Last days religion

Image: Pixabay

TODAY’S SPECIAL: 2 Timothy 1-4; Psalm 22

TO CHEW ON: “Having a form of godliness but dying its power. And from such people turn away.” 2 Timothy 3:5.


I have been following with interest the story of Gretta Vosper, the atheist pastor of a United Church in Toronto. That there should even be a debate over whether she keeps her job seems to me the big story here. Of course Ms. Vosper is free to believe what she likes. But to call herself a minister and leader of a faith in which belief in God and the Bible are the foundation while she has bluntly stated she “… does not believe in God or the Bible” shows how far down the path we as a society have wandered toward the last days scenario of “having a form of godliness, but denying its power.” (In early November 2018, her "heresy trial" was called off and she was assured a continuing position with the United Church despite her beliefs that go against the doctrinal statement of the denomination.)


Such a theological symptom is part of a quite horrendous list of self-absorbed behaviours:

“Men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self control, brutal, despairs of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God” - 2 Timothy 3:2-4. 

(Had Paul been watching, in prophetic foresight, one of our newscasts?)

A little further along in the passage, Paul gives more insight into “last days” religion: “… always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth” - 2 Timothy 3:7.

This reminds me of the description of a modern stream of the Protestant church called "Emergent" found in the book Why We’re Not Emergent:

“Certainty for the emergent church is the same as pinning down Jesus and summing up God, while uncertainty is a breath of fresh air.”

 The authors quote Brian McLaren (a man prominent in the Emergent church movement): 

“‘ Drop any affair you may have with certainty, proof, argument—and replace it with dialogue, conversation, intrigue and search … since reality is seldom clear but usually fuzzy and mysterious, not black-and-white but in living colour’” - Kevin DeYoung & Ted Kluck, Why We’re Not Emergent: By Two Guys Who Should Be, Kindle Location 522, Brian McLaren quote source: Adventures in Missing the Point, by McLaren & Campolo, 84.

What does Paul advise Timothy to do in the face of such beliefs and behaviours? He says simply: “And from such people turn away.”

[“Turn away” - apotrepo - means to turn oneself away from, shun, avoid.]

It might be tempting to get a little involved in the self-first behaviours that are so common today (often whipped up and spurred on by social media). Doubt is cool. It’s sophisticated to keep one’s belief options open to any and every belief system. But, Paul tells Timothy and us, that isn’t the path of the Jesus follower who lives by the certainty of God’s word - 2 Timothy 3:16,17.

PRAYER: Dear Father help me to detect any side trips I may be tempted to take into the realm of self first and denying of the truth and power of Your word. Amen. 

PSALM TO PRAY: Psalm 22

The Bible Project VIDEO: 2 Timothy (Read Scripture Series)



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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.

The deadly end of flirting with temptation

The binding of Samson - Rembrandt

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Judges 16-18; Psalm 75

TO CHEW ON: "Afterward it happened that he loved a woman in the Valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah." Judges 16:4


Delilah was not the first woman to lure sensuous Samson into trouble. His first wife (not named) used whining and wiles in a similar way to get Samson to say more than he should have (Judges 14).

Samson's cat-and-mouse game with Delilah illustrates his vulnerability to feminine temptation and how dangerous it is to play with sin. Three times Samson put Delilah off. Yet even as he did, he crept ever closer to telling Delilah the secret of his strength when he told her:

• Seven fresh bowstrings would hold him (Judges 16:7).

• New ropes never yet used would make him weak (Judges 16:11).

• Weaving his hair into the web of a loom would neutralize him (Judges 16:13).

• And then he broke down and told her the truth about his uncut hair (Judges 16:17). The story ended tragically in his death (Judges 16:23-31).

There are some lessons for us here in how to deal with temptation.

1. We need to be students of ourselves and aware of our own weaknesses and what situations are likely to cause us to compromise and sin. Samson's irresistible temptation was women. What is ours? Money? Earning the praise of people? Needing to be liked? Fearing to offend? Self-indulgence?

2. We need to resist temptation instead of flirting with it. How do we do that? The Bible has some good advice:

• "Take heed to yourselves" ("Be on guard" - J.B.Phillips & Message; "Watch out!" - NLT; "Be careful" - NIV) about our tendency to be led away and distracted from godly things - Luke 21:34.

