When the World Feels Uncertain, Pray. Air Force veteran Jennifer-Ruth Green is calling on Christians to pray and fast for U.S. leaders and military troops as tensions rise in the Middle East.

Her message is simple: pray for wisdom for those making critical decisions, protection and strength for service members, and peace in the midst of uncertainty.

For Christians, prayer isn't about choosing a political side. It's about remembering that God is still sovereign when the world feels out of control.

The Bible tells us:

“I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made… for kings and all those in authority.” — 1 Timothy 2:1–2

Maybe this is a moment to spend less time arguing and more time praying.

Sometimes, when we don't know what else to do, we pray. 

Actor Brandon T. Jackson has been having a very interesting conversation about Hollywood—and it’s bigger than just Hollywood.

Jackson has openly talked about his faith, his spiritual journey, and his desire to create entertainment that carries a Kingdom message without feeling fake or disconnected from real life. In a recent interview, he described his creative gift as something God gave him to be “a light,” and he has talked about wanting to create projects that uplift people while still being authentic.

And now Jackson has even shared the idea that “God [is] about to take over the whole industry” while promoting his Kingdom-focused creative work.

That raises an interesting cultural question:

Is the entertainment industry becoming more Christian?

Or are Christians finally becoming more comfortable influencing the entertainment industry?

Maybe the shift isn't about Hollywood suddenly becoming a church.

Maybe it's about Christians realizing that creativity is a form of influence.

Film. Comedy. Music. Television. Social media. Storytelling.

These are all cultural spaces where people wrestle with identity, relationships, morality, purpose and faith.

Jackson's perspective seems to challenge Christians to stop thinking that the only way to represent Christ in entertainment is to make something that feels like a sermon.

What if you can tell a real story, with real people, real struggles and real darkness and still let the light of Christ be present?

That's the conversation worth having.

Because perhaps the question isn't simply, “Is Hollywood becoming Christian?”

Maybe the better question is:

“What happens when Christians stop running from culture and start creating within it?”

Deion “Coach Prime” Sanders just gave the sports world something unexpected to talk about and it's not another touchdown, or a controversial coaching decision, but prayer.

After Colorado defeated Weber State 52–21 on September 12, Sanders opened his postgame press conference with several seconds of what appeared to be speaking in tongues. The moment quickly went viral, and Christians immediately began debating whether what they witnessed was biblical.

But Sanders later explained that it wasn't a performance for the cameras.

He said he had just finished addressing his team strongly and needed to calm himself. “The only way I know how to calm down is to pray in the spirit,” Sanders explained, adding that it was not a gimmick or a planned moment. 

And perhaps that's what makes this moment so interesting.

Whether you agree with Sanders' expression of prayer or have questions about speaking in tongues, there's a bigger cultural conversation happening here:

What happens when Christians refuse to separate their faith from public life?

We often tell Christians to “keep religion out of everything.” But other religions are welcomed to practice their faith.

Sanders didn't appear to be trying to make a theological argument. He simply practiced his faith in a moment when cameras happened to be rolling.

And that raises another question:

Do we only feel comfortable expressing our faith when we're around people who already agree with us?

The Bible says, “For anyone who speaks in a tongue does not speak to people but to God” (1 Corinthians 14:2).

Sanders has made it clear that prayer is part of how he processes intense moments. And this time, the world happened to be watching.

Maybe the conversation isn't simply about whether Deion Sanders was right or wrong.

Maybe it's about what it looks like to live out your faith when you know everybody is watching.

Sometimes, the only words we know to say are: “Lord, have mercy.”

Across parts of northern Nigeria and the Middle Belt, Christian communities have faced killings, kidnappings, attacks on churches, displacement, and ongoing insecurity. 

Reports from the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom document continuing violence against religious communities, including attacks that have particularly affected Christians in parts of the Middle Belt.

So today, I want to pause and pray.

Father, protect Your people in Nigeria.

Cover the families who are living with fear.

Strengthen pastors, priests, missionaries, and church leaders.

Protect children who are growing up surrounded by violence.

Comfort those who have lost loved ones.

Bring healing to those who have been traumatized, displaced, or kidnapped.

Lord, give wisdom and courage to those working to protect vulnerable communities. Bring an end to the violence, kidnapping, and destruction. Let churches remain places of refuge, worship, hope, and community.

And for our brothers and sisters in Christ who are suffering, remind them that they are not forgotten.

“The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.” — Psalm 34:18

May we not only hear about their suffering and scroll past it.

