Hazards of judging

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Romans 13-14; Psalm 139

TO CHEW ON: "But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you show contempt for your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ." Romans 14:10

The urge within us to judge others is insidious and strong. That tendency may be stronger in some personality types than others. If we're perfectionists and hard on ourselves, we may be hard on others too.

What need does judging others fill? Why does judging make us feel so good?

It does give us a sense of moral superiority: I'm better than you because I don't do this or I do that. In this way it feeds our ego, the human side of us that wants attention and praise—not something God approves of in the first place. And judging has a lot of other hazards too.

To clarify what kind of judging we're talking about, in Romans 14 Paul addresses a specific kind of judging, i.e. Christians judging each other in non-essentials of the faith—food preferences, the behavior of each others servants, which day to observe - Romans 14:1-6. There is a place for Christians to judge the conduct of fellow believers in essentials—albeit very carefully and within guidelines - Matthew 18:15; Galatians 6:1.

So we're talking about Christians judging each other on non-essentials. When we do that:

• We're revealing that we may have tendencies to commit the faults we're judging in others. The very fact we're aware of another's faults in a certain area is probably a tip-off that we struggle with the same thing (and probably sometimes fall) - Romans 2:1.

• We're meddling in things that are none of our business. Like the food or servant issue for the Romans, when we're critical of the way fellow Christians keep their homes, or how they raise their kids, or generally live their lives, we have no idea how they got that way or what life is like for them behind the scenes - Romans 14:1-6.

• We're setting ourselves up to be similarly judged - Matthew 7:1.

• Our critical, judgmental attitude toward our Christian brother may keep non-Christians from coming to Christ—especially if our moral superiority extends to us judging them - Romans 14:13.

• We don't have all the facts. We don't know enough to judge others fairly. We are to leave judging to God - 1 Corinthians 4:5; James 4:12.

PRAYER: Dear God, help me to be alert to when I'm being critical and judgmental, even in my thoughts. Please remind me to stop and leave the judging to You. Amen.

PSALM TO PRAY: Psalm 139


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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Jesus the people-watcher

Bible story book illustration - Artist unknown

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Mark 11-12; Psalm 100

TO CHEW ON: "So He called His disciples to Himself and said to them, 'Assuredly I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all those who have given to the treasury; for they all put in out of their abundance but she out of her poverty put in all that she had, her whole livelihood.'" Mark 12:43-44

I love the story of Jesus and His disciples people-watching—and Jesus' attention caught by a poor widow. She stood out because she put so little into the treasury.

Jesus drew His disciples' attention to her, not to hold her up as an example of stinginess, but generosity. Because of His divine insight, He saw and understood the extent of her gift and praised her as the greatest giver of the day.

This story can speak to us on two levels—as the watcher and the watched.

We watch people—observe what they give (not only money in church but time, hospitality, friendship, service...), and make judgments about them. Without Jesus' interpretation of her act, the disciples may well have drawn a different conclusion about her and her gift. We need to be careful not to jump to judgment on the basis of appearances.

We are also being watched. Realizing that the God who knows our circumstances and motivations is constantly watching us can be comforting or unnerving.

If we give with honesty, integrity, courage and stretched faith out of our love for Him we have the comfort of knowing He sees and appreciates, even if our gifts' outward appearances are small.

Of course if we give with mixed motives—to impress others, or as a down-payment on blessings we hope we'll get from Him, or out of habit or duty, He sees that too and is probably as unimpressed by our gift as Jesus was with the "much" given by the wealthy.


PRAYER: Dear God, please help me not to judge people by the appearance of what they give. When I give, please reveal any unworthy motives to me. Amen. 

PSALM TO PRAY: Psalm 100

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Praise is beautiful

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Psalm 1-2; 147

TO CHEW ON: "Praise the Lord!
For it is good to sing praises to our God;
For it is pleasant, and praise is beautiful." Psalm 147:1

Our lives reflect what we spend our time thinking about. In our complex world, it's easy for our thoughts to get hijacked by fear, worry, pessimism, and anxious lists of what ifs.

Or we can choose to think thankful thoughts of praise. It's a matter of changing the direction of those negative thoughts by taking a deep breath spiritually, and affirming all the yes's in our lives.

We can do this because we're not merely changing our attitudes with whistling-in-the-dark optimism, but because our God has power and understanding (Psalm 147:5). He has put it all together - the world, its people, you, your family, your circumstances - in a meaningful, significant way. You may not see the meaning or significance just now. But your attitude of praise reflects your confidence in Him and pleases Him too (Psalm 147:11)

Psalm 147 lists things (from the weather to national security) for which you can praise God. Re-read the psalmist's list, then make one of your own.

PRAYER: Dear God, today I will choose to praise, not pout. Amen

PSALM TO PRAY: Psalm 147

The Bible Project VIDEO: Psalms (Read Scripture Series)

Today we come to the Psalms in our Bible Project reading plan. But only Psalm 1 & 2 are assigned as main reading chapters, because a Psalm to Pray is on the menu every day (and we've already almost made it through the entire book this year;  in a few days we'll start over).

Enjoy this video explanation of the Psalms as a book of the Bible. You'll probably learn things about the book of Psalms you never knew. I know I certainly did!





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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Prayer from the cave

Image: Pixabay

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Job 29-31; Psalm 142

TO CHEW ON: “Bring my soul out of prison,
That I may praise Your name;
The righteous shall surround me,
For you shall deal bountifully with me.” Psalm 142:7


It’s interesting to know the circumstances that sparked a piece of writing. Under Psalm 142’s title is a note that gives us a clue about this psalm: “A Contemplation of David. A Prayer when he was in the cave.”

