A familiar fable tells of the hunter who lost his life to the leopard he himself had saved as a pet for his children when the leopard was just a cub. The moral of the story can be deduced easily from the title, Little Leopards Become Big Leopards; or else, sin is easier to deal with before it becomes a habitual practice that eventually defines our lives.(1) Though the story as it stands is a beautiful illustration of a profound truth, there is a deeper lesson regarding the nature of sin that is easily concealed by this line of thinking and which, I believe, lies at the very essence of the Christian call to Christ-likeness. The problem is that the parallel between little harmless leopard cubs and little harmless sins can be dangerously deceptive.
Whereas leopard cubs are indeed harmless, there is no stage of development at which sin can be said to be harmless, for individual acts of sin are merely the symptoms of the true condition of our hearts. It is not accidental that the call to Christian growth in the Scriptures repeatedly zeros-in on such seemingly benign “human shortcomings” as bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, slander, and malicious behavior (Ephesians 4:31). In his watershed address, The Sermon on the Mount, Jesus placed a great deal of emphasis on lust, anger, and contempt—behaviors and attitudes that would probably not rank high on our lists of problems in need of urgent resolution. Armed with firm and sometimes unconscious categories of serious versus tolerable sins, we gloss over lists of vices in the Scriptures because they seem to be of little consequence to life as we experience it.
But when we fail to grasp the subtleties of sin, we run the risk of rendering much of biblical wisdom irrelevant to our daily life and practice. While we appreciate the uniqueness and necessity of the sacrificial death of Jesus on our behalf, his specific teachings can at times appear to be farfetched and the emphasis misplaced. Does it not seem incredible that the God who made this world would visit it in its brokenness, dwell among us for over thirty years, and then leave behind the command that we must be nice to each other? Can the problems of the world really be solved by having people “turn the other cheek” and “get rid of anger and malice”?
Unfortunately, those “little” sins are not only the mere symptoms of a much bigger problem; they are also effective means of alienating us from God and other human beings. How many careers have been ruined only because of jealousy? How many people have been deprived of genuine help as a result of the seemingly side-comment of someone who secretly despised them? How many relationships have been destroyed by bitterness? How many churches have split up because of selfish ambitions couched in pietistic terms? How much evil has resulted from misinformation, a little coloring around the edges of truth? And have you noticed how much we can control other people just through our body language? From the political arena to the basic family unit, the worst enemy of human harmony is not spectacular wickedness but those seemingly harmless petty sins routinely assumed to be part of what it means to be human.
According to a NASA scientist, a two-degree miscalculation when launching a spacecraft to the moon would send the spacecraft 11,121 miles away from the moon: all one has to do is take time and distance into account.(2) How perceptive then was George MacDonald when he uttered these chilling words, “A man may sink by such slow degrees that, long after he is a devil, he may go on being a good churchman or a good dissenter, and thinking himself a good Christian”!(3) Similarly, C.S. Lewis warned that cards are a welcome substitute for murder if the former will set the believer on a path away from God. “Indeed,” he wrote, “the safest road to Hell is the gradual one—the gentle slope, soft underfoot, without sudden turnings, without milestones, without signposts.”(4)
Now the decisive path out of this quandary is not just a greater resolve to be obedient to God. Such a response is usually motivated by guilt, and the duration of our effort will be directly proportional to the amount of guilt we feel: we will be right back where we started from when the guilt is no longer as strong. The appropriate response must begin with a greater appreciation of the holiness of God and a clear vision of life in God. It is only along the path of Christ-likeness that the true nature of sin is revealed and its appeal blunted. Yes, brazen sinfulness is appallingly evil and destructive, but it only makes a louder growl in a forest populated by stealthier, deadly hunters masquerading as little leopards. It is no idle, perfunctory pastime to pray with King David:
Search me, O God, and know my heart;
Test me and know my thoughts.
Point out anything in me that offends you,
And lead me along the path of everlasting life (Psalm 139:23-24).
J.M. Njoroge is a member of the speaking team at Ravi Zacharias International Ministries in Atlanta, Georgia.
