All posts by broboinhawaii

Bible believing christian worshiping God in Hawaii and Pennsylvania
Alistair Begg

Truth for Life; Alistair Begg – The College of Contentment

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For I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content.

 Philippians 4:11

These words show us that contentment is not a natural propensity of man. Weeds grow easily. Covetousness, discontent, and murmuring are as natural to man as thorns are to the soil. We do not need to sow thistles and brambles; they come up naturally enough, because they are indigenous to earth. And so we do not need to teach men to complain; they complain fast enough without any education.

But the precious things of the earth must be cultivated. In order to have wheat, we must plow and sow; if we want flowers, there must be the garden, and all the gardener’s care.

Now, contentment is one of the flowers of heaven, and if we would have it, it must be cultivated; it will not grow in us by nature. It is the new nature alone that can produce it, and even then we must be specially careful and watchful that we maintain and cultivate the grace that God has sown in us. Paul says, “I have learned . . . to be content,” as much as to say he did not know how at one time. It cost him some pains to discover that great truth. No doubt he sometimes thought he had learned, and then broke down. And when at last he had attained to it and could say, “I have learned in whatsoever situation I am to be content,” he was an old, gray-headed man, upon the borders of the grave–a poor prisoner shut up in Nero’s dungeon at Rome.

We might well be willing to endure Paul’s infirmities and share the cold dungeon with him, if we also might by some means attain to his good stature. Do not indulge the notion that you can be contented with learning or learn without discipline. It is not a power that may be exercised naturally but a science to be acquired gradually. We know this from experience. Christian, hush that murmur, even though it is natural, and continue as a diligent pupil in the College of Contentment.

 

One-Year Bible Reading Plan

 

 

http://www.truthforlife.org

Kids 4 Truth

Kids4Truth Clubs Daily Devotional – God Heals Broken Hearts

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“He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds.” (Psalm 147:3)

What is a “broken heart”? Have you ever had one? We use the expression when we talk about the deepest kind of grief a heart can feel. Broken hearts are often caused by a hurtful change in a relationship with another person. If someone you love dies, or if you have to say good-bye to a friend, or if someone close to you does something to hurt you deeply, you might say that you have a broken heart. But those are just the surface causes for a broken heart. Do you know what really causes broken hearts? All of the grief, death, and sadness we experience came into our world as the result of human sin.

Jesus’ heart was broken once too. Psalm 69:20 looks ahead to the time when Jesus died on the cross for our sins. “Reproach hath broken my heart; and I am full of heaviness.” Jesus’ heart was not broken because of His own sin; He never sinned. It was broken because of ours. All the sins of the whole world were laid on Him when He suffered and died. During those hours on the cross, He endured the awful wrath of God the Father in our place. The precious relationship Jesus had with His Father, closer and more satisfying than anything we could know, was broken while He bore our sin.

Does your God understand what your broken heart feels like? He not only understands, but He also knows how to heal it. Through Jesus Christ’s suffering and death on the cross, He made a way for you to come directly to Him with your broken heart. Your grief may be the result of your own sin or someone else’s. Or it may be the result of sin’s effects on our fallen world. Whatever the cause, God promises to gently care for your hurting heart.

The God whose heart was broken for sin will heal your broken heart.

My Response:
» Have I brought my broken heart to God for healing?

The post God Heals Broken Hearts appeared first on EquipU Online Library.

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Denison Forum

Denison Forum – Tim Keller’s cancer update: Hopeful lessons in hard places

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Bestselling author and pastor Tim Keller recently shared an update on his battle with pancreatic cancer. As a result of the prayers of many and his chemotherapy treatments, he has seen a “significant decrease in [the] size and number of tumors.” He stated, “I still have cancer, but this is excellent news,” and added, “What the future holds I do not know, but we will continue to trust his plan and allow him to shepherd us along his chosen path.”

Keller especially learned to trust God in hard places when he was battling thyroid cancer a few years ago. He explained, “It was both an intellectual and emotional experience: You’re facing death, you’re not sure you’re going to get over the cancer. And the rigorous intellectual process of going through all the alternative explanations for how the Christian Church started. Except the resurrection, none of them are even tenable. It was quite an experience.”

That experience inspired his bestseller, The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism, enabling millions of people to profit from his pain and make his hope their own.

Beware “contempt for misfortune” 

We can learn from the pain of others, or we can ignore it to our loss.

Following former President Trump’s impeachment by the House and acquittal by the Senate, 58 percent of Americans say he should have been convicted. This number reflects the sharp partisan divide in our nation: 88 percent of Democrats agreed, as did only 14 percent of Republicans.

People in other countries probably watched news of the proceedings with the same detachment Americans watch the political travails of other countries. Brexit, for instance, was of passing interest to me but compellingly urgent to the British. By contrast, the below-zero temperatures we are battling in Texas are undoubtedly more urgent for me than for those in the UK.

It is human nature to care less about problems that don’t affect us than those that do. In reading through the book of Job, I recently found this remarkable observation: “In the thought of one who is at ease there is contempt for misfortune” (Job 12:5a). This is true of us all.

 

A lesson for every church and ministry 

However, if we fail to learn from the challenges of others, we are far more likely to fail when we meet similar challenges ourselves. The verse we just cited continues to warn us that misfortune “is ready for those whose feet slip” (v. 5b). No exceptions or qualifications are noted.

This fact is especially relevant in light of the unfolding scandal involving Ravi Zacharias and the ministry he founded. Yesterday, we identified three ways we should respond personally to disclosures that the world-famous apologist engaged in horrific acts of sexual abuse.

Today, let’s focus on a key lesson we need to learn for the sake of our churches, ministries, and cultural influence: we must respond immediately and objectively to claims of impropriety. 

David French’s article on Ravi Zacharias International Ministries (RZIM) and its response to allegations against their founder is heartbreaking. It describes a pattern of denial on the part of the board and other ministry leaders. At times, those who sought to investigate charges against Zacharias were reportedly ostracized and marginalized.

