January 2011

for a Dark WorlD

Light

Biblical Illiteracy 3What Use is the Bible? 15

“Asking for what God has already said He desires, is His guarantee of answered prayer.”

in this issue3

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Copyright © 2011 Insight for Living Canada. All rights reserved. No portion of this monthly publication may be reproduced in any form without prior written permission from the publisher. Insights is published by IFLC, the Bible teaching ministry of Charles R. Swindoll. IFLC is an autonomous ministry and certified member of the Canadian Council of Christian Charities. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture passages are taken from the NASB. Printed in Canada. Unless otherwise noted, photography by IFLC staff.

Biblical IlliteracyCharles R. Swindoll

pressure points

Knowing the Wills of GodSteve Johnson

lifetrac

Can Bible Knowledge Be Trivial?Jeremy Postal

moment of insight

lifelines

What Use is the Bible? Steve Johnson

When Push Comes to ShoveMatt Dressler

laughing matters

Expendable MePhil Callaway

31 Days of WisdomBen Lowell

tree © istock.com/pancaketom

by Charles R. Swindoll

Biblical literacyIl

3

Biblical Illiteracy continued from p. 3

During my days serving as a pastor in New England, I heard of a teacher named Thayer S. Warshaw

who quizzed a group of college-bound high school students on the Bible. The quiz preceded a Bible as Literature course he planned to teach at the Newton (Massachusetts) High School, generally considered a top public high school in the nation. Among the most astounding findings he got in his replies from the students were:

Sodom and Gomorrah were lovers.Jezebel was Ahab’s donkey.Some students thought that the four horsemen

appeared on the Acropolis, that the New Testa-ment gospels were written by Matthew, Mark, Luther, and John . . . that Eve was created from an apple and that Jesus was baptized by Moses. Seri-ously! The answer that took the cake was given by

a fellow who was in the top five per cent of the gradu-ating class, academically.

The question: What was Golgotha?The answer: Golgotha was the name of the giant who

slew the Apostle David.If it were not so pathetic, it would be hilarious. Isn’t

it amazing how pitifully illiterate John Q. Public is of the written Word of God? In a land filled with churches and chapels, temples and tabernacles, there are only an insignificant handful of fairly well-informed students of the Book of books. We have Scripture in hardback, paperback, cloth, and leather . . . versions and para-phrases too numerous to count . . . red-letter editions, large-print versions, big as dictionaries and small as microchips . . . yet the years roll by as one generation after another passes on its biblical illiteracy.

Our nation’s technical knowledge and scientific ex-pertise overshadow our grasp of Bible basics to an ap-palling degree. We are, therefore, moving toward an era similar to the Dark Ages when copies of Scripture were chained to the pulpit in Latin—the private lan-guage of the clergy . . . when the public was kept stone ignorant of the life-changing teachings of the truth. But I see one great difference; in those days, biblical ig-norance was forced . . . in our day it is voluntary. Therein lies the saddest fact of all.

Upon whom do we rest the blame? Who deserves

34. MY NAME IS: a. Tickles b. Chuckles c. Jezebel d. Cuddles

52. Matthew, Mark, ______and John? a. Luke b. Luther c. Leroy d. Lambchop

In the final analysis, biblical ignorance is a personal choice—

your choice.

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Photograph of Chuck Swindoll © 2010 by David Edmonson

to have the finger of accusation pointed at him or her? Some would say the fault lies with the seminaries of our world. Part of the problem indeed rests there. As we look around our world we can find semi-nary professors who no longer hold to such foundational truths as the deity of Jesus, His substitutionary death, or His second coming. While this troubles us, we thank God for those seminaries that con-tinue to place their focus in the right place . . . teaching and preaching the whole counsel of God.

Others choose to blame the pulpits of our land. Weak preaching can take a ter-rible toll on a congregation. I’ve said for years that a mist in the pulpit will invari-ably cause a fog in the pew. Far too many preachers are specializing in longhorn sermons—a point here and a point there with a lot of bull in between. Our preach-ers must get back to their primary respon-

sibility: to proclaim Scripture to God’s people and point the way to reconcilia-tion with Him.

