Monthly Archives: September 2012

Healing a Man’s Father Wound

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

In spite of what some women libbers, gay and lesbian would-be-parents, and mothers having children out of wedlock—to justify their actions—claim about fathers not being important for the development and well-being of children, the fact remains, God’s plan for parenthood and family life has never changed, and the significance of the role of fatherhood (as well as motherhood) cannot be underestimated.

“According to Dr. T. Berry Brazelton, a father’s involvement with a child increases the child’s IQ, the child’s motivation to learn, and the child’s self-confidence. In addition, children with involved dads are more likely to develop a sense of humor as well as an ‘inner excitement.’”2

Interesting too, that Dr. Frank Minirth reports how one “survey revealed how children are learning their values: 43 percent by parents, 38 percent by television, 8 percent by peers, and 6 percent by teachers.”3

Ask a hundred men how many felt close to and affirmed by their fathers and you will see about three or four hands raised. Herein lays the secret of so much of our relational and emotional distress. The father-wound that injured our masculine soul is because we never felt close to or loved by our father. And that wound desperately needs to be healed. (The same principle also applies to women who carry a deep father-wound.)

Speaking personally, from early childhood I started looking for love in the wrong places in a vain attempt to fill the empty vacuum caused by my emotionally absentee father. For example, for many years starting in my youth, I looked for love in the things I did, like making beautiful things including a dream home. Then I majored in words and wrote books and poems. I learned to move a group to tears, make them laugh hilariously and inspire them to reach for noble goals. I got lots of approval but none of these things ever made me feel loved.

Unfortunately, no mother, wife or any other woman can ever make a boy or a man love himself as a man. An attractive woman might make him feel terrific for a time, but she can’t make him feel loved or that he is a man no matter how attractive she might be. A man may even be intoxicated with passion when he meets a beautiful woman and may want to marry her. If he does, he may be in for a rude awakening. Not because of her, but because of him. When his passion subsides, he’ll be faced with the pain and reality of his own loneliness and emptiness.

And then to avoid facing his pain, he’ll look to another performance, climb another mountain, or seek another beautiful woman … and another … to prove to himself that he is a man. Or he’ll deaden the pain through alcohol, drugs or addictive behaviors and eventually ruin his health, get cancer, die of a heart attack, never get close to the ones he loves, or ruin those relationships. That is, he’ll keep acting out until he faces why he looks in the wrong places for the father-love (and/or mother-love) he never received as a child.

To fathers I trust today’s Daily Encounter will help you realize the importance of investing your very soul and becoming emotionally and spiritually involved in the lives of your children. And those of us who have a father-wound, let us stop our crazy ways of making attempts to deaden the pain of our inner emptiness, admit the real need of our heart and soul, and seek the help of God and a trusted counselor (if necessary) to find healing for our father-wound.

NOTE: For additional help, see the complete article, “Healing a Man’s Father Wound,” at http://tinyurl.com/father-wound.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, (for those of us who are parents—especially fathers) please help me to be the father you planned for me to be to my children. Help me always to be as Christ to them, and may they grow up knowing that they are very much loved by me as well as you. And (for all of us who have a deep father-wound), please help me to face my wound and lead me to the help I need for healing and recovery so that I may become the family man and man of God you planned for me to be. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. Ephesians 6:4 (NIV).

2. Source: Victor Parachin, “The Fine Art of Good Fathering,” Herald of Holiness, February 1995, pp. 32-33.

3. Dr. Frank Minirth, “Withstanding the Tides of Change,” Today’s Better Life, p. 52.

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Trials and Temptations

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“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”1

John Newton, the converted slave trader wrote the following poem, the title of which is, “I Asked the Lord That I Might Grow.”

I asked the Lord that I might grow

In faith, and love, and every grace;

Might more of His salvation know,

And seek, more earnestly, His face.

‘Twas He who taught me thus to pray,

And He, I trust, has answered prayer!

