I will be doing a new weekly links post. Every Friday I will post a few blog posts I found interesting during the week.

Enjoy!

• FactChecker: Does ‘Abba’ Mean ‘Daddy’? - Glenn T. Stanton
• Mark Driscoll, Tribalism, and the Church - Collin Garbarino
• David Dockery on Future Agendas in Baptist Theology - Nathan Finn
• Not Just Tornadoes and Drought – Earthquakes Too - Todd Littleton
• Spiritual Death: A Response to David Allen, Exegeting Ephesians - Chris Roberts
• How Southern Baptists Should Approach Disagreements in Theology - Kevin McFadden
• Carl Henry and Baptist Identity - Nathan Finn
• What is the Imago Dei? - Andrew Hebert
• In praise of a (former) homeschooling Mom - Marty Duren
• Christian Theology: A Working Definition - Luke Stamps

The post From Around the Blogosphere – Week 20 appeared first on The Daily Bleat.

The most profound passage on worship in the New Testament is John 4:23-24. There Jesus said, “Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.”

Before we can worship in spirit and truth we must have within us the One whose name is the Holy Spirit and the “Spirit of truth” (John 14:17). He lives only within those who have come to Christ in repentance and faith. Without Him true worship will not happen. We’re told in I Corinthians 12:3 that “no one can say, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ except by the Holy Spirit.” That doesn’t mean no one is capable of speaking such words apart from the Holy Spirit, it means no one can say them as an act of true worship unless motivated by the Holy Spirit. He is the One who reveals God to us and makes Christ irresistible, who teaches us the truth of Scripture, who makes alive hearts that were dead toward God. He is the One who makes hearts that were cold toward worship flame with passion for Christ.

Having the Holy Spirit residing within does not guarantee that we will always worship in spirit and truth, but it does mean we can. To worship God in spirit is to worship from the inside out. It means to be sincere in our acts of worship. No matter how spiritual the song you are singing, no matter how poetic the prayer you are praying, if it isn’t sincere then it isn’t worship, it’s hypocrisy.

The balance to worshiping in spirit is to worship in truth. We are to worship according to the truth of Scripture. We worship God as He is revealed in the Bible, not as we might want Him to be. We worship Him as a God of both mercy and justice, of love and wrath, a God who both welcomes into Heaven and condemns into hell. We are to worship in response to truth. If we don’t, we worship in vain.

When we neglect our study and intake of Scripture, we do ourselves great harm in the act of worshipping God. When we fail to have our minds renewed by God’s word (Rom 12:2), our minds drift and create a God of our choosing. It is this idol of the fleshly mind that we are in danger of worshipping.

How is your Bible intake? Reading the Bible regularly will not save you but it is of great importance in growing as a Christian.

May we all yearn for the coming of our Lord Jesus when we will see God face to face and worship Him in glorified perfection. Come Lord Jesus!

Donald S Whitney. Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life (Kindle Locations 976-988).

The post Worship That Is Not In Response To Truth Is In Vain appeared first on The Daily Bleat.

The post Dr. Chuck Quarles “Real Faith” Matthew 4:1-11 appeared first on The Daily Bleat.

The Lord’s provision in the past weeks has been beyond my imagination. He continues to provide in every way. I have been so encouraged by his sending of brothers and sisters to minister to me during this time. I am reminded of how the angels came to minister to our Lord after his testing in the wilderness. Without these many individuals, I do not think I could have faired so well. Thank you to all the people who have prayed and sent messages of encouragement. Praise be to God and his faithfulness toward his people.

What now?

The most immediate “now” is the “any day” arrival of Corley Jane Breland. Our first child is due May 24,2013. Libby and I are so excited and ready (we think) to be parents.

The next change coming is school in the fall. I am planning to get back into graduate studies at a SBC affiliated school. Moving with a 3 month old will be a challenge but I am excited to be continuing my education after having to withdraw from the Louisiana College Caskey School of Divinity.

A change in blogging is also in order. I have been blogging here at The Daily Bleat on Southern Baptist theology and issues for the past 2-3 years. I have grown weary of Southern Baptist issues and the theological fighting/bickering that will continue until Jesus returns. Honestly, I am burned out. The Lord has made it clear to me over the past months that I need to be focusing on more positive topics and projects.

This blog will no longer focus on current SBC issues and theology. The Daily Bleat will become more of a personal blog of what God is doing in my life and what he is revealing to me through his Word. My participation at Gospel Husbands, SBC Focus, and Diaspora Blog (introductory post coming soon) will continue.