Still others would blame this satanic, pressurized system we call the world—society, with its persuasive pleadings and so-called academic arguments—on “a fanatical, foolish belief in the Bible.” To embrace its truths, we have been told, is tantamount to committing intel-lectual suicide. The morticians promot-ing this lie have nothing to offer in the Bible’s place but the grave . . . a cold hole in the ground.

But in the final analysis, biblical igno-rance is a personal choice—your choice. If something is going to be done to plug the

dike, it will take your finger to stop the leak . . . and I mean fast.

on The Air:

Upcoming Messages include:

January21-25 HopeBeyondGuilt:BecomingLivingStones

January26-28 HopeBeyondUnfairness:PressingOnEvenThoughRippedOff

January31-Feb2 HopeBeyond“IDo”:TheGive-and-TakeofDomesticHarmony

February3-4 HopeBeyondImmaturity:MaturityCheckpoints

“I shouldn’t be struggling like I am . . . suffering is wrong.” Oh,really? Chuck Swindoll’s practical les-sons from the book of First Peter reveal that suffering shouldn’t take a Christian by surprise. Chuck’s classic series redirects our minds away from popular, positive thinking and realigns our hopes to those of One who suffered and yet entrusted Himself to God: Jesus Christ.

Hope AgAin: When Life Hurts and Dreams Fade

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by Steve Johnson

knowing the

Wills of God

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pres

sure

poi

nts

It’s a very important issue yet many Christians are unclear about it because, quite simply, we don’t know our Bibles

well enough to know what it teaches about the wills (plural) of God. Yes, God has more than one will.

One of the most basic and helpful things in understanding the concept of God’s will is to understand the Bible’s dis-tinction between what we call the moral will of God and the sovereign will of God. The Bible doesn’t use those terms, but the concepts are there.

The moral will of God is what He has revealed in Scripture. It is what He wants and desires of people. It isn’t enforced; we can choose to obey it or not. Here’s an example: “For this is the will of God, your sanctification; that is, that you ab-stain from sexual immorality;” (1 Thessa-lonians 4:3). This says God wills/desires that we be pure. We have a choice to obey it or not but as with all His commands He doesn’t force us to obey.

The sovereign will of God is very dif-ferent. It is His unrevealed pre-deter-mined plan for everything that happens in the universe. It is known only to Him, cannot be thwarted, will definitely occur, and only becomes known to us after it happens. It encompasses all the good and evil things that happen in the world and in our lives (Daniel 4:35; James 4:13-15).

Although these concepts are different, they are related. To visualize the relation-ship between the two, visualize two circles, a smaller one inside the larger. The larger outer circle represents the sovereign will of God. There is nothing that happens that is outside that circle. All of history—past, present, and future, is inside that cir-cle. Nothing happens outside the sphere of God’s sovereign will. By definition, God would cease to be God because His sover-eignty would be compromised.

The moral will is represented by the smaller circle within the circle of the sov-ereign will of God. If someone chooses to disobey His commands, that disobedi-ence is outside God’s moral will, but not outside His sovereign will. The best ex-ample of this is the death of Christ. His coming was sovereignly determined in eternity past, orchestrated in history, and fulfilled at Calvary. Yet, for it to happen God’s moral will was disobeyed by Christ’s executioners as they murdered an inno-cent man.

These are the only two ways the Bible refers to the will of God. Although it is a simple distinction, it impacts our Chris-tian beliefs and life in major ways.

For one thing, to understand Scripture referencing the will of God, we need to ask, “Which will is this referring to?” Je-sus prays, “Your kingdom come, Your will

“how can i know god’s will for my life?” is a question many Christians ask.

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Steve Johnson is the communications director at IFLC

be done, On earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10). Which will is

He referring to? Since God’s sovereign will is already

being carried out, it must refer to God’s

moral will. Thus the prayer is that people would obediently do what God desires in the same way as His

desires are carried out in heaven.When Paul says he

is “…an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God” (2

Timothy 1:1), which will is he referring to? This would be the sov-

ereign will, the predetermined plan of God. When Paul tells the believers how to do

their work “…as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart” (Ephesians 6:6) he’s referring to the moral will of God as revealed in Scripture. It means working according to the characteristics the Bible says we should have as employees.

When someone says, “I think it is God’s will to do such and so,” ask them which will they are talking about. No one except

God knows His secret sovereign will, leav-ing only the option of God’s moral will. Since that has been revealed in the Bible, their statement needs to line up with Scripture. Either way, be discerning.

