Monthly Archives: February 2011

Persistence Pays

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“And so, since God in his mercy has given us this wonderful ministry, we never give up.”1

Jacob Riis wrote, “I’d look at one of my stone-cutters hammering away at a rock, perhaps a hundred times without as much as a crack showing in it. Yet, at the hundred and first blow, it would split in two, and I knew it was not that blow that did it, but all that had gone before.”2

Like the Apostle Paul, if we are to live a meaningful life that will reap eternal rewards, we too, need to have a worthwhile purpose for which to live. When we know that our purpose is in harmony with God’s will, it is imperative that we never give up working to fulfill that purpose. In time, we will reap if we don’t faint. Certainly we will have setbacks, disappointments, and failures, but remember the only real failure is not to get back up one more time than we’ve fallen or been knocked down.

Like Michelangelo who said, “I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free,” we need to see in our mind’s eye our God-given life purpose and keep “carving and hammering away” until it is achieved.

As God’s Word also says, “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”3

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, please help me to see clearly your purpose for my life and keep ‘hammering away’ until that purpose, with your help, is fulfilled in my life. And grant that my life will thus help others and bring glory to you so that I will never feel that I have lived my life in vain. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. 2 Corinthians 4:1 (NLT).

2. Jacob A. Riis. Cited on: Inspire, http://www.inspirelist.com/

3. Galatians 6:9 (NIV).

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Where is God? Part III

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“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word [Jesus Christ] was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. . . . The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.” 4

Besides revealing himself through creation, God has also shown himself through the human soul. As well as being a physical, rational, and emotional being, man is a spiritual being with a living soul in which is implanted a consciousness of God. This consciousness is made up of a “religious and moral instinct” which acknowledges a supreme being upon whom man is dependent and to whom he is responsible.5

Anselm, the famous Italian theologian who lived in the eleventh century, stated that the idea of God in the mind is proof that God exists. Pascal, the French physicist and philosopher who lived in the seventeenth century, spoke about the “God-shaped vacuum in every life that only God can fill.”

Furthermore, if God didn’t exist in the mind of the atheist, why would he feel compelled to disprove God’s existence?

God has also revealed himself to us through his Word, the Bible. The Bible doesn’t seek to prove God’s existence. It accepts it as fact and simply says, “In the beginning God. . . .”6

In the Bible God speaks with authority, stating that it is his Word and that he is the one and only God.7 It is God’s written message to mankind. Fulfillment of scores of prophecies in accurate detail, some of which were written hundreds of years ahead of their fulfillment, is sufficient evidence to confirm the validity of the Bible.

God can be seen in creation, in the human soul, and in the Bible, but his final and clearest revelation of himself to us is in his Son, Jesus Christ.8 Not only is Jesus the Son of God, but also God the Son. Referring to Jesus, John the disciple wrote, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God . . . . The Word became flesh and lived among us.”9

When Philip, a disciple of Jesus, asked to see God, Jesus said, “He who has seen me has seen the Father [God].”10

In life we all see and believe basically what we want to see and believe. If we want to see and believe in God, we can. If we don’t want to see him, we won’t. Most people do believe in God but it is an entirely different experience to find and relate to him personally. The only way to do this is through Jesus Christ.

As Jesus himself said, “I am the way, the truth, and life; no man comes to the Father [God] except through me.”11

It is our sin that has separated us from God and prevented us from finding him. But because God loved us, he gave his Son, Jesus, to die for us and thereby pay the penalty for our sins, which is death.

To find and know God is very simple. You can do this right where you are. Simply pray and confess your sinfulness to God, tell him that you believe Jesus died on the cross to pay the just penalty for all your sins, ask God to forgive you for all your sins, and invite Jesus to come into your heart and life as your personal Lord and Savior. When you do this, God forgives you for all your sins, cancels your guilt and gives you the gift of eternal life. His invitation is to all who will come.12

For help to find and know God, read, “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 all the revelations of yourself given to mankind, but most of all I thank you for revealing yourself through Jesus, the Christ, and how he gave his life on the cross as a ransom to pay the penalty for all my sins. Please forgive me for all my sins. I do believe and accept you, Jesus, as my Savior and my Lord. Please help me to live for you always in all ways. Thank you for your forgiveness and the gift of eternal life, and for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

If you prayed this prayer and truly meant it, please let us know at www.actsweb.org/decision.php and we will send you practical articles to help you in your Christian life—all without charge.

