Monthly Archives: January 2012

ISRAEL: God’s Center Piece of History

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“Indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.”1

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”2 He also created the first man and woman, Adam and Eve—a simple story with profound consequences in that God created mankind with a free will and not as a puppet on a string. God put Adam and Eve to a test to see if they would voluntarily choose to follow his directions or go their own way. The test was simple: they were told that they could eat of the fruit of every tree in the Garden of Eden except for just one tree.3

There was nothing complicated about this choice until Satan, chief of the fallen angels, entered the picture. Ever since Satan attempted to overthrow God and was subsequently “dethroned from his high position in God’s order.”4 he has hated God and has used every form of deception possible in his attempt to destroy the apex of God’s creation: mankind! To do this Satan deceived Adam and Eve by telling them a part truth (which can be the most deceptive form of lying there is), and in so doing lured them into disobeying God’s directive and eating the forbidden fruit.5 In this act mankind chose to disbelieve God and reject his direction, and believe in and follow Satan’s. This was the entrance of sin and evil into the human race, and the beginning of the battle between good and evil—a battle that has continued ever since and rages as much as ever in today’s world.

This battle increased significantly when Abraham, the father of the nation of Israel, chose to do exactly the opposite of what Adam and Eve did. He chose to believe God and follow his directives. Because of this God chose Abraham’s descendants, the Israelites, to be the nation through which he would bring healing for mankind. God did this through the birth of Jesus Christ, the Son of God and Savior of the world.6 Furthermore, when Christ returns to earth, he will come directly to Israel, and rule and reign throughout the millennium from Jerusalem.7

You can understand why, since the beginning of the nation of Israel, Satan has done and is still doing everything he can to totally destroy this nation.

According to the Bible the climax of world history will be when the nations of the world, headed by the Antichrist (Satan’s emissary), will unite to come against Israel in an attempt to destroy her forever.8 This war, the like of which the world has never before seen, is known as Armageddon. At this point Jesus Christ will return to earth from Heaven, will rescue Israel and totally destroy the opposing armies. He will then set up his Kingdom and rule and reign on earth from Jerusalem for a thousand years9—after which he will create a new earth and a new heaven.10

In his first coming to earth, Jesus came as a servant to identify with lost mankind and give his life as a sacrifice to pay the penalty for mankind’s sin and to save all who believe in him from the tragic consequences of sin and evil. Make no mistake, however, in his second coming Jesus Christ will come as King of kings and Lord of lords to rule and reign for all eternity.10

And Satan, the father of all deception, lies and evil, with his horde of evil followers, will be bound during the millennium and at the end be cast into hell forever.11

Keep an eye on Israel. This tiny nation is without doubt—in God’s plan—the center stage for the world’s final battle between good and evil. Thus, the more we see nations uniting to oppose Israel, the more we need to realize that the setting of the stage for the entrance of the Antichrist is accelerating. At the same time the setting of the stage for the second coming of Jesus Christ also will be accelerating. According to the Bible, Christ’s return will be the end of world history as we know it.10

In the meantime every individual needs to choose whether he or she is on the side of God and good—or on the side of Satan and evil—which will include being for or against Israel. About Israel, God promised Abraham: “I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”12 Beware to all nations who dare to come against Israel, or in the end they will find themselves fighting against God.

There is no neutral ground with God. If we are not for him, we are against him. As Jesus said, “Whoever is not with me is against me.”13 And as Dietrich Bonhoeffer said, “Silence in the face of evil is itself evil: God will not hold us guiltless. Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act.”

I urge you today to take a stand for good against all evil; for Israel against all who are anti-Israel, for Jesus Christ against all who are for anti-the-Christ, and for God against Satan. Just as it was with the first man and woman, every individual is called upon to make that choice.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, please open the eyes of my understanding so that I can clearly see your purpose for me and for all mankind, and be fully aware of your plan for the climax of world history. Please give me the courage to make the choice to believe in and follow your directives and, in so doing, take an active stand for all that is good and of you, and a definite stand against all that is evil and of Satan, the devil. So help me God. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus’ name, amen.”

NOTE: If you have never taken a stand for God, you can make a start today by accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior and in so doing, receive God’s forgiveness for all your sins. For help go to: www.actsweb.org/christian.