Finally, when you seek to pray accord-ing to the will of God, which will are you praying about? The things God has re-vealed are things we can ask for confident-ly knowing that is His moral will too. “If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it” (John 14:14). Asking for what God has already said He desires, is His guarantee of answered prayer. We may also ask for things God hasn’t expressly revealed in Scripture, but not knowing His plan we must humbly accept His sovereign will.

Knowing the wills of God begins with knowing our Bibles.

This Month’s gift

“When you seek to pray according to the will of God, which will are you

praying about?”

(click here to order online)

Scripture for Skillful Christian Living: 40 Verses from Proverbs CD and Card SetChuck has recorded on CD carefully selected verses to highlight important areas in life that require God’s wisdom.

With corresponding memory cards, you can follow along, seeing the words as your hear them.

Make Scripture memory a priority in 2011 and gain wisdom for everyday life.

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Can Bible Knowledge be Trivial?

by Jeremy Postal

On lifetrac.ca and facebook.com/lifetrac this mOnth: Questions without Answers by Robyn Roste

Can Bible Knowledge be Trivial? continued from p. 9

“Moses.” And I’m right again! But really, of

course the answer was Moses. Honestly, who do these people think that I am? I’m 10-years-old and probably know these stories better than Billy Graham himself, or even Jesus.

Twenty-one years later and, through a fog of insomnia and ego, I attempt an online Bible literacy test. Though, “attempt” is prob-ably the wrong word. I demolish it; perfect score. I try another,100 per cent. And anoth-er—the results never vary.

While being king of Bible Trivia does have its advantages at Bible Trivia nights and in debating theological nitpicks, it hasn’t been all that useful in helping me follow Jesus. In fact, the more I come to understand the Bible, the more I realize that my Bible trivia is actually quite trivial. Jesus, at a point in His life where the religious trivia champs of His time were plotting to kill Him, answered them with a fierce and pointed statement. His statement would have shocked His audi-ence and has shaped our reading of Scrip-ture ever since:

“You study the Scriptures diligently be-cause you think that in them you have eter-nal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life.” (John 5:39-40 NIV)

The Bible, written by statesmen and sol-diers, peasants and priests, is the culmination of some 1,600 years worth of writing gath-ered from about 40 different authors and editors. It is an extensive collection inspired by God and put together by men so that we could know the nature and mission of God. In

it God’s character, attributes, promises, and, ultimately His Son, Jesus Christ are revealed.

An artist friend of mine says when he thinks or reads he sees colours and images. His mind processes problems and solutions by creating storyboards of pictures strung together like a film running through his head. This, among other things, makes him a slow reader. For him the Bible is full of images and colour. It is a living narrative of background and texture filled with directors’ cuts and commentary.

I, on the other hand, devour stacks of books with startling speed and proficiency. I ap-proach the Bible as literature. I see moving po-etry, shocking history, interesting personal let-ters, disturbing biography, and clever parables.

Despite our very different approaches, both my friend and I are able to see Jesus revealed around every corner and hiding be-hind every hedge of Scripture.

It is here I think the crux of Bible literacy lays. It is easy to think that to know and fol-low Jesus one must also know and under-stand the Bible in the same way and by the same method that the trivia champs do. But in reality, each person is wired to digest and respond to Scripture differently. Not only that, in different seasons of life it is totally natural to bring different questions, biases, and study methods to Scripture.

For example, while my go-to method is academic, the biggest question that I’ve brought to Scripture in the last two years has been, “Is God good?” I understand that He is good, but the sudden and tragic loss of a close family member caused the question to take an emotional life of its own. I know that God is good, but is He really?

Life throws so many curveballs that it’s no surprise when we’re left reeling with unan-swered questions and confusion. And while a self-help aisle, a bottle of Jack, or back-packing through Europe are tempting ways

“The more I come to understand the Bible, the more I realize that my Bible trivia is actually quite trivial.”

Jeremy Postal lives in Abbotsford, BC and loves spending time with his wife and son exploring mountains and forests with a coffee in one hand and a Bible in the other

to deal with or ignore the difficult questions of life, it is the Bible that points to the only real source of healing, restoration, and life.

