Sunday, December 20, 2009

Read: 1 Peter 5:1-4

To the elders among you, I appeal: . . . Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care. - 1 Peter 5:1-2

TODAY IN THE WORD
In the July 15, 1974 issue of Time magazine, historians were asked how they would answer the questions: “What makes a true leader? Who are the true leaders of history?” One British military historian, Correlli Barnett, responded this way: “Greatness has nothing to do with morality. A leader gets people to follow him.” According to Barnett, Napoleon, Hitler, and Al Capone were all great leaders.

We come to a different exposition of leadership in today's reading. Peter appeals to the elders of the churches, exhorting them toward Christian leadership. Reminding them of his own witness of Christ's suffering and promise of glory, Peter declares: “Be shepherds of God's flock” (v. 2). Peter remembered well the calling that Christ gave him in John 21:15-19, and he extends that call to the elders of the churches in Asia Minor. Christ's command to feed His sheep was not just for Peter or the apostles; all subsequent leaders of the church are called to care for and nourish God's people.

What are the marks of a true shepherd? Scripture first describes the attitude of leadership. True leaders do their work willingly, not out of a sense of obligation (v. 2a). Second, Scripture explains the purpose of leadership. Rather than leading in order to serve one's own needs (e.g. in striving only for monetary gain), a true leader is “eager to serve” (v. 2b), focusing on the needs of others first. Third, Scripture indicates the manner of leadership. A true leader does not “lord it over” others, seeking power and authority; rather, they offer a humble “example to the flock” (v. 3).

Finally, a true shepherd of God's flock will always remember that there is a Chief Shepherd to whom they are accountable (v. 4). Ultimately, it is Christ's church, not ours. And Christ is the true Shepherd of His people. Any leader of Christ's church is only an under-shepherd of that one great “Shepherd and Overseer of your souls” (1 Peter 2:25).

TODAY ALONG THE WAY
As we come to the final Sunday in Advent, today's passage fittingly calls us to remember both Christ's first coming as a humble and serving Shepherd, and his second coming when that “Chief Shepherd appears” (v. 4). As you contemplate the attitude, purpose, and manner of Christ's leading of His church, recognize what a high (and challenging) call the leaders of your own church have received. Pray for them, and find some way to encourage them this week through a personal note, phone call, or conversation.

Next Day >

BlackBerry Media Sync Simplifies Music on BlackBerry

Take your music with you

My home desktop has about 70GB of music on it—not an overwhelming collection by any means, but more than I can carry at any one time on my BlackBerry® Bold™ smarpthone. Since I've been using the latest version of BlackBerry® Media Sync, however, it's been much easier to move music back and forth between my desktop and my BlackBerry Bold smartphone (BlackBerry Media Sync works with other BlackBerry smartphones as well.)

With BlackBerry Media Sync (it's included with the latest version of BlackBerry® Desktop Manager) I can choose which playlists I want to have on my smartphone. And if you already use iTunes®, you'll find that synching your iTunes playlists to your BlackBerry smartphone is pretty intuitive. After launching the app, you'll see a list of all your playlists, simply check the ones you want to sync to your smartphone.

Updates to iTunes playlists on my desktop are automatically reflected each time I sync my BlackBerry Bold smartphone. And if I have some free space left after selecting the playlists I want, I let BlackBerry Media Sync decide how to fill the additional space on my memory card—allowing me to always have something a little unsuspected on there as well.

And while I organize my music with iTunes, if you use Windows Media Player, you'll find BlackBerry Media Sync works equally well with that app too.

To download BlackBerry Media Sync, click here »

FM Radio Capability in Mobile Devices Gaining Steam

The radio industry has long held the belief that radio capability should be incorporated into all mobile devices. Providing broadcast radio reception capability in mobile handsets creates multiple benefits for broadcasters, mobile network providers and consumers alike. And mobile phone manufacturers are listening. In perhaps the biggest step forward in the initiative to make FM radio a standard feature in mobile devices, press is buzzing that Apple is developing an FM radio application for the iPhone and iPod touch. This follows closely on the heels of Apple including radio capability on the iPod nano. Many in the industry think this is only the beginning.
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Users of Pandora's free online music service can now post songs or the radio stations they create to Facebook and Twitter.

The new connections were rolled out Tuesday night along with new buttons that let users of the Oakland-based company's music service send songs and stations to others.

Pandora users create music streams called radio stations built around songs or artists they like. The streaming is free and the company makes money through ads which now may get wider distribution through the new features.

Pandora has a database of about 600,000 songs that it sends to an estimated 32 million registered users.

Read: 2 Corinthians 4:1-6

God . . . made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. - 2 Corinthians 4:6

TODAY IN THE WORD
Several years ago, fishing in the Mississippi River near Alton, Illinois, Tim Pruitt landed a 124-pound blue catfish. It took Pruitt more than half an hour to land the giant fish, which measured 58 inches long and 44 inches around. About as large as a sixth-grader, it broke the world record by two-and-a-half pounds and the state record by nearly twenty pounds. The huge catfish was kept alive, put on display at a Cabela's Outfitter store in Kansas City, and later returned to the river.

Jesus said, “Come, follow me, and I will make you fishers of men” (Matt 4:19). As we also see in today's reading, God is glorified when we share the light of the gospel with those living in darkness. When Paul wrote, “we have this ministry,” he meant all believers (v. 1; see 3:18) and the new covenant (see 3:6). That means we are all responsible for spreading the good news.

The basis for our calling is not our own abilities or effectiveness but God's mercy. Our evangelistic “method” is simple—“setting forth the truth plainly” (v. 2). We do not need deceptions, distortions, or marketing tricks.

In fact, we cannot “convert” anyone. That is the work of the Holy Spirit, with the ultimate choice between the individual and God. Because unbelievers are spiritually blind, the gospel is veiled or concealed from their understanding (vv. 3-4). In addition, Satan takes an active role in further blinding their hearts and minds to the “light of the gospel of the glory of Christ.”

God's hand is needed for any evangelism to be successful. This is why our goal in witnessing can only be to “commend ourselves to every man's conscience” (v. 2). Therefore, while we're passionate about sharing the good news, we need not fret about unbelievers' unresponsiveness. It's not about us (v. 5). God is the source of spiritual light and power in our witness, and He is the One who gives life (v. 6).

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TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Have you caught any fish lately? Have you been baiting your hook well? Do the fish even know you're there? These questions aren't really about fishing, of course, but about evangelism. While God is the only One who can awaken belief in spiritually dead hearts, we have been commanded to be part of this process by sharing the gospel (Matt. 28:19-20). God is pleased to use us as His children to tell others of the good news of salvation in Christ. What a privilege!

Citing a recent rash of crime involving public officials, Gov. Charlie Crist on Wednesday petitioned the Florida Supreme Court to empanel a statewide grand jury to investigate the matter.

In his petition, Crist said that after consulting with local law enforcement agencies as well as the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, there is “good and sufficient reason” to investigate criminal activity “among local and state officials acting in their official capacity.”

Such an investigation would run the gamut from bribery and prostitution to crimes involving drugs.

And while the investigation would not be limited to any particular part of the state, Crist requested in his petition that a judge from one of several circuits, including Miami-Dade, Broward or Palm Beach County, be appointed to oversee the grand jury.

Crist’s announcement follows recent indictments of Broward County Commissioner Josephus Eggelletion, Broward School Board member Beverly Gallagher, and Alan Mendelsohn, a prominent Hollywood eye surgeon on public corruption charges.