YOU’RE AFRAID OF WHOM?

READ: Num. 13:30-14:10

The fear of man brings a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD shall be safe. – Proverbs 29:25

THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Joshua 7-9

Mrs Ima Terror chased her husband through the crowds at the zoo, waving her umbrella and unleashing insults like invisible missiles. Her perspiring and winded husband, seeing that the lock on the lion’s cage had not quite closed, yanked it open, jumped into the cage, slammed the door, pushed the astonished lion hard against the bars, and peered over its shoulder. His frustrated wife shook her umbrella, stuttered in anger, and finally managed to explode, “Ralph, come out of there, you coward!”

Ralph, in this fictitious story, is like the people of Israel that we read about in the book of Numbers. They were confused about whom they should really fear. They saw themselves as grasshoppers when compared to the giants in the land where God wanted them to go (13:32-33).

If we are so afraid of people that we stop following the Lord, we do not trust Him. It shows that we have doubted His plan, His power, and His promises. We have failed to recognize that He, above all others, is the One to be feared – which means that He is to be reverenced, trusted, loved, and obeyed.

Father, forgive us for fearing what we should not be afraid of, and for not fearing and trusting You. – Mart De Haan

Our love for God should always move

Our hearts to do what’s good and right;

Love also fears His judgments true

And stands in awe of His great might. – D. De Haan

Fear God, and you’ll have nothing else to fear.

SONGBIRD IN THE DARK

March 2012

THE MEMORY OF OUR SINS

READ: Genesis 45:1-15

Do not therefore be grieved or angry with yourselves. – Genesis 45:5

The memory of our sins can rob us of the joy of our salvation. Perhaps we have said, or heard others say, “If only I could forgive myself for what I have done!” Some people become obsessed with guilt for their past sins.

When Joseph made himself known to his brothers who had sold him into slavery, they were speechless and “dismayed in his presence” (Gen. 45:3). Guilt and fear reminded them of the pain they had caused their aged father Jacob and their brother Joseph. Sensing this, Joseph immediately reassured them: “Do not … be grieved or angry with yourselves because you sold me here; for God sent me before you to preserve life” (v. 5).

When we have sinned and hurt others, we may find ourselves in a position similar to that of Joseph’s brothers. But if we have confessed our sins, we can be assured that we have been forgiven. Nagging guilt and self-blame are not the work of the Holy Spirit.

The Bible tells us to be “renewed in the spirit of [our] mind” (Eph. 4:23). We must focus our thinking on Jesus our Saviour, not on our past sins. We need to concentrate on what He has done – His atoning sacrifice on the cross for our sins – not on what we have done. Because He has forgiven our sin, we can learn to “forget” our sin. – Dennis De Haan

Blessed be the name of Jesus!

I’m so glad He took me in;

He’s forgiven my transgressions,

He has cleansed my heart from sin. – Harris

Guilt is a burden our heavenly Father never intended His children to bear.

THE BEST FRIEND

CHECK YOUR WORK

READ: Ephesians 5:1-16

See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise. – Ephesians 5:15

THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Joshua 4-6

I’m getting pretty good at math. That’s because every day my son Steve and I have a little math session. He does his 30 junior high math problems, and I help him check them over. Sometimes we even get them all right.

As I go over Steve’s math, I notice that he understands how to do his problems. In fact, in some areas he’s better at it than I am. But occasionally, despite knowing how to do the problem, he gets the wrong answer. He either gets a little sloppy in using the right formula or he just doesn’t check his answers carefully.

Aren’t we all a little like that in our Christian life? We have a good understanding of how to live the Christian life, but we get careless or lazy. We know better, but we fail.

For instance, we know we aren’t supposed to gossip. But before we know it, we’re roasting a fellow Christian. Or this: We know God wants us to keep our mind and heart pure, but we let down our guard and watch a TV program or movie we know is not edifying.

It’s true, isn’t it? We all get a little sloppy in how we live for God. Let’s be more careful and pay closer attention to our Christian walk (Eph. 5:15). Let’s make sure we’re doing quality work for our heavenly Father. – Dave Branon

Lord, help me to apply Your Word

And move it from my head

To actions that won’t shame you’re Name

But honour You instead. – Sper

Give your all for Jesus, He gave His all for you.

