Monthly Archives: June 2010

Be Prepared

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“Prepare to meet your God, O Israel.”1

Some “years ago as several million watched on TV the beginning game of the World Series baseball in San Francisco, there was a sudden interruption of the opening interview. The screen blinked and went blank. When the program resumed, a special news bulletin appeared. The San Francisco metropolitan area had experienced a serious earthquake. We all watched the live pictures as the huge fire in the Marina area burned. A remote camera crew was there and we saw the firemen fighting the fires.

“The scene I remember the most, however,” said the writer of this article, “was a group of people standing around just looking at the destruction and looking at the fire. All of a sudden a policeman came up to the crowd and yelled out to them: What are you people doing just standing there? You must get prepared immediately. Go home and fill your bathtubs with water. Be prepared to live without city services for 72 hours. The sun will set in another hour and your time is running out. Go and get prepared.”2

I can, at least to some degree, identify with these people. Living in Southern California I’ve experienced several earthquakes of varying degrees. In two of the worst—one a 4-point something and the other a 5-point something—I woke up and said to myself, just another earthquake, rolled over and went right back to sleep. That was a very dangerous and foolish attitude and I realized that I need to “wake up and get with it” the next time an earthquake hits, and at least dive under a table for protection, otherwise I could be badly hurt or even killed if/when a really big one hits.

Even as a kid I learned in the Boy Scouts the motto: “Be Prepared.” We all need to be prepared for unexpected crises as much as is possible. And absolutely nowhere is it more important to be prepared than it is to be prepared for eternity—to meet God face to face, “for man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment [God's judgment].”3

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, thank you that in your Word, the Bible, you repeatedly warn us of the danger of not being prepared for eternity. Help me to know that I am ready to meet you face to face, and help me to so live that I won’t be embarrassed on that day but will hear your welcoming words, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’4 Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

NOTE: To be absolutely sure that you are prepared to meet God face-to-face and ready for eternity read the article, “How to Be Sure You’re a Real Christian” at: https://learning.actsweb.org/christian

1. Amos 4:12 (NIV).

2. The Staff, www.eSermons.com.

3. Hebrews 9:27 (NIV).

4. Matthew 25:23 (NKJV).

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Feeling Loved and Accepted

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Jesus said, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.”1

Most of my generation (at least), “know how much the world fawned over actress, Marilyn Monroe. Perhaps fewer know how rejected she felt throughout her life. A reporter from the New York Times was interviewing her and, being aware of her troubled background, posed the following question: ‘Did you ever feel loved by any of the foster families with whom you lived?’

“‘Once,’ Marilyn replied, ‘when I was about seven or eight. The woman I was living with was putting on makeup, and I was watching her. She was in a happy mood, so she reached over and patted my cheeks with her rouge puff. . . . For that moment, I felt loved by her.’”2

How incredibly sad. One can understand why Marilyn ended her life at the height of her popularity. All the fame, attention, popularity and money together can never fill the empty void of an aching, lonely heart—a heart that deep down doesn’t feel loved.

Some time ago I watched Larry King interviewing Winona Judd on his TV program, Larry King Live. Winona has sold millions of copies of her recordings, and has achieved fame as one of the all time greats in female Country music. It was fascinating to hear her background. If I remember correctly, her father deserted her mother before she was born. Winona never got to see him before he died. She was crushed when she learned of his passing. She, too, struggled much of her personal life and shared how desperately lonely she felt when, after being on stage and adored by thousands of fans, had to go back to a hotel room alone. Winona may have had a loving mother, but she felt the terrible pains of not having a loving father.

Winona also spoke of her faith and said she is doing much better these days in her personal life. After hearing her story, one can understand why the title of one of her albums is, “What the World Needs Now Is Love.”

How true this is. Without knowing a mother and a father’s love, which millions of people growing up in today’s society don’t know, we limp along in the shadows of life trying to eke out a meager existence which no amount of fame, popularity or riches can meet. Loneliness, as it has been medically shown, can break your heart and take years off your life. Karen Carpenter, another famous singer—one who inadvertently starved herself to death—hauntingly sang, “Loneliness . . . it’s such a sad affair.”