• Be warned or forewarned against temptation - 2 Peter 3:17.

• Prepare for it by putting on the armour of God - Ephesians 6:13.

• Don't say the first 'yes' to temptation - Proverbs 1:10.

• Refuse to even put our feet on the path to giving in to sin, let alone walking that path - Proverbs 4:14.

• Present our body parts to God for His use and not to sin as "instruments of wickedness" (NIV) or "weapons of evil" (J.B.Phillips) - Romans 6:13.

PRAYER: Dear God, please help me to know myself and the things that tempt me. Help me to be prepared for temptation by keeping myself clothed in spiritual armour. Amen.

PSALM TO PRAY: Psalm 75

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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.

Unpopular restraint

Celebration around the Golden Calf - Artist unknown

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Exodus 32-34; Psalm 28

TO CHEW ON: "…Moses saw that the people were unrestrained (for Aaron had not restrained them…)." Exodus 32:25

If a royal commission had been struck to get to the bottom of how the golden calf incident could happen, a conclusion like Exodus 32:25 may well have been in the report.

[Restraint means to hold back from acting, proceeding or advancing; to keep in check, repress; to deprive of freedom or liberty; to restrict or limit - Funk and Wagnalls Dictionary.]

People-pleasing, want-to-be-liked Aaron would have found that hard to do. He wasn't the only one. The priest Eli didn't restrain his sons and this brought a sobering judgment on his family and eventually the whole nation (1 Samuel 3:13; 4:15-22). King David was another indulgent parent with at least one of his sons—Adonijah: "And his father had not rebuked him at any time by saying, 'Why have you done so?' " (1 Kings 1:6). Adonijah ended up trying to become king behind his father's back.

In our time, when the trend in parenting (and leadership in general) is to give more freedom than less, a parent or leader who disciplines and enforces restraint needs to be resolute to go against the grain. But the Bible supports parents and leaders in this.

• Discipline is really a manifestation of love - Proverbs 3:12; 13:24.

• Lack of early discipline leads toward destruction - Proverbs 19:18.

• Discipliners (fathers, parents) also need to be disciplined in the way they train their children- Ephesians 6:4.

• Paul tells Timothy that the ideal leader acts "… in humility, correcting those who are in opposition" - 2 Timothy 2:25.

Restraint—self-restraint, parental and leadership enforcement of restraint—may not be fashionable with our society but it is something God values and rewards. Let's take up our courage to buck the trend as we practice restraint in our own lives and teach it to those for whom we're responsible.

PRAYER: Dear God, please help me first to restrain myself in thoughts, speech and actions. Amen. 

PSALM TO PRAY: Psalm 28

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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.

Joseph—God's yes-man

"Joseph and the Christ Child"  - Murillo (1670-75)

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Matthew 1:18-25

TO CHEW ON: "Then Joseph, being roused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took to him his wife." Matthew 1:24

Though the Bible doesn't mention Jesus' earthly father Joseph often, what it does say gives us some insights into the man God picked to be the most influential male in the human Jesus's life. We discover Joseph was:

1. A descendant of King David. - Luke 1:27.

2. Kind. Even though he must have been incredibly hurt and confused at the discovery of Mary's pregnancy, his impulse was to spare her public disgrace and worse by putting her away secretly - Matthew 1:19.

3. Promptly obedient. He took Mary as his wife and left for Egypt in the middle of the night after angelic visits - Matthew 1:24; 2:13-14.

4. Self-controlled. He refrained from having intimate relations with Mary, even after they were married, in respect for the sanctity of Mary's pregnancy - Matthew 1:25.

5. A compliant citizen, obedient to Caesar's decree to register in Bethlehem, even though it "happened" at a most inconvenient time  (for him, but not for God's larger plan) - Luke 2:4.

6. Faithful and devoted in his religious practice, having Jesus circumcised on the eighth day and going up to Jerusalem every year to celebrate Passover - Luke 2:22-24; 41.

7. Sensitive, along with Mary, to the spiritual immensity and mystery of Jesus' destiny - Luke 2:33.

8. Sensible. He used common sense (which was confirmed by another angelic dream) when deciding where to settle on the family's return from Egypt - Matthew 2:22.

9. Trusting. He must have trusted the adolescent Jesus because at Jesus' 12-year-old trip to Jerusalem, he and Mary didn't keep close tabs on His whereabouts - Luke 2:43-44.

