STANDFIRMSTAND FIRM … FIRM GOD’SCHALLENGEFORTODAY’SMAN NOVEMBER2008 ......

GOD’S CHALLENGE FOR TODAY’SMAN NOVEMBER 2008

STAND FIRMSTAND FIRM®

HealingFor ABrokenWorld

HealingFor ABrokenWorld

“Queen for a Day” was a forerunner to modern“reality television.” Hosted by Jack Bailey, the showfeatured an applause meter. During this 30-minuteprogram, four women told why they would like thehonor. Viewers listened as the contestants talkedabout their recent difficult circumstances that hadcaused them to hit rock bottom (or close to it). Theharsher the circumstances, the likelier the studio audi-ence was to ring the applause meter’s highest level.To the tune of “Pomp and Circumstance,” the

winner was draped in a red velvet robe and a shim-mering crown and presented a dozen long-stemmedroses, trips, an all-expenses paid night on the town,and other prizes. “Make every woman a queen, forevery single day!” was Bailey’s trademark signoff.To my knowledge there’s never been a TV show

called “King for a Day,” but there was a time whenthe elders in Israel asked God for a king (1 Samuel8:4-5). In response, God gave them what theywanted, installing Saul as the first king in Israel.At the start of his reign, Saul sought and followedGod’s advice. Later, however, King Saul strayed fromGod, and the results were tragic and disastrous.Sometimes the only thing worse

than hearing God say “no” toa prayer request is when Heallows us to have what we thinkwe need and want. Though cen-turies have come and gone, thebest prayer of all time remains“Not my will, but Thy willbe done.”

Volume 13, Number 11November 2008

Production & Ministry TeamWoody ParkerEditor-in-Chief

Matt Erickson, Tammy DrolsumEditors

Diane Elaine VossArt Director

Julie Tozer AldrichPublishing Services Manager

Sid WoodruffMen’s Ministry Specialist

Stand Firm: God’s Challenge for Today’s Man(ISSN 1085-7966; Item 005075233) is aChristian men’s devotional magazinepublished monthly by LifeWay Press®,One LifeWay Plaza, Nashville, TN 37234,Thom S. Rainer, President, LifeWayChristian Resources. © 2008 LifeWayPress®, All rights reserved.

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LifeWay Church Resources, Customer ServiceCenter, One LifeWay Plaza, Nashville, TN37234-0113. For subscriptions, FAX (615)251-5818 or E-MAIL [email protected] bulk shipments mailed quarterly to oneaddress, FAX (615) 251-5933 or [email protected]. Order ONLINEat www.lifeway.com/standfirm. Mail addresschanges to Stand Firm, same address.

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Please allow 6-8 weeks for arrival of firstissue. Bulk shipments mailed quarterly toone address when ordered with otherliterature, $4.65 each quarter plus shipping.

Unless otherwise noted, all Scripturequotations are taken from the HolmanChristian Standard Bible®, © 1999, 2000,2002, 2003 by Holman Bible Publishers.Used by permission.

Content is © 2008 by Walk Thru theBible Ministries, Inc. Contents may not bereproduced in any form unless authorizedin writing. Printed in the U.S.A.

To investigate the possibility of advertisingin Stand Firm, E-MAIL [email protected].

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Cover and interior photos:iStock photoIllustration:Mark Herron

ANOTE FROMSIDWOODRUFFLIFEWAY’S MEN’S MINISTRY SPECIALIST

“THEY COLLAPSE AND FALL,BUTWE RISE AND STAND FIRM.”

—PSALM 20:8

King for a Day

STAND FIRM

FEATURES

Table ofContents

DEPARTMENTS

6 BRINGINGCHRISTMASTOKIDSAROUNDTHEWORLDby Matt Erickson

That’s the mission of Operation Christ-mas Child’s (OCC) Jamie Hardenbrook.Through a simple shoebox gift, OCCpowerfully demonstrates the love ofChrist to children across the globe.

4 FYI

17 DISCUSSION

23 RESOURCES

39 WEEKENDREFLECTIONS3

NOVEMBER 2008

14 HEALINGFORABROKENWORLD

Q & A with political science professor SteveMonsma on politics and Christian citizenship.

24 ASTORYONLYGODCOULDWRITEbyW.Dale Cramer

Author Dale Cramer’s unique, God-orchestrated path to publication.

32 REDISCOVERINGCHRISTMASbyDaveMeurer

Yes, it’s only November, but it’s not too earlyto start thinking about the real meaning ofChristmas. (Hint, it’s not found at the mall.)

Our editorial staff investigates the purpose and content of all Web sites mentioned.However, we have no control over any content changes on those sites between thetime we review them and the time the magazine is published.

4

C.S. Lewis once wrote an imaginary dialogue between a demonand his apprentice so that we might better understand howtemptation works. Here’s a sampling . . . “Never forget thatwhen we are dealing with any pleasure in its healthy and nor-mal and satisfying form, we are, in a sense, on the Enemy’sground. Although we have won many a soul through pleasure,all the same, it is His invention, not ours. The Enemy made thepleasures: all our research so far has not enabled us to produceone. All we can do is to encourage the humans to take the plea-sures, which our Enemy has produced, in incorrect ways, or inan excessive obsessive way. Hence we always try to work awayfrom the natural condition of any pleasure to that in which it isleast natural, least redolent of its Maker, and least pleasurable.An ever-increasing craving for an ever-diminishing pleasure isthe formula. It is more certain; and it’s better style. To get theman’s soul and give him nothing in return is really what glad-dens our father’s heart.”

—C.S. Lewis, Screwtape Letters

WORTHTHINKINGABOUT

IFYI� A clear consciencemakesa soft pillow.The wages of sin is death.Repent before payday.Never give the devil a ride.He’ll always want to drive.Can’t sleep? Try counting yourblessings.God answers knee-mail.To belittle is to be little.

Christians, keep the faith . . .but not from others!Satan subtracts and divides.God adds andmultiplies.Forbidden fruit createsmany jams.Try Jesus. If you don’t likeHim, the devil will always takeyou back.

source: www.all-creatures.org

CHURCHMARQUEESIGNS

5

A new study from EllisonResearch shows that an over-whelming majority of Americans(87%) believe in the notion of“sin” as “something that isalmost always considered wrong,particularly from a religious ormoral perspective.” The survey,which included over 1,000adults, also compared 30 of themost objectionable behaviorsand whether respondents quali-fied them as “sinful.” Adulterytops the list—81 percent ofAmericans consider it a “sinful”activity. There was also a major-ity of individuals who believeracism (74%), drug use (65%),abortion (56%), and homosexual

sex (52%) are also sins. Interest-ingly enough, more peoplebelieve that it’s sinful to gossip(47%) or swear (46%) thanengage in premarital sex (45%).The major disparities in the sur-vey were mostly political—notreligious—in nature. Among lib-erals, only 77 percent believe inthe concept of sin, compared to94 percent of conservatives. It’sencouraging to know that in thisday of moral relativism, a major-ity of Americans still recognizeand believe that there is such athing as sin, even if there aredevils in the details.

source: www.frc.org

editorial [email protected] service [email protected] www.lifeway.com/standfirm

[contact us]

SPEAKINGOFSINANDDEVILS

ince 1993, OperationChristmas Child (OCC), a min-

istry of Samaritan’s Purse, has pro-vided over 60 million shoebox gifts tochildren in over 130 countries. Thesesimple shoebox gifts typically containitems such as hygiene products, toys,clothes, and candy. They are intendedto serve as a tool for pastors aroundthe world to share the love of Christwith the children in their community.A quick glance at the numbers revealsthat it’s a huge operation—one thatrequires a massive volunteer force tomake happen.Southeast Regional Director Jamie

Hardenbrook is responsible forrecruiting, training, equipping, anddeveloping hundreds of year-roundvolunteer teams in Georgia, Alabama,and Mississippi. As you can imagine,Jamie is a busy guy.“The most challenging part of my

job is that my volunteers are spreadout over a three-state region. Despitethe challenges this brings, I find itextremely rewarding to see volunteers

worktogether on a pro-ject the Lord is using to bring Hischildren home to Him. I also get tosee many of these volunteers growcloser in their own relationship withthe Lord through their service withOCC, and that’s another really excitingpart of my job.”Serving with OCC has also changed

Jamie’s perspective about evangelism.“Working with OCC has changed

the way I look at reaching peoplewith the love of Christ. Starting withmy overseas missions experiences incollege and then continuing through-out my professional career as a net-work administrator, I had begun tothink that the only way to reachpeople with the gospel is to reasonwith them about who Jesus is.“Then, when I started working

with OCC, I began to see how theLord uses a simple shoebox gift totouch the lives of millions of children