My generation of experience chasers value story and image over and above the written word and are more likely to view the Bible as less accu-rate and less sacred than the generations before us did. In turn, we’ve found less engagement with Scripture and are going to it less and less to work out our understandings and worldview.

This is unfortunate considering that the con-tent of Scripture is, at times, shockingly blunt and deals with issues of sexuality, money, authority, grief, gender, pollution, poverty, and the list goes on. The grand story of the Bible—cover to cover—speaks directly to the condition of our messed-up, mixed-up, and punched-up lives and souls. The Bible speaks to issues embedded deep-ly in our souls and deals with the source of our heartache, confusion, and questions.

As Christians, faced with the rough issues and questions of life, it should be our first thought to look into Scripture to discover who God is and what He has to say. As Christians, we allow the tough questions of life to engage with the revealed nature of who God is. As Chris-tians, we trust Jesus’ words, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you” (Matthew 7:7). As Christians, our go-to source of hope, comfort, and sustenance is Jesus Christ as revealed in God’s Word, the Bible. Find Him there.

Want more from lifeTrac?Go to lifetrac.ca and download this month’s free mp3 “Coping with the Slough of Despond.”

If you ever find yourself disillusioned or discouraged, you’ll want to hear this mes-sage from Chuck Swindoll. In this full-length message we learn about Elijah and how we can handle those days when we get depressed.

Another Year to LiveNone of us know the future. It is beyond our

control. But what we can control is how we will be remembered. What will your legacy be? Will

people say you lived your life as God intended it?

Subscribe or listen free online at lifetrac.ca

feel like some Bible Trivia?

1. Who was taken up to Heaven in a chariot

of fire?

2. What species of animal spoke to Balaam?

3. Jesus said where your treasure is there

will be your ?

1. Elijah in 2 Kings 2:11 2. Donkey in Numbers 22:22-35

3. Heart in Matthew 6:21

Scripture for Skillful Christian Living: 40 Verses from Proverbs CD & card set

Chuck Swindoll has recorded 40 verses from Proverbs on audio CD, perfect for memorizing during your daily com-mute or workout routine. With the corresponding memory cards, this set is a practical guide to gaining godly wisdom for everyday life.

Growing Stong in the Seasons of Life paperback, 144 devotionals

The journey begins with a season of reverence, followed by renewal, rest, and finally reflec-tion. As God escorts you through these seasons, listen closely to His voice as you observe the changing scenery.

Paws & Tales, Season 224 episodes on 12 CD’s approx. 30 minutes each

Follow C.J., Staci, Gooz, and the rest of The Club as they discover new mysteries and learn more about our great and loving God— including the dramatic retelling of the story of Esther!

Hope Again: When Life Hurts and Dreams Fade paperback book, 287 pages

Hope is essential to your survival. This in-depth study based on 1 Peter is an encouraging, enlivening, and refresh-ing look at why you can dare to hope no matter who you are, no matter what you face.

Who Put My Life on Fast-Forward? Phil Callaway, paperback, 264 pages

Phil recounts his journey from burnout to a rediscovery of how to pause and play in a fast-forward culture. You’ll find inspiration to help you slow down, add joy to your life, and find the missing peace.

Improving Your Servehardcover book with CD, 230 pages

Charles Swindoll shows the important aspects of authentic servant-hood: what it takes to serve unselfishly; why a servant has such a powerful influence; what challenges and rewards a servant can expect.

January’s Featured Resources

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$16.50 reg $22.00

$37.50 reg $50.00 $14.25 reg $19.00

$12.00 reg $16.00

$13.50 reg $18.00additional sets:

first set

free!

This Month’s Gift

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Hope Again: When Life Hurts and Dreams Fade 17 CD messages + workbook

This series unites the timeless words of Peter’s first epistle and the timely wisdom of Chuck Swindoll to bring hope in the midst of challenging trials.

Divorce & Remarriage: A Biblical Perspective booklet, 58 pages

What are the biblical grounds for ending a marriage? Who may re-marry with God’s bless-ing? Chuck Swindoll offers an uncompromis-ing yet compassionate perspective on the subjects of divorce and remarriage.

