Monthly Archives: January 2008

I’d Rather Have Jesus

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The Apostle Paul wrote, “What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ.”1

On a recent TV program Joy and I saw George Beverly Shea, now 98, being interviewed by Bill Gaither. Close to the beginning of the Billy Graham Crusades back in 1947 (made “famous” in 1949) Mr. Shea has been the BGC team soloist.

Over the years I’ve attended several Graham Crusades in both Australia and the U.S. When in Chicago, I and a few other college students “cheated” a little. We joined the choir so we could get a great seat and observe the evangelist close up. We were reasonably good singers back then anyhow. In every one of these crusades it was always inspiring to hear Bev Shea with his rich baritone voice sing his signature song which was, “I’d Rather Have Jesus”

I didn’t realize it until I heard Shea on the TV interview that he wrote the music of this well-known gospel song—the words of which are a devotion in and of themselves.

I’d rather have Jesus than silver or gold;
I’d rather be His than have riches untold;
I’d rather have Jesus than houses or lands,
I’d rather be led by His nail pierced hand.

Than to be a king of a vast domain
 Or be held in sin’s dread sway,
 I’d rather have Jesus than anything
 This world affords today.

I’d rather have Jesus than men’s applause;
I’d rather be faithful to His dear cause;
I’d rather have Jesus than world-wide fame,
I’d rather be true to His holy name.

He’s fairer than lilies of rarest bloom;
He’s sweeter than honey from out of the comb;
He’s all that my hungering spirit needs,
I’d rather have Jesus and let Him lead.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, grant that I, too, will always be able to sing from my heart, and truly mean it, the words of the song, ‘I’d Rather Have Jesus.’ So help me God. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. Philippians 3:8 (NIV).

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Successful Failures

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“For a righteous man may fall seven times and rise again.”1

Chances are you’ve read about all of the following failures who ended up making a great impact in their chosen field of endeavor.

For example, as a young man Abraham Lincoln went to war as a captain and returned as a private. Winston Churchill failed sixth grade. Thomas Edison’s teachers said he was “too stupid to learn anything.” Albert Einstein didn’t speak until he was 4-years-old and didn’t read until he was 7. Louis Pasteur was only a mediocre pupil in undergraduate studies and ranked 15th out of 22 students in chemistry.

Henry Ford failed and went broke five times before he succeeded. F. W. Woolworth was not allowed to wait on customers when he worked in a dry goods store. When Bell telephone was struggling to get started, its owners offered all their rights to Western Union for $100,000. The offer was disdainfully rejected with the pronouncement, “What use could this company make of an electrical toy.”

An expert said of Vince Lombardi: “He possesses minimal football knowledge and lacks motivation.” Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team. Babe Ruth is famous for his past home-run record, but for decades he also held the record for strikeouts.

Walt Disney was fired by a newspaper editor because “he lacked imagination and had no good ideas.” Charles Schultz of “Peanuts” fame had every cartoon he submitted rejected by his high school yearbook staff—and Walt Disney wouldn’t hire him. After his first audition, Sidney Poitier was told by the casting director, “Why don’t you stop wasting people’s time and go out and become a dishwasher or something?” When Lucille Ball began studying to be actress in 1927, she was told by the head instructor of the John Murray Anderson Drama School, “Try any other profession.”2

And so the stories go on. For a more detailed and intriguing list visit: http://tinyurl.com/2mf23v

What we learn from these people is that none of these people gained instant success. They suffered rejection, setbacks and failures—but they had a passion for what they wanted to do and stuck with it until they made it. And for those of us who believe God has a purpose for our life we need to do the same, and in the words of Winston Churchill: “Never give in, never give in, never, never, never, never—in nothing, great or small, large or petty—never give in except to convictions of honor and good sense. Never, Never, Never, Never give up.”

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, please help me to discover my God-given life purpose and with your help pursue it with great enthusiasm and never, never, never, never give up. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. Proverbs 24:16 (NKJV).
2. Source: Self-Efficacy Site (website URL no longer working).