(1) For example, Paul White’s, Little Leopards Become Big Leopards, published by African Christian Press.
(2) John Trent, Heartshift: The Two Degree Difference That Will Change Your Heart, Your Home, and Your Health (Nashville: Broadman and Holman Publishers, 2004), 17.
(3)George MacDonald, in George MacDonald: An Anthology by C. S. Lewis (New York: Dolphin Books, 1962), 118.
(4) C.S. Lewis, The Screwtape Letters, in A C.S. Lewis Treasury: Three Classics in One Volume (New York: Harcourt & Company, 1988), 250.
Tag Archives: politics
Presidential Prayer Team – G.C. – Let It Happen!
In today’s verse, Mary of Nazareth is a young Jewish girl encountering an angelic messenger. He announces that, although she’s a virgin, she is going to have a child who will occupy the ancient throne of King David, ruling the house of Judah forever. Young Mary responds to the incredible news by saying, “Yes, let it happen!”
And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.”
Luke 1:38
As Mary’s life unfolds, she is entwined in her son’s dangerous world as His message challenges the corrupt religious and political leaders of the day. Things seem to go from bad to tragically worse when Mary finds herself at the foot of a Roman cross, a witness to His savage execution. Days later, her heartbreak was replaced by hope as the angel’s promise was confirmed by the impossible: His resurrection.
America’s leaders face challenges that seem impossible, too. Mary did not know in advance how God would fulfill His promises; she had to live out her faith a day at a time – and so do you. Today, pray for God’s faithful people serving and leading America. Ask that they will remain steadfast in their hope regardless of circumstances, and rest certain that God’s plan will indeed be confirmed.
Recommended Reading: Hebrews 11:1-6
Greg Laurie – Life in Two Dimensions
He raised us from the dead along with Christ, and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus. —Ephesians 2:6
A Christian is someone who lives in two dimensions. The apostle Paul explained it this way: “Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth” (Colossians 3:1-2, NLT).
These verses are saying that believers truly do live in a spiritual dimension — where we walk in the Spirit and know God in the Spirit. Yet as human beings, we also live and move in physical bodies here on earth. Our challenge as Christians, then, is to transfer what we have in the spiritual realm into the day-to-day ebb and flow of events in the earthly realm.
When I travel to another country and pass through its borders, I still maintain my U.S. citizenship. When I went to Israel a few years ago, although I had my passport that indicated I am an American, I had to live in their culture. As a result, there were a few things I needed to adapt to. When I needed currency, for example, I took funds from my bank in the U.S. and converted them into shekels to use in Israel. Of course, I didn’t know what the exchange rate was, so on my first day there, I may have tipped someone fifty dollars to carry my bags to my room. (He was really nice to me the rest of the day.)
As Christians, we have riches, treasures, real assets waiting for us in heaven. When the Bible speaks of the heavenlies, however, we need to recognize that it is not only talking about something waiting for us in heaven after we die. It is also talking about the supernatural realm. So before we can effectively walk as believers, much less engage in spiritual battle, we need to learn about the supernatural resources God has given to us. We also need to understand they are treasures God wants us to start tapping into in the here and now, as well as in the by and by. They are provisions available to any believer who is walking with God.
Ravi Zacharias Ministry – This God
I cannot begin to estimate how many times I have attempted to encourage someone with the assurance of God’s nearness to their situation: God is with you. God is near. God is among us. As a Christian, it is an astonishing attribute of the God I profess, a comforting attribute which voices long before my own confessed: “God is our refuge and strength,” writes the psalmist, “an ever-present help in trouble” (Psalm 46:1). “The Lord is near,” the apostle tells the Philippians, “Do not be anxious” (4:5-6). That there is one who draws near is a vital part of the story of Christianity, one in which Christians understandably draw hope. But it is not automatically hopeful to everyone. I was reminded of this when my assurance of God’s presence in the life of a struggling friend was met with her honest rejoinder: “Is that supposed to encourage me?”