IDENTITY THEFT

TRUE SELF-DENIAL

READ: Luke 9:18-25

If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. – Luke 9:23

THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Joshua 1-3

Lent is a period of 40 days prior to Easter (excluding Sundays). For many people it commemorates Jesus’ fasting in the wilderness. They “give up something” for Lent every year, like sweets or TV. This can yield spiritual benefits, but denying you things and denying yourself aren’t the same. In Luke 9:23, Jesus taught the latter.

This verse can be broken down into three parts. In the statement “If anyone desires to come after Me,” the word desires indicates that this is for sincere disciples only. In the phrase “let him deny himself,” the words let and deny himself imply a willingness to renounce one’s selfish will and ways. And in the statement “take up his cross daily,” the word daily emphasizes a continual dying to self-will.

It’s easier to give things than to give ourselves. Yet Jesus gave Himself, and so must we. To those who deny themselves in obedient service, He has promised, “Whoever loses his life for My sake will save it” (v. 24). And to His question, “What profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and is him destroyed?” we are called to answer, “There is no profit!” We show that we believe this when we deny ourselves and follow Christ. – Joanie Yoder

To follow Christ we must let go

Of all that we hold dear;

And as we do deny ourselves,

Our gains become clearer. – Sper

By living for ourselves we die; by dying to ourselves we live.

BUY WITHOUT MONEY

Getting Yourself Ready for the Rapture

Christians that wound up in HELL by Caramelo Brenes

Heaven and Hell -1000 to 1, by Pastor Park

AUTHORITY ISSUES

In the 1960s, a generation of young people grew up with the slogan “Think for Yourself. Question Authority.”
Earlier, the noted physicist Albert Einstein had observed “Unthinking respect for authority is the greatest enemy of truth.”
No one, however, gave us more reason to think twice about authority than Jesus. On the night before His crucifixion, He told His disciples that, although kings of other nations lord it over their subjects and are honored for doing so, it wouldn’t be that way in His kingdom. Instead He said, “He who is greatest among you, let him be as the younger, and he who governs as he who serves” (Luke 22:25-26 NKJV).
Then as they shared a meal together, Jesus got up from the table; and like a common house servant, He insisted on washing their feet (John 13:3-5). After joining them again around the table, He asked, “Who is greater, he who sits at the table, or he who serves? Is it not he who sits at the table? Yet I am among you as the One who serves” (Luke 22:27 NKJV).
If we stop at this point, it might seem that with a few words Jesus has just told us everything we need to know about the right use of power.
But we cannot put the issue of authority to rest before coming to terms with statements that were later made by His apostle Paul. In letters that Paul wrote to first-century churches, he gave counsel that sounds quite different than Jesus’ teaching on authority. Paul didn’t just tell children to obey their parents and citizens to fear the rightful use of governmental power. He also told wives to submit to their husbands, slaves to their masters, and people of the church to those who rule over them.
Once again, if we stopped here, we might conclude that Paul was encouraging an unthinking respect for authority. But if we accuse him of just being a traditionalist, we will fail to see the wisdom he used in moving his readers from where they were to where Jesus was leading them.
On other occasions, Paul urged his readers to bring the heart and mind of Christ into the social order of the day. In his letter to the Philippians, for instance, he reminded them that even though Jesus was the King of kings, He lived among us as the Servant of servants (2:7-8).
Rather than advocating social changes that would have been met by great resistance, Paul urged his readers to let Christ change the attitudes of their own hearts.
Without calling for an end to the practice of slavery, the tradition of patriarchy, or the excesses of pagan governments, Paul reflected the spirit of Christ in advocating a life of love that violated no one’s sense of tradition, law, or order.
Because his strategy was to teach the people of God to live as citizens of heaven within the social order of their own world, he repeatedly called for servant attitudes from followers of Christ. This was his approach to all, regardless of whether someone was on the giving or receiving end of social power and authority.
The result is good news for any of us who’ve had issues with the misuse of power. Wherever we are in the “chain of command” or “pecking order” of life, Christ offers us a new way to see authority. As the source and possessor of ultimate authority, He shows us that any power we have is not an entitlement to be served but rather a responsibility to serve.
According to the New Testament, all rightful authority and power belong to and have their source in God. Even more specifically, Jesus told His disciples that His Father had entrusted all power and authority to Him.
As the Father authorized Jesus to speak on His behalf, so the Son now gives His followers the right and the power to speak and to act on His behalf.
In His kingdom there is more authority in the possession of His truth, wisdom, and love than there is in an appeal to the authority of an office, position, badge, or title.
For the same reason that we call some people an authority in their profession or realm of expertise, so we may understand the authority of those who, from every rung of the social ladder, can show what it looks like to live in the example, spirit, and love of the King of kings—who is also the Servant of servants.
Father in heaven, could it be possible? Have we done it again? Have we been using the strengths and assignments You have given us in order to control and lord it over one another? Please forgive us for acting as if Your Son didn’t tell us that in His kingdom the elder must be as the younger, the greater as the least, and those who rule as those who serve. —Mart De Haan