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Why Temptation Is Like Ice Cream

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“No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.”1

Nelson Searcy tells of a study that was conducted about the best tasting ice cream. Members of the control group were blindfolded and given all kinds of vanilla ice cream to taste—quality brand ice cream, gourmet ice cream, homemade ice cream, cheap ice cream and everything in between.

It didn’t matter if it was gourmet, brand name, or homemade ice cream, “The number one determining factor was the percentage of fat in the ice cream. In other words, the more fat that was in the ice cream, the more people liked it.”

As Searcy stated, “Now, isn’t that one of the ironies of life? Why can’t fried chicken, which happens to be my favorite food, be as good for you as an apple? I have never heard a doctor say—‘A fried chicken leg a day will keep the doctor away.’ The reason they say that is because if you had fried chicken every morning for breakfast, it would probably keep the doctor nearby because your cholesterol would shoot up. I guess I’ll have to settle for apples.”2

And who doesn’t like a good fatty ice cream? As a kid we even used to pour pure cream over our ice cream. Yum! Yum! We had no idea how unhealthy that was.

Temptation, too, can have an overpowering attraction and appeal. It can look fabulous and at first taste very inviting—but in the long run its effects are deadly. It reminds me of an extremely beautiful fish that is found on the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. It’s only very small but its sting is incredibly painful. It needs to be avoided at all cost. Same with sin. Regardless how attractive it appears, its end result is deadly so it needs to be avoided at all costs. As Searcy said, “When we give in to temptation, we always regret it because in the long run we always give up something greater for instant gratification right now.”3

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, please help me to remember that while sin’s temptation can be very appealing, it always pays self-destructive dividends. Through your Spirit please give me the strength to resist the lures of the evil one—and the good sense to always depend on you and not try to fight it in my own strength. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. 1 Corinthians 10:13 (NIV).
2. Nelson Searcy. Source KneEmail.
kneemail-subscribe@welovegod.org.
3. Ibid.

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You’re Not Home Yet

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“His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord’”1

After serving as a missionary for forty years in Africa, Henry C. Morrison became sick and had to return to America. As the great ocean liner docked in New York Harbor there was a great crowd gathered to welcome home another passenger on that boat. Morrison watched as President Teddy Roosevelt received a grand welcome home party after his African Safari.

Resentment seized Henry Morrsion and he turned to God in anger, “I have come back home after all this time and service to the church and there is no one, not even one person here to welcome me home.”

Then a still small voice came to Morrison and said, “You’re not home yet.”2

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, help me to remember that while I want, with your help, to live life to the fullest and serve you faithfully, that the real rewards await my homecoming when I get home to be with you forever in heaven. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. Matthew 25:21 (NKJV).
2. Brett Blair, www.Sermons.com

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To Be OK or Not OK?

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King David wrote in the Psalms, “Oh, what joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven, whose sin is put out of sight! Yes, what joy for those whose record the Lord has cleared of guilt, whose lives are lived in complete honesty! When I refused to confess my sin, my body wasted away, and I groaned all day long. Day and night your hand of discipline was heavy on me. My strength evaporated like water in the summer heat. Finally, I confessed all my sins to you and stopped trying to hide my guilt. I said to myself, ‘I will confess my rebellion to the Lord.’ And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone.”1

A very popular pop-psychology book written back in the late sixties was Thomas Harris’ I’m OK- You’re OK. There’s been some suggested other titles such as, “I’m Not OK and You’re No OK but That’s OK,” and not surprising in our culture a more sarcastic one, “I’m OK – You’re an Idiot.”

In Anthony De Mello’s book, Awareness, he says, “People tell you, ‘I think you’re very charming,’ so I feel OK. I get a positive stroke [and that boosts my ego and I feel great for the moment]. I’m going to write a book someday and the title will be, I’m a Donkey, You’re a Donkey. That’s the most liberating, wonderful thing in the world, when you openly admit you’re a donkey. It’s wonderful. When people tell me, ‘You’re wrong.’ I say, ‘What can you expect of a donkey?’”2 (De Mello did use a different word for donkey.)