The New Strong’s Compact Bible ConcordanceNEW! paperback book, 768 pages

Access over 40,000 Bible references quickly and easily in this compact-size concordance. Includes brief definitions and pronunciation guides for all proper names. Key references for Bible words are arranged from A to Z. (NOTE: print is very small)

Getting Past the Guilt of Your Pastsingle CD message

Cynthia Swindoll shares her personal story about dealing with disappoint-ment and self–doubt, discouragement and recovery, pain and forgiveness, and God’s faithfulness through it all.

January’s Featured Resources

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$3.75 reg $5.00

$9.75 reg $13.00

$6.00 reg $8.00

neW!

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Tune your ears to wisdom, and concentrate on understanding.

Cry out for insight,and ask for understanding.

Search for them as you would for silver;seek them like hidden treasures.

Then you will understand what it means to fear the lorD,and you will gain knowledge of God.

~ Proverbs 2:1-5 (NLT)

My child, listen to what I say,and treasure my commands.

chest © istock.com/DanBrandenburg

mom

ent

of in

sigh

t

“All Scripture is inspired by God and prof-itable for teaching, for reproof, for correc-tion, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17)

The human race has a problem. Each one of us is affected by sin. Consequently we don’t live as God designed and desires. To do that, we need to know what to be-lieve and how to behave.

God gave us the Bible to impact our be-liefs and behaviours. It has at least four relevant uses, which, in turn, prompt four practical questions to ask ourselves when reading: • teaching: We cannot understand God,

His world, and spiritual things apart from Him telling us the truth in His Word. Ask: Is there any truth I should learn from this?

• Reproof: Scripture makes us aware of when our beliefs or behaviours are wrong and need to be changed. Ask: Is there a reproof for something I am doing or not doing?

• Correction: Scripture straightens us back up so that we can again live by God’s standard. Ask: Is there a practice in my life I should change?

• training in righteousness: God’s Word guides us positively into paths of living that please Him. Ask: Is there a habit I should begin? All this is because God has two more

things in mind: 1. he wants us to believe we are ad-

equate. God’s Word is sufficient to help us be wise and godly people. The tasks God has for us will regularly over-whelm us. We can too easily believe we are inadequate for them. God wants us to know and believe that we can do all things through His Spirit. When we are assaulted from every side the Spirit of God encourages us that we are capable of standing.

2. he wants us to be equipped and rely on his Word. God’s Word equips us so that He can do His divine work through our lives. The word “equipped” addresses our competency. To minister to others and live wise and godly lives we need extra wisdom, endurance, and faith. God equips us through His mighty Word. We need to be careful not to trust in ourselves and experi-ences but to rely on the Spirit of God to equip us as He did Jesus during His life on earth (John 12:49).

by Steve Johnson

What Use is the Bible?

~ Proverbs 2:1-5 (NLT)

tools © istock.com/dem10 bible © istock.com/DNY59chest © istock.com/DanBrandenburg

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lifelines

By Matt Dressler

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The congregation laughed nervously as I once again invited him to stand beside me. Once again I pushed him and this time he only took a few steps to the left. A third time I asked him to stand beside me taunting him by saying “It sure is easy to push you buddy.” Then I turned and pushed him hard. This time he was ready and braced for what was coming. My hard shove accomplished nothing and, looking at me smugly, he stood his ground. Then I said to the con-gregation, “Now you see why it is essential for the Bible to warn us to stand firm.”

For the past 18 months I have been preaching through Philippi-ans. Although it’s often only seen as an ode to joy and a gold mine of encouraging verses to put on fridge magnets, there is also a great depth of teaching to enhance maturity. One dominant theme that runs through it, and most of Paul’s epistles, is his concern for believ-ers to be spiritually stable.

After a Gentile church was established at Antioch, Barnabus was sent by the Jerusalem church to help them and we’re told that when “he arrived and witnessed the grace of God… [he] rejoiced and began to encourage them all with resolute heart to remain true to the Lord” (Acts 11:23). To this new growing Gentile church the message was clearly one of spiritual stability. To the Corinthians Paul wrote, “there-fore my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abound-ing in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord” (1 Corinthians 15:58). Later on he wrote, “Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong” (1 Corinthians 16:13). In his famous passage dealing with spiritual warfare, Paul three times com-mands believers to stand firm (Ephesians 6:11, 6:13, 6:14). Early on in Philippians Paul expressed his desire for stability this way: “Only conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or remain absent, I will hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel” (Philippians 1:27). To the Colossians he wrote, “For even though I am absent in body, nevertheless I am with

In a recent sermon I called up one of my adult sons to come stand beside me. When he had settled next to me I suddenly and unexpectedly reached out and pushed him hard sending him flying off to my left.

