But, these are temporal matters, events that can easily distract us from what is most important in our life, namely worshiping our King, the Lord Jesus Christ. Inasmuch as I don’t believe Christians should be entirely divorced from this world (in it, not of it), we must have our eyes on God who will see us through every aspect of our lives, including when people in authority are not seeking our good.

To that end, I want to pass along to you a song that you probably already heard, but is worth sharing, singing along with, and enjoying — You’re Worthy Of My Praise. Be blessed!

And I will give
You all my worship
I will give
You all my praise
You alone
I long to worship
You alone
Are worthy of my praise
(I will worship)
I will worship (I will worship)
With all of my heart (With all of my heart)
And I will praise You (I will praise You)
With all of my strength (With all my strength)
And I will seek You (I will seek You)
All of my days (All of my days)
Oh, and I will follow (I will follow)
Follow all of Your ways (All Your ways)
(Cry out to God)
I will give
You all my worship
I will give
You all my praise
You alone
I long to worship
You alone
Are worthy of my praise
(I will bow down)
I will bow down (I will bow down)
And hail You as King (Hail You as King)
Oh, and I will serve You (I will serve You)
I’ll give You everything (I’ll give You everything)
Oh, and I will lift up (I will lift up)
My eyes to Your throne (My eyes to Your throne)
Oh, and I will trust You (I will trust You)
Oh, I will trust You alone (I’ll trust You alone)
I will give
You all my worship
I will give
You all my praise
You alone
I long to worship
You alone
Are worthy of my praise
(repeat 2x)
(I will bow down)
And I will bow down (I will bow down)
And hail You as King (Hail You as King)
Oh, and I will serve You (I will serve You)
I’ll give You everything (I’ll give You everything)
And I will serve You (I will serve You)
I’ll give You everything (I’ll give You everything)
Oh, and I will lift up (I will lift up)
My eyes to Your throne (My eyes to Your throne)
Oh, and I will trust You (I will trust You)
Hey I will trust You alone (I’ll trust You alone)
Oh yeah
I will give
You all my worship
I will give
You all my praise
You alone
I long to worship
You alone
Are worthy of my praise
(repeat 2x)
And I will give
You all my worship
And I will give
You all my praise
You alone
I long to worship
You alone
Are worthy of my praise

I’ve owned Briscoe’s book for several years now and pick it up from time to time, finding that when I do it helps me in my walk with the Lord. Prior to receiving this book as a gift from my wife, I stuck with a handful of devotionals and allegories including Hinds Feet On High Places and Pilgrim’s Progress in addition to my regular Bible reading. As a writer, I appreciate good work and Briscoe’s book is certainly one that I can personally recommend.

Briscoe wrote the book strictly for men and that is okay. Ladies have the lion’s (lioness‘ ?) share of the devotional market with very few books dedicated to helping men.

Briscoe hails from England, having served as a banker there before taking over as Senior Pastor of non-denominational Elmbrook Church in Brookfield, WI in 1970, continuing in this position until 2000.  In 1971,  Briscoe founded Telling The Truth, a daily radio program and teaching ministry. Briscoe, who is about 80 years old, remains busy about his Father’s business, ministering with his wife, Jill, and their son, Peter.

Each reading found in The One Year Book of Devotions for Men is brief, but meaty, containing approximately 500 words of topical study. Issues addressed cover the full range of Biblical and personal topics including: repentance, conflict, habits, work, sin, limitations, and more. Every page features a specific date to read the story, followed by a related Bible reading, specific Biblical text, and Briscoe’s teaching.

In the back of the devotional is a section for scripture reference, a topical index, and a CD which can be popped in the computer for study — a great option for guys who prefer to do their devotions with their laptop.

Published in 2000, The One Year Book of Devotions for Men is still in print and should be available through your Christian bookstore or online at Amazon.com. Clearly, this is one devotional worth having, making for a nice gift for the God-seeking guy in your life.

The world often says that you’re irrelevant or at least you’ll be consigned to a secondary role to the mother, but when it comes to children they really do need their fathers. Just check out our prison population — full of angry, young men who were raised without good male role models.

As a father of boys, I understand that I pattern much of the behavior that they’re seeking to follow, and for them I’m a real life specimen of what a man should be. Sometimes those ideas make me shudder!