GUIDANCE FROM ABOVE

READ: Psalm 25:4-15

Show me Your ways, O LORD; teach me Your paths. – Psalm 25:4

THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Deuteronomy 32-34

The Global Positioning System (GPS) is changing the way we work, travel, and play. Using the signals from multiple satellites, an inexpensive GPS receiver can compute your location anywhere in the world. Using the information can help a lost hiker return to camp, enable a driver to locate a house in a strange city, or guide commercial fishermen back to the place of a big catch. In a very real sense, it is “guidance from above.”

But it helps only the person who believes the information and acts on it. What if a person viewed the GPS readout and said, “I can’t possibly be where this says I am”? What good would it be if a person turned off the unit, jammed it in a pocket, and headed out on his own, saying, “I know I’m going east, even if this thing says I’m going south”?

In a similar way, God’s guidance through the Bible benefits us only when we trust His Word and obey it. “The humble He guides in justice,” the psalmist wrote, “and the humble He teaches His way. All the paths of the LORD are mercy and truth, too such as keep His covenant and His testimonies” (Ps. 25:9-10).

Remember, guidance from above is promised to all who will accept God’s Word and follow His directions. – David McCasland

We need God’s guidance from above,

His daily leading, constant love;

As we trust Him for direction,

To our course He’ll make correction. – Fitzhugh

The question is not only “where do we stand?” but also “where are we headed?”

MAKING RESTITUTION

A REMINDER OF THE CROSS

READ: 1 Corinthians 2:1-5

I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. – 1 Corinthians 2:2

THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Deuteronomy 29-31

Telephone poles play a crucial role in developed countries. They support lines of communication that enable people to “reach out and touch” others in just about any corner of the globe. And in many communities, telephone poles carry power lines that make it possible for people to use lights and appliances.

Think about these poles and the vast roadside forest they form. What is their shape? They look like crosses, don’t they?

As I looked at the pole in front of my house, I was reminded of the old rugged cross of Christ. Think of the “lines” of communication and power it carries. Because of that cross, God listens to the prayers of any believer on the face of the earth. And because Jesus shed His blood on that cross for lost humanity, believers in Christ have a deep desire to “reach out and touch” others with the message of the gospel.

For the apostle Paul, the cross was everything. He had one message when he wrote to the Corinthian believers: “Jesus Christ and Him crucified.” Calvary was the heart of Paul’s communication and the basis of his power.

The next time you see a telephone pole, think about the cross of Christ and how much it means to you. – Mart De Haan

When Jesus died on Calvary’s cross,

He took our sin and shame;

He gave to us His righteousness,

His glory and His name. – Sper

Nothing speaks more clearly of God’s love than the cross.