1. Psalm 121:4 (NIV).

2. Genesis 1:1 (NIV).

3. See Genesis 2:16-17.

4. Isaiah 14:12-15.

5. Genesis 3:3.

6. Matthew 1:1.

7. Zechariah 14:4.

8. Revelation 16:12-16

9. Revelation 20:1-6.

10. Revelation 21:1-3.

11. Revelation 20:1-3; 20:7-10.

12. Genesis 12:2-3.

13. Matthew 12:30.

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Inch by Inch …

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“If you wait for perfect conditions, you will never get anything done. Keep on sowing your seed, for you never know which will grow—perhaps it all will.”1

I recently read about a woman who planted some 50,000 daffodil bulbs in her back yard—one at a time—over a period of nearly fifty years!

“Year after year, she kept planting bulbs until she had created five acres of ineffable magnificence, beauty and inspiration. After seeing the spectacular garden one woman remarked, ‘It makes me sad in a way. What might I have accomplished if I had thought of a wonderful goal 35 or 40 years ago and had worked on it one bulb at a time through all those years? Just think what I might have been able to achieve!’ Her daughter responded, ‘Start tomorrow.’ The mother said, ‘I’ll start today.’”2

It’s amazing what can be accomplished by doing just a little every day, day after day. You’ve probably heard the old saying that says, “Inch by inch anything’s a cinch—but yard by yard it’s miles too hard.”

When I first wanted to write a book, it seemed like an overwhelming task. However, a friend suggested I considered writing just one page at a time. “I can handle that,” I said to myself … and that’s what I did 205 times.

Not many people are going to plant five acres of daffodils and not everybody is going to write a book. However, the important thing is to invest your life in a worthwhile cause that will achieve at least three things: (1) it will have eternal value, (2) it will benefit others, and (3) it will give you a deep sense of satisfaction in that you will not have lived in vain but have achieved something worthwhile with your life. It doesn’t have to be profound or earth shattering—just significant. And that you can start today … one “bulb,” one “page,” one kind word of encouragement, one act of kindness at a time … every day for the rest of your life.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, please give me a noble cause for which to live—not so big that it will cause me to be proud … not so small that it will never be a challenge … but big enough to make me stretch and grow … and give my life significance. And most of all grant that it will be a blessing to others and bring glory to your name. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. Ecclesiastes 11:4, 6 (TLB)(NLT).

2. KneEmail #777, Mike Benson, Editor, http://www.oakhillcoc.org

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Making Today Count

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“No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him.”1

I have read how, when William Montague Dyke was a child, he was blinded in an accident, but he never allowed this handicap to deter him. He graduated with high honors from an English university and, while a student, fell in love with the daughter of a high-ranking British naval office whom he was to marry.

Before the wedding he had an eye operation in the hopes that it would restore his eyesight. However, he didn’t want the bandages removed from his eyes until his wedding day when he stood before his bride to be. If the surgery failed, he would remain blind for the rest of his life. If successful, the person he wanted to see first was to be his bride.

The wedding day arrived. The dignitaries and guests waited in anticipation as the organ played the wedding march and the bride, accompanied by her father and the groom’s surgeon, slowly walked the aisle to the altar. As William’s sweetheart stood before him, the surgeon took a pair of scissors from his pocket and removed the bandages.

The entire party and all the guests held their breath for a brief moment until they heard the words of William which echoed throughout the cathedral as he said to his soon-to-be bride, “You’re more beautiful than I ever imagined!”2

In one sense this gives us a faint glimpse as to what it will be like when we get to heaven and stand face to face with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. When we see him in all his majestic beauty—the God of all creation—no words this side of heaven could ever describe, nor any imagination ever perceive, what this experience will be like. As a hymn we used to sing with great enthusiasm in my childhood days expressed it, “When we all get to heaven, what a day of rejoicing that will be. When we all see Jesus, we’ll sing and shout the victory!”