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you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good discipline and the stability of your faith in Christ” (Colossians 2:5). To know what the Bible says about assaults against you will make you stronger and more resistant. You need to know!

So what did Paul mean by standing firm? In the same way that my assault on my son caused him to fall and become unstable, so the Church has always been assaulted by the unholy trinity: the world, our flesh, and Satan. The world tempts us to compromise our moral standards and relax our stated purpose to serve and glorify God. Our flesh is our fallen, unre-deemed humanness, which constantly struggles to be unrestrained and is so very vulnerable and easily tempted to sin. And Satan is lion-like in his aggression to see us lose faith in God, become angry and weary in our disappointments and prac-tice moral and spiritual apathy as a result. The knowledge of what God says about these assaults is absolutely necessary when it comes to our being able to with-stand them.

Matt Dressler is lead pastor at Chilliwack Baptist Church in Chilliwack, BC

To succumb to these attacks makes

us spiritually unstable. This instability leads to

disappointment with our-selves and others. It makes us doubt God’s attributes and existence and discourages our belief that Jesus offers a

solution to problems. All of which ren-ders us ineffective and useless witnesses for Jesus.

Knowing that this assault is always im-minent, Scripture warns us to be ready when the unholy trinity attacks and to re-sist and stand firm. To us and the believ-ers of his time Paul writes, “So then, breth-ren, stand firm and hold to the traditions which you were taught, whether by word of mouth or by letter from us” (2 Thessa-lonians 2:15). The answer to instability is the knowledge of and adherence to God’s powerful and holy Word and the day by day reliance upon His Spirit for strength and hope.

So before push comes to shove and we’re destabilized, let’s get to know the Word.

“To know what the Bible says about assaults against you will make you stronger and more resistant.”

Visit insightforliving.ca/read to continue the conversation.18

laughing m

atters

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One week after my 49th birthday, in a move, which still has me shak-ing my stitched-up head, a friend

and I climbed aboard an all-terrain vehicle (ATV), and proceeded to flip it. And I do not mean we sold the thing for a profit.

While I was flying through the air with all the grace of a screaming stuntman nothing slowed down like it does in the movies. When I landed there was blood spurting from a wound in my pointy head and I lay there in the dust, thinking I had bit The Big One.

Mortality creeps up on us all, but some-times it lunges.

Not much comes to mind when you’re pretty sure you’re dead. You think of your wife and kids. And you don’t consider em-bracing atheism.

I’ve been doing careless things ever since I was old enough to cross my eyes. Playing far too much ice hockey. Riding too fast in cars. Eating ox tongue. Flying a million miles on airplanes that were built by the lowest bidder. I figure I’ve used up about eight lives.

Thanks to friends, angels, and a doc-tor who kept mumbling something about miracles, I lived to tell this story. But were it not for God’s grace and the glorious gift of painkillers, I would be unable to type

the words you are about to read.The problem with injured ribs is that

they are well-connected to the rest of you. Everything hurts. You can breathe all right, but on the Richter scale, sitting up rates a 4.0, laughter a 6.7, a full-fledged greeting from an unwitting friend a 7.4, with a sneeze topping things off at 13.2—three points beyond giving birth. And so you rest. Or try to.

One of the greatest benefits of nearly dying is that my wife—glad I am alive—fetches me stuff when I ask. She brings me drinks, meds, snacks, more meds, and the first season of MacGyver.

Three weeks on your back recuperat-ing offers you time to contemplate life and mortality and to read. And if that makes your brain hurt, well, there’s al-ways television.

I would love to report to you that I am spending my convalescence praying four hours a day and memorizing the book of John. The truth is, I am watching far too much TV.

Flat on my back I’m discovering that we have 41 channels, though one doesn’t count—it merely tells what’s on the other 40. Two are devoted entirely to movies, two to religion, two to sports, and the rest to news that promotes paranoia.

