by Phil Sanders

You younger men, likewise, be subject to your elders; and all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE. Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety upon Him, because He cares for you. (1 Pet. 5:5-7)

God is so great, that it behooves all of us to humble ourselves. Looking deep into our own lives and inadequacies will likely keep us humble. But the command is "be humbled," a passive imperative. Let God rule in our hearts and our lives.

Humbled people are not beat down by guilt. They are not consumed with making the self little. No, a humble man is one who doesn't consider himself at all. He is the one who puts God first in every thing (Col. 1:15-17).

It would do us all good to hide behind the cross the way Paul did. Paul was not consumed with making a reputation or even unnecessarily defending himself against his many critics. Paul was an evangelist. His driving force was: "For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified" (1 Cor. 2:2).

His boast: But may it never be that I should boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. For neither is circumcision anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation (Gal. 6:14-15).

The radical, consuming love of the cross will humble the thoughtful onlooker. How can one look into His eyes, see His love, recognize His pain, or see the price He paid for our sins and not be humbled?

Be humbled under the mighty hand of God. The hand that created the world, that fashioned man, that led Israel out of Egypt to take the promised land, that parted the Red Sea and the Jordan River. The hand that protects you day in and out. Let him lead you and control your life.

Do you know about God's hand? Isaiah tells us: "Can a woman forget her nursing child, And have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, but I will not forget you. Behold, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands" (Isa. 49:15-16).

Be humbled therefore under the mighty and deeply loving hand of God, and He will exalt you at the proper time. He will act in His time, not yours. He will act rightly and lovingly. He will bless you greatly.

Trust in the LORD, and do good; Dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness. Delight yourself in the LORD; And He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD, Trust also in Him, and He will do it. And He will bring forth your righteousness as the light, And your judgment as the noonday (Psalm 37:3-6).

Today, listen and submit.

by J. Randal Matheny

"But He gives a greater grace. There it says, 'God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.'" Jas. 4:6, NASU

Grace is a slippery slope for some, a blanket to cover the shoddiness, laziness, rebellion, and stubbornness of the recalcitrant heart. But I don't want to go there today.

How to conquer the desire to be friends with the world, at the same time we try to hang on to God? How to douse the lust and envy we've allowed to lodge in our spirit which God made to dwell in us?

Any time we look in our hearts, we despair. The more we delve, the more we see how entrenched sin is in us. Those who would counsel listening to our heart, searching for truth within us, or discovering the divine in our own soul are so deluded, they have yet to really take the first look.

Jeremiah looked, and this is what he saw: "I know, O Lord, that a man's way is not in himself, Nor is it in a man who walks to direct his steps" (Jer. 10:23).

After a hard lick, David woke up: "Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, And in sin my mother conceived me." He wasn't talking about his mother, but how deeply sin had rooted itself in his life.

Terrified at God's glory, Isaiah wailed: "Woe is me, for I am ruined! Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I live among a people of unclean lips;..." (Isa. 6:5).

Randal, who was reared in a Christian home, pulled back the religious talk and syrupy smiles, and gasped: "How can this be? Where did this sneak in? How did my life get this way?"

It's a sorry sight, my heart, and yours. Enough to make us want to throw in the towel.

So right after James calls us adulteresses, and right after he slaps us with, "You think the Bible is flapping in the wind?", he moves in quickly with, "But He gives a greater grace."

It's not an easy believism that smoothes over ruffled feathers. No quick kiss and make-up, and everything will be all right in the morning. No never mind what I just said.

It's a hard answer, a tough-poise reply, a shake-you-down-to-your-boots response.

God gives greater grace. Husky, burly truth here, that will buckle you to your knees, wrench your body, and convulse your soul. The tears won't stop, the nose runs from weeping, the lungs lose their breath from sobbing. (Read Jas. 4:7-10.)

God gives greater grace. To do the impossible, to extend forgiveness, to break the habit, to remake the image, to turn envy into contentment under his shadowed hand.

God gives greater grace. Greater than my puny sacrifices, greater than my trials and temptations, greater than my hang-ups and obsessions, greater than my personal pity party, greater than all the darkness and dirt that lurk in the deepest crevices of the soul.

God gives greater grace.

The one truth that keeps my head afloat.

The single spasm that puts one foot in front of the other.

The only rope that pulls me out and up.

The hardest rock that makes my softest pillow.

God gives greater grace.

I want to go there today.

by Emmett Smith

Have you ever heard of Neville Chamberlain? He was the British Prime minister who was succeeded by Sir Winston Churchill. He is notorious for his appeasement of Hitler. He only sought "peace for our time"! But he failed to recognize that he was dealing with an enemy who could not be trusted and who did not want peace. Jeremiah wrote of some in his day who sound similar to Chamberlain. They falsely contradicted Jeremiah’s prophecy of Judah’s destruction, "saying ‘Peace, peace,’ when there is no peace" (Jeremiah 8:11).

Yet peace could have been theirs had they simply turned to the Lord. Solomon wisely said that, "When a man’s ways please the Lord, he makes even his enemies to be at peace with him" (Proverbs 16:7). However, we should never forget that the evil one is not trustworthy and that he doesn’t want peace! We are engaged in a spiritual war, whether we choose to admit it or not. Thus Paul’s admonitions regarding the armor and offensive weapons of the Christian warrior as recorded in Ephesians 6:10-20. Read that passage and remember that we are at war, and we will not be at peace with that enemy until the Lord’s return.