Just make sure that your name is written in God’s book of life and that you, too, are on your way to heaven. For help be sure to read, “How to know God and be sure you’re a real Christian” at: http://tinyurl.com/real-christian.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, Thank you for your wonderful promise that all who believe in your Son, Jesus, and have accepted him as their personal Lord and Savior and have had their sins forgiven have Jesus’ promise that he is now in Heaven preparing a place for us and is coming back to take us to be with him and you for all eternity. ‘What a day of rejoicing that will be.’ Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. 1 Corinthians 2:9 (NIV).

2. Adapted from Making Today Count for Eternity, by Ken Crockett. Sisters, OR: Multnomah Publishers, 2001, pp. 101-102. Cited on www.sermons.com.

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What We Project

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“If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”1

It’s amazing how many people actually blame God, the devil or anyone else for their own irresponsible behavior. I have a talk I used to give that I titled, “The Devil Didn’t Make Me Do It—I Can Mess Things Up All by Myself.” And I can. Sure we are all tempted from time to time but each of us is responsible for the choice we make either to resist temptation or to give in to it.

A former supporter of our work, a man in his mid-thirties complained to me about the opposite sex because of his repeated experiences in failed relationships and tried, without success, to get me to agree with him in his self-justification. No chance. A distressed young woman bemoans the fact that she and her boyfriend fell pregnant and wondered why God allowed it to happen. Amazing? Another man I know is convinced that there’s something wrong with most of the men he has had dealings with because none of them like him.

And here’s a classic from a woman in a support group I was leading some time ago. “I can’t understand why God gave me such a terrible husband,” she bitterly moaned in a whiney poor-me tone of voice.

“Who chose your husband?” I asked.

“God did!” she said and was dead serious. Her avoidance of personal responsibility and denial of reality was painfully pathetic. There was no way I could even begin to get her to face reality, let alone get her to take a good hard look to see the truth about herself. Without access to the truth there is no resolution, no recovery, and no freedom.

“When dealing with people [like this],” Jim Rohn says, “I generally take the obvious approach. When someone says, ‘This always happens to me and that always happens to me. Why do these things always happen to me?’ I simply say, ‘Beats me. I don’t know. All I know is that those kinds of things seem to happen to people like you.’”

That might sound tough but it’s true. The fact is that what we project is what we get back and what we allow we reinforce. We either face reality and admit exactly what our part is in all of these situations and get into a recovery program, or we continue to repeat our past negative patterns. As the saying goes, “If we keep doing what we’ve always done, we’ll keep getting what we’ve always got, and we’ll keep feeling what we’ve always felt.” It’s either resolution or repetition.

The only people God or anyone can help are those who say, “I have a problem. I need help.” And as long as you and I allow people in our life to get away with boundary-busting, irresponsible behavior, we become a part of their sickness.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, whenever I’m in a jam or caught in a conflict or a problem, please give me the courage to face reality and see the truth of what I am contributing to the situation. And then give me the good sense to do something about it and resolve my part in it. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. John 8:31-32 (NIV).

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The Opposite of Bad Isn’t Good

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“Do you want to be made whole?”1

As noted yesterday, God’s goal isn’t to make us good for goodness sake. It is to fix us from the inside and to make us whole. We know that Jesus came to seek and to save those who were lost, but he never asked anyone directly, “Do you want to be saved?” His invitation was, “Do you want to be made whole or well?”

In several places in the Bible the word for saved can be equally translated healed. God’s goal for us is to heal the whole person in body and mind as well as in spirit. Accepting Jesus as Savior is just the beginning point. We are then to go on to maturity, to grow and become whole. This takes time. It is a process. There is no such thing as instant wholeness or instant maturity.

To be made whole we need to want it badly enough that we are willing to face and resolve the root causes of our negative behaviors, poor relationships, sins and sicknesses that are caused by unresolved personal issues—whatever they might be. We need to come out of denial (be real) and be connected to our dark side (those areas of our life that we don’t particularly want to see and definitely don’t want others to see), and confess these not only to God, but also to at least one safe, loving, and non-judgmental person—and be loved and accepted by that person in spite of our failures. As James said, “Confess your sins and faults to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed.”2 This is the path to healing and wholeness and also the way to grow in love, with love being the highest fruit of wholeness.