4. John 1:1-3, 14 (NIV).

5. See Genesis 2:7; Acts 17:22-28 and Romans 2:14-15.

6. Genesis 1:1.

7. See 2 Timothy 3:16 and Mark 12:29.

8. Hebrews 1:1-2.

9. John 1:1,14.

10. John 14:9.

11. John 14:6.

12. Revelation 22:17.

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Where Is God? Part II

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“From one man he [God] made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. ‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’”3

As we noted yesterday, one doesn’t need to be a scientist to see and feel the greatness of creation all around us. Vacationing on Kangaroo Island in South Australia, I marveled at the wonders of nature—the grandeur of rolling hills, the brilliance of spring flowers, the majesty of cliffs rising from the sea with the waves crashing rhythmically against them and pounding lonely, deserted beaches.

I watched a sea gull, beautiful and agile, swooping over the waves, tipping its beak into the water to pluck a tasty meal from the sea. I marveled at the grace of a huge pelican, stretching his wings to a span of eight to ten feet as he soared effortlessly above me.

So many marvels to see: a playful porpoise dodging beneath the bow of our boat, gliding with ease through the crystal clear water; a curious fur seal, popping out of the sea in answer to a child’s call; a kangaroo bounding across a distant field; and a koala high in a eucalyptus tree. Later, a million stars shone above to dance in chorus with a brilliant full moon and mirror their beauty in a now calm sea.

I have stood breathless at the sight of millions of gallons of water plunging over the Niagara Falls, and speechless at the splendor of the Grand Canyon. I have walked in amazement in the Yosemite Valley where mountains of granite seem to reach up out of nowhere to stab the sky in unparalleled artistic beauty.

“Did all this happen by chance?” I ask myself. For me it would take more faith to believe that than to believe that our world and universe were created by a Master Designer whose power and greatness are beyond human understanding.

Besides revealing himself through creation, God has also shown himself through the human soul. (To see how be sure to read tomorrow’s Daily Encounter.)

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, thank you that you have revealed yourself to mankind in varied ways. Open the eyes of my blindness so that I can see with my spirit all that you are and have done for me. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

For help to find and know God, read, “How to Be Sure You’re a Real Christian . . . without having to be religious” at: www.actsweb.org/christian.

3. Acts 17:26-28 (NIV).

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Where Is God Part I

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“The heavens declare the glory of God.”1

Splashed with bright white paint right across the side of the garbage truck in large, bold letters, a baffled university student had written, “Where is God?”

Most people wonder about this same question at some time or other. If there is a God, how can we know that he exists and how can we find him?

In some ways God is like an atom. You can’t see him with the naked eye but you can see evidence of his presence and power everywhere you look.

For instance, God shows himself to us through creation. As David the psalmist said, “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the end of the world.”2

In My Search for the Ultimate, research scientist Lambert Dolphin Jr. writes, “Confronted every day with the mysteries of space and the atom, I continue to be amazed at the complexity and order of our universe. From the sub-microscopic realm of the atom to the expanding reaches of the galaxies, our universe runs like intricate and well-oiled clockwork according to great physical laws which never change or falter.

“Our sun, which is the nearest star, a hundred earth diameters across, is 93 million miles into space. Each day the sun supplies our solar system with heat, power and light at the rate of a million billion, billion horsepower! Yet it is only an average star.

“Our island universe of stars which we call the Milky Way is 100,000 light years across. If we could travel at the speed of light (186,000 miles per second), it would take us 100,000 years to traverse the Milky Way! Yet this is only one of a billion or more such island universes stretched out in every direction from our earth to distances measured in billions of light years.”

However, one doesn’t need to be a scientist to see and feel the greatness of creation all around us. (To see how, be sure to read tomorrow’s Daily Encounter.)

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, thank you that you have revealed yourself through creation and that the earth, the sun, the moon, the stars, and the vastness of the universe all declare your glory and show that all have come into existence through Intelligent Design and that you are the Master Designer. Thank you for this great revelation of yourself. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. Psalm 19:1 (NIV).

