Monthly Archives: April 2012

True Beauty

Leave a comment

“But the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.’”1

On a lighter note, I believe it was Charles Colson who expressed a simple but profound tongue-in-cheek truth when he shared, “Nobody will ever win the battle of the sexes. There’s too much fraternizing with the enemy.”

In Western culture (at least) tremendous emphasis is placed on physical beauty. There’s nothing wrong with being beautiful and keeping ourselves attractive, but if that’s what controls our life and is a cover-up for insecurity, we will be left very empty inside—and even more so as the years take their toll on our body.

Sophia Loren says that “beauty is how you feel inside, and it reflects in your eyes. It is not something physical.” Sure that was easy for Sophia to say with her incredible physical beauty, but what she said was true. Better said, it would be, “True beauty is what you are inside.” If we are only loved for our physical beauty, we will never feel truly loved because that is not the real person.

As Saint Exupery said, “It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.”

Ralph Waldo Emerson put it this way, “Though we search the world over for the beautiful, we find it within or we find it not.”

Furthermore we can only ever be loved to the degree that we are known—and that has nothing to do with our external appearance, but all to do with our inner being.

According to God’s Word, “Charm can be deceptive and beauty doesn’t last, but a woman [or man] who fears and reverences God shall be greatly praised.”2

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, please help me to be a beautiful person on the inside and so live that the beauty and love of Jesus will show and shine through me. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. 1 Samuel 16:7 (NIV).

2. Proverbs 31:30 (TLB)(NLT).

<:))))><

The Why of Materialism

Leave a comment

“Then he [Jesus] said to them, ‘Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.’”1

Here in the West, at least, we have the greatest wealth, comforts, conveniences, and material possessions of any people anywhere in the world … and at the same time we are plagued by stress, anxiety, depression, impaired relationships, and the breakdown of the family. You’d think we’d get it that material possessions, while they may bring fun for a while, don’t bring any kind of lasting happiness or fulfillment. For many of us the more we get the more we want.

So why are we so materialistic? One major reason is because we are so repressed; that is, emotionally repressed.

“And what do you mean by that?” I can hear some readers saying.

It’s because when we don’t have that which is real, we exchange it for the false; that is, we settle for a poor substitute. For example, when fear is repressed it can express itself as anger or in phobias. Instead of feeling my fear, I lash out in anger. Or instead of facing my fear within, I project it onto the spider on the wall or some other irrational object or circumstance. By blaming my fear on an external object I avoid having to face it within.

Also when the emotion of love is repressed, it may express itself in an insatiable thirst for approval or as lust. Both of these may feel like love but they aren’t love. And while at first they may bring some “pleasure” for the moment, they leave the person empty and unsatisfied, and hungering for more approval or more sexual exploits. This in turn increases their feeling of emptiness, and their “searching for love in all the wrong ways and places” becomes a never-ending vicious cycle. Wanting more and more … and being satisfied less and less.

What about the emotion of wonder? Wonder is the emotion that when we see a beautiful sunset, walk along a sandy beach, stand on top of a high mountain and view the splendor below, feel the grasp of a baby’s tiny hand, etc., etc., we experience an overwhelming sense of awe and hopefully marvel at God’s creation. When wonder is repressed, not only do we not feel this great sense of awe, but are characteristically bored with life, and end up unhappily loving things and using people instead of loving people and using things. That’s materialism. I’m not saying that we shouldn’t have nice possessions. Not at all. But when our life is driven and controlled by a never-ending desire for more money to buy more things to get more possessions, that’s materialism at its core, and is a sure-fire symptom of an empty, repressed life and an equally empty society.

If we are going to overcome the problem of materialism, it is imperative that we get in touch with all of our God-given emotions and use them as God intended. This, by the way, is a vital part of being made whole and being in touch with one’s “whole” or entire self. Keep in mind, too, that when we repress our emotions our stomach keeps score and can, and often does, lead to stress, sickness, depression, impaired relationships and spiritual dryness.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, knowing that you desire ‘truth in the innermost being’ please help me to get in touch with all of my God-given emotions, and never bury, deny or repress them, but use them as you designed. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. Luke 12:15 (NIV).

