BONHOEFFER IN ADVENT BY TIMOTHY GEORGE

http://www.firstthings.com/web-exclusives/2014/12/bonhoeffer-in-advent

PROPHET DANIEL

ADAM AND STEVE

A WARNING TO SHEPHERDS WHO MISLEAD SHEEP [DEVOTION OF THE WEEK ~ SUNDAY NOVEMBER 1, 2015 TO SATURDAY NOVEMBER 7, 2015]

INTERNET SOURCE: http://www.charismanews.com/opinion/in-the-line-of-fire/52827-a-warning-to-shepherds-who-mislead-the-sheep

A Warning to Shepherds Who Mislead the Sheep

9:30AM EDT 10/26/2015 Michael Brown

Some of the strongest warnings in the Bible are directed to leaders who mislead God's people, to prophets and priests and pastors and teachers who by their example or their doctrine lead the sheep into sinful conduct and destructive beliefs.

Be very careful not to hurt God's flock! You are touching the apple of His eye, and He does not take this lightly.

Recently, I was speaking to a pastor about a major church in his city that had just announced its support for committed homosexual unions, sending shockwaves throughout the region, since it is a highly influential church that claims to be "evangelical."

I said to him, "There are obviously other areas of compromise in their midst," to which he replied, "When we met with the one of their key pastors, he explained that he was now 'inclusive' when it came to salvation"—meaning that people of all religions are saved through Jesus, even if they don't believe in Him, as long as they don't willfully opt out. The pastor also told me that, "The leader I was speaking with dropped (expletives) during our interaction and then lit up a cigarette as soon as we went outside."

Is it any surprise that this pastor has now changed his beliefs about homosexuality?

Every leader sets an example for better or worse, and when our example is substandard, it is not only repeated by those who follow us, it is exaggerated, opening up a floodgate of destruction on those for whom Jesus died.

We dare not play games with the lives of those who were purchased at the high cost of Jesus' blood. As Paul said to the Ephesian elders, "Therefore take heed to yourselves and to the entire flock, over which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood" (Acts 20:28).

When God spoke to Jeremiah about the sins of the false prophets, he was devastated: "My heart is broken within me, because of the prophets; all my bones shake; I am like a drunken man, like a man overcome by wine, because of the LORD, and because of His holy words" (Jeremiah 23:9; I once heard a preacher use this verse to justify getting "drunk in the Spirit"; what an abuse of the Word!).

The prophets of Samaria had been guilty of prophesying in the name of Baal, misleading the nation. But what the prophets of Jerusalem did was even worse, "I have seen also among the prophets of Jerusalem a horrible thing. They commit adultery and walk in lies. They also strengthen the hands of evildoers, so that no one repents from his wickedness. All of them are as Sodom to Me and her inhabitants as Gomorrah" (Jeremiah 23:14).

They prophesied in the Lord's name but lived in sin and led the people into sin. As a result, the ungodly were strengthened, the godly were discouraged, and no one turned from evil.

And it was the sin of the false prophets that led to the destruction of Jerusalem: "Your prophets have seen for you false and deceptive visions; they have not revealed your iniquity, to bring back your captives, but have seen for you oracles that are false and misleading" (Lamentations 2:14).

To God's people, I say in the strongest possible terms: Beware of those who make light of sin, who trivialize holiness, who throw a wet blanket on the fires of conviction, who minimize repentance, and who brand others "legalistic" and "religious" because of their devotion to the Lord. Beware!

Such shepherds do not have the heart of God and, rather than protecting the sheep, are leading them to slaughter.

Paul was so burdened about false teachers that he warned the Ephesian believers about this for three years, night and day with tears, saying, "I know that after my departure, dreadful wolves will enter among you, not sparing the flock. Even from among you men will arise speaking perverse things, to draw the disciples away after them" (Acts 20:29-30).

That's why he exhorted Timothy, as a young leader, to "be an example to the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, and in purity," reminding him to "take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you" (1 Timothy 4:12, 16).

Pastors, when you indulge in ungodly entertainment and compromised living then demonstrate your "freedom" by speaking about it from the pulpit, referencing the latest unclean movie in your oh-so-cool sermons, you spew filth on those whom Jesus has cleansed, encouraging them to follow in your footsteps—and beyond.

