Monthly Archives: June 2012

The Power of a Father’s Influence

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Wishing all fathers a very Happy and God blessed Father’s Day

“Fathers, do not exasperate [provoke to anger] your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.”1

Many years ago a small Jewish boy asked his father, “Why must we surrender our Jewish faith and start to attend Lutheran services here in Germany?”

The father replied, “Son, we must abandon our faith so that people will accept us and support our business adventures!”

The young lad never got over his disappointment and bitterness. His faith in his father and in his religion were crushed. When the lad left Germany he went to England to study at the British Museum where he formed his philosophies for life. From those intensive investigations he wrote a book that changed the world called, The Communist Manifesto.

From that book one-third of the world fell under the spell of Marxist-Leninist ideology. The name of that little boy was Karl Marx. He influenced billions into a stream that for 70 years ruined, imprisoned and confused many lives. Today, that system of thinking is crumbling, but only after people got a good look at its tragic consequences. The influence of this father’s hypocrisy multiplied in infamy. Without godly faith, all of us are subject to distortions in our perspectives.2

As Pope John XXIII said, “It is easier for a father to have children than for children to have a real father.”

On the positive side of the coin, however, Mario Cuomo, the famous former Italian governor of New York, said, “I watched a small man with thick calluses on both hands work fifteen and sixteen hours a day. I saw him once literally bleed from the bottoms of his feet, a man who came here uneducated, alone, unable to speak the language, who taught me all I needed to know about faith and hard work by the simple eloquence of his example.”

Jim Valvano said, “My father gave me the greatest gift anyone could give another person, he believed in me.”

Speaking personally, my father had his struggles, was misunderstood by many (including myself), but he gave me what I believe was the greatest gift any child could ever receive—he took me to a church where I learned about God and His plan of eternal salvation through Jesus Christ my Lord.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, as a father [parent] please help me to so live that my children, seeing the example I set in following your ways and modeling what a real Christian should be, will want to follow my example to follow you. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. Ephesians 6:4 (NIV).

2. Paul J. Fritz. Cited on http://www.bible.org/illus.asp?topic_id=2

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Square Watermelons

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“Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”1

Albert Lee writes, “I have read how farmers in Zentsuji, Japan, are producing full-grown watermelons for shipment—only these are no ordinary melons, they’re square!

“They were placed in tempered-glass cubes while they were still growing. Why would anyone want a square watermelon? They’re much easier to store in a refrigerator. They’re a whole lot easier to pack too.

“It’s amusing to think of how a naturally round watermelon can become square because of the shape of the container in which it’s grown. This reminds me of the forces in the world that exert their influence on us, and attempt to shape us. If we meditate on God’s Word daily, it will shape our thoughts and help us grow to become more like Christ. Then we will act in a manner that pleases him. Pressures of the world will continue to try to shape our character, but they will not succeed if God’s Word is changing us from within.”2

And if we neglect our spiritual life, get carried away with materialism, feed our minds on mindless TV, run with the wrong crowd, and forget God then these things will shape our lives—not only for time but also for eternity.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, give me the good sense to live with eternal values in mind and choose wisely in what I allow to shape my life. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. Romans 12:2 (NIV).

2. By Albert Lee, cited on KneEmail. To subscribe send a blank message to: kneemail-subscribe@welovegod.org.

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Everybody Isn’t Doing It

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The well-know biblical prophet, Elijah, once said to God, “The Israelites have rejected your covenant, broken down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.”1

On one occasion the prophet Elijah was convinced that everybody in Israel except him had turned from God and that he was the only one who hadn’t. God reminded him that there were seven thousand others in Israel who weren’t rejecting him.

A common excuse that many use to do as they please is the claim that everybody’s doing it. The fact is that not everybody is cheating on their taxes or on their spouses. Not everybody is getting drunk or stealing from their place of employment, either.

Many may be doing these things but the statement that everybody is, simply isn’t true. Even if it were, would that make it right? Of course not. If everybody walked into a fire, would you or I do the same? Or, like the proverbial lemmings who blindly follow their leader over a cliff, would you or I do the same? Hardly.