Nearness in and of itself is not assuring. I had forgotten this in my well-meaning, though knee-jerk truism. An essential ingredient in the assurance that comes from nearness is the person who is drawing near. The degree of comfort and assurance (or wisdom and conviction) we draw from those near us is wholly contingent on who it is that has drawn near. For some, that God is near resembles more a threat than a promise. My friend’s perception of God at that moment was closer to Julian Huxley’s than King David’s. For Huxley, God resembled “not a ruler, but the last fading smile of a cosmic Cheshire cat.” For David, God’s nearness was clearly thought his good.(1)
Who is it that Christians believe is near? And what does this even mean?
In Christian theology, the attributes of God are qualities which attempt to describe the God who has come near enough to reveal who God is. These self-revealed attributes cannot be taken individually, removed from one another like garments in a great wardrobe, or chosen preferentially like items in a buffet. They are not traits that exist independently but simultaneously, at times in paradoxical mystery to us. God is both near us and “among us” as Isaiah writes; God is also far from us and beyond us—in knowledge, in grandeur, in immensity, in position. “Am I only a God nearby,” declares the LORD, “and not a God far away? Can anyone hide in secret places so that I cannot see him?” declares the LORD. “Do not I fill heaven and earth?”
Christians further believe that the one who dwells both among us and in the highest heavens is also good and wise and holy. The God of whose nearness Christians speak is infinite in being, glory, blessedness and perfection; all-sufficient, eternal, unchangeable, incomprehensible, everywhere present, almighty, knowing all things, most wise, most holy, most just, most merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth.(1) Like this God there is no other. The God who draws near us is wholly other.
Yet after the candid response from my friend, I realized how important it is to attempt to clarify what I mean—and whom I speak of—when I say that this God is near; and my attempts will remind me that this is never a simple, casual knowledge understood. My friend needed not only to hold the knowledge that God is near but the relational trust that God is merciful. She needed more than a rational reminder that God is holding her and her situation, but the embodied promise that God is good. She needed to hear the “who” behind the promise, beyond the attribute. And I needed the candid reminder that the attributes we can study, the biblical promises we cling to, the words I count on to comfort or restore, are pale in comparison and meaningful only because of the one they describe. The promise that God is among us is only promising because it is this God who is among us.
Christians hold this notion most specifically in the mystery of the Incarnation, the divine drawing near to the human plight in human form. Who is this who comes near, who rends the heavens to stand beside humanity, who stands at the door and knocks? Who is this vicariously human, mediating Son of God among us?
Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a man who attested to the nearness of God though confined to a jail cell, depicted the one beside whom he lived and before whom he prayed as a quiet companion, gentle and fierce, persuasive and patient on our behalf. He prayed:
“Lord Jesus, come yourself, and dwell with us, be human as we are, and overcome what overwhelms us. Come into the midst of my evil, come close to my unfaithfulness. Share my sin, which I hate and which I cannot leave. Be my brother, Thou Holy God. Be my brother in the kingdom of evil and suffering and death. Come with me in my death, come with me in my suffering, come with me as I struggle with evil. And make me holy and pure, despite my sin and death.”(2)
What if it is this God who hears our prayers, the humanity of one who walked and suffered in Jerusalem, the Christ who came among us only to die and rise again? What if it is this God who is near?
Jill Carattini is managing editor of A Slice of Infinity at Ravi Zacharias International Ministries in Atlanta, Georgia.
(1) cf. Psalm 73:28.
(2) As excerpted from the Westminster Larger Catechism.
(3) Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s Christmas Sermons, Ed. Edwin Robertson, (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2005), 22-23.
Presidential Prayer Team; C.H. – Flight by Night
The Wise Men had just departed, leaving gold, frankincense and myrrh. Mary, Joseph and young Jesus must have been in awe of the scholars who followed the star and appeared at their door. The gifts alone were worth more than Joseph had probably ever seen in one place.
And he rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed to Egypt.
Matthew 2:14
But that night as they slept, an angel awakened Joseph, telling him to go to Egypt. Egypt – the land where his forefathers had spent so many years in captivity. The Bible doesn’t tell how Joseph packed the next morning and left, or even how he questioned the angel. Today’s verse simply states his response. Joseph got up from his bed, took Mary and Jesus, and left that night. The man chosen to be Christ’s earthly father exhibited the characteristic of immediate obedience.
