GO TO DARK GETHSEMANE

Today's promise: Christ is our Redeemer

Go to Dark Gethsemane

Then Jesus brought them into an olive grove called Gethsemane, and he said, "Sit here while I go on ahead to pray."…He went on a little farther and fell face down on the ground, praying, "My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will, not mine."

Matthew 26:36-39 NLT

Go to dark Gethsemane, ye that feel the tempter's power; your Redeemer's conflict see; watch Him one bitter hour; turn not from His grief away; learn of Jesus Christ to pray.

See Him at the judgment hall, beaten, bound, reviled, arraigned; see Him meekly bearing all! Love to man His soul sustained. Shun not suffering, shame or loss; learn of Christ to bear the cross.

Go to Dark Gethsemane
James Montgomery (1771-1854)

Learning from Christ's passion

Step by step James Montgomery takes us through Christ's passion. We go with our Lord to the Garden of Gethsemane, where those troublesome thoughts of death assailed Him. While His trusted friends drifted off to sleep, Jesus fought off the temptation to avoid the Cross. It was a difficult time, and in Montgomery's simple text we feel the drops of sweat.

At Jesus' trial — a shabby excuse for justice if ever there was one — He bore the beating and badgering without speaking a word. He was carrying our sins with Him to the Cross. At the Cross we can only fall at His feet to worship.

At each point of this journey we have much to learn from our Savior. We can learn to pray when tempted and to endure suffering with patience. And Christ teaches us to rise in newness of life, to live in a way that honors Him, and ultimately to join Him in glory.

Our Holy Week readings are adapted from The One Year® Book of Hymns by Mark Norton and Robert Brown, Tyndale House Publishers (1995). Today's is taken from the entry for April 1.

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

WERE YOU THERE?

Today's promise: Christ is our Redeemer

Were You There?

As his body was taken away, the women from Galilee followed and saw the tomb where they placed his body. Then they went home and prepared spices and ointments to embalm him. But by the time they were finished it was the Sabbath, so they rested all that day as required by the law.

Luke 23:55-56 NLT

Were you there when they crucified my Lord? Were you there when they crucified my Lord? O! Sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble! Were you there when they crucified my Lord?

Were you there when they laid Him in the tomb? Were you there when they laid Him in the tomb? O! Sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble! Were you there when they laid Him in the tomb?

Were You There? Traditional spiritual

Experience the "tremble"

This favorite hymn comes from the rich American spiritual tradition, probably developed in the early 1800s by African-American slaves. As in most spirituals, the words are simple, seizing on one central theme or concept.

Spirituals tend to have a lot of emotional appeal. As a result, this hymn, like few others, puts the singer there. We experience the "tremble" as we sing it. And in the triumphant final stanza, we experience the glory of a risen Lord. We are called out of the cold analysis of Christ's death, burial, and resurrection into the moment of living it. We are called out of the theological debate and into the stark reality. We hear the nails pounded into the cross, we see the onlookers wagging their heads, we smell the burial spices, and we feel the rumble of the stone rolling away. And we tremble… tremble… tremble.

Our Holy Week readings are adapted from The One Year® Book of Hymns by Mark Norton and Robert Brown, Tyndale House Publishers (1995). Today's is taken from the entry for March 21.

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

OUT OF CHAOS

OUT OF CHAOS

READ:

Exodus 8:1-15

Speak evil of no one,…

be peaceable, gentle,

showing all humility to

all men. –Titus 3:2

Everything I observe makes me believe this is true:  Order is not natural.  When I consider my office, I’m astounded at how quickly it descends into chaos and how long it takes me to restore order.  Order requires intervention; it does not happen naturally.

I shouldn’t be surprised.  God’s role in bringing order out of chaos is a prominent biblical theme.  He did it when He was creating the nation of Israel (Exodus 7-14).  When God said it was time to bring the Hebrew people out of Egypt, Pharaoh objected.  His nation’s economy depended on the Hebrew workers, so Pharaoh didn’t want to lose them.  To change Pharaoh’s mind, God sent 10 plagues to convince him.  Pharaoh’s magicians were able to duplicate the first two plagues.  But they could not reverse the plagues-any of them.  They could cause chaos, but they could not restore order.  Only God can do that.