Fathering In The Sight Of God

For Christian dads, we know that raising our boys in the sight of Jesus Christ is where its at, but we’re not always confident that we can take on this role all by ourselves (we can’t). We may find ourselves looking for practical ways to demonstrate to the young males in our lives character building habits that they can take with them when they’re grown and out on their own, but we can also doubt our abilities to lead.

Rick Johnson addressed many of these fatherly concerns in his book, “Better Dads, Stronger Sons,” which was published by Revell Books in 2006. I just finished reading my copy and came away with some tips which can help me be a better father to my two young boys.

God’s Design For The Family

The sub-title of Johnson’s book is, “How Fathers Can Guide Boys to Become Men of Character,” a good primer of what the author has in store for readers of his twelve chapter study. Before he tackled what being a father is all about, Johnson discussed what manhood really is and why being a man is so important in upholding God’s design for the family.

Certainly, most feminists would cry “foul” when reading on page 19 that, “God created men to be the leaders in our families, homes, communities — the whole earth,” but a role assigned by God cannot be overturned, only forfeited (emphasis mine). Most Christian dads that I know understand the vital role that they are patterning for their children and are eager to embrace what God has shown them. Sure, manliness is risk taking and role modeling, but it goes beyond that — being a dad is truly dying to yourself!

Broken Homes, Broken Lives

Johnson’s experience as a dad isn’t one built on a wonderful childhood. In fact, he was raised in a home with a stepfather, along with other siblings, a man who was a real terror to the children. By the time the author grew up, he buried most of his feelings and was inadequately prepared to parent when he became a dad. In Johnson’s case he came to know the Lord a number of years after his son and daughter were born, having to unlearn a lot of negative behavior and learn much about what it means to be a dad.

Oftentimes, it is our past that dictates how we will be as fathers, and Johnson thoroughly covered those foundational principles in the third chapter of the book.

Treating Women With Respect

Some of the key points the author raised in his book was learning how to bond with your son and recognizing that you’ll make mistakes as you parent him.  Key to the equation is how a man treats his wife — boys notice everything and they’ll quickly pick up patterns of behavior that they’ll bring into their relationships with women. Chapters discussing respect and sex, two powerful components of marriage were discussed, as was role modeling/mentoring and leaving a legacy.

As I was reading Johnson’s book certain aspects of my own relationship with my long-departed dad came up, underscoring to me several things that I missed as a boy. When you don’t connect to your father, you’ll connect to other things, poor substitutes for the vital role of fathering. Then again, I remembered my father having a similar weak relationship with his dad, something I don’t want to see carried to the next generation.

Building Confidence For The Future

Whether you’re confident about being a father or not, Johnson’s book provides the tools we can all use to be a better dad. With God’s help and by acknowledging our own humility, we can become the fathers our sons need, even if our boys are well on their way to becoming men.

The world may never embrace such concepts, but as Christian fathers we need to impart to our boys the tools he’ll need to stand against the world, the flesh, and the devil.

Orissa, an eastern Indian state that has been the home to much violence against Christians lately, has seen thousands fleeing from their homes while others are being martyred for their faith in Jesus Christ.

Christians are being persecuted in the eastern Indian state of Orissa, with at least seventeen believers killed for their faith in Jesus Christ. Martyred believers lost their lives when Hindu extremists, looking for an excuse to avenge the death of a Hindu leader killed by communists in August, have been burning Christian homes and churches and killing or injuring those who refused to evade their wrath. Thousands of believers have reportedly fled, many to the safety of nearby jungles.

News of the Orissa violence has gradually spread and I heard about it first when a video from K.P. Yohannan, founder and president of Gospel for Asia, was played at my church this past Sunday. In it, Dr. Yohannan outlined the extreme nature of the violence, which has been largely ignored by the Orissa state government.

India, which is a federal republic, consists of 28 states and 7 federal territories, but unlike the US, each state operates fairly independently with political control dominated at the local level. Since receiving its independence from Britain in 1947, the country has seen explosive population growth, a greatly improved gross domestic product (GDP), and numerous changes in government on all levels.

Christianity has increased at a rapid rate recently, fueling a backlash from Hindus who dominant the country. Muslims can also be found in large numbers in certain parts of India.