10. A responsible father. He and Mary searched for three days for their 12-year-old - Luke 2:45-46.

11. Puzzled? I wonder how he felt when Jesus intimated that His real loyalty was to a different Father - Luke 2:49-50.

12. Ordinary. To Jesus' neighbors and friends, He was known as "Joseph's son." Their surprise at His "gracious words" in the light of His supposed lineage tells us that Joseph was probably a very ordinary, unexceptional person in most ways - Luke 4:22; John 1:45.

I love it that Jesus' earthly father was so humble and ordinary. It gives us hope that all us ordinary nobodies can also be part of God's plan and purpose as we put ourselves at His disposal and keep saying "yes" like Joseph did.


PRAYER: Dear God, thank You for the example of Joseph. I want my life to be remembered by my yes's to You. Amen.

MORE: Fourth Sunday of Advent

Today is the fourth Sunday of Advent. The liturgy for this day begins with this Collect:

Purify our conscience, Almighty God, by your daily visitation, that your Son Jesus Christ, at his coming, may find in us a mansion prepared for himself; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Handel's Messiah lyrics

The lyrics of the contralto recitative "Behold A Virgin Shall Conceive" are taken from Matthew 1:23 (which is a quote from Isaiah 7:14).


In this Tafelmusik rendition, the recitative is followed by the solo "O Thou That Tellest Good Tidings to Zion."

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotes are taken from the New King James Version (NKJV) Used with permission. The Holy Bible, New King James Version Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.

"Sound mind" thinking

Image: Pixabay.com

TODAY’S SPECIAL: 2 Timothy 1:1-18

TO CHEW ON: “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” 2 Timothy 1:7

In the next little while we’ll be reading through the book of 2 Timothy. In preparation for that I read the book notes in my study Bible and discovered some facts that put the book in its history context and gave me a deeper appreciation for it. Maybe they’ll help you see it in a new light too.

1. Paul wrote this book shortly before he died. Scholars believe he was executed before Nero’s death in A.D. 68 and that he wrote this letter in 66 or 67 A.D.

2. He was in prison when he wrote it. This was not the private house arrest he’d been under earlier. “Now he was confined in a dungeon and friends could see him only with difficulty. Formerly he had expected to be released but now he looked forward to death (2 Timothy 4:6-8)” - James L. Beall, Study notes on 2 Timothy, New Spirit-Filled Life Bible, p. 1709.

3. The foremost purpose of the letter was to encourage his young trainee leader Timothy: “… the letter is not an orderly, well-planned literary production but a personal note passionately expressing the apostle’s last will and testament” - Ibid.

Keeping the above in mind, Paul’s encouragement to Timothy not to fear is especially moving. If anyone had reason to fear, it was Paul. But it seems long ago he had made peace with his own mortality (“For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. “ - Philippians 1:21) and so he could bolster Timothy’s faith with words that resonate down through the centuries to us today: “For God has not given us a spirit of fear but of power, and of love and of a sound mind” - 2 Timothy 1:7.

A Word Wealth article in my Bible elaborates on “sound mind”:
[Sound mind - sophronismos - a combination of sos (“safe”) and phren (“the mind”) hence, safe thinking. The word denotes good judgment, disciplined thought patterns and the ability to understand and make right decisions. It includes the qualities of self control and self-discipline - Dick Mills, New Spirit-Filled Life Bible, p. 1711 - emphasis added]

How might we defeat the opposite of a sound mind—a fearful, timid mind—in ourselves? One way is to cultivate a sound mind, i.e. guard our thought life.

Some verses that speak eloquently of how to set that guard in place:

“The tools of our trade aren’t for marketing or manipulation, but they are for demolishing that entire massively corrupt culture. We use our powerful God-tools for smashing warped philosophies, tearing down barriers erected against the truth of God, fitting every loose thought and emotion and impulse into the structure of life shaped by Christ" - 2 Corinthians 10:4,5 MSG.

“And now, brothers, as I close this letter, let me say this one more thing: Fix your thoughts on what is true and good and right. Think about things that are pure and lovely, and dwell on the fine, good things in others. Think about all you can praise God for and be glad about” - Philippians 4:8 TLB

PRAYER: Dear Father, help me to do my part in defeating fearful, timid thoughts. 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.

