Friday, November 29, 2013

JOHN SANFORD AND THE UTTER FAILURE OF THE THEORY OF EVOLUTION

For more great blogs as this one go to Daniel’s blog site at:  www.Mannsword.blogspot.com

John Sanford and the Utter Failure of the Theory of Evolution

Plant geneticist Dr John Sanford, research scientist at Cornell University, co-inventor of the gene gun, and author of Genetic Entropy and the Mystery of the Genome, had been a true believer:

  • I was totally sold on evolution. It was my religion; it defined how I saw everything, it was my value system and my reason for being. Later, I came to believe in God…I would not say that science led me to the Lord (which is the experience of some). Rather I would say Jesus opened my eyes to His creation—I was blind, and gradually I could see.

  • On a personal level this was a time of spiritual awakening, but professionally I remained “in the closet”…So I felt the need to take temporary leave from academia and institutional science because of the tension I felt in this regard, and the enormous potential hostility I sensed from my academic colleagues. I think the academic environment is very hostile to the very idea of a living and active God, making it almost impossible for a genuine Christian to feel open or welcome.

Eventually, Sanford’s new-found faith led him to re-examine the “evidential foundation” for the theory of evolution, and found that it was virtually non-existant:

  • Institutional science has systematically “evolutionized” every aspect of human thought. Contrary to popular thinking, this is not because evolution is central to all human understanding, but rather has arisen due to a primarily political and ideological process. Consequently, in the present intellectual climate, to reject evolutionary theory has the appearance of rejecting science itself. This is totally upside down…We cannot really explain how any biological system might have “evolved”, but we can all see that virtually everything we look at has extraordinary underlying design.

  • I am not aware of any type of operational science (computer science, transportation, medicine, agriculture, engineering, etc.), which has benefited from evolutionary theory. But after the fact, real advances in science are systematically given an evolutionary spin. This reflects the pervasive politicization of science.’

He subsequently concluded that evolution into more complex forms is impossible. For one thing, mutations are the source of de-evolution (the corruption of the genome) and not evolution:

  • Mutations are word-processing errors in the cell’s instruction manual. Mutations systematically destroy genetic information—even as word processing errors destroy written information. While there are some rare beneficial mutations (even as there are rare beneficial misspellings), bad mutations outnumber them—perhaps by a million to one. So even allowing for beneficial mutations, the net effect of mutation is overwhelmingly deleterious. The more the mutations, the less the information. This is fundamental to the mutation process.’

Sanford also concluded that natural selection does little to slow the de-evolution process:

  • Very rarely a beneficial mutation arises that has enough effect to be selected for—resulting in some adaptive variation, or some degree of fine-tuning. This also helps slow degeneration. But selection only eliminates a very small fraction of the bad mutations. The overwhelming majority of bad mutations accumulate relentlessly, being much too subtle—of too small an effect—to significantly affect their persistence. On the flip side, almost all beneficials (to the extent they occur) are immune to the selective process—because they invariably cause only tiny increases in biological functionality.

  • So most beneficials drift out of the population and are lost—even in the presence of intense selection. This raises the question—since most information-bearing nucleotides [DNA ‘letters’] make an infinitesimally small contribution to the genome—how did they get there, and how do they stay there through “deep time”? Selection slows mutational degeneration, but does not even begin to actually stop it. So even with intense selection, evolution is going the wrong way—toward extinction!’

Sanford concludes that:

  • The bottom line is that Darwinian theory fails on every level. It fails because: 1) mutations arise faster than selection can eliminate them; 2) mutations are overwhelmingly too subtle to be “selectable”; 3) “biological noise” and “survival of the luckiest” overwhelm selection; 4) bad mutations are physically linked to good mutations, so that they cannot be separated in inheritance (to get rid of the bad and keep the good). The result is that all higher genomes must clearly degenerate. This is exactly what we would expect in light of Scripture—with the Fall—and is consistent with the declining life expectancies after the Flood that the Bible records.

Sanford is not alone. Many evolutionists share Sanford’s assertions about the problems with evolution. All the following quotations are taken from John Lennox’s masterful book, God’s Undertaker: Has Science Buried God:

  • “There is no theoretical reason that would permit us to expect that evolutionary lines would increase in complexity with time; there is also no empirical evidence that this happens.” (John Maynard Smith, E. Szathmary)

  • “In the whole experimentally accessible domain of microevolution (including research in artificial breeding and in species formation), all variations have certainly remained within the confines of basic types [species, more or less].” (Siegfried Scherer)

  • Cell biologist E.J. Ambrose of the University of London argued that it is unlikely that fewer than five genes could ever be involved in the formation of even the simplest new structure, previously unknown in the organism. He then points out that only one in 1,000 mutations is non-deleterious, so that the chance of five non-deleterious mutations occurring is 1 in a million billion replications. [This means that every organism will probably die before it adds a new organ!]