But it has been in such a way,

As almost drove me to despair.

I hoped that in some favored hour,

At once He’d answer my request;

And by His love’s constraining pow’r,

Subdue my sins, and give me rest.

Instead of this, He made me feel

The hidden evils of my heart;

And let the angry pow’rs of hell

Assault my soul in every part.

Yea more, with His own hand He seemed

Intent to aggravate my woe;

Crossed all the fair designs I schemed,

Blasted my gourds, and laid me low.

Lord, why is this, I trembling cried,

Wilt thou pursue thy worm to death?

“‘Tis in this way, the Lord replied,

I answer prayer for grace and faith.

These inward trials I employ,

From self, and pride, to set thee free;

And break thy schemes of earthly joy,

That thou may’st find thy all in Me.”2

As God’s Word also says, “Many are the afflictions of the righteous, But the Lord delivers him out of them all.”3

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, in every trial and difficult time I experience, please use it to help me grow and become the person you envision for me to be. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus’ name, amen.”

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

2. John Newton.

3. Psalm 34:19 (NKJV).

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How to Know If God Is Speaking to You

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“Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.”1

A Daily Encounter subscriber writes, “I just asked a friend why I was not able to reach her via her telephone. She told me that God had told her to separate herself from everyone—not to be in touch with anyone, even family, so she changed her home and cell phone numbers. Have you ever heard of anything like this? Or is she listening to the wrong spirit?”

Dear AB, “When people like this say that God has told them to do (or not to do) such and such, I always discredit it if it is contrary to what the Word of God teaches. What this person has said certainly appears to be contrary to God’s Word the Bible.”

Speaking personally, I never say that God has told me to do anything apart from what His Word has already said. If I sense that God may be leading me to do something, I always put it to the test to see if it is of God or of myself. People who have OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) tendencies can easily believe that their own compulsive thinking is from God. I like to remind myself that “where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty”2—never compulsions!

In one church where I was a deacon we had one deacon who claimed to have many “gifts of the Spirit.” In deacon meetings, when we had major issues to discuss, he would sometimes say, “The Lord has told me how it is to be.” On one of these occasions I said, “Because the Lord hasn’t told me how it should be, can we discuss the issue at hand.” On another occasion this same man came to my office and told me that God had told him that he was to work for me. I didn’t give him a job because he was not in any way qualified to do the work that we do!

Then there are those who want a special word from God to know what they are supposed to do when God’s Word has already made that very plain. For instance, I heard one lady say that she didn’t support evangelism because God didn’t tell her to do this. However, the fact is that Jesus has commissioned [told] EVERY Christian in his Word saying, “You are to go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone, everywhere.”3 For many things we don’t need any special word from God because he has already given that to us.

Yes, it is certainly true that God does lead and call people to undertake certain tasks and responsibilities, but if it is from God, it is always in harmony with what his Word teaches and never contrary to it. If we feel God is “speaking” to us or leading us, we need to “test the spirit” to see if it is of God. For instance, years ago I felt very strongly that God was leading me to write and do literature work, something I had never ambitioned to do. So as a test I started to write and guess what? That test was in 1968. It worked. I’ve been writing ever since.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, please help me to discern the difference between ‘a word from you’ and a word from myself or from any other source. Always face me with the truth in every such situation. And when the word or directive is from you, please give me the courage to step out and put it to the test. Furthermore, help me to always obey what is clearly written in your Word, the Bible. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. 1 John 4:1 (NKJV).

2. 2 Corinthians 3:17 (NKJV).

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

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September Eleven’s Clash of Civilizations

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Today we remember with great sadness and again extend our sincere and heart-felt condolences to all who lost loved ones on this tragic day in 2001. We also ask and answer the question as to why did this happen on September 11? There is a real reason….

A friend, a former professor from the University of Queensland in Brisbane Australia, was telling me how, back in the 1970s when Communism was the greatest threat to world peace, she heard a speaker who predicted that it wasn’t Communism we needed to fear for the future but Islam. Who would have ever believed that radical claim back then?

