FALSE TEACHERS, THEISTIC EVOLUTIONISTS, AND THE CHURCH

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Brethren,

Do we have a right, even a duty, to be prophetic – to warn others of their sin and its consequences? I think that we do on both accounts, as Paul had confessed:

∑       Therefore, I declare to you today that I am innocent of the blood of all men. For I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God. (Acts 20:26-27)

Had Paul not warned them about sin, he would have been guilty, but does this also pertain to us? Here is what Paul commands elsewhere:

∑       Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. (Galatians 6:1)

Nevertheless, even though correcting others is commanded, it doesn’t mean that they will like it. Here is an essay I just posted on a Theistic Evolution Facebook group – Celebrating Creation by Natural Selection – that got me booted:

False Teachers, Theistic Evolutionists, and the Church

Jesus often warned about false teachers. Here is one such warning:

∑       “You nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition. You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you: "'These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men.'" (Matthew 15:6-9)

Theistic evolutionists (TEs) – now they call themselves “Christian evolutionists” – are similar to the Pharisees. Although they do not “nullify the word of God” for the sake of their traditions, they do nullify it for the sake of their first love, evolution. TE Dennis Lamoureaux provides one common example in his denial of an historical Adam and Eve:

∑       Paul was a first century man steeped in the historical and scientific categories of his generation… Paul had no choice but to believe in the historicity of Gen 3 [the Fall with the introduction of sin and death] and the causal connection between the sin of Adam and the entrance of pain and mortality into the world. Romans 5:12-19 and 1 Cor 15:20-49 are evidence of this fact [that Paul had been mistaken]. However, the historicity of Adam, the attribution of divine judgmental action for his sin, and the origin of physical suffering and death as a consequence are notions conceived from an ancient phenomenal perspective. These events in Gen 3 never happened because they are based on ancient history and ancient science, and Paul had no way of knowing this.” (Christian Research Journal, Vol. 37/Number 06, 22)

“Paul had no way of knowing this?” Has this TE forgotten about this existence of the Spirit? It is one thing to say that Paul lacked complete knowledge. It is another thing to claim that he wrote without correct knowledge! In other words, Lamoureaux claims that he has a superior knowledge which trumps what Paul had written. He wants us, therefore, to place our faith in him and the present scientific consensus rather than in the Bible. Meanwhile, Paul argues that Adam had been just as real and historical as Jesus:

∑       Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men… For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God's grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many! Again, the gift of God is not like the result of the one man's sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification. For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God's abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ. Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men. For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous. (Romans 5:12, 15-19)

If what Adam had done wasn’t real, then what Jesus had accomplished is also thrown into doubt. Here is how Garrett J. DeWeese puts it:

∑       If Adam is not the progenitor of H. sapiens, then the doctrine of the fall as it has been understood in Christian theology for two thousand years is false, and the entrance of sin into humanity remains a mystery… There is a strong correlation between accepting TE and rejecting substitutionary atonement [that Christ for us] as an antiquated doctrine rooted in medieval retributive thinking. (23)

DeWeese is correct. To deny the role of Adam is also to deny the role of Jesus. How then should we respond to the teaching of the TE? How did Jesus deal with the scribes and Pharisees of His day:

∑       "Woe to you experts in the law, because you have taken away the key to knowledge. You yourselves have not entered, and you have hindered those who were entering." (Luke 11:52)

Evidently, their hearts were far from Him!

HOW GOVERNMENTAL HYPOCRISY HAS MADE ME MORE SPIRITUAL

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How Governmental Hypocrisy has made me more Spiritual

The Supreme Court of California recently ruled that judges can no longer be affiliated with the Boy Scouts of America.

• California is one of 47 states that bans its judges from belonging to organizations that discriminate against certain groups of people. In more than half of these instances, we are talking about discrimination on the basis of race, religion, national origin, or sex.

• In the twenty-two states that prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, like California, the issue gets a lot more complicated. In 1996, California’s Supreme Court ruled that judges could not belong to groups that “discriminate” on the basis of sexual orientation, but they carved out three exceptions: the military, religious groups, and youth organizations like the Boy Scouts.