When was the last time God spoke to you and you obeyed without question? Not many can claim such a feat. But that’s what your Heavenly Father longs to see in your life. Ask God to create a desire in you to follow His lead in an instant. Then pray the president and his cabinet would be able to hear and follow Him as well.
Recommended Reading: Matthew 2:13-23 Click to Read or Listen
Presidential Prayer Team; H.L.M. – Deepest Well
The Woman of Samaria – a nameless woman who was both an outcast to the Jews and an adulteress – was thirsty. So, as every day, physical thirst brought her to Jacob’s well to fill her water pot.
Whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again.
John 4:14
However, this Samaritan woman’s life changed forever with an unexpected visit from Jesus. The Lord asked her for a drink. More important, He showed her God’s unconditional love was beyond all religious and racial prejudices. Jesus offered her “living water” – eternal life through a relationship with God, and she gratefully drank of His unconditional deep well of love. With her heart and mind overflowing with this new truth, the Woman of Samaria abandoned her water pot along with her sinful lifestyle and ran to tell others about Jesus Christ.
In the Bible, God is referred to as having the “fountain of life.” Dive in and lavish yourself each day with His Word. Remember also to pray over America’s spiritual condition as you continually evaluate your reflection in the fountain of God’s truth. Thirst after Him with all your heart, mind and soul…and pray that your local and national leaders will do the same.
Recommended Reading: Psalm 36:1-12
Presidential Prayer Team; J.R. – Capacious Compassion
A few things known about Timothy – from the letters written to him by the apostle Paul – are that he had a weak stomach and many ailments (I Timothy 5:23) and that he apparently suffered from fearfulness (II Timothy 1:7). Could it be that Timothy’s family history contributed to these conditions? It’s impossible to know for sure, but as the product of a mixed marriage, Timothy almost certainly would have faced ostracism and discrimination. His Jewish mother was wed to a Greek man, a prohibited marriage under Jewish law. Then she and Timothy became Christians: another strike against them.
Pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
I Timothy 2:3-4
Plenty of people would have deemed Timothy as disqualified for service, but Paul had no interest in majoring on such minors. He equipped Timothy for ministry and encouraged him to “fight the good fight of faith.” (I Timothy 6:12) Perhaps Timothy, more than most others, appreciated that Jesus came so that “all people” might be saved.
Human history is filled with one sad tale of prejudice after another. As you pray for America today, ask God to help you look beyond those in your own neighborhood, church or political party, and give you His compassion for all people.
Recommended Reading: II Peter 3:4-9
Presidential Prayer Team; C.P. – Beyond Reproach
Elizabeth bore reproach from her friends and relatives because she was barren. For many years, she endured criticism, accusations and shame, but God describes her as “walking blamelessly in all the commandments and statutes of the Lord.” (Luke 1:6)
Thus the Lord has done for me in the days when he looked on me, to take away my reproach among people.
Luke 1:25
The angel revealed heady stuff about Elizabeth’s son John. “Many will rejoice at his birth…He will be great before the Lord…He will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb…He will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord.” (Luke 1:14-16) Yet when Mary, three months along in her pregnancy, came to visit her, Elizabeth humbly asked, “And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me?” (Luke 1:43)
In her lifetime, Elizabeth had many reasons to be proud, bitter or depressed, but instead she walked humbly with God. The Father not only took reproach from Elizabeth – He also removes it from all who trust in Christ. Give thanks for this precious gift. Ask God to move the citizens and leaders of this country to humble themselves and pray.
Recommended Reading: James 4:1-10
Ravi Zacharias Ministry – WHO’S DOING YOUR THINKING FOR YOU?
I was oddly paralyzed in a used bookstore the other day. A feeling of helplessness seized me as I surveyed the creased spines of the numerous books crowding the dusty shelves. Rifling through the faded paperbacks, I felt bored and listless, like I was rehearsing a tedious habit I’d long since outgrown. Usually, time stops the second I step into a bookshop. On this particular occasion, however, the exit exerted a near-magnetic pull. Like any self-respecting booklover, I wondered what was happening to me.