God didn’t give us the Ten Commandments to kill our fun, but to protect us. There is a valid reason for every one of them. In breaking any we harm ourselves or somebody else. Stealing, for example, isn’t wrong because one of the Ten Commandments says, “Thou shall not steal.” It’s wrong because it is damaging to the one who steals and hurtful to the victim. That’s why “Thou shall not steal’ is one of the Commandments and why it’s very wise to obey it and every other one of God’s directives even if everybody else isn’t.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, help me to realize that all of your commandments are there for the good of all, including myself and my loved ones. Give me the courage to do right even if all around me aren’t and regardless of how I feel. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. 1 Kings 19:10 (NIV).

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When to Speak Up and When to Shut Up

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In the Bible the Apostle Paul wrote, “When Peter came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he was in the wrong.”1

People have asked, “When we speak out against others we believe are in the wrong, are we being judgmental?” This is a good question to ask and a lot harder to know the right answer. However, remember that on more than one occasion Jesus condemned the religious Pharisees for their hypocrisy. Also, the Apostle Paul rebuked Peter when he felt he was in the wrong.

So when is it right for us to speak out and when do we need to keep silent? How do we know we aren’t projecting our own unresolved issues onto other people? Or when someone attacks us personally, when do we need to turn the other cheek, and when do we need to stand up and confront? Or when we see wrong in society, business, or politics, should we speak out or should we look the other way and say nothing?

When people attacked Jesus personally and accused him falsely, he remained silent and was totally non-defensive because he had nothing to hide. However, when people misused the house of God and used people for their own ends, or tried to hide their hypocrisy behind a facade of false religion, or loved their man-made rigid rules more than they loved people, Jesus spoke out against them in no uncertain terms.

The bottom line is motive. Jesus always did what he did because he loved God and he loved people. He attacked evil head-on because it was so destructive of those whom he loved—us! Furthermore, Jesus always spoke with authority but was never authoritarian, rigid, controlling, or manipulative because he had nothing in his own life he needed to hide.

What we need to do if we are going to make a difference in our society is, first of all, to acknowledge our own shortcomings and, with God’s help, work at overcoming these. Second, we need to love the things God loves and hate the things he hates and speak out against these as Jesus did. These are the things we need to be angry at too. We simply cannot love righteousness without hating and opposing unrighteousness.

Meekness is not weakness and let us not forget the words of Edmund Burke who said, “All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.”

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, please continue to purify my motives and give me the insight to know when to keep silent, when to be non-defensive, and give me the courage to speak out against evil when I see it. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. Galatians 2:11 (NIV).

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Confessing the Wrong Sin

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“Truthful lips endure forever, but a lying tongue lasts only a moment.”1

Years ago I remember reading a simple but profound statement that Cecil Osborne made. He said, “When we are hiding a deeper sin or fault we tend to confess a lesser sin all the more vigorously.”

For instance, an old friend had been trying to overcome his smoking habit for twenty years without success. He had been judged for this by folk in his church for as many years. He had also confessed his problem endlessly and prayed for deliverance, but no matter what he did, he just couldn’t beat the habit.

When he shared his struggle with me I simply asked him, “Why do you need to smoke?”

He looked at me with a blank look as if to say, “Are you crazy, what are you talking about? I don’t need this problem.”

He then mumbled a few incoherent words, turned around and walked away. He died a few years later of cancer!

My friend’s smoking wasn’t the real problem. It was the fruit of a deeper root. He was confessing the wrong sin. True, his addiction to tobacco was a problem that needed to be resolved, but it was the symptom of a deeper problem that, it seems, he didn’t want to look at, confront and deal with.

The same is true of all addictive behaviors and many of our negative and sinful actions. We need to be ruthlessly honest with ourselves, to at least one safe person who won’t judge or put us down, and to God, and admit and confess not only the symptoms, but also the causes behind them. We may need to ask God to give us the courage to face these causes and lead us to the help, support, and recovery we need to overcome. This is the kind of praying that God hears and answers.

As his Word, the Bible, says, “The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.”2

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, please give me the courage to face, see and resolve any and all causes behind any symptoms in my life—whether they be behavioral, physical, emotional or spiritual. Help me to find a safe, trusted friend to confess these to. And lead me to the help I need to overcome. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. Proverbs 12:19 (NIV).

