Monthly Archives: March 2012

Guilty Silence

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“And then he [Jesus] told them, ‘You are to go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone everywhere.”1

In his book, Seven Signs of the End Times, Mark Hitchcock shares the following: “I heard a story recently about two pastors standing near the side of a road holding up a sign that read, ‘The end is near! Turn yourself around now before it’s too late!’

“As the first driver sped by, he hollered, ‘Leave us alone, you religious nuts!’

“From around the curve they heard screeching tires and a big crash. One pastor turned to the other and said, ‘Maybe we should just put up a sign that says, Bridge Out Ahead.’”2

And as Hitchcock added, “It does appear to me, as I read the signs in our world today that the bridge is out.” Because of this, it is imperative that we let people know that they need to turn around and receive Christ and God’s forgiveness before it is too late.

In August , 2011, the death of one of today’s leading Evangelical Christian leaders, John Stott, was announced. His passing was a sad loss.

About John Stott, Chuck Colson of BreakPoint wrote, “In 1967, at a time when most Evangelical [Christians] were content to remain safe behind the walls of their churches, ignoring the larger world around them, Stott wrote a book entitled, Our Guilty Silence.

“In it Stott made the case that because the Gospel is ‘Good News’ we are under an obligation to share it with others. This sounds obvious, but in 1967 this kind of witness, and that kind of engagement with the larger society was the last thing many Christians wanted to do. They much preferred their comfortable worship and cultural isolation.”3

And Jerry Beavan, early advance organizer of the Billy Graham Crusades, in his American News Commentary, quoted Joel C. Rosenberg, New York Times bestselling author, who said, “America is in trouble, morally, spiritually and financially. Yet no one seems to have any answers. The politicians seem clueless. The media certainly doesn’t have any answers. Academia seems more out of touch than ever. Sadly, far too many

Church leaders are asleep, as well—or too timid, or drifting off course spiritually and theologically—just at the time they could and should be powerfully proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ as the only real hope of mankind. God hasn’t failed us. We have failed God.”4

Christian friends, if ever there was a time to reach friends, families, and people around the world and across the street with the saving gospel of Jesus Christ—the only hope for our sin-sick world—it is today. As Dietrich Bonhoeffer so eloquently stated it: “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.” May God deliver us from “our guilty silence.”

To make it simple for you to act and be involved in reaching others for Christ please do the following:

1. Forward this issue of Daily Encounter to all your Christian friends.

2. Join with us as a People Power for Jesus Partner—it’s so easy to do, so effective, and without any financial cost. For details see: https://learning.actsweb.org/people_power02.php.

3. Also, be sure to use some of the ACTS Business Witness Cards that are available for a small donation. See them at actscom.com/witness_cards.php. Especially see “Have a God Day” and “Thank You for Your Friendly Service” cards.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, I am available for you to use. Please deliver me from the sin of ‘guilty silence’ and give me the courage to help reach friends, family, contacts, and others with the saving gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. Please do your work through me and make me an attractive and effective witness for Jesus Christ. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. Mark 16:15 (TLB)(NLT).

2. Mark Hitchcock, Seven Signs of the End Times, Multnomah Books, © 2002. P.100.

3. Chuck Colson, BreakPoint, http://tinyurl.com/4y6do6t.

4. American News Commentary, August 10, 2011.

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It’s a God Thing

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“Then the righteous will answer Him [Jesus], saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ And the King [Jesus] will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’1

A Daily Encounter subscriber shared, “When we were on vacation in the UK last month, my daughter and I were walking down a side street where there was a church. It was raining. On the side of the church was a man sitting with a dog. The man was selling some kind of magazine—maybe the kind that some homeless people sell for spare change. The dog was lying down under an umbrella. I asked my daughter if we should give the man some spare change, but neither she nor I had any readily available, so we walked by.

“The next day we walked down that same street and the man and dog were on the other side of the street and we walked by again. That night I felt that God convicted me and it was as if he said to me, ‘You passed me by two times, will you pass me by a third time?’ So the next day I went to that street, got a larger denomination coin out, and gave it to the man. He wished me a very good day and as he did, I could see he had some kind of visual impairment. I realized afterwards that I actually had been the blind one. I had missed ‘God Himself’ sitting there as it were, in the rain, next to a dog who was sheltered by an umbrella.”