With effort, we can bring order to our living spaces, but none of us can bring order out of the emotional and spiritual chaos of our lives.  Only God can do that.  He restores order to chaotic situations when we live as God intended-speaking no evil, being peaceable and gentle, and showing humility to all (Titus 3:2). – Julie Ackerman Link

Father, our world and our lives do have much chaos

and confusion.  We need You to restore our souls.

Help us to live as You want us to live-

loving others.

When we put our problems in God’s hands,

He puts His peace in our hearts.

INSIGHT

The Egyptian magicians could only mimic three of the miracles of Moses-staffs turned into serpents (Exodus 7:11), water turned to blood (7:22), and the frog plague (8:7).  Unable to mimic the remaining plagues (8:16-11:10), the magicians acknowledged that they were from “the finger of God” (8:19).

Have a blessed day.

God Our Creator’s Love Always

Unity & Peace

HOPE CAN KILL AS WELL AS COMFORT

Your Brother Daniel

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

Hope can Kill as well as Comfort

What is the most valuable thing that you can give to someone in pain? Hope! Traditionally, hope was to be found in an all-powerful and all-loving God. In 1978, Martin L. Gross wrote of the advance of a new game-changing hope, one promoted by modern psychology (MP):

·       This change in inner man has taken place quietly, yet it has altered the nature of our civilization beyond recognition. The major agent of change has been modern psychology. (The Psychological Society, 3)

·       For many, the [Psychological] Society has all the earmarks of a potent now religion. When educated man lost faith in formal religion, he required a substitute belief that would be as reputable in the last half of the twentieth century as Christianity was in the first. Psychology and psychiatry have now assumed that special role. They offer mass belief, a promise of a better future, opportunity for confession, unseen mystical workings and a trained priesthood of helping professionals devoted to servicing the paying-by-the-hour communicants. (9)

The hope that MP offers for a “better future” is the hope in ourselves. This hope is reflected in these kinds of statements: “You got whatever it takes.” “You got to believe in yourself!” “You have to empower yourself.” “You have the answers within you!”

As the hope in God began to wane, other sources of hope were sought to fill the vacuum. Various utopian schemes were tried and found lacking. These gave way to a hope in ourselves, a hope that now occupies a pinnacle of almost unquestioned acceptance – a self-evident truth.

But is it a self-evident truth or a destructive form of addiction – a mental rut? Let’s consider some ramifications of what happens when we place our hope in ourselves:

1.     In order to truly hope in ourselves in terms of both our moral status/identity and our abilities to handle the challenges of life, we are coerced to think more of ourselves than we ought. For one thing, we are filled with moral defects and failures. If we are to trust in ourselves, these will have to be glossed over or denied.

2.     Any management requires accurate data. However, if we can no longer clearly regard ourselves, we can no longer effectively manage ourselves.

3.     High self-esteem is positively correlated with anti-social behaviors.

4.     With our unwillingness to truly regard ourselves, self-alienation results – alienated from who we really are!

5.     Relationships require a shared common ground. However, if each party has an inflated view of themselves, that common reality is eroded. Dissonance then undermines intimacy.

6.     We understand life by seeing through the lens of self. If we cannot clearly see ourselves, we cannot clearly see others. If our understanding of ourselves is distorted, this distortion will affect everything else that we observe.

7.     In order to maintain a high self-esteem, criticism must be avoided. However, we require accurate feedback to make appropriate adjustments. This is especially true for relationships – work and otherwise.

8.     If our well-being rests upon a high estimation of ourselves, we will naturally become self-focused and self-absorbed. Where our treasure is, so too will our heart and attention be. Instead of offering freedom, self-trust  imprisons.

All of these raise the question – “Do we actually undermine ourselves when we place all of this weight of self-concern on our shoulders?” Jesus offered a different remedy:

·       “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30)

BIBLICAL CRITICISM AND THE BETRAYAL OF THE GOSPELS

Your Brother Daniel

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

Biblical Criticism and the Betrayal of the Gospels

We are a product of our culture, and we tend to underestimate this fact. Ironically, this is perhaps even truer of those with advanced degrees. After all, we have spent more time conforming to societal/professional expectations and seeking the approval of our colleagues.

