Monthly Archives: November 2009

Attitude Check—No Blooper

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“Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”1

Recently I wrote in a Daily Encounter about a pilot’s “attitude check.” A part of what I quoted was as follows: “But that word ‘attitude’ can be a life-or-death word for a pilot. One of my friends described a plane’s attitude to me as its position relative to the ground, to the horizon…. After decades of flying, including landing on aircraft carriers, he summarized the importance of a plane’s attitude this way: ‘Right attitude, you keep flying. Wrong attitude, you stop flying.’”

And yes, I had several sincere readers inform me that I made a blooper as the word I should have used was “altitude” and not “attitude.” I always appreciate corrections from readers. Often they are right. When they are, I make the correction on the archived copy.

However, regarding the “attitude check” I asked a pilot friend about this. He then sent the Daily Encounter in question to several pilots and a pilot instructor, all of whom said the Daily Encounter was correct that “attitude” is as important as “altitude.” The pilot instructor, Jennifer Avery, wrote, “Altitude is critical too, but it doesn’t matter how high you are, if your attitude is wrong you will still certainly crash—it just takes longer to hit the ground. Student Pilots are taught that: Attitude + Power (RPM) = Performance (i.e. speed, height, rate of turn, rate of climb or descent ).”

One of the pilots, Alan Stray, who is with the Australian Transport Safety Bureau, the Australian accident investigators, gave this marvelous illustration: “By the way, regarding instrument approaches using the ILS [Instrument Landing System], if you keep the needles [hair lines on the instrument panel] crossed, you will fly the approach safely down the localiser and on glideslope. If the localiser needle moves to the left or right, you follow it to bring it back to the middle of the instrument and likewise if the glideslope needle moves up or down, you follow it until the needles form a cross. If you keep your eyes on the cross you will arrive at ‘home’.” (See 2 below.)

Until today I had no idea what the localizer or glideslope were, but what a marvelous illustration regarding life. If we keep our eyes on the cross [of Christ], putting our trust in him for our eternal salvation, we too will arrive safely at home to be with the Lord forever.

Right Cross we live—wrong “cross” we die—eternally.*

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, in the words of the hymn-writer, ‘In the cross of Christ I glory, towering o’er the wrecks of time; All the light of sacred story Gathers round its head sublime.’ I thank you that because of Christ’s sacrifice on the cross, I have been forgiven of all my sins, and have the assurance of eternal salvation to live with you forever in heaven. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

*For a safe “spiritual attitude check” see “How to Be Sure You’re a Real Christian” at: http://tinyurl.com/real-christian

1. Hebrews 12:2 (NIV).

2. NOTE for those who are interested: Pilot Les Nixon of Australia’s Outback Patrol, (http://www.outbackpatrol.com.au) explained that the ILS (Instrument Landing System) is a radio system installed at every major airport runway in the world. The pilot’s radio locks onto two signals concurrently, one for latitude—left and right, and the other for altitude, the glideslope up and down. When the two fine hairs on the instrument panel cross and center, the plane is exactly on the ILS glideslope. It usually starts about 10 miles out at 3000 feet above ground level, and progressively guides the plane through the rain, snow, fog and dark to the threshold of the active runway.

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Mean Bosses

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“Instead, we will hold to [speak] the truth in love, becoming more and more in every way like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church.”1

A Daily Encounter reader writes, “I have a problem at work with my boss. He is supposed to be a good Christian man, but there seems to be a problem. Every time he loses something or does something wrong, he blames me or another staff member. One day I wasn’t even there and something got lost, and he said I had to be the one that moved it. I told him I was out that day, but he insisted it was me. What should I do?”

I’m sure that some, if not many, of our readers could identify with Jessica’s (not her real name) problem.

So what do you do when you have a mean boss?

I once had a job where my boss was an angry yeller. He would yell at us at the slightest provocation. He was much taller than I, so one day when I had had enough of his bullying, I stood on my tip-toes, got right in his face, and yelled at him “Don’t yell at me!”

I was much younger in those days and hopefully I’d be a little more tactful today. Furthermore, I’m not suggesting that you yell at your boss. However, if you stand up to your boss, you need to be prepared to be fired. I didn’t get fired, but was prepared to be. I just wasn’t going to stand by passively and take his yelling at me—especially when I was and have always been a hard worker. But you know what? When I stood up to him, he crumbled. I sensed that behind his aggressive façade (mask) was a hurt, frightened boy. Amazingly, he never yelled at me again and we ended up getting on very well.