May we pray.
May we remember.
May we care.

Lord, strengthen Your Church in Nigeria.
Bring peace to the land.
Protect Your people.
And let justice and mercy prevail.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.

I’ve been thinking about Jesus through a very modern cultural lens. And what I found was that Jesus knew how to code-switch.

Not because He was being fake. Not because He was trying to fit in. But because He understood both people and power.

Jesus could speak to ordinary people in a way they could understand. He used stories, questions, images, farming, fishing, money, weddings, children, bread, and everyday life.

You name it....Jesus could discuss it.

He would say things like, “Before the cock crows, you will deny me three times.”

But when Jesus stood before power, His language changed.

The Bible says people marveled at the wisdom of Jesus....

when He debated and challenged the Sadducees and Pharisees. He knew how to engage religious leaders on their own ground. 

He didn't simply tell stories. Jesus knew the scriptures.

He'd say to them “It is written…”

Repeatedly, when Jesus was confronted by the devil and challenged about authority, law, and religious interpretation. He answered with Scripture because He understood the language of the people standing in front of Him.

And that makes me wonder: 

Do we know how to speak to different audiences without losing ourselves?

Especially when we are called to win the lost souls....

The Bible tells us to be in the world, but not of the world. — John 17:16 (KJV)

And maybe that means we shouldn't be afraid to understand the world around us. 

Being culturally astute and socially intelligent doesn't mean compromising your identity.  It means knowing the world you're called to navigate while remembering who you are in Christ.

There is a difference between changing your identity and changing your communication.

Jesus didn't become someone else depending on who was in the room. 

He remained Jesus.

But He knew that the fisherman didn't need the same conversation as the Pharisee.

The woman at the well didn't need the same language as Pilate.

The disciples didn't need the same explanation as the religious leaders.

Maybe cultural and social intelligence isn't about trying to fit into every room.

Maybe it's about knowing the language of the room and  understanding people while still knowing exactly who you are.

Jesus could speak to the people. And Jesus could speak to power.

So maybe the cultural question is: Can we do both without losing our voice or identity in Christ?

Maybe the wilderness wasn't punishment. Maybe it was reformation.

Okay, hear me out. We talk about Moses and the Israelites leaving Egypt all the time. The Red Sea. Pharaoh. The miracles. The manna. The Promised Land.

But I started thinking about something that doesn't get talked about enough:

God got Israel out of Egypt. But how long would it take to get Egypt out of Israel?

And honestly? That may have been the real battle.

Because Israel wasn't just physically enslaved. They had been traumatize by slavery.

And those are two very different problems.

They Were Free... So Why Were They Still Acting Like Slaves?

Here's the part that really got me.

The Israelites weren't exactly walking out of Egypt empty-handed.

Exodus 12:35–36 tells us they left with silver, gold, clothing, and other possessions. So this wasn't simply a story about God taking a group of people with nothing and making them prosperous.

They had freedom, God's presence, and experienced miracles.

And yet, the moment things got uncomfortable, they started talking about going back to Egypt.

Now, somebody explain that to me.

You just watched God destroy the system that enslaved you, walked through the Red Sea on dry ground, and now you're saying, “Maybe Egypt wasn't so bad after all”?

Chile bye. 

But before we judge them too quickly, think about what slavery does to the mind.

Slavery Doesn't Just Control Your Body

If someone has spent generations being told:

You don't make the decisions.

You don't control your future.

Someone else determines your value and worth.

Someone else determines where you go.

Someone else determines what you produce.

Then suddenly you tell them:

“You're free!”

That sounds wonderful.

But freedom comes with something slavery never required:

Responsibility.

That's a whole different kind of existence.

And Then There's Moses...

This is where Moses gets really interesting to me.

Moses was Hebrew by birth, but he was raised in Pharaoh's household.

Moses and the Israelites shared blood, but they did not have the same culture experience.

Moses knew Egypt from the inside.  He understood the culture of power.

But the Israelites experienced a different version of Egypt. They knew Egypt from the bottom.

They were oppressed.

So Moses leadership problem was his inability to relate to the people.

Often he would give them instructions without explaining why.

He could look at them and think:

“We're free! Why don't you understand?”

But I don't think he understood the Israelites still dealt with internal struggles.

When Moses saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew man, he intervened. Because of his position with Pharaoh he believed he could do something about what he saw.

But imagine someone who had spent their entire life under oppression.

And I think this is where Moses' leadership becomes complicated.