<:))))><

Bear One Another’s Burdens

Leave a comment

“Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted. Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.”1

It was a very hot summer day when Herman Trueblood was walking home from a cool dip in the ocean when he noticed a man perspiring profusely as he was trying with the help of his two young sons to push his broken-down car up an incline.

Trueblood looked at the struggling trio and said to himself, “Here is an opportunity for service. You ought to give them a hand.” An opposing voice within chimed in, “No, It’s none of your business. You’ll get yourself all hot and dirty. Let them take care of their own responsibility.”

Eventually he yielded to the better impulse, put his shoulder to the task and all working together pushed the car over the incline and on its way.

Before they took off, the father, putting his hand out to Trueblood, said, “I’m very glad that you came along. You had just enough strength, added to ours, to make the thing go.”

Trueblood noted, “Years have passed since that hot day, but I can still hear that man saying, ‘You had just enough strength, added to ours, to make the thing go.’”

There are numerous people around us who are barely making it over their private hill of despair when, with a helping hand, they could make it.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, please use me to be a helping hand to a friend in need who just can’t make it alone. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. Galatians 6:2 (NIV).

<:))))><

Approval Versus Affirmation

Leave a comment

“I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness.”1

I recall exactly where I was standing some years ago when an extremely simple, yet profound truth suddenly dawned on me as I said to myself, “The reason I felt empty inside is because I am.”

Like thousands of other kids I grew up suffering from love-deprivation and for a big part of my life worked tirelessly to gain approval, not realizing that I was substituting this for the love I yearned for deep inside.

Approval can look very much like love. It can be given in love but it isn’t love, and when substituted for love it never satisfies.

Approval is based on what we do, but we need to feel loved and affirmed for who we are. Approval is a good thing when given and received for the right reasons, but when substituted for love it can become another addiction to anesthetize the pain of not feeling loved. It can be like a drug. The more we get, the less it satisfies, so the more we seek after it.

Affirmation is based on who we are apart from what we do. And only when we feel affirmed, can we get off the merry-go-round of doing all sorts of things to get approval.

More than anything else we need to know God the Heavenly Father’s love and affirmation at the very core of our being. This, I believe, is one of the greatest needs of every human heart, without which we may believe in God with our head but still feel disconnected from him in our heart.

And how can I know God the Father’s love and affirmation at the core of my being? First, by believing that God loves me because his Word says so and taking this by faith. Second, by sharing my total self over time (especially my dark side) with one or two safe, trusted friends who—knowing the real me—will love and accept me just as I am—warts and all. As they do this for me, little by little I come to love and accept myself in a healthy way and, in so doing, I feel affirmed and am able to open myself to accepting God the Father’s love, acceptance and affirmation through them.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, please give me a friend or two with whom I can be totally open and honest, friends who know me and will love me still, and through whom I can feel and know your love and affirmation at the very core of my being. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. Jeremiah 31:3 (NIV).

<:))))><

Lessons From Geese: A Reminder

Leave a comment

“There are different kinds of service in the church, but it is the same Lord we are serving. There are different ways God works in our lives, but it is the same God who does the work through all of us. A spiritual gift is given to each of us as a means of helping the entire church.”1

Fascinated by the conduct of flying geese, Dr. Robert McNeish, wrote “Lessons From Geese” for a sermon in his church in 1972. Demonstrating the power of a good idea, his essay spread and has become a classic statement of the importance of teamwork.

Fact: As each goose flaps its wings, it creates “uplift” for the birds that follow. By flying in a “V” formation, the whole flock adds 71 percent greater flying range than if each bird flew alone.

Lesson: People who share a common direction and sense of community can get where they are going more quickly and easily because they are traveling on the thrust of one another.

Fact: When the lead goose tires, it rotates back into formation and another goose flies to the point position.

Lesson: It pays to take turns doing the hard tasks and sharing leadership. As with geese, people are interdependent on one another’s skills, capabilities and unique arrangements of gifts, talents or resources.

