Fleeing From Temptation

Joseph found himself in dire straits. His own brothers had sold him into slavery, whereupon he was immediately carted off to Egypt to work for his new employer, Potiphar. He may have felt alone in a new culture and a new land where he didn’t know anyone, but he was not forgotten. Genesis 39:2 says, “And the Lord was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man…” Potiphar saw God’s hand on Joseph’s work, and made him overseer of his house. “…The Lord blessed the Egyptian’s house for Joseph’s sake…And Joseph was a goodly person, and well favoured” (Genesis 39:5-6).

THE STORM

But, as so often happens after a season of comfort, the storm came. Potiphar’s wife became attracted
to Joseph and pursued him when her husband wasn’t present. He refused, not wanting to sin against God or his master. Relentlessly, she pursued him. The day of her final endeavor, she grabbed his cloak, but he slipped through her fingers and ran away, leaving the cloak in her hands. She was so angry that she accused him of soliciting her, and Potiphar threw him in prison.

By God’s grace, Joseph faced temptation and overcame it. He knew what was before him wasn’t God’s best for him, so he didn’t just politely decline – he ran in the opposite direction. II Timothy 2:22 says,

“Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.”

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GOD’S FAITHFULNESS
We all struggle with different temptations, whatever they may be –
harsh words, retaliation, deception, gossip, laziness. And just like Joseph, we don’t have to face them alone. “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it. Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry” (I Corinthians 10:13-14). Through God’s strength, we can train ourselves to run the other way when we recognize temptation.

If we do succumb to temptation, there is no shame in approaching God with repentance. He will welcome us with open arms, just like the father in the parable of the prodigal son. “I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father,I have sinned

against heaven, and before thee, and am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants. And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him” (Luke 15:18-20).

BIGGER AND BETTER
The difficult part about Joseph’s story is that although he did the right thing, he still got punished for it. Ultimately, God had a plan for Joseph that was bigger and better than anything he could have imagined. Romans 8:28 says, “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose.” God used Joseph to bring glory to His name among a people that knew nothing about Him.
Let’s flee from the temptations that hinder our relationships with God, and run the race set before us with joy!

 “Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Hebrews 12:1-2

Jessie Chamberlain

Family Radio Staff

Unalienable Rights

“Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.” This week we celebrate the birthdays of two men who upheld these unalienable rights for the American people, one at our country’s inception, and the other at a time when our country faced permanent division. George Washington and Abraham Lincoln were the backbone and glue uniting our great nation under God and preserving our unalienable rights to the benefit of us all.

George Washington, the only United States President to be unanimously voted in by the electoral college – twice – stated,

“It is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor.”

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 His wisdom and leadership, along with that of the other Founding Fathers, led to the construction of the United States government according to biblical morals and principles.

 

PASSING ALONG THE BATON

When President Washington resigned as commander-in-chief on December 23, 1783, he concluded, “I consider it an indispensable duty to close this last solemn act of my official life, by commending the interests of our dearest country to the protection of Almighty God, and those who have the superintendence of them, to His holy keeping.” Washington understood that ultimately God, rather than any man, could preserve the United States of America.

Influenced by reading and re-reading his beloved copy of Washington’s biography, Abraham Lincoln recognized the importance of the foundation that our Founding Fathers laid: “Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.” Lincoln fought hard to apply that proposition to people in both northern and southern states during the Civil War, one of the most arduous times in our nation’s history. 
 

THE GREAT BOOK

Known as “Honest Abe” – the result of the reputation he held with his law practice clients – President Lincoln grew to be one of our most beloved presidents. He held the Bible in high esteem, articulating that, “In regards to this great Book, I have but to say it is the best gift God has given to man. All the good the Savior gave to the world was communicated through this Book. But for it we could not know right from wrong. All things most desirable for man’s welfare, here and hereafter, are found portrayed in it.”

The United States lives under the blessing of unalienable rights thanks to our Heavenly Father’s divine leading of these two men. We commemorate them this week.

Jessie Chamberlain
Family Radio Staff

The Red Flag

Oops! I did it again. I made another mistake. I wasn’t even thinking when I did it. And now it’s out there for people to see. I hope no one takes offense to it. It was thoughtless – I realize that now – but I didn’t mean for it to be!

How often have we found ourselves in this exact same position? We go through life, doing what needs to be done and having some fun along the way, when a red warning flag waves itself at us. Then we realize that we’ve blown it. We slipped up, goofed, blundered, miscalculated, misjudged – no matter which word you choose, the definition remains the same.

We all make mistakes. It’s inevitable. Some of us beat ourselves up afterwards. Others are terrified of God’s wrath. The Bible tells us that the best medicine for us to heal from our mistakes is repentance.