Juria Bardhan, Gospel for Asia’s state leader in Orissa, has shared that even in the midst of the brutality, believers know that the Lord remains in control.

“The encouraging thing is that the attackers themselves acknowledge that Orissa used to be only 2 percent Christian, and now it’s 28 percent Christian,” Juria said. “They don’t understand that by doing this, the church will grow by leaps and bounds, and this will cause thousands to come to Christ.”

“Many of our pastors have said, ‘Even if they kill us, no problem. This will cause thousands to come to Christ,’ ” Juria reported.

Brethren, lets remember our India brothers and sisters before the Lord today, asking God to give them strength, turn the hearts of the evil doers to Him, and bring forth a massive revival across Orissa, indeed all of India.

But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you, so that you will become children of your Father in heaven, because he makes his sun rise on both evil and good people, and he lets rain fall on the righteous and the unrighteous. (Matthew 5:44,45 — NIV)

(Source: Gospel for Asia)

But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have refused him. For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” — 1 Samuel 16:7

The Bible is full of personal accounts of ordinary people who were used mightily by God. The verse I quoted above referencing 1 Samuel illustrates this point clearly as it shows how God chose David, the youngest of shepherd Jesse’s boys, to rule over His people.

The way God goes about doing things is often in stark contrast to the way that we live or expect life to play out. Here in America, we put a tremendous emphasis on the way a person looks, talks, acts, and their level of education. Not to be left out is money — the more that you have the less the first points matter! A good example of this is Bill Gates whose looks are quite plain and whose education level didn’t go beyond high school (by choice, I might add). However, money he has in abundance as he is one of the richest people in the world.

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” — Isaiah 55:8,9

The reason God chooses the ordinary to do extraordinary feats is that they are the people who will not try to steal God’s glory when He does a work through them (Isaiah 42:8). People of means — self made men — oftentimes do not know how to get out of God’s way, taking credit for events they think were orchestrated by themselves. Humble people, used by God can be useful to God as they understand that He works through them and that any talents they have come from Him.

Four Simple Folks Used By God

For the sake of brevity, I’ve identified four people of simple means who were used by God in the Bible — two of them were men, two of them were women. Not included were a slew of other simple folks including Mary, mother of Jesus; the apostles; Moses and Aaron; and so many more.

Esther — A Jewish handmaiden marrying the king of Persia, the most powerful man on earth, is a story that never ceases to amaze me. Here, we have a young woman who was in the right place at the right time, a reluctant Christ figure used by God to save her Jewish people. Through the guidance of her older cousin Mordecai, who understood the law and the times in which he lived, Esther was God’s chosen vessel to save His people:

For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place and you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows whether you have not attained royalty for such a time as this? — Esther 4:14

As the story goes, Haaman conspired to have all of the Jews killed, but was unaware that Queen Esther (married to King Xerxes) was a Jew, something Mordecai told her to keep under wraps for a time. The threat of Jewish mass extermination was very real and only one person could intercede to stop Haaman and that was Esther herself.

Esther’s reluctance was understandable given her position and the times in which she lived — if she approached her husband at the wrong time, she could have lost her head! Xerxes received Esther who relayed the account of the conspiracy to her husband and the rest of that story is history.

It was Esther’s obedience which saved the Jews!

David — Likely still a teenager when he was chosen by God to lead His people, David served as a lowly shepherd, hailing from a large family where he was the youngest boy. Back then and even to this day, if you were one of the youngest children in the family, you were assigned all of the menial tasks. Given that there were six brothers older than David, he probably shouldered the brunt of the dirty work when tasked with keeping the flock.

It was from this position of humility that God chose David, plucking him from obscurity and shaping him to take over from Saul. It wasn’t until the second chapter of the second book of Samuel that we see David crowned king, many years after his anointing. This account makes for a wonderful illustration on how God’s calling can take place years before the person called actually begins to do the work.

Deborah — One of the most curious accounts of a woman being used of God was Deborah, wife of Lapidoth (Judges 4:4). We don’t know why or how Deborah became a judge, but given that the Lord had her in this position, she was used mightily by God as she helped to vanquish Israel’s enemies through her role as the commander of the Israeli army. She was also a prophetess.