Some time ago Chuck Colson in his daily BreakPoint wrote, “In the mid-1990s Harvard professor Samuel Huntington predicted that the twenty-first century would see a great clash of civilizations between Islam and the West. Nobody paid much attention. After all, we had just defeated communism. There was peace in the world. All was well.

“Then came September 11, when we awoke to the fact that there are people out there who want to destroy us—not just defeat us, but annihilate us.”1

For radical Muslims their only worldview is convert to Islam or die. The numerous suicide bombers ought to wake us up to this fact. They are all too willing to die for their cause.

Can we in the West negotiate with such radicals? The reality is that we can’t negotiate with terrorists any more than we could negotiate with Hitler or Stalin. Their goal was to conquer the world. It didn’t matter one iota how many people they killed to achieve their goal of world domination. To them, the end always justified the means. That, too, is the goal and philosophy of radical Muslims.

However, today’s struggle goes far beyond that of Nazism and Communism of the 20th Century. Today we are not so much in a war against terrorism as we are, as Chuck Colson put it, in a clash of civilizations. Terrorism is just a means to an end. For instance, “The history of Islamic hostility toward the West goes back centuries. Radical Muslims are still smarting over the defeat of their armies south of Paris in the year 732, not to mention the catastrophic defeat of the Ottoman Empire at the gates of Vienna on September 11, 1683. That’s right, September 11. Bin Laden chose his date for a reason. He was avenging the defeat of Muslim armies more than four hundred years earlier. September 11 has roots in an [ongoing long-term] irrational hatred of the West.”2

Today, September 11, is a graphic reminder that we are indeed in a clash of civilizations. The politicians and political pundits don’t have the answer. The United Nations doesn’t have the answer. The media doesn’t have the answer. Sadly much, though not all, of Western Christendom, which has become wishy-washy, doesn’t have the answer either. And as much as I appreciate the military powers of the West that we desperately need to protect us, they don’t have the answer either. True, we need to pray for our leaders and our military that God will direct and guide them, but we need more than these for our protection.

Why do I claim this? Because we need to realize that long before Bin Laden and radical Islam the world has been in a clash of “civilizations” from the beginning of time—the clash between the world of evil and the world of good—a clash that seems to be heating up.

So wherein is the answer? What can we do? How can we win against suicide bombers—those who “hide in darkness” and are willing to die for their cause?

First, we in the West need to wake up and smell the “gun powder” and face reality. The radical Muslims are coming. They’re growing. They are on the increase around the world. We’re in a life-and-death struggle against the forces of evil.

Second, we in the West who claim to be Christian need to get serious and be willing to live for, be genuinely committed to, and practice our faith. If we don’t, we may die because those who are willing to die for their faith are intent on killing us.

Third, because we are in a battle between good and evil, the bottom line is that we in the West desperately need a great spiritual awakening. And that needs to start with you and me.

And fourth, be sure to note who of late has wanted God removed from their political platform. The reality is that the farther we move away from God, the more we move ourselves away from God’s protection.

As God’s word reminds us, “Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD. No king is saved by the size of his army; no warrior escapes by his great strength. A horse [and military might] is a vain hope for deliverance; despite all its great strength it cannot save.”3

Suggested prayer, “Dear God, as King David prayed, ‘we wait in hope for the LORD; [you are] our help and our shield. In [you] our hearts rejoice, for we trust in [your] holy name. May your unfailing love rest upon us, O LORD, even as we put our hope in you.’4 Please send a great spiritual awakening to our land and let your work begin in me. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. Chuck Colson, BreakPoint, August 16, 2006.