Nor is there any experimental evidence to counter-balance these assessments:

  • In his book, Grasse observed that fruit flies remain fruit flies in spite of thousands of generations that have been bred and all the mutations that have been induced in them…More recent work on the E. coli bacterium backs this up. In this research no real innovative changes were observed through 25,000 generations of E. coli bacterium. (Lennox, 108)

Lennox also informs us that the fossil record, citing many evolutionists, “gives no good examples of macroevolution.” Perhaps it’s time to reconsider the design hypothesis!



SACRIFICIAL LOVE

Today's promise: God is always ready to help us and expects us to help others

Sacrificial Love

"Don't forget to do good and to share what you have with those in need, for such sacrifices are very pleasing to God."
Hebrews 13:16 NLT

In His steps
Have you seen kids wearing bracelets with the initials WWJD — "What Would Jesus Do?" The story behind those bracelets begins a century ago, when a minister named Charles Sheldon wrote a novel titled In His Steps. One Sunday morning at First Church, Pastor Henry Maxwell is preaching a sermon about how to follow Christ's example of sacrificial love.

The service is suddenly interrupted when a tramp stands up. He's been out of work for a year, he says, yet not one person in town has helped him find another job. Twisting his shabby hat in his hands, the tramps says, "I was wondering if what you call following Jesus is the same thing as what he taught.…I get puzzled when I see so many Christians living in luxury and remember how my wife died in a tenement.…what would Jesus do?" At that point, to the congregation's horror, the tramp collapses and dies.

The following Sunday, the minister makes a stunning proposal: He's looking for volunteers willing to pledge themselves for an entire year to do nothing without first asking, "What would Jesus do?" Some fifty people make the pledge, and a remarkable series of events begins.

Some of these people pay a high price for their obedience. But they also learn the joy of following faithfully in his footsteps.

A few years ago, a Holland, Michigan, youth leader was so inspired by this classic story that she had bracelets made bearing the letters WWJD and gave them to the kids in her church. The idea caught fire, and today millions wear them.

Adapted from How Now Shall We Live? Devotional by Charles Colson (Tyndale) pp 585-86

Content is derived from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation and other publications of Tyndale Publishing House


JUDGING BY APPEARANCES

Today's promise: God is always ready to help us and expects us to help others

Judging by appearances

"The trouble with you is that you make your decisions on the basis of appearance. You must recognize that we belong to Christ."
Job 14:5 NLT

Little Woman, Long Shadow
Two weeks before Christmas, on December 12, 1840, a baby girl was born into an aristocratic plantation family in Albemarle County, Virginia. Her name was Charlotte Diggs Moon, but everyone called her "Lottie." She grew to just four feet three inches, yet her intellect and force of personality were enormous. Lottie spoke six languages and earned a master's degree in education in 1861.

Lottie came from a family of dedicated Southern Baptists, but she became a staunch skeptic. Yet, it would be her intellect and skepticism that would bring her to faith one sleepless night in December 1858 as she pondered a message by Dr. John Broadus.

At age thirty-three, Lottie heard a call to missions "as clear as a bell." In July 1873 the foreign mission board of the Southern Baptist Convention appointed her its first unmarried missionary to China. She tirelessly advocated for the needs of the people of China. In 1888 she persuaded SBC women to take an annual missions offering on Christmas Eve. By 1912, despite such gifts, thousands of people were dying every day in famine-ravaged Shantung Province.

At seventy-two, Lottie Moon was coming home. But that same night, aboard a ship off Japan, she died — of complications from starvation. A few months before she had written, "If I had a thousand lives, I would give them all for the women of China." The Lottie Moon Christmas Offering continues to this day. The 2010 goal is $175 million.

Adapted from The One Year® Book of Christian History by E. Michael and Sharon Rusten (Tyndale) pp 694-95

Content is derived from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation and other publications of Tyndale Publishing House


HOW DO YOU RESPOND TO THOSE WHO SEEK TO HURT YOU?

Today's promise: God is always ready to help us and expects us to help others

How do you respond to those who seek to hurt you?