I am super excited about a new project that is aimed at helping others to be heard by building or improving their platform. I will be mentioning more about this project in the coming days. There are so many great men and women God has raised up to be heard and I am excited to be able to help them in being heard and having an impact.

Future Goals

Many are wondering what my long-term goals are and what vocation I feel led to pursue. My hope is to receive a doctorate in Hebrew Bible/Hebrew. After doctoral studies I hope to become a writing pastor in a Southern Baptist church. I want to preach in the local church and write academically in the field of Old Testament studies.

So, that is a general idea of what I have going on and what is coming up for me and my family. I hope you will continue to follow this blog and follow the Lord’s calling on my life. I am looking forward to sharing the Lord’s grace and truth in the months to come.

The post Pressing On Toward the High Calling appeared first on The Daily Bleat.

I could write pages about what is still going on at Louisiana College and the politics and spin taking place. However, I must move on.

My time at Louisiana College was positive and forever life-changing. I was taught and ministered to by many godly men and women who do not deserve to be associated with the dirty politics and deception currently marking the college and its Board of Trustees.

I met my wife at Louisiana College in Tudor Hall. We started dating soon after meeting. We got married soon after dating. We met in September and were married in May. Humorously, even after starting to date, we remained sitting on opposite sides of the classroom during our first Greek class together with Dr. Kevin McFadden, one of the non-renewed faculty members.

I went on my first mission trip while at Louisiana College. I was blessed to spend two weeks in Ecuador ministering to the Tsa’Chila people with Kingsville Baptist Church and Dr. Jason Hiles, one of the non-renewed faculty members. I will never forget watching him preach a gospel sermon in fluent Spanish to a group of people, and people group, almost completely void of Christian presence. Watching the light of Jesus pierce the darkness in a language I could not understand is unforgettable.

I have so many memories with so many great faculty and students. I hope I never forget these memories. I hope the goings-on of the past few months do not taint these good memories.

Whatever happens at Louisiana College in the coming years will be without my commentary. I cannot emotionally and spiritually handle the ongoing deception and covering up by the Louisiana College administration and Board of Trustees. It will continue, and matters will grow even worse, but I will not be reporting on them or commenting on them.

Speaking with many, there is a growing consensus that God is handing Louisiana College over to its own wickedness. If this is true, let’s pray it will be but a short period of time before repentance and accountability returns. In my opinion, Louisiana College needs to figuratively burn to the ground and start afresh before health and prosperity can return. For now, those tasked with guarding the institution are helping to burn it to the ground. I pray repentance and restoration comes soon.

The Louisiana Baptist Convention

The Louisiana Baptist Convention (LBC) is also in need of much correction. The state convention’s Executive Director, Dr. David Hankins, is part and parcel of the deception and wickedness at Louisiana College.

David Hankins is supposed to serve Louisiana Baptist pastors and laymen. Instead, Hankins is serving his own anti-Calvinist agenda, using Joe Aguillard to do his bidding. Hankins is using a desperate man, Joe Aguillard, to accomplish his anti-Calvinist agenda and new “conservative resurgence” at Louisiana College. Aguillard was caught in lies and unethical/illegal behavior by two college Vice Presidents. Hankins exploited the situation to accomplish his own agenda, knowing he could influence the college’s Board of Trustees to protect Aguillard if Aguillard would play the always emotional “Calvinism card.” This covering up and scheming is pure evil and Louisiana Baptists should rise up and remove all involved. The state convention will not be healthy until the current leadership is replaced.

Parting Facts

• Joe Aguillard never provided evidence to the Board of Trustees regarding the termination of three faculty members. There is no evidence of any wrongdoing by Drs. Jason Hiles, Kevin McFadden, and Ryan Lister.
• Joe Aguillard made up the charge of “oppressive Calvinism.” This is verified by a student’s sworn statement given to Chairman Gene Lee. The student, not a Calvinist, stated that Aguillard twisted his and other students’ words in a private meeting. The students never imagined Aguillard would use their casual meeting to be the sole rationale for firing three professors.
• The Board voted 16-13 to retain Joe Aguillard as president in the April 30^th meeting. 13 trustees believe the evidence of Aguillard’s unethical behavior was factual and that he should no longer be president of the college. Couple that with two Vice Presidents and the chairman of the trustee board, Joe Aguillard’s “exoneration” is laughable. Aguillard is already spinning his “exoneration” in faculty/staff meetings as a “united vote” of his innocence by the Board.
• Joe Aguillard told Kelly Boggs of the Baptist Message that the documents proving his innocence are confidential and will not be available to the public because they are personnel documents. Aguillard then showed Boggs the confidential documents. Will Aguillard be showing these documents to the secular media? Did the trustees vote to allow Boggs access to these documents? No, and no.
• David Hankins essentially deceived a Baton Rouge pastor regarding his role on the Louisiana College board. Hankins is not a mere “advisor” being involved with the board “only when called upon.”