People desperately need, not only God’s love, but the love of God’s people through whom, for many, is the only way they will ever find and experience God’s love.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, in the midst of a lonely world where so many are looking for love in all the wrong ways and places, please help me to share your love with a lonely person today and, in so doing, may they sense that they have been touched by you. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. John 13:34 (NIV).

2. Helen Colton, The Gift of Touch (NY: Seaview/Putnam, 1983), p. 102. Adapted. Cited on www.eSermons.com.

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God Ist Gut

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“Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus.”1

In the book, Finding Hope Again, Roy Fairchild told how he had come to Vienna after a two-week illness in a small Austrian village. He had spent most of his money on medical costs and his last cent to take a train to Vienna to try and find his friends with whom he had been traveling.

As he was standing in one of the street car stations in the center of the city, tired, hungry and discouraged, a little old wrinkled lady, one of the ladies whose job was to sweep out the station, came to him and asked him if he were hungry.

Before he could answer she took her own lunch from a brown paper bag and offered him half of it. He said he was so moved by her action that he has never forgotten her face or her kindness and the sparkle in her eye.

They talked for more than an hour about her life. She was raised in the country on a farm knowing only hard work. Since then she had lost her husband and two sons in the Resistance. Only her daughter had survived but she said that she was very thankful for many things.

When asking her why she offered him half her lunch the lady simply said, “Jesu ist mein Herr. Gott ist gut (Jesus is my Lord. God is good).”

This story reminds me of one of my favorite hymns written by Kate B. Wilkinson. Let’s make it our prayer for today and every day:

“Dear God,

May the mind of Christ, my Savior,

Live in me from day to day,

By his love and pow’r controlling,

All I do and say.

May his beauty rest upon me

As I seek the lost to win,

And may they forget the channel,

Seeing only him.

Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. Philippians 2:4-5 (NIV).

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Going out on a Limb

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“Choose you this day whom you will serve . . . But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”1

“Don’t be afraid to go out on a limb. That’s where the fruit is,” said one insightful person.

To achieve anything worthwhile in life that has eternal value and dividends, we need to genuinely serve God. To do this we may need to go out on a limb and be willing to swim against the tide of popular thought, to be different but not odd, assertive but not aggressive, strong but not pushy, meek but not weak, honest and truthful but not unkind.

We may, at times, even be considered a little bit crazy, but as another has said, “You’ve got to be a little bit crazy because if you always keep both feet on the ground, you can never get your pants on!”

Seriously, to serve God, also means knowing what your God-given life purpose is; that is, knowing what God wants you to be and what he wants you to do with your life. It will include having a worthwhile goal and work into which you can put your heart and best efforts. But doing this can be scary because like Noah, Abraham and other men and women of faith we, too, (even if it isn’t to the same extent) may need to step out in faith and go out on a limb! But remember, that’s where the fruit is.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, please give me the courage and help me to so live in harmony with your will that, when necessary, I will not be afraid to go out on a limb, so that whatever I do—with your help—will be fruitful, productive and bring glory to your name. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. Joshua 24:15 (NIV).

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It’s Only Words

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“Encouraging words well spoken,” wrote Solomon, “are like golden apples in silver settings.”1

“It’s only words and words are all I have to take your heart away.” These words are from one of my favorite songs sung by the Bee Gees. Obviously, words can have a powerful effect either for good or for bad, for healing or for hurting, for encouraging or discouraging, or for making others laugh or cry.

With words, we can inspire people and even nations to noble deeds of courage, such as the words Sir Winston Churchill broadcast to spur the British people on to victory when, during World War II, Britain’s back was against the wall as she was being bombarded by Germany’s relentless air raid attacks. Forty-seven of her warships had been sunk. The Royal Air Force had lost 40 percent of its bomber strength. Britain was on the brink of famine and was facing imminent invasion.

