Monthly Archives: August 2010

Will God Ever Reject Me?

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“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”1

A troubled Daily Encounter reader writes: “The circumstances of my birth were not good. My mother, newly wedded to her husband, had me by another man. Ever since I found this out in my teenage years (when my parents finally got divorced after a horrible marriage), I have felt like an outcast, as if I were cursed because I was born in a sinful manner. I know a child of God cannot be cursed because Jesus hung on a tree for us, but it’s very difficult to overcome this feeling at times. I often feel as if God has rejected me. Is this possible?”

Dear Michael (name changed), even though you may not feel it right now, let me assure you that you are not rejected by God. He loves you and me regardless of our feelings and no matter what we have ever done or have failed to do—or whatever anyone has ever done to us. God loves us all with an everlasting love. If truth be known, there must be millions of people who were never planned or even wanted, but are still loved and accepted by God no matter what.

Some years ago when my youngest son was still a teen, he was very angry at me about something that I have long since forgotten, but I will never forget what he said. He blurted out in a very angry manner, “Well, why did you have me anyhow?”

I immediately replied (and genuinely meant it), “Because you are a part of God’s eternal plan!”

And Michael, this is also true of you and every child that was ever born. All are known by God from the foundation of the world. You, too, are a part of God’s eternal plan. God loves you eternally. Jesus died on the cross for YOU. And if you have never accepted God’s gift of forgiveness and salvation by receiving Jesus as your Savior, I urge you to do that today. For help, please read the article, “How to Be Sure You’re a Real Christian” online at: www.actsweb.org/christian.

Also, at the beginning of every day I encourage you to pray the following prayer:

“Dear God, again today I commit and trust my life and way to you. Please guide me in the way that I should go, and help me to become the person you want me to be. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus’ name, amen.”

Note: And, Dear Reader, I encourage you to do the same as I have been doing pretty much every day since my youth and plan on praying this prayer every day until the day I go to be with the Lord.

1. John 3:16 (NKJV).

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From Apathy to Dependence to Bondage

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“But of that day and hour [the day of Christ's return to earth for all his true followers] no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Take heed, watch and pray; for you do not know when the time is.”1

The following warning is attributed to an 18th-century Scottish writer who said: “The average age of the world’s great civilizations has been two hundred years. These nations have progressed through the following sequence: from bondage to spiritual faith, from spiritual faith to courage, from courage to liberty, from liberty to abundance, from abundance to selfishness, from selfishness to complacency, from complacency to apathy, from apathy to dependency, from dependency back to bondage.”

I wonder in what stage we are in the U.S.A., Australia, Europe, New Zealand and the Western World? Could it be apathy? Very likely. Do we, as churches, care enough to do anything about the ever accelerating moral decline and do what we can to help make an impact on our societies? Do we, as individuals as well as churches, care enough to do everything we can to help spread the saving gospel of Jesus Christ across the street and around the world? For without Jesus, people are lost—forever.

Thank God that he cared enough to send his only Son, Jesus Christ, to give his life to die in our place to pay the penalty for all our sins so that we could receive God’s forgiveness and the gift of eternal life. And thank Jesus Christ that he cared enough for us to die for us. And because Jesus cared enough to give his life to die for us, do we care enough to give our life to live for and to serve him?

As the first coming of Jesus Christ to earth 2,000 years ago is an indisputable fact of history. His second coming to take his true followers to be with him forever is just as certain. Jesus is coming again. Let us make sure that we are ready for and actively serving him when he comes.

If you would like to commit or re-commit your life to Jesus and daily make yourself available to serve him, please pray the following prayer: “Dear God, in gratefulness to Jesus for giving his life to pay the penalty for all my sins and for your gift of forgiveness and eternal life, I surrender, commit and trust my life and way to you. I am available. Please make me usable and use me today to be ‘as Jesus’ in some way to every life I touch. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus’ name. Amen.” I encourage you to pray this prayer of commitment at the beginning of every day for the rest of your life.

Note: If you have never accepted Jesus Christ as your personal Savior and received God’s gift of forgiveness and eternal life, I urge you to do this today. For help please read the article, “How to Be Sure You’re a Real Christian.” Click ON www.actsweb.org/christian.

1. Mark 13:33-34 (NKJV).

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When the Helper Needs Help

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“And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner.’”1

King Duncan tells about the story of a manager of a ten-story office building who was informed that a man was trapped in an elevator between the second and third floors. The manager rushed to the grill work under the stalled car and called to the passenger, “Keep cool, sir; we’ll have you out soon. I’ve phoned for the elevator mechanic.”

There was a brief pause and a tense voice replied, “I am the elevator mechanic.”2

Many of us, especially we men, even when we are trapped find it very difficult to say, “I have a problem. I need help.” As a result, we pay a high price for our stubborn independence.