He may have understood liberation better than he understood re-formation.

Liberation vs. Re-Formation

Liberation says:

“Get out.”

Re-formation says:

“Now learn how to live differently.”

Liberation changes your circumstances.

Re-formation changes your identity, thinking, habits, expectations, relationships, and understanding of yourself.

And I think Israel needed both.

God could get them out of Egypt in a relatively short amount of time.

But changing the way they saw themselves?

That was going to take much longer.

The Wilderness Was More Than a Desert. It may have been a time of therapy.

Forty years might appear to be a long time.

But look at what was happening.

A generation that had been directly formed by Egypt was dying out.

And another generation was growing up with a different experience and thus a different mindset.

They needed time to heal from the trauma of slavery.

The children weren't experiencing Egypt the same way their parents did.

And Moses Had His Own Learning Curve

Here's where I think we sometimes give Moses too much credit for understanding everything immediately.

But leadership doesn't mean you automatically understand the people you're leading.

The emotional and psychological condition of a people who had been enslaved for generations….

It takes time to adjust and realize their triggers.

And the Bible gives us moments where Moses clearly becomes overwhelmed.

In Numbers 11, he tells God:

“I am not able to bear all this people alone, because it is too heavy for me.”

And Aaron Was Different

Aaron had lived among the people.

He experienced their world. He understood their community in a way Moses couldn't have fully understood after spending so much of his life away from them. 

But Aaron was too accommodating.

So I almost see Moses and Aaron as carrying two different forms of leadership.

God Wasn't Just Wanting To Build a People. 

He Was Rebuilding Their Identity. He was calling them into a royal nation, as High Priest 

He gave them a new identity:

“You shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation.”
— Exodus 19:6

“Here's how people with a new identity live.”

Because telling somebody who they are is one thing. They had to be taugh how to live 

Now that is another story….

And Here's My Sassy Little Takeaway...

Sometimes we celebrate the person getting out without asking whether they know how to become who they are supposed to be afterward.

Maybe the question isn't:

“Am I free?”

Maybe the better question is:

“Do I know how to live like I'm free?”

Because those are not the same thing.

And that's a conversation worth having.

When we read the Bible, we often focus on the miracles but there is another fascinating backdrop running through Scripture: plants, herbs, oils, spices, resins, and natural preparations.

Long before modern pharmacies, people relied heavily on the natural world for food, fragrance, preservation, personal care, and medicinal preparations. The Bible reflects that world.

The “balm in Gilead” was most likely a valuable medicinal resin or aromatic ointment produced in the region of Gilead, east of the Jordan River. It was used in the ancient world for healing wounds and soothing ailments, though scholars aren’t certain which exact plant produced it.

The phrase is especially famous from Jeremiah 8:22:

“Is there no balm in Gilead; is there no physician there?”

Jeremiah is using the balm symbolically. Gilead was known for something associated with healing, yet the people of Israel were spiritually wounded and remained unhealed. The question is essentially: If a remedy exists, why has healing not taken place?

The balm is also mentioned more literally elsewhere in the Bible. In Genesis 37:25, traders traveling from Gilead carried “balm” along with spices and myrrh, showing that it was a valuable trade product.

Later, especially in Christian tradition, “the balm in Gilead” became a metaphor for God’s healing and ultimately for Jesus Christ as the one who heals spiritual wounds. That meaning appears famously in the spiritual There Is a Balm in Gilead.

The interesting thing is that we don't know the exact recipe for the biblical “balm of Gilead.” The Bible tells us it was a valuable healing substance, but it doesn't give a formula.

What we can reconstruct from ancient sources is that it was probably a plant-derived aromatic resin or sap, rather than a modern “balm” made from a specific standardized recipe.

 How it was probably made

A likely process was:

1. Harvest the resin/sap
   • A fragrant plant or tree was tapped or otherwise processed to obtain its resinous material.
   • The resin would have been collected as it seeped from the plant.
2. Clean and concentrate it
   • Plant material and impurities would be removed.
   • The aromatic resin could be allowed to thicken or be gently heated.
3. Combine it with oils
   • Ancient medicinal preparations commonly used olive oil as a carrier.
   • The resin could be infused into or mixed with oil to make an ointment.
4. Add aromatic ingredients
   • Depending on the particular preparation, other spices, resins, or fragrant plants could be incorporated.
5. Store it in containers
• The finished preparation could then be kept and traded as a valuable medicinal and aromatic product.