Tragically, such a response is unsurprising. Zacharias had built an international reputation for brilliance and integrity. Those who felt they knew him best deceived themselves into believing that they knew him better than those who brought allegations against him. We have seen the same pattern repeated in churches and ministries across denominational lines and around the world.

How Jesus taught us to handle conflict 

This is why Jesus’ four-stage prescription for resolving conflict is so vital.

First, “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone” (Matthew 18:15). We are not permitted to speak about people before we speak to them. When we become aware of an issue, we are to go directly to the person. (In instances of abuse, a person may not feel safe confronting their abuser. If you have suffered abuse, please report it to a counselor or other trusted professional.)

Second, “If he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses” (v. 16). This step requires investigation by objective parties and must be thorough.

Third, “If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church” (v. 17a). This step requires public exposure of the issue and a call for repentance and resolution.

Fourth, “If he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector” (v. 17b). This step requires excluding the person from the church or ministry.

 

Practical questions we must answer now 

Let’s apply Jesus’ prescription by asking some practical questions:

  • Does your church or ministry have a system whereby employees and others can safely report allegations of abuse or other improprieties?
  • Are the electronic devices of your leaders and employees open to screening at any time? (This was a major problem with RZIM.) I recommend Covenant Eyesfor technology accountability; it is important that your church or ministry utilizes a system for transparency.
  • What commitments to personal integrity do you require of your leaders? For example, are they permitted to be alone with a person who is not their spouse or family? Are their calendars accountable to others?
  • Is someone in your church or ministry holding leaders accountable for personal integrity? As the great Howard Hendricks warned, sin thrives in isolation. Mark Turman, our senior fellow for leadership, recommends giving the leaders of your church permission to interview the pastor’s spouse two to three times a year regarding the pastor’s health. These and other regular steps are vital for leaders and those they lead.
  • Are your leaders accountable and transparent with regard to their use of ministry funds? Travel? Personal finances?
  • Are your church or ministry members praying regularly for the spiritual health of their leaders?

I often note that God redeems all he allows. One way he wants to redeem the Ravi Zacharias scandal is by using it to lead churches and ministries around the world to greater accountability and integrity.

But the time to act is now. Once a scandal erupts, it will be too late to prevent it.

Let’s close with this declaration by the psalmist to the king of his day: “You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness. Therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness beyond your companions” (Psalm 45:7).

May Christians everywhere be able to say the same of their leaders, to the glory of God.

 

Denison Forum

Max Lucado

Upwords; Max Lucado –The Seal of the Spirit

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Listen to Today’s Devotion

God never promises the absence of distress on your new-beginning journey, but he does promise the assuring presence of his Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit invisibly, yet indispensably, serves as a rudder for the ship of your soul, keeping you afloat and on track. This is no solo journey that you’re on. The Spirit seals you. To protect a letter, you seal the envelope. Sealing declares ownership and secures contents.

 

When you accepted Christ, God sealed you with the Spirit. Ephesians 1:13 says, “When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit.” When hell’s interlopers come seeking you to snatch you from God, the seal turns them away. He bought you, he owns you, he protects you. God paid too high a price to leave you unguarded. You have the promise and presence of the Holy Spirit.

 

http://www.maxlucado.com

News and Info

A Layman’s Guide to Penumbral Reasoning – American Thinker

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A Layman’s Guide to Penumbral Reasoning

 

For over 50 years, constitutional scholars, and Supreme Court justices in particular, have used “penumbral reasoning” as one means to explain rulings expanding the Constitution of the United States.  Law schools describe it as “reasoning by interpolation.”  To put that in graphic terms, if you’re drawing a graph on paper, reasoning by interpolation allows you to extend the line off of the paper.  I’m not a constitutional scholar, but I don’t think that’s necessary to see that this can lead to a very dark place.

In legal terms, when a justice says they’re using penumbral reasoning, they’re admitting that the next thing they say is not actually written in the Constitution.  They’re using it as an interpretive instrument to claim that if the Founders were alive today, “They would put what I’m about to rule in the Constitution.”

Penumbras have been debated in legal papers for many years.  But in 1965, Justice William O. Douglas used penumbral reasoning in the majority opinion of Griswold v. Connecticut to declare that a right to privacy exists in the Constitution — even though it’s not written anywhere.  He then used this newly discovered “right” to find that a ban on contraceptives was therefore unconstitutional.  A right to privacy seems like a logical inclusion in the constitution.  But rather than five justices declaring it a right, why didn’t we add it to the Constitution with an amendment?  It couldn’t have been that difficult to get ¾ of the population to agree that they wanted privacy.  With an amendment, we could have avoided all the resulting controversy.

Instead, justices have been exploring the limits of penumbral logic ever since.  That’s how they “discovered” that a right to abortion is included in the Constitution.  They’ve become the test pilots, taking us for a ride while they “push the envelope” — only we don’t get a parachute.

To understand it better, let’s take a look at what a penumbra is.  The dictionary definition of a penumbra is the lighter area around the edge of a shadow.  When a legal scholar uses it, they’re saying that they see something emanating from the shadows of the Constitution — it’s there, even though it’s not written.  It’s a natural outgrowth of, or inherent in, something that is written.  Here’s the way I understand it: If you have a few drinks, squint your eyes, and look sideways, you can kinda sorta imagine what the Founders would write, even though they didn’t write it.  It’s perfectly straightforward.  The justices are saying that they can read the minds of political giants that have been dead for hundreds of years.  How humble of them.

The Supreme Court decided that the Supreme Court can declare that the Constitution means something it doesn’t say — without concurrence of the citizenry.  Isn’t that a bit like a king granting himself unlimited power over the serfs, and then saying it’s legal because the king gave himself the authority to write the rules?  What could possibly go wrong?