There are at least a dozen other largely unknown facts that need to be documented but will most likely not affect change. The Louisiana College Board of Trustees is stacked. Hankins and Aguillard will systematically drive the college into the ground, ruining a once great institution.

So, farewell Louisiana College. Farewell Louisiana Baptist Convention. God help you both come alive and remove the wicked men guiding your sails.

Pray for God’s mercy on Southern Baptists in Louisiana.

The post Farewell Louisiana College and Louisiana Baptist Convention appeared first on The Daily Bleat.

Argile Smith – Louisiana College

I recently leaked an audio recording and documentation of an encounter I had with Vice President/Associate Dean Argile Smith to an anonymously run website. I want to clarify why I did this and answer a few questions.

Why I Recorded the Encounter

Keep in mind, this all took place just weeks after President Joe Aguillard wrote his “President’s Pen” article condemning Calvinism and saying it will not be allowed at Louisiana College. Not only this, Aguillard had recently given contractual non-renewals to two Christian Studies profs and the Associate Dean of the Caskey School of Divinity. It is this climate of political targeting and theological smoke-screening that all of this took place.

I originally recorded a conversation with Argile Smith for my own protection in case he lied about our encounter. Smith had previously told a student that Russell Moore had requested to reschedule his revival speaking engagement at Louisiana College.  I was able to confirm with Moore’s office that Moore in fact did not cancel on Louisiana College. Moore’s office confirmed that Louisiana College had asked him to reschedule to an indefinite date. This contradicted what the Dean of Chapel, Argile Smith, had told at least one student. I recorded the conversation for protection, not to release it.

I did not foresee Smith behaving the way he did. Smith threatened to “come after” me, and when asked what he meant by that, he stated, “You know what I mean!” Smith also went on making threats and trying to intimidate me, even asking if I was “the Gestapo.” Why? Because I dared to ask him why Russell Moore was not coming to preach the revival series at my divinity school’s college.

I believe Argile Smith meant that he would ruin me professionally and academically if I posted about him canceling Moore. That is how I understand his words and still understand them to this day.

I followed policy according to the student handbook and reported the encounter to my immediate advisor, Chuck Quarles. Quarles then requested a meeting with his subordinate Argile Smith. Smith refused to meet with his faculty supervisor Quarles, instead going directly to President Joe Aguillard. Dr. Quarles was able to eventually get Smith on the phone. Smith told Quarles that he did have a conversation with me and that he told me, “I will come after you…in debate!” It is clear from the audio, and from Smith’s own clarifying “You know what it means!” comment that Smith did not say nor intend to communicate “debate.”

Following policy, Quarles made a report, reporting everything I have written above. I then, following policy, filed an official complaint with Travis Wright, Vice President of Academic Affairs. Wright received the complaint and followed the policy outlined in the student and faculty handbooks.

The policy dictated that an investigation take place and inquiry be made regarding my testimony in the official complaint. What was my testimony? I testified that I was filing a complaint because Argile Smith threatened to come after me professionally and academically. I did not file a complaint for a “heated” conversation. I was in the United States Army, heated conversations do not bother me. Threats by Louisiana Baptist power-brokers do bother me and are way over the line of ethical behavior.

So, who was on this investigative committee? President Joe Aguillard, Travis Wright, and one unnamed person (not Quarles) made up the committee. When asked about my testimony of the encounter, Smith told the investigating committee that he “never intended to threaten” but that he did get heated.

Per policy, Wright sent a deliberation letter to my mailbox wherein I learned that Smith did not confess to threatening me nor did he apologize. I was not pleased with how Smith reported his actions to the investigation committee. My only option per policy was to file an appeal. Guess who this appeal might be to? Someone neutral? Perhaps someone not involved with the investigation that just took place? No, per policy, my only appeal was to President Joe Aguillard, the man who sat on the investigation committee. The same Joe Aguillard who had been targeting me and having his campus security chief file charges against me of “making disparaging comments about LC” on this very blog. The same Joe Aguillard who had refused to talk to me since penning his “President’s Pen.”