"Love your enemies! Do good to them! Lend to them! And don't be concerned that they might not repay. Then your reward from heaven will be very great, and you will truly be acting as children of the Most High, for he is kind to the unthankful and to those who are wicked! You must be compassionate, just as the Father is compassionate."
Luke 6:35-36 NLT


The sign of a loving heart
Our enemies are out to hurt us. They want to steal from us, cheat us, and do evil against us. Yet Jesus says we are to be kind to them. What is his point? We reflect — or should reflect — God to the world, and God is kind — even to the unkind, the ungrateful, and those whom we consider to be "hopeless" cases. Kindness is based on the love we have for others, not the love others deserve.

Kindness is the sign of a loving heart, one of the greatest of all virtues. A kind person is pleasant, good, gracious — always appreciated. There's a lot of talk these days about "random acts of kindness." Maybe this is because we live in a society starved for good deeds. God is our model for kindness. The kindest act ever committed was God's sending his own Son, Jesus, to die for our sins so that we might live forever in heaven. God also showers us with kindness each day, sending sunshine and rain, food and friends, comfort and encouragement, boundless love and wisdom.

From the TouchPoint Bible commentaries by Ron Beers and Gilbert Beers (Tyndale) pp 889, 1221-22

For more on this week's topic, check this Tyndale resource:

Holding Out for a Hero by Lisa Harper (Tyndale, 2005)


Content is derived from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation and other publications of Tyndale Publishing House

WHAT IS YOUR CONCEPT OF HEAVEN?

Today's promise: God has great rewards for those who remain faithful

What is your concept of heaven?

"How happy are those who fear the Lord — all who follow his ways! You will enjoy the fruit of your labor. How happy you will be! How rich your life!"
Psalm 128:1-2 NLT

Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that there is a God and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.
Hebrews 11:6 NLT

He died for us so that we can live with him forever, whether we are dead or alive at the time of his return.
1 Thessalonians 5:10 NLT


Made for another world
Most of us find it very difficult to want "Heaven" at all — except in so far as "Heaven" means meeting again our friends who have died. One reason for this difficulty is that we have not been trained: Our whole education tends to fix our minds on this world. Another reason is that when the real want for Heaven is present in us, we might not recognize it. Most people, if they had really learned to look into their own hearts, would know that they do want, and want acutely, something that cannot be had in this world. There are all sorts of things in this world that offer to give it to you, but they never quite keep their promise.

"If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world."
C.S. Lewis

From the The Quotable Lewis edited by Jerry Root and Wayne Martindale (Tyndale) pp 286-87


Content is derived from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation and other publications of Tyndale Publishing House

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

READ:
1 Samuel 16:1-7

For man looks at the outward
appearance, but the LORD looks
at the heart.  - 1 Samuel 16:7

As I shopped for groceries one day, I was perceived as a thief by one person and a hero by another.

As I exited the supermarket, an employee said, “Excuse me, Sir.  There are too may unbagged items in your cart.”  This is evidently a strategy used by shoplifters.  When he saw that they were products too big to be bagged, he apologized and sent me on my way.

In the parking lot, a woman glanced at my gold embroidered sportsman’s cap.  Mistaking it for a military hat, she said, “Thank you for defending our country!”  Then she walked away. 

The supermarket employee and the woman in the parking lot had each formed hasty conclusions about me.  It’s easy to form opinions of others based on first impressions.

When Samuel was to select the next king of Israel from the sons of Jesse, he too made a judgment based on first impressions.  However, God’s chosen was not any of the older sons.  The Spirit told Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature” (1 Samuel 16:7).  God chose David, the youngest, who looked least like a king.

God can help us view people through His eyes, for “the  LORD does not see as man sees;…the LORD looks at the heart” (v.7). – Dennis Fisher

If we could view through eyes of faith
The people we meet each day
We’d quickly see God’s gracious hand
In all who come our way. –D. DeHaan
*********************************************
First impressions can often lead to wrong conclusions.

INSIGHT

David acknowledged that God had searched his heart and knew him inside out (Psalm 17:3; 139:1).  And so God commended him as “a man after My own heart, who will do all My will” (Acts 13:22).  Paul carried this theme further by warning against putting up appearances because of “the day when God will judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ” (Romans 2:16; 1 Corinthians 4:5).