Here’s what Churchill said in this hour of great need: “We shall defend our island whatever the cost may be; we shall fight on the beaches; we shall fight in the fields; we shall fight in the streets; and we shall fight in the hills. We shall never surrender.”2

Or with people such as the Hitlers and the Saddam Husseins of the world, words can be used to motivate people to dastardly deeds of treachery, murder, slaughter, and relentless acts of terrorism.

Most of us, of course, will never be in a position to move multitudes of people, but every single one of us is in a position to make a big difference in the life of at least one person—and in realty, the lives of many people if we are so inclined.

Life is filled with plenty of negatives, setbacks, unkind and hurtful words. And so we all need words of encouragement. Let’s not fail to give such a word to at least one person every day whether they are young or old because:

Words spoken
may soon pass away
and forgotten be,
but when expressed
in love and kindness
are like beautiful flowers,
and even though
they fade and die
from conscious memory,
Their fragrance lives on
embedded in the
deeper mind –
forever.3

© Dick Innes

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, please help me to have a loving heart, keeping in mind that ‘out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.’ Please use me and the words I speak to encourage a fellow struggler along the way . . . and especially to encourage, motivate, and inspire my loved ones at home. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. Proverbs 25:11 (Paraphrase).

2. Reported by Benjamin P. Browne.

3. Dick Innes. This poem, beautifully presented ready for framing, is available from http://www.actscom.com/store or at: http://tinyurl.com/words-spoken.

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When You Don’t Know What to Do

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“Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep.”1

“John Patton, in his book, From Ministry to Theology, relates the story of a rather green chaplaincy resident, naive to many of the pressures and pains of a teaching hospital. While on call one night, the intern was summoned to the room of a woman whose baby had been stillborn a few hours earlier. ‘We want our baby baptized,’ the young mother said, cradling her lifeless daughter, her husband at her side. ‘Her name is Nicole.’

“The intern didn’t know what to do, but asked them to come to the chapel a few minutes later. In the meantime he tried to find another, more experienced chaplain to take over, but to no avail. He was on his own and quite unsure as to how to proceed. He had not only professional uncertainties about what he had been asked to do, but theological qualms as well. Still, he knew he had to meet with grieving parents. He sketched in his mind something to say, hoping it would be appropriate to the moment.

“The young parents arrived at the appointed time, but the chaplain found he could not say what he had prepared. Instead, and almost without realizing what he was doing, he took a tissue, wiped at the tears in the eyes of the parents, then wiped his own tears and touched the tissue to the baby’s head and said, ‘Nicole, I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.’ He said nothing else—the tears were more eloquent than words could have been.”2

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, please give me an understanding and tender heart so that I will always rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. Romans 12:15 (NKJV).

2. Thomas R.Steagald, “More Eloquent Than Words,” Michael Duduit in The Abingdon Preaching Annual, 1995 (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1994), pp. 316-317. Cited on www.sermons.com.

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When Will Jesus Come Again?

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“Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.”1

Over the centuries it seems there has never been a shortage of would-be prophets who claimed to have a corner on the truth . . . several of whom were convinced of the very day Christ would return to earth to take his true followers with him to Heaven.

For instance, “After 14 years of studying the Bible, William Miller became convinced that Christ would return in 1843. When Miller announced April 3 as the day, some disciples went to mountaintops, hoping for a head start to heaven. Others were in graveyards, planning to ascend in reunion with their departed loved ones. Philadelphia society ladies clustered together outside town to avoid entering God’s kingdom amid the common herd. When April 4 dawned as usual the Millerites were disillusioned, but they took heart. Their leader had predicted a range of dates for Christ’s return. They still had until March 21, 1844. The devout continued to make ready, but again they were disappointed. A third date, October 22, 1844, was set, but it also, obviously, passed.”2

The Bible also predicts a seven-year-time of great tribulation that will occur at or about the time of Christ’s Second coming. Among serious Bible scholars, some believe Christ will come before the great tribulation—these people are called pre-trib believers. Others believe Christ will come at the end of the great tribulation—these are known as post-trib believers. Then there are the mid-trib scholars who believe Christ will come in the middle of the great tribulation.