– Isaiah 55:7 “…let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and He will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon.”
– Joel 2:13 “…and rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the Lord your God: for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil.”
– Hebrews 4:16 “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.”
– James 4:6 “But He giveth more grace. Wherefore He saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.”
– Lamentations 3:22-23 “It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is Thy faithfulness.”

We can fearlessly own up to our mistakes by confessing them to God. Then we can make it right with those involved, grow as we face the consequences, learn from the situation, and move on. None of us will attain perfection until our marathons end (Philippians 3).

We as individuals don’t have a monopoly on blunders. Let’s be gracious to others as they learn throughout their own life journeys. Instead of taking offense or judging their mistakes, we have the opportunity to come alongside to give encouragement. Ephesians 4:32 says, “…and be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.”

God cares for us so much! He desires that nothing – including mistakes – separates us from Him (Romans 8:38-39), so He provides the Holy Spirit to wave that red warning flag in our hearts so we can turn to Him.

Jessie Chamberlain
Family Radio Staff

A Beautiful Masterpiece

We’ve all been there. That painful moment when you realize – publically – that you’re wrong. Your cheeks flush. Your pride gets wounded. You have to decide whether to admit or ignore your blunder (and pray no one calls you on it). Thankfully, God can transform humiliating experiences into humbling ones.

Humiliation and humility differ in that the former is a negative emotion and the latter a godly attribute. Humility accepts our imperfection, allowing and relying on Christ to make up the difference (II Corinthians 12:9). God can take our natural fallible reaction of humiliation, which stems from pride, and mold it into a beautiful masterpiece.

In some situations, we are prideful and don’t even recognize it. In Leviticus 4:2-3, God holds the Israelites accountable for such things: “…If a soul shall sin through ignorance against any of the commandments of the Lord…then let him bring for his sin…a young bullock without blemish unto the Lord for a sin offering.” Christ is our sin offering, graciously paid once and for all, the balance never outstanding.

Humility becomes a question of motives. Are we glorifying God, or ourselves? Are we treating people with the sacrificial love to which God calls us? Are we seeking to understand, or do we inwardly believe that we know best? Matthew 7:5 says, “Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.”

When we enter into humility, we affirm and encourage those around us. Philippians 2:3 says, “Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.” Let’s not forget Christ’s commands to “…love thy neighbour as thyself” (Mark 12:31) and “…as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise” (Luke 6:31).

Humility is an act of holiness – being set apart for God by choosing His ways over our instinctive responses. It doesn’t come naturally to most, but by prayer and practice. Ephesians 4:23-24 say, “be renewed in the spirit of your mind; and that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.”

Let’s take a moment to check our hearts throughout the day. How can we allow God to transform our selfish motivations into His beautiful masterpiece?

Jessie Chamberlain
Family Radio Staff

The Great Balaning Act

Life is a balancing act. So many things constantly demand our time. Work. Eat. Sleep. Exercise. Devotions. Family. Friends. Commitments. Hobbies. By the time we fit everything into our schedule, we’re in the red either in sleep or sanity. And God cares about everything we do – which should be done all to His glory – so if life gets out of balance, we aren’t living as we should, right?

Maybe. But we can’t always get everything done. Life happens. Things come up. Inevitably, we will fall short eventually. So how do we prioritize?

Matthew 22 comes to my mind, the story of the lawyer asking Jesus what the greatest commandment in the law is. Jesus’ response is: “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself” (Matthew 22:37-39).

If loving God is the greatest commandment, then that should be my single most important priority, not just playing out in my daily life, but throughout each and every day. But what does it look like to love God “with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind?”

I think it means we are consumed by thoughts of Him, that He is our motivation for decision-making and our strength to accomplish what He calls us to, that He’s the first Person we go to for help or direction.

Even so, how do we get to the place where God is that central figure in our lives? Both priorities and relationships require time for development. So spending quality time with God through the reading of His Word, prayer, and reflection becomes of utmost importance.

When God is our first priority, I’ve noticed that everything else falls into place. Only each individual knows how God has laid on his or her heart how to spend his or her time. Then it’s certain we’re glorifying God because we’re operating within His agenda instead of our own by following the leading of the Holy Spirit.

If you find that the scales are tipping in your “great balancing act,” ask yourself if you’ve sought God like Luke 11:9 says, “And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.”

Jessie Chamberlain
Family Radio Staff

Brotherly Love

Two little boys were the best of friends. They played and laughed together for three years. It didn’t make any difference to them that one had darker skin than the other. All that mattered was that they enjoyed each other’s friendship. But – they lived in Atlanta in 1935. Soon their friendship was forced to terminate when they went off to separate public schools based on their skin color. They were no longer allowed to be friends.

