Since late summer and now into the fall of 2014, a series of tragedies involving young black men and the police have fueled tensions in several urban centers in the United States. In each, emotions and pent-up anger have caused significant strain and, in some cases, rioting within the black community. And the manner in which the national media has covered each one of these events has usually exacerbated the mistrust and tension. For the various constituencies involved, past assumptions and current perceptions have shaped the respective responses to these tragedies. There are also significant differences between each case, making generalizations impossible or at least not very helpful.

Paul’s words to the Philippians are a perfect summary of the basic Christian principle of Justification: Once we accept Christ as our Savior, we have a new position in Him & are declared righteous, and the process of defining & shaping our new lives begins.

As of this writing, the United States, other Western powers and Iran have agreed to extend negotiations on a nuclear deal for seven more months. The ?red line? date of 24 November never seemed very sacrosanct; this ?deal? to extend the deal negotiations shows that. It is quite easy to be cynical about all this, but it does point to a deeper reality about Iran, the Middle East and the US.

Paul warns the Philippians of false teachers, and reminds them that the hope of salvation is not based on one’s genealogy, flesh, or works; Salvation comes through faith in Christ.

Paul teaches us that because we are children of God, we are to live pure & faithful lives in a crooked world. In modern terms, we are instructed to “live what we are” because how we live matters.

During the Six-Day War in 1967, Israel captured the Old City of Jerusalem, including Temple Mount and the Western ?Wailing? Wall. Israel likewise took the entire West Bank of the Jordan River, the Golan Heights from Syria and the Sinai Peninsula from Egypt. It was the most humiliating defeat the Arab world had experienced?and a triumph for the young Jewish state. Israel had tripled its size and had reunited Jerusalem, making it the capital of the nation. Since 1967, the results of this important war have framed the developments, politics and foreign policy decisions of the Middle East and much of the world. In 1967, one of the more difficult issues for Israel was what to do with Temple Mount in Jerusalem.

Dr. Eckman leads discussion on a short verse with big implications in our Christian lives: “Do everything without complaining or arguing.”

The 2014 election is now history and a few observations about this momentous election are now possible. Without question, it was a ?wave? election for the Republican Party. Although the results are stunning, the election?s long-term potential impact is now coming into focus.

Having children through surrogacy is increasingly common in the United States, especially the practice of paying women to carry a baby for you. But, other than the United States, only a few countries (e.g., India, Thailand, Ukraine, Mexico) permit paid surrogacy. Thus, there is a significant and growing number of people?generally affluent people?who are coming to the US from Europe, Asia and Australia to have a child via surrogacy. Indeed, as Tamar Lewin of the New York Times reports, ?many large surrogacy agencies in the United States say international clients?gay, straight, married or single?provide the bulk of their business.?

Paul tells the Church at Philippi to pursue God & to be obedient to Him, because God is already at work in the lives of His people, shaping their thoughts, desires, and actions.