My Bible’s notes cite two instances this might have been: the Cave of Adullum (2 Samuel 22) or En Gedi (1 Samuel 24). In both cases he was on the run from King Saul, his father-in-law, former boss, and man to whom he had shown nothing but loyalty and respect. His physical life was in danger, the rift between them was deeply personal and hurtful, and he was forced to live in settings (like this cave) that were inconvenient, physically demanding, and challenging. Considering all that, we would not be surprised if he were angry, resentful, vengeful, full of self-pity, even shaking his fist at God.

But that was not his stance in this contemplation.

Instead he:
1] Consoled himself in God’s knowledge and awareness of him--God's omniscience:
“When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, then you knew my path” - Psalm 142:3.

2] Begged God for His help:
“I cried out to You Lord;
Attend to my cry…
Deliver me from my persecutors…
Bring my soul out of prison…" - Psalm 142:5,6.

3]  Affirmed his faith in God’s goodness:
“For You shall deal bountifully with me” - Psalm 142:7.

Perhaps we could use Psalm 142 as a model next time we’re in a “cave”:
- Remind ourselves that God knows and sees us and everything about and around us (Psalm 139).
- Pour out our requests to God. Make a list, write a journal entry, enumerate these things on our prayer list…
- End with faith and affirmations of God’s goodness. Use David’s (“For you shall deal bountifully with me” - Psalm 142:7) or compile a list of your own.


PRAYER: Dear Father, thank You that You supervise my bad times as well as my good. Help me to develop a theology of suffering that is faith- and hope-filled. Amen.

PSALM TO PRAY: Psalm 142

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Thanks for reading! This year we are using The Bible Project "Timeless Reading Plan" to read through the Bible in 2018. If you'd like to read along in your own Bible, you can download a pdf of the reading plan HERE.

Loudest praise

TODAY'S SPECIAL: 1 Kings 4-7; Psalm 95

TO CHEW ON: "O come let us sing to the Lord!

Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation

Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving

Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms." Psalm 95:1-2

When were you last at a sporting event or concert where you restrained yourself from shouting? Probably not for a while.

"If we can shout at other public events, surely we can give loud and enthusiastic praise to God when with His people," says Dick Iverson, in a footnote to Psalm 95 (New Spirit-Filled Life Bible, p. 770).

According to the psalmist, we come into God's presence with thanksgiving. [It is the word todah  derived from the verb yadah: 'To give thanks, praise.' The root of yadah is yad - "hand.] "Thus to thank or praise God is to lift or extend one's hands in thanks to Him" - New Spirit-Filled Life Bible, p. 760.

The psalm-writer tells why we would do that - "For (or because):

• God is superior - "The King above all gods."

• God is creator and holds in His hands every segment of creation. Whether the day ahead involves activity in the earth's depths, or the mountains, on the water or anywhere on land, God is present and directs destinies in all those places.

• God is "our God." Even though He is the great creator, He also sees and knows us as personally as a shepherd knows the members of his flock.

If you're like me just transporting yourself to church doesn't eliminate the preoccupations that fill the mind and drown out those songs of thanksgiving and shouts of praise. Let's join the writer of the old hymn and ask God to "tune my heart to sing Thy grace" by ordering our thoughts along the lines of this psalm. And then let's enter in wholeheartedly, joyfully, thankfully, and physically with "...songs of loudest praise."

PRAYER: Dear God, thank You for inspiring Bible psalmists to turn our eyes toward You with reminders of Your greatness and personal care. Help me to worship You today with enthusiastic songs and shouts of praise. Amen.

PSALM TO PRAY: Psalm 95



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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Discouraged

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Numbers 19-21; Psalm 46

TO CHEW ON:  "Then they journeyed from Mount Hor by the Way of the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom; and the soul of the people became very discouraged on the way." Numbers 21:4


Have you ever noticed how one little choice of bad attitude leads to the next and the next until you've worked yourself into a full-blown funk? That seems to be what happened to the Israelites in today's reading.

They have just conquered King Arad, destroying all the cities of his small kingdom south of Canaan. Perhaps the Israelites expected to enter Canaan from that point. Instead God led them on a detour away from the promised land. That understandable disappointment may have sparked their initial complaints.

They began with an attitude that is common — at least to me: discouragement — "discouraged" is also translated "impatient" (Amp, NIV, NLT), "depressed" (Amp), "irritable and cross" (Message).

Their complaints had typical characteristics:
- they were against leadership: "the people spoke against God and against Moses."
- they were against conditions: "There is no food and no water and our soul loathes this worthless bread."
- they had the typical faithless tone: "Why have you brought us out of Egypt to die in the wilderness?"

God's response—sending poisonous snakes among them—may have seemed harsh. But it certainly got their attention. The remedy—Moses erecting a bronze snake to which the bitten looked and were cured—foreshadowed God's final blow to sin through Jesus on the cross (John 3:14-15).

I ask myself, am I struggling with a typical though negative attitude today? Discouragement, impatience, irritability in my situation may seem like a harmless, even expected response to irritations, disappointments, and difficulties. But it is just such common attitude choices that got the Israelites into trouble way back in the wilderness and still easily trip us up today.

PRAYER: Dear God, please help me to guard my attitudes. I want to nip my faithless bent in the bud before it blooms its toxic flowers of complaining, unbelief and depression. Amen

PSALM TO PRAY:  Psalm 46

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Do we have "high places"?

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Micah 1:1-16

TO CHEW ON: "For behold the Lord is coming out of His place;
He will come down
And tread on the high places of the earth." - Micah 1:3

"Prophecies of Christ make Micah's book glow with hope and encouragement," says Willard Elijahson in my Bible's introduction to Micah (New Spirit-Filled Bible, p. 1202). It's a great book to read as we look forward to the season of Advent that begins in a few weeks' time.

