And he said, ‘Thus says the Lord, ‘I will make this dry streambed full of pools.’ for thus says the Lord, ‘You shall not see wind or rain, but that streambed shall be filled with water, so that you shall drink, you, your livestock, and your animals.”    2 Kings 3:16-17

The armies of the three kings were famishing and in need of water. God was about to send it, and in these words the prophet announced the coming blessing.

Here was a case of human helplessness: Not a drop of water could all the valiant men procure from the skies or find in the wells of earth. In similar fashion the people of the Lord are often at their wits’ end—seeing their helplessness, and then learning where their help is to be found.

Notice that people were to prepare in faith to receive the divine blessing. They were to dig the trenches in which the water would be held. The church must learn by her efforts and prayers to make herself ready to be blessed; she must make the pools, and the Lord will fill them. This must be done in faith, in the full assurance that the blessing is about to descend. They were soon to discover a unique provision of the water they required. The shower did not pour from the clouds, as in Elijah’s case; but in a silent and mysterious manner the pools were filled. The Lord has His own sovereign modes of action: He is not tied to process and time as we are but does as He pleases among the sons of men. Our part is to humbly receive from Him, and not to dictate to Him.

We must also notice the remarkable abundance of the supply—there was enough for the needs of all. And so it is in the gospel blessing. All the needs of the congregation and of the entire church will be met by divine power in answer to prayer; and above all this, victory shall be quickly given to the armies of the Lord.

What am I doing for Jesus? What trenches am I digging? O Lord, make me ready to receive the blessing that You are so willing to bestow.

The family reading plan for May 16, 2012

Isaiah 15 | 1 Peter 3

Deuteronomy 6:6-7

Proverbs 22:6 tells us, “Train up a child in the way he should go, even when he is old he will not depart from it.” What a great responsibility this places on parents. Records of royal lineage (1 Kings 15-16) illustrate that one’s level of submission to God is often mirrored in the offspring’s life.

Now, it’s true that children eventually grow and make their own decisions. There are godly parents who are heartbroken by their kids’ poor choices. Similarly, some from backgrounds full of sinful bondage become righteous people of integrity.

As mothers and fathers, we are given a momentous task: to model and teach how to live according to God’s Word. Thankfully, we don’t have to rely on ourselves for wisdom. Good parenting involves prayerful self-evaluation, godly counsel, and thoughtful course corrections.

Start by considering how you’d answer the following questions if your children were to walk in your way: What place will Jesus, the Word of God, and the church have in their lives? Will they seek God’s direction as the ultimate guide for decisions? Will they develop strong godly relationships? Will they know how to handle money wisely? Will they do their best in their vocation? As you seek answers, ask God to reveal truth, since self-examination can be difficult.

In prayerfully considering your impact as a parent, expect to see positives and negatives. The goal isn’t self-condemnation, so keep in mind 1) there’s no perfect parent and 2) it’s never too late. Even if the kids are grown, you can ask forgiveness, share what you’ve learned, and model a godly life starting now.

I was on a plane when the hype of Dan Brown’s Da Vinci Code was still on the upswing. Several seats ahead of me, a conversation about the scandalousstory was drawing otherwise subdued travelers out of their newspapers. “It makes you look at the church differently,” one voice said, triggering a quick “yes” from the woman beside her. Meanwhile, the passenger on my left, inspired by the conversation in front of us, described his distaste for Christianity as if it were a flavor of ice cream.  “Buddhism is far more interesting.”

The world we live in is globalized, pluralistic, and post-secular. It is also more like the first century than any of the previous centuries the church has lived through. In the centuries leading up to the time of Jesus, Jewish, secular, and pagan worldviews were living side by side then as they are now—and “Hellenism” is the term that denotes they were not living as wholly separated entities of thought. Much like the merging worldviews we find today, there was an embracing of various strands and streams of thought and life. Hellenism was everywhere, and it set the agenda for the pluralistic culture that would continue to develop under Roman rule. By the time Rome took power there was an unparalleled flow of people, resources, and philosophies central to one location. Cities became international stomping grounds for a wide variety of religions and ethnicities, as they similarly exist today.

As in the Roman world, people who confess belief live in an environment where there are not only multiple faith communities around them, there are faith communities spilling over into other faith communities, and worldviews embracing strands and fragments of other worldviews. In every society there are multiple, viable options for religious preference, and every hybrid option in between. Like a cafeteria of religious and non-religious choices, the consumer is able to choose based on appetite, comfort, or convenience.

For those whose beliefs are rooted more in conviction than comfort, it is easy to feel that we must inherently be cultural naysayers, gypsies who wander through this world unattached and (hopefully) unaffected. Where I live in Atlanta, I can see the effects of postmodern and pluralistic philosophies in the daily life of an international city where traditional southern values coexist with the voices of secularism, atheism, and every minor and major religion. But as a Christian like the apostle Paul within first century Rome, I don’t believe all is lost in the fog of a thousand religions. Far from this, as Paul discovered among the people of Athens, such a cultural context presents me with both risk and opportunity.

Of course, pluralism can indeed make us all something like the believers in Laodicea, and our apathy and illogic in making all religions the same can make us indistinct and irrelevant, neither hot nor cold, Christian, Jewish, or pagan. But pluralism can also present great opportunity for believers, as it did for Paul who used the signs of all religions to point specifically to one. Likewise, globalization can bring about questions that may not otherwise have been asked. Is Islam any different than Christianity? Is this particular tenet of my faith something scriptural or something cultural? Does American Christianity have anything in common with the practice of Christianity in China, Uganda, or Europe? So often it is the recognition of life outside our familiar worlds that brings the first glimpses of our own worldviews into focus. For those willing to receive it, our current context can be a provocative gift.