Setting aside my tendency to be overdramatic, a surprising thought occurred to me as I beat my hasty retreat. I’ve grown so used to retail websites like Amazon.com assembling lists of recommendations based on my ratings, interests, and shopping history that it now takes a concerted effort on my part to actually find something for myself, to actually think for myself.
The ingenious strategy of these sites is to use our choices to build a shopping experience that is uniquely tailored to fit our tastes and “preferences.” Each item you click helps to narrow the parameters of your search, and to customize the page so that you’re perusing a uniquely you-shaped store. Ironically, the more choices you make, the more customized your page becomes, and the less choices you actually have. Helpful as these lists are, they do have a tendency to paint us into our respective digital corners.
To be fair, some sites have sought to minimize this tendency by supplying “random” lists that contain items and titles that don’t conform to any of our established interests. Contrived as this might seem, it does manage to restore a modicum of spontaneity to a consumer experience that increasingly resembles a hall of mirrors. And, of course, there’s still the good old word-of-mouth tradition.
But, all qualifications aside, when I look at my own habits, the fact remains that I often prefer to have my mind made up for me. Not even a meal out is complete without a compulsive investigation of online reviews. Let me be clear, I am not saying that consulting online reviews is tantamount to surrendering all independent thought. If that were the case, I’d be an empty-eyed drone… What I am saying is that we often have a tendency to bypass the risks involved in forming our own thoughts in favor of the thoughts and opinions of others.
One of the more insidious aspects of current online culture is that so much of what crosses our screens tries to tell us what to think. Even the titles—50 Excellent Novels by Female Writers Under 50 That Everyone Should Read, for example—assume we’re passively waiting to be fed answers. This, I would argue, is one of the more shallow and lamentable trends in the age of instant information. Thinking for yourself is one of the most potent freedoms you can exercise; it also takes work. Though we certainly don’t abandon all free thought every time we take advantage of one of these many online conveniences, it’s also worth pausing to ask: Who’s doing my thinking for me?
Posted RZIM Blog – Cameron McAllister on August 12, 2014
Presidential Prayer Team; J.K. – No Questions Asked
Three words come to mind when speaking of God’s Old Testament military commander Joshua – courage, obedience and faith. His story should be your encouragement. Have courage when times get tough, stay obedient to the Lord when tempted to stray, and keep the faith in good times and bad.
Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.
Joshua 1:9
It took courage for Joshua and Caleb to encourage Israel to push forward into the Promised Land when the majority expressed fear (Numbers 14:6-9). Unshakable faith sustained Joshua as he wandered with Israel for 40 years because of their stubbornness. Moses knew of his faithfulness and kept him by his side (Exodus 33:7-11). Lastly, Joshua obeyed the Lord. At Moses death, God instructed Joshua, “Arise, go over this Jordan.” (Joshua 1:2) Immediately he commanded the people of Israel to prepare and go…no questions asked. His great leadership and mighty victories came because of his faith, courage and obedience.
How’s your spiritual life? Unmovable faith in God can give you courage to obey Him when those around you would have you falter. When the outlook for this country is dim, don’t be discouraged, for the Lord is with you.
Recommended Reading: Hebrews 11:30-40
Presidential Prayer Team; A.W. – Mothers Behind the Men
Many of our nation’s presidents recognized the impact of godly mothers – as evidenced in these quotes. “All I am I owe to my mother. I attribute all my success in life to the…education I received from her,” George Washington. “I remember my mother’s prayers and they have always followed me,” Abraham Lincoln. “From my mother I learned the value of prayer, how to have dreams and believe I could make them come true.” Ronald Reagan. These leaders guided the country through difficult circumstances and attributed their success in part to their mother’s teachings.
I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well.
II Timothy 1:5
In today’s verse, Paul also recognizes the importance of godly mothers and grandmothers. His letter to Timothy mentions Lois and Eunice who taught Timothy scripture from childhood and modeled sincere faith despite a less than ideal environment (Timothy’s father wasn’t a Christian). Their influence led Timothy to become Paul’s traveling companion in spreading the gospel and ultimately a leader in the early church.