THE KINDNESS TO STRANGERS

SPIRITUAL SERVICE

READ: Matthew 25:14-21

You know … in what manner I always lived among you, serving the Lord with all humility. – Acts 20:18-19

THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Deuteronomy 26-28

Members of the upper level Brahman class in India never stoop to do any menial labour. So how shocked Shriman Naraarayan was when, spending time at Gandhi’s ashram (a spiritual retreat centre for Hindus), he was assigned a task that he felt was beneath his dignity.

Having earned a doctorate from the London School of Economics that young man had come to seek guidance about his future. Unknown to him, everybody at the ashram was given some specific assignment, and Shriman’s was to clean toilets. Deeply offended, he went to Gandhi immediately and complained, “I hold a doctorate. I’m capable of doing great things. Why do you waste my time and talents on cleaning toilets?” Gandhi responded, “I know of your capacity to do great things, but I have yet to discover your capacity to do little things.”

You may be highly qualified to serve our Lord Jesus in a significant way. Because of your training and gifts, you may have the potential to carry on great and effective spiritual service. But are you willing to humbly perform some menial task if He so assigns you? Would you be willing to clean another’s toilet or wash another’s feet? (John 13:14-15). That’s what obedient discipleship is all about. – Vernon Grounds

Lord, may I always do Your will,

It matters not how small the task;

Oh, may I have a humble heart

And do whatever You may ask. – Fitzhugh

Are you big enough to become small enough for God to use?

GOD IS GOOD

WORSE THAN DYING

READ: 1 Cor. 9:11-23

It would be better for me to die than that anyone should make my boasting void. – 1 Corinthians 9:15

THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Deuteronomy 23-25

The apostle Paul said he would rather die than give the impression that he was serving the Lord for money. That’s why he supported himself while preaching in Corinth. To him, anything that marred his testimony for Christ was worse than dying.

Down through the centuries, many have held that same conviction and have proven it by dying as martyrs rather than denying their Lord. Most of us will not face a “deny Christ or die” ultimatum. But our lifestyle must reflect that we believe some things are worse than dying.

On New Year’s Eve 1951, I was deeply impressed as I read Paul’s declaration in Philippians 1:20. He said that his supreme expectation was that he would be ashamed “in nothing.” His only hope was not that he be released from prison but that Christ would be magnified in his body, “whether by life or by death.” I was also struck by his confident statement in verse 21, “For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” Since then, I’ve told the Lord many times that I would rather die than do anything to dishonour His name, break the hearts of my wife and family, or disappoint those who respect me.

Yes, some things are worse than dying, and dishonouring Christ is one of them. – Herb Vander Lugt

I’d rather die than bring disgrace

Upon my Lord, His name debase;

So I will live my life each day

To honour Christ and walk His way. – Hess

To keep your testimony alive, you must die to sin.

POSIES

TREATED LIKE A KING

READ: Matthew 25:31-46

I was a stranger and you took Me in. – Matthew 25:35

THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Deuteronomy 20-22

King Abdullah, the ruler of Jordan since 1999, has been known to disguise himself and go out into public places. His purpose is to talk with ordinary people and find out what they are thinking, and to check up on civil servants to see how they are treating his people. He has visited hospitals and government offices to learn what kind of service they are giving.

The king got the idea while in New York. He couldn’t leave his hotel without being mobbed, so he slipped out in disguise. It worked, so he tried it at home. He reported that once this practice was begun, civil servants and hospital employees started to treat everyone like kings.

When Jesus comes as King, He will judge the nations (Matt. 25:31-46). He said the basis for that judgment will be how people treated Him when He was hungry, thirsty, a stranger, naked, sick, or imprisoned. Those being judged will ask when they saw Him in these situations, and Jesus will say, “Inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me” (v. 40).

Because all people are created in God’s image, and because Jesus by His words and example taught us that He cares deeply how we treat others, we should treat all people with kindness and compassion. Let’s treat them like kings. – Dave Egner

Every kindness done to others

Is a kindness done to Thee;

Christ-like love for all my brothers

May the world observe in me. – Brandt

Our love for Christ is only as real as our love for our neighbour.