Scriptures marked The Living Bible (or TLB) copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. The Living Bible, TLB, and the The Living Bible logo are registered trademarks of Tyndale House Publishers.

Scripture quotations marked MSG are taken from The Message. Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.

A life of balance

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Proverbs 23:15-25

TO CHEW ON: "Do not mix with winebibbers
or with gluttonous eaters of meat
For the drunkard and glutton will come to poverty,
And drowsiness will clothe a man with rags." Proverbs 23:19-20

There are lots of reality shows these days that expose peoples obsessions and the fallout from them. I usually avoid them. Perhaps that's because I don't like to face what people are (I am) capable of.

The Bible speaks a lot about two common human obsessions: drunkenness and gluttony—problems we still face today, along with many others.

One of our newer obsessions is with our electronic devices. Go to any place people gather and you'll most likely see a lot of people interacting with their smart phones or tablets instead of the folks around them. Some experts have described this new phenomenon as an addiction.

Naturally not all addictions are equal. But we can learn from the Bible's warnings about excess in any form:

• Amos describes how false trust leads to a preoccupation with satisfying oneself and losing sight of what's really important (Amos 6:1-6).

• Isaiah talks about a habit of excess (in his case drinking wine) becoming an end in itself, stealing ambition and drive (Isaiah 56:12).

• Isaiah also describes how drunkenness can make leaders ineffective by blurring vision and stumbling their judgment (Isaiah 28:7).

• Proverbs describes how drunken son brings shame on parents (Proverbs 28:7). 

• Jesus scolds the scribes and Pharisees for their obsession with living outwardly flawless lives while they neglect their inner thoughts and attitudes (Matthew 23:25).

• He also warns against being "weighed down" with drunkenness (and the cares of life) and so being unprepared for His second coming (Luke 21:34).

• The end of a life ruled by obsession is tragic. Further down in Proverbs 23, the writer lists the consequences of pursuing alcohol (which fit well with other addictions too) in a series of rhetorical questions: "Who has woe … sorrow … contentions … complaints … wounds without cause … redness of eyes? Those who linger long at the wine. Those who go in search of mixed wine" - Proverbs 23:29,30.

• In His story of the prodigal son, Jesus depicts how a life driven by appetite is vulnerable (Luke 15:11-14).

• Finally, Paul warns that some practices (drunkenness and revelry among them) will disqualify people from the Kingdom of God (Galatians 5:21).

It's a sobering picture. I myself have experienced how the virtual world of Facebook, Twitter, email, blog comments etc. can hijack my attention, demand increasingly more of it, as it takes my focus away from what's really important.

How much better to be obsessed and full of the Holy Spirit, leading to all things life-giving and lasting (Ephesians 5:18)!

PRAYER: Dear God, please help me to heed the Bible's warnings about unbalanced living and avoiding things that will enslave me. Amen.

MORE: Wise use of technology

In his book The Next Story: Life and Faith After the Digital Explosion, author Tim Challies talks about the many aspects of technology and how it impacts modern life.  He says:

"Our task then, is not to avoid technology but to carefully evaluate it, redeem it, and ensure that we are using it with the right motives and for the right goals" - Tim Challies, The Next Story, Kindle Location 437.

If you are struggling with technology's hold on you, Challies' book would be a great one to read.

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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.

Deal with anger

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Psalm 4:1-8

TO CHEW ON: "Be angry, and do not sin.
Meditate within your heart on your bed, and be still." Psalm 4:4

What makes you angry? People who cut you off in traffic? People who make you wait? Rudeness? Young people? Old people? People who have different beliefs from yours in religion, in social customs, in politics?

There are probably, in each of our lives, dozens of flash points every day—places where we get rubbed against the grain and could easily erupt into anger.

Psalm 4:4 gives us one way to deal with anger [the word used here is ragas which means to tremble, quake, quiver, be agitated, perturbed, disquieted]. It is to meditate [amar: to say, speak, utter, think, command, promise] and be still [damam: be silent, still, struck dumb].

The picture is of someone who is still shaking mad at bedtime. Perhaps it's the psalmist himself. He does seem to be talking to himself here. Instead of lashing out—what he probably feels like doing—he answers his anger, thinks twice, and reasons himself into silence and stillness.