The world in which we find ourselves is full of fog and fallacies, but I believe it is also full of the unfailing love of God. For Christians who are aware of the kingdom of God among us, we need not be confined to cultural naysaying, but can live as visionaries of God’s grace, harbingers of hope, and catalysts for transformation. For we testify to the radical work of the cross in the world and in our hearts, and to the uniqueness of Jesus Christ who, unlike any other, exchanges guilt for grace, ashes for beauty, and sorrow for joy.

Jill Carattini is managing editor of A Slice of Infinity at Ravi Zacharias International Ministries in Atlanta, Georgia.

Morning   “Who giveth us richly all things to enjoy.”   1 Timothy 6:17

Our Lord Jesus is ever giving, and does not for a solitary instant withdraw his

hand. As long as there is a vessel of grace not yet full to the brim, the oil

shall not be stayed. He is a sun ever-shining; he is manna always falling round

the camp; he is a rock in the desert, ever sending out streams of life from his

smitten side; the rain of his grace is always dropping; the river of his bounty

is ever-flowing, and the well-spring of his love is constantly overflowing. As

the King can never die, so his grace can never fail. Daily we pluck his fruit,

and daily his branches bend down to our hand with a fresh store of mercy. There

are seven feast-days in his weeks, and as many as are the days,

so many are the banquets in his years. Who has ever returned from his door

unblessed? Who has ever risen from his table unsatisfied, or from his bosom

un-emparadised? His mercies are new every morning and fresh every evening. Who

can know the number of his benefits, or recount the list of his bounties? Every

sand which drops from the glass of time is but the tardy follower of a myriad of

mercies. The wings of our hours are covered with the silver of his kindness, and

with the yellow gold of his affection. The river of time bears from the

mountains of eternity the golden sands of his favour. The countless stars are

but as the standard bearers of a more innumerable host of blessings. Who can

count the dust of the benefits which he bestows on Jacob, or tell the number of

the fourth part of his mercies towards Israel? How shall my soul extol him who

daily loadeth us with benefits, and who crowneth us with loving-kindness? O that

my praise could be as ceaseless as his bounty! O miserable tongue, how canst

thou be silent? Wake up, I pray thee, lest I call thee no more my glory, but my

shame. “Awake, psaltery and harp: I myself will awake right early.”

Evening   “And he said, Thus saith the Lord, Make this valley full of ditches. For thus

saith the Lord, Ye shall not see wind, neither shall ye see rain; yet that

valley shall be filled with water, that ye may drink, both ye and your cattle,

and your beasts.”    2 Kings 3:16-17

The armies of the three kings were famishing for want of water: God was about to

send it, and in these words the prophet announced the coming blessing. Here was

a case of human helplessness: not a drop of water could all the valiant men

procure from the skies or find in the wells of earth. Thus often the people of

the Lord are at their wits’ end; they see the vanity of the creature, and learn

experimentally where their help is to be found. Still the people were to make a

believing preparation for the divine blessing; they were to dig the trenches in

which the precious liquid would be held. The church must by her varied agencies,

efforts, and prayers, make herself ready to be blessed; she

must make the pools, and the Lord will fill them. This must be done in faith,

in the full assurance that the blessing is about to descend. By-and-by there was

a singular bestowal of the needed boon. Not as in Elijah’s case did the shower

pour from the clouds, but in a silent and mysterious manner the pools were

filled. The Lord has his own sovereign modes of action: he is not tied to manner

and time as we are, but doeth as he pleases among the sons of men. It is ours

thankfully to receive from him, and not to dictate to him. We must also notice

the remarkable abundance of the supply–there was enough for the need of all.

And so it is in the gospel blessing; all the wants of the

congregation and of the entire church shall be met by the divine power in

answer to prayer; and above all this, victory shall be speedily given to the

armies of the Lord.

What am I doing for Jesus? What trenches am I digging? O Lord, make me ready to receive the blessing which thou art so willing to bestow.

. . . made perfect.   Hebrews 12:23

Remember that there are two kinds of perfection that the Christian needs—the perfection of justification in the person of Jesus, and the perfection of sanctification accomplished in him by the Holy Spirit. At present, corruption still remains even in the hearts of the regenerate—experience soon teaches us this. Within us there still are lusts and evil imaginations. But I rejoice to know that the day is coming when God shall finish the work that He has begun; and He will present my soul not only perfect in Christ, but perfect through the Spirit, without spot or blemish or any such thing.

Can it be true that this poor sinful heart of mine is to become holy even as God is holy? Can it be that this spirit, which often cries, “Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?”1 shall get rid of sin and death—that I will have no evil sounds to vex my ears, and no unholy thoughts to disturb my peace? May this happy hour come quickly! When I cross the Jordan, the work of sanctification will be finished; but not until that moment shall I ever claim perfection in myself. Then my spirit will have its last baptism in the Holy Spirit’s fire.

I think I long to die to receive that last and final purification that will usher me into heaven. An angel will not be any purer than I shall be, for I shall be able to say, in a double sense, “I am clean,” through Jesus’ blood and through the Spirit’s work. We should extol the power of the Holy Spirit who makes us fit to stand before our Father in heaven! Yet we must not allow the hope of perfection there to make us content with imperfection now. If it does this, our hope cannot be genuine; for a good hope is a purifying thing, even now. Grace must be at work in us now or it will not be perfected in us then. Let us pray to “be filled with the Spirit,”2 that we may increasingly bring forth the fruits of righteousness.

