Monthly Archives: December 2008

Anchored

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“And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock.”1

In 1992, Hurricane Andrew destroyed thousands of homes in South Florida. Yet in an area where the wreckage looked like a war zone, one house remained standing, still firmly anchored to its foundation. When a reporter asked the homeowner why his house had not been blown away, he replied, “I built this house myself. I also built it according to the Florida state building code. When the code called for 2″x6″ roof trusses, I used 2″x6″ roof trusses. I was told that a house built according to the code could withstand a hurricane—and it did.”2

I can identify with this builder because in former years I was a builder by trade and built my own home at the top of the Adelaide hills in Australia where the winds blow furiously. I not only built according to the local building codes, but went the second mile. Instead of using 2″x8″ rafters I used 3″x8″ and instead of using large nails to secure these, I used large coach screw/bolts, and so on. I lost a few roofing tiles on one occasion in a wild storm, but never was there any other damage.

As Jesus reminds us, it pays to build solidly on a solid foundation. He was referring to building our lives according to his code as found in his Word, The Bible. Those who do will not be swept away by the storms of life and adverse circumstances that threaten to destroy us.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, please help me to build my life on ‘Christ, the Solid Rock’ and live according to your instructions as found in the Bible. I thank you that, if I do this, you have guaranteed that I will be able to stand firm in all of life’s storms. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. Matthew 7:25 (NASB).

2. Tom Moore, preacher@hsnp.com cited in KneEmail, http://www.oakhillcoc.org.

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Use It or Lose It

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“The LORD said to him [Moses], ‘What is that in your hand?’ And he said, ‘A staff.’”1

I have read how in 1872, at the age of 16, Booker T. Washington (born a slave and then became the foremost black educator of the late 19th and early 20th centuries) decided he wanted to go to school. He walked 500 miles to Hampton Institute in Virginia, and presented himself to the head teacher. Washington later recalled, “Having been so long without proper food, a bath, and change of clothing, I did not make a very favorable impression upon her, and I could see at once that there were doubts in her mind about me.”

Finally she said to him, “The adjoining recitation room needs cleaning. Take the broom and do it.” A lesser person might have been insulted by being assigned menial work. But Washington recognized immediately that this was his big chance. He swept that room three times and dusted it four times. He even cleaned the walls and the closets. Then he reported to the head teacher that the job was finished. She examined that room like a drill sergeant. She even took a handkerchief and rubbed it across the top of a door. When she could not find a particle of dirt, she said, “I guess you will do to enter this institution.”

As a 16-year-old, Washington could not do many things. But he could clean a room. And he did it gloriously. Extraordinary living begins with using what we have. What gifts and graces do you have that you have not fully activated?2

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, thank you that you use ordinary people to do ordinary things in extraordinary ways as well as using ordinary people to do extraordinary things. Please use me for whatever it is you have gifted me to do and want me to do, be it large or small—and thereby help make my world a better place in which to live. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. Exodus 4:2 (NASB).

2. Bill Bouknight, http://www.eSermons.com, July 2002

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Gimme, Gimme, Gimme

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“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.”1

Gene Barron writes how, when he was a boy, his family had a neighbor who frequently came to their back door. Her reason for coming was always the same, “I just wanted to borrow _______.” The problem was that she never came at any other time—only when she wanted something.

My mother was always gracious and gave her what she wanted, but didn’t appreciate her as much as the other neighbors—especially the one who came frequently but never asked for anything. She would simply say, “Just stopped by for a visit.”

When it comes to prayer, it is true that God does want us to make our requests known to him, but sometimes I feel my prayers are more, “Give me … give me … give me!” I know God is gracious and does hear and answer my prayers, but how much better it would be to come to him not only in times of trouble and need, but to daily come to him with, “Dear God, I’m just calling in for a visit. What can I do for you today?”

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, thank you that you do want me to bring my requests to you, but please help me to think of others’ needs when I pray, and especially bring praise and thanksgiving to you. And today, is there anything I can do for you? Gratefully, in Jesus’ name. Amen.”

1. Philippians 4:6 (NASB).

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Reconciliation or Tough Love

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“Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.”1

An office reports that they have an answering machine that instructs callers to leave their name and address, and to spell out any difficult words.