2. Psalm 19:1-4 (NIV).

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The Power of Influence

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“Therefore encourage one another and build each other up.”1

As a child in school in Australia Gordon had a problem with dyslexia, but nobody was able to diagnose his problem at the time. For years his mother took him to speech therapy, and he practiced saying, “Thora thrust thick thistles through the thinning hedge,” five thousand times!

What turned Gordon’s life around was his fourth grade primary school teacher, Miss Higgins, who called the class to order when they laughed at Gordon’s attempt to read before the class. You could imagine how terrible Gordon must have felt every time other kids poked fun at him because of his inability to read. I would have felt devastated. But thank God for an understanding teacher who said to the class: “Do not laugh at his reading. One day Gordon will be the best reader in the whole school.” Little did Miss Higgins or his school mates realize just who Gordon would become. And little did Miss Higgins realize that her encouragement planted the seed to motivate Gordon towards an extremely fruitful and productive life.

Today Gordon is known as the Reverend Dr., The Honorable Gordon Moyes, MHR.

Besides being the senior minister and superintendent of the very influential Wesley Central Mission in Sydney, Australia, Gordon has been a radio broadcaster for 44 years, the host of a weekly TV program on the National Nine Network for 26 years, and is a Member of the House of Representatives in the state government of New South Wales. Gordon is still dyslexic and still mirror reads God as dog—which presents quite a problem for a minister of religion!

In his appeal to the state government for children with dyslexia Rep. Moyes said, “The effect of dyslexia in society possibly includes unemployment, poverty, alcoholism, drug abuse and dependency and even family breakdown, and as a result dyslexic people are over represented in the prison population, are more likely to drop out of school, and often withdraw from their friends and family or attempt suicide.

“Children with dyslexia often have high IQs but poor reading and writing skills. They are often sent out of classes or to the back of the room as they become distracted because of the frustrating nature of their condition. You can understand my concern for such children of our members or in our Sunday Schools. Dyslexia is a disability, and the Government should supply support for such students.”2

May we all remember Gordon’s story and always be an encourager to children, teens, and adults who struggle with any kind of a handicap.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, thank you for every teacher and all who give the gift of encouragement to those who struggle with life’s handicaps. Thank you, too, for all who encouraged me when I needed it most. Please help me always to be sensitive, loving, kind and encouraging to any and all fellow strugglers who come into my life and/or who cross my path. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. 1 Thessalonians 5:11 (NIV).

2. http://www.cdp.org.au/main.asp.

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Blame Game or Wise Choice

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“So he [the business owner] called him and said to him, ‘What is this I hear about you? Give an account of your stewardship, for you can no longer be steward.’”1

“Two young boys were raised in the home of an alcoholic father. As young men, they each went their own way. Years later a psychologist who was analyzing what drunkenness does to children in the home searched out these two men. One had turned out to be like his father, a hopeless alcoholic. The other had turned out to be a teetotaler.

“The counselor asked the first man, ‘Why did you become an alcoholic?’ He asked the second, ‘Why did you become a teetotaler?’

“They both gave the same identical answer in these words, ‘What else could you expect when you had a father like mine?’ It’s not what happens to us in life but how we react to it that makes the difference. Every human being in the same situation has the possibilities of choosing how he will react, either positively or negatively.”2

It is true that children who grow up in a warm, loving, and caring family atmosphere are given a much greater start in life. However, there is no guarantee that they will become model citizens. They, too, like the rest of us, either consciously or unconsciously, make the choice in how they are going to live their life.

If we grew up in a less than desirable home atmosphere, we can choose to feel sorry for ourselves, play the blame game, and limp along in the shadows of life without a goal or purpose—and waste our life. Or, if we so desire, like President Ronald Reagan whom I understand also had an alcoholic father, we can choose to make something worthwhile with our life, grow through our difficulties, and with God’s help become the person God envisions for us to be, and, in so doing, invest our life in a worthwhile cause and noble purpose. The choice is ours.

I realize that it can be very difficult to honor a mother or father who is an alcoholic, an abuser, or an abandoning parent. However, I believe the greatest way we can honor such a parent is not to allow our past to determine our future. What an honor it would be for all of us parents should our children rise above their early setbacks to invest their lives wisely in doing good for others.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, please help me to overcome any and all setbacks I may have had in the past, and choose—with your help—to invest my life wisely so that, when I give an account of my life before you, I will hear your welcoming words, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. Enter into the joy of your Lord.’ Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. Luke 16:2 (NKJV).