 One of those little boys was Martin Luther King, Jr. Despite living under the Jim Crow laws, his parents taught him not to hate, but that his Christian duty was to love. His mother tried to instill in her son a sense of “somebodiness” – that we are all persons of importance – a lesson that was contradicted every time he exited the front door of their southern home.

 During his youth, King witnessed terrible by-products of the Jim Crow laws including police brutality, judicial injustice, and Ku Klux Klan beatings. These atrocities led to a growing resentment toward segregation. The very idea of separation attacked his dignity and self-respect. At the age of fourteen, King won an oratorical contest in which he stated, “We cannot be truly Christian people so long as we flout the central teachings of Jesus: brotherly love and the Golden Rule.”

King understood that all people were created in the image of God (Genesis 1:26-27). He urged Americans to view each other the same way. “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28).

As a reverend, King’s motivation was the Gospel, which he interweaved throughout his sermons at Dexter Avenue Baptist Church and public speeches. Inspired by evangelist Billy Graham’s crusades, King, along with several other civil rights activists, founded the Southern Christian Leadership Conference for the purpose of conducting nonviolent protests to achieve civil rights reform. He loved the Sermon on the Mount, and took seriously Jesus’ commands to “love your enemies” (Matthew 5:44) and “turn the other cheek” (Matthew 5:39).

 King’s prolific oratory and leadership skills projected him to the front of the desegregation movement. He had a dream, and through immense effort and the blessing of God, he got to see that dream realized in some measure. In a public address the day before he was assassinated, King stated:

We’ve got some difficult days ahead. But it doesn’t matter to me now. Because I’ve been to the mountaintop. And I don’t mind. Like anybody, I would like to live a long life. Longevity has its place. But I’m not concerned about that now. I just want to do God’s will. And He’s allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I’ve looked over. And I’ve seen the promised land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the promised land. So I’m happy, tonight. I’m not worried about anything. I’m not fearing any man. Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord.

May we also live lives so devoted to the Gospel that we accept God’s challenge in Matthew 5:44 to “…Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you” in the same spirit of brotherly love as Martin Luther King, Jr.

Operation Auca

“He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.”
Jim Elliot

January 8, 2017, marked the sixty-first anniversary of “Operation Auca,” an expedition by five American missionaries into the jungles of Ecuador. Nate Saint’s yellow Piper plane carried him and his four companions to “Palm Beach” on the Curaray River. Their goal: to reach the murderous, secluded Auca* tribe with the Gospel.

Jim Elliot, Nate Saint, Roger Youderian, Pete Fleming, and Ed McCully knew they were putting their lives at risk by venturing into Waorani territory. Few who did lived to tell the tale. But these men felt the Holy Spirit tugging at their hearts to bring the light of Christ into the darkness of the Amazon rainforest.

After the missionaries landed on Palm Beach, they shouted Wao-tededo phrases into the jungle, taught to them by a woman named Dayuma who had escaped the Waorani tribe as a child. Three days passed before the Waorani made contact. A man and two women emerged from the trees. Nate took the man, nicknamed “George,” for a plane ride in his “wood bee,” as the Waorani called it, over his tribe’s village. Although communication was limited, things seemed to be going well.

After visiting Palm Beach, George returned to the tribe with the younger of the two women unchaperoned, which was against the tribe’s morals. Caught, George told the tribe that the missionaries attacked them, and that while they were escaping, he and his girlfriend got separated from their chaperone. The tribesmen became angry.

The next day, the Waorani attacked the five men, killing them with handmade spears.

Their story doesn’t end there. Jim’s wife, Elisabeth, and Nate’s sister, Rachel, returned to the tribe as missionaries. Without the men’s sacrifice, that door would not have been open to the women. They began to see huge changes within the Waorani. The tribe’s cycle of violence dramatically decreased. The Gospel began to take root in their lives. The Holy Spirit moved in them, causing them to grow in their personal walks with Christ. Years later, Nate’s son, Steve, also returned to the tribe as a missionary.

During the past sixty-one years, word about “Operation Auca” spread throughout the world. Books, articles, Time magazine, movies – all have recounted the story of the five missionary martyrs. Through their story, many have been encouraged to listen to the call of the Holy Spirit, just like the five men did.

As Steve Saint would say, “Let God write your story.” What is the Holy Spirit calling you to do?

*From this point forward, the Auca will be referred to as “Waorani,” since “Auca” is a derogatory term meaning “savage” or “naked one.”

Jessie Chamberlain
Family Radio Staff