1Romans 7:24 2Ephesians 5:18

The family reading plan for May 15, 2012

Isaiah 14 | 1 Peter 2

Isaiah 61:1-3

No one’s childhood is perfect. What we experienced during those years has a profound impact, even into adulthood. Things we saw, heard, felt, and even things we did not feel can affect us later in life.

As one might expect, external influences do help to shape our personality. However, the result is not always predictable. For example, early years full of painful experiences leave deeps wounds in some, but in others, they contribute to the development of depth and perseverance.

Whether your younger years were joyful or painful, it can be valuable to consider what their impact was, back then as well as in the present. You might start by exploring your responses to key childhood events. Next, identify traits that you appreciated in your parents and others–qualities you’d like to nurture in your own life. Finally, think about people with characteristics that impacted you negatively. Ask God for healing and freedom from the patterns you may have developed in response. Then shift your focus to godly attributes you want to exhibit instead, such as peace, grace, and gentleness.

The heavenly Father wants to free you from any negative trends that took root early in life. He can break any unhealthy pattern and replace it with hope and deep satisfaction in Him.

As you explore the effects of childhood experiences, pray to see through a lens of truth. When you recognize ways that others negatively influenced you, pray for strength to forgive and God’s help in mending areas of brokenness–whether spiritual, emotional, relational, or mental

Morning   “All that believe are justified.”   Acts 13:39

The believer in Christ receives a present justification. Faith does not produce

this fruit by-and-by, but now. So far as justification is the result of faith,

it is given to the soul in the moment when it closes with Christ, and accepts

him as its all in all. Are they who stand before the throne of God justified

now?–so are we, as truly and as clearly justified as they who walk in white and

sing melodious praises to celestial harps. The thief upon the cross was

justified the moment that he turned the eye of faith to Jesus; and Paul, the

aged, after years of service, was not more justified than was the thief with no

service at all. We are today accepted in the Beloved, today absolved from

sin, today acquitted at the bar of God. Oh! soul-transporting thought! There

are some clusters of Eshcol’s vine which we shall not be able to gather till we

enter heaven; but this is a bough which runneth over the wall. This is not as

the corn of the land, which we can never eat till we cross the Jordan; but this

is part of the manna in the wilderness, a portion of our daily nutriment with

which God supplies us in our journeying to and fro. We are now–even now

pardoned; even now are our sins put away; even now we stand in the sight of God

accepted, as though we had never been guilty. “There is therefore now no

condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus.” There is not a sin in the Book

of God, even now, against one of his people. Who dareth to lay anything to

their charge? There is neither speck, nor spot, nor wrinkle, nor any such thing

remaining upon any one believer in the matter of justification in the sight of

the Judge of all the earth. Let present privilege awaken us to present duty, and

now, while life lasts, let us spend and be spent for our sweet Lord Jesus.

Evening    “Made perfect.”    Hebrews 12:23

Recollect that there are two kinds of perfection which the Christian needs–the

perfection of justification in the person of Jesus, and the perfection of

sanctification wrought in him by the Holy Spirit. At present, corruption yet

remains even in the breasts of the regenerate–experience soon teaches us this.

Within us are still lusts and evil imaginations. But I rejoice to know that the

day is coming when God shall finish the work which he has begun; and he shall

present my soul, not only perfect in Christ, but perfect through the Spirit,

without spot or blemish, or any such thing. Can it be true that this poor sinful

heart of mine is to become holy even as God is holy? Can it be that this

spirit, which often cries, “O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from

the body of this sin and death?” shall get rid of sin and death–that I shall

have no evil things to vex my ears, and no unholy thoughts to disturb my peace?

Oh, happy hour! may it be hastened! When I cross the Jordan, the work of

sanctification will be finished; but not till that moment shall I even claim

perfection in myself. Then my spirit shall have its last baptism in the Holy

Spirit’s fire. Methinks I long to die to receive that last and final

purification which shall usher me into heaven. Not an angel more pure than I

shall be, for I shall be able to say, in a double sense, “I am clean,” through

Jesus’  blood, and through the Spirit’s work. Oh, how should we extol the power of the

Holy Ghost in thus making us fit to stand before our Father in heaven! Yet let

not the hope of perfection hereafter make us content with imperfection now. If

it does this, our hope cannot be genuine; for a good hope is a purifying thing,

even now. The work of grace must be abiding in us now or it cannot be perfected

then. Let us pray to “be filled with the Spirit,” that we may bring forth

increasingly the fruits of righteousness.

He will gather the lambs in his arms; he will carry them in his bosom.

Isaiah 40:11

Who is He of whom such gracious words are spoken? He is the Good Shepherd. Why does He carry the lambs in His bosom? Because He has a tender heart, and any weakness at once melts His heart. The sighs, the ignorance, the feebleness of the little ones of His flock draw forth His compassion. It is His office, as a faithful High Priest, to consider the weak. Besides, He purchased them with blood; they are His property: He must and will care for those who cost Him so dearly. Then He is responsible for each lamb, bound by covenant love not to lose one. Moreover, they are all a part of His glory and reward.

But how may we understand the expression, “he will carry them”? Sometimes He carries them by not permitting them to endure much trial. Providence deals tenderly with them. Often they are carried by being filled with an unusual degree of love, so that they bear up and stand fast. Though their knowledge may not be deep, they have great sweetness in what they do know. Frequently He carries them by giving them a very simple faith, which takes the promise just as it stands and in childlike trust runs with every trouble straight to Jesus. The simplicity of their faith gives them an unusual degree of confidence, which carries them above the world.

He carries the lambs “in his bosom.” Here is boundless affection. Would He put them in His bosom if He did not love them much? Here is tender nearness: They are so near that they could not possibly be nearer. Here is a holy relationship: There are precious love-passages between Christ and His weak ones. Here is perfect safety: In His bosom who can hurt them? They must hurt the Shepherd first. Here is perfect rest and sweetest comfort. Surely we are not sufficiently aware of the infinite tenderness of Jesus!