To understand what’s going on here, we first have to do a bit of verbal reorientation. The issue isn’t or ever has been a matter of “orientation” but rather behavior. No one is recommending discriminating against a man oriented towards adultery or bigamy. However, there are laws against acting out on these impulses. Likewise, employers do not give tests to determine whether or not the potential employee is oriented towards theft or assault. However, they might check their criminal record to see if the prospect has acted out in these areas. That’s their legal right!

Behavior is one thing; orientation is another. Laws rightfully discriminate against theft, assault, and rape and not against orientations. Similarly, the church regards these behaviors as sins. We are all orientated to sin, but we need not act out on our orientation, and this makes all the difference. Likewise, the church doesn’t call an orientation a sin. After all, we are all tempted to sin, even Jesus (Heb. 4:15-16).

An advisory panel to the Supreme Court of California [SCC] had issued a report advising that:

• “Because the Boy Scouts of America [BSA] continues to discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation . . . eliminating the exception and prohibiting judges from being members of or playing a leadership role in the Boy Scouts would enhance public confidence in the impartiality of the judiciary.”

Although the BSA does not discriminate against gay youth, they do discriminate against gay leaders, and understandably so. The BSA has disclosed a long and sad history of the sexual molestation of youth by homosexual leaders. Should society not endorse this understandable discrimination? Of course, they should! Should judges be tossed off the bench because of their association with BSA? Does such involvement cause questions about their impartiality? Of course not!

If their association with the BSA compromises their impartiality, why not also their association with a political group – the democratic party? Of course, such logic would require a judge to live in an antiseptic world without any prior opinions or affiliations. It would also require that a judge to not have any prior rulings, all of which could suggest partiality. This is, of course, ridiculous, as is the California ruling. But it is even worse than that. It is hypocritical! Do not the members of the SCC also have affiliations that might call into question their impartiality? Of course!

Their logic also paves the way for a massive assault against the church and anyone with any church affiliations. After all, the church discriminates. Many do not ordain women or unrepented sinners, let alone unrepented homosexuals! Wouldn’t such an affiliation give the impression of partiality? According to this hypocritical logic, it would!

The next step then becomes a matter of “logic” – ban anyone from office who has any affiliation with a biblically oriented church!

Already, many are operationalizing this twisted “logic”:

• Kelvin Cochran, chief of the Atlanta Fire Rescue Department, was suspended in November after he wrote a short book, a portion of which conveys the biblical view of homosexuality. He gave copies of the book, Who Told You That You Were Naked? (self-published in November 2013), to a few co-workers he knew to be strong Christians – but three city employees also received a copy without asking for one.

• Mayor Kasim Reed now has fired Cochran after suspending him for a month without pay, saying "his actions and decision-making undermine his ability to effectively manage a large, diverse work force." Cochran, a firefighter for more than three decades, otherwise had no blemish on his record.

Perhaps, instead, we need to be able to overlook differences of opinion. Do we want a world where no one can have an opinion deemed offensive? Instead, Reed fired Cochran claiming that his views prevent him from “effectively manage a large, diverse work force." However, he hasn’t been able to demonstrate any deficit in Cochran’s management. It would be equivalent to firing Mayor Reed because his commitment to his party prevents him from managing effectively. What hypocrisy!

Reed rests his decision on “the city's nondiscrimination policy.” However, it is Reed who is discriminating against Cochran, denying him his constitutional rights of the freedoms of religion and expression:

• The mayor has stated publicly that Cochran's "personal religious beliefs are not the issue," but that the city's nondiscrimination policy is "nonnegotiable."

The implications of such a ruling are far-reaching. If a public employee cannot express his religious opinions, even off-the-job, and cannot associate with a group that has views currently regarded as “discriminatory,” no Christian is safe, no business is safe, no public engagement is safe for the political outsider. Even social media may soon become off-limits to those who “discriminate,” even if just in their thought-life or associations.

Such decisions will compel people-of-faith to violate their conscience or to live fearfully in silence. For another example:

• An employee of Ford Motor Company lost his job last year for expressing his Christian beliefs when asked by the company for his feedback. Now he is asking for federal intervention on his behalf. Thomas Banks worked for Ford in Michigan for more than three years as a product engineer. But one day he received an email, left a message in the comments section, and two weeks later – in August 2014 – was fired after being told he had violated Ford's anti-harassment policy.