Micah, the man, prophesied alongside Isaiah. Historians date his writings between 704-696 B.C. during the reigns of kings Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah. His message is directed to inhabitants of Samaria and Jerusalem.

He begins his message by announcing the coming of the Lord. We get the picture of someone coming from elsewhere: "...the Lord is coming out of His place; He will come down..." - Micah 1:3.

The place God chooses to visit is noteworthy—the "high places of the earth." Though we might read this as elevated land masses (mountain peaks perhaps, which would give a good view of all the surrounding area) the people of that time would probably have understood high places to mean elevated pagan altars. God was coming to check out their disloyalty—the places they compromised, flirted with, and gave in to idols. Awkward! Embarrassing! Incriminating!

The picture of God coming down to check out the high places of Judah prompts me to ask, what if I applied this image to my society, my life? What would God find?

Dennis McCallum in his book Unlocking the Mysteries of Satan explains how, at the fall, Satan took charge of the world system or kosmos. He says:

"Perhaps the definitive passage on kosmos is 1 John 2:15-17.

'Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.For everything in the world—the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does—comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.'

Accordingly the kosmos is primarily a system of values. The lust of the flesh refers to living for ungodly pleasure. The lust of the eyes refers to owning beautiful things or gaining control over beautiful people. The boastful pride of life refers to the way humans try to establish identity and importance by competing with each other for attention, power, and admiration" (Kindle Location, 871).

McCallum goes on to suggest that the church and we as individual Christians have gone easy on many of these attitudinal sins:

"Many Christians think of 'worldly' things as gross sins like wanton sex, for example .... Many of the same Christians, however, would never recognize the world-system when looking at the Harvard University green or the Sears Tower. A glossy magazine advertisement showing a family luxuriating in a hot tub in Tahiti or a shiny new SUV would not ring the kosmos bell in their minds" - KL 887.

Are we in these ways building our own high places? As I imagine God coming to me, I ask, what high places is He finding in my life? Is He finding some in yours?

PRAYER: Dear God, help me to see my attitudes from Your point of view. Show me where I have bought into the world system and perspective. Amen.

MORE: Throwing down 'high place' attitudes

"Instead of arguing with Satan, Christians must learn to share the Word of God with him, like Jesus did. To match up with someone this smart, we need the help of someone even smarter, and God is infinitely smarter than Satan" - McCallum, K.L. 767.

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

God glorified through our hard times

Image: Pixabay

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Philippians 1:15-30

TO CHEW ON: “Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death” - Philippians 1:20b


Paul would have had a lot to complain about if that had been his style. He was in prison as he wrote Philippians. Though fellow Christians were being emboldened by his clear witness to the palace guard (a good thing) some were preaching in a competitive spirit (out of “selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my chains” - Philippians 1:16).

But Paul was determined not to let any of this get him down. He saw the bright side of his captivity—the men guarding him were being exposed to his bold witness (Philippians 1:12,13). Because he was already in chains, they couldn’t use the threat of arrest to silence him, so he was bolder and more fearless than ever (Philippians 1:14). The competitive spirit of the fellow preachers didn’t please him. But he was happy that even through them the gospel was advancing (Philippians 1:18).

And in the matter underlying it all, the fact that he had lost his freedom, he seemed to be at perfect peace. We don’t see him whining that God didn’t send an angel to spring him from jail, as He did for Peter. Instead, Paul declared “For I know … that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but with all boldness as always so now also Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or death” (emphasis added).

I need more of that spirit. You too? So often my attitude is, Lord, I need you to take this problem away (this illness, condition, obstacle, lack…) so that You will be glorified.

But no. Instead I need the faith that God can be glorified as I go through the difficult things in my life: “Christ magnified in my body whether by life or death.”

PRAYER: Dear Jesus, thank You that Your deliverance from and through our problems comes “through the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ" (Philippians 1:19). Please fill my life with that supply today. Amen.

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Morality—taught and caught

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Genesis 20:1-18

TO CHEW ON: “And Abimelech called Abraham and said to him, ‘What have you done to us? How have I offended you, that you have brought on me and on my kingdom a great sin? You have done deeds to me that ought not to be done.’” Genesis 20:9

What horrible thing had Abraham done to the Philistine King Abimelech?

Lied about the state of Sarah, who was his wife and also his half-sister. He told this half-truth because of Sarah’s beauty and his fear that other men, powerful men, would want her and do away with him to get her for themselves.

He had done this previously as well, in Egypt (Genesis 12:10-20).

There’s a sequel to today’s story in Genesis 26:1-11. There we see Isaac doing the exact same thing as his dad—saying Rebekah was his sister when she was really his wife, again to save his own skin. In Isaac’s case it wasn’t even half true, but a total lie.

I am struck by the generational aspect of this. Did Isaac witness Abraham do it? Probably not because it happened before his time. Perhaps his dad told him the stories of these events, glossing over the evil of them? Or maybe Isaac picked up something in his father’s general moral code that was unspoken permission to act in this way—an attitude and other actions that sacrificed honesty on the altar of expediency?

Whatever it was, I think there’s a lesson for us in this. We don’t only teach morality (what’s right and wrong) to our kids, but they also catch our morality from us. They pick it up from our attitudes and the way we act.
 
PRAYER: Dear Father, please help me to live in such a way that I can say to others, don’t just do as I say but also as I do. Amen.

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Will our work be rewarded?

Image: Pixabay

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Revelation 22:6-21

TO CHEW ON: “‘And behold, I am coming quickly and my reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work.’” Revelation 22:12.

Though the Bible is clear that our work doesn’t save us (Titus 3:5-7), work is mentioned often in the Bible. So, if we are not working to gain heaven, what compels us to work?

Here are a few of the motivations the Bible mentions;

• To be a bridge between God and a hurting world - Isaiah 50:4.