Have a blessed day and weekend.
God Our Creator’s Love Always
Unity & Peace


Tuesday, November 26, 2013

MYSTICISM, TONY CAMPOLO, AND THE HOPE OF WORLD UNITY


Your Brother Daniel
For more great blogs as this one go to Daniel’s blog site at:  www.Mannsword.blogspot.com

Mysticism, Tony Campolo, and the Hope of World Unity

Many in the Western church are choosing experience over truth. Mysticism is now touted as the means to directly experience God, without our “divisive” doctrines, and as the hope of finding common ground among the various religions, through shared mystical experiences.  In this regards, sociologist, Tony Campolo, writes:


  • A theology of mysticism provides some hope for common ground between Christianity and Islam. Both religions have within their histories examples of ecstatic union with God…I do not know what to make of the Muslim mystics, especially those who have come to be known as the Sufis. What do they experience in their mystical experiences? Could they have encountered the same God we do in our Christian mysticism. (Roger Oakland, Faith Undone, 108)

According to Campolo, we can plug into God through mystical techniques and experiences. He claims that he has been able to achieve “intimacy with Christ” through “centering prayer” (113) – for him, the repetition of the name of Jesus. However, he suggests that Muslims – and probably others – may also be able to achieve this same “intimacy with Christ” through the use of similar mystical techniques.

This raises several questions: “What is an ‘ecstatic union with God?’” The Bible makes no mention of such a thing. The Biblical silence is suspicious, especially in light of the fact that Scripture claims to provide everything that we need for a relationship with God:


  • All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. (2 Tim. 3:16-17)

If mysticism is the means for world unity and peace, we should expect that Scripture would say something about this!

If anyone had experienced an “ecstatic union with God,” it was Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration. However, instead of teaching His disciples about how to have an “ecstatic union with God,” He instructed them to not tell anyone about what they had seen (Matt. 17:11). If there ever had been a teachable moment to introduce mystical methods, it was then!

Moses also had a fantastic mountain-top experience, through which his countenance was transformed. However, instead of telling the Israelites about how they too could experience God, he related to them God’s words (Exodus 34:29-34). Rather than focusing upon having an experience, Moses placed the emphasis upon the Word of God.

Campolo fails to recognize that there is a steep price to be paid for genuine experiences or revelations from God. God had taken Paul on a journey to heaven. However, lest he become proud about what he had learned and experienced, God chastened him severely (2 Cor, 12:1-10)!

However, it is important to realize that each one of these transformative experiences had been the product of God’s initiative and not human manipulations. In fact, the idea that we humans can coerce an “ecstatic union with God” is sheer arrogance.

At a low point in his ministry, Moses did request a divine revelation: “Show me your glory” (Exod. 33:18). However, God delivered in the form of doctrinal content rather than an ecstatic experience. He placed Moses in “the cleft of a rock,” while “His glory passed by” (33:22) and He honored him with His Self-disclosure (33:19).

But do we really encounter God through mystical techniques, and what assurance do we have that we aren’t really plugging into something malevolent? The mystic:

  • Richard Foster claims that practitioners must use caution. He admits that in contemplative prayer “we are entering deeply into the spiritual realm” and that sometimes it is not the realm of God even though it is “supernatural.” He admits there are spiritual beings and that a prayer of protection should be said beforehand – something to the effect of “All dark and evil spirits must now leave.” (Roger Oakland, 99)

Foster is presumptuous if he thinks that just a “prayer of protection” will suffice.  In view of these spiritual threats, he should be asking if he has taken the wrong path, an unbiblical one, one that has taken him outside of the parameter of God’s protective hand! In view of the fact that the Devil poses as an agent of the light (2 Cor. 11:14), what guarantee does Foster have that he hasn’t been deceived?


This leads us to the next question: “Can people of other religions employ mystical techniques to experience God?” For one thing, God is the last Person that the unredeemed wants to experience. Naturally speaking, we hate God (Rom. 8:8:6-7) and can’t stand His presence:


  • This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. (John 3:19-20)

Even the children of Israel couldn’t tolerate His presence:

  • When the people saw the thunder and lightning and heard the trumpet and saw the mountain in smoke, they trembled with fear. They stayed at a distance and said to Moses, “Speak to us yourself and we will listen. But do not have God speak to us or we will die.” (Exodus 20:18-19)

The last thing they wanted was a more intimate encounter! Surprisingly, God was pleased that Israel had this awareness and, therefore, wouldn’t try to pursue a mystical union with Him. Without what Jesus had accomplished on the cross, He too didn’t want to be in Israel’s presence. He explained that He might destroy them if He came into their presence:


  • I will send an angel before you and drive out the Canaanites, Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. Go up to the land flowing with milk and honey. But I will not go with you, because you are a stiff-necked people and I might destroy you on the way.” Exodus 33:2- 3 

Campolo suggests that the Muslims might also be experiencing God, apart from faith in Christ. However, if they were to experience God, they would be experiencing His wrath:

  • The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness. (Romans 1:18)

It is only through faith in Jesus that we have been redeemed from the wrath of God: It is only through Him that we can enter boldly into His presence:

  • Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. (Hebrews 10:19-22)

Mysticism would not be quite so offensive if it only claimed to influence our personal experience. However, it also claims to influence God! Campolo writes:


  • The constant repetition of his name clears my head of everything but the awareness of his presence. By driving back all other concerns, I am able to create what the ancient Celtic Christians called “the thin place.” The thin place is that spiritual condition wherein the separation between the self and God becomes so thin that God is able to break through and envelope the soul. (114)

Campolo claims that “constant repetition … to create…the thin place” out of a thick separation between he and God, enables his less-than-omnipotent god “to break through and envelope the soul.” In essence, Campolo has become the prime agent of reconciliation!

However, Scripture assures us that God already lives within us to such an extent that we can confidently say:


  • I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. (Galatians 2:20)

Mysticism preaches a different Christ, One who is not omnipotent and cannot break through to us without our mindless repetitions or other techniques. Jesus even warned us against this practice:


  • And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. (Matthew 6:7)

Repetitions might make us feel connected, but they have nothing to do with our relationship with our Savior! Instead, God wants truth, not repetitions, in our inmost being (Psalm 51:6). This truth should entail contrition and repentance and not ecstatic union!

Perhaps most troubling of all, Campolo claims that, through his “centering prayer,” he is the one who has removed or thinned the separating barrier between him and God. However, God claims that this is a barrier that He has eliminated through the cross, renting the separating temple veil in two! Of course, this is not to deny that we do erect barriers through our sins. However, we address such barriers through confession and repentance and not mystical practices!

In general, the mystics teach a different Christ, a Christ who is not so much concerned about truth, faith, doctrine, righteousness, repentance, obedience, and holiness as He is about learning techniques – repetitions, centering prayer, imaginations, visualizations and practicing silence. These are practices that find absolutely no biblical support.

Nevertheless, experience is essential to the Christian life. However, we enjoy this experience through the blessings of learning about our Lord (2 Peter 1:2-3; 1 Cor. 3:18; Jer. 9:23-24).

Our experience/feelings reflect what we understand! Having experienced decades of depression and self-loathing prior to coming to Christ, these tendencies had been deeply imprinted upon my flesh. They were so deep that I even felt that God loathed me. It seemed that God had created humanity for His own sadistic entertainment – plenty of laughs. However, one evening, He made very real for me the cross, His own suffering and compassion (Hebrews 4:15; Isaiah 63:9). My tears of gratitude have not ceased flowing since!


HOPE IN YOUR ETERNAL INHERITANCE

Today's promise: God has great rewards for those who remain faithful

Hope In Your Eternal Inheritance

"I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the wonderful future he has promised to those he called. I want you to realize what a rich and glorious inheritance he has given to his people.

I pray that you will begin to understand the incredible greatness of his power for us who believe him."
Ephesians 1:18-19 NLT

Paul's prayer for the Ephesians
While the believers in Ephesus enjoyed the luxuries and wealth of a cosmopolitan city located on major trade routes, Paul was confined to a small room in Rome, under the constant watch of a Roman guard. But who would ever guess from Paul's prayer that he was deprived of anything?

Paul's confident description of God's power does not betray a hint of hopelessness. Instead, Paul speaks of the rich inheritance and wonderful future he would have in heaven. Paul's future on earth was in the hands of Caesar. Yet Paul's ultimate hopes weren't set on this world; his hopes were set on heaven and eternity.

In your prayers, place your hopes on your eternal inheritance in heaven, just as Paul did. Pray that God might help you understand how powerful he is.

A prayer for today…

Dear Lord, help me understand the wonderful future you have promised me…

From The One Year® Book of Bible Prayers edited by Bruce Barton (Tyndale) entry for December 6


Content is derived from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation and other publications of Tyndale Publishing House

ARE YOU LOOKING FOR REWARDS ON EARTH?

Today's promise: God has great rewards for those who remain faithful

Are you looking for rewards on earth?