Harassment? Having a politically incorrect belief is now harassment! However, the secularist is oblivious to this unconstitutional grab of our basic human rights. Nor will he care until he becomes the object of such injustice!

• The Christian couple who declined to sell a wedding cake to a lesbian couple in 2013 were found guilty of unlawful discrimination by the Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries January 29. Aaron and Melissa Klein reportedly rejected the baking request in January 2013, saying same-sex marriage conflicted with their their religious beliefs. Now the Sweet Cakes by Melissa bakery owners will have to pay the two women up to $75,000 per person who filed the complaint.

As a result, the Kleins have lost their business, as have many others, but who cares! Instead, the Mainstream Media spins this as a victory against their right to discriminate. However, this is not at all the issue. This Christian couple has gladly served gays, as have many others now forced out of business. Instead, it is not about the Kleins discriminating against gays, but the State discriminating against the Kleins, coercing them to perform acts that violate their sincerely held beliefs. It would be like coercing a Muslim photographer to film an orgy or a gay baker to inscribe a cake, “Yes to Traditional Marriage.”

I am not left unmoved by these decisions and the direction of this nation. Instead, it has caused me to pray more and to draw closer to God and church, as we are encouraged:

• Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another--and all the more as you see the Day approaching. (Hebrews 10:25)

And that Day is approaching:

• "All this I have told you so that you will not go astray. They will put you out of the synagogue; in fact, a time is coming when anyone who kills you will think he is offering a service to God.” (John 16:1-2)

This is the evil I see all around us. But evil is now called “good,” and good is now called “evil.” Terror has become “workplace violence” committed by the deprived and the mentally ill, not by culpable human beings. Meanwhile, those who are committed to loving others and the welfare of their communities are hated, vilified, and deprived of livelihood. We have left the domain of reason into one of immediate fulfillment at any cost. Lord, come quickly!

(If ever you want to see the links, please see my post in mannsword.blogspot.com)

JESUS' OFFENSIVE PARABLES

Your Brother Daniel

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Jesus’ Offensive Parables

Jesus’ parables are offensive, perhaps too offensive and even embarrassing. I had often found them overcritical of humanity, especially the Jewish leadership, and therefore unhelpful in understanding others. Humanity just didn’t seem to be as bad as Jesus had portrayed them. For instance, Jesus’ parable about The Tenants:

∑       "There was a landowner who planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a winepress in it and built a watchtower. Then he rented the vineyard to some farmers and went away on a journey. When the harvest time approached, he sent his servants to the tenants to collect his fruit. The tenants seized his servants; they beat one, killed another, and stoned a third. Then he sent other servants to them, more than the first time, and the tenants treated them the same way. Last of all, he sent his son to them. 'They will respect my son,' he said. But when the tenants saw the son, they said to each other, 'This is the heir. Come, let's kill him and take his inheritance.'  So they took him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants? He will bring those wretches to a wretched end." (Matthew 21:33-40)

Jesus was indicting the religious elite, promising to “bring those wretches to a wretched end.” Were they really as evil as Jesus alleged? The Pharisees had been widely regarded as pious, even by Jesus’ disciples. However, He accused them of killing all of the messengers – the Prophets of Israel – whom the Master, seeking what had been due to Him, had sent.

What a brutal indictment! But was it so? It certainly seems to be! The writer of the Book of Chronicles explained why Israel and Judah had been destroyed and exiled:

∑       But they mocked God's messengers, despised his words and scoffed at his prophets until the wrath of the LORD was aroused against his people and there was no remedy. (2 Chronicles 36:16)

However, it was more than just a matter of scoffing. God has explained His anger and frustration with His people Israel to Jeremiah:

∑       "In vain I punished your people; they did not respond to correction. Your sword [Israel] has devoured your prophets like a ravening lion.” (Jeremiah 2:30)

In anguish, Jesus referred to the same:

∑       "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing. (Matthew 23:37)

Could God’s chosen and pious ones have committed such heinous acts? Evidently! However, we don’t see such evil in others, at least, not in our own kind. Jeremiah didn’t and therefore could not believe that Israel was worthy of God’s harsh indictments. However, as part of his spiritual training, God put this challenge to Jeremiah:

∑       "Go up and down the streets of Jerusalem, look around and consider, search through her squares. If you can find but one person who deals honestly and seeks the truth, I will forgive this city.” (Jeremiah 5:1)

Although Jeremiah thought that this might be true of the riff-raff – those who didn’t know the law - he was convinced that he would find many righteous among the elites and his own priestly caste. However, God proved him wrong. Instead, these elites, even his own family, wanted to kill him!