Today, it isn’t completely uncommon to have a woman in a position of power or authority, but in Old Testament times it was most certainly an odd occurrence. No woman before or after Deborah in Bible times reached the political prominence of Esther. In modern times I think of Golda Meir who served as Israel’s prime minister from 1969-1974.

Gideon — After Deborah died, the people of Israel once again turned to apostasy. God raised up the Midianites to chastise Israel, oppressing the Israelites for seven years, before His people cried out to God asking for relief. God answered Israel by reminding them how He brought them out of Egypt but also explaining to them that they had disobeyed Him.

Gideon was a young, timid man who was found threshing wheat in the wine press in order to escape the attention of the Midianites. The Angel of the Lord visited Gideon declaring him to be a mighty man of valor. Merriam-Webster describes valor as someone “with strength of mind or spirit that enables a person to encounter danger with firmness.” Certainly, if you read Judges 6-8 you would understand that Gideon started out being anything but that, yet our God sees our hearts and nothing else — our full potential, not just our current shortcomings.

You Can Be Used Of God

The Biblical accounts of ordinary people being used to accomplish extraordinary feats is wonderful, but God doesn’t want to stop there. To this very day God is using people across the globe to carry His message of salvation to the uttermost parts of the earth.

Christians are finding themselves being called from obscure places to take on powerful positions, not so that they can boast, rather to bring glory to God and to fulfill His purposes. Not everyone is called to be a Billy Graham — a great evangelist to the nations, but we are each called to serve in whatever capacity He places us.

This Could Be Sarah Palin’s Moment

I’m of fan of politics, keeping a keen eye on international events as well as domestic issues. It hasn’t escaped my attention that a 44 year old mother of five from Alaska was recently tapped as the vice presidential running mate for Republican presidential nominee, John McCain.

Palin’s background is very interesting having served on city council, as a mayor of a small town, and most recently serving in the capacity of Alaska’s governor. A reformer, she butted heads with the political establishment even vanquishing her Republican foe. Governor Palin also canceled the infamous “Bridge to Nowhere Project” and enacted enough reforms in the 49th state to properly wear the reformer mantle, the same title bestowed to her running mate.

Aside from the political aspirations of Governor Palin there is one thing most telling about her: she is a Christian. Yes, this woman walks with the Lord and puts her faith into practice: a staunch supporter of the unborn, her last child was born in May with Down’s Syndrome choosing to bring this baby to life. When word leaked out that her oldest daughter was unmarried and pregnant, her foes immediately seized upon this “family problem” but weren’t able to dismiss Palin family’s support for their daughter.

Like so many families across America, including Christian families, the Palins have the usual problems to contend with. The family’s spirited response in the face of strident opposition has galvanized supporters, sending a ground swell of support her way. Of course, the enemy of our souls has been fast at work, using the ungodly to spread lies and false accusations.

I am not saying that the McCain-Palin ticket is God’s answer to the many problems plaguing our nation, above all the spiritual morass that America is now in. What I am saying is that like Deborah, Gideon, Esther, and David, this could be Sarah’s moment, a chance to step into history and allow God to work through her.

I, for one, will be praying for Sarah Palin and am excited to see her stepping up to embrace what will be a challenging position. Her enemies will rail against her, but if God be for us, who can be against us? (Romans 8:31)

The back drop for Naaman’s story is in the days when the kings first began to rule over Israel. However, it was the prophets who had the biggest impact on Israel as they interceded on behalf of the people to God in times of war and in times of peace. In many cases the kings did not consult the prophets first, reaping the errors of their ways. Elisha was the prophet of that day, a protege of Elijah who had been taken up in a whirlwind to heaven (2 Kings 2:11).

Chapter 5 offers a pair of stories about Naaman which are tied together but have somewhat separate messages. In verses 1-19, we have the story of Naaman’s healing and salvation; in verses 20-27 we have the story of Gehazi, Elisha’s greedy servant. For the sake of brevity, my discussion is about the first story.

11 Steps Toward Spiritual Awakening

The following outline demonstrates the steps Naaman took which brought him to God. For those of us who believe, I think we can also say that our understanding of the things of God has come over time:

Naaman is defined – The most powerful man in the Syrian army of that day was Naaman to whom victory was given to him by the Lord. Syria was at that time an enemy of Israel, but the country had its own enemies too. We don’t know who Syria had battled, but God intervened through Naaman to give Syria that victory. Naaman was mighty in valor, but he also had the most debilitating of all diseases of his day — leprosy (v.1).