However, as Jesus himself said, only God the Father knows the exact day and hour of Christ’s return. The important thing for his followers is (1) not to get caught up in arguing about the details of Christ’s return, but to do as Jesus did when he was here on earth; and that is “to be about our Father’s Business,” and (2) to make absolute sure that we are ready for Christ’s return; for he will come when least expected.

Of one thing we can be certain—just as sure as we are of Christ’s first coming we can be equally sure about his second coming. Jesus is coming again. He promised he would . . . it could be today . . . or it could be in the near or far-off future. However, if Jesus should come today, would you be ready?

To make sure you are ready for when Jesus comes again to earth, be sure to read the article, “How to be Sure You’re a Real Christian” at http://tinyurl.com/real-christian.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, thank you for the wonderful promise that Jesus is coming again to take all your true followers to be with you for all eternity in Heaven. Please help me to know that I know that I know that I am ready for that great and glorious day. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. John 14:1-3 (NKJV).

2. Adapted from Today in the Word, December 20, 1991. Cited on www.eSermons.com.

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A Father’s Blessing

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“When Israel saw the sons of Joseph, he asked, ‘Who are these?’ ‘They are the sons God has given me here,’ Joseph said to his father. Then Israel said, ‘Bring them to me so I may bless them.’”1

One of the major causes of emotional and relational conflicts among teens, adults, and even children is that of fatherless homes, absentee fathers, emotionally uninvolved fathers, and/or abusive fathers. In God’s economy and plan fathers have an extremely important and significant role to play, not only providing for their children’s physical needs, but also for their emotional and spiritual needs. Equally important is the God-given role of mothers, but today we are focusing on fathers.

Regardless of what women’s libbers and/or gay couples try to tell us, one of the greatest needs for healthy homes and families—healthy children, teens, and healthy, mature adults—is to have (or to have had) a father who is/was not only present emotionally, but also affirming, loving, accepting, and loving and giving full support to his wife—the mother of his children—and modeling what it means to be a kind, loving and supportive father, man, and adult. Every child needs this, his/her father’s blessing. The importance of this for the healthy nurturing of his children simply cannot be over-emphasized.

For a few simple tips on being a supportive father, listen to what Gary Smalley, popular author and psychologist, had to say after he asked 100 people, “What is one specific way you knew that you had received your father’s blessing?”

Here are some of those answers:

1. “My father would put his arm around me at church and let me lay my head on his shoulder.”

2. “When my father was facing being transferred at work, he purposely took another job so that I could finish my senior year in high school at the same school.”

3. “When I wrecked my parent’s car, my father’s first reaction was to hug me and let me cry instead of yelling at me.”

4. “When I was thirteen, my dad trusted me to use his favorite hunting rifle when I was invited to go hunting with a friend and his father.”

5. “My father went with me when I had to take back an ugly dress a saleswoman had talked me into buying.”

6. “My father would let me practice pitching to him for a long time when he got home from work.”

7. “Even though I had never seen him cry before, my father cried during my wedding because he was going to miss my no longer being at home.”2

Perhaps the greatest need of fathers is to be emotionally as well as physically present for his wife and children. At the same time, it’s the multiplication of the everyday little loving, caring things over the years that help a child to feel affirmed and blessed by his/her father.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, help me to be the kind of father (or mother) you want me to be. And please help me to be a channel of your love, and because of your love flowing through me, grant that my children will know without a shadow of a doubt that they have indeed been blessed by their father. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. Genesis 48:8-9 (NIV).

2. Gary Smalley, adapted for www.eSermons.com, Sept 2003.

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For Father’s Day … Can I Borrow $100?

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Tim knew his father was an important lawyer who worked most nights and weekends. So he was disappointed but not surprised when his father didn’t attend his last soccer game of the season.

That night he got up the nerve to interrupt his dad’s work to ask, “How much do lawyers make?”

Annoyed, his father gruffly answered, “My clients pay me $300 an hour.”

Tim gulped. “Wow, that’s a lot. Would you lend me $100?”