How shocking to see the ugly reality beneath the polished veneer! And we see the same today! Our neighbors, who had greeted us every day with a broad smile, are now exterminating Christians at alarming rates, and if not exterminating them, then depriving them of jobs and livelihoods.

Jesus, wanting to be very clear with the elites in his audience, then brought His lesson home:

∑       "Have you never read in the Scriptures: 'The stone the builders [you leaders] rejected has become the capstone; the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes.' Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit. He who falls on this [messianic] stone will be broken to pieces, but he on whom it falls will be crushed."  When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard Jesus' parables, they knew he was talking about them. They looked for a way to arrest him, but they were afraid of the crowd because the people held that he was a prophet. (Mat. 21:42-46)

Israel would reject their promised Messiah – their Savior – as many Hebrew texts had warned. They would kill Him as they had their own Prophets. However, not now! Too many eyes were watching. Too many would protest.

Today, we are shocked by the extent of the hatred and persecution of Christians. How can it be? Even against a people who do not retaliate and whose purpose is to love their neighbor? Where did it all come from? Perhaps this hatred of the light and love of the darkness was always there (John 3:19-20), hidden away until the forces of evil sensed weakness and “victory.”

Jesus’ parables had once been an embarrassment to me as God’s words had been to Jeremiah. However, they now seem all the more relevant, accurate, and timely.

THAT HORRID :US VS. THEM" DISTINCTION AND HOW JESUS REGARDED IT

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That Horrid “Us vs. Them” Distinction and how Jesus Regarded it

Postmodern Christians slam Christianity for making “us vs. them” distinctions. Brian McLaren charges that:

∑       Christians have been taught to see in "us vs. them" terms for centuries, and it will take time to reorient faithful people in a new direction -- "us with them," working for the common good (Huffington Post Religion Blog, 2/19/03).

In support of his indictment, McLaren cites two like-minded students:

∑       “People don't want to have to side with the church and against their friends who are Buddhist or Muslim or Jewish or agnostic."

∑       “We can't find a church that doesn't load a bunch of extra baggage on us. We tried, but they all had this long list of people we had to be against. It's just not worth it.”

Many Christians will give this a resounding “amen” adding, “I just don’t see any difference between Christians and non-Christians.”

However, Jesus insisted on a sharp difference. He often made “us vs. them” and “children of this world (of the darkness) vs. His own (of the light) distinctions. To reject this distinction is therefore to reject much of Jesus’ teachings. For example, Jesus taught:

∑       "Why do you call me, 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I say? I will show you what he is like who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice. He is like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete." (Luke 6:46-49)

Jesus drew a sharp distinction between those who heard His Word and practiced it and those who merely heard. Both built houses that looked the same. However, one had a foundation and the other was built on nothing solid. Their house lacked the foundation faith and obedience to Jesus. Both houses stood firm until the storm destroyed the one lacking this foundation. The storm revealed not only their differing fate but also their very distinctive characters.

The house without the foundation was a sham, a mere deceptive façade. There was nothing supporting it. No one could see the difference between the two prior to the storm. On the surface, both had the same provisions and problems. Both had bedrooms, kitchens, and toilets. Both would need repairs and regular paintings.

The saved and unsaved both raise families. Both laugh and cry with their children, have friends, and suffer losses. In fact, Christ’s children tend to look worse for a number of reasons:

1.     They generally had been numbered among the most pathetic and least respected (1 Cor. 1:26-29).

2.     They undergo more hardships (1 Peter 4:17).

3.     They tend to be more awkward, since they are learning a new language and have to integrate it with the old.

Yet, according to Jesus, the two groups – born again and not - are profoundly different:

∑       "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again… I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of… the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit.” (John 3:3-6)

Christ’s entire teaching is predicated on this distinction. Does it work against the common good as McLaren claims? Instead, it is because of this distinction and the horrible fate of those who have denied Christ that we reach out in love to this dying world!