The family reading plan for May 14, 2012

Isaiah 13 | 1 Peter 1

Ephesians 6:1-4

If children don’t learn to honor parents, the disrespect spills over into their adult lives, affecting every other relationship. When they have children, the problem accelerates into the next generation. Soon an entire society is plagued with disrespect in homes, schools, and workplaces. This sounds like our generation, doesn’t it?

Our culture is disrespectful because parents have abdicated their responsibility. Instead of standing in the place of honor that God has given them, they have stepped down and tolerated insolent behavior from their children. Here are several reasons:

Ignorance about discipline: Some parents fail to recognize that disrespect is a serious matter that calls for immediate action. If you let such attitudes and behaviors continue, you’re not raising your child according to biblical guidelines.

Misunderstanding about love: In their desire to be loved, some moms and dads try to be a child’s friend instead of parent. But if children see you as their equal, they are less likely to respect or love you.

Overwhelmed by busyness: Teaching children to honor you takes time, effort, and consistency. But many parents today are too busy and preoccupied to work seriously at this task. They have no energy reserves to tackle disrespectful attitudes and behaviors.

If you have children at home, are you training them to be respectful? When you are strong and firm in a loving way, you’re establishing your God-given position as an honored parent. Our children don’t come to us knowing that the Lord commands them to respect us. It’s our job to teach them.

Morning   “And will manifest myself to him.”  John 14:21

The Lord Jesus gives special revelations of himself to his people. Even if

Scripture did not declare this, there are many of the children of God who could

testify the truth of it from their own experience. They have had manifestations

of their Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ in a peculiar manner, such as no mere

reading or hearing could afford. In the biographies of eminent saints, you will

find many instances recorded in which Jesus has been pleased, in a very special

manner to speak to their souls, and to unfold the wonders of his person; yea, so

have their souls been steeped in happiness that they have thought themselves to

be in heaven, whereas they were not there, though they were well

nigh on the threshold of it–for when Jesus manifests himself to his people, it

is heaven on earth; it is paradise in embryo; it is bliss begun. Especial

manifestations of Christ exercise a holy influence on the believer’s heart. One

effect will be humility. If a man says, “I have had such-and-such spiritual

communications, I am a great man,” he has never had any communion with Jesus at

all; for “God hath respect unto the lowly: but the proud he knoweth afar off.”

He does not need to come near them to know them, and will never give them any

visits of love. Another effect will be happiness; for in God’s presence there

are pleasures for evermore. Holiness will be sure to follow. A man who

has no holiness has never had this manifestation. Some men profess a great

deal; but we must not believe any one unless we see that his deeds answer to

what he says. “Be not deceived; God is not mocked.” He will not bestow his

favours upon the wicked: for while he will not cast away a perfect man, neither

will he respect an evil doer. Thus there will be three effects of nearness to

Jesus–humility, happiness, and holiness. May God give them to thee, Christian!

Evening  “Fear not to go down into Egypt; for I will there make of thee a great nation: I

will go down with thee into Egypt; and I will also surely bring thee up again.”

Genesis 46:3-4

Jacob must have shuddered at the thought of leaving the land of his father’s

sojourning, and dwelling among heathen strangers. It was a new scene, and likely

to be a trying one: who shall venture among couriers of a foreign monarch

without anxiety? Yet the way was evidently appointed for him, and therefore he

resolved to go. This is frequently the position of believers now–they are

called to perils and temptations altogether untried: at such seasons let them

imitate Jacob’s example by offering sacrifices of prayer unto God, and seeking

his direction; let them not take a step until they have waited upon the Lord for

his blessing: then they will have Jacob’s companion to be their friend and

helper. How blessed to feel assured that the Lord is with us in all our ways,

and condescends to go down into our humiliations and banishments with us! Even

beyond the ocean our Father’s love beams like the sun in its strength. We cannot

hesitate to go where Jehovah promises his presence; even the valley of

deathshade grows bright with the radiance of this assurance. Marching onwards

with faith in their God, believers shall have Jacob’s promise. They shall be

brought up again, whether it be from the troubles of life or the chambers of

death. Jacob’s seed came out of Egypt in due time, and so shall all the faithful

pass unscathed through the tribulation of life, and the terror of death. Let

us exercise Jacob’s confidence. “Fear not,” is the Lord’s command and his

divine encouragement to those who at his bidding are launching upon new seas;

the divine presence and preservation forbid so much as one unbelieving fear.

Without our God we should fear to move; but when he bids us to, it would be

dangerous to tarry. Reader, go forward, and fear not.

Only be strong and very courageous.   Joshua 1:7

The tender love of God for His servants makes Him concerned for how they feel inside. He wants them to be courageous. Some people think it is okay for a believer to be vexed with doubts and fears, but God does not think so. From this text it is clear that our Master does not want us entangled with fears. He desires for us to live without fretfulness, doubt, and cowardice. Our Master does not think as lightly of our unbelief as we do. When we are despondent, we are subject to a grievous ailment that is not to be trifled with but instead taken at once to the beloved Physician.

Our Lord does not like to see our faces sad. It was a law of Ahasuerus that no one should come into the king’s court dressed in mourning: This is not the law of the King of kings, for we may come to Him in mourning. But He still would have us put off the spirit of heaviness and put on the garment of praise, for there are so many reasons to rejoice. The Christian ought to be of a courageous spirit, in order that the Lord may be glorified when trials are bravely endured.

