Peter gives particular directions, first to the elders, how to behave themselves towards their flock; then to the younger, to be obedient and humble, & to cast their care upon God.

History demonstrates that a democracy is very fragile and the American democratic-republic is no exception. As we begin 2018, it is important to remember several salient facts about the American experiment. In a non-ideological way, I believe the case can be made that the American experiment is unique and exceptional, both in terms of its origin and its development.

As we begin 2018, I believe it is appropriate to give focus to a critical cultural issue that is destroying men, marriages and contributing in no small way to the denigration of women and children in our society. Several years ago, a local church in Omaha, Nebraska, where I live, asked me to do a presentation on pornography. I called the presentation ?Pornography: Adultery of the Heart.? I believe that the pornography crisis in our country has much more to do with what it means to be a man than simply an issue of lust and gross immorality. It is a result of the disastrous lies that our culture promotes about manhood. Joe Ehrmann has summarized those three lies:

Dr. Eckman discusses Spiritual Gifts, and Trials vs Temptation, as Peter’s writes about Living for God, and Suffering for being a Christian.

Peter builds on his message of Living for God: As Christians, we need to live by the principle that future promises should determine present behavior.

In early December, President Trump officially recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. He also stated that his intent is to relocate the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. He did not say when he would do that. But that Jerusalem is Israel?s capital is an established fact. The state of Israel has regarded Jerusalem as its capital since its War of Independence in 1948. West Jerusalem is the seat of Israel?s president, prime minister, Supreme Court and most government ministries.

In this Postmodern, Post-Christian age where a secular skepticism reigns supreme, one often hears the question, where is God; if He exists, why doesn?t He show Himself? Or, where is God in the carnage of the civil wars in Syria and Yemen? Where is God in the devastation of the summer hurricanes that ravaged the Caribbean, Texas and Florida? Where is God in the death of a relative or a close friend? Where is God in that universal equalizer of all humanity?death? Where was God in that backwater town 2,000 years ago where a poor, pregnant woman was denied lodging, in the smell of hay and manure, in the pain of childbirth, in the escape to Egypt?

American civilization in 2017 is living with the results of the sexual revolution of the 20th century. Few would disagree with the conclusion that we live in a sex-saturated culture with few boundaries. Pornography abounds and is institutionalized on the Internet and in all forms of entertainment.

Gender Dysphoria is generally explained as distress caused by a mismatch between felt and perceived gender identity?between the sex on the birth certificate and how one feels. The Williams Institute, a Los Angeles think-tank, estimates that 1.4 million Americans (0.06% of those aged 16-65) are transgender. According to The Economist, ?young people say that gender matters less than it used to, which sits oddly with the spreading belief that gender dysphoria can be severe enough to justify the upheaval and risks of transitioning.? Furthermore, ?gender identity? in 2017 has come to mean how people feel or present themselves, as distinct from biological sex or sexual orientation.

Peter reminds us that as Christians, we have a new position in Christ; we are to die to our old life & be conformed to the image of Jesus, as we line up our minds & will with that of God.