6

Bringing

S

around the world. There’s no needto try to reason with these childrenor prove anything to them. All wehave to do is let them see the loveof Christ through these gift boxes.They are a tangible expression ofGod’s love that reaches straight intothe hearts of the children.“I’ve personally been on two distrib-

ution trips—one to Panama, and theother to Peru—and just to see thefaces of the children as theyopen their boxes . . . it’s amaz-ing! The toys, the candy, theclothes they receive—their eyesjust light up. The greatest partabout it, though, is not thegifts themselves, as wonderfuland as needed as they are.It’s that the children actuallyunderstand that these gifts arecoming from God and not justfrom other people. They’retruly thankful to God for Hisgenerosity to them, and theybegin to understand that Heloves them and cares for themmore than they can imagine.”In 2008, the OCC national

collection week is November17–24. According to Jamie,there are plenty of opportuni-ties to get involved.“Teams of people are com-

ing together around the countryto serve in the specific areas of

prayer, church relations, communityrelations, media, and shoebox collec-tion. We try to place them in positionswhere they will experience successand see their own relationship withthe Lord grow deeper too. We wantthe people involved with OCC to feelcalled to this ministry and we want tomake sure they know that they’re val-ued and appreciated.” SF

PROFILE

TheMission of Operation Christmas Child’sJamie Hardenbrook

Christmas to KidsAround theWorld

At a recent distribution in Lima, Peru, a localpastor helped hand out boxes at anorphanage. The experience blessed his life,too. He says:

“One of the children was a blind boy.I asked him if he would like me to openhis box. ‘Si!’ he said. The first item was awhite University of Tennessee shirt. As Idescribed each item to him, Jorge becamemore excited. I asked if he wanted to eatone of his pieces of candy. ‘Si!’ As he tastedthe candy, he reached up and began tofeel my face. He did this for a long time.Only my wife and daughter had evertouched my face like that before. ‘Gracias,gracias,’ he said repeatedly.

“I talked to him about Jesus. As wetalked, I realized he understood the gospeland he wanted to trust in Jesus. I had trulyseen a miracle that day. Jorge didn’t gethis sight back, but he was given the giftof seeing the love of Jesus with his newspiritual eyes.”

Experiencing the Love of Jesus

7

� Water Filters—Samaritan’s Purse has installed more than 70,000BioSand® water filters in 25 countries, providing more than a halfmillion people with a safe and perpetual source of clean water.

� Children’s Heart Project—Samaritan’s Purse has brought morethan 450 children, all with life-threatening heart defects, to NorthAmerica for surgery not available in their home countries, whichinclude Kosovo, Mongolia, Honduras, and Uganda. Patients arematched with hospitals, surgeons, and host families who volun-teer their time and services.

� WorldMedical Mission—Each year, the medical arm of Samari-tan’s Purse places hundreds of doctors, dentists, and other med-ical professionals in voluntary, short-term service with hospitalsand clinics in the world’s least developed countries. The projectalso provides overseas hospitals with critically needed medicalequipment and supplies.

OngoingMinistries of Samaritan’s Purse

MONDAY,NOVEMBER 3

The Pharisees practicedextreme Judaism. Thoughthey numbered only sixthousand out of a popula-ton of two million Jews,their intensity gainedthem a disproportionateinfluence. By the time ofJesus, the Pharisees virtu-ally controlled everydaylife in ancient Israel.

In Matthew 23, Jesuspronounced “woes” uponthe Pharisees. Jesusaccused them ofhypocrisy. He called them“snakes” and “blindguides.” He took on themost powerful religiousand political group of Hisday. Why? Because theirvoice crushed the spiritof God’s people. Today’sdevotional introduces afour-part mini-series you’llsee each Monday thismonth called, “SilencingCrushing Voices.”

Silencing CrushingVoices: Part 1“They do everything to be observed by others: They enlarge their phylacteriesand lengthen their tassels” (Matthew 23:5).

COLOSSIANS 2:16-23

BOTTOM LINEOnly Christ has a performance worth writingabout. Look to Him, and only Him, for signifi-cance.

STANDFIRM DEVOTIONAL

THEVOICE OF PERFORMANCEJesus said the Pharisees “do everything to beobserved by others.” Most Pharisees wore phylac-teries and tassels. Phylacteries were one-inchleather boxes worn on the forehead and the leftbicep, attached by long, black straps, and contain-ing four parchments of Scripture. They also wovefour tassels into the corners of their robes, fulfill-ing the Scriptures (see Numbers 15:38-39). Godintended the tassels to be a sign of their devotionto Him. So the Pharisees were literally wearing theScriptures and accessorizing with symbols ofdevotion, yet their hearts were all wrong.

ALL FOR SHOWJesus insinuated that the Pharisees enlarged theirphylacteries and lengthened their tassels simplyfor show. Essentially, they went around boasting,“My tassel’s bigger than yours!” In other words,they had succumbed to the voice of performance.They feared each other’s criticisms and soughteach other’s approval. Today, we call that “cavingin to peer pressure.” In biblical language, theytraded the fear of God for the fear of man.Jesus didn’t intend for us to live in that kind of

bondage. Christianity isn’t about impressing peo-ple; it’s about pleasing God. And that only hap-pens when we focus on Jesus. His performancebecomes our performance. What a relief! What abetter way to live! So give up trying to perform forother people, yourself, even God.

9

DEVOTIONAL

TUESDAY,NOVEMBER 4

Sixty-one percent ofAmericans believe thatthe Holy Spirit is symbolicof the presence or powerof God, but they do notbelieve He is a living per-son. (From Barna.org)

But the Bible refers tothe Spirit as “He,” and alsoreveals that the Spirit hasthe “personhood” attrib-utes of mind, will, andemotion.

Out of the Spotlight“He will testify about Me” (John 15:26).

THE GOALOFTHE SPIRITLeonardo da Vinci’s most famous painting, theMona Lisa, does not hang in a bright orange plas-tic frame. There is a reason for this. The purposeof the frame is to accentuate and complement thepainting, not to detract from it. In a similar way,one of the primary roles of the Holy Spirit is todraw attention to Jesus. As Jesus put it, “He willtestify about Me” (John 15:26). In this sense, theHoly Spirit is the behind-the-scenes member of theTrinity. He does not take center stage. Instead, Heindwells us, and He teaches us, and He producesfruit in our lives (see 1 Corinthians 3:16, John14:26, and Galatians 5:22-23). And He’s definitelynot some kind of impersonal force. He’s a person,equal with the Father and the Son.

WALKING IN STEPWhile it was Jesus who hung on the cross—notthe Father or the Spirit—all three members of theTrinity are intimately involved in securing our sal-vation. The Holy Spirit enables us to come into arelationship with the Father by pointing us to theperson and work of Jesus. Once we’re reconciledto God through faith in Jesus, we continue to “liveby the Spirit” (Galatians 5:25). He applies God’struths to our hearts and inspires our obedience.It’s only through His manifold gifting that we areempowered for service. And, of course, He unitesus with Jesus and makes the thoughts of God realto us (see 1 Corinthians 2:12-16).

BOTTOM LINESometimes the Holy Spirit is the neglectedmember of the Trinity, but His ministry is vitalto our walk with God.

10 JOHN14:15-26

WEDNESDAY,NOVEMBER 5

“You’re going to teach thehigh school girls classnext Sunday morning?”blurted Hank, in front ofthe usual Sunday lunchgroup from church.

“Well, I’m going to try,”replied his wife, Darlene.

“But you’ve never beengood at that before,” com-mented Hank, suddenlyfeeling that the guys atthe table were lookingdown at the floor andturning away from him.“Why now?”

“I—I—I wanted to tryto step out in faith,” stam-mered Darlene.

“Well, those girls couldhave you for lunch. Am Iright, guys?”

The silence at the tablewas deafening.

Compliments CountA word spoken at the right time is like golden apples on a silver tray(Proverbs 25:11).

EPHESIANS 4:29

BOTTOM LINEAlways serve the truth in beauty and loveto your wife. Always.


A SENSEOFTIMINGTiming is everything, isn’t it? If you’re married,you know that there is a right time and a wrongtime to say anything, and a right way and awrong way to say it. How do you know whenand where and how to open your mouth?Well, it’s always the right time to give her com-

pliments. The writer of Proverbs 25:11 comparesappropriate, timely words to fine fruit served ona silver platter. The apples represent truthfulwords, but no one wants to eat an apple that hasbeen dragged around in the mud. They might bedelighted, however, to eat it when it is served on abeautiful tray. In other words, the way you deliverthe truth is almost as important as the truth itself.

AMIXOFTRUTHAND LOVEBut the “silver tray” comments you make to yourwife need to be sincere as well. She doesn’t wantto be patronized or treated in a condescendingmanner. Be genuine in your words.Think of your wife’s self-image as a growing

investment account. She needs her confidencebuilt up, and you are the number one person Godhas placed in her life to help that happen. You dothat by making sure you deposit loving, truthfulwords in her heart every day. Encouragement, notcriticism, motivates people and makes them bet-ter. Even when you disagree, do so lovingly andkindly. Your words to your wife have great power.