The fearful and fainthearted dishonor their God. Besides, what a bad example it is. This disease of doubtfulness and discouragement is an epidemic that spreads quickly among the Lord’s flock. One downcast believer makes twenty souls sad.

Moreover, unless your courage is kept up, Satan will be too much for you. Let your spirit be joyful in God your Savior; the joy of the Lord shall be your strength, and no fiend of hell shall make headway against you. But cowardice lets the banner fall. Moreover, work is easy for the cheerful spirit; and success waits upon cheerfulness. The workers, rejoicing in their God, believing with all their heart, have success guaranteed.

To sow in hope will be to reap in joy; therefore, dear reader, “be strong and very courageous.”

The family reading plan for May 11, 2012

Isaiah 9:7-21 , 10:1-4 | James 3

 John 3:1-21

Faith isn’t something we can lay claim to because we were born to believing parents or have citizenship in a Christian country. Nor can we attain it by attending or even teaching Sunday school, though I’ve often heard such incorrect assertions. Instead, the following should be true of genuine believers.

A clear understanding of the gospel is essential for a person to believe and receive the good news of Jesus Christ. His death on the cross was the only sacrifice required to remove our sins. God offers His grace as a gift to anyone who will receive it.

A definite decision at a particular point in time serves as a sort of landmark of the heart and mind. People do not just slip into Christianity; faith in Jesus must be chosen. Believers are those who have made a deliberate decision to trust the Lord and follow in His ways.

A blessed assurance follows the clear-cut decision so that believers can be certain of their salvation. God wants confident, assured children (1 John 5:13).

A visible symbol of what happens when someone receives the Savior–namely, baptism–illustrates dying to one’s old ways and rising to new life in Christ Jesus. Believers are to take this step as a public way of identifying with Him (Matt. 28:19).

A man or woman of faith chooses to surrender to Christ, embraces the Word of God, and lives fully for the Lord. True believers no longer muddle through the practices of religion out of habit, but instead worship and rejoice in a vibrant personal relationship with the Lord.

In spite of the proverbial certainty of death and taxes, the human psyche has always dreamed of discovering loopholes in whatever mechanisms fix the limits. Yet though it might be possible to cheat on one’s taxes, “cheating death” remains a phrase of wishful-thinking applied to incidences of short-lived victories against our own mortality. Eventually, death honors its ignominious appointment with all of us, calling the bluff of the temptation to believe that we are the masters of our own destiny. But despite the universal, empirical verification of its indiscriminate efficiency, we continue to be constantly surprised whenever death strikes. Only a painfully troubled life can be so thoroughly desensitized against its ugliness as to not experience the throbbing agony of the void it creates within us whenever the earthly journey of a loved one comes to an end.

Such a peculiar reaction to an otherwise commonplace occurrence points strongly to the fact that this world is not our home. As Ecclesiastes 3:11 explains, God has put eternity in our hearts, and therefore the mysterious notion that we are not meant to die is no mere pipe dream: it sounds a clarion call to the eternal destiny of our souls. If the biblical record is accurate, there is no shame or arrogance in pitching our hopes for the future as high as our imaginations will allow. Actually, the danger is that our expectations may be too low, for “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him” (1 Corinthians 2:9). Far from being the accidental byproducts of a mindless collocation of atoms, we are indestructible beings whose spiritual radars, amidst much static noise, are attuned to our hearts’ true home.

Trouble begins, however, when we try to squeeze that eternal existence into our earthly lives in a manner that altogether denies our finite natures. We do so whenever we desensitize ourselves against the finality of death through repeated exposure to stage-managed destruction of human life through the media. Or we zealously seek ultimate fulfillment in such traitorous idols as pleasure, material wealth, professional success, power, and other means, without taking into account the fleeting nature of human existence. Or we broach the subject of death only when we have to, and even then we feel the need to couch it in palatable euphemisms. With some of our leading intellectuals assuring us that we have pulled ourselves up by our own bootstraps and we therefore have no need for God, the only thing missing from our lives seems to be the tune of “Forever Young” playing in the cosmic background.  A visitor from outer space would probably conclude that only the very unlucky ones die, while the rest of us are guaranteed endless thrill-rides through space aboard this green planet.

But such a visitor would promptly be treated to the rude awakening that even the most self-assured of human beings are still in transit. While it is possible to sustain a façade of total control within the confines of material comforts, a functional government, and a reasonable distance from the darker side of human suffering, this opportunity is not equally shared around the globe. It would take a very specialized form of education to believe in the ability of human beings to control their own destiny when hundreds of people are being put to the sword, homes are being razed to the ground, and your neighbors are fleeing for their lives—a scenario my family lived through in Kenya. Unlike their counterparts elsewhere, news anchors in this part of the world rarely preface their gruesome video clips with viewer discretion warnings, and so the good, the bad, and the ugly are all deemed equally fit for public consumption.

Affronted by such an in-your-face, unapologetic reality of human mortality, one finds oneself face to face with a dilemma: why should you devote all of your energy to making a meaningful difference in the world if it is true that everything done under the sun will eventually amount to zero? Once one has come to the conclusion that the emperor has no clothing, what sense does it make to keep up with the pretense? Sadly, some see through the emptiness and choose to end their own lives. From a naturalistic perspective, that seems to be a perfectly consistent step to take.