As David wrote,

"Mark the blameless and behold the upright, for there is a future for the man of peace.

But transgressors shall be altogether destroyed; the future of the wicked shall be cut off.

The salvation of the righteous is from the LORD; he is their stronghold in the time of trouble.

The LORD helps them and delivers them; he delivers them from the wicked and saves them, because they take refuge in him." (Psalms 37:37-40)

Our salvation is from the Lord. If we take refuge in Him we have a future! We shall be victorious and we shall see peace. But as Isaiah said, "’There is no peace,’ says my God, ‘for the wicked’" (Isaiah 57:21). Paul told the Ephesians that Jesus Himself is our peace, having broken down the wall of hostility between Jew and Gentile, and having reconciled us both to (made peace with) God in one body (the church) through the cross (Ephesians 2:14-18). As He Himself said, "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid" (John 14:27).

So if we are at peace with God, we may acquire "the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding". Even in the midst of turmoil. That peace is not attainable from the world!

"do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:6,7)    

By Michael E. Brooks

“Deceit is in the heart of those who devise evil, but counselors of peace have joy.” (Proverbs 12:20)

A short visit to a very tense Nepal last week helped reinforce the above stated truths. After several months of ceasefire and negotiations, the Maoist insurgents of that nation have walked away from the talks and resumed hostilities. What had been planned as a two week long campaign to rural eastern Nepal was changed of necessity to a four day visit to the capital, Kathmandu, to transact necessary business.

My impression of the attitude of the Nepali people was disturbing. I found much more nervousness and apprehension than on previous visits. My trip coincided with the beginning of the major Hindu festival, Dashain, and just after we arrived the rebel forces declared an eleven day truce, to enable people to travel to their homes to celebrate the holiday. But there was little trust that they would honor the truce. We held brief classes, but there was much concern about traveling even within the relative safety of the capital city.

The author of Proverbs pairs two sets of characteristics: lies go with evil; joy accompanies the search for peace. Those whose aim is harm and wickedness have no moral or other compunctions against deceitfulness. Conversely, those whose character permits them to lie easily are likely to find that other evils are equally attractive. Rebels who will rob, rape, and kill their own people are not to be trusted. Period. No matter the philosophical justification, their deeds are evil, and such people will bring no happiness to anyone, including themselves.

On the other hand, the message of peace brings great joy. I am convinced that genuine Christians are always and inevitably the world’s happiest people. They alone know real peace in every dimension. Peace with self, with others, and with God. Eternal security, without doubt, fear or worry. And they take that message of peace to the world around them. The joy they obtain is not something they strive for, but the gift which is given by a generous and loving Father to those who do his will. It comes from two sources. First, the act of seeking peace produces satisfaction and contentment, which are the fundamental components of happiness. Second, God gives joy as a reward for obedience.

Peace and joy are combined in a beautiful New Testament passage, Philippians 4:4-7. Paul begins by instructing his readers to Rejoice, and concludes the paragraph by promising that “the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds…” How can we have joy without the security of real peace. How can anyone who is truly at peace, fail to be happy?

by Mike Benson

"Frog Follies" sounds like something from an old episode of The Muppet Show, when in reality it’s the annual car exhibition held here in Evansville.

The display started back in 1975 when the Evansville Iron Street Rod Club hosted a “rod run” for local street rod owners. The event was dubbed “Frog Follies” due to the bullfrog race that was held at that initial show.

The very first FF registered 44 vehicles. Now, almost thirty years later, the event accepts between 4,000 and 6,000 entries, and is one of the biggest automobile swap meets in the Midwest. Owners bring their cars from as far north as Alaska and as far south as Australia. Proceeds from the event go to various charities and also provide scholarship funds for local high school students.

It’s not really necessary to look at your calendar and try to remember when Frog Follies comes about. Just wait—you’ll know when it’s in town. Those few days immediately proceeding the show, colorful street rods can literally be found all over Vanderburgh County. It’s not unusual to see dozens of flashy cars working their way through area traffic. Every vehicle seizes your attention; every street rod turns your head. Suddenly the family sedan seems incredibly lack-luster and boring.

In an odd sort of way, the best advertisement for the Follies is not the actual show itself when the cars are all together at the fairgrounds. Rather, it’s when those thousands of street rods are being driven throughout the community.

It occurs to me that Christianity is a lot like our local car show. Often times we think the best publicity for The Faith is the worship services held at the building each Lord’s Day. We reason that by virtue of the fact that we’re meeting as a group in one place, sinners will naturally want to attend. In reality, people are drawn to our assemblies when/as they see us in and around town (1 Pet. 2:12; 3:2). Our example (1 Tim. 4:12; 1 Pet. 2:21), the joy that we experience as members of the body of Christ (1 Pet. 1:8), the assurance we exude in terms of our salvation (Heb. 10:22), and the faithfulness we exhibit as we interact with our peers (Matt. 5:16; Phil. 2:15) prompts them to investigate our gatherings. Its not what happens behind the “closed doors” of the worship assembly that entices our friends to attend; it’s how the Word becomes flesh in our own lives.

Dear Christian, whether we like it or not, our lives are on display (Matt. 5:14;1 Pet. 2:9). If we really want to impact our friends for eternity and the sake of their souls, they’ve got to see us moving (1 Cor. 15:58) and heading in the right direction (Col. 3:1ff).

Are you just going to the local car show on Sunday, or are you driving around town during the week? “So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved” (Acts 2:46-47; cf. Eph. 5:8).

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