This seems to be especially true in the world of biblical/textual scholarship, where we spend our efforts trying to understand the Bible from a scholarly perspective. Sadly, our cultural conformity often escapes our awareness and leads us in an unbiblical direction.

For example, the skeptics, noting the verbal similarities among the Synoptic Gospels – Matthew, Mark and Luke – charge that they are not independent accounts of the life of Jesus, but reflect the fact that these Gospels have borrowed from each other. (Actually, Luke admits that his Gospel is the result of his investigations of various eyewitness accounts.)

The more conservative scholars have countered that the Gospels represent the corporate oral traditions of a vast body of eyewitnesses, and this would account for their many verbal similarities.

However, both of these groups overwhelmingly fail to reason from the fact that the Gospels are not just the word of man but also the Word of God (1 Thess. 2:13). In other words, while the Bible-believing scholars believe that the Bible is the Word of God, this truth is often absent from their defense of the Gospels. Instead, they seem to exclusively treat the Bible as the word of man.

Jesus’ commission of His Apostles stands in direct opposition to this misguided emphasis. He informed them that their teaching ministry – at first oral and then written – would be the product of the Spirit, who would reveal all things to them:

·       “But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” (John 14:26)

·       “When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father—the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father—he will testify about me. And you also must testify, for you have been with me from the beginning.” (John 15:26-27)

·       “I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you.” (John 16:12-14)

In view of these teachings, the word of the Apostles – and they had been eyewitnesses from the beginning – was not primarily their own word (1 Peter 1:9-11; 2 Peter 1:19-21) but the Word of the Spirit. He would teach them all truth and remind them of everything.

Our research methods determine research results. If we start with methods that only take into account the humanity of the Bible, the findings will only reflect a human Bible.

Although Scripture is partially amenable to human analysis, it also comes from above. As such, it is not amenable to human analysis. Instead, when we analyze it as if it is merely man’s word, we betray the teachings of Jesus and our faith.

(Please read: http://www.raymondibrahim.com/in-the-media/why-is-christian-persecution-in-the-middle-east-under-reported/)

PARTAKE OF ME

Today's promise: Christ is our Redeemer

Partake of Me

I live by the power of the living Father who sent me; in the same way, those who partake of me will live because of me.

John 6:57 NLT

Bread of the world, in mercy broken, wine of the soul, in mercy shed, by whom the words of life were spoken, and in whose death our sins are dead;
Look on the heart by sorrow broken, look on the tears by sinners shed; and may Thy feast to us be the token that by Thy grace our souls are fed.

Bread of the World, in Mercy Broken
Reginald Heber (1783-1826)

A Communion hymn

Reginald Heber wrote this hymn specifically for use in the service before the Eucharist. Its simple lines focus first on Christ and then on the attitude of the singer. Christ has spoken words of life and has taken our sins to the cross with Him. We are sorry for our sins and take this "feast" of bread and wine as a "token" of the forgiveness that Christ offers.

For sixteen years Heber served as a parish priest in the village of Hodnet in western England. Three times he was asked to become the bishop of Calcutta, India, and twice he turned it down. Finally at the age of forty, he accepted the call and sailed for India with his wife and two daughters. Three years later, after preaching to a crowded church near Hindu shrines to Vishnu and Siva, he suffered a stroke and died.

While Heber's hymns initially met with official church resistance, many of them were eventually published shortly before his death and have been a blessing to believers for nearly two centuries.

Our Holy Week readings are adapted from The One Year® Book of Hymns by Mark Norton and Robert Brown, Tyndale House Publishers (1995). Today's is taken from the entry for April 4.

For more reflection on Holy week, see The Passion, Tyndale's companion book to Mel Gibson's powerful movie about the last twelve hours of Jesus' life.

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

HOSANNA, LOUD HOSANNA

Today's promise: Christ is our Redeemer

Hosanna, Loud Hosanna

The next day, the news that Jesus was on the way to Jerusalem swept through the city. A huge crowd of Passover visitors took palm branches and went down the road to meet him.

