[Darris McNeely] There's a new religion that has sprung up, have you heard about it? I term it the woke religion. It has various forms in our culture today. One of the forms that comes out is in what is called canceled culture, where people who are not toeing the line of that particular narrative by media, by technology, by entertainment, or political groups get canceled. And it's almost like it's a new religion that we are dealing with. And as I've studied it, watched it, and observed it, especially in recent weeks, it's coming to a church, to a company near you. We're all going to be impacted by this one way or the other. I've been thinking a great deal about it. Especially Beyond Today, the message of the gospel of Jesus Christ and the Kingdom of God, that we preach a biblical-based message of truth regarding life, God, marriage, abortion, sexuality, and all the hot topics that are current today that could get canceled out because we hold to a biblical line. And it's made me think about what is going on here.

The book of Acts records a passage of scripture, the early days of the church in Acts 5. The apostles were preaching the gospel, and it was not popular in their day. The Jewish leadership, the Sanhedrin, the religious authorities of Jerusalem didn't like what they were saying, and they sought to cancel them out. Twice in the early chapters of Acts, Peter and John were brought before the council. And on the second occasion in Acts 5:29. Finally, after being threatened to shut down their church, to shut down their message, to no longer preach in the name of Jesus, Peter says to the leadership, "We ought to obey God rather than men. We ought to obey God rather than men."

Well, they kind of got chased and they got beaten a little bit and released, but they took it all in stride and continued to go on. And the story goes on. And you know that story of the growth of the church at that point in time.

Strange, we're in another cycle like that here in the West, and especially in the United States. It gives us all pause to consider the message we preach, what we believe, how we voice it, with wisdom, with compassion, but truth always. And it could lead to certain consequences. Are we prepared for that? Are you prepared for that? We ought to obey God rather than man.

That's BT Daily. Join us next time.