A messenger is sent — In one of Syria’s skirmishes with Israel, a young girl from that country was captured and became the servant of Naaman’s wife. She knew about Elisha and how he could heal Naaman and told Naaman’s wife that Elisha would heal him of his leprosy (v.3). Sometimes the message of hope is brought to us by the lowliest people (v.3)!

Naaman heads out to see Elisha — Naaman heeded his wife’s servant and told the king of Syria what he knew. The king of Syria gave Naaman his blessing and sent out a letter to the king of Israel along with many pieces of gold, silver, and fine clothing. Israel’s king, thinking that the king of Syria was looking for an opportunity to go to war with him, tore his clothes in exasperation, which got Elisha’s attention. Learing the real reason for Naaman’s visit, Elisha asked the king to send Naaman to him, which he did (v.9).

A second messenger is sent — Expecting to see Elisha, Naaman was surprised that a messenger was sent instead of the prophet, a man who instructed Naaman to wash himself seven times in the River Jordan in order to be healed (v.10).

Naaman tells God how to heal him — Naaman’s expectations on how he was to be healed almost caused him to miss the blessing. Furious that a messenger was sent instead of the prophet himself, Naaman’s reaction was all too typical of the way we sometimes react: we expect God to move in ways familiar to us. I wouldn’t be too hard on Naaman and God certainly wasn’t. Apparently, Naaman was familiar enough with the way God moved as he expected something else: “Behold, I thought, ‘He will surely come out to me and stand and call on the name of the LORD his God, and wave his hand over the place and cure the leper.’ “Are not Abanah and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them and be clean?” Enraged that events didn’t unfold as expected, Naaman left (v. 11-12).

Additional messengers intervene — God could have let Naaman go and that would have been the end of that story. But, God wasn’t done with Naaman, sending Naaman’s own servants to him who reasoned with him. This verse is the turning point of the story as Naaman immediately heeded their advice (v.13).

Naaman is healed of his leprosy — Because Naaman listened to his servants, he went down to the River Jordan, dipped himself in it seven times as instructed by Elisha through his messenger, and received healing of his disease (v.14).

Naaman believes — Along with his healing, Naaman believed. He declared, “See now, I know that there is no God in all the earth, but in Israel. Now therefore, please take a gift from your servant.” First came the physical healing, second the spiritual healing. Jesus, when he preached before the crowds, always met their physical needs first (v.15).

Naaman’s gift is refused — Elisha’s messenger refused the gift which seems at first to be an odd response. However, given that Naaman was from Syria and that it was customary to offer payment for services rendered, more than likely Elisha’s servant was teaching Naaman an important spiritual truth — you cannot repay God (v.16).

Naaman follows God — Though his gift was refused, Naaman asked that earth from the land of Israel be given to him, probably as a reminder of what God did for him. At this point he pledged to offer sacrifices to no other gods, directing his offerings and sacrifices to the Lord God Almighty alone (v.17).

Naaman asks for understanding — Even after we’re saved, how many of us immediately quit our jobs to seek other employment or to go into full time ministry? Not many. In Naaman’s case, he knew that he would be returning to Syria and be accountable to his master, the king of Syria. However, as part of his job duties, Naaman would be bringing the king to a false god’s temple, where he would find himself in a potentially compromising position — kneeling down before that idol to uphold his master. Clearly, Naaman knew just how wrong this looked and asked to be pardoned in advance of this action, something the servant of God immediately offered (v.18-19). God knows just how difficult our jobs can be!

What The Story Of Naaman Tells Us

Naaman’s story should be one of hope for everyone.  Not only did God heal someone outside of the camp of Israel, He saved him too. We already know that not many wise or noble people are saved, but through this account God has demonstrated that He does, in fact, save some very powerful people. What powerful people do you move among?

We’re not too different from Naaman, are we? Naaman expected to be healed in a certain way, but God had another plan for him. Don’t we sometimes expect that our pastor will have words of comfort for us when often it is the person who cleans the sanctuary who brings God’s message to us? Does it really matter how our prayers are answered? As in Naaman’s case, God brought several messengers (servants) to him at various times, an ongoing pursuit that culminated in his salvation. God will pursue us to the ends of the earth if that is what it’ll take to save us!