John 12:12 NLT

From Olivet they followed mid an exultant crowd the victor palm branch waving, and chanting clear and loud; the Lord of men and angels rode on in lowly state, nor scorned that little children should on His bidding wait.

Hosanna, Loud Hosanna by Jeannette Threlfall (1821-1880)

Praising her victorious Savior

Today is Palm Sunday. The triumphal entry into Jerusalem was the scene of a curious exchange between Jesus and the religious leaders of the day. A crowd was following Jesus, waving palms and singing, "Hosanna!" This term, literally meaning, "Lord, save us!" was also a cry of praise.

This crowd included a number of children, no doubt caught up in the excitement of the day. The leaders asked Jesus to tell the children to stop such singing. Certainly Jesus wouldn't want innocent kids to be guilty of blasphemy. "Do you hear what these children are saying?" they asked Jesus.

Yes, Jesus said, quoting Psalm 8:2, "From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise." (Matthew 21:16)

You might think that Jeannette Threlfall had many reasons not to praise God. Orphaned young, shuttled among relatives, she was injured in an accident and became an invalid. Yet she remained cheery and faithful, penning many Christian poems and hymns. Her life was a cry of hosanna! to her victorious Savior.

Our Holy Week readings are adapted from The One Year® Book of Hymns by Mark Norton and Robert Brown, Tyndale House Publishers (1995). Today's is taken from the entry for March 31.

For more reflection on Holy week, see The Passion, Tyndale's companion book to Mel Gibson's powerful movie about the last twelve hours of Jesus' life.

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

WHO'S AT THE CENTER?

WHO’S AT THE CENTER?

READ:

Psalm 33:6-19

The counsel of the LORD

stands forever, the plans

of His heart to all generations.

-Psalm 33:11

Recently, I had what for me was a “Copernican moment”:  I am not at the center of the universe.  The world doesn’t revolve around me.  It doesn’t move at my pace, in my terms, nor in accord with my preferences.

Though we might wish it to be otherwise, life is not all about us.  Everything revolves around the Lord.  In Psalm 33, we read that all nature revolves around Him and His control (vv.6-9).  He assigned the sea its boundaries and locked the ocean in vast reservoirs.  Everything in nature operates in accordance with the laws He has set.

The nations also revolve around the Lord (vv.10-12).  No plan or scheme can stand up against God’s .  Ultimately, it is the Lord’s plan that will stand forever.  His intentions can never be shaken.

Finally, the lives of all humanity revolve around the Lord (vv.13-19).  God sees the whole human race.  He made our hearts, and He understands everything we do.  And He has the power to intervene in our lives and deliver us from situations spinning out of control.

Our life is created to be centered on God, not self.  How thankful we can be to serve such a powerful God, who has every aspect of our lives under His control.  –Poh Fang Chia

Teach me, Lord, to live out the truth of Psalm

33.  May I revere You as I should.  May I and all

the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of You,

for Your counsel and plans stand forever.

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When we die to all about us,

we live to God above us.

INSIGHT

In this song of praise, the psalmist calls the righteous to praise God for His Word and His work (vv.1-3).  He celebrates God’s power in creation-“He spoke, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast” (vv.6-9)- and points to the special privilege and blessedness of being God’s chosen people (v.12).

Have a blessed day and week ahead.

God Our Creator’s Love Always

Unity & Peace

WHAT WAS THE MOST EFFECTIVE DISCIPLINE YOU HAVE EXPERIENCED?

Today's promise: God celebrates family

What was the most effective discipline you have experienced?

Now his father, King David, had never disciplined him at any time, even by asking, "What are you going?"

1 Kings 1:6 NLT

Rebounding skills

Suppose you get home from grocery shopping and discover your six-year-old is eating candy you didn't buy. It might be tempting to just scold him, send him to his room, and let it go at that. After all, it's only worth a dollar, and you're tired. But you'd miss an opportunity to turn this "miss" into a second chance.

It would be better to take away any uneaten candy, put your little shoplifter back in the car, drive to the grocery store, hunt up the manager, and tell your kid to apologize. Pay for the candy and deduct it from the child's allowance. Then, if the culprit is truly sorry, be sure to express your forgiveness — and God's forgiveness, too.