But there was hope. You see, Aguillard was set to be removed for unethical behavior and overstepping the Board’s wishes in his “Calvinism crusade” on Tuesday. I had until Wednesday to file my appeal to the President. I was hoping to have a new president to appeal to, one that was not involved with the investigation committee that cleared Argile Smith, giving him a reprimand and allowing him to not confess to threatening me. However, the trustee meeting came and ended and Aguillard survived the March trustee vote.

I did not bother taking my audio to the newly empowered Aguillard. It would do no good as Smith has been working with Aguillard for months. This is how Aguillard controls Louisiana College and gets away with his behavior. He organizes kangaroo courts, and then positions himself as the final appeal, knowing he will have the final say. This is Louisiana Baptist power maneuvering 101.

I tried to contact Smith through email a few days after receiving my deliberation letter.

Here is the email:

Subject: Request for Written Statement and Apology

Dr. Smith,

I was recently given a deliberation letter regarding the incident in front of Guinn Auditorium.

I did not receive a written statement from you recounting your participation in the incident where you threatened to “come after me.”

I am hereby requesting a written statement from you, in which you confess to saying “if you post this on your blog, I am coming after you.” I also request that you send a written apology acknowledging your wrongdoing and that I had legitimate reason to file the complaint. A .pdf copy will suffice.

Please return this email as soon as possible.

In Christ Alone,

Joshua Breland

 

Smith would not reply. I ran into him on campus and asked if he would reply to my email. He acted as if he did not know what I was talking about at first, he then came around and said, “No, I can’t talk to you. Check your student handbook. I can’t talk to you. You need to talk to Dr. Wright. Check your handbook.” Smith had no reason to not answer my email nor speak with me on campus. I asked an administrator what Smith was talking about and was told, “Smith can talk to you. There is nothing in the handbook forbidding that. He just doesn’t want to talk to you.”

So, once again, another Louisiana College administrator refusing to talk to a student.

To this day, Smith has not admitted to threatening me, nor has he apologized to me.

Why Release the Audio Now?

I was recently made aware that Argile Smith is being voted on to serve as interim pastor at First Baptist Church Moss Bluff. This is the church my wife grew up in and the church my father-in-law pastored until recently, resigning because of medical issues. God’s people at Moss Bluff need to know that Argile Smith is not one to guard the flock, but one the flock should be guarded from. His unrepentant actions toward me should cause a pastor search committee to look elsewhere for an interim pastor.

Also, Smith has recently been promoted by Aguillard to Vice President of New Projects. Sources also indicate that Smith will be promoted to Dean of the Caskey School of Divinity this summer, replacing the outgoing dean, Chuck Quarles. I believe Louisiana Baptists need to know who is behind the mask at Louisiana College. Argile Smith is currently the Dean of Chapel, Associate Dean of the Pastoral Ministry program at Caskey, and future Dean of the entire divinity school. Is it healthy to promote a man who threatened a divinity school student and then lied about it to the investigating committee? No, of course it isn’t appropriate to promote such an individual. But Louisiana Baptist politics and Joe Aguillard perpetuate this climate and promote this caliber of people. Louisiana Baptists will continue to suffer and watch their only Baptist state college burn to the ground until major changes take place.

Finally, I struggled for weeks with whether or not to release the audio. When finding out that First Baptist Moss Bluff was in the process of hiring Smith as interim pastor, I felt compelled to warn them. This was not easy and will come at much cost. I understand the costs but Louisiana Baptists need to be warned. I did not do this to be liked, but to help Louisiana Baptists.

If you have been praying for Louisiana College, do not stop! And if you have not been praying for Louisiana College, start now! The Louisiana Baptist Convention and Louisiana College are in the hands of wicked men, but God hears the prayers of the righteous and will not be mocked.

I will be stopping all blogging on LC/LBC issues very soon. This is one of the last posts before I turn and forever move on from all the craziness of the past 4 months. Thanks for reading and please pray for me and my wife as we expect our first little one in the next 2-3 weeks.

The post Why I Released Audio of Argile Smith Threatening Me appeared first on The Daily Bleat.

The post Video: Chairman Gene Lee Announces President Joe Aguillard Will Remain at Louisiana College appeared first on The Daily Bleat.

Below is a list of trustees and their emails. The list is not 100% accurate nor complete. I encourage all Louisiana Baptists to email these men and women and tell them that the president must be dismissed.