DOES IT HELP YOU AVOID TEMPTATION WHEN YOU KNOW IT LIES AHEAD?

Today's promise: No temptation is too great

Does it help you avoid temptation when you know it lies ahead?

A prudent person foresees the danger ahead and takes precautions; the simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences.

Proverbs 22:3 NLT

Anticipating danger

Interestingly, this proverb expects that dangerous situations will arise in our lives. If these situations are indeed inevitable, then we should plan a course of action. For some people taking action means devising endless preventative measures. Still others feel that taking precautions implies that they are not living in faith. Neither of these solutions displays a balanced trust in God.

We must examine where our confidence lies. Are we really trusting in God? Trusting does not mean that we should purposely step into pitfalls. If we see ourselves heading for danger, we can take precautions to avoid the situation. We lack faith when we feel that we alone possess the strength to conquer any temptation. Humbly anticipating our weaknesses will allow us to bypass harsh consequences.

WISE WAYS  Is there a specific temptation you face continually during the week? Take steps to avoid situations that foster that behavior before you come to them.

Lord, help me to live wisely by knowing my weaknesses and anticipating dangerous situations .

adapted from The One Year® Book of Proverbs by Neil S. Wilson, Tyndale House Publishers (2002), entry for March 22

Without temptation no sin would be committed; and without temptation no holiness could be attained. The human wrecks that seem beyond all capacity of repair and refitting, and victorious athletes of righteousness whom their fellowmen adore, are alike the products of temptation.

JAMES HASTINGS

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

BUILDING A BRIDGE

BUILDING A BRIDGE

READ:

1 Thessalonians 1:1-10

Your faith toward God has

gone out, so that we do not

need to say anything.

-1 Thessalonians 1:8

James Michener’s Centennial is a fictional account of the history and settlement of the American West.  Through the eyes of a French-Canadian trader named Pasquinel, Michener converges the stories of the Arapaho of the Great Plains and the Europeans-based community of St. Louis.  As this rugged adventurer moves between the growing clutter of the city and the wide-open spaces of the plains, he becomes a bridge between two drastically different worlds.

Followers of Christ also have the opportunity to build bridges between two very different worlds-those who know and follow Jesus and those who do not know Him.  Early Christians in Thessalonica had been building bridges to their idol-worshiping culture, so Paul said of them, “For from you the world of the Lord has sounded forth, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place” (1 Thess.1:8).  The bridge they were building had two components:  the “word of the odd” and the example of their faith.  It was clear to everyone that they had “turned to God from idols to serve the living and true Go” (v.9).

As God declares Himself to those around us by His Word and through our lives, we can become a bridge to those who do not yet know the love of Christ. -Bill Crowder

Father, help us live in such a way that others

will want to know about Your Son.  May we not 

merely try to do what’s “right” but instead

live as people forgiven and loved by You.

Live the gospel, and others will listen.

INSIGHT

In 1 Corinthians 13, Paul says that the greatest things are faith, hope and love(v.13).  In today’s passage, he commends the people of the church in Thessalonica for exhibiting these very traits.  They work in faith and labor in love while hoping in Jesus Christ (1 Thessalonians 1:3).

Have a blessed day.

God Our Creator’s Love Always.

Unity & Peace

DO YOU PRAY FOR LOCAL, NATIONAL AND WORLD LEADERS?

Today's promise: God is in charge of the world

Do you pray for local, national and world leaders?

Pray this way for kings and all others who are in authority, so that we can live in peace and quietness, in godliness and dignity.

1 Timothy 2:2 NLT

Prayers for kings and authorities

There is a reason Paul commands us to consistently pray for all of these people. The decisions they make have a direct, sometimes lasting, impact on our life. When the leaders of my country make good decisions, my life goes better. When the laws they pass are sound and just, my family sleeps better at night. When my church leaders make godly, spirit-directed decisions, my soul is in better hands. When my boss makes wise choices, the company grows and my job is secure. When my parents handle their affairs well and stay in God's will, I can depend on the counsel they give to be solid and sound. The strength of their character will affect our family for generations to come, so I fervently pray that God will grant them wisdom and godliness in all they say and do.