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, please help me always to be sensitive to those who are genuinely in need and realize that when I lend a helping hand, in your sight it is the same as if I were doing it for you. So help me God so to do. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. Matthew 25:37-40 (NKJV).

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Healthy Doubts

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“But the people of Beroea were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica, and gladly listened to the message. They searched the Scriptures day by day to check up on Paul and Silas’ statements to see if they were really so.”1

John Henry Fabre, the French naturalist, conducted an interesting experiment with some processionary caterpillars, which are called by this name because they blindly follow each other, one behind another.

Fabre placed caterpillar food in the center of a flower pot and placed caterpillars end to end so they formed a complete circle around the edge of the pot. Round and around they went for seven days and nights until they dropped dead of starvation and exhaustion. With all the food they needed only a few inches away, they starved themselves to death.

Sad to say some people are like these caterpillars that blindly follow a leader never questioning what he says or teaches. This is especially noticeable in false cults but it can be equally true in any church or religious group, especially where legalism still exists. It can also be true in secular leadership including the political realm. It is imperative to know what the leaders we are following stand for and where they are leading us.

Imagine questioning the Apostle Paul, the most powerful leader in the early church. But the Christians in Beroea did and made sure that what he was teaching was in line with God’s Word. And they were commended for it.

It is important that we, too, learn to study and know the Scriptures for ourselves and question everything we are taught to make sure it is what God’s Word, the Bible, teaches. In other words, while we need to respect our leaders, we need to make God’s Word our “final voice of authority” and not the word of man no matter how high his position is or how appealing his words.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, please help me to be open to truth/s I have not yet seen or been aware of—and help me to make sure that all I am taught is in harmony with your Word. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. Acts 17:11 (TLB)(NLT).

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My Daughter Is a Lesbian

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“Because of this [changing the truth about God for a lie], God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed shameful acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their error.”1

A reader writes, “Please help me to understand why my adult daughter has become a lesbian over the past couple of years. She was brought up in a Christian home, was married for several years but is now separated. She has two sons who ask questions that I don’t know how to answer. All I know is that God is against homosexual activities. Also, her father is a homosexual….”

Dear Friend, regarding your daughter “becoming” a lesbian, my guess is that she has probably had these tendencies or feelings from her youth but has only recently made the choice to act out these feelings.

The fact that her father is a homosexual can be a strong contributing factor as children need both a mother and a father during their developmental years. A daughter needs both parents to confirm her female sexual identity when she is a teen, just as a son needs both parents to confirm his masculine identity. If the father hasn’t resolved his own sexual identity, he isn’t able to confirm his children’s sexual identity. Homosexuality is a failure to complete the maturity of a child’s sexual development. Furthermore, it is out of harmony with God’s design for the individual and the family. Keep in mind, too, that all of God’s rules/laws are for our protection, well-being, and for the health of the individual, the family, and ultimately the nation. We defy these laws to our own peril—even if it is eventually.

As Bruce Kaercher put it: “Our culture’s embrace of homosexuality has ignored the cause in order to embrace the symptom.”

Some homosexuals claim that they were born that way. Others claim that homosexuality is in their genes. The fact is, however, that sin is in my and everybody else’s genes because we are born sinners,2 but this does not justify acting out my sinful nature.

It is true that while God loves all sinners he hates all sin because all sin is destructive of those whom God loves—us! Keep in mind, too, that God not only condemns homosexuality. His Word says, “Don’t fool yourselves. Those who indulge in sexual sin, or who worship idols, or commit adultery, or are male prostitutes, or practice homosexuality, or are thieves, or greedy people, or drunkards, or are abusive, or cheat people—none of these will inherit the Kingdom of God.”3

I realize it can be extremely difficult to change one’s sexual disposition but help is available for those who want it.* Unfortunately, unless your daughter genuinely wants to change, there isn’t much you can do except to pray for her and assure her of your love and acceptance, while lovingly informing her that you are opposed to her lifestyle. And constantly ask God to help you to be “as Jesus” to your daughter and to your grandchildren.