• To serve Jesus, who comes to us as the hungry, thirsty, homeless stranger - Matthew 25:35-40.

• Because as God’s children, we see the world, and the people around us through our Father’s eyes of compassion so that our neighbour’s need becomes our assignment - Luke 10:30-37.

• It is our way of following, obeying, and mimicking Christ in spirit and deed, as Paul explains it in Philippians 2:3-15.

Our passage implies that all work is not equal. We may be driven by wrong motives (for example, to be seen and praised by others) to do good things. And so this end-of-time reward ceremony is a revelation, an unveiling of our work’s quality: “… to give to everyone according to his work.”

[The word “reward” (misthos) means pay, salary, recompense for service. “The word especially describes wages, divine rewards given to believers for the moral quality of their actions” - Dick Mills, Word Wealth, New Spirit-Filled Life Bible, p. 1847 - emphasis added.]

May this someday heavenly reward ceremony compel us to examine our own actions or non-actions and the attitude we have when we do act.

I confess this is convicting. Just yesterday on my way to the track where I walk on rainy days, I passed a homeless camp-out right on the sidewalk of a busy street. The cheery “good morning” from one of the street dwellers elicited a grumpy reply from me. I felt annoyed and irritated, for though our city has worked to house these folks, many insist on living outside.

Lord, please give me Your eyes and a heart of compassion—even when I don’t understand.

PRAYER: Dear Jesus, help me to face and understand my own motives. Replace my judgemental heart of stone with a heart of flesh - Ezekiel 11:19,20. Amen.

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Fasting: ritual or obedience?

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Isaiah 58:1-14


TO CHEW ON: "Is this not the fast I have chosen:

To loose the bonds of wickedness,

To undo the heavy burdens,

To let the oppressed go free,

and that you break every yoke?

Is it not to share your bread with the hungry,

And that you bring to your house the poor who are cast out;

When you see the naked that you cover him

And not hide yourself from your own flesh?" Isaiah 58:6-7

"Fasting is a powerful and effective part of the Christian life," begins a sidebar article about fasting in my Bible (New Spirit-Filled Life Bible, p. 942).

Though the dictionary defines "fast" as abstaining partially or wholly from food, it seems that in our focus verse, God is telling the backslidden Israelites  (through Isaiah) that they need to fast from something besides food.

These people are getting frustrated because their fasting isn't getting the expected results.  Isaiah tells them why it isn't effective:

• Because they are treating it as mere ritual and not entering into the self-denial spirit of it: 

  "In fact, in the day of your fast you find pleasure and exploit all your labourers" Isaiah 58:3. 

  "[Is true fasting merely mechanical?] Is it only to bow down his head like a bulrush and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him [to indicate a condition of heart that he does not have]? Will you call this a fast and an acceptable day to the Lord?" Isaiah 58:5b - AMP. (emphasis added).

• Because they are treating it as a way to manipulate others and God:  

  "Indeed, you fast for strife and debate, and to strike with the fist of wickedness...To make your voice heard on high" Isaiah 58:4.

What, then is the fast that pleases God?

1. It is a fast from evil. It is ceasing unfairness, oppression, and putting heavy yokes on others (Isaiah 58:6). In other words, we can't expect results from fasting when we're living in blatant sin.

2. It is a fast from self-absorption. It is ceasing to see only our own little world, opening our eyes to the needs of others--the hungry, the poor, even one's own family--and responding with practical help: food, shelter, clothes, compassion.

We could sum up by saying that the fast from food that pleases God begins with the right attitude. It begins with a focus on the things that are important to Him.

The sidebar article with which I began continues:

"Jesus taught that some things are resolved only through prayer and fasting (Mark 9:29). However, fasting and personal holiness are acceptable to God only when we have our priorities straight....Fasting becomes offensive in God's sight when we ignore the people closest to His heart, the poor, the oppressed, and the needy." Keith W. Phillips, New Spirit-Filled Life Bible, p. 942.

PRAYER: Dear God, help me in my observances of spiritual disciplines like fasting, to begin by understanding Your heart for it, and for me through it. Help me to align my priorities with Yours. Amen.

MORE: The purpose of fasting

"It is sobering to realize that the very first statement Jesus made about fasting dealt with the question of motive (Matthew 6:16-18). To use good things to our own ends is always the sign of false religion. How easy it is to take something like fasting and try to use it to get God to do what we want. At times there is such stress upon the blessings and benefits of fasting that we would be tempted to believe that with a little fast we could have the world, including God, eating out of our hands.


Fasting must forever center on God. It must be God-initiated and God-ordained. Like the prophetess Anna, we need to be "worshiping with fasting" (Luke 2:37). Every other purpose must be subservient to God."

- Richard Foster, Celebration of Discipline, pl. 54.

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.


Scripture quotations marked AMP are taken from the Amplified® Bible. Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission"(www.Lockman.org).

Pilgrim attitudes

Detail of "Visit of the Wise Men" from 
The Bible in Pictures © 1922

 TODAY'S SPECIAL: Matthew 2:1-12

TO CHEW ON: "When they saw the star they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy." Matthew 2:10

Four attitudes jump out at me from this amazing story of these eastern pilgrims on their quest to find the King of the Jews.

Perseverance
I've always wondered, where exactly is the East? Did these men travel far?  Over difficult terrain? When they got to Jerusalem and found no knowledge whatever of this king, did they wonder if they'd got it wrong? Feel like turning back? Through all this, they persevered to their satisfying destination.

Joy
I love the description of them rejoicing with "exceedingly great joy." I imagine  the reappearance of the star as they were leaving Jerusalem felt like a divine seal of approval on this quest they had undertaken with a sense of 'this is what we were destined to do.' Now they knew—No, we didn't get it wrong! We're in the right place at the right time.