2. From The West Side Baptist. Cited on www.sermons.com.

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Super Bowl Sunday

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“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.”1

Sunday is Super Bowl Football Sunday in the U.S.A. and, at least a couple of years ago, media people claimed it would be televised to 186 countries in 18 languages! Thus, on Sunday millions of people around the world will be glued to their TV set watching a bunch of hefty men throw a leather ball filled with air, catch it and run—and belt the stuffing out of each other while they’re at it—and get paid unbelievable mega-dollars for doing it!

Apparently major sports events are not only a health hazard for the players, but also for viewers. An issue of the British Medical Journal reported that on the day in June of 1996 when the Dutch team was knocked out of the European football championship, there was a 50% increase in heart attacks of men—not women! They said it was probably caused, not only by the emotional stress of screaming and hollering when your team is either winning or losing, but at the same time consuming too much alcohol and fatty foods!

Super Bowl parties with friends can be lots of fun, but what boggles the mind are the things we value most in today’s society. Sports for millions is almost a religion! In fact, According to Wikipedia, “Super Bowl Sunday is the second-largest day for U.S. food consumption, after Thanksgiving Day. In most years, the Super Bowl is the most-watched American television broadcast; Super Bowl XLIV, played in February 2010, became the most-watched American television program in history, drawing an average audience of 106.5 million viewers.”2

As Chuck Colson stated, “Every once in a while, events line up in a way that allows us to see things as they really are. [An] example was the deaths of Princess Diana and Mother Teresa within a week of each other. The juxtaposition of the hype and hysteria over the jet-setter, Diana, and the muted response to the death of Mother Teresa gave us a glimpse into how shallow and empty our culture truly is.”3

I’m not against sports—except about some of the “obscene” pay scales—in some professional sports, which, again, shows where today’s values are (at least in the West). Pity school teachers and those who are making an impact on our society that they aren’t given more recognition and appreciation.

Having said this, for Christians our values are not here on earth (hopefully) but in heaven where God keeps the books and gives rewards—rewards that are eternal! We won’t be judged for our sins because Christ accepted that judgment for us on the cross, but we will be judged and rewarded according to our faithfulness in loving and serving God.

If only we Christians were as enthusiastic about reaching as many people around the world with the gospel as will be reached with football this Sunday!

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, it is so easy for some of us, including me, to get caught up in the values of this world. Help me to always remember that this life is temporal and to live with eternal values in mind. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name. Amen.”

1. 2 Corinthians 5:10 (NIV).

2. Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_Bowl

3. BreakPoint, Chuck Colson. Copyright (c) 2001 by Prison Fellowship Ministries. Reprinted with permission. BreakPoint with Chuck Colson is a radio ministry of Prison Fellowship Ministries.

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More about Prayer

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“The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.”1

A Daily Encounter reader wrote to me saying that Christ’s promise of “ask and you will receive” was a painful lie.

I think that for some people prayer is like a magic wand that is supposed to remove all of life’s difficulties. Not so. Neither is prayer a lucky charm to gain special favors. Nor is it a painkiller like taking a giant aspirin: “Take God three times a day and you won’t feel any pain!” as John Powell put it.

These things are never the purpose for prayer. First, for God to answer prayer, we need to be in a right relationship with him through Jesus Christ. Second, we need to pray in harmony with God’s will as seen in his Word, the Bible. Third, our prayers need to be sincere and truthful from the heart. In fact, prayer is communicating our heart to God. When we adhere to these requirements, God always answers our prayers. Sometimes the answer is “yes;” sometimes it is “no;” and sometimes it is “wait a while.” God always knows what is best for us. He will give us wisdom, guidance, and direction if we ask for it, but he will not do for us what we can and need to do for ourselves.

When Abraham sent his servant to seek a bride for his son, Isaac, the servant said, “I being in the way, the LORD led me to the house of my master’s brethren.”2 There he found Rebekah who agreed to become Isaac’s wife. The point I am making is this: when Abraham’s servant acted responsibly and did his part, God did his part and directed him in the way that he should go.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, please open the eyes of my understanding so I that can read and understand what your Word, the Bible, teaches and therein see the direction of my life that you would have me take. Help me always to pray in harmony with your will and see what my part is and act responsibly. Every day I will commit and trust my life and way to you, and trust you to guide me in the way that you would have me go. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.