Now, before somebody gets nervous, grab your Bible and stay with me. Because when we look at the ministry of Jesus, the conversation about women in leadership gets very interesting.

Let’s start with Mary at Cana.

Jesus and His disciples were attending a wedding when the wine ran out. Mary noticed the problem and went directly to Jesus:

“They have no wine.”
—John 2:3

Jesus responded, and Mary turned to the servants and said:

“Whatever He says to you, do it.”
—John 2:5

Now, let’s make something very clear: Mary did not perform the miracle. Jesus did.

But Mary introduced the situation that became the occasion for Jesus' first recorded miracle.

She saw the need.
She approached Jesus.
She spoke.
She directed the servants toward obedience.

Then Jesus turned water into wine.

And I have to ask: Where exactly was Mary being silent?

Again, she wasn't performing the miracle, but she was certainly participating in the moment.

And that's important because throughout Jesus' ministry, women were not invisible.

Mary and Martha were active in Jesus ministry.

Mary of Bethany sat at Jesus' feet as a disciple and listened to His teaching (Luke 10:38–42).

Martha openly declared her faith in Jesus:

“I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God.”
—John 11:27

Luke tells us that women traveled with Jesus and the twelve and supported His ministry from their own resources (Luke 8:1–3).

Anna was a prophetess who encountered Jesus as an infant and then taught about Him to those waiting for redemption (Luke 2:36–38).

And after Jesus' resurrection, who did He send to announce the news?

Mary Magdalene.

Jesus told her to go and tell His disciples what she had seen (John 20:17–18).

Think about that.

The first people entrusted with the announcement of the risen Christ were women.

So yes, Jesus repeatedly allowed women to speak, testify, learn, serve, support, and proclaim.

Then Paul enters the conversation.

Paul wrote:

“I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man.”
—1 Timothy 2:12

He also wrote in 1 Corinthians 14:34:

“Let your women keep silent in the churches.”

Those passages are real. Although, some may argue that was his personal conviction. We don't have to pretend they're not there.

But here's where the conversation gets interesting.

Paul's instructions about women need to be considered alongside the ministry of Jesus.

Because when we examine the Gospels, we don't see Jesus giving a blanket statement that women are forbidden from speaking about spiritual matters, teaching, testifying, or participating in ministry.

In fact, we see almost the opposite.

And Paul himself worked alongside women.

He called Phoebe a servant of the church at Cenchreae and commended her to the believers (Romans 16:1–2).

He called Priscilla his “fellow worker in Christ Jesus” (Romans 16:3). Priscilla and Aquila also helped teach Apollos, explaining the way of God to him more accurately (Acts 18:24–26).

And Paul mentions Junia in Romans 16:7, a passage whose precise interpretation concerning her relationship to the apostles has been debated among Christians.

Then there is Tabitha, also known as Dorcas. Scripture calls her a disciple, a word that is significant because she was not merely described as someone's wife or helper. She was known for her good works and acts of charity toward others (Acts 9:36). When she died, the widows showed Peter the clothing she had made for them, demonstrating the impact her life and ministry had on her community.

The real theological question is what Paul intended by those particular instructions and how they relate to the circumstances of the churches to whom he was writing.

Were they universal restrictions applying to every woman in every church for all time?

or were some of his instructions addressing specific problems, cultural circumstances, or disorder within particular churches?

“There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”
—Galatians 3:28

Christians have debated that question for centuries.

But one thing should make us pause.

God clearly called women throughout Scripture.

Deborah was a judge (Judges 4–5).

Miriam was called a prophetess (Exodus 15:20).

Huldah was a prophetess whose counsel was sought by the leaders of Judah (2 Kings 22:14–20).

Anna was a prophetess (Luke 2:36).

Philip's four daughters prophesied (Acts 21:8–9).

And women were among Jesus' followers, supporters, witnesses, and proclaimers.

The question, therefore, may not simply be “Can God call a woman?”

Scripture gives us abundant examples that He can.

Perhaps the deeper question is:

What does God call a woman to do—and how should the church recognize and respond when God has clearly gifted her?

A calling is ultimately not validated by a title.

It is demonstrated through faithfulness, character, fruit, obedience, and alignment with the Word of God.

Jesus said, “You will know them by their fruits” (Matthew 7:16).

And perhaps that is where the conversation about women in ministry needs to begin—not with fear of women, but with a careful examination of Scripture, calling, character, gifting, and fruit.

Let’s talk about the past. Because, honey… the past is stubborn.