Now, before you write me off as rattling off in psychobabble, understand what Fr. De Mello was saying; that is, we need to get real and admit what we truly are. This is not a put-down in any way, but only as we see ourselves the same as God sees us are we free to change and become all that God envisioned for us to be. Actually, until we admit what we truly are and accept ourselves as we are—warts and all—we are not free to change and grow because we just hide behind a false mask living in denial–a self-defeating and deadly way to live.

As King David declared in today’s Scripture, how joyful he became when he came out of denial, lived in complete honesty, and confessed his sins and received God’s forgiveness. All his guilt was gone! A great and joyous way to live.

Remember that while God loves me as I am, he loves me too much to leave me as I am. He wants me to grow up into the fullness of my salvation and become all that he envisioned for me to be.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, please deliver me from the sin of denial and give me the courage to see myself as you see me–and accept myself as you accept me—so I am free, with your help, to become all that you planned for me to be. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. Psalm 32:1-5 (NLT).
2. Anthony De Mello, Awareness,
http://www.demello.org/.

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Developing a Healthy Self-Image

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“We love Him [God] because He first loved us.”1

Jim was standing in line at the supermarket checkout when, to his amazement, in charged an angry, aggressive man, with his browbeaten wife in tow, pushing in line ahead of Jim and several other customers. With a forty pound (twenty-kilogram) sack of flour slung over his shoulder. Handing his wife some money, he growled: “Here, you pay for the stuff.” He then proceeded to stomp off with his bag of flour.

Unknown to him, there was a hole in the back of the flour bag. As he stormed out of the supermarket, he left behind a trail of white flour all the way to his car. As Jim walked out of the store, he noticed that the angry man had just discovered his now half-empty sack of flour. Poetic justice one might suggest!

What makes people like this man so obnoxious? Among other possibilities, he undoubtedly has a very poor self-image. The bottom line is that these people don’t feel loved. That’s why his wife was such a wimp, too. People who strongly dislike themselves tend to either become weak, passive and over-compliant and withdraw, or project their self-hatred onto the people around them by being aggressive and bullying. Because they don’t like themselves, they believe others don’t like them either and set themselves up to be rejected.

To overcome a poor self-image and the lack of a healthy sense of self-acceptance doesn’t happen overnight. It takes time, commitment, and risk taking.

More often than not insecurity and a poor self-image has its roots in early childhood where one didn’t receive or feel that he received unconditional love. But here’s the challenge: What we didn’t receive in childhood we need to receive now.

And how do we do that? It’s simple but not easy. It’s based on a biblical principle in that, “We love God because He first loved us.” In other words (spiritually speaking) we learned to love God through his love for us in that he knows us fully—warts and all—and loves us regardless … unconditionally.

The same principle applies emotionally. To truly love others we need to be first loved by at least one safe, understanding, and non-judgmental person. To be loved by that person we need to be fully known by him or her—warts and all—and knowing us as we truly are, they love us unconditionally anyhow. It is through their unconditional love for us that we learn (in time) to love and accept ourselves in a healthy way.

Like I said, it is simple but not easy in that it can be very scary because we fear that if we are fully know for whom we really are, we may not be liked and then rejected. However, it is only as we take the risk and step out of our comfort zone that we have any chance of learning how to fully love and accept ourselves in a healthy way. The more we do this the more we will improve our self-image, and consequently, the less we will get our feelings hurt and the easier it will be to deal with whatever setbacks come our way. We may still get our feelings hurt but we won’t be devastated.

For further help in “Developing a Healthy Self-Image” visit: http://tinyurl.com/af5hf

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, I thank you that you know me fully as I am and love me unconditionally. Please help me to find a safe person to whom I can become fully known and loved and learn to love and accept myself in the same way that you love and accept me. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. 1 John 14:19 (NKJV).