The post Final 24 Hours: Louisiana College Board of Trustees List with Emails appeared first on The Daily Bleat.

Citing Hankins’ recent silence, undue influence, and other concerns, Richerson voiced an opinion that seems to be growing among Louisiana pastors and laymen.

Richerson writes:

For clarity’s sake, let me first state that I am not a Calvinist nor am I anti-Dr. David Hankins. As a Baptist, however, I do believe that Dr. Hankins’ position on the Board of Trustees at LC is a major violation of several baptistic principles.

Richerson continues:

In addition, for over 100 years in Louisiana Baptist life, the executive director of the Louisiana Baptist Convention was never a voting member of the Board of Trustees at LC… Dr. Hankins is the ONLY executive director in all of Southern Baptist life that holds a voting position on the board of trustees at one of the states colleges.

I, therefore, would like to publicly ask Dr. Hankins to immediately resign as a member of the Board of Trustees and allow the board to operate in the fashion that it has from its inception, without the executive director of the Louisiana Baptist Convention as a voting board member. It is not acceptable for us as Baptists to act as though we have a Catholic ecclesiology when it is inconvenient to follow Baptist polity. We do not have a pope in Alexandria.

Richerson also voiced concerns with Hankins’ obfuscation regarding his role on the Board.

I initially raised an objection to Dr. Hankins privately concerning his role as an ex officio member on the board of trustees in February of this year. Dr. Hankins assured me that his position on the board was solely one of advisement when he was called upon.

Richerson continues:

I learned from a former pastor and current member of the board of trustees at Louisiana College that Dr. Hankins is actually a voting member of the Board of Trustees at LC and has exercised his right to vote since the February board meeting. I have further verified Dr. Hankins’ position on the board as a voting member by reading the bylaws and constitution of LC.

I am not accusing Dr. Hankins of lying or being intentionally deceptive in his comments directly to me pertaining to his role on the Board of Trustees, for I cannot judge his heart. I can, however, judge his words. His words did not in any way indicate that he was a voting member of the board.

Read the full article here.

It is clear that Hankins does not serve in a mere advisory role, as his presence and participation in Louisiana College Board of Trustee meetings in the past year has been consistent and influential. Sources have indicated that Hankins was responsible for making the motion to dismiss all evidence of Louisiana College President Joe Aguillard’s alleged unethical behavior. This motion taking place before trustees had even received the evidence to weigh and discern.

I applaud Pastor Richerson’s courage in writing to the The Town Talk and calling on Dr. Hankins to resign. I agree with Richerson and hope that his letter begins to draw out more Louisiana Baptists concerned with Hankins’ presence and participation on the Louisiana College Board of Trustees.

The post Executive Director David Hankins Only Advisor To Trustees? appeared first on The Daily Bleat.

So much has happened at Louisiana College since January, 2013.

• President Joe Aguillard condemns Calvinism as outside of the Baptist Faith and Message 2000
• Professors have been essentially fired (Drs. Kevin McFadden and Ryan Lister)
• The divinity school’s administration has been under attack leading to a contractual non-renewal (Dr. Jason Hiles) and resignation (Dr. Chuck Quarles)
• Students targeted by President Joe Aguillard and Dean of Chapel Argile Smith, verbally threatened, and charged with trumped up charges not enforceable and ultimately thrown out
• Louisiana pastors speak out against the unhealthy leadership from President Joe Aguillard
• The withdrawal and resignation of divinity school students
• The withdrawl of support from longtime Aguiilard supporters
• President Aguillard lying about student testimonies of “theological oppression”
• Over 100 students sign “signing statement” declaring to leave if administration not fixed immediately
• Emergency and regular Board of Trustee meetings
• Secular and Baptist press banned from campus
• An investigation of President Joe Aguillard, finding him guilty of misappropriating funds and lying to the Board of Trustees
• The Louisiana Baptist Convention Executive Director David Hankins attempting and succeeding in dismissing all evidence of Aguillard’s wrongdoings before the Board even reviewed the evidence
• Undocumented break-ins at the divinity school
• Student websites blocked, even after students cleared of any wrongdoing
• The severing of relationships across the faculty and administration of the college, and Louisiana Baptist Convention
• The cover-up of the Professor of the Year Award by President Joe Aguillard because one of his targeted and fired faculty won the award
• The loss of an intended gift of $55 million because of President Joe Aguillard’s misappropriations of funds and lies to the board and donors

Not to mention a host of other shenanigans that will take too long to list and explain. These past few months have been, well, insane. I do not believe anyone saw this type of season coming upon Louisiana College. I know I did not, could not, foresee such circumstances.