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DEVOTIONAL

THURSDAY,NOVEMBER 6

The late Bill Bright,founder of Campus Cru-sade for Christ, believedthat men can learn toshare their faith effec-tively and without fear.His book 5 Steps to Shar-ing Your Faith communi-cates principles that arenow capsulized on aninteractive Web site.Check it out atwww.5clicks.com.

After going throughthe interactive 5 Clicksstudy, you will have:• Written your testimony.• Added a link to an evan-

gelistic Web site.• Learned how to share

your story effectively.• Saved it to a file for

future use.• Had an opportunity to

e-mail your testimonyto a friend.

DoWhat ComesNaturallyPhilip proceeded to tell him the good news about Jesus, beginning from thatScripture (Acts 8:35).

LUKE 10:1-12

IN FEAR . . .For most guys, sharing our faith isn’t easy. We’reafraid we’ll do more damage than good, afraidwe don’t know the Scriptures well enough, afraidothers will laugh at us. But 2 Timothy 1:7 says,“God has not given us a spirit of fearfulness, butone of power, love, and sound judgment.” Sodon’t give in to fear, give in to God.Bill Bright believed that half of all nonbelievers

would accept Christ if witnessed to by “a believerwho can communicate God’s love and forgivenessrevealed through our Lord Jesus.” That shouldmotivate us to fight our fears and tell othersabout our faith.

. . . OR IN FAITHIn Acts 4:20, Peter and John were ordered to quittalking about Jesus, but they replied, “We areunable to stop speaking about what we have seenand heard.” What would you give for that kindof boldness?God made us each unique, so each man has to

find a way to share his faith that comes naturallyto him. Some slip casual comments into conversa-tion, citing the Lord’s blessing in their lives. Someeasily approach others with questions about theirspiritual beliefs. Others build a relationship overtime before tackling the subject of faith.One thing’s for sure: The Bible says we should

witness. We just have to find a way that clicksfor us and relates to other men.

BOTTOM LINECheck out Dr. Bright’s 5 Clicks, and startlearning how to share your faith.

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FRIDAY,NOVEMBER 7

“If one really believes hisaffairs are in God’s hands,every event, no matterwhether joyous or tragic,will be taken as part ofGod’s plan. To knowbeyond doubt that Hedoes all for our welfare isto be led into a wide areaof peace and quietnessand strength for everysituation.”

—Phillip Keller,A Shepherd Looksat Psalm 23

The Lord IsMy ShepherdThe LORD is my shepherd (Psalm 23:1).

PSALM139

BOTTOM LINELet it sink in that the Lord is your personalshepherd. Meditate on His infinite goodnesstoward you. Relax and let Him shepherd you.


A PERSONAL SHEPHERDPsalm 23 has been called the “John 3:16 of theOld Testament” in that no other text is so well-known and loved. There may not be a morecomforting passage of Scripture in all of the Bible.When new believers are introduced to it they areimmediately taken in by its simplicity and beauty.At the same time, a seasoned believer who haswalked with the Lord for decades finds himselfreturning to it again and again for comfort andencouragement. It’s a text that’s always in season.So what makes Psalm 23 so special? Probably

more than any other thing is how personal it is.It begins with, “The LORD is my shepherd”(verse 1). He’s not just a shepherd, He’s myshepherd. He knows me. He cares about me. Heshepherds me. We need to know that. Yes, thereare other sheep that He tends to, but He is per-sonally interested in me. He’s my shepherd.

AGOOD SHEPHERDThe fact that God knows us personally is madeall the more wonderful by the knowledge of Hischaracter. In John 10:14, Jesus says, “I am thegood shepherd. I know My own sheep, and theyknow Me.” God is not a harsh or indifferent shep-herd; He’s a good shepherd. His intentions towardus are only good, all the time. His patience isinexhaustible. His kindness is immeasurable andunending. He knows exactly what we needand is able to provide it. He’s the good shepherd.

13SEE P. 39 FORWEEKENDREFLECTIONS

ith the political season in fullswing, we looked to an expert

to help us understand what being agood Christian citizen means in ourday. Enter Steve Monsma, a seniorresearch fellow at the Henry Institutefor the Study of Christianity and Poli-tics at Calvin College and professoremeritus of political science at Pep-perdine University, to help us respondbiblically and wisely to the challeng-ing call to fulfill our civic responsibil-ity in a God-honoring way.

SF:Why should Christians careabout politics/public policy?Steve: Christians should care aboutpolitics because Christ cares aboutpolitics. The Bible teaches us that Godestablished governments to limit theeffects of sin and to create a more justorder in society. Paul, in Romans,writes, “Government is God’s servantto you for good. But if you do wrong,be afraid, because it does not carrythe sword for no reason” (Romans13:4). True, the political world is

fallen, as are all human insti-tutions. But Christ came not

only to redeem us as individuals,but also to redeem all human rela-

tionships and thereby all human insti-tutions—families, businesses, theentertainment industry, and politics.And we are called to be His agents ofredemption, bringing to all parts ofsociety the good news of the forgive-ness of sins in Christ and of lives livedfor others and not for self. And thisincludes the political world.

SF:What can Christians learn fromthe example ofWilliamWilberforce?Steve: In the early 19th century,William Wilberforce was used by Godto end the slave trade, and later slav-ery itself, and to enact a host of otherreforms. He could be used by God,first, because his life as a member ofthe British House of Commons and hislife with Christ were one, not two sep-arate lives, and, second, because hedecided which causes to support onlyafter much thought, study, prayer, anddiscussions with fellow Christians.Both were crucial. Today also, ourlives as Christian citizens and votersshould grow out of and be a part ofour walk with Christ, and we should

Healing

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SMARTGUY

thoughtfully and carefully decidewhich candidates and public policiesto support—not in an unthinking orcareless manner. Our political think-ing and our political minds need tobe transformed by Christ and Scrip-ture, just as Wilberforce’s were inhis day.

SF:What traps need to be avoided?Steve: One trap is the misguidedeffort trap. When Christians becomeactively involved in public policyissues, whether as citizens and votersor in more active forms, there is thedanger we may take misguided posi-tions on the issues of the day, or willfocus on issues of secondary impor-tance while ignoring more weightyones. Another one is the Christiannation trap. This is to assume thatthe chief reason for Christians tobecome involved as citizens is to usethe force of law to impose Christianstandards of morality and symbolsonto our nation, and that as we doso God will bless our nation in aspecial way. In the Old TestamentGod indeed worked through a specialpeople He had called, the Israelites.Today He works through the church,which knows no national, racial, or

geographic boundaries. A third trapis to see government and its leadersas so fallible and perhaps so corrupt,and the problems we face so deep-seated, that we give in to despair,believing that trying to improve ournation or our world by way of publicpolicy is hopeless. But we need toremind ourselves that God, not evil,is in charge. History shows that bymaking changes in public policy, astop can, by God’s grace, sometimesbe put to great evils. Think ofWilliam Wilberforce and the endingof the slave trade in the BritishEmpire. Christian abolitionists werekey in ending slavery in the UnitedStates. In our own day apartheid inSouth Africa was ended, and thescourge of Communism has largelybeen defeated. American assistanceto many African nations in the pastfive years is saving thousands, proba-bly even millions, of lives.

SF:What principles ought to guideus?Steve: There are four basic biblicalprinciples or perspectives that are cru-cial for us as Christian citizens andvoters if our minds are to be renewedby Christ (see Romans 12:2).

15

For a BrokenWorldAn interviewwith SteveMonsma about politics

First, we should be guided by thegreat biblical drama of this world’ssin and brokenness, but also a worldJesus Christ came to redeem. Thisincludes the political world of elec-tions and public policy debates. Thisworld is not as it is supposed to be,but Christ is on the move; He isredeeming that which is broken. Andgovernments are one means He, inHis grace, uses to accomplish Hisredeeming purposes in this timebefore He returns in power.

Second, God has established jus-tice as a goal for governments topursue. As citizens and voterswe should support policies thatadvance justice, not our ownpersonal betterment.

Third, the command to love ourneighbors as ourselves teaches us tolook beyond our own lives and to beconcerned for others—whether a nextdoor neighbor or a young child dyingof malaria in Africa. This I refer to assolidarity—standing in love with oth-ers and especially with those experi-encing special needs.