Unfortunately a Christian home doesn’t guarantee one’s emotional, physical, or sexual maturity. For these, a child needs two mature and healthy parents—or at least a mother and/or father substitute, where needed, as a role model with whom the child can identify. God’s plan and design for the family is to bring up children with a loving mother and a loving father and we simply cannot improve on God’s plan. Furthermore, when parents are living out of harmony with God’s will and plan, their children can and usually suffer the natural consequences of parent’s unresolved sins and issues. As God’s Word, the Bible, says, “The Lord is slow to anger and filled with unfailing love, forgiving every kind of sin and rebellion. But he does not excuse the guilty. He lays the sins of the parents upon their children; the entire family is affected—even children in the third and fourth generations.”4

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, please help me to know and understand your will and plan for marriage, for the family, and for the lives of my children. Please help me to live in harmony with your plan so that I will be able to model for my children the kind of persons you want them to be. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. Romans 1:26-27 (NIV).

2. Psalm 51:5; Romans 3:23.

3. 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 (NLT).

4. Numbers 14:18 (NLT).

*For help for homosexuals…. See Exodus International at: http://exodusinternational.org/. See also Chuck Colson’s article, “When a Dog Says Moo” at: http://www.breakpoint.org/commentaries/2851-when-a-dog-says-moo.

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A Boy, a Brick, and a Doctor

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“Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you.”1

In “Character Counts” Michael Josephson writes, “Consider the parable of a doctor driving through a poor part of town. He was in a hurry, so he ignored a young boy who tried to flag him down. But, as he slowed for a traffic light, his car was hit by a brick. The man got out of the car and screamed, ‘You’ll go to jail for this!’

“The boy cried, ‘Take me to jail, but first please call someone to help my mom. She’s on the floor in our apartment and I think she’s dying. We have no phone and I couldn’t get anyone to stop—I didn’t know what else to do.’

“Filled with shame, the doctor rushed to the woman’s aid and saved her life with CPR. Of course, he didn’t call the police, and he made sure the boy was taken care of as his mom was taken to the hospital.

“When the doctor got home and told his wife, she said, ‘Well, that dent will cost you $1,000 to fix.’

“‘No, it won’t,’ he said. ‘I’m not fixing the dent. I’m going to leave it as it is to remind me that not everyone in need has a brick.’”2

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, please help me to be sensitive to the needs of people with whom I come in contact every day. 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.”

1. James 1:27 (NLT).

2. Michael Josephson, Character Counts.

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Can a Good God Do Evil?

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“But this time also Pharaoh hardened his heart and would not let the people [Israelite slaves] go.”1 “But the LORD hardened Pharaoh’s heart and he would not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the LORD had said to Moses.”2

A pastor asked the question: “Please help me unravel this question I was asked at our last Bible study. Can a good God do evil? For example, the Bible says that an evil spirit from God came upon Saul, and also that God created Pharaoh for purpose of destroying him. I am yet to find a good explanation myself and need your help to share with my congregation.”

“Dear Pastor, regarding questions like these I go back to Pharaoh in Moses day when he refused to let God’s people leave their slavery in Egypt. In spite of the many plagues God sent on the Egyptian people, the Bible says that Pharaoh kept hardening his heart. Time and again Pharaoh hardened his heart against God, Moses and the children of Israel. In other words it was Pharaoh who hardened his own heart and then God gave up on him and confirmed the hardening of his heart.

Also, when the Bible says that God will send unsaved sinners to hell, it is really sinners who send themselves to hell because they have chosen not to, or failed to, confess their sins and ask God for his forgiveness.

Where it says that an evil spirit from God came upon Saul, because Saul rejected God’s plan for him, God didn’t stop this evil spirit from coming on Saul. I’m sure that an evil spirit would like to come upon every Christian who is faithfully serving the Lord, but God blocks it because we are trusting and serving him.

It’s the same here in the U.S.A., the more we as a people reject God, the Bible, and Christianity, the more we will further accelerate the moral decay that is happening throughout the land. In so doing, we remove ourselves from God’s blessing and protection. It’s not that God sends the catastrophes that come upon us, but rather, that we remove ourselves from his protection and blessings, and as a consequence we reap the natural consequences of going against God’s will.