Maybe we can understand what could go wrong by looking at the application of penumbral reasoning to other legal venues.  How do you think a penumbral argument would go in a civil case?  Let me illustrate: You hire a builder to construct a new home for your family.  You enter into a contract with the builder to construct a single-family dwelling with three bedrooms.  But, by the time the home is completed, you’ve added another baby to the family.  You inform the builder that he’s in breach of the contract because you now need a four-bedroom home.  You file a lawsuit.  In court, you argue that the contract should have evolved with changing circumstances.  The requirement for a four-bedroom home was always there — as a penumbra, emanating from the requirement for a single-family dwelling.  How do you think this lawsuit will turn out?

Penumbral reasoning is absurd for contract law, and it’s also absurd for constitutional law.  If the words don’t have concrete meanings, the documents they are written on become meaningless.  Just because an argument originated with a scholar doesn’t make it any less asinine.  It just proves that Ivy League credentials do not bestow wisdom.

Let’s look at what this type of interpretation has led to. It started innocuously enough.  The justices used it to grant us a constitutional right to privacy.  That doesn’t seem like a bad thing.  Who could argue with that?  However, it did put us on the proverbial “slippery slope.”  Now that the Supreme Court has granted itself the authority to “read between the lines” of the Constitution, they’ve started finding other stuff.  Now they’ve discovered that we have a constitutional right to contraception, abortion, and same-sex marriage.  I’m not arguing that any of these things are good or bad.  I’m saying that they should have been debated by the citizenry, not nine Supreme Court justices.

What about the argument that the Constitution needs to evolve with the changing needs of our society?  Of course, it does.  But the use of penumbral arguments is an arrogation of power from the people to robed overlords.  It’s also a lazy man’s method of achieving constitutional changes without selling them to his fellow citizens.

The correct way to evolve the Constitution is through the amendment process.  Yes, it’s difficult and time consuming — and that’s a feature, not a bug.  By requiring broad buy-in, public debate is driven and consensus is achieved — or not.  With consensus, future controversy is minimized.

Is it possible that Roe v. Wade was not an example of the Constitution evolving with society, but rather of the Supreme Court dragging society towards their worldview?  How different would our debates about abortion be if ¾ of the citizenry had agreed on the legality of the practice in 1973?  If you answer, “But we would have never gotten it passed,” then you’ve just made my point.

 

By John Green

 

John Green is a political refugee from Minnesota, now residing in Star, Idaho. He is a retired engineer with over 40 years of experience in the areas of product development, quality assurance, organizational development, and corporate strategic planning. He can be reached at greenjeg@gmail.com.

 

 

 

Source: A Layman’s Guide to Penumbral Reasoning – American Thinker

Charles Stanley

In Touch Ministries; Charles Stanley – God’s Guidance for Finances

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Malachi 3:7-12

When God created the heavens and earth, He carried out His plan with purpose. Nothing was haphazard, late, or uncertain. The same could be said regarding His plans for each of His children. Every aspect of our life, including our finances, is under His watchful eye and providential care. But despite His perfect record of faithfulness, money is one of the most difficult things for us to entrust to Him. We foolishly think that we can do a better job of handling our money than the omniscient, all-powerful God.

In Malachi’s time, the Jews had stopped trusting the Lord. One indication of the people’s distrust was their failure to give the tithes required by biblical law. God accused them of robbing Him, and they were suffering financial hardship as a result.

Sometimes Christians find that believing the Lord for salvation is easy, and yet they doubt He’ll keep His promise when it comes to money. Our willingness to give God the first portion of our income or resources is a test of our trust in Him. And the truth is, we can fully rely on Him because He promises to meet all of our needs (Phil. 4:19). Take a step of obedience today, and discover how faithful God is.

Bible in One Year: Numbers 20-22

 

 

http://www.intouch.org/

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — Spitting Image

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Bible in a Year:

The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.

Colossians 1:15

Today’s Scripture & Insight:  Colossians 1:15–23

During an outing, we met a woman who had known my husband’s family since he was a child. She looked from Alan to our son, Xavier. “He’s the spitting image of his daddy,” she said. “Those eyes. That smile. Yep. Looks just like him.” As the woman delighted in acknowledging such a strong resemblance between father and son, she even noted similarities in their personalities. Still, though they are alike in many ways, my son doesn’t reflect his father perfectly.

There’s only one Son—Jesus—who reflects His Father completely. Christ is the “image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation” (Colossians 1:15). In Him and through Him and for Him all things were created (v. 16). “He is before all things, and in him all things hold together” (v. 17).

We can spend time in prayer and Bible study, discovering the Father’s character by looking at Jesus—God in the flesh. He invites us to witness His love in action by examining how He interacts with others in Scripture and in our day-to-day living. After surrendering our lives to Christ and receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit, we can grow in knowing and trusting our loving Father. He transforms us to reflect His character, so we can live for Him.

What a joy it would be if others could say we look just like Jesus!

By:  Xochitl Dixon

Reflect & Pray

What character trait of Jesus have you seen cultivated in your life over the last year? What trait would you like to cultivate in the coming year?

Jesus, please help me know You more as You make me more like You!

 

 

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John MacArthur

Grace to You; John MacArthur – God Knows Everything

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“Great is our Lord, and abundant in strength; His understanding is infinite” (Psalm 147:5).

God knows everything, and so He knows our sin.

Our time in history has been called “the Information Age.” Computers work around the clock storing the glut of information from all branches of knowledge. And this flood of data is growing bigger all the time. Without the help of advanced technology, we could process and interpret only a tiny fraction of it.

In contrast, God is omniscient; He knows everything. Our Scripture for today says, “His understanding is infinite.” Isaiah asks, “Who has directed the Spirit of the Lord, or as His counselor has informed Him? With whom did He consult and who gave Him understanding? And who taught Him in the path of justice and taught Him knowledge, and informed Him of the way of understanding?” (40:13-14). The answer to all those questions is, “No one.”