Fourth,we need to recognize thatGod has established not only govern-ments, but also families and thechurch. And there are a host of otherorganizations that are also a part ofHis will for society. I’m thinking here

of faith-based and other nonprofitorganizations, service clubs, neigh-borhood associations, and more.These organizations are usually calledcivil society. Government and itspublic policies ought not to ignoreor undercut these civil society institu-tions, but respect their autonomyand work with and encourage them.All these are biblical perspectives

or principles that are highly relevantto the public policy debates of today.My book, Healing for a Broken World,seeks to develop our understandingof these principles and considershow to apply them as we seek tobe salt and light in the world thatGod has placed us in.

SF: Any parting advice for howChristians should approachpolitics?Steve: To me the truly importantthing is that we approach publicpolicy debates and form our positionson them in a careful, thoughtfulmanner, guided not by our familybackground, the region of the coun-try we grew up in, our income levels,or TV “talking heads.” We should notbe molded in our political opinionsby the culture that surrounds us.Instead we should be guided by thebiblical principles I described above,which we then thoughtfully, prayer-fully, and in discussions with fellowChristians apply to today’s candidatesand issues. SF

16

SMARTGUY

USETHISPAGETO

STIMULATEADISCUSSION

INYOURBIBLESTUDYGROUP—ORSIMPLYFORYOUROWNPERSONAL

STUDYANDREFLECTION.

DISCUSSION

ATranquil andQuiet Life?KEYVERSE: 1 Timothy 2:1-4

When we think of political engagement we probably don’tthink of tranquility and quietness. More like chaos and noise.Certainly, the nightly political shows are not known as bastionsof civility and enlightenment. Let’s be honest: many of us viewpolitics as a dirty business. It’s all about spin and money andpower. It’s characterized by so many lies, untruths, and miscon-ceptions that it’s tempting to just wash our hands of the wholething and hope for the best. We can’t afford to do that, though,and God won’t let us.Paul, in 1 Timothy 2:1-4 writes: “I urge that petitions, prayers,

intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for everyone, for kingsand all those who are in authority, so that we may lead a tran-quil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. This is good, andit pleases God our Savior, who wants everyone to be saved andto come to the knowledge of the truth.” Notice how it says thatit’s our prayers that allow us to “lead a tranquil and quiet life.”Notice also that our prayers result in people being “saved” andcoming to “the knowledge of the truth.” Praying for our politicalleaders—even the ones who perhaps weren’t our first choice—is incredibly important to the welfare of our nation, and it’spleasing to God.

REACTIONQUESTIONS:� If the “wrong” person gets in office, someone with whom youstrongly disagree, are you still willing to pray faithfully for thatleader despite how you may feel about his or her politics?� Can you think of any political figures, past or present, whomyou admire? What is it about them that made them special?

ACTIONSTEP:Read Dr. Monsma’s book and educate yourself on the issues.

GETTHEWHOLESTORY:Read Romans 13:1-3. Submitting to government authorities isthe same thing as submitting to God since He’s the one who hasgranted them authority. Thank God that government, while imper-fect, has been instituted for our good as a restraint against evil.

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DEVOTIONAL

MONDAY,NOVEMBER 10

An ancient Babylonianking had reached thepinnacle of success. Hedominated most of theknown world. Massivetribute poured into histreasury every day. Atthe height of his glory,while surveying hisglorious palace andreveling in his ownsuperiority, God struckhim with a humiliatingcase of insanity. Afterseven years of animal-like behavior, this king,who went by the overly-long name of Neb-uchadnezzar, finallyadmitted that God wasthe one in charge andsaid, “He is able to hum-ble those who walk inpride” (Daniel 4:37).

Silencing CrushingVoices: Part 2“They love the place of honor at banquets, the front seats in the synagogues,greetings in the marketplaces, and to be called ‘Rabbi’ by people”(Matthew 23:6-7).

PROVERBS 25:6-7

THEVOICE OF SUPERIORITYJesus did not come to teach religion; He came toinvite people into a relationship with God. He didthis solely on the basis of His reconciling work onthe cross. Unfortunately, our sinful nature includesa deeply-rooted instinct that loves to show Godand others just how good we are. So instead ofresting contentedly in the perfect work of Christfor us, we find ourselves engaging in a dizzyingarray of religious activities to prove that we’vegot what it takes to be a good person—a morallysuperior person to most others.The Pharisees fell into this trap. They saw

themselves as “better” than their neighbors, andthey jockeyed for public recognition of their supe-riority. They took turns congratulating each otherfor their success and looked down their noses atothers. They labored under their own ever-escalat-ing demands to prove their religious superiority.

THE GREAT EQUALIZERThe cross is the great equalizer. Apart from thecross-won salvation Jesus offers, all mankind isequally guilty before God: “there is no distinction”(Romans 3:22). After salvation, all Christians areequally beloved of God: “for you are all one inChrist Jesus” (Galatians 3:28). Christians derivetheir worth from Jesus. We don’t have to attemptto be superior to others. We can rest in the fin-ished work of Christ, acknowledging His superior-ity and giving up attempts to establish our own.

BOTTOM LINEYou don’t have to try to impress anybody withyour religious devotion and moral superiority.In fact, you shouldn’t even try. Jesus is the onewho makes us righteous.18

TUESDAY,NOVEMBER 11

“Where is the Life wehave lost in living?”

—T.S. Eliot

The Bucket ListI have strongly desired for many years to come to you (Romans 15:23).

PHILIPPIANS 3:14

BOTTOM LINEMake a list of concrete spiritual goals, ask Godto show you if they’re in line with His will, andthen ask Him to help you accomplish them.


AMANWITHAMISSIONThe Apostle Paul had some specific things hewanted to accomplish before he died. One of hisgoals, as cited in the passage above, was to meetthe believers in Rome. He had longed to see themfor years, and wrote them a substantial letter (theBook of Romans). But Paul had not met thempersonally because a trip to Rome took a backseat to a higher priority: “to evangelize whereChrist has not been named” (Romans 15:20).It was only after Paul had preached the gospel“from Jerusalem all the way around to Illyricum”(Romans 15:19) that he gave himself permissionto plan a trip to Rome. Paul was focused.

THE BUCKET LISTMany of us have actively or subconsciouslypenned a “bucket list.” It is a list of things wewould like to accomplish before we kick thebucket. We may have cherished dreams andaspirations that range from running our own busi-ness to running a marathon. It’s great to have per-sonal goals and the discipline to carry them out.But earthly goals are, by nature, fleeting. Everyman of God should, like Paul, have spiritual goals.Are there friends and family members you wantto lead to Christ? Then what’s the plan? Have youwanted to deepen your understanding of the Bibleor help lead a ministry? Then how will you do it,and when will you start? We only get one shot atthis life, and we should make the most of it.

19

DEVOTIONAL


In the last 16 years, Star-bucks has grown from125 stores to 15,000stores in 44 countries.But now the coffee giantis seeing a sharp drop-offin sales. In the secondquarter of 2008, Starbucksreported a net incomeof $108.7 million—com-pared to $150.8 millionthe previous year duringthe same time. Starbuckssays a weak economicenvironment may beresponsible for thedecline in sales.

source: International HeraldTribune

The Latte EffectCatch the foxes for us—the little foxes that ruin the vineyards—for our vineyardsare in bloom (Song of Songs 2:15).

MATTHEW25:23

LITTLE COST, BIG CONSEQUENCEHigh gas prices. Rising food costs. Shrinking homevalues. No matter where you find yourself on theeconomic food chain, you’re probably feeling alittle lighter in the wallet these days. As youtighten your family’s budget belt, you may wantto check to see if you have a drinking problem.What seems like a small choice—what you

drink in a restaurant or on the way to work—can pay big dividends to your family’s bottomline. Check out these numbers. If your family offour eats out just once a week and everybody getsa soft drink, you’ll spend about $400 a year thatyou wouldn’t if everyone drank water. And if youbypass your morning latte (at $3.50 a pop), youcan save $1,200 a year! That’s a lot of money!Think about it, is an expensive morning drinkreally worth it?

PROTECTYOURVINEYARDIn your finances, as in your walk with Christ,little choices add up to a big difference over time.A small compromise can become a major prob-lem. King Solomon wrote it’s “the little foxes thatruin the vineyards” (Song of Songs 2:15). That’sso true when it comes to our finances or any otherarea of life. So it’s imperative that we guard ourhearts and our family’s finances by diligently fend-ing off the little foxes that will eventually causeus great ruin. Then, as our good decisions addup, we will reap a great harvest in the end.

BOTTOM LINEOver time, little things add up to big things.Seek God’s will and guidance in every areaof your life—including your finances.

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THURSDAY,NOVEMBER 13

God had mercifullysaved him from theeternal punishment hedeserved for his sins.Of that he was certain—usually. But he stillstruggled with tempta-tion and sin; and therewere times when hethought, “Am I reallya Christian? Am I reallya child of the King, ajoint heir with Jesus?”How could he be andstill have some of thethoughts that plaguedhim? Where did thesethoughts and questionscome from?