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Overcoming Resentment

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“So get rid of your feelings of hatred [anger/ resentment]. Don’t just pretend to be good! Be done with dishonesty.”1 Also, “If you are angry [resentful], don’t sin by nursing your grudge. Don’t let the sun go down with you still angry—get over it quickly; for when you are angry, you give a mighty foothold to the Devil.”2

A Daily Encounter reader asks, “How do you find release from resentment?”

First, admit exactly how you feel. Realize, too, that feelings are amoral; that is in and of themselves they are neither right nor wrong, they just are. It’s what we do with them (and the cause of them) that is either right or wrong—creative or destructive.

Second, also realize that resentment is often a result of jealousy and anger. For instance, a jealous person is very often angry at either the person who received a promotion or some gift, recognition, or benefit he or she felt they were more deserving of and angry at the one who did the giving or gave the promotion.

Third, recognize that jealousy is often a byproduct of one’s insecurity and poor self-image. (We will address this issue in tomorrow’s Daily Encounter).

Fourth, to resolve resentment it is imperative that one resolves his or her anger. For help to do this read, “Taming Your Anger” at: http://tinyurl.com/b439f

Finally, one needs to fully forgive the one they feel has hurt them—whether the hurt is justified or not (often it isn’t). However, without resolving one’s hurt and anger, it is virtually impossible to forgive the one you feel has hurt you. After the hurt and anger are resolved, forgiveness becomes a simple choice—we either choose to forgive or choose to hang on to our hurt, anger and resentment.

As Loren Fischer so wisely said, “The difference between holding on to a hurt [resentment] or releasing it with forgiveness is the difference between laying your head at night on a pillow filled with thorns or a pillow filled with rose petals.” And as another put it, “Failing to forgive is like drinking poison and waiting for the other person to die.”

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, whenever I am feeling resentful, please help me to see the causes behind my resentment—be it insecurity, jealousy, hurt and/or anger—and find the help I need to deal with and resolve these issues so I will always freely forgive all who have hurt me as you have freely forgiven me for all of my sins. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

For further help read “Forgiveness: The Power That Heals” at: http://tinyurl.com/3bw3q3 and for resolving anger read, “Taming Your Anger” at: Taming Your Anger at: http://tinyurl.com/b439f

1. 1 Peter 2:1 (TLB).
2. Ephesians 4:26-27 (TLB).

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Living With a “Time Bomb”

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“By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a short time.”1

According to a report in the Daily Mail (London, England), a pensioner used a live artillery shall as a doorstop for 20 years.

For decades the seven-inch-long shell had been a family memento, polished and given pride of place on the mantle piece. The First World War relic also served as a toy and finally, for the past 20 years, as a front doorstop at the home of 68-year-old Thelma Bonnett.

At any time during all those years, however, it could have exploded. The German squat shell was live, packed with its original payload and with its firing mechanism primed, experts have said. It was only when a neighbor saw the shell outside Mrs. Bonnett’s door that the danger became clear.

The police were called and they summoned Royal Navy bomb disposal experts to the house in Paignton, Devon. Several neighbors were evacuated from their homes and the device was taken to a local quarry and exploded. It had been in the family for nearly a century after her grandfather Arthur Croxall brought it home in 1918. “I had no idea it was dangerous,” Mrs. Bonnett said. “Grandfather picked it up on his travels with the Merchant Navy in 1918. My father used to polish it all the time and kept it on the mantelpiece….”

A Ministry of Defense spokesman said: “The shell was packed full of explosives and it could have gone off at any time.”2

It is true, as today’s Scripture verse implies, sin can be pleasurable—for a short time. However, if we continue to “toy” with and live a life of sin and wrongdoing, we may not realize it, but we, too, will be sitting on a time bomb that could explode at any time—and eventually will—and destroy one’s reputation, character, close relationships and/or one’s physical, emotional and spiritual health. Sin always has its consequences, the end of which is eternal death which is not the cessation of our being—but being eternally separated from God, the author of all love and life, in the place the Bible calls hell—wherever and whatever that may be. One thing is certain: It will be hell!

