Do you snack between meals? Probably.

Americans spend 135 billion annually on snacks—almost $500 per person. And get this—44% of us spend more on snack food than Netflix. Snacks account for more than a quarter of U.S. food and beverage spending.

As a toddler, our daughter Lynnette was the poster child for snackers. It got to the point where my wife set out a Cheerios-inspired yellow bowl with snacks to tame Lynnette's appetite. She snacked her way through the day. And so do many of us.

But are we that hungry for God's presence? How many of us PRAY our way through the day?

It was the old radio preacher Bob Cook who I first heard share that phrase, which is anchored in Ephesians 6:18,  "Praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints." In other words, this verse is saying, "Pray your way through the day."

Before you open the mail—say a prayer. (There could be good news—or bad!).

Before you answer the phone—say a prayer. (You don't know who might be on the other end of the call, desperate for encouragement).

Before you hit “send” on that text or email—say a prayer. (You might end up NOT hitting send!).

Before you walk in the door after work to greet your spouse—say a prayer.

(You don't know what they've been through, what comfort they need).

Yes, we need times of extended, quiet prayer with God—say first thing in the morning. But the temptation (for me at least) is to then “check prayer off the list.”  Instead, let’s learn to pray our way through the day.

I’m hardly a Jedi knight at this, but when I choose to live this lifestyle, I am…

         •        More at peace

         •        Less irritable

         •        More poised to notice others’ needs and encourage them.

Pray your way through the day. Try it! It feels like you're having an extended conversation with Jesus—like you never really leave his presence. Isn't that the way we're supposed to live the Christian life?

Thomas Watson reminds us, “The angel fetched Peter out of prison, but it was prayer that fetched the angel.”

Pray your way through the day!

https://nielseniq.com/global/en/insights/education/2024/state-of-snacking/

https://talkbusiness.net/2019/12/americans-spend-almost-500-annually-on-snack-foods/

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/44-americans-spend-more-snacks-130215223.html

https://www.marketplace.org/story/2024/02/09/many-americans-are-snacking-more-but-looking-for-bargains-in-the-snack-aisle

When it comes to antisemitism, the last 30 days have been ugly.

Justin Kron of the Kesher Project put together the following assessment of the last 30 days:

• Kanye West—an artist with a following of nearly 30 million people, more than double the global Jewish population—released a song and music video titled “Heil Hitler.” 
• Mosab Abu Toha, who denied that hostages were abducted on October 7th, won a Pulitzer Prize.
• A student at Temple University recorded himself ordering bar service with a sign that reads "F*** the Jews," which went viral on social media. After being publicly chastised by Dave Portnoy, the bar owner, somebody created a fund to help the student cover any legal fees he might incur in defending his "free speech."

• The premiere of Bring the Family Home, featuring Jewish rapper KoshaDillz and his efforts to encourage peaceful dialogue with anti-Israel protestors, is canceled by the host theater in Chicago just 3 hours beforehand due to "safety concerns." Thankfully, another theater quickly stepped up to the plate, allowing people to attend the premiere. 
• Tom Fletcher, the UN's under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs, during a BBC interview, stated that "14,000 babies [in Gaza] will die in the next 48 hours unless we can reach them," which was entirely untrue. Nevertheless, multiple mainstream media outlets and social influencers, including former news anchor Katie Couric, quickly parroted the lie to millions around the world.

• Two days later, Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim, both Jewish followers of Jesus who were planning to get engaged the following week, were maliciously gunned down by a pro-Hamas terrorist from Chicago while they were walking out of an event at the Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C., for the ‘crime’ of being Zionists. Many then took to social media to defend the shooter's actions as justified resistance.

• Just last weekend, during a peaceful march in support of Israeli hostages at the outdoor Pearl Street Mall in Boulder, Colorado, Mohamed Sabry Soliman used a "makeshift flamethrower" and launched Molotov cocktails that burned twelve victims.

Again, all of this (and more) has happened in just the past month. Yet many in our country act like antisemitism isn’t a serious issue and that people like me are just being dramatic about it.

But Justin Kron reminds us it is a serious issue, and as followers of Jesus—a Jewish Messiah—and people called to love our neighbors, we must not remain silent. Let us not pretend that antisemitism is someone else's problem. The Church must stand up. Not only in our prayers but in our pulpits, classrooms, and daily conversations. We must teach our children, disciple our congregations, and challenge our culture to confront this evil.

One way you can step up is by getting the word out about the upcoming release of OCTOBER 7: BEARING WITNESS TO THE MASSACRE this September. I’ve seen the trailer—and it might just leave you breathless. Learn more at october7film.com.

The good news? Romans 12:2 assures us we can “overcome evil with good” (Romans 12:21) and truly make a difference. Why not start today?

Thanks to Justin Kron and the Kesher project for their tireless work. Visit kesherproject.com

Do you like to fish?