Early one Monday when the secretary was reviewing the weekend messages, she heard an enthusiastic young woman recite her name and address and then confidently say, “My difficult word is reconciliation: R-E-C-O-N-C-I-L-I-A-T-I-O-N.”2

A Daily Encounter reader (whom I will call Frieda) knows just how difficult reconciliation can be. She lives close to her parents and shares how critical and emotionally abusive they are of her and her daughter. She has tried everything she knows to forgive them and bring about reconciliation but nothing has worked. Worse still, they won’t even admit that they are abusive. She feels that if she distances herself from them it will “kill” them.

The fact is that it won’t kill them. And, if they act as if it will, and cry, “Poor ‘me’ … how could you treat us like this?” that would be just another form of manipulative abuse.

Frieda may feel it will “kill” her, for we often project onto others what we are afraid of happening to ourselves. If she tolerates abusive behavior of herself and her daughter, she is being a part of the sickness, and it may very well kill her before her time. Such stress can and does take years off of one’s life.

Forgiveness, as we have spelled out before, is dependent only on us. That’s what makes it possible and that is what frees us. Reconciliation is the ideal to work towards, but sometimes it just isn’t possible, as this is dependent on both parties.

To free ourselves from toxic, abusive people, we need to have healthy boundaries, exercise tough love, and make it very clear to these people that: (1) We don’t appreciate their critical, judgmental, and/or abusive treatment of us; (2) That we will no longer tolerate it; (3) That if it happens even one more time, we will distance ourselves from them; and (4) We will not have any contact with them until they choose to treat us in a kind and loving manner.

And of course, we need to be absolutely sure that we always treat them in a kind and loving manner. Keep in mind, too, that the most loving thing to do with toxic people is to distance yourself from them—for your sake and theirs.

If you distance yourself from them, they may or may not change their treatment of you, but unless you exercise tough love, maintain healthy boundaries rather than keep on taking their abuse, you can be almost certain that they will continue to abuse you.

What others do is their choice. What we allow them to do to us is our choice. Remember on most occasions Jesus was tender and compassionate. But when called for, he blasted the phony religious leaders. He used a whip to drive out of the temple the money changers who were misusing the house of God to rip people off. And he said about children: “But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea.”3

Tough words. Tough love. We too, need to love the things God loves and hate the things he hates—and God hates anything that is destructive of those whom he loves. Us!

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, please give me the courage to stand against abusive people and the strength to disallow them to hurt me and/or my children. Help me always to know what you would do and give me the courage to do it. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. Matthew 5:23-24 (NASB).

2. From Michael Bledsoe beau@bledsoe.com

3. Mark 9:42 (NKJV).

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Little Things—Big Consequences

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“Catch the foxes for us, The little foxes that are ruining the vineyards, While our vineyards are in blossom.”1

Last year we had the opportunity to have a vacation in Hawaii where, of course, there are many beautiful beaches. At one particular picturesque beach where the grandkids were snorkeling, close by was a rocky section. Here was a warning sign painted with large bold red lettering that simply said, “Dangerous beach. When in doubt, don’t.”

All too often in similar situations some daredevils tempt fate and alas, too late, they realize that they made a drastic mistake and have been hurt badly or even lost their life.

“When in doubt, don’t” is a handy motto to apply to every area of life—especially so in the area of relationships, morals and ethics.

Many a person has started on a downward path in an extremely small way saying to him/herself, “A little lie won’t hurt … a little cheating won’t be noticed … a little immoral slip isn’t going to make any difference, one cigarette won’t affect me, and one drug is meaningless.

What they don’t realize is that all too often little things lead to big things—either for good or bad. As a kid, I attended a tiny church in my hometown. I started serving God as a young teenager by picking up the hymnals after both church services on Sundays. Just a little thing, but one thing led to another, to another, and to another—until for the last four decades I have had the privilege of reaching multiplied thousands with the gospel around the world, first through a literature ministry and for the last decade via email and the Internet.

The same principle applies to evil deeds. I imagine that the accountants at Enron, Arthur Andersen, WorldCom, etc., started in a very small way adjusting the books … here a small adjustment … there a small adjustment … next a little bigger adjustment … and so on until their companies collapsed.