So the opposite of bad is not being good, but being made whole. Goodness that comes from the heart will be the result.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, please help me, not only to be connected to you through Jesus, but also connected to my ‘dark side’ and to safe, loving, and accepting people to be loved, healed and made whole so that my life, actions, behaviors and relationships will be wholesome—and all goodness in my life will be the fruit or result of being made whole. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. John 5:6.

2. James 5:16.

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God’s Goal Isn’t to Make Us Good

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“We proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, so that we may present every man complete [mature] in Christ. For this purpose also I labor, striving according to His power, which mightily works within me.”1

We don’t have to be good for goodness sake!

In fact, as strange as it may seem, being good may be our worst enemy. It was for the Pharisees. Their external goodness was a cover-up to avoid seeing who and what they were on the inside. Jesus didn’t approve of their external religiosity! In fact, he opposed it vehemently because it was an outward act and not an inward response.

It can bring a great sense of freedom to realize that God isn’t into rules, but rather relationships. His goal isn’t to make us good, but to make us whole and to see us healed from the inside out. The end result will be goodness but goodness that comes from a healed heart—not from adhering to rules dictated by legalism.

This is not an excuse to act out in sinful or destructive behaviors. Not at all. As the Apostle Paul said, “Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means.”2

What it does mean is that I need to grow towards wholeness and maturity by recognizing my inner brokenness, my weaknesses, and my unresolved character issues and bring them not only to God for healing, but also to a trusted friend and/or counselor. As James said, “Therefore confess your sins [and faults] to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.”3

Again, God’s goal is not to make us good, but to make us whole. It’s the heart that counts with him, not the externals. If all I have is external goodness, I am no better than the Pharisees. Realize too, that only to the degree that we are made whole will our lifestyle, our attitudes, our actions, our behaviors, and our relationships be wholesome.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, please help me to see my broken parts so I can bring them to you for healing. Face me with my reality, make me whole, and lead me to the help that I need to do this. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. Colossians 1:28-29 (NASB).

2. Romans 6:1 (NIV).

3. James 5:16 (NIV).

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No to the Ten Suggestions

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“If you pay attention to these laws and are careful to follow them … then the Lord will keep you free from every disease. He will not inflict on you the horrible diseases you knew in Egypt.”1

Television’s well-known newscaster, Ted Koppel, said one night on ABC’s Nightline:

“We have actually convinced ourselves that slogans will save us. ‘Shoot up if you must, but use a clean needle.’ Or, ‘Enjoy sex whenever and with whomever you wish, but protect yourself.’

“No! The answer is no! Not because it isn’t cool or smart or because you might wind up in jail or dying in the AIDS ward, but because it’s wrong!

“What Moses brought down from Mount Sinai were not the Ten Suggestions, but the Ten Commandments!”

Author Dr. S.I. McMillen in his book, None of These Diseases, pointed out how many of the directives given by God to the ancient Israelites were for health and hygiene purposes. God assured his people that if they obeyed his laws they would be free from the diseases the Egyptians suffered. Not to eat pork (for obvious reasons back then) was just one of these. It’s the same with all of God’s directives and commandments. They are for our total well-being—physical and emotional as well as spiritual.

We can’t improve on God’s plan. The wisest thing to do is to get in on it.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, help me to live by your rules and not mine, because your rules are for my total well-being—physical, emotional and spiritual. Thank you for giving us these rules by which to live life to the fullest. Gratefully in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. Deuteronomy 7:12, 15 (NIV).

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Choices

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“But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.”1

Michael Josephson of Character Counts shared how, “two young men in Florida removed a stop sign and brought it back to their fraternity house as a trophy. A fatal accident occurred at the sign-less intersection and the men were convicted of manslaughter.

“In Tennessee, a couple of teenagers were in a high-rise building and one took a dare by the other and slid down a trash chute in the hall—right into an automatic trash compactor. He died and his friend was traumatized, possibly for life.

“What makes these stories all the more tragic is that we’re not talking about bad kids; we’re talking about fundamentally decent kids who made really bad choices.”

Good people can make bad choices just as bad people can make good choices. The fact is we are all the sum total of all of our past choices. Our past was shaped by the choices we made in the past. Our present is also shaped by our past choices, and our future will be shaped by the choices we make today.