When it comes to our spiritual wellbeing and life beyond the grave, many, if not most, people figure that if they have done enough good things to outweigh the bad things they have done, that this will qualify them for entering God’s heaven. In other words we want to save ourselves, which is akin to a drowning man trying to save himself by picking himself up out of the water.

Vance Havner used to say how the world’s a goner. It’s a sinking ship. God’s goal isn’t to save the world but to save lost sinners from the sinking ship that is drowning in an ocean of sin and degradation. Only the ones who admit that they are a lost sinner and cry for God to save them can be saved for all eternity.

We simply cannot save ourselves. That’s why Jesus came to die on the cross in our place—to pay the penalty for all our sins so we could be freely forgiven and given God’s gift of eternal life. The prayer God loves to hear is, “God be merciful to me a sinner!”

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, I acknowledge that I am a sinner and cannot save myself. I believe that Jesus is the Son of God and that he died on the cross for my sins. Have mercy on me and save me. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

For further help be sure to read “How to Be Sure You’re a Real Christian” at: http://tinyurl.com/real-christian.

1. Luke 18:13 (NKJV).

2. King Duncan www.sermons.com.

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Living with an Alcoholic Spouse

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“Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature.”1

A Daily Encounter reader writes, “My husband is a heavy beer drinker. He averages 12 to 18 beers a day. He is not convicted about his drinking habit. He feels that only ‘drunkenness’ is a sin. We are new Christians and I thought he would discontinue his drinking once he was closer to God. We have only been married a short time, but this is distressing me. I don’t want to come across as holier than thou. He knows how I feel about his habit, and sometimes it is very difficult to keep from complaining. Please help.”

Dear Anita (name changed): If your husband has twelve to eighteen beers a day, I’d say he’s an alcoholic. Unfortunately, most alcoholics deny their problem and continually rationalize their behavior; that is, until there is some kind of crisis intervention. So what can you do?

First, while your husband is obviously in denial, it is imperative that you face reality or you will become a part of and reinforce his sickness. There is a reason why you were attracted to an over-dependent personality. Chances are you may have had an alcoholic father and are repeating a family pattern. Or you may be codependent with a need to be needed in order to feel loved. Whatever the reason, you need to see your part in the problem. You can’t change your husband but you can change you. As you change, your husband is almost forced to change, but, in all probability, not without rocking the boat. He wants you to be there to take care of him and to put up with his drinking. If you decide you are not going to be his “savior” any longer, trust me, he won’t like it.

Second, you need to exercise tough love and confront your husband with reality. This is the most loving thing you can do. True, tough love is tough—really tough. There’s no guarantee that it will work, but if you don’t exercise tough love, you are both headed for disaster. You need to lovingly explain to your husband that his heavy drinking has you deeply concerned, that it is affecting your relationship, that he needs to see that his drinking is a problem, and that he needs to get help.

Third, before you do this, however, you need to have a good support system in place. Don’t even try to go it alone. Get help for yourself. Get into a twelve-step Al-Anon support group and I urge you to see a qualified Christian counselor who can help you grow and guide you through this rocky process.

If your husband refuses to face reality (which he is bound to do at first) and continues his heavy drinking, at some point you may have to tell him that unless he faces reality and gets into a recovery program, you will have to separate yourself from him until he admits he has a problem and gets help to overcome. If you don’t make a stand now, you are heading for far greater problems ahead.

Fourth, and most important of all, seek God’s help. Ask God every day to help you to be as Christ to your husband in everything you do and say, and pray that your husband will see Jesus in you and want the same for himself.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, in every distressing situation I am in please help me to see what I am contributing to the problem, admit what it is, and get the help I need to overcome. Also help me to always be ‘as Jesus’ to anyone I am in conflict with, and exercise tough love where tough love is needed. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. Romans 13:13-14 (NIV).

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Don’t Forget to Pray

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“The men of Israel sampled their provisions but did not inquire of the Lord.”1

When the armies of ancient Israel, led by Joshua, were conquering the Promised Land, the surrounding kings and nations were understandably terrified. This was because God was with the Israelites giving them great victories over their enemies—enemies whom God commanded the Israelites to destroy because of their sinful, decadent, and self-destructive ways.

The men of Gibeon, a close country, resorted to trickery. They sent a delegation to Joshua with the appearance of having come from a distant land so they could deceive Joshua into making a treaty with them. Their donkeys carried worn out sacks and old wineskins that were cracked and had been mended. They wore old clothes, worn and patched sandals, and the bread they carried with them was dry and moldy.

Their disguise worked very well. Joshua signed a treaty with them only to discover afterwards they were a neighboring people among those countries God had told Joshua to destroy. They had to live with the consequences as a result.