Fact: The geese flying in formation honk to encourage those up front to keep up their speed.

Lesson: We need to make sure our honking is encouraging. In groups where there is encouragement, the production is much greater. The power of encouragement (to stand by one’s heart or core values and encourage the heart and core of others) is the quality of honking we seek.

Fact: When a goose gets sick, wounded or shot down, two geese drop out of formation and follow it to help and protect it. They stay with it until it dies or is able to fly again. Then they launch out with another formation or catch up with the flock.

Lesson: If we have as much sense as geese, we will stand by one another in difficult times as well as when we are strong.

Fact: When a goose falls out of formation, it suddenly feels the drag and resistance of flying alone. It quickly moves back into formation to take advantage of the lifting power of the bird immediately in front of it.

Lesson: If we have as much sense as a goose, we stay in formation with those headed where we want to go. We are willing to accept their help and give our help to others.2

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, please help me to know what my God-given gifts are, develop them, and use them to work in harmony with others to help do your work in your church here on earth. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. 1 Corinthians 12:5-7 (NTL).

2. Cited on Character Counts www.charactercounts.org. For verification of the author see research by Sue Widemark at: http://suewidemark.com/lessonsgeese.htm.

<:))))><

Come Unto Me

Leave a comment

“Come unto me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”1

I have read that one of Denmark’s leading sculptors had a consuming ambition to sculpt the greatest stature of Jesus Christ ever made. He began by painstakingly shaping a clay model of a triumphant, majestic figure. “This will be my masterpiece,” he stated on the day the model was completed.

However, during the night, a heavy fog rolled into the area and sea-spray seeped into the sculptor’s studio through a partially open window. In the morning, he was shocked to see his model. The droplets of moisture that had formed on the statue created the illusion of bleeding. The head had drooped. The facial expression had melted into compassion. The arms drooped and expressed welcome. The artist was horrified and was aghast at having to start all over again.

As he kept looking at his statue of the Savior, his thoughts began to take a different shape. He realized that this image of Christ was much closer to reality. He then wrote his caption and placed it under the figure: “Come unto me!”

Indeed, that is the call of Jesus to each of us today, “Come unto me.”

Suggested prayer: “Dear Jesus, ‘Just as I am without one plea / And that thy blood was shed for me / And that you bid me come to thee / O Lamb of God I come, I come.’ Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

NOTE: For further help click on the “Know God” button link below to read, “How to Be Sure You’re a Real Christian,” on https://learning.actsweb.org/christian.

1. Matthew 11:28-30 (NIV).

<:))))><

The God Who Hung on the Cross

Leave a comment

Jesus said, “But I, when I am lifted up from the earth [on the cross], will draw all men to myself.”1

“In their cruel march through Cambodia to destroy much of its infrastructure, the Khmer Rouge enslaved, killed, or otherwise caused the deaths of millions of Cambodians. When they reached one village, they forced everyone out of their huts and lined them up to dig a deep pit. The villagers realized they were digging their own mass grave. Anyone who tried to run or hide was shot on sight and dragged to the edge of the pit that was being dug. When the pit was finally finished, the soldiers ordered the people to turn and face the pit. As the people stood, helplessly awaiting their execution, they began to cry out in some desperate plea for help. Some screamed to Buddha, some to ancestors, to demon spirits, and some even for their mothers.

“Then one woman, drawing on the distant memory of something her mother told her, began to cry out to one she called ‘the God who hung on the cross.’ Surely this one who had suffered so himself might have compassion on those about to die. Soon, the screams around her became just one desperate wail—crying out to the God who hung on the cross. And then there was silence. As the people slowly turned, they realized the soldiers were gone. And ever since that day, they were, as the book says, ‘waiting for someone to come and tell them more. More about the God who hung on the cross.’”2

It was September of 1999 when a Cambodian pastor came to tell these people about Jesus and learned this story from an older woman who grabbed his hands and said, “We’ve been waiting for you for twenty years.”