Here are some more places Bible writers speak of dealing with anger. Let's notice the actions words:

"Cease from anger and forsake wrath; Do not fret—it only causes harm" - Psalm 37:8.

"He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty
And he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city" - Proverbs 16:32.

"But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath…" Colossians 3:8.

"But then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath" - James 1:19.

Do you see the common thread that runs through all these verses? There's a sense that this is something over which we have control. We can rein ourselves in. We don't have to let anger run away with us and take us to that hot speech, door banging, pot throwing place. Why? As David reminds us, anger only causes harm and God has us and our situation in hand: "…put your trust in the Lord. … For You alone, O LORD make me dwell in safety" - Psalm 4:5,8.

PRAYER: Dear God, please heighten my awareness of things that anger me. Help me to rule my spirit with Your Spirit. 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.

The sport of Christian ministry

TODAY'S SPECIAL: 1 Corinthians 9:15-27

TO CHEW ON: "And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown." 1 Corinthians 9:25


Paul here alludes to the Greek games, which he may well have attended. They were accompanied by as much pomp and ritual as our Olympic Games are today. Smith's Bible Dictionary gives some facts about these games:

• There were two classes of events:

The pancratium consisted of boxing and wrestling events.
The pentathlon consisted of leaping, running, quoiting, hurling the spear, and wrestling.

• The competitors trained long and hard. Their training included an enforced diet. For the Olympic Games the training lasted 10 months. During the final months athletes trained under the supervision of appointed officers.

• Huge crowds came to watch the spectacle of the athletes competing.

• The judge, who had a spotless reputation, was tasked with deciding any disputes and awarding the prize.

• The prize consisted of a crown—leaves of wild olive at the Olympic Games, pine or ivy at the Isthmian Games. - Smith's Bible Dictionary, accessed through biblegateway.com.

Paul here compares his work as a minister of the gospel to being a competitor in these games.

He has the determined mindset of a competitor.
No easygoing "whatever" attitude. He is determined to win - 1 Corinthians 9:24.

He lives like a competitor. 
He has just taken considerable space showing why he could ask for their money support but doesn't (1 Corinthians 9:1-18) and how he subjugates his desires and preferences to be able to relate to any kind of person (1 Corinthians 9:19-23). Here he comes out and states clearly: "… I discipline my body and bring it into subjection…" - 1 Corinthians 9:27.

His goal is to win the prize:
The "imperishable crown" versus the plant-based crown of the winning athlete - 1 Corinthians 9:25.

I ask do I, do we view our ministry as seriously as Paul did?

Do we have his determination to finish well—to win?

Is our mindset that of an athlete?
One of my favorite sports to watch is curling—a sport that may look easy but is actually physically demanding in the precision and strength departments. To prepare, competitors spend hours in the gym building up muscles and stamina for sweeping, hours at the rink practicing shots, many weekends at bonspiels pitting their skills and smarts against each other.

How would such dedication translate to one's life as a Christian? It could mean spending more time in the Bible, reading it, studying it, and memorizing it. It could mean learning and practicing how to explain and teach the gospel to others. It could mean spending more time in fasting and prayer…

Do we "compete" with the reward in mind?
Nothing beats the victorious high-fives and hugs of a triumphant rink, their proud march to the podium, and their glowing smiles as they receive the cup and medals.

Do we live with our prize in mind? Do we ever imagine the presentation ceremony, when we'll be crowned with a prize, perhaps...

• the Imperishable Crown of 1 Corinthians 9:25?
• the Crown of Righteousness of 2 Timothy 4:8?
• The Crown of Life, of James 1:12?
• The Crown of Glory of 1 Peter 5:4 and Revelation 2:10?

PRAYER: Dear God, Paul shows me I need to get as serious about life and ministry for You as a competing athlete is about sport. Help me to translate this seriousness into everyday 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.

A leader's influence

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Joshua 24:1-15

TO CHEW ON: "And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." Joshua 24:15

When Joshua called for all the elders, judges, and officers of Israel to meet at Shechem, they probably knew it was a significant event. For they had been at Shechem before.

Shechem (in the valley between Mt. Ebal and Mt. Gerizim) was where, years earlier, Joshua had reread all the law and renewed the covenant with God after the second Battle of Ai (Joshua 8:30-35).