2. Psalm 145:18 (NIV).

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Letting Go

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“He who conceals his sins does not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy.”1

One lady I know has a grown alcoholic daughter in her mid thirties who still lives at home. When the daughter goes out and is too drunk to drive home, guess who goes and picks her up? And when she’s too drunk to go to work and can’t make her car payments, guess who makes the payments for her? You’re right. It’s her mother. So, which of the two is the sickest?

As long as mother keeps rescuing her daughter, the daughter has no need to face her problem and deal with it. Mother is the enabler and is a part of the sickness. Counselors tell us that for every alcoholic there are four co-alcoholic or codependent enablers. These people short-circuit the natural consequences of somebody else’s negative and self-destructive behavior.

As difficult as it may seem, there comes a time, after nothing else has worked, when the enabler needs to let go, stop all rescuing of the problem person, and let them crash. Scary? Yes, but absolutely essential if the person has any hope of recovery.

As a general rule, it’s only when people with major problems hit bottom, that they are likely to come out of denial, admit what they are, and do something about getting into recovery. There’s no guarantee that they will do this, but if we don’t stop rescuing them, it is a surefire guarantee that they will NOT get into recovery. They have no need to. The prodigal son, about whom Jesus taught, came to his senses only when he hit rock bottom. The father let go of him so he could do this. God lets us hit rock bottom, too, so we will come to our senses and turn to him for help.

Is there someone in your life you need to let go of and trust them to God? This won’t be the most popular thing you can do (to put it mildly), but it is the most loving thing.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, please help me to support people who are genuinely in need, but not rescue people from the consequences of their self-destructive behaviors. Give me the wisdom to know what I need to do and the courage to do it. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. Proverbs 28:13 (NIV).

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What If There Is a Heaven? Part III

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“According to the Lord’s own word … the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.”1

Regarding heaven, we have been given evidence from those who have had near-death experiences and what they witnessed, the testimonials of the last words of famous people including those of non-believers, and the experience of a very close friend as he departed this life. All of these are very interesting, but the final point is the most powerful evidence of all as to whether there is a heaven or not.

Fourth, we have evidence from Jesus Christ himself and the whole of God’s Word, the Bible. Speaking about heaven Jesus said, “Don’t let your hearts be troubled. In my Father’s house are many mansions. I am going there to prepare a place for you, and if I go, I will come back to take you there to be with me forever.”2 While ministering here on earth, Jesus repeatedly made mention of heaven so it was clearly evident that Jesus believed in both heaven and hell.

Furthermore, according to one Bible scholar, there are 1,845 references to Christ’s coming back to earth that are recorded in the Old Testament and 318 in the New Testament. There are many more references about heaven and hell. And as Jesus said, he is right now preparing heaven for all Christians and will, when everything is ready, return to take them to be with him forever.

Nobody can prove that there is a heaven or a hell. Neither can anybody prove there isn’t. The evidence, however, confirms that there are both, and I know which side I’d rather be on. If I believe, I have nothing to lose and everything to gain. But if I don’t believe, I have everything to lose and nothing to gain.

The choice to believe or not to believe is each individual’s decision. For those who choose to believe, the key issue is to be sure that you are prepared for heaven and ready to meet God face to face. You do that, first, by believing that when Jesus died on the cross 2,000 years ago, he died to pay the ransom price for your sins; second, by confessing your sins to God; and third, by responding to Christ’s call to accept him into your heart and life as personal Lord and Savior.

The wonderful thing is that God’s invitation to heaven is open to everyone. As God’s Word, the Bible, says, “Whoever will may come.”3

If you have not already done so, will you accept God’s invitation to come to him by confessing that you are a sinner in need of forgiveness and by accepting Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior? Today? For help to make absolutely sure you are ready for heaven be sure to read the article, “How to Be Sure You’re a Real Christian (without having to be religious)” at: www.actsweb.org/christian. Receiving Jesus as your Savior is your Passport into Heaven. Whatever you do, don’t leave earth without it.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, thank you again for your promise of heaven for all who believe in you and have accepted Jesus as their Savior. I believe that Jesus died on the cross for my sins. I confess that I am a sinner and ask you, Lord Jesus, to forgive me for all my sins, and come into my heart and life and be my Lord and Savior. Thank you for hearing my prayer, for forgiving all my sins, and for your promise of a home in heaven. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17 (NIV).