It was Jesus Christ’s death on the cross that paid the ransom price for your sins and mine. Only through him can we ever come to God and be freely forgiven and given the gift of eternal life. If you have never done this, be sure to click on the “God’s Invitation” button link below, or on http://tinyurl.com/gods-invitation, to find out how to do this.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, how can I ever thank you enough for the cross of Christ, and for Jesus Christ who gave his life in my place so I could be freely forgiven and receive your gift of eternal life. Grant that my life and the way that I live it will be a thanksgiving offering to you for all that you have done for me. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

NOTE: See the article,

“Will the Dead Live Again?” at: http://tinyurl.com/alive007

1. John 12:32 (NIV).

2. From the book, The God Who Hung on the Cross, by Doris I. Rosser Jr. & Ellen Vaughn as told by Ron Hutchcraft. http://www.hutchcraft.com/

<:))))><

Who Killed Jesus?

Leave a comment

“He [Jesus Christ] was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.”1

Many readers would have seen the 2004 Mel Gibson movie, The Passion of the Christ. Many raved about it. Many sharply criticized it claiming that it blamed the Jews for crucifying Jesus and, as a result, would stir up renewed anti-Semitism. Others claimed that it was far too violent.

Yes, I saw the movie. Yes it is violent. And yes, it does appear that the Jews were responsible for the death of Jesus and yet it was the Romans that violently beat and crucified him.

No matter how violent or how brutal the physical torture of Christ, as gruesome as that was, no movie, no painting, no book, no article, or no sermon could ever depict the far greater suffering of the Christ when he, the holy and divine Son of God, took upon himself the sin of all mankind and who, while hanging on that cross, was forsaken by God the Heavenly Father. As humans we cannot even begin to imagine the depth of this pain and suffering that Jesus Christ endured to pay the penalty of our sins—and to save us from a lost eternity in hell.

The fact is that Jesus gave his life willingly. No Jew, Roman, or anyone else could take his life from him. He was the Son of God. He could have called on ten thousand angels to save him. But he didn’t because he was giving his life as a ransom for your sins and mine. The Jews of his day and the Romans were only the instruments of his torturous death. It was for your sins and mine that he gave his life and suffered such intense agony.

As God’s Word says, “But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.”

Because of Christ’s death for us, God now offers you and me a total pardon for all our sins and the gift of eternal life. So the crucial issue is NOT who killed the Christ, but have you accepted God’s full and free pardon and the gift of eternal life? To help you do this, be sure to click on the “Know God” button link below to read the article, “How to Be Sure You’re a Real Christian” or on https://learning.actsweb.org/christian.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, how can I ever thank you enough for giving your Son, the Christ, to die for my sins? And Lord Jesus how can I ever thank you enough for suffering such an agonizing death to pay the penalty for all my sins? Lord I believe. Have mercy on me, a sinner, and save me. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

NOTE: See the article, “Will the Dead Live Again?” at: http://tinyurl.com/alive007

Again—be sure to go to https://learning.actsweb.org/christian to read the article, “How to Be Sure You’re a Real Christian.”

1. Isaiah 53:3-5 (NIV).

<:))))><

Winning Over Worry Part III

Leave a comment

“The LORD is with me; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?”1

“Perfect love drives out fear,”2 wrote the Apostle John in the Bible. It is also true that unresolved fears have a way of blocking out love. So we need to ask God to help us overcome our fears so we can be filled with love. The more we love and trust God, the less we fear man and circumstances. Every day, visualize yourself opening up to God and being filled with his love, joy and forgiveness.

In 1929, business tycoon J.C. Penny was in the hospital because of his severe anxiety. One night he was sure he was going to die so he wrote farewell letters to his wife and son.

But he survived the night, and hearing singing the next morning in the chapel, felt drawn to go in. A group was singing, “God will take care of you,” after which followed Bible reading and prayer.

Penny said, “Suddenly something happened. I can’t explain it. It was a miracle. I felt as if I had been instantly lifted out of the darkness of a dungeon into warm brilliant sunlight. I felt as if I had been transported from hell to paradise. I felt the power of God as I had never felt it before.