In January, I was blessed to start my first semester at the Caskey School of Divinity, hoping to earn a Master of Arts in Biblical & Theological Studies. The program was fully funded by the generous giving of one family, the Cason family, who were led by God to fund a graduate school that would raise up future pastors, leaders, and Bible translators. The school was also staffed with some of the finest men and scholars in Baptist life. This morning, all of that is coming to an end. The donors have rightfully withdrawn all financial support of the divinity school. Why? Because of the lies and unethical behavior of President Joe Aguillard and the actions of those who continue to enable and protect him.

I have moved my wife and I from Pineville, Louisiana to Norman, Oklahoma. Our first child is due May 24^th. We are blessed to have a place to stay and family nearby. And yet, I fret. I wonder if I will ever pastor a Southern Baptist church. I question and worry about attending another Southern Baptist school and if a similar scenario of political warring will happen again. I worry, and I am tired of worrying. I hurt, and I am tired of hurting.

This is all a testing of the pilgrim’s faith. I know that. But as we all know, knowing and living out biblical truths are different actions.

Last night, the Lord brought me to Psalm 37. For those hurting because of the circumstances at Louisiana College, I pray you will read through this Psalm, pray through it, and be settled in God’s promises. Peace is for the righteous, it is ours if we are in Christ. Please take time to read through this Psalm and may the spirit of God teach you all things.

Psalm 37

Do not fret because of those who are evil
or be envious of those who do wrong;
for like the grass they will soon wither,
like green plants they will soon die away.

Trust in the Lord and do good;
dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.
Take delight in the Lord,
and he will give you the desires of your heart.

Commit your way to the Lord;
trust in him and he will do this:
He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn,
your vindication like the noonday sun.

Be still before the Lord
and wait patiently for him;
do not fret when people succeed in their ways,
when they carry out their wicked schemes.

Refrain from anger and turn from wrath;
do not fret—it leads only to evil.
For those who are evil will be destroyed,
but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land.

A little while, and the wicked will be no more;
though you look for them, they will not be found.
But the meek will inherit the land
and enjoy peace and prosperity.

The wicked plot against the righteous
and gnash their teeth at them;
but the Lord laughs at the wicked,
for he knows their day is coming.

The wicked draw the sword
and bend the bow
to bring down the poor and needy,
to slay those whose ways are upright.
But their swords will pierce their own hearts,
and their bows will be broken.

Better the little that the righteous have
than the wealth of many wicked;
for the power of the wicked will be broken,
but the Lord upholds the righteous.

The blameless spend their days under the Lord’s care,
and their inheritance will endure forever.
In times of disaster they will not wither;
in days of famine they will enjoy plenty.

But the wicked will perish:
Though the Lord’s enemies are like the flowers of the field,
they will be consumed, they will go up in smoke.

The wicked borrow and do not repay,
but the righteous give generously;
those the Lord blesses will inherit the land,
but those he curses will be destroyed.

The Lord makes firm the steps
of the one who delights in him;
though he may stumble, he will not fall,
for the Lord upholds him with his hand.

I was young and now I am old,
yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken
or their children begging bread.
They are always generous and lend freely;
their children will be a blessing.

Turn from evil and do good;
then you will dwell in the land forever.
For the Lord loves the just
and will not forsake his faithful ones.

Wrongdoers will be completely destroyed;
the offspring of the wicked will perish.
The righteous will inherit the land
and dwell in it forever.

The mouths of the righteous utter wisdom,
and their tongues speak what is just.
The law of their God is in their hearts;
their feet do not slip.

The wicked lie in wait for the righteous,
intent on putting them to death;
but the Lord will not leave them in the power of the wicked
or let them be condemned when brought to trial.

Hope in the Lord
and keep his way.
He will exalt you to inherit the land;
when the wicked are destroyed, you will see it.

I have seen a wicked and ruthless man
flourishing like a luxuriant native tree,
but he soon passed away and was no more;
though I looked for him, he could not be found.

Consider the blameless, observe the upright;
a future awaits those who seek peace.
But all sinners will be destroyed;
there will be no future for the wicked.

The salvation of the righteous comes from the Lord;
he is their stronghold in 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.

The post For Those Hurting at Louisiana College appeared first on The Daily Bleat.