Worship
Jealous Herod introduced the idea when he sneakily asked them to report back to him so he could worship too. Worship is what the wise men did when they found Jesus, and fell down before the young Child. "Fell down" (used in the NKJV, Amplified, and ESV versions) is interesting. We would expect a more controlled action, like "bowed down" perhaps (which is how it's translated in the NIV and NLT).  I like "fell down." I wonder if here, in the presence of Jesus, they were overcome by the power and glory of deity so that their limbs gave out and they literally fell down?

Generosity
What gifts—gold, frankincense and myrrh—signifying the best of earth's treasures, entirely suitable for a King! These wise men gave them with abandon, not flinching for a moment at the humble surroundings or the ordinary-looking mom.

I want these attitudes of perseverance, joy, worship and generosity to characterize my relationship with Jesus. What about you?

PRAYER: Dear Jesus, help me to seek You with perseverance, find You with joy, worship You with all of me, and give You my best. Amen.

MORE: Epiphany

Today is the day the church celebrates the Feast of the Epiphany. The liturgy for the day begins with this Collect:

O God, by the leading of a star you manifested your only Son to the peoples of the earth: Lead us, who know you now by faith, to your presence, where we may see your glory face to face; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Walking in the dark

TODAY'S SPECIAL: 1 John 2:3-29


TO CHEW ON: "But he who hates his brother is in darkness and walks in darkness and does not know where he is going because the darkness has blinded his eyes." 1 John 2:11

Our eyes are not well equipped to help us maneuver on our own in the dark. In darkness they no longer distinguish color. Our perception of depth and distance is altered. If we take away all light, our eyes are useless and we're as good as blind.

The Bible talks in many places about walking in darkness in a metaphorical way.

• Jesus calls it having bad eyes (Matthew 6:22-23). He is talking about how we view life. We might call it worldview.

• Jesus also talks about the Pharisees having an entrenched blindness that refuses to see life any other way than through their legalistic lens (Matthew 15:14; 23:19).

• Paul refers to the refusal to believe in Jesus and His finished work for us as blindness of mind and heart that is lifted as a result of believing ("Nevertheless when one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away" - 2 Corinthians 3:14-16).

• The "god of this age" (Satan) can blind our minds to keep us from understanding and believing God's plan through Jesus (2 Corinthians 4:3-6).

• Paul characterizes this darkness as a downward spiral that leads to an ever-increasing corruption of understanding and lifestyle (Romans 1:21,24-32; Ephesians 4:18,19).

• And then we have our focus verse that reveals another aspect of walking in darkness: hating our brother. Really? we might ask. That's as dangerous as living in unbelief? As serious as having the legalistic, self-righteous worldview of the Pharisees? As hazardous as the determination to refuse to acknowledge God at all?

"Do not be blinded by the darkness of hatred," says a sidebar article on this passage in my Bible. "Understand that it will cause you to fall in your walk with the Lord. Turn away from hatred; ask for forgiveness for any hate in your heart. Ask God to heal you and enable you to forgive, knowing that Jesus paid the price for the wrong people have done" - Leslyn Musch, Truth-In-Action-Through 1 John, New Spirit-Filled Life Bible, p. 1791 (emphasis added).

Forgiveness. Is that the switch that turns on the light from living in the darkness of hatred?

PRAYER: Dear God, I am not free from dislike, resentment, even hatred. Please show me where I am walking in such darkness. Help me to forgive and release anyone who has wronged me. Amen.

MORE: Shades of hatred

Would we recognize hatred in ourselves more readily if we acknowledged its subtle shades, its gradual growth in us from feelings of irritation, to dislike, to extreme animosity?

I was struck by this quote in Henri Nouwen's little book With Burning Hearts:

"I wonder how I would live if there were no resentment at all in my heart. I am so used to talking about people I do not like, to harboring memories about events that gave me much pain, or to acting with suspicion and fear that I do not know how it would be if there were nothing to complain about and nobody to gripe about! My heart still has many corners that hide my resentments and I wonder if I really want to be without them. What would I do without these resentments? And there are many moments in life in which I have the opportunity to nurture them. Before breakfast I have already had many feelings of suspicion, jealousy, many thoughts about people I prefer to avoid, and many little plans to live my day in a guarded way" - Henri Nouwen, With Burning Hearts, pp. 32,33.

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

When grace is our teacher

"Christ and His Disciples by Rembrandt

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Titus 2:1-15

TO CHEW ON: "For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously and godly in the present age." Titus 2:11-12


We are all to some degree products of our education. Many a life has been put on track by the words and actions of an encouraging teacher. Our reading today tells us that God's grace also teaches us. What does it teach?

First, we are to deny certain things:
- ungodliness [asebeia is a lack of reverence and regard for God.]

- worldly lusts. Lust [epithumia] is a strong desire and intense craving for something. Worldly lusts would include things like the "gratification of sensual cravings, desiring the forbidden, longing for evil, coveting what belongs to someone else, and striving for things, persons, and experiences contrary to the will of God" - New Spirit-Filled Life Bible, p. 1713.

Instead we are to live:
- soberly [sophronos that is "act in a responsible manner, sensibly, prudently, being in self-control and in full possession of intellectual and emotional faculties" - New Spirit-Filled Life Bible, p. 1721]

- righteously [dikaios meaning properly as is right, agreeable to the law of right.]

- godly [eusebos that is piously with our actions set in motion by reverence for God.]

What impresses me about Paul's interpretation of God's grace teaching us is how much our will is involved. Right attitudes don't just fall into place or come over us. We choose to deny [arneomai - disregard, reject] certain mind-sets and actions, and to intentionally cultivate or live [zao - breathe, be among the living, be active in] others.