Yet the Bible grasps this nettle with astounding authority. Not only has God placed a yearning for our true home in our hearts, God has also promised to cloth the perishable with the imperishable and the mortal with immortality through Christ’s own death (1 Corinthians 15:54). In the meantime, the light of the gospel shines an eternal perspective upon our service unto God and humanity, fusing all of our activities with significance. When the call of God has been answered, nothing that is done in obedience to the Father, as the Son himself confirmed in life and death, is ever trivial. Thus even in the face of suffering and death, as a follower of Christ, I neither bury my head in the sand nor grope blindly in total darkness. With faithfulness and joy, I enthusiastically render service to my God,

And when my task on earth is done,
When by thy grace the victory’s won,
Even death’s cold wave I will not flee,
Since God through Jordan leadeth me.(1)

J.M. Njoroge is a member of the speaking team at Ravi Zacharias International Ministries in Atlanta, Georgia.

Morning   “I am with you alway.”   Matthew 28:20

It is well there is One who is ever the same, and who is ever with us. It is

well there is one stable rock amidst the billows of the sea of life. O my soul,

set not thine affections upon rusting, moth-eaten, decaying treasures, but set

thine heart upon him who abides forever faithful to thee. Build not thine house

upon the moving quicksands of a deceitful world, but found thy hopes upon this

rock, which, amid descending rain and roaring floods, shall stand immovably

secure. My soul, I charge thee, lay up thy treasure in the only secure cabinet;

store thy jewels where thou canst never lose them. Put thine all in Christ; set

all thine affections on his person, all thy hope in his merit, all

thy trust in his efficacious blood, all thy joy in his presence, and so thou

mayest laugh at loss, and defy destruction. Remember that all the flowers in the

world’s garden fade by turns, and the day cometh when nothing will be left but

the black, cold earth. Death’s black extinguisher must soon put out thy candle.

Oh! how sweet to have sunlight when the candle is gone! The dark flood must soon

roll between thee and all thou hast; then wed thine heart to him who will never

leave thee; trust thyself with him who will go with thee through the black and

surging current of death’s stream, and who will land thee safely on the

celestial shore, and make thee sit with him in heavenly places

forever. Go, sorrowing son of affliction, tell thy secrets to the Friend who

sticketh closer than a brother. Trust all thy concerns with him who never can be

taken from thee, who will never leave thee, and who will never let thee leave

him, even “Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, and today, and forever.” “Lo, I am

with you alway,” is enough for my soul to live upon, let who will forsake me.

Evening   “Only be thou strong and very courageous.”   Joshua 1:7

Our God’s tender love for his servants makes him concerned for the state of

their inward feelings. He desires them to be of good courage. Some esteem it a

small thing for a believer to be vexed with doubts and fears, but God thinks not

so. From this text it is plain that our Master would not have us entangled with

fears. He would have us without carefulness, without doubt, without cowardice.

Our Master does not think so lightly of our unbelief as we do. When we are

desponding we are subject to a grievous malady, not to be trifled with, but to

be carried at once to the beloved Physician. Our Lord loveth not to see our

countenance sad. It was a law of Ahasuerus that no one should come into

the king’s court dressed in mourning: this is not the law of the King of kings,

for we may come mourning as we are; but still he would have us put off the

spirit of heaviness, and put on the garment of praise, for there is much reason

to rejoice. The Christian man ought to be of a courageous spirit, in order that

he may glorify the Lord by enduring trials in an heroic manner. If he be fearful

and fainthearted, it will dishonour his God. Besides, what a bad example it is.

This disease of doubtfulness and discouragement is an epidemic which soon

spreads amongst the Lord’s flock. One downcast believer makes twenty souls sad.

Moreover, unless your courage is kept up, Satan will be too much for

you. Let your spirit be joyful in God your Saviour, the joy of the Lord shall

be your strength, and no fiend of hell shall make headway against you; but

cowardice throws down the banner. Moreover, labour is light to a man of cheerful

spirit; and success waits upon cheerfulness. The man who toils, rejoicing in his

God, believing with all his heart, has success guaranteed. He who sows in hope

shall reap in joy; therefore, dear reader, “be thou strong, and very

courageous.”

. . . The only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.  John 1:14

Believer, you can bear your testimony that Christ is the only Son from the Father, as well as the firstborn from the dead. You can say, “He is divine to me, even if He is regarded as simply human by the world. He has done for me what only God could do. He has subdued my stubborn will, melted a rebellious heart, opened gates of brass, and snapped bars of iron. He has turned my mourning into laughter and my desolation into joy; He has left my captivity captive and made my heart rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory. Let others think of Him as they will—to me He must be the only Son from the Father: Blessed be His name.

And He is full of grace. If He had not been, I would never have been saved. He drew me when I struggled to escape from His grace; and when at last I came trembling like a condemned culprit to His mercy-seat He said, ‘Take heart, My son; your sins are forgiven.’ And He is full of truth. His promises have been true; not one has failed. I testify that no servant ever had such a master as He; no brother ever had such a relative as He has been to me; no spouse ever had such a husband as Christ has been to my soul; no sinner ever had a better Savior, no mourner a better comforter than Christ has been to my spirit.

He is all I need! In life He is my life, and in death He will be the death of death; in poverty Christ is my riches; in sickness He is my great physician; in darkness He is my star, and in brightness He is my sun; He is the manna of the camp in the wilderness, and it is He who makes the feast in the promised land. Jesus is to me all grace and no wrath, all truth and no falsehood: And of truth and grace He is full, infinitely full.

My soul, tonight bless with all your might ‘the only Son.'”

The family reading plan for May 10, 2012

Isaiah 8 , 9:1-7 | James 2

 Matthew 5:14-15

Every Sunday countless people all over the world sit in church buildings with a false sense of security. They assume that their morality, lifelong church membership, or baptism will earn them a place in heaven. While many of these folks sincerely desire to please God, they are confused about what the Christian life is all about. They think in terms of doing rather than being. So they imitate the actions of good Christians: going to a weekly service, praying, reading the Bible, and trying to be decent people.