As you pray for America’s future, remember mothers and grandmothers and their impact on the next generation of leaders.
Recommended Reading: Deuteronomy 6:1-9
Presidential Prayer Team; H.L.M. – Reflection of God’s Face
Anna had a heart overflowing for God. She was the daughter of Phanuel, whose name also means “the face or appearance of God.” Anna’s life reflected this as she was devoted to praying, fasting and praising the Lord continuously in the Temple.
She began to give thanks to God and to speak of him to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem.
Luke 2:38
As a prophetess, Anna proclaimed divine messages from Yahweh. In fact, God used her to confirm that He was keeping His promises to Israel and the world by sending a Savior. Anna also became the first missionary as she gazed upon the face of baby Jesus and then shared the Good News to everyone who had been waiting for the Messiah to rescue them!
As you spend more time in the Lord’s presence, you will naturally fall more in love with Him. Allow His love to flow out of your heart so you become a reflection of God’s face to everyone you encounter. Then look for those opportunities to tell others about His love. Pray also that believers on Capitol Hill have boldness to tell their co-workers about the Messiah.
Recommended Reading: II Corinthians 5:11-17
Ravi Zacharias Ministry – Second Greatest
Sam Harris is one of the well-known band of atheists whose vitriolic rantings and button-pushing avowals seem to draw audiences like reality television. His observations are shouted angrily; his ideas are often inflammatory. His frustration with Christians is spouted with sarcasm, antagonism, and resentment. And something in one of his recent works made me wonder how I might have contributed to it. In an open letter to American Christians, Harris begins, “Thousands of people have written to me to tell me that I am wrong not to believe in God. The most hostile of these communications have come from Christians. This is ironic, as Christians believe that no faith imparts the virtues of love and forgiveness more effectively than their own.”(1)
When one understands apologetics as a defense of the Christian faith, voices like Harris, who attack Christianity and its morality with fluent hostility, seem to justify a defensive stance. How can one respond to those who readily earn and live up to titles like “Darwin’s Rottweiler” without barking a few hostile lines of their own? Is it ever Christ-like to respond to Harris in the manner that Harris responds to Christ?
There is no doubt that Jesus frustrated more than a view scribes; he was fairly harsh on the rich, and he responded angrily to the commercialization of the temple. Yet while these are the scenes we might summon to substantiate hostile words when the God we love is debased with insult, Harris is right. Jesus told anyone who would listen that the greatest commandment is to love God with everything that is in us, and the second greatest commandment is to love our neighbors as we would ourselves.
In fact, in this scene it is interesting that Jesus noted the second greatest commandment at all. No one had asked this question (we generally are not interested in runner ups), and yet he willingly offered the information. He made note of the second commandment as if it was so near to the greatest commandment to warrant formal connection. Elsewhere, Jesus furthered these instructions so that we would be sure that “neighbor” was not a word with which we could take creative license. “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Matthew 5:43-44).
As in many of Jesus’s instructions for being a disciple, his approach hardly seems reasonable. Here he seems to ask that the Harris’s and Dawkins’ of the world be given a respect which they deny others. In fact, we are told that their disrespect is not something that should bring defensiveness but rather enigmatically blessing. Love and pray for those who persecute you. And, “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you” (Matthew 5:11-12).
Of course, this is not to say that Jesus did not gently point out the poverty of certain arguments and bias of their sources, blatant double standards, and willful inconsistencies. And in the case of the new atheists, this might include the altogether unwarranted optimism for a world rid of faith. But Christians would do well to remember that Jesus’s harshest words were never reserved for those of other faiths or belief systems, but those from within his own faith. And regardless of the belief system in front of you, Jesus commands respect, humility, and some real degree of the love you claim to know. “Since God so loved us,” writes John “we ought also to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us” (1 John 4:11-12).
Obeying the greatest commandment must never be the motivation for disobeying the second greatest. If the bombastic detractors of the Christian faith refuse to see its God, might they at the very least encounter the reality of God’s command to love them in spite of it.