You've just boxed out the opposition and put your kid in position to rightly rebound. Because there will come another time in that grocery store or when he's passing a coveted pair of Nikes or — who knows?
Ricky Birdsong in Coaching Your Kids in the Game of Life

The Bible tells us that parents have the primary responsibility for the spiritual development of our children. And nowhere is the job given only to mothers and grandmothers. As Moses told the people of Israel, "Repeat [the command of God] again and again to your children" (Deut. 6:7). Why not begin today?

adapted from Men of Integrity Devotional Bible with devotionals by the editors of Men of Integrity magazine (Christianity Today, Intl), Tyndale House Publishers (2002), p 391

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It is easier to build boys than to mend men.
AUTHOR UNKNOWN

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

COMING SOON!

COMING SOON!

READ:

Revelation 22:7-21

“Surely I am coming quickly.”

-Revelation 22:20

A ”COMING SOON!” ANNOUNCEMENT OFTEN PRECEDES FUTURE EVENTS IN ENTERTAINMENT AND SPORT, OF THE LAUNCH OF THE LATEST TECHNOLOGY.  The goal is to create anticipation and excitement for what is going to happen, even though it may be months away.

While reading the book of Revelation, I was impressed with the “coming soon” sense of immediacy permeating the entire book.  Rather than saying “Someday, in the far distant future, Jesus Christ is going to return to earth,” the text is filled with phrases like “things which must shortly take place” (1:1) and “the time is near” (v.3).  Three times in the final chapter, the Lord says, “I am coming quickly” (Revelation 22:7, 12, 20).  Other versions translate this phrase as, “I’m coming soon,” “I’m coming speedily,” and “I’m on My way!”

How can this be-since 2,000 years have elapsed since these words were written? “Quickly” doesn’t seem appropriate for our experience of time.

Rather than focusing on a date for His return, the Lord is urging us to set our hearts on His promise that will be fulfilled.  We are called to live for Him in this present age “looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:13). –David McCasland

Marvelous message we bring,

Glorious carol we sing,

Wonderful word of the King:

Jesus is coming again!-Peterson

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Live as if Christ is coming back today.

INSIGHT

As with today’s text, 2 Peter 3:1-10 deals with Jesus’ imminent return.  Peter explains that “the Lord is not slack concerning His promise…but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance” (v.9).

Have a blessed day.

God Our Creator’s Love Always

Unity & Peace

THE MARCH OF WESTERN INSANITY AND ITS APPEAL

Your Brother Daniel

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

The March of Western Insanity and its Appeal

Criticism of the Christian faith is becoming both increasingly outlandish and fashionable – so fashionable that reason no longer matters.

·        A Parti Quebecois (PQ) candidate [Louise Mailloux] who said baptism and circumcision were equivalent to rape is being defended by party leader Pauline Marois as a “supporter of our charter on religious neutrality.” http://www.lifesitenews.com/news/quebec-premier-defends-candidate-who-compares-baptism-and-circumcision-to-r?utm_source=LifeSiteNews.com+Daily+Newsletter&utm_campaign=0b827a5901-LifeSiteNews_com_US_Headlines_06_19_2013&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_0caba610ac-0b827a5901-326211134

·       Mailloux compared Christian baptism and Jewish circumcision to rape since she said a child’s religion is forced upon him or her at birth.

Equating baptism and circumcision with rape is monstrous! Such an equation obscures and denies the horrors of rape, reducing it to a mere familial ritual. It claims that rape involves a trauma no greater than that of baptism.

In contrast to this insane equation, both my daughter and granddaughter requested baptism without any adult prodding. Have you ever heard of anyone requesting to be violently raped?

Although I don’t believe in infant baptism, I still feel compelled to defend this practice against the charge of “rape since… a child’s religion is forced upon him or her at birth.” If this is rape, then all forms of childhood training are rape – teaching values, potty training, wearing cloths, going to the doctor, eating, speaking, … everything! Consequently, it is impossible to not rape one’s child! This, of course is madness. Of course, when the government takes and educates our children, this is not rape!