We pray for those in authority over us because it helps us live in "peace and quietness." And because it develops within us the traits of "godliness and dignity." In many ways these simple qualities sum up the whole of our Christian witness on earth.

We are called to be peaceful people — to be at peace with God, with our salvation, with our situation on earth, and with those around us. And we are to live holy and dignified lives — to put "aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light" (Romans 13:12). It is through consistent and deliberate prayer — for others, as well as ourselves — that these qualities are obtained.

Adapted from Embracing Eternity by Tim LaHaye, Jerry Jenkins and Frank M. Martin,, Tyndale House Publishers (2004), p 37

IS IT NOT REASSURING TO KNOW THAT GOD IS KING OF kings?

Today's promise: God is in charge of the world

Is it not reassuring to know that God is King of kings?

For the Lord is a great God, the great King above all gods.

Psalm 95:3 NLT

When the godly are in authority, the people rejoice. But when the wicked are in power, they groan. A just king gives stability to his nation…

Proverbs 29:2,4 NLT

Come, Thou Almighty King

Come, Thou Almighty King,
Help us Thy name to sing,
Help us to praise;
Father! all-glorious,
O'er all victorious,
Come, and reign over us,
Ancient of Days.
Come, Thou Almighty King (v1), AUTHOR UNKNOWN

Presidents, kings, and other ruling officials should be honored and prayed for. So wrote the apostles Peter and Paul, who lived under the Roman emperors. But we must never forget that the King of kings and Lord of lords deserves our ultimate honor and complete allegiance.

This hymn appeared anonymously in George Whitfield's Hymn Book, published in 1757. It is usually attributed to Charles Wesley, but was probably published anonymously for a good reason. Scholars think Wesley wrote this hymn as an imitation of the English national anthem, "God Save Our Gracious King." The national anthem had just been written, and it had become popular throughout England. This hymn may have been Wesley's way of keeping priorities straight.

Whether the author was trying to remind us that there is an almighty Kind greater than any earthly ruler, or whether he was simply writing it as a special hymn for Trinity Sunday, it is a grand and noble hymn praising our sovereign Lord.

Adapted from The One Year® Book of Hymns by Mark Norton and Robert Brown, Tyndale House Publishers (1995), entry for February 24

DO YOU SENSE GOD WORKING IN HISTORY TODAY?

Today's promise: God is in charge of the world

Do You Sense God Working in History Today?

O God, declare [my enemies] guilty. Let them be caught in their own traps.

Drive them away because of their many sins, for they rebel against you.

Psalm 5:10 NLT

A refuge to rejoice

Things didn't look good for Martin Luther when he was summoned to Augsburg in late October 1518. He was being charged with heresy. Up to this point Frederick the Wise, elector of Saxony, had protected Luther from the church authorities, but now the prince was under pressure to withdraw his protection. It seemed only a matter of time before he would.

In Augsburg, Luther was asked, "If the elector of Saxony abandons you, where will you find shelter?"

The Reformer responded, "Under the shelter of heaven."

In the last part of Psalm 5, we find that David, like Luther, trusted in the Lord to rescue him from his enemies. Did the psalmist escape from the trap? We don't know, but the psalm closes with "joyful praises," because David knew that he was now surrounded by God's protection. Like Martin Luther, he found refuge under the shelter of heaven.

Under his wings, O what precious enjoyment!
There will I hide till life's trials are o'er.
Sheltered, protected, no evil can harm me;
Resting in Jesus I'm safe evermore.
WILLIAM O. CUSHING

adapted from The One Year® Book of Psalms by William J. Petersen and Randy Petersen,, Tyndale House Publishers (1999), entry for January 8

HAVE YOU SEEN LEADERS UNABLE TO OVERCOME "DRAG COEFFICIENT"?

Today's promise: God is in charge of the world

Have you seen leaders unable to overcome "drag coefficient"?

O God, have mercy on me. The enemy troops press in on me. My foes attack me all day long. My slanderers hound me constantly, and many are boldly attacking me.

Psalm 56:1-2 NLT

Without wise leadership, a nation fails; with many counselors, there is safety.