2. John 14:1-3.

3. Revelation 22:17.

NOTE: I repeat: to make absolutely sure you are ready for heaven read the article, “How to Be Sure You’re a Real Christian (without having to be religious)” at: www.actsweb.org/christian.

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What If There Is a Heaven? Part II

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“Now we know that if the earthly tent [our human body] we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands.”1

In continuing our series on heaven we have the evidence from the testimonials of famous people who shared their last words. For example, it is reported that Professor J.H. Huxley, the famous agnostic, as he lay dying suddenly looked up at some sight invisible to mortal eyes, and staring awhile, whispered at last, “So it is true.”

Sir Francis Newport, head of the English Infidel Club, said to those gathered around his death bed, “Do not tell me there is no God for I know there is one, and that I am in his angry presence! You need not tell me there is no hell, for I already feel my soul slipping into its fires! Wretches, cease your idle talk about there being hope for me! I know that I am lost forever.”

Dwight L. Moody, the famous Christian preacher, awakening from sleep shortly before he died had just the opposite to say: “Earth recedes. Heaven opens before me. If this is death, it is sweet! There is no valley here. God is calling me, and I must go.”

“No, no, Father,” said Moody’s son, “you are dreaming.” “I am not dreaming,” replied Moody. “I have been within the gates. I have seen the children’s faces.” His last words were, “This is my triumph; this is my coronation day! It is glorious!”

Thomas Edison, the great scientific genius who was not given to idle words, in his dying moments, said to his wife and doctor, “It is beautiful over there.”

Third, we have evidence from the experience of someone close to us. One of my best friends had cancer and passed away at age forty-four. As Graham’s end neared, with arms outstretched and lifted heavenward, he graphically described to me how he longed to meet God.

The day before Graham died he went into a coma. Jenny, his wife, was with him. Jenny reported to me that while still in the coma, though gravely weakened in body, without any warning Graham seemed strangely energized as he suddenly sat bolt upright in bed and, turning his face heavenward, reached up with open arms as if being greeted by someone only he could see. A moment later his body slumped back lifeless. Graham was gone. Jenny also said, “Immediately following, a great sense of peace and divine presence filled the entire house.”

Graham was a committed Christian. He had accepted Jesus Christ as his personal Lord and Savior. He knew where he was going after this life, and died triumphantly.

How different compared to the experience I had with Rosemary who also died of cancer. I was asked to visit her in the hospital. As far as I know Rosemary was not a Christian and was terrified of dying. She sat in a chair night and day, refusing to lie down for fear she would go to sleep and never wake up again.

It was difficult to communicate with her because she kept going in and out of consciousness. We just held her hand and repeated, “God loves you, Rosemary, God loves you.”

“When she brightens a little,” I said to her friend, “send for me and I’ll come right back.”

But Rosemary never brightened. Two days later she died terrified. I can’t think of anything more tragic than to leave earth to go into a lost eternity when there is absolutely no need to. To make sure you don’t do this, be sure to read the article, “How to Be Sure You’re a Real Christian (without having to be religious)” at: www.actsweb.org/christian.

To be concluded …

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, thank you that you have made it possible through the death and resurrection of your Son, Jesus, for all my sins to be forgiven so I can spend eternity with you in heaven. Help me to make sure that I am prepared to meet you face to face when I die. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. 2 Corinthians 5:1 (NIV).

NOTE: Again, to make absolutely sure you are ready for heaven read the article, “How to Be Sure You’re a Real Christian (without having to be religious)” at: www.actsweb.org/christian.

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What If There Is a Heaven? Part I

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“Men of Galilee,” they [the angels at the time of Christ's return to heaven after his death and resurrection] said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”1

Dr. Maurice Rawlings, formerly a cardiologist and professor of medicine at the University of Tennessee College of Medicine in Chattanooga, and his colleagues constantly treated emergency patients, many of whom had near-death experiences. A study of these cases by Dr. Rawlings was reported in Omni magazine.