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The medication helps, but I do not suf-fer quietly. Never have. A sinus infection has me itching to dial 9-1-1. A hangnail causes me to question God’s goodness. Right now I want the world to know that it feels like aliens are conducting experi-ments on my ribcage.

But as I rest upon my self-pity, two notes arrive. One from a friend whose hus-band walked out on her and her beautiful daughters, and another from an acquain-tance who buried his brother following an ATV accident. To top it off, my wife puts on an old CD by Keith Green that has him singing, “It’s so hard to see…when my eyes are on me.” Imagine the nerve.

Perhaps this ATV hangover is a bless-ing. It is reminding me that I may not have as much time left as I thought. That I should spend whatever is left focusing on things that are true, noble, right, pure, and admirable as Philippi-ans 4:8 invites me to.

I’ve noticed subtle changes already. Manyana seldom sabotages my vocabu-lary. I prefer the word “today.” I am en-joying more nature walks, far from TV and the roar of man-made machinery. One day I hope to climb aboard another

ATV. But this time I will strap on a hel-met, full body armour, a parachute, and a flare gun.

I’m not sure what I would have done differently had I known how close the end almost was. I suppose I would have bur-ied my Blackberry more often, then dug it up and called some family and friends. I’d have said “Sorry” to some, “I love you” to others. I’d have spent less time saving money and more time trying to save oth-ers from heartache. As it is, I’m glad I’ve pulled my children close, travelled with them, and taken licks of their ice cream. But this blessed crash has reminded me that life is short, so today matters. And to be thankful.

Today I’m thankful for improvement in the television-viewing department. You’ll be pleased to know I am engaged in Bible reading and prayer. Thanks to a wife who has hidden the remote control.

“I would love to report to you that I am spending my convalescence

praying four hours a day and memorizing the book of John. the truth is,

i am watching far too much tV.”

Visit Phil Callaway at www.laughagain.org

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Christian leaders in Cuba have a tremendous need for biblical resources, particularly in the area of leadership development.

In response to this great need, we have put together a three-volume set of Chuck Swin-doll’s LifeMap books specifically on Christian leadership. These books have been translated into Spanish and received approval from Cuban officials. The titles are:TheLeader’sPassion,TheLeader’sPurity, and TheLeader’sPerseverance.

Our goal is to raise $50,000 and send 30,000 books (10,000 sets) to Cuba in May of this year.

As Canadians we have the wonderful privi-lege of reaching out to our Cuban brothers and sisters. Will you join us in this worthwhile project? Your donation will make an incredible difference.

To donate to the Cuba Leadership Project call 1.800.663.7639 or donate securely online at insightforliving.ca/cuba.

goal: $50,000

6,700.00We’ve raised:$

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Days of

by Ben Lowell

This January I will begin a journey that I’ve never really taken before in quite the same way. I’ve de-

cided to offer myself intentionally and vulnerably to God’s Word in the book of Proverbs.

Thirty-one days, 31 chapters. Not that I could consume all that is offered in this book so filled with wisdom in one short month, but for these 31 days I am com-mitted to opening my mind and my life to its direction.

I often consider questions about life and living—those life issues that each of us face about relationships, finances, is-sues of godly living, and the list goes on. Within the 31 chapters of Proverbs God speaks bluntly as to how we as His chil-dren ought to live, make decisions, treat others, who we ought to associate with, issues of anger, greed, humility, temper, love, justice, loyalty, generosity…

These are not only words I need to hear but respond to so that others might truly identify Christ in me. And that I might

continue to strive to live a life that glori-fies Him, a life that provides me with an inexplicable peace and joy beyond this world and the challenges of daily living.

These words are for everyone—men, women, husbands, wives, children, pas-tors, leaders, fathers, and mothers. These are words worth reading and reflecting on. Some are hard to hear, some convict, others provide hope and light.

The Message paraphrases Proverbs 1:7 as, “Start with God—the first step to learning is bowing down to God; only fools thumb their noses at such wisdom and learning.”

Begin this New Year by seeking God’s wisdom. Take the next 31 days and be-come a sponge of these words of wisdom. Allow them to shape your life like that of Christ, and choose to live in His ways.

Journey with me.Just a thought...

Ben Lowell is the executive director of IFLC

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