Since His knowledge is infinite, God never learns anything, nor does He forget anything. When you pray, you’re not telling God something He doesn’t know. He merely chooses to work through our prayers.

God knows every detail of our lives. Jesus says, “The very hairs of your head are all numbered” (Luke 12:7). God doesn’t have to count them because He intrinsically knows how many there are. He also knows all our thoughts (Isa. 66:18). David says, “Even before there is a word on my tongue, behold, O Lord, Thou dost know it all” (Ps. 139:4). In that same psalm, David goes on to say, “Even the darkness is not dark to Thee” (v. 12). You can’t hide anything from the knowledge of God.

God’s omniscience should be a deterrent to our sinning. Think about some of the wrongs you did as a child when your parents weren’t around. You never would have done those things in front of them because you didn’t want to be punished. And you might have gotten away with a few things. But “God will bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil” (Eccles. 12:14). Even though the eternal penalty for sin has been paid by Christ, God still disciplines us when we sin (Heb. 12:5-11). Is there anything in your life you would be ashamed about if God knew? If so, repent, because He does know!

Suggestions for Prayer

Praise God for His infinite knowledge.

For Further Study

Read David’s praise for God’s omniscience in Psalm 139:1-6. What specific areas of God’s knowledge does he mention?

Additional Resources

 

 

http://www.gty.org/

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Are You Exhausted?

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And Jesus said to them, The Sabbath was made on account and for the sake of man, not man for the Sabbath; so the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.

— Mark 2:27-28 (AMPC)

Are you excessively tired all the time, even after getting a full night’s sleep? Have you been to doctors, but they can’t find anything wrong with you? You might be experiencing some of the symptoms of burnout. Long periods of overexertion and stress can cause constant fatigue, headaches, sleeplessness, digestive problems, tension, and other issues.

Some other signals of burnout are crying, negativity, irritability, depression, cynicism, or even bitterness toward others’ blessings. God established the law of resting on the seventh day to help us keep from burning out. The law of the Sabbath simply says we can work six days, but by the seventh, we need to rest and spend time worshiping God. He rested after six days of work, not because He gets tired, but so we would follow the pattern.

In Exodus 23:10-12, we read that even the land had to rest after six years, and the Israelites were told not to sow in it the seventh year. During this rest, everything recovered and prepared for future harvests. People today are often quick to argue that they can’t afford to take a day off, but I say that they can’t afford not to do it. We often hear, “I’m too busy to take a break. I would never get everything done if I did that.”

My answer is, “Then you’re too busy and something needs to change in your life.” When we’re too busy to follow God’s instructions, we will pay the price eventually. Remember, the Bible says we reap what we sow. If we sow continual stress with no rest or time to recover, we will reap the results in our bodies, emotions, and minds. So I want to encourage you to start to take steps toward resting more. When you honor God with your time, you’ll reap the benefits of rest.

Prayer Starter: Father, please help me to be more intentional to trust You enough to rest when I need to. Thank You in advance for teaching me how to balance work and rest in a healthy way. In Jesus’ name, amen.

 

 

http://www.joycemeyer.org

Alistair Begg

Truth for Life; Alistair Begg – To Him Be the Glory

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To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity.

 2 Peter 3:18

Heaven will be full of the ceaseless praises of Jesus. Eternity! Your unnumbered years shall run their everlasting course, but forever and forever; “to him be the glory.” Is He not a “priest forever after the order of Melchizedek”? “To him be the glory.” Is He not king forever—King of kings and Lord of lords, the everlasting Father? “To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity.” His praises shall never end.

That which was bought with blood deserves to last while immortality endures. The glory of the cross must never be eclipsed; the luster of the grave and of the resurrection must never be dimmed. O Jesus, You will be praised forever. So long as immortal spirits live—as long as the Father’s throne endures—forever, forever, unto You shall be glory.

Believer, you are anticipating the time when you will join the saints above in ascribing all glory to Jesus; but are you glorifying Him now? The apostle’s words are, “To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity.” Will you not today make it your prayer? Lord, help me to glorify You. I am poor; help me to glorify You by contentment. I am sick; help me to give You honor by patience. I have talents; help me to extol You by spending them for You. I have time, Lord; help me to redeem it, that I may serve You. I have a heart to feel; Lord, let that heart feel no love but Yours, and glow with no flame but affection for You. I have a mind to think, Lord; help me to think of You and for You. You have put me in this world for something. Lord, show me what that is, and help me to work out my life-purpose. I cannot do much, but as the widow put in her two copper coins, which were all her living, so, Lord, I cast my time and eternity too into Your treasury. I am all Yours; take me, and enable me to glorify You now, in all that I say, in all that I do, and with all that I have.

 

One-Year Bible Reading Plan

 

 

http://www.truthforlife.org

Kids 4 Truth

Kids4Truth Clubs Daily Devotional – God Loves the Truth

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“He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he.” (Deuteronomy 32:4)

Does God ever lie? No, He cannot lie. He is a God of truth and does not sin, so He never says anything that is not true. Everything in His Word is absolutely true.

God wants us to tell the truth, too. Have you ever told a lie? Sometimes we plan ahead of time to tell a lie, maybe to cover a mistake we’ve made. Maybe your little brother rubs a whole can of red Play-Doh into the carpet because you weren’t paying attention when you were babysitting him, so you decide that when your mom gets home, you’ll tell her that it happened when you had to go answer the phone.

Other times, lies just sort of slip out when we’re under pressure. Maybe your dad asks if you fed the dog, and you say you did – even though you didn’t – because you’re in the middle of a video game and don’t want to stop.

We have all lied about something, and sometimes we don’t take those lies seriously. Lying is sin. In fact, the Bible even says that God hates lying. In Proverbs 6, God lists six things He hates. Only one sin is listed twice in that list: lying! God wants us to tell the truth. When we tell a lie, we need to confess our sin to God, and then we need to confess our sin to the person we lied to and tell the truth instead.