"…we who are still alive and remain on earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air and remain with him forever."
1 Thessalonians 4:17 NLT

Awaiting our day
The story is told of an old missionary couple returning to the States after many years of thankless service in Africa. They happened to be on the same ship to New York as President Theodore Roosevelt, who was returning from a big game hunt in Africa. As the ship pulled past the Statue of Liberty and into the dock, huge crowds were gathered to welcome him home. The press was out in full force, and thousands of people had come to get a glimpse of the president.

In the middle of the chaos, the aged missionary couple fought their way through the crowds with their large suitcases in tow. Silently they hailed a cab and made their way to a cheap hotel. The missionary sat on the bed and said to his wife, "It just doesn't seem right. We gave our lives to Christ to win souls for the Kingdom in Africa, and when we arrive home there is no one here to meet us. The president shoots a few animals and receives a royal welcome."

His wife sat beside him on the bed and said softly, "That's because we're not home yet, dear."

It may seem at times as if our work for Christ is going unnoticed. Faith doesn't bring a lot of praise on this earth. But that's only because our trip is not yet over.

Our day will come, you can be sure. And when it does, the ceremony will last for an eternity.

From Embracing Eternity by Tim LaHaye, Jerry B. Jenkins and Frank M. Martin (Tyndale) p 346

Content is derived from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation and other publications of Tyndale Publishing House


DO YOU EVER FEEL IT DOESN'T PAY TO LIVE A GODLY LIFE?

Today's promise: God has great rewards for those who remain faithful

Do you ever feel it doesn't pay to live a godly life?

"Day by day the Lord takes care of the innocent, and they will receive a reward that lasts forever."
Psalm 37:18 NLT

God will honor your integrity
Maybe last month it was a relational disaster or an occupational trial. This week it might be a financial setback. Next week could bring a health crisis. After a while the unrelenting stream of tough times takes its toll.

"What's the use?" we cry. "I try to do right and for what? Life keeps beating me up! I can't get ahead! I'm not sure it pays to try to live a godly life. I struggle as much or more than my neighbors who couldn't care less about God!"

Troubles certainly have a way of wearing us down. And if we're not careful, they can erode even our bedrock convictions. The promise in Psalm 37 is a good reminder of why we must be vigilant about not taking moral or ethical shortcuts.

Those who maintain their integrity, those who continue to do right even when everything and everyone else is wrong will one day receive the ultimate reward.

Praying God's Promise:
Life doesn't seem fair at times, Lord, and integrity often doesn't seem to matter. But it does matter. You see everything. Nothing escapes your gaze. You promise to care for the pure and to reward the faithful. Give me the spiritual tenacity to hang in there. Remind me that the day is coming when you will exalt those who steadfastly trust in you.

From the Praying God's Promises in Tough Times by Len Wood (Tyndale) pp 204-5


Content is derived from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation and other publications of Tyndale Publishing House

WHAT DO YOU LONG FOR?

Today's promise: God blesses those who seek after him

What Do You Long For?

"Whom have I in heaven but you? I desire you more than anything on earth."
Psalm 73:25 NLT

Heart's Desire
In The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe when the Beavers inform the children that Aslan is on the move, the children feel a strange stirring in their hearts. Peter in particular says he's "longing" to meet this Aslan.…he doesn't say he's curious; he says he's longing, and that carries a very different meaning….

To long for something means you've had it in your mind for a while, the way you fix your heart on getting that iPod for Christmas…. Longing carries with it the concept of desire.

Yearning Desire. It's a theme that weaves throughout the life and works of C. S. Lewis. In Surprised by Joy, he introduces the concept of longing as the signature quest of his childhood and young adulthood.

It wasn't until Lewis converted to Christianity that he eventually realized what he'd been longing for: God. Not the Norse gods of the pagan world, not even the gods or spirits of fantasy worlds, but the God of the Bible — a real, living Being in whom we can have life forever.

With our own friends, part of our role is to help them understand that their longing comes from an inborn desire to know the King of the universe. And, like the Beavers with Peter, we are to tell our friends about the King — that his return is imminent, that he is on the move even now.

We're all longing to meet the true King. Will you recognize his name when you hear it? Will you help others do the same?

Adapted from Walking Through the Wardrobe by Sarah Arthur (Tyndale) pp 77-83

Content is derived from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation and other publications of Tyndale Publishing House


REAL LOVE

REAL LOVE

READ:
1 Corinthians 13:1-8

[Love] bears all thins, believes
All things, hopes all things,
endures all things.  Love never
fails. -1 Corinthians 13:7-8

A few years ago, my friend’s mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.  Since then, Beth has been forced to make tough decisions about her mom’s care, and her heart has often been broken as she watched her vibrant and fun-loving mom slowly slipping away.  In the process, my friend has learned that real love is not always easy or convenient.