We also need to remember that we go to work to earn a living. At work it would be nice if people would always be nice to us, but that isn’t realistic. We can’t change the people we work with, and we can’t change our boss. But we can change bosses (our job), but if we can’t, we can change ourselves and how we respond to nasty people.

It’s not easy, I know, but it’s up to us. We do have a choice in how we react, keeping in mind that we react—especially when we overreact—on the basis of who we are more than on what the other person does. This doesn’t excuse another person’s negative behavior, but it does remind us that the only person we can ever change is ourselves.

Most important of all, when I have to be involved with someone I don’t like or don’t like the way they act, I ask God to help me to be “as Christ” to this person, and that they, seeing Christ in me, will want him for themselves. This kind of change in me doesn’t happen instantly—I have to keep working at it.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, when I am in a situation with mean people, please give me the wisdom to know what to do, and the courage to do it. And in all situations please help me to be as Christ to those who rub me the wrong way, and always speak the truth in love. So help me God. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. Ephesians 4:15 (NLT).

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An Attitude of Gratitude

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“In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”1

Today, in the U.S.A. is Thanksgiving Day. But sad to say, while many millions will give thanks to God for his incredible blessings bestowed on this nation, millions more will decry the God who made America possible and in whose belief this nation was built.

There is a legend about two angels who were sent to earth to gather up the prayers of men. One was to fill his basket with the petitions of mankind. The other was to gather their prayers of thanksgiving. Sometime later they went back to the Father’s house. One had a basket heaped high and running over with the innumerable petitions of men. The other returned with a heavy heart, for his thanksgiving basket was almost empty.

Unfortunately, when praying, many of us are like kids who write to

Santa Claus. For instance, some years ago it was reported in the Chicago Daily News how “a postal employee opened and read the mail which came to the Dead Letter Office in Washington addressed to Santa Claus. In the three months before Christmas, there were thousands of letters asking for something. In the months after Christmas, there was only one card addressed to Santa Clause thanking him. How quick we are to ask and receive. How slow we are to speak the magic word—thanks.”

At the same time, I realize that it can be very difficult to be thankful when things go bad and life becomes an uphill battle. However, as the Scriptures remind us, we need to find a way to be thankful in our situation, not necessarily for it. Trials, difficulties and disappointments make some people bitter and disgruntled. Others see them as an opportunity to take stock of their life and as an opportunity to grow. As the old saying goes, trials can make us bitter or they can make us better. The choice is ours.

May we all on this day, in the words of the anonymous poet, give thanks to God for the following poem:

I Now Give Thanks
For every hill I’ve had to climb,
For every stone that bruised my feet,
For all the blood and sweat and grime,
For blinding storms and burning heat
My heart sings but a grateful song –
These were the things that made me strong!
For all the heartaches and the tears,
For all the anguish and the pain,
For gloomy days and fruitless years,
And for the hopes that lived in vain,
I do give thanks, for now I know
These were the things that helped me grow!
‘Tis not the softer things of life
Which stimulate man’s will to strive;
But bleak adversity and strife
Do most to keep man’s will alive,
O’er rose-strewn paths the weaklings creep,
But brave hearts dare to climb the steep.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, please give me a thankful heart and help me always to have an attitude of gratitude for all your blessings you have given to me. And I especially thank you for giving your Son, Jesus, to die on the cross in my place to pay the penalty for all my sins so I can be fully forgiven and receive your gift of eternal life. In thanksgiving for giving your life for me, Jesus, I surrender my heart and give my life back to you. Please, for your glory, make me usable and use me to be a part of what you are doing in the world in which I live. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 (NKJV).

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Coming Ready or Not

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“So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man [Jesus] will come at an hour when you do not expect him.”1

I read recently how, “while on a South Pole expedition, British explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton left a few men on Elephant Island, promising that he would return. Later, when he tried to go back, huge icebergs blocked the way. But suddenly, as if by a miracle, an avenue opened in the ice and Shackleton was able to get through. His men, ready and waiting, quickly scrambled aboard. No sooner had the ship cleared the island than the ice crashed together behind them. Contemplating their narrow escape, the explorer said to his men, ‘It was fortunate you were all packed and ready to go!’ They replied, ‘We never gave up hope. Whenever the sea was clear of ice, we rolled up our sleeping bags and reminded each other, “He may come today.”‘”

Christ’s coming to earth the first time some 2000 years ago is an indisputable fact of history. His birth was as real as the birth of Julius Caesar. And the temple he visited in Jerusalem was as real as the building of the Coliseum in ancient Rome. The Coliseum still stands. I visited it last year and was awestruck, not only with the marvel of its structure; but also with the history of the time it represented. Equally real is the promise of Jesus that he would return again to earth to take all his true believers to be with him forever in Heaven. That promise still stands.