It is no longer unusual to hear about people who have almost died who speak of seeing a bright light, lush green meadows, rows of smiling relatives and experiencing a deep sense of peace. However, Dr. Rawlings obtains additional information from his patients by interviewing them immediately following resuscitation while they are very much in touch with their experience. Dr. Rawlings says that nearly 50 percent of the 300 people that he has interviewed have reported lakes of fire, devil-like figures and other sights reflecting the darkness of hell. Rawlings says that these people later change their story because they don’t want to admit where they’ve been, not even to their families.

“Just listening to these patients has changed my whole life,” claims Dr. Rawlings. “There is a life after death, and if I don’t know where I’m going, it’s not safe to die.”

But do these experiences prove that there is a heaven or a hell?

We don’t really know because these particular people didn’t quite make it to the other side. Even if they did and came back, we probably wouldn’t believe them because most of us tend to believe only what we have seen or experienced for ourselves. Furthermore, we tend to see and believe only what we want to see and believe—often in spite of the evidence.

One can only present what evidence there is, and then it is up to each individual to either accept or reject that evidence. And what evidence do we have as to whether there is a heaven and a hell or life after death?

First, there is the evidence from scores of cases mentioned by Dr. Rawlings and others who have written about near-death experiences and explained what they saw and experienced.

Second, we have the evidence from the testimonials of famous people who gave us their last words.

To be continued …

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, thank you that when Jesus returned to heaven after his death on the cross and resurrection, you sent your angels to assure his disciples and followers that Jesus would return to earth to take all of his true followers to be with him in heaven forever. Thank you for your wonderful promise that heaven is a reality for all who truly believe in you and have accepted Jesus as their Savior. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. Acts 1:11 (NIV).

NOTE: To make absolutely sure you are ready for heaven read the article, “How to Be Sure You’re a Real Christian (without having to be religious)” at: www.actsweb.org/christian.

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Discovering the Will of God for Your Life

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“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”1

A Daily Encounter subscriber asks, “I am always wondering if I am doing God’s will. How can I know if I am going in the direction God wants me to go?”

The will of God has two aspects. First, as committed followers of Jesus Christ it involves our manner of living; that is, are all our actions in harmony with the will of God, the standards of which are clearly spelled out in the Bible, the Word of God. And as today’s Scripture points out, this involves living a life of purity; not allowing our life to be shaped by the attitudes and behaviors of those who have no regard for the ways of God; and always disciplining our thinking; for what the mind dwells on the body acts on.

Second, the will of God also includes how we serve God; that is, we need to know what our gifts and talents are; get the best training we can to sharpen these gifts and talents; and use these in a practical way to help others—keeping in mind that we serve God by serving and helping others, and communicating his love and message of salvation to them.

Another subscriber asks, “As the Apostle Paul was called of God to be an apostle,2 how would I know if God wants me to serve him as a teaching or medical missionary, a pastor, a chaplain or other form of what is commonly called “fulltime” Christian ministry? As a young man I struggled with this question for several years. The advice I received from my pastor didn’t help. He told me, “If God is calling you into fulltime ministry, you better get into it. If he isn’t calling you, you’d better keep out of it.” The most helpful piece of advice I received was from Oswald Chambers in his book, My Utmost for His Highest. Chambers wrote, “The call of God is like the call of the sea to the sailor. Only he who has the nature of the sea within can hear that call.” That is, a person who is “born or called” to be a sailor will never rest until he launches out to sea. It’s the same with the call of God. If God is calling you to Christian service (which doesn’t have to be fulltime), you will never rest until you launch or step out to do what God has put into your heart to do. I can personally verify this statement.

Furthermore, doing God’s will—overall—is doing that which we find fulfilling. As Jesus said, I delight to do Your will, O my God, And Your law is within my heart.”3

Furthermore, every morning I pray and commit and trust my life and way to God and trust him to guide me in the way that he would have me go. I’ve been doing this from my youth and, as I look back, I can see clearly how God has led me—even through my down times. I encourage you to also commit and trust your life and way to God every morning and God will lead you too.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, thank you that you have a plan and purpose for my life and are calling me to do what you have gifted me to do. Help me to know what my gifts are, get the training I need to sharpen these gifts, and consistently use these to serve you by ministering in some way to others. I commit and trust my life and way to you and trust you to guide me in the way that you would have me to go. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. Romans 12:1-2 (NKJV).

2. Romans 1:1 (KJV).

3. Psalm 40:8 (NKJV).

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