Let us be certain not to make our choices by default, but by very careful and prayerful planning, for the choices we make will make us—for time and eternity.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, please forgive me for all the bad choices I have made in the past and help me to make wise and careful choices today and in the future. As with Joshua of old … ‘as for me and my household we will serve the Lord.’ Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

Note: If you have never made the choice to accept Jesus Christ as your Savior and thereby receive God’s forgiveness for all your sins, for help read, “How to Be Sure You’re a Real Christian” at: http://tinyurl.com/real-christian

1. Joshua 24:15 (NIV).

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Imprisoned by “Shoulds”

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“When you are angry, do not sin. When you are in bed, look deep down inside you and be silent. Selah.”1

Do you always do what you truly want to do, or do you give in to other’s wants because you are afraid to say no? Are you swayed by what others think because you fear you won’t be liked if you don’t do what they want or think you should do?

A part of growth and maturity is recognizing our legitimate needs, taking responsibility for getting them met in healthy ways, and by being our own person in that we are being true to ourselves and not allowing ourselves to be controlled by what others want, think, or expect. The healthy, mature person makes decisions on the basis of what he/she knows is right for him/her. While we don’t give in to others’ demands, it doesn’t mean that we never give in to their wishes. It means that we do what we choose to do, not because somebody else says we should, but because we want and freely choose to do so. Living by others’ “shoulds” will imprison us!

Like David, learn to listen to your heart. Your heart knows what you want and need. Learn to say no to others’ demands when you know that to say no is the right thing for you to do. Allowing ourselves to be controlled by others’ demands and “shoulds” also makes us angry inside.

Remember, without the freedom to say “no” our “yeses” are meaningless.

We can learn to listen to our heart “deep down inside us” and trust it. I was taught that I could never trust my feelings (heart). Wrong. I have since learned that I can always trust my feelings. What I can’t always trust is my interpretation of them. However, with practice I’m getting much better at it, and believe I am a much wiser, healthier, and more mature person as a result.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, help me to listen to my heart and become real. Help me to listen to what my inner self is telling me and above all else, help me to listen to what you are saying. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus Name, amen.”

1. Psalm 4:4 (NIRV).

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How to Know If Prayers Are Answered

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“You do not have, because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.”1

A Daily Encounter reader asks, “How can you know when and if God has answered your prayers? Some in our group feel it’s only when something big happens—like miracles in the Bible. Others feel that it’s also when prayers for little things are answered. For example, recently I badly needed money for food and gas and prayed that God would provide. Soon after I found $20. I felt this was a direct answer to prayer. One friend felt this was just a coincidence. So how can we know for sure if and when God has answered our prayers?”

If I needed $20 and had been responsible with my money, I wouldn’t hesitate to ask God to provide for my need. If I then found $20 and couldn’t find who lost it, I’d surely thank God for answering my prayer. At times I have had immediate answers to prayer. At other times it has taken longer … for some it has taken several years. Some people say God answers our prayers according to his timing. I think, however (depending on the nature of the request), more often than not it has more to do with our timing—that is, when we are ready and able to handle the answer.

Sometimes we can only know for certain if God has answered our prayers when we look back over time and can see more clearly how God has led and provided.

A lot also depends on our attitude of mind. Most of us believe what we want to believe; that is, what is the most convenient for us to believe. If we want to believe God answered our prayer when we saw the evidence, we will believe. If we don’t want to believe (regardless of the evidence), we won’t believe.

If we are truly committed to the Lord and pray in faith, we can usually see when our prayers have been answered. In fact God answers every sincere prayer when prayed in faith. Keep in mind, however, sometimes God’s answer is yes … sometimes it is no … sometimes it is wait a while … and sometimes it is that you are praying the wrong prayer—a prayer with the wrong motive or praying for deliverance from (or healing of) a symptom without praying about the cause/s.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, thank you that you hear and answer every sincere prayer that comes from my heart. Please help me to pray the right prayer with the right motive—and help me to discern when and how you answer my prayers. Thank you for hearing and answering this prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

See “How to Pray Effectively” at: https://learning.actsweb.org/articles/article.php?i=26&d=1&c=2&p=1.

1. James 4:2-3 (NIV).

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