CARRIED IN HIS STRONG ARMS

YOU CAN ALWAYS PRAY

READ: Acts 12:1-16

I called on the LORD in distress; the LORD answered me. – Psalm 118:5

THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Deuteronomy 17-19

The young mother called out to the missionary, “Come quick! My baby is going to die.” Gale Fields was in Irian Jaya helping her husband Phil translate the Bible into Orya, a tribal language. But they also provided medical help whenever possible. Gale looked at the malaria-stricken child and realized she didn’t have the right medicine to help the infant.

“I’m sorry,” she told the mother, “I don’t have any medicine for babies this small.” Gale paused, and then said, “I could pray for her though.”

“Yes, anything to help my baby,” answered the mother.

Gale prayed for the baby and then went home feeling helpless. After a while, she again heard the mother cry, “Gale, come quick and see my baby!”

Expecting the worst, Gale went to the baby’s side. This time, though, she noticed improvement. The dangerous fever was gone. Later, Gale would say, “No wonder the Orya Christians learned to pray. They know God answers.”

The early Christians prayed for Peter to be released from prison and then were “astonished” when God answered them (Acts 12:16). We respond that way too, but we shouldn’t be surprised when God answers our prayers. Remember, His power is great and His resources are endless. – Dave Branon

Forgive us, Lord, when we’re surprised

By answers to our prayer;

Increase our faith and teach us how

To trust Your loving care. – Sper

The most powerful position on earth is kneeling before the Lord of the universe.

BETWEEN THE ETERNITIES

THREATS AND WARNINGS

TO HAVE ONE, BE ONE

READ: John 15:9-17

A man who has friends must himself be friendly. – Proverbs 18:24

THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Deuteronomy 10-12

All of us need at least one or two close friends. A small boy defined a friend as “someone who knows all about you and likes you just the same.” Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “A friend may well be reckoned the masterpiece of nature.” Henry Durbanville made this observation about friendship: “A friend is the first person to come in when the whole world goes out.”

Solomon wrote in Proverbs 17:17, “A friend loves at all times.” We can’t improve on that definition. To have someone who remains true to us under all circumstances is one of life’s choicest blessings. The support and encouragement that only an intimate friend can offer is sorely needed when the burdens of life weigh heavily upon us. Jesus, of course, is the ultimate friend, for He laid down His life for His friends (John 15:13).

Proverbs 18:24 makes an important point and takes us beyond a description of what it means to be a friend. It says that “a man who has friends must himself be friendly.” The implication is clear: Friendliness must begin with us. We must take the initiative in developing relationships with others. Let us be to others what we desire for ourselves. When it comes to friends, to have one you must be one! – Richard De Haan

I went outside to find a friend

But could not find one there;

I went outside to be a friend,

And friends were everywhere! – Anon.

Friends are seldom found; they are made. – Wentworth

HONOURING OUR PARENTS

READ: Mark 7:1-13

Honour your father and your mother, as the LORD your God has commanded you, that your days may be long. – Deuteronomy 5:16

THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Deuteronomy 7-9

The year was 1727. The place was a small bookshop in Lichfield, England. A man who kept bursting into violent fits of coughing was packing books to sell in his market stall in Uttoxeter. Between coughs he asked his 18-year-old son to take the books that day. But the young man, deeply engrossed in the Latin classic he was reading, heard him but ignored the request. The stagecoach arrived, and the father stepped out into the pouring rain with his load of books to take the 20-mile ride to the market.

Fifty years later an elderly man stood for hours in the pouring rain at a market stall in Uttoxeter. When the storm finally subsided, he walked back to a waiting carriage and returned home. There he bowed his head and sobbed. That man was the famous literary genius Samuel Johnson. He was still haunted by the memory of what he did so long ago.

Honouring our parents is more than an obligation. It’s also a privilege. As children we honour them by obedience; as adults, by frequent calls or visits and self-sacrificing care. Missed opportunities to show love and honour may bring deep regret years later.

The command is simple: “Honour your father and your mother.” And God always rewards obedience. – Herb Vander Lugt

Don’t miss the opportunity

To honour and obey

The parents God has given you –

For they’ll be gone someday. – Sper

Children let their parents down if they forget who brought them up.