How’sYourThought Life?Take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5).

JEREMIAH4:14

BOTTOM LINETake your thoughts “captive to the obedience ofChrist” through prayer and by frequent feedingon God’s written Word.


WHOSAIDTHAT?There’s a war going on, and many of us arescarcely aware of it. Where is this war? It’s withinour thoughts. When you wonder, “Where did thatthought come from?” know that it originated inyour heart—not your physical heart, but your spir-itual heart—the place where Jesus lives if you area Christian and where Satan continually chal-lenges Him for dominance. The old cartoon char-acterization of a little devil sitting on one shoulderand a little angel sitting on the other, both whis-pering into our ears, is not too far from reality.We often attribute our thoughts to God, but

Satan, the father of lies (see John 8:44), is alsocapable of influencing our thinking. Thoughtscontrary to the principles of God’s Word are fromSatan. “From the heart come evil thoughts,” Jesussaid in Matthew 15:19, and Satan is the one whoput them there. If we don’t know this, we’ll bevulnerable to deception. Satan is a liar who’s outto “steal and to kill and to destroy” (John 10:10).

DETERMININGTHE SOURCEThe Bible declares itself to be “a judge of theideas and thoughts of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12).When you hear a “still, small voice” within yourmind, compare the idea you’ve had to the princi-ples found within God’s Word. That’s how youcan determine the idea’s source, and determiningthe source is the first step in both overcomingSatan and obeying the Lord.

21

DEVOTIONAL

FRIDAY,NOVEMBER 14

“And with the added fea-tures, the extra inputs, thepicture-in-picture, and ofcourse since it’s HD ready,”said the salesman, paus-ing only to come up forair, “yours will be thehouse everybody comesto when they want towatch the big game. It’son sale now and it’s prob-ably the last TV you’llever need to buy.”

“Didja hear that, hon?”asked Marshall, turningaround to speak to hiswife, Shirley. “We reallyNEED this one. Uh, Shirley?Uh, where’d she go?”

But Shirley was alreadyheaded for the exit, deafto the pitch of the sales-man and the pleas of herhusband.

“Don’t worry, sir,”remarked the salesman.“It just takes a little time.Once you convince herthat this unit is not justsomething you want, butsomething your wholefamily needs, she’ll comearound.”

Every GoodThingThe LORD is my shepherd; there is nothing I lack (Psalm 23:1).

JOHN10:7-19

THE GOOD SHEPHERD PROVIDESMany guys grew up quoting Psalm 23:1 from anolder translation of the Bible, “The Lord is myShepherd, I shall not want.” But as boys grow intomen, and their income increases, it seems likethey want more and more. And with the sweepingadvances in consumer electronics and the ease ofpurchasing through the Internet, it’s easy to feellike everyone else has the coolest gear and you’rethe last one on the block to get the latest gadget.In the midst of our 21st-century consumerism is

the Good Shepherd. He’s the Lord of the universe,and He promises to provide everything we need.As we follow Him, He teaches us the differencebetween a “covet-of-the-month item” and our real,internal needs that only He can meet. That’s a les-son that we desperately need to learn.

EVERTHING’STAKEN CAREOFKnowing a personal Shepherd also releases usfrom the anxiety of thinking that we must providefor ourselves. The Bible often refers to followersof God as sheep, and sheep by nature are verydependent on the care and provision of someoneelse. (They’re not exactly the smartest animals,either!) That’s us! We’re dependent creatures. Ourrelationship with Jesus as the Good Shepherd ismeant to be one of complete dependence. That’sactually a much easier, more enjoyable way tolive. We can rest easy knowing that the GoodShepherd has everything under control.

BOTTOM LINEThank God today that there is no essential needyou will ever have that He does not provide foryou.

22 SEE P. 39 FORWEEKENDREFLECTIONS

RESOURCES NOVEMBER 2008

BOOKS&MUSICMODERN PARABLES“Modern Parables is an original Bible study cur-riculum designed for people who like movies.The Parable Films are uniquely designed to parallel the origi-nal parables, thereby driving viewers back to the biblicaltext. The films are not meant to replace the text, but areintended to re-create in the viewer similar emotional, intel-lectual, and spiritual responses to those of Jesus’ first-centurylisteners.” These videos are excellent, and the accompanyingstudy guide and teacher’s guide are superb, too. Would makefor a terrific 12-week study. (Compass Cinema, 2008)

OVER AND UNDERNEATHTenth AvenueNorth“With one listen to the music of Tenth AvenueNorth, it becomes obvious that songwriter MikeDonehey and his bandmates have a gift forexpressing truth in a way that simultaneouslyeducates, enlightens, and entertains.” That’s thedescription given by their record label and we couldn’t agreemore. This album has depth—both in the quality of the lyricsand the number of memorable, enjoyable songs. Definitelyone of the best albums we’ve heard this year. (Reunion, 2008)

THE NEW EVEby Robert LewisThe New Eve is an equally stirring counterpart toRobert’s teachings on authentic biblical manhood,powerfully defining Christian womanhood in thecontext of the modern world. He says, “Manywomen lack a clear, compelling, biblical vision forwhat it means to be a Christian woman living inthe 21st century.” While this book is for women,it’s a great idea to read as an aid to understanding God’splan for women. It would also make an excellent gift forthe women in your life. (Broadman & Holman, 2008)

23

Visit the LifeWay Christian Store online atwww.LifewayStores.comor call (800)233-1123.

hear it all the time: How does anold construction worker suddenly

become a novelist at the age of 50?Most people figure my day job

just paid the bills while I honed mycraft all those years, but no; I didn’twrite a word until I was 43 yearsold. What really happened was astring of accidents so bizarre Icouldn’t pass it off as fiction.The first accident happened while

I was working on a mining machine.We were a mile-and-a-half under-ground one night when I made amistake, causing an intense electricalexplosion. The three miners behindme were blown over the rail androlled down under the machine.Blinded, alone, and on fire from thewaist up, I felt my way to the backof the mining machine and jumpedoff. A miner tackled me into thewall and beat out the flames.That night, and the six weeks I

spent in the burn unit afterward,changed everything. I’d always goneto church, more or less, yet I still

wasn’t sure what it meant to bea Christian—other than, of course,believing. But while I was in thehospital, people paid my bills. Otherscut my grass and fed my dog. Stillothers showed up at mealtime andspoon-fed me when my hands weretrussed up and useless. It was aninner city hospital in a tough neigh-borhood, and one night a womanwas raped in the parking lot. Thenext day, and every day from thenon, a couple from the church drove30 miles into the city, arriving rightwhen visiting hours ended just sothey could escort my wife to hercar and follow her home. Duringthe worst, most critical hours of mylife I survived because of an innerstrength I have never known, beforeor since. It was a Wednesday, andmuch later I learned there were 22churches praying for me that night.A lot of the people who did these

things didn’t even know me. Theydid it not because of who I was, butbecause of who they were. They

AStoryOnlyGodCouldWriteAStoryOnlyGodCouldWrite

24

byW. Dale CramerbyW. Dale Cramer

I

were Christians.Though the doctors had said I

might lose them, my hands recovered,miraculously, to nearly full strength.Even my face grew back, prettier thanever. Before I left the hospital a friendlooked at me, shook his head, andsaid, “This is a miracle. Surely, youhave been held in the arms of God.”“We are the arms of

God,” I answered. Beenthere. Seen it.Our lives changed after

that, my wife and I. Ourthinking, our priorities, ourdecisions all changed focus. I wentback to work for a few years, butthen, with our second child in diapers,we both felt one of us needed to stayhome for a while. At the age of 43 Idrew the short straw and became astay-at-home dad (another accidentas far as I was concerned, possiblyworse than the first).During nap times and in the late

evenings I needed something quiet todo, so after an argument with a friend

turned into an article in a major busi-ness magazine, I pretended I wasHemingway and began writing shortstories. Friends in an online forumsaid my stories were good, so I senta few of them to literary magazinesand was astonished when they werepublished.In two years of writing short stories

I learned two things: Everyword counts, and there’sno money in short stories.I decided to write a book.But which one? Three of

my stories would have madedecent novels. The first two werehighly commercial (could have mademe rich and famous) and the other,a distant third, was a Christian storyabout a broken down old biker andwhat I call the “Sow’s Ear Principle”—that if God wants to make a silk purseHe’ll start with a sow’s ear every time.He uses the foolish to shame the wise.Oddly, people kept asking me when

I was going to write the book aboutthe biker. If I hadn’t lost my keys the

25

iSTAND

“We arethe armsof God.”