God is Truth, and He hates lies.

My Response:
» Have I been telling the truth? Do I need to confess a lie – to God and to the person I lied to?

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Denison Forum

Denison Forum – Responding to the Ravi Zacharias scandal: Three biblical steps every Christian must take now

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FILE – In this May 29, 2020 file photo, images of Ravi Zacharias are displayed in the Passion City Church during a memorial service for him in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson, File)

Note: The impeachment and acquittal of former President Trump by the Senate raise vital questions for our culture and our future. However, given the urgency of today’s topic, I will postpone my response to the impeachment proceedings until tomorrow’s Daily Article.

Witnessing the fall of someone we greatly admire elicits deep, painful emotions. We feel betrayed by them and embarrassed that we trusted them. The more public our faith in them, the more public our shame and the deeper our anger. We wonder if there is anyone we can truly trust. If they were part of a larger movement, that movement’s reputation is disgraced along with them.

These emotions describe the way many of us have felt since allegations of sexual abuse first began surfacing against Ravi Zacharias, one of the best-known and most admired evangelicals of our generation. I wrote at his death of my gratitude for his life and legacy. Then horrendously sinful personal stories began to surface.

Last Friday, the report of the law firm hired by Ravi Zacharias International Ministries to investigate these stories was made public. The scathing twelve-page document is heartbreaking. I will not describe here what it describes, but it includes evidence of rape, other acts of sexual abuse, and numerous extramarital relationships.

Christianity Today and others are reporting on the details of this scandal. My purpose today is to consider it in the context of spiritual warfare and to identify three biblical lessons we must each learn today, before this story becomes our story tomorrow.

One: Grieve for the victims 

Jesus warned us that Satan “was a murderer from the beginning” and “a liar and the father of lies” (John 8:44). Our Savior also told us that “the thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy” (John 10:10). Whenever we find death, lies, theft, and destruction, we know that our spiritual enemy has been at work.

This is what happened to the victims of Ravi Zacharias’ sins. Each person he abused is someone made in God’s image and beloved by our Father. How I would feel if this happened to my wife is how we should all feel today.

We are told to “weep with those who weep” (Romans 12:15). Try to imagine how these victims have felt over these years. Then pray for their healing and for the body of Christ to demonstrate his compassion and grace to them.

And remember that sin always affects the innocent. Satan loves to use one sin to destroy as many lives as he can. The next time you are tempted with “private” sin, remember the victims of Ravi Zacharias’ sins. The women he abused will never forget their pain, and his family and colleagues are shamed and grieving as well.

 

Two: Expect private sin to become public 

Here is how Satan’s strategy with so-called “private” sin works: “Each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death” (James 1:14–15).

Is tempted is in the present tense, showing that temptation is an ever-present reality for us all. Lured means to be “dragged away.” Enticed means to catch by use of bait, as in trapping an animal or catching a fish.

The Greek syntax of sin when it is fully grown indicates that this result is not inevitable; we can stop sin before it reaches this stage. However, we must confess our sin immediately (1 John 1:8–10) because sin begins to metastasize immediately. Otherwise, the result is physical and spiritual death (Luke 15:32; Ephesians 2:1; Revelation 20:14). The Bible consistently warns us that “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23; cf. Ezekiel 18:20).

The next time you are tempted by “private” sin, see this temptation as bait in a cage. And know that its consequences will be far worse than its rewards, for you and everyone who knows you. I will repeat a statement I have made often over the years: sin will always take you further than you wanted to go, keep you longer than you wanted to stay, and cost you more than you wanted to pay. Always.

Three: Repent now 

The Bible reveals: “We do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12). We includes every Christian. What Satan did to Ravi Zacharias, he wants to do to you and to me today.

If you are harboring “secret” sin that has not yet been exposed, don’t believe Satan’s lie that you will be the one person who will get away with it. Your Enemy is waiting until you climb even further up the ladder so that your fall will be even more devastating to you and all those you hurt on the way down.

If this could happen to Ravi Zacharias, it can happen to any of us.

I have known several “fallen” ministers over the years. The ways their private sins were made public were so unusual and unpredictable that none could have imagined being found out as they were.

If you are living in unrepented sin, you are climbing a ladder that will collapse under you when Satan chooses. Get off it now with confession, repentance, and contrition. Read 1 John 1:9, then claim its truth as God’s promise for your soul.

 

What to do if you’re walking on ice 

I am writing this morning in the midst of the worst winter weather we have seen in the Dallas area for decades. The storm began last Thursday, leading to a 135-vehicle wreck in Ft. Worth that killed six people and injured dozens more. Transportation in our region is largely shut down today.

One reason is that ice fell before the snow began, coating our bridges and roads. As a result, under the snow we can see is a sheet of ice we cannot see. When we walk or drive on the snow, the ice it is hiding can be dangerous and even deadly.

When ice is under your feet, the safest thing you can do is get on your knees and crawl to safety.

Do it now.

 

 

Denison Forum

Max Lucado

Upwords; Max Lucado –More than Job Ever Dreamed

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Listen to Today’s Devotion

If you underline any passage in the book of Job, underline this verse: “I had heard about you before, but now I have seen you” (Job 42:5). Job sees God—and that is enough. But it isn’t enough for God. The years to come find Job with his health restored. His lap is once again full of children and grandchildren. A new beginning indeed.

 

If Job ever wonders why God doesn’t bring back the children he has taken away, he doesn’t ask. Maybe he knows that his children could never be happier than they are in the presence of this One he has seen so briefly. Something tells me that Job would do it all again if that’s what it would take to hear God’s voice and stand in his presence. For God gave Job more than Job ever dreamed. God gave Job himself.

 

Begin Again

 

For more inspirational messages please visit Max Lucado.

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – Sunday Reflection: Turning to God in Times of Frustration

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To get the most out of this devotion, set aside time to read the Scripture referenced throughout.