The same principle applies to individuals—if we reject God and go against his will—we will remove ourselves from God’s blessings and protection and will reap the natural consequences of our sinful behaviors.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, thank you that all of your laws, rules and principles are for my safety, protection and well-being. Please help me always to live in harmony with all of your ways and, in so doing, reap the rewards of your blessing on my life. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus name, amen.”

1. Exodus 8:32 (NIV).

2. Exodus 9:12 (NIV).

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Is Tithing Still Valid Today?

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Jesus said, “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth [a tithe] of your spices—mint, dill and cummin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former.”1

Here Jesus is confirming that tithing is still as valid in New Testament times as it was in Old Testament days.

“For a number of years, The Barna Group (research specialists) has been following the practice of ‘tithing,’ which is donating at least ten percent of one’s income. While Christians dispute whether tithing refers to giving the entire ten percent to churches or whether that sum may include money donated to churches and other non-profit entities, the survey data reveal that no matter how it is defined, very few Americans tithed in 2004. Only 4% gave such an amount to churches alone; just 6% gave to either churches or to a combination of churches and para church ministries.”2

If every Christian tithed his or her income and “invested” it wisely in God’s work, all of God’s work on earth would be done. In addition to new churches being established, the starving would be fed, the cold would be dressed warmly, the oppressed would be cared for, the homeless would be sheltered, orphans would be nurtured, and every person on earth would be presented with the gospel. All of these things are a vital part of God’s will being “done on earth.”3

And how does God say (not suggest) his work on earth should be financed? By every Christian giving at least a tithe of his or her income and donating it for God’s work—for God’s work, that is, not for building religious empires or to churches or religious organizations that do not faithfully proclaim the whole counsel and/or Word of God.

Think of it. Only six out of every 100 Christians—American Christians that is—tithed their income to help with God’s work on earth. That’s only 60 out of every 1,000. Certainly many families are struggling, some people are out of work, and many single parents are scraping to get by, but not 940 out of every 1,000 Christians, and we are among the wealthiest people on earth. Unbelievable! Could this be one reason why we are experiencing such a moral decline and national decay?

Our pocketbook is an indicator of where our heart and priorities are,4 whether we are givers or takers, whether we acknowledge the fact that it is “God who gives the ability to produce wealth,”5 and whether we are grateful or otherwise for all that God has done for us, not the least of which being what Jesus did by coming to earth as a man to die on the cross in our place to give us a full and free pardon and a home in heaven for all eternity.

If you are not a tither, I urge you to become one today and start tithing with your very next paycheck. As Winston Churchill said, “We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give.” Also, what we give is a reflection of the depth of our gratitude for all the incredible blessings we receive and have received from God.

Remember, too, that when tithing to further God’s work on earth, there is a promise of blessing from God. His Word says, “Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in my Temple. If you do,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, “I will open the windows of heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing so great you won’t have enough room to take it in! Try it! Put me to the test!”6

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, in gratitude for all you have done for me in giving your very life to save me for all eternity, I make a commitment today that as long as I am earning an income, I will tithe at least ten percent of all that I make—starting this week. Please direct me to place my tithe and offerings in ministry/ies that are truly doing your work on earth. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. Matthew 23:23 (NIV).

2. The Barna Update, April 24, 2005. www.barna.org.

3. See James 1:27.

4. Matthew 6:20-21.

5. Deuteronomy 8:18.

6. Malachi 3:10 (NLT).

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Warning Notice Ignored

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“Then he brought them out and asked, ‘Sirs, what must I do to be saved?’ They replied, ‘Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, along with everyone in your household.’”1

In July of last year, three young tourists when visiting Yosemite National Park were swept over the 317-foot Vernal Fall. One of the tourists, a young woman, was no doubt drawn by the alluring beauty of the raging waterfall and the fast moving Merced River below after a record winter snowfall. Tragically she slipped on a rock above the falls. Two friends reached out to rescue her and the trio was swept over the edge.

At the bottom of the trail leading to the Vernal Falls there is a sign warning about the fast moving water. Also, when entering the Yosemite Park, visitors are given a news paper warning about water hazards and to stay away from fast moving water.

Furthermore, at the top of the Vernal Fall there is a guard railing and a metal safety barricade marked with a warning. Tragically the victims of this tragedy ignored all the warning signs, climbed over the barricade, and fell to a horrific death.2

How foolish we say, and yet, I wonder how many warnings in life we ignore. The greatest tragedy of all is when we ignore all the warnings in God’s Word, the Bible—and especially so if we ignore God’s warnings about life after death.