iSTAND

answer would have been Never, butmy key ring fell through a hole inmy pocket one evening while I wasunloading a ton of gravel down inthe edge of the woods. I searcheduntil it was too dark to see, thengave up.The next morning I planned to

choose a story line and get crackingon a novel, but during my quiet time(when I happened to be readingabout Gideon and his fleece) I gotyet another e-mail from a friend whowanted to know when I was going towrite the book about the biker. Andso, as silly as it sounds, I decided tolay down a fleece of my own. As Iwas walking out the door to go lookfor my keys, I said a little prayer.“If this is You, trying to tell me

to write this biker thing, let meknow. Show me my keys.”After 45 minutes of raking

through leaves and gravel, looking

high and low for my keys, I wasstanding dejected and keyless ontop of the gravel pile when my4-year-old son walked up andhooked an arm around my leg.“Whatcha doin’, Dad?”“Looking for my keys.” I was

depressed. I mean, was this a No,or was God busy elsewhere thatmorning?But just that quick, my little boy

bent down and stuck a finger in thegravel exactly halfway between myfeet, then held up my keys and said,in that childlike way that alwaysshames the wise, “Is this them?”True story.The biker thing eventually became

Sutter’s Cross, my first novel. Ironi-cally, my own personal journeywould never work as fiction becausenobody would believe it.Only God can write a story like

that. SF

26

Perhaps your life feels more like a tragedy thana comedy right now. Perhaps you feel like you’vebeen thrown into themiddle of a story that’s notwhat you wanted or expected andwith the waythings are going, you’re not anticipating a happyending. If that’s how your life feels right now you’llbe happy to hear that God is in the business ofbringing good things out of bad things. He’s will-ing and able to give you a fresh start. But beforeanything like that can happen, you’ve got to beable to relate to Him without your sin getting inthe way . . . and there’s only one way that canhappen. It’s by putting your faith in Jesus. To learnmore, please visit www.sbc.net/knowjesus.

The Story Isn’t OverYet

MONDAY,NOVEMBER 17

When Joanna Eberhartmoved with her hus-band and kids to thefictional town of Step-ford, Connecticut, shefound a city filled withimpossibly beautiful,docile women. The Step-fordWives, a 1972 novelimmortalized in twomovies, depicted atown full of womenwho dressed alike,talked alike, andthought alike. They alsocreeped-out a genera-tion of readers andmoviegoers. In themovie, Joanna discovers(too late) the horrifyingsecret that the men ofStepford have beendoing away with theirwives and replacingthem with look-alikerobots. Yikes!

Silencing CrushingVoices: Part 3“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You travel over land and sea tomake one proselyte, and when he becomes one, you make him twice as fit forhell as you are!” (Matthew 23:15).

COLOSSIANS 2:8

BOTTOM LINEDon’t let the world or even unrealistic aspectsof church culture squeeze you into its mold.Jesus came to make you totally alive, not totallyalike.


THEVOICE OF CONFORMITYCreation proves that God loves variety. No twolargemouth bass, white-tailed deer, cloud forma-tions, or snowflakes are exactly alike. Each ofGod’s creations is one of a kind. Yet the Phariseessought to reproduce religious clones with factory-like efficiency. They demanded conformity inbelief, behavior, ritual, and dress code, and theypunished non-conformity.Jesus rebuked them for this. Instead of repro-

ducing men and women fit for heaven, they wereproducing clones “twice as fit for hell” (Matthew23:15). Unfortunately, some churches today inad-vertently pressure members to conform to theirown church culture rather than to biblical stan-dards. Dress like we dress, listen to our music, andspeak our “sanctified” language is the message alot of people are hearing.

THE IMAGEOF CHRISTChristians are destined to be “conformed to theimage” of Christ (Romans 8:29). This is not con-formity of personality, but of character. God usesall kinds of personalities to achieve His purposes.He loves the variety. Impetuous Peter. IntellectualPaul. Encouraging Barnabas. Quiet Timothy.James and John, the Sons of Thunder. You.Jesus isn’t interested in producing Stepford

Christians. Instead, He wants to make you intothe best possible version of your unique self.Doesn’t that sound like a more enjoyable plan?

27

DEVOTIONAL

TUESDAY,NOVEMBER 18

Listening may be themost important skill youhave in helping a friendthrough a problem. Butjust possessing two work-ing ears doesn’t makeyou a good listener. InRule #1: Stop Talking! AGuide to Listening, LindaEve Diamond says ifyou’re talking (even if it’sjust talking in your head),you’re not listening. Byfocusing on your friend,withholding judgment,and asking open-endedquestions, you’ll be ableto get the whole storyand give better advice.

Good CounselDo not be hasty to speak, and do not be impulsive to make a speech beforeGod. God is in heaven and you are on earth, so let your words be few(Ecclesiastes 5:2).

PROVERBS 17:27

TALK IT OUTNearly a half million licensed therapists live in theUnited States. Television paints the therapist’s roleas sitting back with a clipboard and asking, “Sohow did that make you feel?” Then the patientdoes all the talking, and, according to conven-tional wisdom, eventually feels better having hadsomeone listen attentively to their experience.Real life tends not to work quite that way. If

you’re like a lot of men, you may let your wifeor friend get out about six words before you openyour mouth to dispense advice. Most of us guyslove to solve things—quickly. That’s just how wetend to operate. But maybe the TV therapists haveit right, to some extent. Maybe there’s some wis-dom in letting a person talk out his problems inan unhurried, uninterrupted manner.

DON’TTRYTO SOLVE ITWhen people come to you for counsel, they maybe looking for a listening ear more than foradvice—at least initially, anyway. People like tofeel heard before being talked to. That doesn’tmean you can’t share a similar situation from yourlife and how it was resolved, or a verse you holdon to during tough times. Just be careful not to be“hasty to speak” as Ecclesiastes 5:2 warns against.Asking pointed questions and praying with yourfriend can help him gain clarity and hope, but thisshould come after listening carefully and under-standing as much as possible.

BOTTOM LINEWhen a friend seeks counsel, listen to him andto the Holy Spirit before opening your mouth togive advice.

28


Good deal. The boss isout of the office for theafternoon. You’re free,right?

So go ahead, playSolitaire on your com-puter. Nobody’s watching.Make a few Twitterupdates about howbored you are. Waitaround for a couple ofhours, make sure theboss isn’t coming back,and then knock off earlyyourself.

That’s what you coulddo. But is it what youshould do?

The Right AttitudeDon’t work only while being watched, in order to please men, but as slavesof Christ, do God’s will from your heart (Ephesians 6:6).

PROVERBS 21:25-26

BOTTOM LINEHow does your attitude at work reflect on theOne whom you’re truly serving?


IN A RUTJack was settled into his job, and had been foryears. Trouble was, he’d gotten into a rut. Evenworse, he didn’t know it. He was extremelycapable at his job when he felt like putting inthe effort, yet it was all but impossible to get himto chip in to help out a less-experienced coworkerwho could have really used a hand. They havetheir job to do, and I’ve got mine, he thought.Work had become all about him.Jack’s attitude about work continued to decline

and his frustration really began to show. Hecouldn’t wait to pack up and leave at the endof the day, to get away from it all. He was justgoing through the motions.

THE RIGHT ATTITUDEWork can be hard, and it can be downright aggra-vating at times. Having the right attitude, how-ever, makes all the difference in the world.Consider yourself blessed to have a job that youcan do and do well. Give thanks that your joballows you to provide for your family. Having agood attitude is a choice we must make and itis a choice that must be made repeatedly.Today’s Scripture verse reminds us that we’re

to put our hearts into our work—not to gainrecognition or rewards, and not even becauseof the fact that it provides a paycheck. No, we’resupposed to work hard because it pleases Him,and what pleases Him ultimately pleases us, too.

29

DEVOTIONAL


There is a vast differencebetween knowing ofsomeone and knowingsomeone. For instance,you’ve heard of the Presi-dent of the United States,but you probably don’treally know him. Youknow of Tiger Woods, butyou probably have nevermet him and don’t reallyknow what he is like in hisprivate moments. When itcomes to your wife, how-ever, you not only knowof her, you know her.You’ve lived with her,cried with her, laughedwith her. You have wovenyour life together withhers.

Head vs. HeartFor our hearts rejoice in Him, because we trust in His holy name (Psalm 33:21).

PHILIPPIANS 3

DOYOUREALLY KNOW JESUS?Nobody would doubt whether or not the ApostlePaul knew Jesus. Of course Paul knew Jesus. Afterhis life-changing encounter on the way to Damas-cus, Paul became the world’s greatest missionary.He talked about Jesus all the time. But Paul didn’tsettle for just knowing about Jesus or just know-ing of Him, as if Jesus were only some historicallysignificant religious teacher. Paul wanted to knowJesus in a personal, intimate way. In Philippians3:10 he wrote: “My goal is to know Him.” Thenin verse 12, he wrote: “Not that I have alreadyreached the goal or am already fully mature, butI make every effort to take hold of it becauseI also have been taken hold of by Christ Jesus.”