Living this way is not some unpleasant heavy duty but a ticket to freedom. Leslyn Musch explains it well:

"God's grace teaches us to do good works not to earn salvation, but because we are free from sinful behaviors and free to do good things for God. This is the privilege and inheritance of God's people and not a harsh law to be followed and fulfilled. Holy living is the response of God's chosen and special people to the redeeming love and immeasurable grace of Jesus Christ" - Leslyn Musch, "Truth-In-Action through Titus, New Spirit-Filled Life Bible, p. 1723 (emphasis added).

PRAYER: Dear God, please help me to deny impulses within me to take You lightly and to gratify my selfish and worldly cravings. Help me to choose the sober, righteous, and godly response to the circumstances of my life today. Amen.

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Joy over opposition

"Paul Preached to the People"
from Treasures of the Bible - Church Age

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Acts 13:32-52

TO CHEW ON: "And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit." Acts 13:52.


The story of Paul's first missionary journey (Acts 12:25-14:28) is a fascinating succession of ups and downs. In today's reading we see some of them.

Paul and Barnabas had reached Antioch in Pisidia. When attending the synagogue, Paul got invited to share his "exhortations for the people" - Acts 13:15. Those ended up being an explanation of the gospel (Acts 13:16-41). His emphasis on the fact that sins could be forgiven on the basis of Jesus and His death and resurrection alone (and not by keeping the law - Acts 13:38,39) was such good news to the Gentiles, they begged Paul to talk specifically to them (Acts 13:42).

Next Sabbath a huge crowd gathered ("almost the whole city"). They were enthusiastic about accepting Paul's message of hope for the Gentiles. Many of them believed (Acts 13:48,49).

But the jealous Jews "stirred up the devout and prominent women and the chief men of the city, raised up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them from their region" - Acts 13:50.

We would expect Paul and Barnabas to be upset and discouraged by this. Not so! They were "filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit" - Acts 13:52.

What?! It's almost as if the persecution was a signal to them that they were on the right track.

Joy in the face of persecution is a theme that runs through the New Testament.

• Jesus said to expect such treatment for His sake and to "'...rejoice and be exceedingly glad…'" - Matthew 5:11,12, Luke 6:22,23.

• Peter and John considered it an honour to be persecuted for Jesus - Acts 5:41.

• Paul and Silas prayed and sang hymns after being beaten in Philippi - Acts 16:23,25.

• Paul taught about being joyful in suffering - Colossians 1:24.

• The writer of Hebrews wrote to readers who "...joyfully accepted the plundering of your goods, knowing that you have a better and an enduring possession for yourselves in heaven" - Hebrews 10:34.

• Peter encouraged readers who were in a fiery trial to "...rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ's sufferings" - 1 Peter 4:12,13.

In our democratic culture where everyone is supposed to have equal rights and can stand up for them, we have the privilege and even feel responsible to stand up for our rights as Christians in the face of unfairness, hassling, put-downs, exclusions etc. (persecution).  When persecution comes we have the feeling, This shouldn't be happening to us. Maybe it's partly our fault in that we've let it happen; we haven't been watchful and outspoken enough.

But I suspect that persecution of Christians will only continue and get worse, even in democratic countries, and even where people are vigilant to do what they can to preserve rights and freedoms. It's time we (at least I) take a more realistic view of persecution, including joy in response to it.

Opposition may even be a backhanded compliment, in that it signifies we're doing something worth opposing.

PRAYER: Dear Jesus, help me to be as loyal to You and as willing to joyfully accept persecution as these New Testament people were. Amen.

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

A mind set on "flesh"

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Romans 8:1-17

TO CHEW ON: "For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit." Romans 8:5


Paul talks about two opposing states of being here—in the Spirit and in the flesh. In another meditation on this passage, I focused on what it means to be set on the Spirit. Today let's look at what a flesh setting looks look. Of course, we're all still in the flesh physically. But being in the flesh (carnal) also has soul and spirit connotations.

To start with, our passage gives us some clues:
- There is spiritual condemnation for those who live by the flesh alone - Romans 8:1.

- It is its own law - Romans 8:2.

- In God's eyes, Jesus' death in the flesh—His perfect flesh—is the substitutionary death for us sinners and fulfilled God's righteous requirement that sin be punished - Romans 8:3,4.

- As people who have accepted Christ's death in our stead, we become people of the Spirit and now have the freedom and right to set our minds on the things of the Spirit; to live in the Spirit- Romans 8:5.

However, Paul's emphasis on the necessity of this and the possibility that even people of the Spirit may still be living under the tyranny of the flesh alerts us to that possibility for us.

A walk through scripture helps us understand what a carnal (fleshly) mindset and life looks like in attitude and behavior.

- It prefers the tangible to the intangible.

• Esau sold his birthright for a bowl of food - Genesis 25:34.

• The Israelites were ready to exchange their freedom to be able to again fill up on that fabulous Egyptian food - Exodus 16:3.

- It is controlled by appetite. Numbers 11:4 calls it "intense craving."

- It is sacrilegious.

• God scolds Eli for not correcting his sons, who treated the sacrifice elements with disdain - 1 Samuel 2:29.

• Paul brings up the same attitude to the Corinthians in regard to the Lord's Supper - 1 Corinthians 11:21.

- It resents God's restrictions and pushes His limits - Psalm 78:18; 106:14.

- It has no thought of anything past this life - Isaiah 22:13; Matthew 24:38; Luke 17:27; Philippians 3:19.

- Its repentance is insincere - Hosea 7:14.

- It finds reassurance in false prophecy - Micah 2:11.

- It seeks God for His benefits - John 6:26. Fleshly pastors (shepherds) are in ministry to benefit themselves - Zechariah 11:16.

- It is characterized by worry over the things of this life - Matthew 6:25. Those cares choke out the working of God's word - Mark 4:19.

- It is a captive of sin - Romans 7:14.