“Of course not,” his father said. “Please, just let me work.”

Moments later, he heard his son sobbing in the other room, and he called him back. “Son, I’m sorry. If you need some money, of course I’ll lend it to you. But can I ask why you need it?”

Tim said, “Well, I’ve saved $200, and if you lend me a hundred, I’ll have enough.”

“Enough for what?”

“To buy an hour of your time so you can come to our banquet on Friday and see me get the most valuable player award. Will you come?”

His father felt like he’d been stabbed in the heart. For the first time, he realized the cost of his priorities. None of his clients needed him as much as his son, and nothing he could do as a lawyer was more important than what he could do as a father. How had he missed that insight?

It’s always difficult to balance job demands and family needs, but the test of whether you work too much is simple: Are you able to be the kind of parent your child deserves?

Few people look back on their lives and wish they’d spent more time at the office. Far more wish they’d spent more time with their kids.

This story is derived and adapted from one circulated on the Internet without attribution. The original source is unknown. As seen on Character Counts by Michael Josephson, www.charactercounts.org

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, please help me always … in all ways … to be ‘as Jesus’ to every one of my family members and loved ones. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

Healing Life’s Hurts Part III

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“Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.”1

The first step, we said, in the healing process is to admit that we have a problem or need. We have a friend whose teenage daughter is anorexic and is also in total denial. Even though she has had to be hospitalized, she claims that there is nothing wrong with her. Until she admits that she has a serious eating disorder and that she needs help, there is no chance of her ever recovering and being made well.

The second step is to want to be healed—not just wish to be. Wanting also means that we have to accept total responsibility to do whatever we need to do in order to be made well.

Third, it isn’t enough to talk about our painful feelings. We need to find a safe place with a trusted friend, counselor, therapy group, or recovery group where we can confidentially experience and express our feelings of hurt, guilt, shame, anger, fear, plus our sins and faults. These are the secrets that comprise our dark side which, unconfessed, keep us bound. As it has been said, “We are as sick as our secrets.” Not all ills are caused by these issues, but many are.

Fourth, when necessary, where we have hurt somebody else, we need to seek their forgiveness and, wherever possible, right the wrong/s that we have done.

Fifth, we then need to forgive all who have hurt us. This is part of gaining freedom from the past. Once we have grown strong enough to face our pain, set appropriate boundaries, and develop some safe relationships, we can begin to forgive. But we cannot simply put forgiveness on top of unresolved hurt, grief, or anger. These must first be dealt with and resolved. Then we are ready to forgive.

Sixth, we also need to confess our sins and faults to God and ask for and receive his forgiveness. His Word says, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”2

Seventh, we need to forgive ourselves, let go of the past, and move on to become the persons God planned for us to be. Once we have faced our pain and hurt and anger and begun to forgive, we can start looking ahead in life.

Eighth, develop a healthy support network with a trusted friend or two. At the very minimum, ask God to give you at least one close friend who you trust implicitly and with whom you can share your total self—your joys sorrows, victories, and failures—and with whom you can keep accountable.

Finally, we need to consistently seek God’s help through prayer, scripture, and Christian fellowship. I don’t mean through a magical quick fix but rather through the miracle of God’s healing over time through our relationship with Him and members of the body of Christ—the Church.

Remember, too, that one of the names for God in Hebrew, Yahweh-rophe, literally means “The Lord who heals.”

God wants to heal us and has shown us the way. It’s in the Bible: “Confess your sins and faults to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed.”3 Do you truly want to be healed? If so, and the cause of your illness is within yourself, as you follow God’s way, you can and will be healed of many of life’s ills. It may take time but God wants you to become the person He created you to be.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, whatever it takes, whatever I need to see and whatever I need to do, with your help I am willing to be made willing to accept full responsibility for my unresolved personal issues that are causing many of my ills—be they physical, emotional, or spiritual. And, where needed, help me to find the help I need to fully recover and experience your healing. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. James 5:16 (NIV).

2. 1 John 1:9 (NIV).

3. James 5:16 (NIV).

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