A LIFELONG PURSUITPaul’s continual pursuit of knowing Jesus tells usthat knowing God is a lifelong adventure. We’realways climbing upward, steadily, surely, purpose-fully. This is really all God wants out of us. Hewants our hearts before anything else. He’s notprimarily concerned with what we can do for Him.And He’s not desiring that we just fill up our headswith facts about Him that don’t move us or changeus. He’s after what drives us—our hearts.So don’t be satisfied with an academic knowl-

edge of God. And don’t be satisfied with perform-ing religious duties for God out of a sense ofobligation. God is a person. Aim to get to knowHim personally and passionately—with your heart.

BOTTOM LINEKnowing stuff about God is good. Doing thingsfor God is good, too. But knowing God is whatit’s all about.

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FRIDAY,NOVEMBER 21

In his book, AnamCara,John O’Donohue tells astory about an Africanexplorer who hired somenative Africans to helpcarry his equipmentthrough the jungle. Theydidn’t stop for three days.At the end of the thirdday, these hired handsstopped and absolutelyrefused to move on. Theexplorer asked why andone of the Africannatives explained, “Wehave moved too quicklyto reach here; now weneed to wait to give ourspirits a chance to catchup with us.”

Restful SecurityHe lets me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters. Herenews my life (Psalm 23:2-3).

MATTHEW11:28-29

BOTTOM LINEOnly the Good Shepherd can give us rest. Weneed to look to Him to replenish our souls.


NEEDING RESTOur bodies aren’t meant to go 24/7, and neitherare our souls. The information age spins our livesfaster and faster, and every new technology thatcomes out carries the unfulfilled promise of amore efficient lifestyle in less time. Some of us areso overstimulated that we have to resort to sleepaids just to get some rest. And then we wake upless than refreshed, having to face another dayof ceaseless activity on an empty heart.Sheep often need rest, but they don’t realize it.

So the shepherd brings them into green pastures,allowing them to graze, because they won’t reston empty stomachs. He leads them beside stillwaters, to quench their thirst. He removes themfrom noise or activity, or the threat of attack by awild animal. He knows that even rushing waters,no matter how life-giving, can cause them to runaway. Everything has to be just right for the sheepto rest, and the shepherd makes sure that it is.

FINDING RESTThe shepherd moves into the midst of the flockand comforts them with his presence. He knowsthere is a long day’s journey ahead, and the sheepneed rest if they are to make the journey. YourShepherd knows the journey you mustmake today,and invites you to find your soul rest in Himalone. Amidst all the responsibilities and busynessof life, we can find a rest of soul and spirit in Himthat’s unlike anything the world has to offer.

31SEE P. 39 FORWEEKENDREFLECTIONS

was Christmas shopping withmy wife, and we were walking

toward yet another store that wascrammed with figurines and bowsand candles and other festive yule-tide objects that my wife findscharming. The store had a bigbanner in front of it, but the ban-ner did not say, “Christmas Sale!”or “See our wide selection.” No,this was an unusually honest ban-ner. In big, bold red letters it said,“Every Husband’s Nightmare.”Yes, my wife took me to a store

that did not even try to hide thefact that it would give me nightsweats and an unsightly twitch inmy left nostril. My wife loves thesestores. I, on the other hand, havea severe allergic reaction to ceramicelves. By the time we hit the aislewith the wreaths and musical snowglobes, I was in an advanced stageof Male Shopper Overload Syn-drome. My eyes stared vacantlyat the wall, a big streamer of droolslid down my chin, and I was start-ing to whimper. When I finallycurled into a fetal position and

begged the clerks for morphine,my wife agreed that perhaps itwas time to go.I do not do well with the com-

mercial aspect of Christmas. I usedto work in retail, and on the firstday of November we had to shovel96 cubic yards of Christmas debrisonto the shelves as the samecanned holiday carols played overand over again on the store musicsystem. After a few weeks I wouldfind myself altering the lyrics of“Chestnuts roasting on an openfire” into a little ditty that went“Rudolph running as we open fire.”But aside from an aversion to

stores and shopping, Christmascan be hard on me for emotionalreasons. For the past few Christ-mases I have grieved the absenceof someone very important to me.To be quite honest, the weeks lead-ing up to December 25 were a timeof dread. You may not realize it,but you are surrounded by peoplewho struggle through Christmas.Last December I stood at a

gravesite and hugged a friend,

RediscoveringChristmas

32

byDaveMeurer

I

a widow who was spending her firstChristmas without her husband.She laid a pine bough wreath

at his grave, touched the headstoneand said, “Merry Christmas, Honey.I miss you so much. But I know youare happy in heaven. I love you.”Christmas can be a bittersweet

time. If we lose sight of the realmeaning of it all, it can become oneof the worst times of the year. It ishard enough when you are missingsomeone who can’t be with you,but it can be crushing when theperson you miss could be withyou but chooses not to be.Hard things happen in life. People

die, marriages fall apart, jobs are

lost, the person you were countingon lets you down. The memoriesof better times can heighten thepain of the current time.But Jesus has come as a gift

from heaven, and no one cantake that away from me. Or you.Whether this Christmas is a

time of celebration or a time ofgrief, Jesus still came. Angelsbrought incredible news of greatjoy. We have a Savior. The painis not forever. Heaven awaits us.Someday, all will be made well.God will wipe away every tear.And the good news all startedwith Jesus coming as a baby.SF

33

HUMOR

DEVOTIONAL

MONDAY,NOVEMBER 24

“The grace of God isoutrageous. By normalhuman reason, it doesn’tmake any sense.”

—Leith Anderson

Silencing CrushingVoices: Part 4“But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You lock up the kingdom ofheaven from people. For you don’t go in, and you don’t allow those entering togo in” (Matthew 23:13).

ISAIAH 1:18

THEVOICE OF CONDEMNATIONWhen asked to describe Christians, researchersfound that unchurched 18- to 29-year-olds chose“judgmental” as one of their top six descriptors.(From unChristian by David Kinnaman and GabeLyons.) How can this square with a Savior whotold the woman caught in adultery, “Neither doI condemn you” (John 8:11)? To the degree thattoday’s church minimizes the grace of God in thecross of Christ as the solution to our sin, we pro-ject a message of condemnation into the world.We become modern-day Pharisees, wagging thefinger of shame at morally broken people. Andunbelievers can smell condemnation a mile away.It causes them to run from us (and Jesus) as fastas their unregenerate legs can carry them.But we don’t just do it to the unchurched

world; we do it to ourselves, too. Millions ofChristians carry around a burden of guilt forsin that God has forgiven.

THANKGOD FOR JESUSYes, thank God for Jesus. He absorbed all of God’swrath against sin. And we’ve not just been given aclean slate, we’ve been given Jesus’ perfect recordforever. When we receive Jesus by faith, the HolySpirit places us “in Christ” once and for all, andGod declares: “No condemnation now exists forthose in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1). Absolutelynone. Most Christians don’t believe it most of thetime, but it’s true. Do you believe it?

BOTTOM LINEOnly the finished work of Christ can silence thevoice of condemnation. Believe it for yourself,and communicate it to others.

34

TUESDAY,NOVEMBER 25

What’s your favoritecolor? What if everythingwas that color? What’syour favorite team? Whatif there were no otherteams? What’s yourfavorite food? What if thatwas all you ever ate? If ourfavorites were our onlyoption, how dull lifewould be. Don’t take thisanalogy too far, but differ-ences in people keep lifeinteresting; and we canlearn from those differ-ences.

They’re Not Like Us!“Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will notbe condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven” (Luke 6:37).

1TIMOTHY1:15-16

BOTTOM LINEGod does not want anyone to perish but desires“all to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). Thisattitude should guide our relationships withthose who are different than us.


WHATDIDHE SAY?In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus commandedHis followers not to judge, condemn, or refuse toforgive. His predominant audience were probablyblue-collar Jewish working folk who were hungryfor His teaching; but scattered among them wouldhave been pockets of the religious leaders, someof the most judgmental, condemning, and unfor-giving people we can imagine.Although Scripture indicates that Jesus went

on to another subject instead of dwelling on Hisadmonitions in Luke 6:37, His words were boundto have been refreshing to some and unsettling toothers, just as they are today.

WEALL NEED JESUSLuke 6:37 may be one of the most misunderstoodand misapplied verses in the Bible. Jesus was notsaying that anything goes, any behavior is accept-able, and nothing is worthy of punishment. Hewas saying that we are all different in many waysand that none of us is better than the other. Jesuswas not advocating politically correct tolerance.He was implying that we are all guilty of sin andstand in need of God’s forgiveness.Instead of elevating ourselves as better than

others while judging and condemning them forbeing different from us, we should love them. Inloving them and developing positive relationshipswith them, we develop the opportunity to intro-duce them to our Savior.