Joshua’s mistake was that he made this treaty without praying and inquiring of the Lord—a valuable lesson for all of us to learn.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, help me never to forget my need for wisdom and guidance from you and daily seek your direction in everything I do. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. Joshua 9:14 (NIV).

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The Power of a Single Flame

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Jesus said, “Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”1

“During my idealistic youth,” Michael Josephson of Character Counts wrote, “I attended an event in a large stadium. Everyone was given an unlit candle. A speaker talked about the power of one person with an enlightened message. He lit his candle, walked over to two people in the stands and lit theirs with his candle. He asked them to light two others. Within a few minutes, everyone’s candle was lit and the entire stadium glowed.

“It’s the most powerful visual metaphor I’ve ever experienced. A single tiny flame had lit thousands of candles. What’s more, as it was passed on and on, each glimmer continued to burn with undiminished light. The speed with which the sparkle and warmth of that single flame spread across the stadium was awe-inspiring.”2

Today’s ever darkening world with never-ending acts of terror, the growing threat of Iran with developing nuclear weapons, the rapid growth of Islam with endless numbers of radical Muslims who hate Jews, the West, and Christians—and are determined to overrun and kill us—all of this needs to be a wakeup call for every Christian.

Add to this the accelerating moral decline, plus the numerous secular-progressive radicals, judges, politicians, and leaders, etc., etc., with their increasing anti-God, anti-Christian, pro-gay marriage, pro-abortion philosophy and actions.

Thus, there is an urgent need for every Christian to let our light shine for Jesus and reach out to people everywhere with the saving gospel of Jesus Christ—the Light of the World and the only hope of our sin-sick world.

Let us together renew our resolve to be a candlelight for Jesus. Let our good deeds and kind words be a living testimony to the saving power of Jesus. And may we always stand up for what is right, and by our example show others the way. And, above all, resolve to keep on sharing the gospel with all we can while we can—and encourage other Christians we know to do likewise.

Remember the chorus we sang as kids in Sunday School: “See this little light of mine / I’m going to let it shine . . . Don’t let Satan poof it out / I’m going to let it shine . . . Let is shine ’till Jesus comes / I’m going to let it shine / let it shine / let it shine.

For helps to “let your light shine” and reach others for Christ see: “Tips on how to be an effective People Power for Jesus Partner to help change the world—one person at a time” at www.actsweb.org/people_power/tips.php.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, I resolve to do everything I can to let my light shine for Jesus. Please use me to be a lesser light to point others to Jesus, the Light of the World, and in so doing may many accept him as their personal Lord and Savior. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. Matthew 5:15-16 (NKJV).

2. Michael Josephson, Character Counts, http://charactercounts.org.

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Falling Asleep

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“So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be alert and self-controlled.”1

I recall falling asleep in a college class on one occasion and, knowing I was sleeping, the professor called on me to answer a question. I had no idea what the question was and gave the dumbest answer. The class thought it was funny, but the professor surely didn’t. If I go to sleep in church, my wife gives me a gentle “nudge” with her elbow. I confess, too, that sometimes in bed right when I am praying with Joy, I go to sleep but my mouth keeps going. I’m dreaming and start verbalizing what I am dreaming about. Joy can tell you some good stories about the times this has happened. On one of these occasions I was praying for the garbage man. When Joy woke me out of my dream and told me who I was praying for, I said, “Well, the garbage man needs prayer too!”

It is harmless going to sleep in a safe place but not so when driving a car. That can be extremely dangerous and has been deadly for many. There’s been several times when I knew I was too sleepy to drive so exited from the highway to have a break. However, in today’s Scripture the Apostle Paul was not speaking about going to sleep physically, but spiritually. That, too, can be deadly not just for time, but for all eternity.

If we go to sleep spiritually we can easily drift far from God without even realizing it. And, tragically, at the end of life’s journey, wake up too late only to discover that we have missed the directions for God’s “highway to Heaven” and find ourselves in a lost eternity.

Whatever you do, be absolutely certain that you are awake spiritually so that you won’t miss God’s directions both for this life and the next. For help, read how to know God and his directions for life after death online at: http://tinyurl.com/8brzh.

Read also, “How to Be Sure You’re a Real Christian—without having to be religious at: www.actsweb.org/christian.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, thank you for your Word that warns me to keep awake spiritually and that also shows me the only way to your Heaven and eternal life. Please help me to know for certain that I am safely following your directions and your way for this life and the next. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. 1 Thessalonians 5:6 (NIV).

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Winning Losers

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“According to your faith will it be done to you.”1

In response to the Daily Encounter titled, “Cheaters Never Win,” one man whom I will call Fred wrote saying. “My wife left and divorced me. Now she is remarried. She has moved on. I’m in dreadful pain and can’t seem to move on. She cheated. I didn’t. She broke the rules. I didn’t. She’s happy. I’m not. She seems to have won. I lost.