Jill Carattini is managing editor of A Slice of Infinity at Ravi Zacharias International Ministries in Atlanta, Georgia.
(1) Sam Harris, Letter to a Christian Nation: A Challenge to the Faith of America (New York: Bantam Books, 2007), vii.
Presidential Prayer Team; J.R. – Old Camel Knees
James, the brother of Jesus, wrote an epistle. In five chapters, he catalogues the weaknesses afflicting the human condition. These flaws will be familiar to you—some, perhaps, a little too familiar. Among them: a lack of faith, succumbing to temptation, discriminating against others, talking a good game without backing your words up with action, losing your temper, saying things you wish you could take back, impatience, pride, and loving money more than you should.
Who is wise and understanding among you?
James 3:13
After you slog through this list, you might be discouraged about ever living a godly life. But consider this: When James asks, “Who is wise and understanding among you?” he is pointedly highlighting the reality that you can’t attain God’s standards in your own power. The key, James writes, is to seek wisdom from the Lord. And how do you find that? The answer is revealed in James’ nickname—not found in Scripture, but well known among believers in his day. They called him “the man with camel knees.” James, you see, spent so much time in prayer his knees became rough and calloused like a camel’s.
Today, be resolved that whatever may happen in your life and in America today, it won’t be because you didn’t pray.
Recommended Reading: James 5:13-18
Presidential Prayer Team; C.P. – An Act of Kindness
Moses’ passion for his suffering people moved him to kill an Egyptian who had been beating an Israelite. Yet Moses had a lot to learn before he could act on behalf of God’s people. He fled to Midian. There he met Jethro’s daughters, fought off their attackers and drew water for their flocks.
And Moses was content to dwell with the man, and he gave Moses his daughter Zipporah.
Exodus 2:21
When Jethro heard what had happened, he took Moses in and gave him his daughter Zipporah as a wife, who, in some of the most unusual verses in the Bible (Exodus 4:24-26), returned his kindness by saving him. She interceded, saying, “Surely you are a bridegroom of blood to me,” and God spared Moses. The Lord had a more complicated plan to save His people than Moses had. Because of Zipporah’s act of compassion, He was able to implement it.
God often uses little acts of kindness in our lives to bring about His plan. Do something nice for someone today, entrusting outcomes to the Lord…and intercede for this nation’s leaders, praying that they will not follow their own passion or reasoning, but instead be submissive to God’s will.
Recommended Reading: Ephesians 4:25-32
Presidential Prayer Team; J.K. – A Heart for God
Today’s verse is part of a message that Moses delivered to the people of Israel. They had just forsaken God to worship the golden calf. Chosen by God, their faithlessness was met by His faithfulness. He used His messenger – an ordinary man – to be a channel through which He accomplished so much.
What does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways.
Deuteronomy 10:12
It was by faith that Moses left Egypt only to return under God’s direction to guide Israel out of captivity. It was by faith that he led them to cross the Red Sea. F.B. Meyer, in his book Moses, calls it the marvelous faculty of faith…the capacity of the human heart for God! It is putting self aside so that the Lord can work through you. With no thought about your human qualifications, the attitude of your heart will desire to become an organ through which He can work out His purposes.
Knit your soul to God by sensing your helplessness. Dedicate your whole self to Him. Let Him act through you to accomplish His purposes. Then pray that the leaders of this country would turn to the true God in whom to put their faith.
Recommended Reading: Deuteronomy 10:12-11:2
Presidential Prayer Team; C.H. – A Buttress for Barak
A buttress is an architectural term referring to a structure built against a wall to support or reinforce. While seemingly insignificant, without it the wall would fall. In the period of the judges in the Old Testament, one might call Deborah a buttress of sorts. The only female judge, Deborah stood out – and stood firm – among her peers.
And Deborah said to Barak, “Up! For this is the day in which the Lord has given Sisera into your hand. Does not the Lord go out before you?”
Judges 4:14
She called the commander Barak with a message from God: to gather his troops and head to the river Kishon, where the Lord would deliver his enemy Sisero to him. Even with God’s guarantee of success, Barak wouldn’t go without Deborah. Some people are so full of the Spirit of God, just being around them makes you feel more confident. Deborah obliged Barak and offered the wise counsel of today’s verse.