We don’t know exactly when that time will be. As an old pastor friend used to say, all the signs that Jesus said would precede his coming have been happening in some way ever since he was on earth, but today “they are all standing up at once.”

Like the explorers on Elephant Island, we need to be prepared and ready for Jesus’ coming. He will be coming, whether we are ready or not. What if it were today, which it very well could be? Would you be ready?*

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, thank you for the promise of Jesus’ return to earth to take all his followers to be with him in heaven with you forever. Help me to be sure that I am ready for his return. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

NOTE: To make sure you are ready for Christ’s return see, “How to Be Sure You’re a Real Christian” at: http://tinyurl.com/real-christian. Read also, “Will Jesus Christ Return to Earth?” at: http://tinyurl.com/jesus-return.

1. Matthew 24:44 (NIV).

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Three “Faces” of Sin

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“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”1

If we don’t know where we stand and what we stand for, as the saying goes, we can fall for anything. Thus, to be followers of Jesus, it is important that we have a reasonable grasp of the major fundamental doctrines (teachings) of the Bible—one of which is the understanding of sin. Yesterday we discussed the essence of sin. Today we want to discuss the aspects or nature of sin.

In the New Testament section of the Bible there are three different words to describe these aspects of sin.

First, is the word that means “rebellion.” It means rebelling against God and his will and going our own sinful way regardless of the consequences—with or without knowing what the consequences might or could be.

Second, is “breaking the law of God.” God’s commandments are not to take away our freedom or enjoyment, but for the wellbeing and protection of ourselves and our entire society. We ignore them to our peril. To forbid them to be displayed publicly, as is happening in certain places in North America, is akin to opposing the display of the laws of the land. The commandments and laws of God are not abstract or irrelevant religious rules. They are for the protection, safety, and benefit of all. They, like the law of gravity, are universal laws. We cannot break the law of gravity. If we try to, we break ourselves. Neither can we break the moral laws of God. When we try to, we break ourselves. For safety sake we need to live within the bounds of and in harmony with all of God’s laws.

Third, is not quite as easy to see but equally as sinful if not adhered to. It is “to miss the mark.” That is, the mark or standard of God’s holiness. And we are all guilty of this sin. As today’s Scripture says, “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” This applies not only to sins of commission, but also to sins of omission. As God’s Word also says: “Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn’t do it, sins”.2

Falling short of God’s mark includes “sins of the spirit” such as envy, jealousy, hatred, pride, greed and so on—all of which express themselves in negative and harmful ways to one’s self as well as to others.

Remember, God is opposed to all sin because it is damaging to those whom he loves—us. His rules and laws are for our personal good as well as for the good of all. When we sin, we need to confess it to God and ask for his forgiveness. And where we have sinned against another and hurt him/her, we need to ask for their forgiveness too wherever possible. And then, with God’s help, we need to keep growing in maturity so that we will more and more overcome sinful actions and a sinful spirit.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, thank you for your Word, the Bible, which gives me directions for successful living and healthy relationships. Give me a love for your laws and a sincere desire to live in harmony with them. And help me to live accordingly both for my sake and your glory. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. Romans 3:23 (NIV).

2. James 4:17 (NIV).

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What Is Sin Anyhow?

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“Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, ‘Did God really say, “You must not eat from any tree in the garden?”‘”1

Most readers will be familiar with God’s test to the first man and woman, Adam and Eve. God made it clear to them that they could eat of every tree in the Garden of Eden except for one particular tree. If they ate of this tree, they would die.2

To tempt them, Satan (appearing in the form of a serpent) said to Eve, “Did God really say that you couldn’t eat of that tree?” The question seemed harmless enough but it gave an opportunity to sow a seed of doubt in Eve’s mind. Tragically, Eve took the bait and the seed began to take root.

Then came Satan’s lie which had in it an element of truth that made it believable and much more subtle. “You will not surely die,” the serpent said to the woman. “For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”3

To be like God is perhaps life’s greatest and most subtle of all temptations.

True, Adam and Eve would be like God—only in that they would know the difference between good and evil. What Satan didn’t tell them was that if they ate of the forbidden fruit not only would they know good and evil but they would also be left forever in a confirmed state of evil and, as such, be separated from God.

However, the essence of Adam and Eve’s sin was not so much taking of the forbidden fruit. It was setting themselves up as judge between God and Satan. In so doing they put themselves above God—usurping his authority. This was the sin that caused their downfall. Taking the forbidden fruit was the outcome of this action.