• In the Christian who has tasted the Spirit life, this results in internal conflict - Romans 7:23, 24.

• This conflict can lead to discord with other believers - James 4:1-5.

- When the flesh wins, the end result is a love of the world - 1 John 2:15,16.

- It is living the "works" of Galatians 5:19-21.

- The sobering end of someone who lives life solely in the flesh is spelled out in Revelation 18:9-18, i.e. they will someday find that all they had put their hopes in has burned up.

Do you find elements of your self described in the above list? Sadly, I do. Let's heed the advice of Paul and carefully guard the set of our minds, moving it off "Flesh" to "Spirit" whenever necessary.

PRAYER: Dear Jesus, thank You for making a life set on the Spirit possible. Please alert me to when my mind slips into its old flesh setting of worry, envy, jealousy, anger etc. I want the Spirit setting to be the habit of my life. Amen.

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Fish-belly prayer

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Jonah 2:1-10

TO CHEW ON: "'But I will sacrifice to You
With the voice of thanksgiving;
I will pay what I have vowed.
Salvation is of the Lord.'" Jonah 2:9

Our reading today is Jonah's desperate prayer for help from the belly of the fish. Interesting, isn't it, how he plotted to "flee...from the presence of the Lord" but now he begs for God's intervention, talking to Him as if He were very much present!

This is another of the great prayers of the Old Testament. Walter Brueggemann in his chapter on Jonah's prayer (Great Prayers of the Old Testament), points out several interesting things about it:

1. Jonah recognizes that even before his actual return to dry land the fish belly is part of his rescue and he thanks God for that - Jonah 2:2: "...the fish functions in the narrative as a liminal 'middle zone' between the great threat of the sea and the equally great safety of the dry land" - Walter Brueggemann, Great Prayers of the Old Testament, Kindle edition p. 60.

2. Despite his grim situation, Jonah seems unwilling to completely acknowledge his own responsibility for being there. He says, "'For You cast me into the deep..." (Jonah 2:3). Ahem, Jonah, wasn't it you who ran away from God, got on the ship and suggested the sailors throw you overboard? "To credit YHWH with the distress serves to exempt Jonah himself from responsibility..." Brueggemann, p. 62.

3. Jonah's poetic description of his plight (Jonah 2:4-6a) is an example of exaggeration—hyperbole: "The language of prayer is free to employ such hyperbole; it is the sort of regressive speech that we may use in contexts of acute danger and pain" - Brueggemann, 62.

4. Jonah acknowledges his "fox-hole religion": "When my soul fainted within me, I remembered the Lord" (Jonah 2:7).

5. He promises to do what God has asked and with a good attitude: "I will sacrifice to You / With the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay what I have vowed" - Jonah 2:9

6. Despite his little side trips into self-justification (Jonah 2:3) and preachiness (Jonah 2:8), his main focus is God (Jonah 2:2-4, 6-7,9) and his prayer ends in thankfulness for his rescue before it is ever accomplished.

Let's gather a few principles for our own praying from Jonah's example:

• Our present setting—a hospital bed, a time of unemployment, a difficult season with a family member or whatever—may be a 'middle zone' for us too, i.e. part of God's rescue plan.

• We do well to ask ourselves, is there any self-deception in our attitudes or prayers?

• It's okay to tell God exactly how we feel.

• If we make promises in our fox-hole, let's keep them!

• Above all, let's focus on God who is greater than any pickle in which we'll ever find ourselves. As we do this our prayers will shift from reciting trouble to praise and thanksgiving for His rescue even before we actually reach "...dry land" - Jonah 2:10.

PRAYER: Dear God, thank You for very human Jonah and his prayer. Help me to be honest with You and myself, and to call out to You when I'm in trouble with the faith and God-focus Jonah showed. Amen.

MORE: Questions we can ask ourselves

I really like the three questions with which Walter Brueggemann ends this chapter—questions which warrant honest consideration within the privacy of our own hearts.

1. How can we pray in the midst of our disobedience?
2. From what will God deliver and rescue us?
3. How can we pray past our own self-deception?
- Brueggemann, p. 67.

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Consider the benefits

This 'memory aid' hangs in our living room. It was made by Christians in Vietnam, many of whom have been persecuted for their faith.  

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Psalm 103:1-22

TO CHEW ON: “Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul and forget not all His benefits.” Psalm 103:1-2

Do you sometimes awaken in the morning besieged by first thoughts of uneasiness, foreboding, dread? I must admit that even in smooth stretches of my life, this is my experience way too often. One of the best ways to dispel this anxious fog is to do just what our verses today say: “Bless the Lord and think on His benefits.”

David lists many of them in this passage:

• He forgives our sin. Can you imagine how heavy life would feel if you had to live it under the guilt of the wrong things you had done?

• He heals our physical diseases. Not only has He designed our bodies to rejuvenate themselves but over the years people have made all kinds of discoveries about the body and healing so that nowadays there is a pill for practically everything. And He is also the God who can heal miraculously.

• He redeems our lives from destruction. “Redeems” = buys back with His sacrifice so that we are spared eternal destruction. He can also redeem from the foolishness of earlier decisions. 

• He satisfies our mouths with good thing so that we have the strength to carry on. I think this means more than just good physical food. I take it to mean a supply of good things mentally and spiritually, so that we have renewed energy for life and work.

• He knows our human vulnerabilities, deals with us like a sympathetic father.

Now add to that list of benefits your own personal list. Here are some items that come to mind:

• A wonderful husband and family.

• Citizenship in Canada – a nation of freedom and peace.

• A beautiful, comfortable home.

• A church where I am challenged and where I have a place to serve.

… I could go on and on, but I’m sure you get the idea.

Whatever your life situation today, spend some time remembering “all His benefits.” It will lift you up in ways that nothing else can.