In the book of Hebrews, we find encouragement for God’s people to persevere and draw near to Him. (See Heb. 10:19-22.) When facing all kinds of difficulties, many of us have a tendency to power through in our own strength. But the reality is, that’s never effective—at least not for long. Instead, God wants us to come closer to Him.

All too often, our frustrations about life impact our ability to submit to God and be intimately connected with Him. Trusting our Father requires humility—we must remember He alone knows all. But we also need to keep in mind that He loves us more than anyone can grasp.

When we stay focused on Jesus, we can take comfort in knowing He’ll lead us through the hard places (Isa. 41:10-13). As you continue walking with Him, trust that He already knows what will happen in your life—and that regardless of what lies ahead, He will never leave you.

THINK ABOUT IT
• This week, set aside a few minutes of extra prayer time to ask God to reveal His care for you—especially any situations or relationships where you’ve possibly overlooked His presence. You may be surprised just how active He is in your daily life.

Bible in One Year: Numbers 17-19

 

 

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Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — Sending Out an SOS

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Bible in a Year:

I sought the Lord, and he answered me.

Psalm 34:4

Today’s Scripture & Insight:Psalm 34:1–10

When the hut of a settler in a mountainous region of Alaska caught fire, the settler was left without adequate shelter and with few provisions in the coldest state in the US—in the middle of a frigid winter. Three weeks later, the man was finally rescued when an aircraft flew over and spied the large SOS he had stamped out in the snow and darkened with soot.

The psalmist David was certainly in dire straits. He was being pursued by jealous King Saul who sought to kill him. And so he fled to the city of Gath, where he pretended to be insane in order to preserve his life (see 1 Samuel 21). Out of those events emerged Psalm 34, where David cried out in prayer to God and found peace (vv. 4, 6). God heard his pleas and delivered him.

Are you in a desperate situation and crying out for help? Be assured that God still hears and responds to our desperate prayers today. As with David, He’s attentive to our distress calls and takes away our fears (v. 4)—and sometimes even saves us “out of [our] troubles” (v. 6).

Scripture invites us to “cast [our] cares on the Lord and he will sustain [us]” (Psalm 55:22). When we turn our difficult circumstances over to God, we can trust that He’ll provide the help we need. We’re secure in His capable hands.

By:  Alyson Kieda

Reflect & Pray

When have you felt peace after crying out to God? When has He rescued you from a desperate situation?

Loving Father, thank You for hearing my prayers and bringing comfort, peace—whatever I need most. And thank You especially for rescuing me from my sin.

 

 

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John MacArthur

Grace to You; John MacArthur – The Joy of Glorification

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God will perfect His work in you “until the day of Christ Jesus” (Phil. 1:6).

Someday God will glorify and reward every believer.

For Christians there’s an element of truth to the bumper sticker that reads, “Please be patient, God isn’t finished with me yet.” We aren’t what we used to be, but there’s much to be done to make us all He wants us to be. Yet God’s work within us is so sure and so powerful, Scripture guarantees its completion.

Pondering that guarantee led Bible expositor F.B. Meyer to write, “We go into the artist’s studio and find there unfinished pictures covering large canvas, and suggesting great designs, but which have been left, either because the genius was not competent to complete the work, or because paralysis laid the hand low in death; but as we go into God’s great workshop we find nothing that bears the mark of haste or insufficiency of power to finish, and we are sure that the work which His grace has begun, the arm of His strength will complete” (The Epistle to the Philippians [Grand Rapids: Baker, 1952], p. 28).

The completion of God’s work in you will come at a future point in time that Paul calls “the day of Christ Jesus” (Phil. 1:6). Scripture also speaks of “the day of the Lord,” which is the time of God’s judgment on unbelievers, but “the day of Christ Jesus” refers to when believers will be fully glorified then rewarded for their faithful service (cf. 1 Cor. 3:10-15). All your earthly cares will be gone and God’s promise to keep you from stumbling and make you stand in His presence blameless with great joy will be fully realized (Jude 24).

Concentrating on what is wrong in your life might depress you, but focusing on the glorious day of Christ should excite you. Don’t be unduly concerned about what you are right now. Look ahead to what you will become by God’s grace.

Suggestions for Prayer

  • Reflect on the joy that is yours because you belong to an all-powerful God who is working mightily in you. Express your joy and praise to Him.
  • Read 1 Chronicles 29:11-13 as a prayer of praise to God.

For Further Study

Read Revelation 7:9-17 and 22:1-5. What glimpses do those passages give you of the activities of glorified believers in heaven?

From Drawing Near by John MacArthur Copyright © 1993. Used by permission of Crossway Books, a division of Good News Publishers, Wheaton, IL 60187, www.crossway.com.

Additional Resources

 

 

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Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Praise in Troubled Times

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Trust in, lean on, rely on, and have confidence in Him at all times . . .

— Psalm 62:8 (AMPC)

Adapted from the resource My Time with God – by Joyce Meyer

It’s important that we’re intentional to thank, praise, and love God both in troubled times and in good times—it might be even more important to do it then. Anyone can be thankful and joyful when things are going their way because they have lots of good emotions to support them, but when times are tough, we have to bypass how we feel and praise God in spirit.

Once after I’d finished three teaching sessions at a church, the next day I woke up with the stomach flu—not what I had planned, that’s for sure! I decided to give God extra praise and thanksgiving and tell Him I loved Him even more than usual that day, even thanking Him out loud at different times. I wasn’t grateful for the stomach flu, but I had plenty to be grateful for in the midst of it.

One benefit was that I stayed in bed all day, and that is something I almost never do! The rest was probably good for me. It also stirred up compassion in me for other people who are sick, including a few people I knew who were currently taking chemotherapy. I feel that if we can continue to praise God when our circumstances aren’t good, we are giving Him the highest kind of praise.