For example God’s Word reminds us that “It is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment [of God].”3

Furthermore, as God said to the nation of Israel, the same applies to every one of us: “Therefore thus will I do to you, O Israel … prepare to meet your God.”4

And to Christians: “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.”5 Yes, this word is for Christians. We will not be judged for our sins because Jesus paid that judgment price on the cross for us when he died in our place. But we will be judged on the basis of how faithfully we have served God since we became Christians—and be rewarded accordingly.

Again, in the words of Jesus: “And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.”6

Whatever you do, do not be like the tourists who disregarded all the warning signs in the Yosemite National Park and fell to a horrific death, and disregard God’s repeated warnings, and ignore God’s only remedy to assure us from a lost and hopeless eternity in hell—which is to “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved.”1

For help 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, please open the eyes of my understanding so that I will clearly see all your warnings in your Word, and give me the wisdom to accept your gift of forgiveness for all my sins and with this the gift of eternal life to be with you in heaven forever. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. Acts 16:30-31 (NLT).

2. http://tinyurl.com/3oea8tl

3. Hebrews 9:27 (NKJV).

4. Amos 4:12 (NKJV).

5. 2 Corinthians 5:10 (NKJV).

6. Matthew 10:28 (NKJV).

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Facts Versus Feelings

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“If you want favor with both God and man, and a reputation for good judgment and common sense, then trust the Lord completely; don’t ever trust yourself. In everything you do, put God first, and he will direct you and crown your efforts with success.”1

Old habits and old beliefs die hard. For centuries people believed Aristotle’s opinion that the heavier an object was, the faster it would fall to earth.

According to a report I read, in 1589 Galileo challenged Aristotle’s teaching. He invited learned professors to the base of the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Galileo went to the top of the tower and pushed off a ten-pound and a one-pound weight. Both landed at the same instant, but the professors still wouldn’t believe what they saw. They insisted Aristotle was right.

Once again, here is another case of people believing what they want to believe. It’s like the old saying, “Don’t confuse me with the facts, my mind’s made up.”

Some of us avoid facing facts because they’re too threatening. Others of us don’t face reality because it’s not in sync with our feelings. I’m a great believer in acknowledging feelings but I can’t always trust my interpretation of them. There are times I just need to face the facts, grit my teeth, and do what the Bible says I should or shouldn’t do regardless of my feelings. It is much wiser to trust God’s Word rather than my feelings.

How foolish it would be to be driving on a highway and disregard a major warning “danger ahead” sign because we don’t feel the sign is correct. Maturity recognizes one’s feelings, checks them out for reality, and doesn’t allow them to control him or her. When it comes to life, if our feelings don’t harmonize with God’s Word, we’d better follow God’s Word rather than make our feelings the voice of authority, which can be a very dangerous path to follow, especially when it comes to eternal life and eternal values.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, help me to always be aware of my feelings, acknowledge and accept them, express them appropriately whenever necessary, but never allow them to control me blindly. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. Proverbs 3:5-6 (TLB)(NLT).

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Dogged Persistence

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“It is God himself in his mercy, who has given us this wonderful work [of telling his Good News to others], and so we never give up.”1

I once read about a man who loved to hunt, and bought two topnotch bird dogs. He kept and trained them in his large back yard.

Down the street lived a vicious-looking bulldog who liked to crawl under the fence to attack the two setters. Day after day he would come, and the two setters would tear the bulldog apart, until he could take no more and slip away with his tail between his legs.

But, each day, for weeks, he kept returning. And each day would go home whining in pain, licking his wounds.

After several weeks something interesting happened. The setters had only to hear the bulldog coming and quickly scurried into the basement of their owner’s home. They had had enough, even though they had beaten the stuffing out of the pesky bulldog time and time and time again.

The bulldog’s dogged persistence made him the winner. Determination, persistence, hanging in when others check out—that’s what makes a winner a winner.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, help me to give up on and let go of those things in my life that are not in harmony with your will, and to never give up on those things that are. And give me the wisdom to know the difference. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus’ name.”

1. 2 Corinthians 4:1 (TLB)(NLT).

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