PRAYER: Dear God, thank You for who You are and all Your benefits to me. Help me to live within an atmosphere of remembrance and thankfulness today.

MORE: Memory aids
God instituted many physical and dramatic aids to help us remember Him and what He has done for us.

- The Israelites were to celebrate the Passover as a remembrance of their delivery from Egypt.

- The High Priest had stones inlaid on the shoulders of his his ephod as a remembrance of each tribe in Israel.

- The people were to put fringes on their clothes to remind them of God's commandments.

- We celebrate the Lords Supper to remember Jesus death.

- Moses instructed Israelite parents to attach God’s word to their bodies (the first salvation jewelry?) and write it on the doorposts and gates of their houses.

Do you wear things or decorate your house with any aids that help you remember God and His benefits to you?

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Attitude turnaround

Desert in the Middle East (Image: ejaugsburg/Pixabay.com)

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Psalm 63:1-11

TO CHEW ON: "My soul thirsts for You;
My flesh longs for You
In a dry and thirsty land
Where there is no water…
My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness,
And my mouth shall praise You with joyful lips." Psalm 63:1,5


Do you notice how David goes from being spiritually hungry and thirsty to satisfied and full in the space of four verses? Let's delve into this psalm for a bit to see how he does it.

At first:
Notice the occasion and setting of the writing: "A psalm of David when he was in the wilderness of Judah." No wonder he's thinking "dry," "thirst," "no water"! He is on the run from King Saul and hiding out in an arid place of caves and only parched vegetation. The opening of this psalm reflects his nasty circumstances.

How does he turn himself around? These are some things he does:

1. "So I have looked for You in the sanctuary…"  - Psalm 63:2:
I see the word "sanctuary and I think "church" or other sacred building. But David is far from the Tabernacle. What "sanctuary" could he be referring to?

[The Hebrew word translated "sanctuary" is qodesh . It means apartness, holiness, sacredness, separateness of God, of places and of things.]

Since David couldn't make the trek to the actual sanctuary I would imagine he entered the God's sacred presence much like we do when we meet with God in our daily devotions at home—using his imagination, directing his thoughts to God's "power and glory" and all His attributes, getting distracted from his worries and complaints by soaking in God's presence.

2. "My lips shall praise You…" - Psalm 63:3
David speaks praise out loud, with his mouth.

3. "I will lift up my hands in Your name…" - Psalm 63:4:
David continues praising with even more expressiveness. Lifting hands can mean many things—surrender, trust, pleading, adoration, or loyalty (as in a type of salute).

4. "I remember You on my bed,
I meditate on You in the night watches" - Psalm 63:6:
David's attitude turnaround affects even how he spends the hours he can't sleep or the time he's trying to stay awake through the night watch of guard duty. Instead of worrying, he meditates on God, recalls God's help and presence, and rejoices in God's protection ("Your wings") instead of worrying.

Next time circumstances overwhelm us with how poor and needy we are, let's try out some of David's techniques to return ourselves to the place of plenty:
- Enter the sanctuary of God's presence.
- Praise with our lips and bodies.
- Rein in our thoughts and focus on Him instead of worrying, especially during the trying times of night.


PRAYER: Dear Father, please help me to make a habit of turning my thoughts to You in difficult circumstances and, like David did, to praise You, worship You and trust in Your ability to see me through. Amen.

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Is it wrong to plan?

Photo courtesy RGBStock.com

TODAY'S SPECIAL: James 4:11-5:6

TO CHEW ON: "Come now, you who say, 'Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell and make a profit,' whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. … Instead you ought to say, 'If the Lord wills, we will live and do this and that.' " James 4:13-15

The writer of my Bible's notes makes a startling statement about James 4:13-15:

"A clear characteristic of having an affair with worldliness is making plans without consulting God. Such action is boasting, that is a presumption that oneself, not God is in control of the circumstances of life" - Jon Mark Ruthven, study notes on James, New Spirit-Filled Life Bible, p. 1757.

As I see it, the problem is not with the making of plans. God is in favour of that. He dictated some pretty big plans for Noah's ark and the tabernacle. And Jesus, in an illustration about counting discipleship's cost pointed out the foolishness of the person who set about building a tower or going to war before planning and calculating how much it would cost (Luke 14:28-33). Our error is if we make those plans with the wrong attitude.

One wrong attitude James points out is that we think we control the future, when we don't at all. Some other erroneous presumptions on which we might base our plans:

• Life will continue on just as it always has - Isaiah 56:12.

• Trouble is far away - Amos 6:3.

• We have a long future ahead of us - Luke 12:19.

• There will always be another opportunity - Acts 24:25.

What then is the attitude we should have when we plan?

• Our passage suggests one: that we submit all our plans to the Lord ("… If the Lord wills…"). Practically that might mean we delay giving an answer when someone asks us to take on a new commitment in order to pray about it and perhaps get a scripture promise or some affirmation that this is indeed what God wants us to do.

Jesus, in Matthew 24, gives more pointers on the attitude we need as we plan for the future.

• We're to live with an awareness that He could return at any time. That is, we view all our plans through the lens of Jesus' imminent return (Matthew 24:44). Of course we know that there's a right and a wrong way to do that (In 2 Thessalonians, Paul encourages the people to keep working. Bible scholars believe they had stopped  because they thought the Day of the Lord had already come - 2 Thessalonians 3:10-11).

• We carry on being faithful in our current assignments (Matthew 24:45-46). And I assume that includes being faithful in planning ahead when that is necessary (in faith, trusting God to interrupt us, change our direction, and convict us if our planning again takes a presumptuous turn).

PRAYER:  Dear God, I know I've made plans without consulting You, but never thought of that as having an affair with worldliness. I'm sorry! Please help me to remember to bring all my plans to You. Amen.

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.