Nevertheless, Marois defends Mailloux by virtue of her “religious neutrality”:

·       “Her writings are eloquent, I respect her point of view,” said "She is a supporter of our charter on religious neutrality and we appreciate her support.”

There is nothing neutral about Mailloux’ stance! She has equated Christian and Jewish practice to rape. Do hospitals also rape the newborns by circumcising them? By performing operations? By feeding them intravenously? By forcing medication upon them?

It seems that she reserves her vitriol for religion. However, she too is just as religious. After all, what are value statements if not religious? They are not science. Science tells us what is and not what ought to be. The latter is the role of religion, whether the religion invokes a higher being or not. How then can this political party claim neutrality and then, from its alleged pinnacle of neutrality, demonize those the regard as religious rapists?

This is the “logic” of the day. It need not be logical, just socially acceptable or politically correct. Can civilization survive on such a junk-food diet of hypocrisy? I don’t see how!

While I am surprised to see how quickly Western Civilization is plummeting into insanity, I shouldn’t be. This has all been prophesied. Jesus proclaimed this verdict on humanity:

·       “This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people 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 their deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.” (John 3:19-21)

Nor is this a victimless verdict or a costless love:

·       “All this I have told you so that you will not fall away. They will put you out of the synagogue; in fact, the time is coming when anyone who kills you will think they are offering a service to God. They will do such things because they have not known the Father or me. I have told you this, so that when their time comes you will remember that I warned you about them.” (John 16:1-4)

These are the fruits of the darkness of evil and the delight of the Western Elites.

HOW DO YOU SEE GOD AS FATHER?

Today's promise: God celebrates family

How Do You See God as Father?

To all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God.

John 1:12 NLT

God's fatherhood

Most people in the world would agree with the statement that "we are all God's children." It's a nice sentiment. It just isn't what the Bible teaches. According to God's Word, unrepentant sinners are actually God's enemies (see Romans 5:10 and Colossians 1:21)! It's only when we put our trust in the Lord Jesus Christ that we are reconciled to God and experience forgiveness and adoption into God's forever family (Galatians 4:5; Ephesians 1:5).

For a Christian going through hard times, this "adoption" truth is the best of all possible news. God is not just the powerful Creator or a righteous Lord, he is a loving Father. He sees your trials. He listens to your pleas. He cares and protects and supports. He is never harsh or impatient with you. He is never "too busy" for you.

Take all the best qualities of all the best earthly dads you've ever seen, add them together, and multiply by infinity. That's the kind of heavenly Father God is to Christians who hurt.

Lord Jesus, I do believe in you. I have accepted you as my Savior and Lord. Thank you for revealing yourself to me. Thank you for saving me! Because of your grace and my faith, I am a child of the living God. I praise you. What a privilege! What joy to know that in every situation I have a loving, wise, and good heavenly Father to counsel and help me.

adapted from Praying God's Promises in Tough Times by Len Woods, Tyndale House Publishers (2002), pp 68-9

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As a substitute father for hundreds of youth over the past thirteen years, I've yet to encounter a young person in trouble whose difficulty could be traced to the lack of a strong father image in the home.
PAUL ANDERSON

A child is not likely to find a father in God unless he finds something of God in his father.
AUSTIN L. SORENSEN

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

HAS YOUR FAMILY BEEN A BLESSING?

Today's promise: God celebrates family

Has your family been a blessing?

The godly walk with integrity; blessed are their children after them.

Proverbs 20:7 NLT

A heritage of blessings

What better motivations exist for us to be people of integrity than that our children will be blessed for it! Parents who are godly, who live with integrity and truthfulness, are wonderful examples to their children. Granted, this does not always guarantee that children will turn out perfectly, but children will nevertheless receive a great blessing from having such parents.

So what does it mean to "walk with integrity"? It means that "walk the talk." In other words, plenty of people know the right thing to do, but when the right time comes, they don't do it. They know they should tell the truth, for example, but if telling the truth will hurt, they opt for a lie instead. Children learn best from models they see and hear, but if they learn to bend the truth whenever needed, they set themselves up for problems in life. But if they learn to follow God and walk their faith, then they will have been greatly blessed.