Proverbs 11:14 NLT

The drag on leadership

Leaders have grand vision, and great visions are reached overnight.… Leadership by nature pushes against a high drag coefficient. Drag is the resistance air gives to the body of airplanes or automobiles as they move through air.… The drag on leadership is so great that it threatens to bring leaders to a grinding halt unless they have an extraordinary level of God-inspired perseverance.

Leadership is more about perseverance than about speed. Psalm 132:1 says, "Lord, remember David and all that he suffered." David was one of the greatest — and most successful — leaders in Israel's history, yet his life was marked by continual, extreme hardship.

For example, after the prophet Samuel anointed David as the next king of Israel, King Saul repeatedly attempted to kill David. David had to wander in the desert and in foreign lands for years as a fugitive with several hundred outcasts. David was the anointed leader of Israel, but he endured a lifetime of hardships as Israel's shepherd.

So don't be surprised by the drag coefficient of leadership. With God's help, you can endure it and overcome.
CRAIG BRIAN LARSON

adapted from Leadership Devotions compiled by the editors of Christianity Today International, Tyndale House Publishers (2001), pp 170-71

DO YOU DEEPLY MOURN YOUR SIN, OR CHOOSE CHEAP-GRACE-AND SIN AGAIN?

Today's promise: No temptation is too great

Do you deeply mourn your sin, or choose cheap grace—and sin again?

Immediately the Holy Spirit compelled Jesus to go into the wilderness. He was there for forty days, being tempted by Satan. He was out among the wild animals, and angels took care of him.

Mark 1:12-13 NLT

Mourning our sins

Lord, who throughout these forty days
For us didst fast and pray,
Teach us with Thee to mourn our sins,
And close by Thee to stay.

As Thou with Satan didst contend
And didst the victory win,
O give us strength in Thee to fight
In Thee to conquer sin.
Lenten Hymn (v1,2), CLAUDIA FRANCES HERNAMAN (1838-98)

We don't know a lot about the forty days Jesus spent in the desert before His temptation. We know it was a time of fasting and probably of prayer. When the devil came to Him, the conquering words of Scripture were quick on Jesus' tongue, so it may have been a time of meditation, a time of special communion with his Father.

This song draws the comparison between Jesus' forty days in the desert and the forty days of Lent. Traditionally, the Lenten season is a time of fasting. People "give up" something for Lent. The idea is not to punish ourselves, but to put aside something that may distract us from our communion with God. It is a time for special devotion to God, a time when He may "abide with us" in a special way. Lent is a time to refocus on our relationship with Christ.

adapted from The One Year® Book of Hymns by Mark Norton and Robert Brown, Tyndale House Publishers (1995), entry for February 16

TAMING THE UNTAMABLE

TAMING THE UNTAMABLE

READ:  James 3:1-12

No man can tame the

tongue. -James 3:8

From Vietnamese pot-bellied pigs to Siberian foxes, humans have learned to tame wild animals.  People enjoy teaching monkeys to “act” in commercials or training deer to eat out of their hands.  As the apostle James put it, “Every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and creature of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by mankind” (3:7).

But there is something we cannot tame.  All of us have trouble getting a little thing called the tongue under control.  “No man can tame the tongue” James tells us (v.8).

Why?  Because while our words may be on the tip of our tongue, they originate from deep within us.  “Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks” (Matthews 12:34).  And thus the tongue an be used for both good and evil (James 3:9).  Or, as scholar Peter Davids put it, “on the one hand [the tongue] is very religious, but, on the other, it can be most profane.”

If If we cannot tame this unruly tongue of ours, is it destined to be a daily problem for us, always prone to speak evil? (v.10).  By God’s grace, no.  We are not left to our own devices.  The Lord will “set a guard” over my mouth; He will “keep watch over the door of my lips” (Psalms 141:3).  He can tame the untamable.  -Dave Branon

Lord, my mouth sometimes speaks words that

don’t honor You.  Thank You that by Your Spirit 

my untamed tongue can be brought under divine

control, please guard my mouth today.

To rule your tongue, let Christ rule in your heart.

INSIGHT

James’s letter is filled with practical wisdom that deals with responding

to trials (ch.1), living out our faith (ch.2), taming the tongue (ch.3), interpersonal conflict (ch.4), and waiting on the Lord (ch.5).  James is sometimes called “the Proverbs of the New Testament.”