However, salvation is not the product of good works. We come into the world with a corrupt nature, and all our wrongdoing is born of a heart turned away from the Lord. Because we are sinful people, we sin. It’s that simple. The good news is that in the salvation experience, we are given a brand-new nature (2 Cor. 5:17). Our sin is wiped away because Jesus Christ sacrificed Himself for us. From the moment we trust in Him, the Holy Spirit dwells in our heart so that we can live righteously.

The world values action, but the Father prioritizes relationship–specifically a right relationship with Him. People who scurry about flaunting religiosity are missing out on the deeply satisfying and joyous intimacy between a believer and the Lord.

We can help turn others’ tragic misunderstanding into triumph by being ready to explain why we have hope (1 Peter 3:15). Speak of the personal relationship with Christ that’s possible when a person admits his need and trusts in the Savior. If your light shines, it reflects well on the church.

Is the Christian faith intellectual nonsense? Does God really transform us?

“If God exists and takes an interest in the affairs of human beings, his will is not inscrutable,” writes Sam Harris about the 2004 tsunami in Letter to a Christian Nation. “The only thing inscrutable here is that so many otherwise rational men and women can deny the unmitigated horror of these events and think this is the height of moral wisdom.”(1) In his article “God’s Dupes,” Harris argues, “Everything of value that people get from religion can be had more honestly, without presuming anything on insufficient evidence. The rest is self-deception, set to music.”(2) Oxford zoologist Richard Dawkins similarly suggests that the idea of God is a virus, and we need to find software to eradicate it. Somehow if we can expunge the virus that led us to think this way, we will be purified and rid of this bedeviling notion of God, good, and evil.(3) Along with a few others, these atheists call for the banishment of all religious belief. “Away with this nonsense” is their battle cry. In return, they promise a world of new hope and unlimited horizons once we have shed this delusion of God.

I have news for them, however—news to the contrary. The reality is that the emptiness that results from the loss of the transcendent is stark and devastating, philosophically and existentially. Indeed, the denial of an objective moral law, based on the compulsion to deny the existence of God, results ultimately in the denial of evil itself. Furthermore, one would like to ask Dawkins: Are we morally bound to remove that virus? Somehow he himself is, of course, free from the virus and can therefore input our moral data.

In an attempt to escape what they call the contradiction between a good God and a world of evil, atheists try to dance around the reality of a moral law (and hence, a moral law giver) by introducing terms like “evolutionary ethics.”  The one who raises the question against God in effect plays God while denying God exists. Now one may wonder: Why do you actually need a moral law giver if you have a moral law? The answer is because the questioner and the issue he questions always involves the essential value of a person. You can never talk of morality in abstraction. Persons are implicit to the question and the object of the question. In a nutshell, positing a moral law without a moral law giver would be equivalent to raising the question of evil without a questioner. So you cannot have a moral law unless the moral law itself is intrinsically woven into personhood, which means it demands an intrinsically worthy person if the moral law itself is valued. And that person can only be God.

In reality, our inability to alter what is actual frustrates our grandiose delusions of being sovereign over everything. Yet the truth is we cannot escape the existential rub by running from a moral law. Objective moral values exist only if God exists. Is it all right, for example, to mutilate babies for entertainment? Every reasonable person will say “no.” We know that objective moral values do exist. Therefore, God must exist. Examining those premises and their validity presents a very strong argument.

Of course, the world does not understand what the absoluteness of the moral law is all about. Some get caught, some don’t get caught. Yet who of us would like our hearts exposed on the front page of the newspaper today?  Have there not been days and hours when like the apostle Paul, you’ve struggled within yourself, and said, “I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do…. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?” (Romans 7:15, 24). Each of us knows this tension and conflict within if we are honest with ourselves.

In that spirit, we ought to take time to reflect seriously upon the question, “Has God truly wrought a miracle in my life? Is my own heart proof of the supernatural intervention of God?” In the West where we go through seasons of new-fangled theologies, the whole question of “lordship” plagued our debates for some time as we asked, is there such a thing as a minimalist view of conversion?  “We said the prayer and that’s it.” Yet how can there be a minimalist view of conversion when conversion itself is a maximal work of God’s grace? “Old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17). In a strange way we have minimized every sacred commitment and made it the lowest common denominator. What might my new birth mean to me? That is a question we seldom ask. Who was I before God’s work in me, and who am I now?

The first entailment of coming to know the God of transformation is the new hungers and new pursuits that are planted within the human will. I well recall that dramatic change in my own way of thinking. There were new longings, new hopes, new dreams, new fulfillments, but most noticeably a new will to do what was God’s will. This new affection of heart—the love of God wrought in us through the Holy Spirit—expels all other old seductions and attractions. The one who knows Jesus Christ begins to see that her own misguided heart is impoverished and in need of constant submission to the will of the Lord—spiritual surrender. The hallmark of conversion is to see one’s own spiritual poverty. Arrogance and conceit ought to be inimical to the life of the believer. A deep awareness of one’s own new hungers and longings is a convincing witness both to God and God’s grace within.

Ravi Zacharias is founder and chairman of the board of Ravi Zacharias International Ministries.

 (1) Sam Harris, Letter to a Christian Nation (New York: Knopf, 2006), 48.
(2) Sam Harris, “God’s Dupes,” The Los Angeles Times (March 15, 2007). Article available at http://www.samharris.org/site/full_text/gods-dupes1/
(3) Richard Dawkins, “Viruses of the Mind,” 1992 Voltaire Lecture (London: British Humanist Association, 1993), 9.