You can cry about it, pray about it, replay the conversation 5000 times, and think of all the things you should have said...But you still can't go back and change it.

You can't undo a bad decision.

You can't erase betrayal.

You can't make somebody treat you differently.

You can't go back and take that opportunity you missed.

But here's the good news:

You don't have to change your past for God to change what your past is doing to you.

Some of us are carrying broken hearts, rejection, disappointment, betrayal, bad memories, and regret right into our present lives. And sometimes the situation ended years ago, but the conversation in our heads never did.

“Why did I do that?”

“Why did I stay?”

“Why didn't I see it?”

“Why didn't I take that opportunity?”

Baby, you have to remember something:

You made yesterday's decisions with yesterday's knowledge.

You know more now because you lived through it.

So stop punishing the person you used to be for not knowing what you know today.

Biblical Meditation Changes the Conversation

Now, when I say meditation, I'm not talking about emptying your mind.

I'm talking about filling your mind with God's Word.

Joshua 1:8 says:

“Thou shalt meditate therein day and night.”

Biblical meditation means taking what happened to you and asking:

“God, what does Your Word say about this?”

Instead of saying, “I'm not good enough,” remember:

“I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” — Psalm 139:14

Instead of saying, “My mistake ruined my life,” remember that God is still able to direct your path.

“In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” — Proverbs 3:6

Instead of saying, “I'm all alone,” remember:

“I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.” — Hebrews 13:5

Baby, that's a different conversation.

Your Past Doesn't Get to Name You

One of the biggest problems with pain is that eventually we stop saying, “Something painful happened to me,” and start saying, “This is who I am.”

No ma'am.

You experienced rejection.

You are not rejection.

You experienced betrayal.

You are not betrayal.

You made a mistake.

You are not your mistake.

You experienced heartbreak.

You are not permanently broken.

And if somebody couldn't see your value?

That doesn't mean you didn't have value.

God said you were fearfully and wonderfully made.

I'm going with God's opinion over somebody else's rejection.

Thank you. Next question. 

Don't Let Evil Turn You Into Somebody Else

And here's another thing.

Just because somebody treated you badly doesn't mean you have to become the same kind of person.

Somebody gave you an attitude?

You don't have to return it with interest. 

Somebody lied?

You don't have to become a liar.

Somebody betrayed you?

You don't have to spend your life betraying everybody else.

Romans 12:21 says:

“Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.”

That doesn't mean you don't have boundaries.

It doesn't mean you keep giving people access to hurt you.

It means you don't allow somebody else's behavior to determine your character.

You can forgive and still have boundaries.

You can love people and still walk away.

You can turn the other cheek without handing somebody the other side of your face.

There's wisdom in that too.

May God Use What Hurt You

Now here's where things get interesting. Sometimes we spend so much time asking, “Why did this happen to me?”

that we forget to ask:

“God, what can You do with this now?”

2 Corinthians 1:3–4 teaches that God comforts us so that we can comfort others.

That means the thing that once made you feel alone may eventually help you recognize somebody else's loneliness.

You know what rejection feels like.

You know what betrayal feels like.

You know what disappointment feels like.

So when somebody else is walking through it, you may be able to say:

“Baby, I've been there. Let me tell you what God did for me.”

That's testimony.

Your testimony doesn't mean what happened to you was good. It means God was still good while you were going through it.

Stop Living Where God Told You to Leave

Philippians 3:13 says:

“Forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before.”

Notice Paul didn't say the past didn't happen. He said keep moving.  Baby, you can visit the past without taking up residence there.

You can remember what happened without allowing it to control today.

You can learn the lesson without carrying the shame.

You can acknowledge the pain without becoming the pain.

And you can say:

“Yes, that happened. Yes, it hurt. Yes, I made mistakes. 

But I'm not staying there.”

Because God is still writing.

Lamentations 3:22–23 says:

“His compassions fail not. They are new every morning.”

Every morning is another opportunity.

So stop trying to rewrite yesterday.

Give yesterday to God.

Meditate on His Word.

Renew your mind.

Learn the lesson.

Release the regret.

Keep your boundaries.

And move forward.

Because honey…

your past may be part of your testimony, but it does not get to be your identity.

Isaiah 43:19 says:

“Behold, I will do a new thing.”

And sometimes healing begins when you stop asking,

“How can I change what happened?”

and start asking,

“God, what are You going to do with me now?”

Because He isn't just the God of what happened.

He's the God of what's next.