Sin—all sin is a deadly spiritual cancer—and you either get the cancer or the cancer gets you. God has the only cure for this deadly time bomb. For help click on the “Know God” link below or visit: http://tinyurl.com/8glq9.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, thank you that you have provided the only cure and way of escape from sin’s deadly consequences by giving your Son, Jesus, to die in my place to pay the penalty for all my sins. Help me to be certain that I have accepted Jesus as my Savior and received your forgiveness and gift of eternal life. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. Hebrews 11:24-25 (NIV).
2. Source: Daily Mail, London, England, July 2, 2007.
To see a picture of the shell and Thelma Bonnett
visit: http://tinyurl.com/ywtb8p.
Cited on WITandWISDOM www.witandwisdom.org

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Cordless Jump Rope

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“For the Son of Man [Jesus Christ] is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what he has done.”1

In his Thought for the Day devotional Alan Smith said, “Perhaps you have heard about the latest invention. This report came through the AP news service this week:

“If you think keeping fit is merely mind over matter, Lester Clancy has an invention for you—a cordless jump-rope. That’s right, a jump-rope minus the rope. All that’s left are two handles, so you jump over the pretend rope.

“And for that idea kicking around Clancy’s head since 1988, the U.S. Patent Office this month awarded the 52-year-old Mansfield, Ohio, man a patent….

“It’s perfect for the clumsy, Clancy said, ‘If you’re still jumping, you’re still using your legs as well as your arms, and getting the cardiovascular workout. You just don’t have to worry about tripping on the rope….’

“As one professor pointed out in the article, you could accomplish the same thing using two toilet paper holders!”2

Naturally we laugh at such an absurd invention, but as Alan Smith points out, “And yet, there are things in the spiritual realm that are just as ridiculous. There are some who want to hold on to the handles of ‘faith’ without a rope of ‘works.’ There are others who want to hold onto the handles of ‘a God of mercy and grace’ without a rope of ‘a God of justice and holiness.’ There are some who want to hold onto the handles of ‘Christianity’ without a rope of ‘love.’ There are some who want to hold onto the handles of accepting Jesus as ‘Savior’ but want to leave off the rope of accepting Jesus as ‘Lord’ of their lives.”3

In the end, as today’s Scripture reminds us, we will be rewarded by God on the basis of what we have done and how we have lived—not on the basis of what we professed. Some of us may be holding only a couple of “religious sticks.”

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, please help me to become all that you envisioned for me to be when I accepted Jesus as my Savior, be genuinely committed to you, live in harmony with your will, and enthusiastically serve you with my life. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. Matthew 16:27 (NIV).
2. Alan Smith, “Thought for the Day,” June, 02, 2006,
http://www.tftd-online.com
3. Ibid.

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The Search That Cannot Wait

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“Behold, now is ‘the acceptable time,’ behold, now is ‘the day of salvation.’”1

Following the news of ex-Beatle George Harrison’s death on December 1, 2001, anchor Anne Curry of television’s TODAY show interviewed Anthony DeCurtis, a writer for Rolling Stone magazine. DeCurtis talked at length about Harrison’s search for a meaningful spiritual life. Speaking of the Beatles, Curry said, “Apparently Harrison was the most spiritual of the group; in a recent interview, he said, ‘Everything else in life can wait, but the search for God cannot wait.’”2

I don’t know whether Harrison ever found God or not. I surely hope he did. I suspect, however, like too many, he may have made the search for God a complicated thing when the easiest way to find God is a simple belief in God’s Word which says, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life”3 — and a simple prayer such as, “God, I believe in Jesus. Please be merciful to me a sinner.”

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, thank you that I don’t have to search to find you because you have found me and have revealed yourself in your Son, Jesus Christ, and that all I have to do is to confess that I am a sinner, believe that Jesus is the Son of God, that he died on the cross to save me from my sins and ask for your forgiveness. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

For help read “How to Be Sure You’re a Real Christian” by clicking on the Know God link below or going to: http://tinyurl.com/8glq9.

1. 2. Corinthians 6:2 (NASV).
2. Dave Slagle, Lawrenceville, GA.,
www.PreachingToday.com.
3. John 3:16 (NIV).

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