WISE WAYS  Are you willing to walk with integrity in front of your children or those over whom you have influence? What kinds of blessings will they have from following your example?

Today, Lord, help me walk with integrity so as to be a good example to others.

adapted from The One Year® Book of Proverbs by Neil S. Wilson, Tyndale House Publishers (2002), entry for February 20

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Happy families… own a surface similarity of good cheer. For one thing, they like each other, which is quite a different thing from loving. For another, they have, almost always, one entirely personal treasure—a sort of purseful of domestic humor which they have accumulated against rainy days. This humor is not necessarily witty. The jokes may be incomprehensible to outsiders, and the laughter springs from the most trivial of sources. But the jokes and the laughter belong entirely to the family.
PHYLLIS McGINLEY

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

STILL WORKING

STILL WORKING

READ:

Matthew 25:14-21

“Well done, good and faithful

servant.” Matthew 25:23

Vivian and Don are in their mid-90’s and have been married more than 70 years.  Recently Vivian suffered a setback when she broke her hip.  This has been additionally difficult because for several years both Don and Vivian have been saddened by the realization that they are no longer strong enough to be active in the life and work of their church.

However, Vivian and Don are still hard at work for the Lord:  They are prayer warriors.  While they may not always be physically present and visible in the life of their church, they are faithful “behind the scenes” in their service for Him.

The parable of the talents in Matthew 25 reminds us that we must use the “talents” God has given us wisely.  All of us have God-given skills and abilities at various levels-and we must not bury, unused, what God has given us.

It is not only in our years of strength that God will use us, but also in our youth and age, as well as in our sickness and weakness.  Vivian and Don continue to serve by praying.  And like them, we honor our Savior by using our skills-“each according to his own ability” (v.15) to serve Him who is worthy. –Dave Branon

Lord, You have done so much for me.  Please show

me what I can do to serve You-to honor You with

the abilities You have provided.  May my life be a

living sacrifice of love and action for Your honor.

*****************************************

God can use you at any age-if you are willing.

INSIGHT

The parable of the talents contains a profound and enduring message to the believer.  It drives home the point that we will be justly compensated for the use of our Spirit-filled talents.  Both motive and faithfulness will be key factors in how we are evaluated at the judgment (Bema) seat of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:10).  “Good works” performed in the energy of the flesh or for the wrong motives will be burned up.  But faithful, Spirit-filled service will be rewarded (1 Corinthians 3:12-15).

Have a blessed day and weekend.

God Our Creator’s Love Always

Unity & Peace

CONFESSIONS: STRUGGLING TO TRULY TRUST IN GOD

Your Brother Daniel

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

Confessions: Struggling to Truly Trust in God

It seems that when we most need to trust in our Savior, trust says, “hasta luego, baby,” abandoning us to our torment. I presently face the prospect of losing all my teeth, and I don’t know which way to turn. I try to trust that the Lord will guide me, but I am experiencing obstacles. I reason within myself, “God has let others down – How can I know that He won’t let me down also?” In light of this concern, can I truly embrace His promises like:

·       Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Phil. 4:6-7)

However, instead of peace, I have been experiencing torment. I sought God to understand how I could fully trust Him in light of the disappointments I see among Christians. While many of the brethren reaffirm that they have found God completely trustworthy, I remain haunted by those few cases where I can find no redeeming explanation for their tragedy. I’ve repeatedly asked my Lord for wisdom in this area, but it seemed that none was forthcoming.

Perhaps I was not yet open to the wisdom that He was giving me. I was repeatedly reminded of the famous passage from Proverbs 3:5-8:

·       Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil. This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones.

Perhaps I have been leaning too much to my own understanding. I had been allowing my understanding – “insisting” that I first have to have an answer to my question before I would commit myself to fully trusting Christ – interfere with trust. Consequently, instead of finding “nourishment to [my] bones,” I was reaping the torment of fear.