This time he reviewed the history of how God had worked in the nation from Abraham to the present. His message seems like a simple rousing pep talk until we read in verse 14: "Now... put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the River and in Egypt. Serve the Lord!"
Oh oh. It sounds like some of them were worshiping idols.

Joshua did a wise thing when he gave them a choice (Joshua 24:15).  As Matthew Henry says in his commentary:

"It is essential that the service of God's people be performed with a willing mind. For LOVE is the only genuine principle whence all acceptable service of God can spring. The Father seeks only such to worship him, as worship him in spirit and in truth" (Read all of Matthew Henry's commentary and more here.)

Joshua was clear about his own decision. As far as he was concerned he and his family would serve the Lord.

The people seemed moved by his resolve, for they answered: "Far be it from us that we should forsake the Lord...etc. etc."- Joshua 24:16-18.

By Joshua's response it seems he detected a note of glibness in their words. For he made it harder: "You cannot serve the Lord for He is a holy God...."(Joshua 24:19-20).  In other words, You can't keep doing what you're doing (worshiping idols and God too) and think it's okay. God's holiness and jealousy demand your utmost separation to Him.

The people replied, perhaps more knowingly this time, "No, but we will serve the Lord" (Joshua 24:21).

I love how the resolve of this leader was contagious. Joshua can be our model in this. Though we are not leaders of a nation like he was, each of us is a leader to someone—our kids, our friends, our Bible study class, our garden club... Let's reaffirm our personal uncompromising loyalty to God, make it public, and live it out. We never know who will be influenced by our stand.

PRAYER: Dear God, help me to recognize and get rid of any idols that would compete with my loyalty to You. No matter what others do, I want to make Joshua's declaration my own: "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." Amen.

MORE: "Leadership Versus Control"

Joshua is a good example of someone who influenced his people by his own example. Michael Hyatt writes:

"I often hear leaders, particularly younger ones, complaining about their lack of control in various situations. 'If only the sales department reported to me, I could consistently hit my budget,' they lament. Or, 'If the production department reported to me, I would not have run out of inventory!'

What they are really saying is, 'If I could control these people, I could guarantee the results.' The truth is that control is an illusion. You can’t control anyone, even the people that report to you.

However, while you can’t control anyone (except perhaps yourself), you can influence nearly everyone. This is the essence of true leadership. By this definition, Jesus, Mahatma Gandhi, and Martin Luther King were great leaders. They had control of virtually no one, yet their influence changed the course of history..." Read all of "Leadership Versus Control."

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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's Word: Boundary-setter

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Psalm 119:89-104

TO CHEW ON: "I have restrained my feet from every evil way

That I may keep Your Word." Psalm 119:101

It's one thing to declare our belief in the inerrancy of God's Word (our subject yesterday), but quite another to give that Word such an elevated place that it impinges on our lives, curtails our activities, and changes our habits. That's what the psalmist tells us he does.

1. He is so convinced that God's Word is the real thing, that he has put muscle into getting familiar with it: "Your law has been my delight" (vs. 92); "I will never forget your precepts" (vs. 93); "I have sought Your precepts" (vs. 94); "I keep Your precepts" (vs. 100). Then he lets it dictate his action or inaction: "I have restrained my feet from every evil way" (vs. 101).

2. He gives greater regard to God's Word than common sense -- the wisdom that's available to everyone, even his enemies (vs. 98), the wisdom of experts (vs. 99), and the wisdom of experience (vs. 100). In our time that might look like someone who refuses to compromise honesty and integrity even when the boss and the culture at the workplace encourage lying, taking cash payments to avoid taxes, fudging expense accounts, that sort of thing.

3. In fact, he sees all of life through its filter (vs. 104). We'd call that having a Word-centred (or Christian) worldview. Whole books have been written on this. Let's just say, such a biblically centred filter will quickly set you apart from the humanist, the atheist, the agnostic the pantheist and all manner of "ists" among your acquaintances.

I ask myself, do I know God's Word well enough to make it the filter through which I view life?

Do I have such confidence in it that I prefer it when other "wisdom' conflicts with it?

Does it affect my behavior? Do I let its teaching about moderation and self-control keep me from overdoing it while eating or shopping? Do I obey its advice to control my tongue and refrain from gossip, slander, hateful speech, outbursts of anger? Does it restrain my feet to the extent of keeping me away from a questionable movie or TV series when I know the images and language are sure to erode the standards of purity and holiness He has set for me? Have I let it be my boundary setter?