Our God is a practical God too, who knows that we must live in this world working jobs and supporting our families. Naaman returned to an idolatrous environment, but God did not call him to leave Syria. Instead, Naaman was a man of new found faith, a public testimony to people in his sphere of influence that God does indeed heal and save. With thousands of troops at his disposal and a face well known throughout Syria, imagine what sort of testimony about the God of Israel was made through his life.

The king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord, like the rivers of water; He turns it wherever He wishes. (Proverbs 21:1, NKJV)

The U.S. Presidential Election will be held in a few months, a quadrennial rite of passage that has been in the news almost constantly since January 2007. Two candidates are squaring off — Barack Obama for the Democratic Party and John McCain for the Republican Party. Yes, there are a handful of third party candidates represented but they have virtually no chance of becoming president.

Lots of people are not happy with their choices this year, particularly Christians who see that both candidates hold positions contradictory to their own. Pro-lifers won’t consider Obama because of his staunch pro-abortion views. Some conservatives are staying away from McCain because they believe he is a RINO — Republican In Name Only. I know of some Christians who aren’t planning to vote for president, believing that the best candidates are not running.

A Tale Of Four Kings

I’ve been giving a lot of thought to the elections and have come to an important conclusion, one that I believe God has revealed to me. It is this: whomever is elected president is subject to the authority of God, whether they willingly submit their lives to Him or not.

In particular, Proverbs 21:1 has ministered to me as I know that the next president will do nothing apart from the watchful eye of the Lord. From time to time God may actually intervene and change the president’s mind when it comes to an important issue, though we may not always see evidence of God’s intervention.

Along with this verse, I found four accounts in the Bible where God intervened in world affairs, changing the hearts of rulers to carry out His will. They aren’t the only kings who have had a change of mind down through the years, but they represent four whom God touched to reveal his divine authority in this world.

Pharaoh — Read the book of Exodus and you’ll find the spiritual battle that the children of Israel encountered as they attempted to leave Egypt. Pharaoh (king of Egypt) was none too happy when the children of Israel attempted to leave, hardening his heart six times (Exodus 7:13, 7:22, 8:15, 8:19, 8:32, and 9:7) before God finally hardened his heart the seventh time. God gave Pharaoh many chances to repent, but even after debilitating plagues virtually destroyed his country, Pharaoh resisted God. Therefore, to accomplish His will, God hardened Pharaoh’s heart.

Nebuchadnezzar — The arrogance of Nebuchadnezzar caught God’s attention, resulting in the king of Babylon being humbled. Even after tossing Daniel and his friends in a fiery furnace (Daniel 3), Nebuchadnezzar’s proud heart was lifted up before God. Apparently, Nebuchadnezzar’s praising of God at the end of the chapter was only lip service because in Daniel 4:32 he was driven away from men and he began to live as an animal (v.33). Once his appointed time of discipline had ended, Nebuchadnezzar returned to his senses and praised God.

Belshazzar — Chaldeans took over where Babylon reigned, but the arrogance of the former rulers was very present with the new rulers. The greatest offense was noted in Daniel 5:3 where it was noted that the Chaldeans had “brought the gold vessels that had been taken from the temple of the house of God which had been in Jerusalem; and the king and his lords, his wives, and his concubines drank from them.” The fingers of a man’s hand were soon seen writing on a nearby wall, announcing God’s judgment on Belshazzar who lost his life that same night, replaced by the Medes. Though Belshazzar has a change of heart and gave glory to God immediately before his death, judgment was set in motion and his kingdom fell.

Cyrus — When it came time for the temple to be rebuilt, God used His people to complete the work. God also turned the hearts of rulers, particularly Cyrus, to allow the temple work to go through (Ezra 1:1 — “…the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all kingdom…”). This decree was later reaffirmed by King Darius (Ezra 6:1) when opposition rose up from Israel’s enemies who temporarily put a stop to the rebuilding.