Morning    “But now is Christ risen from the dead.”    1 Corinthians 15:20

The whole system of Christianity rests upon the fact that “Christ is risen from

the dead;” for, “If Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your

faith is also vain: ye are yet in your sins.” The divinity of Christ finds its

surest proof in his resurrection, since he was “Declared to be the Son of God

with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the

dead.” It would not be unreasonable to doubt his deity if he had not risen.

Moreover, Christ’s sovereignty depends upon his resurrection, “For to this end

Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead

and living.” Again, our justification, that choice blessing of the

covenant, is linked with Christ’s triumphant victory over death and the grave;

for “He was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our

justification.” Nay, more, our very regeneration is connected with his

resurrection, for we are “Begotten again unto a lively hope by the resurrection

of Jesus Christ from the dead.” And most certainly our ultimate resurrection

rests here, for, “If the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell

in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal

bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.” If Christ be not risen, then shall

we not rise; but if he be risen then they who are asleep in Christ have not

perished,   but in their flesh shall surely behold their God. Thus, the silver thread of

resurrection runs through all the believer’s blessings, from his regeneration

onwards to his eternal glory, and binds them together. How important then will

this glorious fact be in his estimation, and how will he rejoice that beyond a

doubt it is established, that “now is Christ risen from the dead”!

“The promise is fulfill’d,

Redemption’s work is done,

Justice with mercy’s reconciled,

For God has raised his Son.”

Evening   “The only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.”    John 1:14

Believer, you can bear your testimony that Christ is the only begotten of the

Father, as well as the first begotten from the dead. You can say, “He is divine

to me, if he be human to all the world beside. He has done that for me which

none but a God could do. He has subdued my stubborn will, melted a heart of

adamant, opened gates of brass, and snapped bars of iron. He hath turned for me

my mourning into laughter, and my desolation into joy; he hath led my captivity

captive, and made my heart rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory. Let

others think as they will of him, to me he must be the only begotten of the

Father: blessed be his name. And he is full of grace. Ah! had he not

been, I should never have been saved. He drew me when I struggled to escape

from his grace; and when at last I came all trembling like a condemned culprit

to his mercy-seat, he said, Thy sins which are many are all forgiven thee: be of

good cheer.’ And he is full of truth. True have his promises been, not one has

failed. I bear witness that never servant had such a master as I have; never

brother such a kinsman as he has been to me; never spouse such a husband as

Christ has been to my soul; never sinner a better Saviour; never mourner a

better comforter than Christ hath been to my spirit. I want none beside him. In

life he is my life, and in death he shall be the death of death; in poverty

Christ is my riches; in sickness he makes my bed; in darkness he is my star,

and in brightness he is my sun; he is the manna of the camp in the wilderness,

and he shall be the new corn of the host when they come to Canaan. Jesus is to

me all grace and no wrath, all truth and no falsehood: and of truth and grace he

is full, infinitely full. My soul, this night, bless with all thy might the only

Begotten.'”

Come, my beloved, let us go out into the fields . . . Let us . . . See whether the vines have budded.   Song of Songs 7:11

The bride was about to engage in hard work and desired her beloved’s company in it. She does not say, “I will go,” but “let us go.” In like fashion, it is a blessing to work when Jesus is at our side! It is the business of God’s people to be trimmers of God’s vines. Like our first parents, we are put into the garden of the Lord for usefulness; let us then go out into the fields.

When God’s people are thinking properly, they desire to enjoy communion with Christ. Some may imagine that they cannot serve Christ actively and still have fellowship with Him; they are mistaken. There is no doubt that we may easily neglect our inward life in outward exercises and be forced to say, “They made me keeper of the vineyards, but my own vineyard have I not kept!”1 There is no reason why this should be the case except for our own foolishness and neglect. It is certain that a professing Christian may do nothing and end up just as lifeless in spiritual things as those who are most busy.

Mary was not praised for sitting still, but for her sitting at Jesus’ feet. Even so, Christians are not to be praised for neglecting duties under the pretense of having secret fellowship with Jesus: It is not sitting, but sitting at Jesus’ feet that is commendable. Do not think that activity is in itself an evil: It is a great blessing and a means of grace to us. Paul called it a grace given to him to be allowed to preach; and every form of Christian service may become a personal blessing to those engaged in it. Those who have most fellowship with Christ are not recluses or hermits, who have time on their hands, but tireless workers who are toiling for Jesus and who, in their endeavor, have Him side by side with them, so that they are workers together with God.

Let us remember then, in anything we have to do for Jesus, we can do it and should do it in close communion with Him.

1Song of Solomon 1:6

The family reading plan for May 9, 2012

Isaiah 7 | James 1

1 Corinthians 12:18-26

When I talk about serving the church with God-given talents and gifts, people oftentimes think too small. They picture the choir singer or the Sunday school teacher. But if they don’t happen to be naturallly adept at singing or teaching, they give up.

It’s time we stop thinking in terms of a “Sunday only” establishment. The church is not a place or a time; it is a body of believers, each one uniquely gifted by God to guide, help, challenge, and support the rest. In fact, most service to the Lord doesn’t take place inside the church building. It happens out in the world, where we do all the things that Scripture commands.

Most believers are not in a position to influence a lot of people. When we act or speak, only those closest to us notice, but a chain reaction ripples outward to affect an entire community. Paul’s metaphor of body parts working together harmoniously is a helpful description of how one small action can have a widespread impact. Consider the way tensing your big toe keeps your foot stable and thereby steadies your whole body. In the same way, a gentle rebuke, a listening ear, or a loving deed benefits the church by strengthening one brother or sister, who then supports another…

We are on this earth to serve the kingdom of God and His church. And we do that by ministering to each other in small ways that steady the whole body as we give extra support to one member. In talking about such service, I am challenging you to find a need that God can meet through you.