight of the glory of God‚ who through Christ fulfills all the requirements for eternal life on our behalf. Christ’s Comfort The book’s title comes from Psalm 81‚ where the psalmist describes how the Israelites were delivered out of Egypt when they called out to God in their distress. God declares through the psalmist‚ “I answered you in the secret place of thunder” (v. 7). The people had looked for their salvation in strange gods. But God makes it clear those gods must be purged from among them and that true satisfaction must come from God alone (vv. 9–10). The Christian life is founded on penitence‚ not performance. This isn’t a one-time action at the beginning of the Christian life; it is the Christian life. As we remember our inability and cry out to God‚ he’s faithful to remind us we’re his beloved children. Starke describes his own time of distress: Somewhere in the secret place of thunder‚ God heard me and answered. I saw no visions and heard no voices‚ but I deeply sensed his presence like a warm‚ heavy weight. I felt like I couldn’t move. I didn’t want to. I desperately did not want whatever was happening to me to stop. (30) A hidden life with Christ is like a weighted blanket. It’s warm and enveloping; it encourages rest even in the most restless situations. The Secret Place of Thunder is Starke’s invitation to seek God and pursue Christlike maturity‚ not for the eyes of the world but for our Father who sees in secret. May we do so satisfied by the great reward we have in Christ.

You can't help but to root for the Ravens

The transition in Nashville is officially complete

80 years ago today‚ the classic film Casablanca premiered on screens across the US. Beloved for the onscreen chemistry between the two lead actors‚ Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman‚ the film won three Academy Awards‚ including Best Picture‚ screenplay‚ and director—for Michael Curtiz. The signature line‚ “Here’s looking at you‚ kid‚” was ranked No. 5 […] The post Good News in History‚ January 23 appeared first on Good News Network.

Plenty of historic places have been preserved over the years‚ such as the Tower of London and George Washington’s Mount Vernon‚ but it is often surprising to discover some of the history-related venues preserved for patrons to tour. Whether it is a place connected to a shocking crime or an offbeat event‚ these sites can […] The post 10 of the Weirdest Places That Have Been Preserved appeared first on Listverse.

The United States is the land of firsts. States all across the great country love to claim that they were the first place to do this or that. Aviation is a great example of this. North Carolina claims they were the “first in flight” because that’s where the Wright brothers successfully set off in their […] The post Ten Extremely Unexpected U.S. State “Firsts” appeared first on Listverse.

Taiwan’s new president has his work cut out for him‚ Michael Cunningham says. “He’s not in an easy position‚” Cunningham‚ a research fellow in the Asian Studies Center of The Heritage Foundation‚ says of President-elect Lai Ching-te. (The Daily Signal is the news outlet of The Heritage Foundation.) “Beijing deeply distrusts” the political party Lai is a member of because China’s leaders think that party is “intent on seeking formal independence from China‚” Cunningham says. While it’s likely Lai will maintain the status quo and not seek formal independence from China‚ Cunningham predicts China will continue applying pressure to Taiwan. During his presidency‚ Lai‚ 64‚ is “probably going to have to constantly be responding to provocations by Beijing‚” he said. Lai‚ currently vice president‚ takes office May 20. Cunningham was in Taiwan during the election on Jan. 13 and joins “The Daily Signal Podcast” to explain why Taiwan’s freedom directly affects America. He also explains why he thinks it’s unlikely China will launch a full-scale invasion of Taiwan anytime in the near future. Listen to the podcast below: Have an opinion about this article? To sound off‚ please email letters@DailySignal.com and we’ll consider publishing your edited remarks in our regular “We Hear You” feature. Remember to include the URL or headline of the article plus your name and town and/or state. The post China Expert Outlines Taiwanese President-Elect Lai Ching-te’s Daunting Challenges Ahead appeared first on The Daily Signal.