To make this concept clearer, picture God on one side and Satan on the other, and see Adam and Eve placing themselves above both and deciding who is right and who is wrong. Absurd, I know, but this is exactly what they did. They set themselves as the judge between God and Satan. In so doing they took the place of God.

This was the cause of Satan’s downfall in the first place. He wanted to be as God and said, “I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.”4

This too is at the heart of the New Age movement whose adherents don’t talk about God within but “the god” within. That is; they put themselves on an equal footing with God and usurp his authority. They appoint themselves a judge of God and his Word. We all do this when we ignore God’s directives and when we decide what is right and what is wrong, and what is evil and what is good.

Furthermore, when we choose (as far too many do) what to accept in God’s Word and reject what we don’t like, we do exactly the same as Adam and Eve did. We set ourselves up above God and make ourselves the final voice of authority—this is at the very heart of sin.

Tomorrow we will discuss the three major aspects of sin.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, please help me to understand what sin really is, how totally devastating it is, and never usurp your authority in my life. Be my LORD, my God and my Savior—always in all ways. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. Genesis 3:1 (NIV).

2. Genesis 3:2-3 (NIV).

3. Genesis 3:4-5 (NIV).

4. Isaiah 14:14 (NIV).

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The Price of Freedom

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“Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, the people he chose for his inheritance. From heaven the LORD looks down and sees all mankind.[and] considers everything they do. No king is saved by the size of his army; no warrior escapes by his great strength.”1

In Congress on July 4, 1776, fifty-six men signed the Declaration of Independence declaring the then Thirteen Colonies (now states) in North America independent from Great Britain.

Central to the Declaration of Independence are the following words: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.”

While there are conflicting stories2 as to what happened to all of the fifty-six original signers, we can be certain that when they signed this declaration, they knew full well that they were putting their lives at risk. Furthermore, many men gave their lives in the War of Independence to gain independence from the then oppressive rule of Great Britain.

As history has clearly shown, there has always been a high price to pay for freedom, for there never seems to be a lack of despots who want to subjugate a people to their total control for their own evil and/or self-centered purposes.

Those of us who live in free lands have incredible blessings for which to be thankful. And let us be thankful today not only for these blessings, but also for all those who have given their lives to make us free, and for all those today who are risking their lives to keep us free.

As Christians, let us never forget that while freedom is a God-given right (which the Declaration of Independence affirmed), freedom has never come without a price—and will never be maintained without the high price of eternal vigilance. As Wendell Phillips (1811-1884) in restating the words of John Philpot Curran, said, “Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty.”

As powerful as the military might of the U.S. armed forces is, let us remember that, “Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD…. No king is saved by the size of his army; no warrior escapes by his great strength.”3 And that “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people.”4 And that, when we turn from God and fail to follow his ways, we divorce ourselves from the “unalienable Rights of Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.”

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, thank you for the wonderful privilege and unfathomable blessings you have given to those of us who live in free countries. Today we pray for our brothers and sisters who are suffering under the tyranny and persecution of evil men. And grant that we in free countries will be reminded that ‘Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people.’ Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. Psalm 33:12-13, 16 (NIV).

2. See http://www.ctssar.org/articles/price_paid.htm

3. Psalm 33:12-13,16 (NIV).

4. Proverbs 14:34 (NIV).

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Do It Now

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“For he [God] understands how weak we are; he knows we are only dust. Our days on earth are like grass; like wildflowers, we bloom and die. The wind blows, and we are gone—as though we had never been here.”1

I recall watching an interesting TV program commemorating the life of Gregory Peck, the well-known actor, soon after he passed away. Obviously, we know little about the personal lives of famous actors—except for what the tabloids would like to have us believe. Nevertheless, I have always had a great admiration of the talents of this gifted actor.

As we were watching this program I said to Joy, my wife, how it struck me how fleeting life is. A man reaches a peak of fame and, if he is fortunate enough, may stay there for a few years and then he is no longer. Life is over. It reminded me that that is also true of me. Here today; gone tomorrow.

I’ll never forget some of the last words of a very close friend of mine who, in his mid-forties, became the victim of cancer, and said to me before dying, “I am so angry because there was so much more I wanted to do with my life that I never got around to doing. And now it’s too late.”

When I come to the end of life’s journey, I don’t want to have regrets. I want to know that, even with my human frailties, I gave life my best shot having invested it in eternal values. I wish the same for you also.