While our Lord promises that He will liberally grant wisdom (James 1:5), He doesn’t guarantee that He will answer our every question. Peter had asked Jesus about the fate of John. Jesus answered hypothetically: ““If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You must follow me” (John 21:22). And even with only this minimal response, the disciples misunderstood Jesus and concluded that Jesus would return before John died. Clearly, we cannot handle certain knowledge, even glorious knowledge.

Years ago, before I knew Christ, He encountered me in the midst of a pool of blood. I was dying from a horrible chainsaw injury. In an instance, He revealed Himself to me. Suddenly, I knew that He was love, power-to-the-highest, and that He would see me through this debacle. I was so certain of what He had revealed that when my surgeon informed me that I would have to immediately begin exercising my half-cut-off wrist, I blew him off, certain of this unknown God’s sovereignty over my life. Even though I had been correct about His sovereignty, I made a wrong assumption – that my efforts didn’t matter at all. As a result of this, I lost the mobility of my hand.

We cannot handle some knowledge without it mishandling us. Therefore, in His wisdom, Jesus withholds it from us until we can handle it. Instead, faith and trust must be our source of light and evidence (Romans 11:1). This certainly doesn’t mean that wisdom and evidences are for naught. God gladly provides us with evidences (Acts 1:3; 2:22; Deut. 4:34-38; Exodus 4) and encourages us to seek wisdom.

However, there are doors that wisdom alone cannot open. I had been standing in the dark outside of one such door, demanding an answer before I would step into the light of trust. God had been giving me an answer, but I wasn’t hearing it.

God had also been giving Job such an answer, but Job too was having a hard time hearing it. The prophetic Elihu tried to bring his problem home to him:

·       Why do you complain to him that he responds to no one’s words? For God does speak—now one way, now another—though no one perceives it. (Job 33:13-14).

Why wasn’t Job perceiving God’s answer? I think that, often, it is because we think more of ourselves – our own righteousness and reasoning – than we ought. Consequently, we are not always receptive. Job was convinced that God had treated him unjustly. Consequently, he was only responsive to proving that he had been righteous. He therefore required a divine confrontation to knock some sense into his head. God had asked him a series of questions regarding what he knew and what he could do (Job 38-41). It soon became apparent that Job failed on every account. If Job could not answer any of God’s questions, why did he feel confident in his indictment of God? The conclusion was inescapable – Job lacked the wisdom and knowledge by which to bring any indictments against God! Job therefore confessed:

·       “You asked, ‘Who is this that obscures my plans without knowledge?’ Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know. You said, ‘Listen now, and I will speak; I will question you, and you shall answer me.’ My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you. Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes.” (Job 42:3-6)

There is nothing the matter with wisdom. However, when we have too high of a regard for our own “wisdom,” we lose receptivity, like a dirty pair of eyeglasses. Job had had too high regards for his own reasoning. Ironically, this prevented him from trusting in God and hardened him against hearing. However, God mercifully chastens us with our own opinions to show us how our pride and its prickly fruit cost us:

·       “He [God] may speak in their ears and terrify them with warnings, to turn them from wrongdoing and keep them from pride, to preserve them from the pit.” (Job 33:16-18)

The more we trust in ourselves, the less we trust in God. Unless our Lord chastens us, it is inevitable that we will lean to our own tragic and depressing understanding, and with this, away from God’s comforting understanding.

How could I trust in God in view of certain tragedies that I couldn’t reconcile with such trust? I had unconsciously assumed that if I couldn’t reconcile trusting in God with these “tragedies,” I couldn’t really trust in God. In this, I had been placing too much trust in my understanding. I was committing the same fallacy as I have often accused the atheists of making. I would tell them:

·       Just because you fail to find a purpose for suffering, it doesn’t mean that there isn’t one. Instead, it is just possible (understatement) that God’s wisdom might be greater than your own.

In fact, God often warns us that He will place us in situations where our understanding will fail us – like when He asked Abraham to sacrifice Isaac (Gen. 22) - and where our faith must be exercised to a greater extent:

·       Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. (1 Peter 4:12-13)

These trials turn us away from a self-trust and a self-focus to a God-only preoccupation, and I know that I – and you too – need trials. Without them, there is a great risk that we will become too comfortable in this world and will not “be overjoyed” when He comes back for us. Lord, thank You for the trials!