Presidents, Nations, and all of the King’s Men

What I find startling about some Christians’ attitudes concerning this coming election is putting too much emphasis on the affairs of this world. Most certainly, where possible we should live at peace with all men, but there is something else that we should remember: the nations of this world are as nothing to God:

Behold, the nations are like a drop from a bucket, And are regarded as a speck of dust on the scales; Behold, He lifts up the islands like fine dust. (Isaiah 40:15, NASB)

Verse 17 brings it all home — “All the nations are as nothing before Him, They are regarded by Him as less than nothing and meaningless.”

If that doesn’t tell you how God views world affairs, there isn’t anything that can do that. Clearly, having a Godward view of this world will put everything back in rightful perspective.

Pray For Our Rulers

Now then, how should we live? Praying for our rulers is a command given in 1 Timothy, Chapter 2 so that we might live in peace and that they might be saved. That’s right, presidential hopefuls John McCain and Barack Obama need to know the Lord as do members of Congress, the U.S. Supreme Court, governors, legislators, local officials, our neighbors — everyone!

With that kind of attitude, the pressures we are feeling about this year’s election will fade away no matter who is put into office. Remember: Our God is in control!

I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; for kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior; who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. (I Timothy 2:1-4; KJV)

You will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you aren’t troubled, for all this must happen, but the end is not yet. (Matthew 24:6, WEB)

Tbilisi, Georgia

As the 29th Olympiad got underway in Beijing last week, Russian troops, tanks, and armored personnel poured across the Georgian border and immediately took control over two disputed regions in that country. The day was supposed to mark world unity, but for people living in one area of the globe, it was anything but that — Georgian forces were immediately overwhelmed and hundreds, perhaps thousands of citizens lost their lives.

I read the above verse and wonder to myself, “How can I not be troubled?” A sovereign nation is attacked and innocent civilians are killed, wounded, or left homeless. Clearly, this is troubling news, especially for those who are embroiled in that conflict.

I don’t have to pull up my Greek lexicon to understand what Jesus meant when he used the word troubled. Common sense tells me that there is something else He wants us to know and it is this: no matter how gloomy things look here on earth, our Father above is in full control.

Why is this important?

Because if you are in the midst of the battle or observing what is happening, you can easily be distracted from seeing that God is working things out even in the darkest of moments. Moreover, when these events do take place it doesn’t mean that the end is at hand, rather these are the sort of things that will take place before His return.

Better than worrying about what is going on in the world we should consider doing the following:

Pray – Ask for God to intervene in the situation. Don’t tell God how to end the conflict, rather ask that He have His way with those caught up in it. Pray for those in authority (1 Timothy  2) including Russian and Georgian leaders and others interested in resolving the conflict. The hearts of those who rule are in the hand of God; like a river He can change the course of events in His time.

Take Action — As God leads, your response to this type of conflict may include some sort of personal involvement. You may not be called to lead a team to go to Tbilisi with aid, but that doesn’t mean you can’t help out. Government aid is already pouring in, but organizations like Samaritan’s Purse, World Vision, and others are also at work, seeking financial contributions from people like you.

Persist — No matter how bad this conflict turns out to be or if you’re caught up in your own storm, holding fast to what is good and living your life as a vine intertwined with our Savior will carry you through (John 15:5). We here in the west have yet to be thoroughly tested, but our time will come. Will you shrink in the heat of the battle or will you stand firmly upon the Rock? That Rock is Jesus.

The Summer Olympics are going forward without interruption, but we know that the global unity that some are seeking is only on the surface. Lying just beneath are other conflicts or threats of the same, events which need not shake our hearts but serve to remind us that God is in control and that His return nears.

More than eight million children were helped by people just like you via Operation Christmas Child. You can pack a shoebox and you can volunteer at a regional processing center this year. Registration is now in progress.

I “borrowed” the name from a brochure I received in the mail yesterday for the title of this article, a colorful tri-fold publication sent to our family from Samaritan’s Purse. I wasn’t surprised about the timing of its arrival although on August 1st, just who is thinking about Christmas?

Well, if you’re part of the Operation Christmas Child team you are!

Processing Center Registration Has Begun!