No matter what’s going on in your life, I want to encourage you to praise God, be thankful, and shower words of love and affection on Him. It will bring you closer to Him, and strengthen you as you go through the difficulty.

Prayer Starter: Father, I want to be more intentional to bless You at all times, both good and bad. Help me remember that I don’t have to feel like being grateful to give thanks! Thank You for always being present with me, no matter what I’m going through. In Jesus’ name, amen.

 

 

http://www.joycemeyer.org

Alistair Begg

Truth for Life; Alistair Begg –All We Need for Today

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And for his allowance, a regular allowance was given him by the king, according to his daily needs, as long as he lived.

 2 Kings 25:30

Jehoiachin was not sent away from the king’s palace with provision to last him for months, but it was given to him as a daily supply. In this He provides us with a picture of the happy position of all the Lord’s people. A daily portion is all that a man really wants.

We do not need tomorrow’s supplies; that day has not yet dawned, and its wants are as yet unborn. The experience that we may suffer in the month of June does not need to be quenched in February, for we do not feel it yet; if we have enough for each day as the days arrive, we shall never know want. Sufficient for the day is all that we can enjoy. We cannot eat or drink or wear more than the day’s supply of food and clothing; the more we have, the more we have to store, and we worry about it being stolen. One cane helps a traveler, but a bundle of sticks is a heavy burden. Enough is not only as good as a feast, but it is all that the greediest glutton can truly enjoy.

This is all that we should expect; a craving for more than this is ungrateful. When our Father does not give us more, we should be content with his daily allowance. Jehoiachin’s case is ours; we have a sure portion, a portion given to us by the king, a gracious portion, and a perpetual portion. Here is surely ground for thankfulness.

Beloved Christian reader, in matters of grace you need a daily supply. You have no store of strength. Day by day you must seek help from above. It is a very happy assurance that you are provided with a regular allowance. In the Word, through the ministry, by meditation, in prayer, and waiting upon God you will receive renewed strength. In Jesus everything you need is provided for you. So enjoy your continual allowance. Never go hungry while the daily bread of grace is on the table of mercy.

 

One-Year Bible Reading Plan

 

 

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Kids 4 Truth

Kids4Truth Clubs Daily Devotional – God Is Our Refuge

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“I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge, and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.” (Psalm 91:2)

In the news, we hear a lot about refugees. We talk about those people, and we see pictures of them on TV. But who are they really? They are people who are looking for safety and help. For one reason or another they have been put out of their homes and villages – usually because of war – and are seeking a new place to live and a brand new start in life. We have refugees come to the United States sometimes because they can’t live in their own countries anymore. Just as those people are looking for a safer, better place to live and raise their families, you and I are spiritual refugees. We are searching for a safe place, a refuge – and we find it in God.

The dictionary defines refuge as “a source of help, relief, or comfort in times of trouble.” How is God my refuge? Psalm 91:2 refers to a spiritual refuge, not necessarily a physical one. When we are tempted to sin, what do we do? We need to find a place to get away from the temptation so that we don’t sin. God provides that place. When we are tempted to sin we can run to Him, pray, and ask His help – and He will be our refuge, our source of help and comfort, our safe place.

Next time you are faced with temptation and don’t know what to do, run to God, your refuge. Talk to Him, read His Word, and let Him protect you and be your hiding place from sin and temptation.

God provides safety from all spiritual danger.

My Response:
» Is there any temptation that I need to resist by fleeing to God for protection?

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The Gloriously Inappropriate and Problematic ‘Blues Brothers’

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The gloriously inappropriate and problematic “Blues Brothers” (1980) could never get made in today’s culture of woke fascism.

 

 

Under the belief it was the movie that would most offend today’s Woketards, last week I wrote about the gloriously inappropriate and problematic Animal House (1978). Finding myself in a Belushi mood, a few days later, I watched his next hit, 1980’s The Blues Brothers, and quickly realized today’s Hitler Youth would hate this one even more — a whole lot more.

You have no idea how blessed I was to come of age in the 70s and 80s, two of the freest decades, not only in our country’s history but in world history. By 1970, Hollywood’s self-censoring Production Code had been dismantled, the great Norman Lear had pushed the boundaries of television with his masterpiece All in the Family, and suddenly nothing and no one was off-limits. There were no more sacred cows. No limits on satire. No protected groups.

And do you want to know the best part? Almost all the satire was good-natured. When a Carlin, Pryor, Lear, and Saturday Night Live took a shot at you, you couldn’t help but laugh at yourself — which is the healthiest of medicines for the human spirit.

We were truly free then. So free… And like young people do, I took it all for granted — just assumed it would always be that way.

Well, look at us now… We live in a literal Woke Police State run by Big Corporations. Ironically, this was something Hollywood frequently warned us about — and now Hollywood is one of our most fascist enforcers. McCarthyism and blacklists have returned with a vengeance.

Well, as the (soon-to-be-blacklisted) Python boys famously suggested, you should “always look at the bright side of life.”

So, yes, there are some benefits to Woke McCarthyism… First off, it’s kind of fun to feel like an outlaw just for daring to enjoy a movie. Secondly, we certainly live in interesting times. Finally, now that movies like Animal House and The Blues Brothers have become the forbidden, like all things forbidden, you cherish and enjoy them all the more.

The Blues Brothers was always a terrific movie, a legitimately great musical-comedy. It’s aged into something even more beautiful, though, and not just because of Woketardism.

You see, in the 41 years since its release, we’ve lost all the legends the movie paid such affectionate tribute to: Aretha Franklin, Cab Calloway, Ray Charles, James Brown, and John Lee Hooker. They’re all gone now, and what a treat it is to watch them up on the screen strutting their magic. Each of their numbers, most especially Aretha’s “Think” and Calloway’s “Minnie the Moocher,” is a total show-stopper. You can’t help but sit with a big grin on your face mixed with an ache in your heart.

Yes, Giants once walked the earth … including John Belushi.