It appears to Fred that his former wife won. However, Fred’s issue isn’t about her—whether she is a winner or not—as Fred can’t change her. For Fred the issue is about him and whether he chooses to stay a loser-victim rather than becoming a winning-loser.

And yes, losing love hurts real badly. There are few things in life more painful than rejection. When a marriage fails, it can be extremely difficult to see, but if one can see beyond his present circumstances, be still and listen with his heart, he will hear God’s wakeup call and see that God wants him to grow and become a much healthier and more fulfilled person.

The point is that what we see is what we will become. That is, if I see myself as a loser, a loser I will be. If I see myself as a winner, a winner I will be. As Jesus said to the blind men, “According to your faith will it be done to you.” And what is faith? It is visualizing or seeing what God wants you to be and, with his help, acting on what you see to make it happen.

As I said to Fred, “Your situation is God’s wakeup call for you to grow and become the person God wants you to be. This will take time, commitment, and hard work, but if you get into a good recovery program and work on your character issues and grow, you will become a true winner. To begin, ask God to face you with the truth about you, to reveal to you any and all character issues you need to work on, and to lead you to the help you need to recover and grow.

The fact is that in every loss, setback, and heartbreak, God wants to use it as a wakeup call for us to grow and become healthier, whole, and fulfilled persons. The choice is ours. Remember: With commitment, hard work and courage, what you see God wants you to be will be.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, please help me to look beyond my present circumstances and see with faith’s eye exactly what you want me to become. Show me what I need to do and lead me to the help I need so to be. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. Matthew 9: 29 (NIV).

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From What We Are to What We Can Become

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“The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, ‘We have found the Messiah’ (that is, the Christ). And he brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, ‘You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas’ (that, being translated, is Peter, the rock).”1

I was visiting the beautiful Huntington Library Gardens a while back with some friends and was greatly impressed with the wonderful gardens with sections dedicated to different countries. When we were in the Japanese section and saw the display of bonsai trees, one of my friends remarked how sad it was to see such wonderful trees root-bound in that they could never in their current setting ever reach the potential that they were designed to become.

I get the same kind of feeling at a zoo or animal sanctuary when I see a glorious eagle cage-bound. This “king of birds” with the incredible wingspan can rise no higher than the cage he is in.

I wonder when God looks down and sees so many of his children sin-bound or damaged-emotions-bound, does this make him feel sad? I’m sure it does, but the good news is that God also sees our great potential.

When Jesus first met Simon he saw Peter, the rock. When he looked at Abram, he saw Abraham, the father of the nation of Israel. When he saw David, the shepherd boy, he saw a mighty King David. When he looked at Saul of Tarsus, he saw Paul the Apostle.

And when Jesus looks at you and me, he sees us not only as we are, but also what, with his help, we can become.

When Jesus looks at you, what do you thinks he sees? Whatever you do, don’t miss out on becoming what God has envisioned for you to become. He does have a vision and purpose for your life too. Never rest until you discover what that purpose is.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, please give me the insight to see what you see in me and what, with your help, I can become. And give me the courage to do what I need to do to fulfill your vision for me, so that my life will be an investment in eternity. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. John 1:41-42 (NIV).

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Killing off the Coyotes

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“Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.”1

In his book, Rewriting the Family Script, Roger Hillerstrom shares how “a small, Midwestern town once sponsored a coyote hunt because so many farmers were losing chickens to the predators. Fifteen hundred coyotes were killed over a single weekend.

“However, within a few months the entire community was overrun with rodents, because their natural enemy, the coyote, had been eliminated. A year after that, the rodents weren’t much of a problem, but the rattlesnakes were! Because there were so many rats and mice for them to eat, the poisonous snakes had reproduced rapidly.

“At that point, the chickens were safe, but the humans were in danger! You see, the coyotes had been an important part of the environmental system—the food chain. When one part of that system changed, other parts adapted to the new reality.”2

When we as individuals, groups, or societies and even some churches get rid of God’s Word, the Ten Commandments, and overthrow God’s standards to do as we please, and seek to throw out God himself, the seeds of our ultimate destruction are sown. God is not mocked. In time, we all reap what we have sown.

As the Apostle Paul exhorted the Christians in Corinth: “Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men [and women] of courage; be strong. Do everything in love.”3

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, amid the ever increasing pressure in our society to get rid of anything to do with the Bible and with you, please help me to be on my guard, be strong, and stand firm in my Christian faith. And help me to so live that others seeing Jesus in me will want him for themselves. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. Galatians 6:7 (NKJV).

2. P. Roger Hillerstrom, Rewriting the Family Script, (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Fleming H. Revell, 1995), p. 19. Cited on www.sermons.com.

3. 1 Corinthians 16:13-14 (NIV).

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