Starting on August 1st of each year, Samaritan’s Purse puts out the call for volunteers to set aside some of their time to help process the millions of shoe boxes packed for needy children around the world for its Operation Christmas Child (OCC) outreach. These boxes must go through regional processing centers first where volunteers check each one to make sure that the items being sent are appropriate and that every box is secure. Volunteers typically work four hour shifts although other opportunities for assistance lasting as long as one week are also available.

More than 65,000 volunteers participate annually at six processing centers across the US: Boone and Charlotte, NC; Atlanta; Orange County, CA; Minneapolis; and in Denver. Additional processing centers are in place elsewhere in the world; if your country participates in this vital outreach you can check your local OCC office for that information.

Collection Week Is November 17-24 In The US

When the packing is done, shoe boxes are loaded up on aircraft and sent to scores of destinations around the world. It isn’t just at Christmas when these gifts arrive as shoe boxes can be packed and sent in at any time, but an annual collection week makes everything easier, an eight-day period that will take place from November 17-24, 2008 (the week varies according to your country).

As you can imagine, the work of these volunteers is part of a massive effort that is in operation year round. One reason why the call goes out so early is that spots fill up quickly. Samaritan’s Purse reports that people from 28 states participate and, as long as your children are at least 13 years of age, they can volunteer too.

Of course, if helping out in this way isn’t a possibility for you, don’t fret — God can use you in other ways too.

Churches, civic organizations, community groups, and other people who want to put a smile on a child’s face and share the love of the Lord with them are always needed. In fact, if you want to organize your local shoebox packing group, then you can go ahead and do that by ordering materials and getting the word out.

This campaign is very effective with more than 8 million children in over 100 countries impacted every year.

One more suggestion: this time of year many states offer tax free weekends covering the sale of school supplies and related goods. Why not pick up an extra box of crayons, pencils, small notepads, and related material now and include those items with what you pack?

Yes, you can make a difference for a child…one shoebox at a time!

(Source: Samaritan’s Purse)

Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ. (1 Corinthians 11:1, NKJV)

As Christians, do we really live our lives according to the commands laid down by Jesus Christ and His apostles? I know that we like to think that we do, but as humans we’re prone to fall short or miss the mark.

This little verse popped out at me today, a line that begins the eleventh chapter of the Apostle Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians, but could easily serve as the last verse in the tenth chapter. You see, the chapter and verse delineations you find when reading the Bible today weren’t part of the original text. To make reading the Bible easier, chapters and verses were added later, as were footnotes and other editorial marks.

Paul’s words here are profound in that he is encouraging believers to imitate him.  With confidence he could instruct them to do so because Paul was faithfully imitating Christ. If he wasn’t, then his words would at the very least be vanity, but at their worst they could be dangerous.

I’ve come across a handful of spiritual people down through the years who wanted me (and others) to imitate them. No, they may not have used those specific words, but they strongly suggested that by not following their example that you’d risk falling out of the way. A closer examination of the behavior of these people revealed that they did not imitate Christ. Sure, they may have expressed some sort of Biblical authority or made pronouncements of spirituality, but their behavior was contrary to Christ’s teachings.

Importantly, in chapter ten Paul explains (v.3,4) to the Corinthian church their heritage through Moses. Their spiritual forefathers had passed through the sea, ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink. That drink came from a spiritual Rock that followed them and that Rock was Christ.

Later, Paul told the Corinthians (v.5-10) how God wasn’t pleased with most of them who chose to become idolaters and were thus destroyed. By verse 14 Paul addressed the Corinthians by urging them to also flee from idolatry. Though the Corinthian believers had been saved from the wrath to come, they still needed to be instructed on how to walk with Paul admonishing them on taking communion (v.16-22), eating (v.25, 31),  and the way to treat others (v.32) particularly with winning them to Christ (v.33). Paul concluded that section of his letter by urging believers to imitate him as he imitated Christ.

The universal church of Jesus Christ today is filled with people who have no idea on how they should live. Reared in homes with no Christian witness, many people are clueless how they should behave — they’re saved, but they haven’t been instructed (discipled).

Like Paul, who had a lot to teach the Corinthian church of his day, we have the opportunity to impact fellow believers through our witness. Not just the witness of scripture, but through the example of our personal walk with our Savior.

Ephesians 5:15,16 offers great advice for the person who wants to lead by example, “See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil.”

As in Pauls day imitators of Christ are still needed — are you up to the challenge?