PRAYER: Dear God, thank You for the Bible. Help me give its principles and teachings not only lip-service but life-service. May I have the courage to live by it no matter how odd, foolish or naive that may make me appear to those around me. Amen.

MORE: Word-quotes to think about

"Some people like to read so many [Bible] chapters every day. I would not dissuade them from the practice, but I would rather lay my soul asoak in half a dozen verses all day than rinse my hand in several chapters. Oh, to be bathed in a text of Scripture, and to let it be sucked up in your very soul, till it saturates your heart!" --Charles Haddon Spurgeon

"In most parts of the Bible, everything is implicitly or explicitly introduced with "Thus saith the Lord". It is... not merely a sacred book but a book so remorselessly and continuously sacred that it does not invite -- it excludes or repels -- the merely aesthetic approach. You can read it as literature only by a tour de force... It demands incessantly to be taken on its own terms: it will not continue to give literary delight very long, except to those who go to it for something quite different. I predict that it will in the future be read, as it always has been read, almost exclusively by Christians." --C.S. Lewis

"Here, then, is the real problem of our negligence. We fail in our duty to study God's Word not so much because it is difficult to understand, not so much because it is dull and boring, but because it is work. Our problem is not a lack of intelligence or a lack of passion. Our problem is that we are lazy." --R. C. Sproul

"The book to read is not the one which thinks for you, but the one which makes you think. No book in the world equals the Bible for that." --Mccosh

Quotes from Tentmaker Bible Quotes

Do your 8-12-year-olds have daily devotions? Point them to Bible Drive-Thru.

Rooting out anger

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Ecclesiastes 7:1-8:1

 TO CHEW ON: "Do not hasten in your spirit to be angry,

For anger rests in the bosom of fools." Ecclesiastes 7:9

I will never be one of those people of whom their kids can say, 'Mom never said an angry word.' Because I've been known to lose it.

The battle with anger is probably harder for some people than others. But no matter how unnatural it feels to stay even-tempered, the Bible makes it clear that anger is seldom a good thing.

- It leads to evil (Psalm 37:8).
- It leads to unwise decisions and actions (Proverbs 14:17).
- It is in our control (Proverbs 16:32).
- Patience and overlooking another person's wrongs are a better response (Proverbs 19:11).
- It sets us up for judgment (Matthew 5:22).
- It is on the list of carnal qualities to "put off" along with malice, blasphemy, and filthy language (Colossians 3:8).
- It disqualifies us for positions of leadership (Titus 1:7).
- It is not conducive to a righteous life: "God's righteousness does not grow from human anger" - Message (James 1:19-20).

Anger begins in the thought life and is often a symptom of other problems: unmet expectations, impatience, hurt pride, selfishness, self-centredness. You can probably think of more.

Discovering the root of one's anger is an important insight. Those of us with an anger problem can ask for God's help to determine what is triggering those bouts of temper. Only as we attack anger's root will we finally overcome this foolish and impulsive response to people and circumstances.

PRAYER: Dear God, please give me insights into the anger that still lurks in my heart and explodes at the most inopportune times. Amen.

MORE: Circumstances and my thoughts

"...circumstances do not make men; it is their reaction to circumstances that determines what kind of men they will be...


...The mental stuff of the Christian can be and should be modified and conditioned by the Spirit of Christ which indwells his nature. God wills that we think His thoughts after Him. The Spirit-filled, prayerful Christian actually possesses the mind of Christ, so that his reactions to the external world are the same as Christ's. He thinks about people and things just as Christ does. All life becomes to him the raw nectar which the Spirit within him turns into the honey of paradise.


Yet this is not automatic. To do His gracious work God must have the intelligent cooperation of His people. If we would think God's thoughts we must learn to think continually of God. 'God thinks continuously of each one of us as if He had no one but ourselves,' said Francois Malaval; 'it is therefore no more than just if we think continuously of Him as if we had no one but Himself.'


We must think of the surrounding world of people and things against the background of our thoughts of God..." — A. W. Tozer, "The Sanctification of Our Minds" from That Incredible Christian.

Do your 8-12-year-olds have daily devotions? Point them to Bible Drive-Thru.