My broker in Australia who handled my retirement fund—30 years of savings—stole my entire fund several years ago and that of at least eight other clients. He either hid all this money or spent it because, when he was ordered by the judge to pay up, he declared bankruptcy. It was only a short time before he started stealing that a large gambling center was opened not far from his office. My best guess is that he possibly started to gamble in a small way … began to lose money … then more money … then he stole from one client … lost more money … then stole from another client … and so on until he got caught. He is now spending some of his best retirement years in jail.

When will we ever learn that sin has its own destructive pathway and that whatever we sow we reap—if not now, it will be later in eternity—unless we repent of our sins and turn to the Savior? The best advice is that which is painted on a sign on a rocky Hawaiian beach, “When in doubt, don’t!”

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, please help me to always live in harmony with life’s principles as found in your Word, the Bible. And, grant that our nation will realize that these are eternal and universal truths that cannot be broken without dire consequences. Grant that we will confess our sins and waywardness and turn back to you. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. Song of Solomon 2:15 (NASB).

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Good News

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“I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes.”1

The word “gospel” means good news—the Good News of God’s salvation, without which mankind would be doomed for eternal damnation and separation from God, the author of all love and life.

But why is the gospel God’s Good News?

First, the gospel is not a message about religion but a message about God’s eternal love and purpose for all mankind. Religion wants to fix us from the outside in. God wants to fix us from the inside out. The first can become an impossible burden. The latter is what brings freedom.

Also, it’s important to realize that no matter what we have ever done or have failed to do God loves us with an everlasting love and has a wonderful purpose for our lives—for this life and the next! As Jesus said, “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.”2 And again, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”3

Second, the gospel is a message about sin, something we are all guilty of. As the Bible says, “We have all sinned and fallen short of God’s standard.”4 Sin, however, is not only doing harmful acts. It is anything that falls short of the standard of perfection that God envisioned for us. This includes unforgiveness, pride, jealousy, mixed motives, etc. Most of us, too, are guilty of sins of omission; that is, not doing what we know we should and could do.5

However, a common misconception about God is that he is out to punish us for our sins. The fact is we bring sin’s punishment on ourselves because sin has its own natural consequences. If we try to break the universal law of gravity, for instance, we can’t. It will break us. Neither can we break God’s universal moral law. When we try to, it breaks us. And besides its painful effects in this life—suffering, sorrow, sadness, sickness and spiritual death—its ultimate and tragic consequence is eternal death and separation from God.6

Third, the gospel is a message about God’s remedy. Because sin has separated or disconnected us from God, we have been left with a “God-shaped” vacuum or spiritual emptiness within. As St. Augustine put it, “You have made us for yourself, O God, and our hearts are restless until they find their rest in you.” The world’s many religions are all evidence of man’s endless search to find God and fill this vacuum. However, because God loves us so much, he sent his own sinless son, Jesus Christ, to save us from our predicament.7 Christ did this by dying on the cross in our place to pay the consequence of and ransom price for our sins—death. Thus, Jesus Christ is God’s only provision for our sin. He is the only way back to God and the only door to eternal life.8

Finally, the gospel is a summons to faith and repentance. If you were found guilty of a serious crime and were condemned to death, would you accept a free unconditional pardon, if offered? Because Jesus Christ died on the cross in our place, God now offers you complete acquittal, forgiveness, and the gift of eternal life. All you need to do is confess and repent of your sinfulness, believe that Jesus is the Son of God and that he died for your sins, and invite him into your life as Savior and Lord.

The following prayer will help you do this. “Dear God, I confess that I am a sinner and am sorry for all the wrongs I have done. I believe that your Son, Jesus Christ, died on the cross for my sins. Please forgive me for all my sins and I invite you, Jesus, to come into my heart and life as Savior and Lord. I commit and trust my life to you. Please give me the desire to be what you want me to be and the desire to do what you want me to do. Thank you for dying for my sins, for your forgiveness and free pardon, for your gift of eternal life, and for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus’ name, amen.”

If you prayed this prayer and genuinely meant it, please let us know by clicking on https://learning.actsweb.org/decision.php and we will send you a free copy of the eBrochure, How to Grow.