Best of all, you can sense the reverence John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd (who co-wrote the script with director John Landis) have for these giants. Not only are they eager to introduce their idols to a new audience, but during their respective musical numbers, Aykroyd and Belushi stay almost entirely out of the way. They generously (and appropriately) allow their musical heroes to shine alone in the spotlight.

Both the movie and musical history are better for it.

Before we get to listing all the woke sins, a quick rundown of the plot…

The Blues Brothers are Jake Blues (Belushi) and Elwood Blues (Aykroyd), two brothers who believe in only one thing: honoring, playing, and keeping the blues alive. Offstage and on, they wear the blues uniform of a black suit, black tie, black fedora, white shirt, and sunglasses.

Elwood: There’s 106 miles to Chicago, we’ve got a full tank of gas, half a pack of cigarettes, it’s dark out, and we’re wearing sunglasses.

Jake: Hit it.

After Jake’s release from prison, Elwood picks him up in the Bluesmobile (an old police car) and they pay a visit to “the penguin,” a Roman Catholic nun (Kathleen Freeman) who runs the orphanage the brothers were raised in. She needs $5,000 to pay the taxes or the city of Chicago (where the movie is set) will close her down.

Now that they’re on a mission from God, Jake and Elwood decide to get the band back together and put on a show to raise the money. Along the way, they’re hunted by the police, Nazis, rednecks, a crazed ex-girlfriend (Carrie Fisher), and their parole officer (John Candy).

Jake: We’re putting the band back together.
Mr. Fabulous: Forget it. No way.
Elwood: We’re on a mission from God.

Let me explain the rest of the plot this way… For nearly 20 years, The Blues Brothers held the record for the most cars crashed in a single movie (the record was broken by the uninspired 1998 sequel, Blues Brothers 2000).

Our Lady of Blessed Acceleration, don’t fail me now!

This plot might sound simple, but the heresies committed herein against the Religion of Woke are almost too many to count…

I’ll do my best.

  1. A movie based entirely on cultural appropriation…

Jake and Elwood Blues are walking, talking, living, breathing sins of cultural appropriation — white guys who sing the blues. Woke heads would explode 20 minutes into this thing. But allow me to say this…

Cultural appropriation is, by any objective and moral measure, a good thing — a very good thing. The whole idea of America is culture appropriation or “out of many one” — which is our national motto (e pluribus unum). We should all be grabbing hold of the best from everyone else’s culture. On top of laughing at ourselves, cultural appropriation bridges differences and bring us together…

To keep us divided, however, the Hitler Youth of Woke have turned a moral and unifying thing into a sin.

  1. Faith in God and America…

There’s no irony or anything tongue-in-cheek about Jake and Elwood’s mission. While Aykroyd’s dry recitation of “We’re on a mission from God” is hilarious, the brothers truly believe this and, most importantly, so does the movie. Belushi is literally hit with the Holy Spirit in a Christian church (how could he not with James Brown preaching?).

Yes. Yes. Jesus H. tap-dancing Christ… I have seen the light!

And it is also during this moment where Elwood — and again without irony — expresses his love for America.

Reverend Cleophus James [Brown]: Praise God!

Elwood: And God bless the United States of America.

  1. Government is the villain…

Our heroes are out to save a Christian institution from being closed down by the government over property taxes.

  1. The glory of “insensitivity” reigns supreme…

There are fat jokes, sex slave jokes, and at one point, Jake impersonates an Arab trader. Ray Charles repeatedly fires a gun at a kid, Carrie Fisher looks sexy as hell posing with an assault rifle, women run around in bikinis, and people look cool smoking cigarettes.

  1. So much glorious “sexism”…

Carrie Fisher plays a crazed stalker, Aretha Franklin is a nagging wife, Twiggy is left outside a cheap motel waiting for Elwood…

That’s it. That’s all the women are allowed to do.

  1. Nazis played for laughs…

The Nazis, or to be more precise, the “Illinois Nazis” (led by the great Henry Gibson), are played entirely for laughs. This, of course, is the smartest and most effective way to marginalize Nazis — you turn them into a joke. But if this were done today, the cries of That’s not funny! would never cease.

Oh, and there’s even a gay Nazi.

I’ve always loved you.

And now we come to the movie’s most unforgivable act of Woke Heresy….

  1. Race is never mentioned… Not even once.

Although this is a movie populated with black and white characters and premised on the blues, never once is race raised as an issue. The Nazis aren’t even motivated by race. They’re just angry at the Blues Brothers for driving them off a bridge. The “rednecks” aren’t motivated by race. They’re angry over having their gig stolen. A centerpiece scene takes place in a honkytonk. Race is never mentioned.

Elwood: What kind of music do you usually have here?

Claire: Oh, we got both kinds. We got country and western.

Throughout, we see blacks and whites sing, dance, argue, joke, travel, and perform together, all in a spirit of brotherhood.

This is deliberate, one of the overriding themes of the movie, one Elwood dares to speak out loud when he tells a massive crowd of people from all walks of life:

We do sincerely hope that you all enjoy the show and please remember people, that no matter who you are and what you do to live, thrive, and survive, there are still some things that make us all the same: You, me, them! Everybody! Everybody!

Like Animal House, and despite its R-rating (only for the occasional F-word), The Blues Brothers is ultimately a very moral movie. This is a story about redemption, brotherhood, recognizing our shared humanity, ignoring skin color, thumbing your nose at authority, accepting responsibility, the futility of grudges, and pursuing a cause greater than self.

And because of all that, because of all that goodness and good humor and colorblindness and ennobling of the human spirit, The Blues Brothers could never get made today — at least not without everyone involved getting blacklisted by today’s Woke Nazis.

Follow John Nolte on Twitter @NolteNC. Follow his Facebook Page here.

 

 

 

 

Source: Nolte: The Gloriously Inappropriate and Problematic ‘Blues Brothers’