LINCOLN'S TESTIMONY

GOD IS DOWN-TO-EARTH

READ: 1 Kings 19:1-18

Arise and eat, because the journey is too great for you. – 1 Kings 19:7

THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Deuteronomy 4-6

The more challenging life becomes, the more we long for a down-to-earth spiritually to help us with the challenge. We’re sceptical of believers who are “so heavenly minded that they are no earthly good.” Yet we seldom get the balance right.

Author Os Guinness writes that we usually end up “being either practical at the expense of being spiritual or spiritual at the expense of being practical.” He points out that paradoxically, it is God who gets it right. God was never more down-to-earth than when Jesus came into the world. It was Jesus, God’s divine Son, who became truly human by taking on human flesh. Therefore, Guinness concludes, the one who is the most spiritual (God) ended up being the most practical!

How God dealt with Elijah is a prime example of His practicality. Guinness points out that “God’s remedy for Elijah’s depression was not a refresher course in theology but food and sleep.” Only then did He confront Elijah gently about his spiritual error.

If you are discouraged because you are tired or overworked, God’s initial remedy for you is probably extra sleep or a day off. The most practical remedy, if it’s the right one, is usually the most spiritual one. – Joanie Yoder

When we’re discouraged spiritually

And fear and doubt assail our soul,

We may just need to rest awhile

Before God heals and makes us whole. – Sper

If we don’t come apart and rest awhile, we may just plain come apart. – Havner

JOIN THE CHOIR

WHO IS MOST IMPORTANT?

READ: Psalm 1

His delight is in the law of the LORD …. He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water. – Psalm 1:2-3

THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Deuteronomy 1-3

During an operation, an experienced surgeon asked a young intern, “Who is the most important person in this operating room?”

The intern searched for an appropriate answer. He didn’t believe that his mentor was asking for personal compliments, so trying to sound gracious he replied, “I suppose that it would be these nurses who assist you in such an efficient manner.”

The surgeon shook his head and said, “No, the most important individual in this room is the patient.”

It’s possible to overlook the obvious in studying the Bible too. It’s easy to forget how important you are in the process. Whether or not you find profit depends on your attitude.

What’s the right attitude to bring to Bible study? First, approach the Bible with a sense of your own need, not just to teach it to someone else. Second, approach the Bible with humility. Don’t try to make it say what you would like it to say, but study to discover what God has said.

German theologian Johann Bengel (1687-1752) said, “Be like a maker of a well who brings no water to his source but allows the water he finds there to flow freely without stoppage, diversion, or defilement.” Those who do that will grow like trees “planted by the rivers” (Ps. 1:3). – Haddon Robinson

Afraid to see what’s in God’s Book?

It’s meant for you, don’t fail to look.

The words and thoughts contained therein

Will bring God’s peace and cleanse from sin. – Beals

Bible study is meant not merely to inform but to transform.

GOING STRAIGHT

READ: Matthew 5:17-24

First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. – Matthew 5:24

THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Numbers 34-36

How far would you travel to put things right with a brother who hadn’t spoken to you in 10 years? Would you go 300 miles from Iowa to Wisconsin? On a riding lawn mower?

Unable to drive a car and despising bus travel, Alvin Straight did exactly that in the intriguing film The Straight Story. It is the true-life drama of a 73-year-old man who decided it was time to end the silence, stop the hating, and break down the wall of anger he and his brother had built between them.

As I watched the film in a packed theatre, where the audience was silent from beginning to end, I thought of all the broken relationships that must have surfaced in the minds of people sitting there in the darkness. I also pondered the words of Jesus about setting things right with those from whom we’ve been estranged. He said, “If you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift” (Matt. 5:23-24).

Is there a relative, a friend, or a brother in Christ with whom you need to make things right? Then why not go straight to that person and do it today? – David McCasland

Lord, let me feel the pain of a wounded soul

And seek to heal that wounded one I pray;

Yes, I would take the reconciling role,

And bring an end to pain and strife today. – Hess

An offense against your neighbour builds a fence between you and God.

IT'S A FACT

February 2012