She reminded him that God had already given him victory and had gone before him into battle. Remember the faithfulness of Deborah and consider who might need your encouragement today. Ask God to point out people who need to hear how He has gone before them. Then pray for Christians who hold political offices to be encouraged as well.
Recommended Reading: Romans 1:8-17
Presidential Prayer Team; G.C. – Dis the Distraction
Don’t think about blue elephants.
One who heard us was a woman named Lydia…The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul.
Acts 16:14
Now you’re imagining a blue elephant, right? The human brain is a complex biochemical machine with a limited capacity for attention and a high capacity for suggestibility. In the world today, there is an entire industry bent on capturing your attention and guiding your thoughts…and some days it works! How many hours per week is your mind absorbed with what you see and hear in popular media?
According to the Bible, one of the first people in Europe to enter into relationship with Jesus was a businesswoman named Lydia. The scripture specifically says God opened Lydia’s heart to receive the message Paul was speaking. She had only to open her ears.
God has already done His part in preparing hearts to hear His message. Pray right now for your fellow citizens – particularly those working in government and leadership positions – to escape the media maze and attend to the needs of their soul. With prepared hearts and open ears, an entire American generation can quit being distracted by the blue elephants and start being transformed by the love of Christ.
Recommended Reading: Psalm 44:1-8
Presidential Prayer Team; C.H. – Triumph Over Tragedy
Nine-year-old Wesley Jones broke his neck after falling from his tree house. Paralyzed from the neck down, Wesley grew up, launched a televised hunting show and founded the Triumph Over Tragedy Foundation – all from his wheelchair. Wesley and his brother, Reggie, work tirelessly to help those with neck injuries add lifts and ramps to their homes and provide hospital counseling. Wesley’s favorite saying is, “With hard work and God’s help, anything is possible.”
You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.
Genesis 50:20
Jacob’s favored son, Joseph, also experienced tragedy at a young age. Discarded by his brothers, Joseph could have resigned to a life of sorrow. Instead, he grew in wisdom wherever God placed him. A true man of character, Joseph showed mercy when placed in a position of authority over his siblings. God used tragedy to refine Joseph, He used it to refine Wesley…and He can use it to refine you.
What heartaches has your family experienced? Pray for your Heavenly Father to reveal His power in your life. Pray also for the families of your nation’s leaders as they experience rough times in their personal lives.
Recommended Reading: Genesis 37:18-28
Our Daily Bread — Breaking Free
Romans 8:1-11
There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus. —Romans 8:1
The elephant is the largest land animal on earth—and one of the most powerful. Yet it takes only a strong rope to restrain one. Here’s how it works. When the elephant is young, he is tied to a large tree. For weeks, he will strain and pull, but the rope holds him fast. So eventually he gives up.
Then, when the elephant reaches his full size and strength, he won’t struggle to get free, for once he feels resistance, he stops. He still believes he’s held captive and can’t break free.
Satan can play a similar trick on us to hold us captive. The Bible assures us that there is “no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit” (Rom. 8:1). We have been set “free from the law of sin and death” (v.2). But the enemy of our soul tries to make us believe we are still dominated by sin.
What shall we do then? Reflect on what Christ has done. He died for our sins and declared an end to sin’s control over us (v.3). He rose from the dead and gave us the Holy Spirit. Now we are empowered to live victoriously in Him because “the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in [us]” (v.11).
In Christ, we are set free. —Poh Fang Chia
He has our salvation wrought,
He our captive souls has bought,
He has reconciled to God,
He has washed us in His blood. —Wesley
Experience true freedom— take every thought captive in obedience to Christ.
Bible in a year: Psalms 68-69; Romans 8:1-21
Insight
Though Paul did not plant the church at Rome, his letter to them became foundational not only for their spiritual understanding, but—in many ways—for ours as well. Paul’s theology of salvation and call to response resonate with gratitude to his Savior.
DAILY DEVOTIONS, NEWS AND INFORMATION 