You will have to answer to God for this one day. (I write this while trembling on the inside.)

It's the same when you minimize God's standards for marriage, divorcing and remarrying without cause.

There is spiritual and moral blood on your hands.

And what of those who preach deceptive and destructive doctrines of carnal prosperity, appealing to greed and motivated by greed, manipulating the gullible flock to their personal financial gain? What does God say to them?

In the words of Peter, "They have eyes full of adultery that cannot cease from sin. They entice unstable souls. Their hearts are trained in greed. They are cursed children!" (2 Peter 2:14).

Perhaps many of our contemporary leaders have not fallen this far, but to the extent we are leading God's people away from purity and truth by our example and our teaching, we are in serious danger.

Repent, my fellow leaders, before it is too late, "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive his recompense in the body, whether it was good or bad" (2 Corinthians 5:10).

And to the sheep who are being misled, I urge you in the fear of the Lord: Run for your lives and get into a place of health and safety. There are plenty of godly leaders who will help you, not harm you.

And to each of those godly leaders I say, "Be strong and be faithful. Your reward will be great."

Michael Brown is the host of the nationally syndicated talk radio show The Line of Fire and is the president of FIRE School of Ministry. His newest book is Outlasting the Gay Revolution: Where Homosexual Activism Is Really Going and How to Turn the Tide. Connect with him on Facebook at AskDrBrown or on Twitter @drmichaellbrown.

GOD DOES EXISTS EVEN THOUGH WE CANNOT SEE HIM [DEVOTION OF THE WEEK ~ SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 27, 2015 TO SATURDAY OCTOBER 3, 2015]

INTERNET SOURCE: http://www.equip.org/bible_answers/if-we-cant-see-god-how-can-we-know-he-exists-/

If we can’t see God, how can we know he exists?

It is not uncommon for skeptics to suppose that Christians are irrational for believing in a God they cannot see. In reality, it is irrational for such skeptics to suppose that what cannot be seen does not exist.

First, the fact that something cannot be seen does not presuppose that it doesn’t exist. We know that black holes, electrons, the laws of logic, and the law of gravity exist despite the fact that we cannot see them. Indeed, even a full–blown empiricist holds fast to the law of gravity while standing atop the Eiffel tower.

Furthermore, as King David exudes, “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands” (Psalm 19:1). Or in the words of the apostle Paul, “God’s invisible qualities––his eternal power and divine nature––have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse” (Romans 1:20). Put another way, the order and complexity of the visible, physical universe eloquently testify to the existence of an uncaused first cause.

Finally, God can be seen through the person and work of Jesus Christ. As Paul explains, “In Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form” (Colossians 2:9). Indeed, the incarnation of Jesus Christ is the supreme act of God’s self–revelation. Through the ministry of the Holy Spirit we experience the power and presence of God in a way that is more fundamentally real than even our perceptions of the physical world in which we live.

For further study, see J. P. Moreland and William Lane Craig, Philosophical Foundations for a Christian Worldview (Downers Grove, Ill: InterVarsity Press, 2003); see also Lee Strobel, The Case for a Creator (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2004).

“Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then
we shall see face to face. Now I know in part;
then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.”
1 Corinthians 13:12

September 24th, 2010 by Christian Research Institute | Type: Standard

WISE SAYINGS BY THE BIBLE [DEVOTION OF THE WEEK ~ SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 6, 2015 TO SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 12, 2015]

PAGE TITLE: http://www.ligonier.org/

ARTICLE TITLE: Wisely Handling the Bible’s Wise Sayings by R.C. Sproul

DATE: November 1, 2012

AUTHOR: R.C. Sproul

AUTHOR INFORMATION: Robert Charles Sproul (born February 13, 1939) is an American Calvinist theologian, author, and pastor. He is the founder and chairman of Ligonier Ministries (named after the Ligonier Valley just outside of Pittsburgh, where the ministry started as a study center for college and seminary students) and can be heard daily on the Renewing Your Mind radio broadcast in the United States and internationally. "Renewing Your Mind with Dr. R.C. Sproul" is also broadcast on Sirius and XM satellite radio. In late July 2012, a new Christian internet radio station called RefNet (Reformation Network) was also announced by Ligonier Ministries in an effort to reach "as many people as possible" where Internet access is available.