You have probably read the wonderful quote credited to Stephen Grellet, the 18th/19th-century French/American religious leader, who said: “I expect to pass through the world but once. Any good therefore that I can do, or any kindness I can show to any creature, let me do it now. Let me not defer it, for I shall not pass this way again.”

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, thank you for the wonderful privilege you have given to me to be able to serve you. I’m available. Help me to invest whatever life I have left in eternal values and to have a part—no matter how small—in your plans and what you are doing in the world in which I live and to do it now. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. Psalm 103:14-16 (NLT).

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Cheaters Never Win

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“Be sure your sin will find you out.”1

“Cheaters never win and [real] winners never cheat.” Cheaters may seem to win for a while but eventually their cheating finds them out.

Sadly here in America, the cases of cheaters being caught continues to increase. As Michael Josephson reported a few short years ago in his radio program, Character Counts: “In a recent week we heard about the scandal of plagiarism by the journalist of the New York Times; the indictment of former billionaire Martha Stewart; accounting fraud at McKesson—a Fortune 20 company; accounting manipulations at the Xerox Corporation; related accounting scandals regarding Tyco International, Halliburton, the Rite Aid drugstore chain; and the ‘famous’ Sammy Sosa being caught red-handed using an illegal bat, saying it was used by mistake. Insiders and experts could hardly muffle their laughter, knowing that hitters of Sosa’s caliber know their bats like mothers know their children.”2

But we still don’t get it. Big-time business professionals are still cheating and getting caught and hot-shot politicians who collect our taxes are getting caught because they haven’t been paying their taxes.

Josephson concludes, “These cases could fuel cynicism but I think the real message from these new additions to our national Hall of Shame is that, no matter what the upside potential, cheaters really do not prosper in the long run. People who take moral shortcuts pay a horrible price—loss of position, credibility, reputation and, worst of all, utter disgrace.”3

But it’s not only in America. Some readers will recall how, a few short years ago, my broker in Australia stole my entire retirement fund. I don’t know how long he had been cheating by stealing from his clients, but he, too, got caught red-handed and paid a terrible price—he lost his honor, his trustworthiness and received a six-year jail sentence!

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, help me to always heed and live by the directives found in your Word and adhere strictly to all your commandments—all of which are given for our protection and the successful functioning of any society. When I’m tempted to stray, give me a listening ear to hear the voice of my conscience and the inner prodding of your Spirit. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. Numbers 32:23 (KJV).

2. Michael Josephson, “Character Counts,” (309.1) and (309.2), www.charactercounts.org

3. Ibid.

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Does the Devil Attack Christians?

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“Put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil…. Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit.”1

A Daily Encounter reader writes: “Please help me. I am being attacked by the devil. Everything that can go wrong is going wrong. I don’t know what to do. I am praying to the Lord daily but something is truly cursing me.”

Obviously I don’t know if this person is being attacked by the devil or not, because I don’t know enough about him/her or the circumstances he/she is facing. Yes, I believe strongly in the devil and yes he does attack Christians. I also believe in his demonic emissaries, but there isn’t a demon behind every tree, nor is there one under every stone.

There are several reasons besides the devil why so many things can go wrong all at once. First, we happen to live in a broken world and things go wrong for all of us at times. That’s par for the course. Learning to cope with, resolve, or live with these situations is all part of helping us to grow in maturity.

Second, certainly the devil is the originator of all evil and sin, but often things go wrong because of our poor choices. For instance, the title of a talk I have given is: “The Devil Didn’t Make Me Do It—I Can Foul Things Up All by Myself.” And I certainly can. Blaming the devil for my bad choices can be a handy excuse to hang on to if I don’t want to grow up and accept responsibility for my actions.

Third, when we have unresolved personal problems—such as unresolved anger, hurt, guilt, etc. —we can give the enemy a foothold. Once we bring these problems to the light and seek God’s help and wise counsel to resolve them, the devil loses his foothold.

Fourth, to defend against the enemy, as today’s Scripture advises, we need to put on the whole armor of God. Also, without being compulsive or over-dramatic we can quietly repeat: “Jesus Christ is Lord and Lord of my life.” That is one statement that Satan hates!

Finally, and not the least unimportant is that we need to ask God to reveal to us the reality of what is happening to us, remembering that often we don’t want to face reality because deep down we are afraid to face the real cause/s behind our problems.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, when the enemy assails and things go wrong, please show me what is of the devil and what is of myself—and give me the wisdom to know the difference. If from the enemy, help me to put on the whole armor of God, and if from myself, give me the courage to face the cause of my problems and get the help I need to overcome. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. Ephesians 6:11, 14-18 (NKJV).

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