NOTE: This article is condensed from, “How to Be Sure You’re a Real Christian (without having to be religious)” on our ACTS web site at: http://tinyurl.com/8glq9.

1. Romans 1:16 (NIV). 2. John 3:16 (NIV). 3. John 10:10 (NIV). 4. Romans 3:23. 5. James 4:17. 6. Romans 6:23. 7. See Ephesians 2:8-9. 8. See John 14:6 and Romans 5:8.

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The “O” Factor

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“All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him [Jesus] the iniquity [sin] of us all.”1

In his book, The Renewal Factor, Robert Waterman writes: “During the investigation that followed the explosion of the space shuttle Challenger, an engineer at Morton Thiokol testified that he advised his superiors that weather conditions at Cape Kennedy were too cold to guarantee the safety of the space craft’s O-ring sealants. He urged them to delay the launch. Management pressed for more explanation: How cold was too cold—forty degrees? Thirty-seven degrees? Could they launch at forty-one degrees? The engineer resisted pinning down an exact temperature that was dangerous. He didn’t have the facts to be that precise. All he could tell his superiors was that the weather predicted for launching time was “away from goodness.”2

Sad to say, his warning went unheeded.

In such a day as this, especially here in the United States, with the questionable practices of corporations such as Enron, WorldCom, Xerox, Tyco, Arthur Andersen, and some church leaders, we cannot help but state emphatically how we have strayed far away from goodness—and the whole nation is suffering the consequences. People have lost their life savings and retirement funds—confidence in the stock market has suffered greatly—and political parties are blaming the opposition party for the great debacle when the bottom line issue is a moral crisis of leadership. And that may apply as much to some politicians as it does to some greedy corporate leaders!

Indeed, we have strayed far from goodness and replaced it with greed and a moral crisis.

As Christians, let us heed the word of the Apostle Paul to Timothy, “I give you this instruction in keeping with the prophecies once made about you, so that by following them you may fight the good fight, holding on to faith and a good conscience. Some have rejected these [principles] and so have shipwrecked their faith.”3

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, how true is your word, ‘All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way.’ But thank you that you gave your Son, Jesus, to die for our sins and become our Savior. Grant that our nation, which has strayed far from goodness—and from you—will confess and repent of our sins and turn to you—the only hope of our salvation. And let your work begin in me. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. Isaiah 53:6 (KJV).

2. Robert H. Waterman, Jr., The Renewal Factor (New York: Bantam Books, 1987), p. 50.

3. 1 Timothy 1:19 (NIV).

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Lessons from Tiny Creatures

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“Four things on earth are small, yet they are extremely wise: Ants are creatures of little strength, yet they store up their food in the summer; coneys are creatures of little power, yet they make their home in the crags; locusts have no king, yet they advance together in ranks; a lizard can be caught with the hand, yet it is found in kings’ palaces.”1

The ants teach us the wisdom of preparation. “Better to be prepared and not called, than to be called and not prepared,” is a wise principle to adhere to. For instance, if I want a good job in the future, I need to prepare today. If I want a healthy marriage, I need to work on my growth and maturity today, for only mature people have mature relationships. And if I want God to use me, I need to develop the gifts and talents he has given me.

“Aha!” you may say, “but what about the disciples. They were a motley crew of uneducated peasants.” “But, aha,” I answer, “they spent three years in training with the Master Teacher of all teachers and the Master Trainer par excellence.” As an old Chinese proverb says, “Dig your well before you’re thirsty.”

The coneys or rock badgers teach us the wisdom of precaution. How true is the old saying, “Fools rush in where angels fear to tread.” If you want to avoid temptation, don’t go where you know you’ll be tempted. If you don’t want to get into debt over your head, don’t borrow what you can’t pay. And if you can’t swim, don’t go into the deep end of the pool. God is faithful, but if we jump off a building, he won’t catch us on the way down, as he doesn’t go against his own rules! He won’t change the universal law of gravity because of my foolishness and irresponsibility. He won’t change the moral law either. If I try to break it, it will break me.

The locusts teach us the wisdom of unity. Have you ever tried to row a boat with a friend? If you don’t pull together in harmony, you’ll get nowhere fast, go in circles, or run into the bank. To keep moving forward, you don’t have to over-exert yourself, just keep pulling together. And if we don’t pull together as a family, a church, or a nation, working in harmony with the principles of life as found in God’s Word, we will end up on the rocks!

