Here’s a quick rundown of the top stories on charismamag.com:
What Does the Bible Say About Cremation? Part 2
California’s Governor Gavin Newsom recently signed green legislation that will allow the “Natural Organic Reduction” of human remains to be used as garden soil! And more states have now approved human “composting” and alkaline hydrolysis (also known as water cremation), which causes ”the deceased human bodies to be ‘completely disintegrated’ and disposed of in fields or sewers. Many will rightfully see these humanistic methods as incompatible with the ethical teaching of man’s inherent dignity and worth.
‘In Lieu of Flowers’
At the same time, we must face the realities and circumstances of modern urban living, with its “concrete jungles,” McMansions and homeless encampments. Inflation itself has driven up the costs of the goods and services required for traditional Christian burials. Caskets, concrete vaults, markers or headstones, embalming, mortuary fees, hearses, flowers and more all inflate and complicate the costs of dying.
All of this has caused many to consider cremation as the preferred choice in disposing of the body of the loved one, while a meaningful memorial event honors the life of the individual. A higher goal of Christian stewardship may prevail for others over our culture’s elaborate and expensive farewells. “In lieu of flowers” or costly funerals, the money might be better used for eternal values and present ministries.
7 Demonic Ideologies That Should Drive You Toward the Cross
In this article, the term “cultural drivers” means any societal factors that motivate people toward Christianity and a biblical ethos.
The Twittersphere is filled with atheistic and progressive liberals now looking for a church to ground their children in moral values. The far-Left ideology and practice regarding children motivate many parents to long for moral stability for their offspring. The following points are the seven main cultural drivers of Christianity:
1. Public schools are acting as indoctrination centers. In many liberal enclaves of the USA, the public school system is more about ideological indoctrination than true education, as seen by the teaching of far-Left sex education. This is also in addition to the immense cost of education per child ($38,000 per child in New York City public schools).
What Does the Bible Say About Cremation?
I don’t know about you, but it seems my wife and I are attending more funerals and memorials than ever before. I guess that is to be expected since most of our relatives, friends and acquaintances are around our own age.
We all are not getting any younger, and our life expectancies are catching up with each of us.
This reality suggests we all may need to have a serious conversation with our families about any plans, hopes or arrangements we have made for the disposal of our bodies upon death. Unless you have had to arrange for a burial site or funeral recently, you may have no idea of how expensive even an expected burial process may be, in our inflationary society. Everything from gravesites, caskets, embalming and flowers are all more expensive than we could have imagined just a few years ago!
Abby Trivett 
James Lasher 