“I realized then that I alone was responsible for all my troubles. I knew that God with his love was there to help me. From that day to this, my life has been free from worry. The most dramatic and glorious minutes of my life were those I spent in that chapel that morning.”3

The cause or causes of our anxiety and worry almost always lie within our self. At best they are triggered by outside circumstances. Only when we see and resolve these causes, are we free to fully surrender our worries and anxieties to God and experience his peace.

Whether this peace comes instantly or over a period of time doesn’t matter. The important truth to remember is that God is always there. His love and power are constant and available to all. As we reach out to him through the fog of our worry and damaged emotions, we discover that he is waiting to help us if only we will respond to his love and give him the chance. For help click on the “God’s Invitation” button link below, or on http://tinyurl.com/gods-invitation.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, I commit and trust my life and way to you and choose to trust you in all circumstances. Grant that my emotions will catch up with my choice to trust you. Help me to resolve all my fears that cause me to worry so I can be filled with your love, joy, and peace. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. Psalm 118:6 ( NIV).

2. 1 John 4:18 (NIV).

3. S.I. McMillen, None of These Diseases, (Westwood, N.J.: Fleming Revell Co., 1963), p.98.

<:))))><

Winning Over Worry Part II

Leave a comment

Jesus said, “Don’t worry about things—food, drink and clothes…. Don’t be anxious about tomorrow. God will take care of your tomorrow too. Live one day at a time.”1

The discovery of how worry and anxiety affect physical and emotional health was not made by our generation. It was three thousand years ago that the Bible pointed out that “a relaxed attitude lengthens a man’s life.”2 It was two thousand years ago when the Apostle Paul wrote, “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything; tell God your needs and don’t forget to thank him for his answers. If you do this you will experience God’s peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will keep your thoughts and hearts quiet and at rest as you trust in Christ Jesus.”3

However, it’s one thing to know about God’s peace and another thing to experience it. It begins with being able to see and admit our real fears, by facing and resolving them, and by learning to give them over to God—and not take them back.

The causes behind worry and anxiety can be many and varied. The following are some of the major ones with some helpful tips for winning over them.

First, if anxiety is situational—that is, caused by adverse circumstances or too much work, I find it helps to list all my responsibilities on paper. This is half the battle. I then eliminate the least important matters, work on the things I can do something about, and try to learn to accept the things I cannot change and to stop worrying about them.

Second. If the problem is repressed, pent-up feelings such as resentment, hurt or anger, those feelings need to be expressed in healthy ways. If you’re nursing a grudge, you will need to put things right with the other person concerned and forgive him or her.4 Negative feelings can be talked out with a trusted friend or counselor. Or, if it helps, go for a drive in your car with the windows closed and shout your feelings out, go to the bedroom and cry them out, or write them out as David often did in the Psalms. Just don’t bottle them up.

One night when I was worried and couldn’t sleep, I got up and typed a letter to God sharing all my feelings with him. Within a half-hour I had released my pent-up feelings. I then read them back to God, tore up the page, went back to bed, and fell asleep immediately.

Good, hard physical exercise is also helpful when you’re feeling worried or anxious.

Third, if your worry is caused by unmet emotional or spiritual needs, you can remedy this by growing in your relationship to God and other people—both of which are keys to vital, worry-free living. A spiritual growth group or a good twelve-step recovery program can be a big help for some. As you open up to other safe people and to God and feel their love and acceptance, you can slowly change feelings of fear, guilt, anger, inadequacy, anxiety, and worry for feelings of hope, confidence, peace, and love.

To be concluded…

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, when I am worried and anxious, if there are hidden causes behind these, please help me to see them and lead me to the help I need to resolve these issues at their root so I can fully trust in you and not be worried, anxious or afraid. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. Matthew 6:25, 34 (TLB)(NLT).

2. Proverbs 14:30 (TLB)(NLT).

3. Philippians 4:6-7 (TLB)(NLT).

4. See Matthew 5:23-24.

<:))))><