For further help read, “How to Pray Effectively” online at: http://tinyurl.com/good-morning-God

1. Psalm 145:18 (NIV)

2. Genesis 24:7 (KJV).

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Perception Vs Reality

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

A Daily Encounter reader wrote, “I’m still out there seeking what God’s plan for me is, but how can I go from the cradle to the grave without ever having any prayers answered. I have stepped out of my so-called comfort zone often in my life, but no great discoveries or blessings have I found. How do I get a job like yours where I can publish doggerel and shopworn biblical phrases for fun and profit?”

“Dear, Terry,” (not his real name), I replied, “You can get a job just like mine—minus the doggerel, the shopworn biblical phrases and the profit—if you do the same as what I had to do; that is, spend several years getting trained in Bible school, college and graduate school, and working part time all the while, to pay for the privilege, at any job I could find, including scrubbing floors. It also took many years to build the ministry of ACTS International, and I continue to work 60-70 hours a week, including working a second part-time job to help support myself.”

True, God feeds the birds of the air, but he doesn’t throw the food into their nest. God’s will is never handed to us on a silver platter. God gave the ancient Israelites the Promised Land but, even with his help, they had to battle to gain every inch of it. Had God not given it to them, they never would have been able to conquer it. God has a plan for you and me too, but we also have to work diligently—with God’s help—to see it achieved in our life.

The reality is that what we see is what we get. It all lies in our perception, and that, no matter how distorted, becomes our reality. Distorted perception, like distorted eye lenses, distorts everything we see in life. It also distorts our prayer life, our faith, and our view of God. Jesus gave us a divine principle when he said, “According to your faith will it be done to you.” With distorted faith our prayers will be distorted and the results will match our distorted perception of reality.

So how do we get to the stage where our perception is based on reality instead of our “reality” being based on our perception? Not easy. However, we get there by becoming real; that is, honest at the gut level with one’s self (that includes our true emotions and our motives), with God, and with at least one trusted friend. The fact is, the more dishonest I am with my inner self, the more I will distort all other truth—including God’s truth. Only personal gut-level honesty will deliver us from distortion so we can see reality as it truly is—and as God sees it.

As God’s Word says, “Behold, You [God] desire truth in the innermost being, And in the hidden part You will make me know wisdom.”2

For further help be sure to read, “Dare to Be Honest” at: http://tinyurl.com/dare-to-be-honest.

Suggested prayer: Dear God, please confront me with the truth about me. Help me to see myself as you see me so that I can, with your help, resolve every issue in my life that causes me to distort reality, so that I will become truly authentic in every area of my life—honest with myself, honest with others, and honest with you for the glory of your name. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. Matthew 9:29 (NIV).

2. Psalm 51:6 (NASB).

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It’s What?

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“Live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.”1

Alan Smith tells the story about a dignified, elderly woman who was among a group viewing an art exhibition in a newly opened gallery. When one contemporary painting caught her eye, addressing the artist standing nearby, she gasped, “What on earth is that?”

He smiled condescendingly. “That, my dear lady, is supposed to be a mother and her child.”

“Well, then,” reasoned the little old lady, “why isn’t it?”2

Having seen some modern art, I can appreciate her question.

Sadly, according to various reports I have read there is little difference in the life of the average Christian than that of the average non-Christian. If we don’t act like Christians, behave like Christians, live like Christians, and look like Christians, how will we ever impact the world in which we live for Christ?

To “look like Christians” we need to know what God’s Word teaches—and obey it!

And when we’re not sure how to act, we can ask ourselves the question: “What would Jesus do?”

And let us always pray that God will help us to be as Jesus to every life we touch . . . and to help us to “love one another.” As Jesus said, “By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”3

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, help me to so live that in everything I am and do I will ‘look like a Christian’—a true Christ follower—and be as Jesus to every life I touch, and in so doing help to impact the world in which I live. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. Ephesians 5:2 (NIV).

2. Alan Smith, Thought for the Day www.TFTD-online.com.

3. John 13:35 (NIV).

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