After her mom was hospitalized for a couple of days last year, Beth wrote these words to some of her friends:  “As backwards as it may seem, I’m very thankful for the journey I am on with my mom.  Behind the memory loss, confusion, and utter helplessness is a be3autiful person who loves life and is at complete peace.  I am learning so much about what real love is, and even though I probably wouldn’t have asked for this journey and the tears and heartache that go with it, I wouldn’t trade it for anything.”

The Bible reminds us that love is patient and kind.  It is not self-seeking or easily angered.  It “bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things” (1 Corinthians 13:4-7). 

Real love originated without Father, who gave us the gift of His Son.  As we seek to show His love to others, we can follow the example of Christ, who laid down His life for us (1 John 3:16-18). – Cindy Hess Kasper

Teach me to love, this is my prayer-
May the compassion of Thy heart I share;
Ready a cup of water to give,
May I unselfishly for others live. - Peterson
*************************************
Real love is helping others for Jesus' sake
even if they can never return the favor. 

INSIGHT
According to Jesus, loving God and loving neighbor are the most important commandments (Matthew 22:37-39; Mark 12:30-31).  Love summarizes the entire Old Testament law (Matthew 22:40).  Before Jesus went to the cross, He exemplified real love by washing His disciples' feet (John 13:1-15).  Commanding His disciples to love one another, Jesus made love the distinguishing characteristic of His true followers (vv. 34-35).  Loving others is proof that one is a true believer who has experienced God's love (1 John 4:7-21).  In today's text, Paul reminded the Corinthian Christians of the primacy and priority of love (vv.1-3) along with its practicality (vv.4-8).

Have a blessed day.
God Our Creator's Love Always
Unity & Peace

Thursday, November 21, 2013

THAT NAME

THAT NAME

READ:
Philippians 2:5-11

God...has highly exalted Him
and given Him the name which
is above every name.
-Philippians 2:9

Our little granddaughter Maggie and her family were back home in Missouri after visiting with us in Grand Rapids, Michigan.  Her mom told us that for a few days after returning home, Maggie walked around the house happily saying, "Michigan! Michigan!"

There was something about that name that attracted Maggie.  Could have been the sound of it.  Could have been the enjoyable time she had.  It's hard to tell with a 1-year-old, but the name "Michigan" had such an imp0act oh her that she couldn't stop saying it.

This makes me think about another name-the name of Jesus, "the name which is above every name: (Philippians 2:9).  A song by Bill and Gloria Gaither reminds us why we love that name so much.  He is "Master" and "Savior."  Yes, what depth of meaning there is in the names that describe our Lord!  When we mention the great name of Jesus to those who need Him as Savior, we can remind them that He has done for us.  

Jesus is our Savior.  He has redeemed us by His blood, and we can give our lives wholeheartedly to Him.  Jesus.  Let all heaven and earth-including us-proclaim His glorious name! - Dave Branon

Jesus, Jesus, Jesus;
There's just something about that name!
Master, Savior, Jesus,
Like the fragrance after the rain. - Gaither
***********************************
The most precious name is Jesus!

INSIGHT
The description of the incarnation of Jesus Christ in today's passage is both eloquent and theologically rich.  The text opens with an appeal for the believer to adopt the same humble servant attitude that Christ exhibited in His decision to come to earth as our Redeemer.  He is said to be the "form of God" (v.6).  This is the Greek word morphe and refers to the essential attributes of the divine.  Yet He took upon Himself the schema, or physical covering of humanity in flesh and blood.  Jesus did this by taking the role of a servant who humbled Himself further by submitting to t shameful death on the cross.  Now the Father has exalted Christ and given Him a name above every name to which all must bow (vv.9-10).

Have a blessed day.
God Our Creator's Love Always
Unity & Peace




HOW OFTEN DO YOU ASK GOD TO HURRY?

Today's promise: God blesses those who seek after him

How often do you ask God to hurry?

"O Lord, I am calling to you. Please hurry! Listen when I cry to you for help! Accept my prayer as incense offered to you, and my upraised hands as an evening offering."
Psalm 141:1-2 NLT

The Second Thanksgiving
The year was 1623. The Pilgrims had been in the New World for two and half years. The first Thanksgiving of 1621 was only a memory by this time because this summer's drought was jeopardizing everything. Not even the Indians could remember anything like it. The settlers had planted more corn than before, but without any rainfall, there would be no harvest. Daily they had prayed that God would send rain, but he hadn't answered.  As the psalmist did in Psalm 141:1, they were begging God to hurry.