Ligonier Ministries hosts several theological conferences each year, including the main conference held each year in Orlando, FL, at which Sproul is one of the primary speakers.

Sproul was a passenger on the Amtrak train that derailed in the 1993 Big Bayou Canot train wreck and often gives firsthand accounts of the story.

URL: http://www.ligonier.org/learn/articles/wisely-handling-the-bibles-wise-sayings/

Wisely Handling the Bible’s Wise Sayings

by R.C. Sproul

Every culture seems to have its own unique, collected wisdom, pithy insights of the wise. Oftentimes, these tidbits of wisdom are preserved in the form of the proverb. We have proverbial sayings in American culture. I am thinking of sayings such as “A stitch in time saves nine” or “A penny saved is a penny earned.”

The Bible, of course, has an entire book of such pithy sayings—the book of Proverbs. However, this compilation of proverbial wisdom is different from all other such collections in that these sayings reflect not just human wisdom but divine wisdom, for these proverbs are inspired by God.

Still, we must be very careful in how we approach and implement these wise sayings. Simply because they are inspired does not mean that the biblical proverbs are like laws, imposing a universal obligation. Yet, some people treat them as if they were divine commandments. If we regard them in that way, we run into all kinds of trouble. Even divinely inspired proverbs do not necessarily apply to all life situations. Rather, they reflect insights that are generally true.

To illustrate this point, let me remind you of two of our own culture’s proverbs. First, we often say, “Look before you leap.” That is a valuable insight. But we have another proverb that seems to contradict it: “He who hesitates is lost.” If we tried to apply both of these proverbs at the same time and in the same way in every situation, we would be thoroughly confused. In many situations, wisdom dictates that we examine carefully where we should place our steps next so that we are not moving blindly. At the same time, we cannot be so paralyzed in our evaluation of the pros and cons of our next move that we hesitate too long before making a decision and lose opportunities when they present themselves to us.

Naturally, it does not really bother us to find seemingly contradictory proverbs in our own cultural wisdom. But when we discover them in the Bible, we find ourselves wrestling with questions about the trustworthiness of Scripture. Let me cite one well-known example. The book of Proverbs says, “Answer not a fool according to his folly” (26:4a). Then, in the very next verse, we read, “Answer a fool according to his folly” (26:5a). How can we follow these opposite instructions? How can both be statements of wisdom?

Again, just as in the example I gave above, the answer depends on the situation. There are certain circumstances when it is not wise to answer a fool according to his folly, but there are other circumstances when it is wise to answer a fool according to his folly. Proverbs 26:4 says, “Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest you be like him yourself” (emphasis added). If someone is speaking foolishness, it is generally not wise to try to talk to him. Such a discussion will go nowhere, and the one who tries to carry on the discussion with the fool is in danger of falling into the same foolishness. In other words, there are circumstances when we are better off saying nothing.

At other times, however, it can be helpful to answer a fool according to his folly. Proverbs 26:5 says, “Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own eyes” (emphasis added). Although it was made an art form by the ancient Greek philosophers, the Hebrews understood and in biblical teaching sometimes used one of the most effective ways of arguing with another person. I am referring to the reductio ad absurdum, which reduces the other person’s argument to absurdity. By means of this technique, it is possible to show a person the necessary, logical conclusion that flows out of his argument, and so demonstrate that his premises lead ultimately to an absurd conclusion. So, when a person has a foolish premise and gives a foolish argument, it can at times be very effective to answer the fool according to his folly. You step over onto his territory and say, “Okay, I’ll take your position for argument’s sake, and I’m going to take it to its logical conclusion and show you the foolishness of it.”

So, the book of Proverbs is concerned to give us practical guidelines for daily experience. It is a neglected treasure of the Old Testament, with untold riches lying in wait in its pages to guide our lives. It holds real, concrete advice that comes from the mind of God Himself. If we want wisdom, this is the fountain from which to drink. He who is foolish will neglect this fountain. He who is hungry for God’s wisdom will drink deeply from it. We need to listen to the wisdom of God so that we can cut through the many distractions and confusions of modern life. But, as with the entirety of the Word of God, we need to be zealous to learn how to handle the book of Proverbs properly.