The lizards teach us the wisdom of perseverance. “If you wait for perfect conditions, you will never get anything done … Keep on sowing your seed, for you never know which will grow—perhaps it all will,”2 says the Word of God. And again, “It is God himself, in his mercy, who has given us this wonderful work [of telling his Good News to others], and so we never give up.”3 As the saying goes, “Quitters never win and winners never quit.”

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, thank you for your words of wisdom—principles for everyday living—as found in the Bible. Please give me a greater love for Your Word and the desire to live by the principles as found therein. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. Proverbs 30:24-28 (NIV).

2. Ecclesiastes 11:4, 6 (TLB-NIV).

3. 2 Corinthians 4:1 (TLB-NIV).

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Strength from Storms

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“Is your life full of difficulties and temptations? Then be happy, for when the way is rough, your patience has a chance to grow. So let it grow, and don’t try to squirm out of your problems. For when your patience is finally in full bloom, then you will be ready for anything, strong in character, full and complete.”1

“The strongest trees grow not beneath the glass of a conservatory or in the sheltered and sunny valleys. The stoutest timber stands on Norwegian rocks, where tempests rage and long, hard winters reign.”2

I’ve never been to Norway nor have I felt the hard, long winters there, but I have lived where winds blow furiously. When planting young trees, it was important not to stake them too tightly. Staking them loosely (when they were little), the winds caused them to develop and deepen a strong root system they needed to stand the powerful winds when they had grown. We had some trees break, but none ever fell. And where they were broken, they grew again, strong and healthy.

Life’s like that. If we overprotect our children when they are young, they will not be equipped to withstand the challenges of life when the winds of adversity strike. And, as adults all of us need the storms of life to help us grow and become healthy and strong in character—or we can allow them to make us bitter rather than better—but that choice is ours.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, thank you for the trials and tribulations that you have allowed me to go through. Please help me to always allow them to deepen the roots of my faith in you, and help me to grow in love and every grace. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. James 1:2-4 (TLB-NIV)

2. Encyclopedia of Sermon Illustrations.

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My Gift to the Queen

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“The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did it for me.’”1

I have read that Queen Mary made a regular visit to Scotland every summer, and how, on “one occasion she was strolling with a group of school children. Suddenly the sky turned gray and thick, and dark clouds appeared. The queen stopped at a nearby house and asked if she might borrow an umbrella. She told the lady of the house, ‘I’ll send it back to you tomorrow.’

“The lady was reluctant about lending a good umbrella to a total stranger, but she remembered that she had an old one up in the attic. One rib was broken and there were several ragged holes in it, but she nevertheless turned it over to this lady at her front door with a weak apology.

“The next day there was another knock at the door. This time, when she opened it, a man in gold braid stood with a big envelope in hand. ‘The queen sent me,’ he said, ‘and asked me to thank you for the umbrella.’ For a moment the woman stood motionless—speechless, but then burst into tears. Finally she cried, ‘Oh! What an opportunity I missed that I didn’t give her my best!’”

How embarrassing! But how often, I wonder, do I give Jesus my second best … or even my leftovers?

In younger days … much less tactful ones … when I was the pastor of a small church, as we didn’t have a janitor, I was cleaning the church. The vacuum cleaner we had was next to useless and I said to myself, “I’ll bet one of the members gave this to the church because it wasn’t any good to them.”

I reported this thought to the church officers at our next meeting. Oops! Deathly silence. I was right. It was a gift from the key families in the church! As I often kid, my comment went over like “a pork chop in a synagogue!” But we did get a new vacuum cleaner!

Let’s not give Jesus the King of kings our broken umbrellas, nor our leftovers—whether it’s time, talents, gifts, or money. Let’s give him our first-fruits … not our last-fruits.

In the words of the old hymn: “Give of your best to the Master; Give him first place in your heart; give him first place in your service; Consecrate every part … Give him the best that you have.”2

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, in thanksgiving for your great love-gift to me and your so-great salvation, grant that I will always have the grace to give you the best that I have to give. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. Matthew 25:40 (NIV).

2. Mrs. Charles Barnard.

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