Finally, the settlers set aside an entire day for prayer and worship. As they went for worship, the "heavens were as clear and the drought as like to continue as it ever was," yet when they left the meeting, "the weather was overcast, the clouds gathered on all sides." For the next 14 days there were "moderate showers of rain," according to Edward Winslow, one of the Pilgrims.

The Indians watched and were amazed at how the God of the new settlers had answered their prayers, and that year, after the harvest, a second Thanksgiving was celebrated with the Indians joining in as well.

"Hurry up, Lord," we often prod, wondering why the Almighty doesn't seem to be in as much of a rush as we are. Sometimes we need to set our watches to his clock.

From The One Year® Book of Psalms with devotionals by William J. Petersen and Randy Petersen (Tyndale) entry for November 22


Content is derived from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation and other publications of Tyndale Publishing House

WHAT THANKSGIVING SHOULD BE

Today's promise: God blesses those who seek after him

What Thanksgiving should be

"How wonderful it is, how pleasant when brothers live together in harmony!"
Psalm 133:1 NLT

Fighting historical vandalism
In an article in Focus on the Family's Citizen magazine, Douglas Phillips describes how he took his family to Plymouth, Massachusetts, a few years ago and was shocked at what he found. Atop Cole's Hill, the burial ground for Pilgrims who died that first hard winter, Phillips was startled to see a city truck pull up and men pile out carrying shovels. They told Phillips the city was placing a new monument.

"Most revolutions are staged at night," Phillips wrote, so he wasn't surprised the next day to find stone markers all over Plymouth designating Thanksgiving as a day of mourning — a day to recall how the Pilgrims murdered and stole from their Indian neighbors. That afternoon, demonstrators — mostly white college kids — celebrated their victory by defacing the traditional monuments. Plymouth had transformed a tale of religious freedom into a story of genocide.

The historical reality is totally different. While it's true that later settlers abused the Native Americans, the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag Indians lived together in peace for 50 years. They signed covenants, bought and sold property, and fought against mutual enemies.

The modern obsession with group identity and victimhood encourages us to see those assigned to other groups as our enemies. When we interact with them, we ought to recall the relationship between the Pilgrims and the Indians and model not hostility and hatred but brotherly love. As the psalmist notes, a willingness to get along with others makes for a pleasant and peaceful life.

Adapted from How Now Shall We Live? Devotional by Charles Colson (Tyndale) pp 631-32

Content is derived from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation and other publications of Tyndale Publishing House


Tuesday, November 19, 2013

TRAVELING COMPANION

TRAVELING COMPANION

READ:
Psalm 39

For I am a stranger with You,
a sojourner, as all my fathers
were. -Psalm 39:12

I looked up the members of my seminary graduating class recently and discovered that many of my friends are now deceased.  It was a sober reminder of the brevity of life.  Three score and ten, give or take a few years, and we're gone (Psalm 90:10).  Israel's poet was right:  we're but strangers here and sojourners (39:12).

The brevity of life makes us think about our "end" - the measure of our days and how fleeting they are (v.4), a feeling that grows more certain as we draw closer to the end of our lives.  This world is not our home; we're but strangers and sojourners here.

Yet we are not alone on the journey.  We are strangers and sojourners with God (39:12), a thought that makes the journey less troubling, less frightening, less worrisome.  We pass through this world and into the next with a loving Father as our constant companion and guide.  We're strangers here on earth, but we are never alone on the journey (73:23-24).  We have One who says, "I am with you always" (Matthew 28:20).

We may lose sight of father, mother, spouse, and friends, but we always know that God is walking beside us.  An old saying puts it like this:  "Good company on the road makes the way to seem lighter."  David Roper

My times are in my Father's hand;
How could I wish or ask for more?
For He who has my pathway planned
Will guide me till my journey's o'er. - Fraser
*************************************
As you travel life's weary road,
let Jesus lift your heavy load.

INSIGHT
Some see a parallel between the content of Psalm 39 and Job 7.  In both cases, we find a righteous man pondering the shortness of life and the distress endured during that brief time.  The Bible is realistic in recording the ups and downs of human experience.

Have a blessed day.
God Our Creator's Love Always
Unity & Peace