35

DEVOTIONAL


In 2007 a radio station inCalifornia held a water-drinking contest to seewho could drink the mostwater and hold their blad-der the longest. The pay-off? A brand new Wiivideo game console.

One young mothertried to win for her chil-dren, but got much morethan she bargained for.After coming in secondplace, she went homewith a headache. Hourslater she was found deadin her home. The autopsyshowed that the massiveamount of water shedrank in the contest dis-rupted her electrolyte bal-ance, so she literally diedof water intoxication.

Too much of even agood thing is not good.

(paraphrased fromhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jennifer_Strange)

The Right BalanceIf you find honey, eat only what you need; otherwise, you’ll get sick from itand vomit (Proverbs 25:16).

EPHESIANS 5:15-18

A PASSIONWITHOUT BALANCESo, what’s your passion? Golf? Fishing? Running?Chances are, your hobby started out as a fun wayto relieve stress. So you spent a few dollars (anda few hours) here and there to feed your passion,buy the equipment you need, and schedule yourtime for the activity. After all, we work hard togive our families what we think they need, sowe’re entitled to a little fun too, right?But why is it that we only know our lives are

out of balance when we are running on emptyand when the ones we love most are the ones wesee the least? Can we have passion with balance?

A PERSONWITH BALANCEJesus was the most passionate person who everlived. He was intently focused on His goal of liv-ing and dying for us. Jesus was also the mostbalanced person that ever lived. He had to slowdown for rest. He ate regularly. He took time outof His schedule for children, social outcasts, andeven short men in trees. Jesus was a passionateperson, but He carried Himself with poise becauseHis goal was to please His Father.How do we bring such purpose and harmony

to our lives? By following the only completely bal-anced person and making His priorities our priori-ties. When we do that, nothing gets neglected. Wesimply can’t afford to become unbalanced becauseit won’t be just our life that suffers, it will impactthe lives of those we love, too.

BOTTOM LINEFollowing Jesus gives you the right perspectiveabout every activity and person in your life.

36


With three kids spacedabout two years apartand all in elementaryschool, John had seenhis share of Thanksgivingplays. Now his youngest,dressed as a Pilgrim, wasabout to recite the one-sentence line that theyhad practiced all week.John’s boredom gaveway to tension until theline was successfullyrepeated. Now, thank-fully, he could relax. Butthen the Holy Spiritwhispered, “That’s notall you should be thank-ful for!”

CountYourMany—Problems?Every generous act and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from theFather of lights (James 1:17).

PSALM100

BOTTOM LINEGod’s generous acts and perfect gifts includehow He works for our good in imperfectcircumstances, thus bringing glory to Himself.Thank God for your problems!


THE PROBLEMWITH PROBLEMSLike John, most of us don’t stop long enoughto count our blessings. As the old hymn coaxes,“Count your many blessings; name them one byone.” Wow! Have you ever seriously tried to dothat? Name them one by one? It would take awhile, wouldn’t it?On the other hand, most of us are pretty good

at naming our problems one by one, and morethan once. Problems with our kids, job, relation-ships, health, church, extended family, finances,car, house; the list goes on and on. We spendmuch more time fretting over our problems thanbeing thankful for our blessings. This should notbe! There is much to be thankful for.

BLESSINGS IN DISGUISEAccording to Romans 8:28, “All things worktogether for the good of those who love God.”And 1 Thessalonians 5:18 instructs us to, “Givethanks in everything, for this is God’s will foryou in Christ Jesus.” If it’s God’s will that we giveHim thanks in everything, then isn’t it only logicalthat He’s ultimately working in everything forour good? For that we can always give thanks.With these verses in mind, spend some time

alone with God, name your problems, and askHim, “Lord, how can this problem be good forme? What are You trying to teach me? How canthis situation be for my good?” You may notunderstand everything, but you can trust Him.

37

DEVOTIONAL

FRIDAY,NOVEMBER 28

“Dad, my feet hurt bad,”complained Chris, halfwayup the steep slope. “Idon’t think I can go allthe way to the top.”

Craig shifted his back-pack and offered his can-teen to his son. “But Chris,you’ll miss an awesomeview,” he replied.

“But I’m so tired,” Chriswhined. “I don’t care any-more if I get this meritbadge or not.”

“Besides,” said hisscoutmaster dad, “it’s notvery safe, sitting on thepath alone. Bear sightingshave been reported inthese woods, you know.”

“Well, how do youknow that we’re evenon the right trail?” askedChris. “I can’t see the topof the hill from here.”

“I know because I’vebeen here before,” saidCraig. “And many peoplewho thought they could-n’t make it have thankedme on the way down fornot letting them give up.”

Guidance ProvidedHe leads me along the right paths for His name’s sake (Psalm 23:3).

JEREMIAH29:11-13

LIFE IS A HIGHWAYConsider the concept of a major highway. Allhighways don’t lead to the right destination, nordo all roads lead to God. God wants to direct yourlife and guide you on the right highway so you’llaccomplish His purpose for your life. This presup-poses that you’re moving, though. Just sitting inyour car in the middle of the highway not onlydoesn’t get you anywhere, it’s dangerous.

GOAHEADANDDRIVELives, like highways, always lead somewhere. Inyour own life, you may be embarking on a newjourney with all-new scenery and plenty of con-fusing turns along the way. At times you mayread the map and not understand which way togo. That’s okay. You don’t have to understandeverything. You’re not alone in your journey.What matters most is that God is with you. Asyou travel on the highway of life, God promisesto lead you “along the right paths” (Psalm 23:3).So don’t sit around doing nothing, saying, “I’m

waiting for God to provide direction.” He will, butit’s often in the working out of your salvation inthe everyday events and circumstances of your lifethat you’ll experience His presence and direction.You can also rest assured that if you’re headed inthe wrong direction, His grace can bring you backin line with His will for your life. After all, Heknows your path because He’s been there before.Let the Good Shepherd be your guide.

BOTTOM LINEPrayerfully, with godly guidance, step outin faith and choose a path.

38 SEE P. 39 FORWEEKENDREFLECTIONS

DEVOTIONAL

NOVEMBER 8“For all who rely on the works of thelaw are under a curse, because it iswritten: ‘Cursed is everyone whodoes not continue doing everythingwritten in the book of the law’”(Galatians 3:10). Trying to fulfillthe Law apart from Christ is a cursebecause it’s impossible for us to doon our own.

NOVEMBER 9“Pleasant words are a honeycomb:sweet to the taste and health to thebody” (Proverbs 16:24). This versecould have just said that pleasantwords are good. Instead, it useslanguage—words—that engage ourimagination and our senses. Wordsare powerful.

NOVEMBER 22“The LORD is my light and mysalvation—whom should I fear? TheLORD is the stronghold of my life—of whom should I be afraid?” (Psalm27:1). When you think about it,that’s the attitude every Christianought to have. Is that your attitude?

NOVEMBER 23“As a deer longs for streamsof water, so I long for You, God.I thirst for God, the living God”(Psalm 42:1-2). You get the sensethat the psalmist isn’t seeking Godout of a sense of duty. More like asense of passion. That’s what Godis after—our hearts.

NOVEMBER 15“For who makes you so superior?What do you have that you didn’treceive? If, in fact, you did receiveit, why do you boast as if youhadn’t received it?” (1 Corinthians4:7). We should ask ourselves thesequestions regularly. They can guardus from spiritual pride.

NOVEMBER 16“Commit your activities to the LORDand your plans will be achieved”(Proverbs 16:3). It’s good to knowthat God desires for us to accom-plish things—for our plans to beachieved. There is one qualifier,however. Our plans must agreewith His plans for us.

NOVEMBER 29“For if the ministry of condemnationhad glory, the ministry of righteous-ness overflows with even more glory”(2 Corinthians 3:9). Gospel righteous-ness is certainly a lot more gloriousthan works righteousness, which isaptly referred to as “the ministry ofcondemnation.”

NOVEMBER 30“They are also to stand every morn-ing to give thanks and praise to theLORD, and likewise in the evening”(1 Chronicles 23:30). Giving thanksto the Lord every morning andevening is one of the most spiritu-ally beneficial things you can do.It puts you in touch with reality.

Weekend ReflectionsSTANDFIRM

SATURDAY SUNDAY

39

w w w . l i f e w a y . c o m / m a r r i a g e

Your wife is a gift from God.No, seriously.

Sure it’s hard to believe sometimes. But God gave you

a mate to make you more complete. Your spouse has

strengths where you are weak. Together, you are better

people. Of course, every marriage could stand a little

improvement. That’s why LifeWay offers resources and

events to help you understand things like how the

opposite sex really thinks, how people give and receive

love, and ultimately, what a wonderful gift God has

given each of you. Visit us online to learn more.

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