About 60 million Americans do—women and men. And we shell out a collective total of 115 billion dollars annually on fishing lures, fishing boats, and fishing trips.

I've been on four unforgettable half-day fishing charters. But could I be frank with you? I know very little about fishing—almost nothing!

However, I've observed that invariably, the captain knows the right place, the right time, the right bait, and the right technique! The captain scans for fish, baits the hooks, sets the downriggers—he does it all.

With a typical half-day morning charter, you get up at 4:00 am to drive to the marina, so you're already tired. Then you take some Dramamine to prevent motion sickness, and now you're trashed!

I’ve been so sleepy that I’ve dozed off standing on my feet, and the captain has had to yell out, “You’ve got a fish! Crank it in!” So, I wake up, haul in the fish, and feel like a hero for reeling in the “big one.”

But it really isn't me doing the work! I merely wind in the fish for which someone else did the prep work. The captain just lets me be part of the adventure.

That’s a pretty good picture of what God has in mind for you and me regarding making disciples. We can't save a single soul. But He knows the right place, the right time, the right bait, and the right technique. Better yet, He longs to have us join Him in His mission of fishing for souls.

On a fishing charter, the captain never uses just one pole. There are ten or more! Why? Obviously, you significantly increase your odds of catching a fish when you're casting for more than one.

Translation: If all you have is one unsaved friend, neighbor, or coworker, your world is too small! Let's build lots of friendships with lots of unsaved people. By all means, hang on to your Christian buddies—you need them to help anchor you to Christ. But your ocean must include unsaved folks, too.

Jesus called us to be fishers of souls. Who are you fishing for?

You don’t need to be great at it. But you do have to get at it!

Your Captain—and your adventure—are waiting!

What does heaven sound like? This week, I think I heard an excerpt.

The Bible offers a surprising amount of detail about what heaven will look like: Streets of gold. Gates of pearl. Walls of precious stones. The River of Life.

But what about the acoustic side of things—the sound? Revelation talks about saints singing Hallelujah. And Christians through the centuries have been convinced there'll be harp music. Revelation mentions seven trumpets played by seven angels, along with loud peals of thunder that help us imagine the voice of God.

But last weekend, on a beach in Jacksonville, Florida, I was given a preview of another sound that will be heard in heaven. More than ten thousand people from the Church of Eleven 22 gathered to witness and celebrate the baptism of 1,958 believers.

There were many columns of hundreds of people—and getting them all baptized took the entire afternoon. But as we celebrated this step of obedience with my niece, you could not escape the sound: clapping, cheering, rejoicing, praising.

Every single person was celebrated by a cluster of folks surrounding them in the waves. This choice to stand with Jesus, be identified with Jesus, and follow Jesus—was enthusiastically (loudly) affirmed.

I can’t help but think this, too, is an audio snapshot of heaven. A soundscape of eternal applause, endless cheering, unflagging rejoicing. That’s what heaven will sound like.

What a fabulous (non-ending) day that will be!

And I heard a sound from heaven, like the roar of rushing waters, and like a loud peal of thunder.

—Revelation 14:2

The attacker stealthily inched his way forward. Finally, in range, he bashed Max on the back of the head—a blow sufficient to give him a concussion. When Max's friend Michael attempted to help him up, attackers broke Michael's wrist, requiring surgery.

It all happened on November 6, 2024, on a public plaza at one of Chicago’s most respected campuses, DePaul University. Though police know there were two attackers, only one has been arrested, while the other is still at large. The attacker they did arrest wasn’t even a student.

So, what was it that fueled this assault? What was there to hate about Max Long and Michael Kaminsky?

They are Jewish students, one of whom has served his time in the Israel Defense Forces (ironically defending his nation after the October 7 attack in Israel).

While Max and Michael have always been willing to engage in respectful dialogue, their attackers wanted to silence them. But the story gets uglier. In speaking with the two of them, I learned that there were other students on that plaza when the assault took place. And what did those students do? They fled. No help. No rescue.

Worse, a lawsuit claims that a DePaul public safety officer stationed just a few feet away at the time did not intervene when Long and Kaminsky were attacked. At that point, a different Public Safety Officer stopped one of the assailants but then inexplicably let him go, the lawsuit claims.

And the harassment has not ended. Long's face has since appeared on flyers around the campus, calling him an "IDF Butcher who got what he deserved."

Ironically, this attack occurred within inches of a statue adorned with a caption asking, "What are you doing for justice?"

Since when is cowardice justice? How can we call ourselves followers of Jesus and not be outraged by this attack? If our society continues to tolerate this sort of thuggery, you can be sure that Bible-believing Christians are next in line.

Enough is enough. It’s time to speak up and stand up. Our Jewish friends and neighbors deserve nothing less.

He has told you, mortal one, what is good; And what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? Micah 6:8