2. Ibid.

3. Psalm 33:12, 16-17 (NIV).

4. Psalm 33:20-22 (NIV).

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Handwriting on the Wall

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The prophet Daniel, one of the Jewish captives taken to Babylon under King Nebuchadnezzar, was a servant to King Belshazzar, Nebuchadnezzar’s son. Approximately 500 B.C. Belshazzar held a banquet for the lords and ladies of his court. While the guests were drinking from gold and silver cups that had been taken from the Jewish Temple, the House of God in Jerusalem, praising their idols of gold and silver, a mysterious hand began writing on the wall of the banquet room. Daniel was called on to interpret the message, which was from the God of the Israel; he informed the king that his reign was ending. That very night the king was slain.1

Undoubtedly, this is where the term, “the handwriting on the wall,” originated. It is used today as a warning that something significant is about to happen or come to an end. In a very real sense God’s handwriting “is on the wall” again today; that is, on “the wall of world history”—warning all mankind of the coming climax of world history—a climax that will be marked by two spectacular worldwide events the likes of which have never ever been seen before—one exciting; the other terrifying!

What Are the Two Events?

One, the exciting: This will be the return of Jesus Christ to earth to rapture (the catching up to heaven) of every Christian who has accepted Jesus Christ as his/her Savior, and whose sins have been forgiven by God.

Two, the terrifying: The other dramatic event will be the entrance of the Antichrist onto the stage of world history to launch his worldwide reign of terror during the seven-year Great Tribulation period which will be a horrific time of hell on earth. The Antichrist will be a world-leader who will violently oppose anything and everything that has to do with God, with Jesus Christ, and with Christianity. While there is not always agreement as to which of these two events will happen first, the critical issue, however, is that we are ready for Christ’s return so we won’t be left behind when he comes.

God’s Handwriting Today

So what is God’s handwriting today telling us? It is all but flashing in neon lights that the world as we know it is about to end, perhaps more quickly than we think. As Jesus said, “When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption [the return of Jesus Christ] is drawing near.”2

The Bible refers to “these things” as signs to indicate the approaching nearness of these two major events we are discussing today. While it is true that some of these signs—especially those relating to wars and rumors of wars, earthquakes and the like—have been happening since Jesus Christ was on earth 2,000 years ago, today, as another has said, “THEY ARE ALL STANDING UP AT ONCE!”

The final signs of the times have to do with the nation of Israel; the entrance, or preparation for the entrance of the Antichrist; the mark of the beast; the new Jewish temple in Jerusalem; an exponential knowledge explosion; and the worldwide gospel outreach—all of which are either happening right now or in the process of getting ready to happen.

For an explanation of each of these final signs in detail read this complete article online at: http://tinyurl.com/wall-handwriting … It is exciting to see how the predictions of God’s Word are happening right now in our day and age. In a vital way they are God’s warning to us, in the words of Jesus: “Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man [Jesus Christ] is coming at an hour you do not expect.”3

Suggested prayer: Dear God, thank you for your Word that informs us of the signs that will precede your return and that will take place immediately prior to the end of this world age. Please help me to know and understand your Word, be aware of what is happening, and be prepared for your coming by accepting your Son, Jesus Christ, as my personal Lord and Savior. Thank you for this blessed hope and assurance of your salvation and for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

If you are not sure that you are ready for Christ’s return, please read the article, “How to Be Sure You’re a Real Christian,” at: www.actsweb.org/christian.

1. See Daniel 5.

2. Luke 21:28 (NIV).

3. Matthew 24:44 (NKJV).

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Special Note: May we always stay conscious of the fact that people without Christ are lost for all eternity. To help reach family, friends and contacts with the saving message of Jesus Christ so that they, too, will be fully prepared for the day Christ returns, we have set up a very simple program—GLOBAL COMMUNICATIONS OUTREACH—an attractive, non-threatening, and very effective outreach ministry that is without cost except for having an e-mail account. Please see this program at: https://learning.actsweb.org/people_power_invite.php.

Beware of CINOs

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“These teachers oppose the truth just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses. They have depraved minds and a counterfeit faith. But they won’t get away with this for long. Someday everyone will recognize what fools they are, just as with Jannes and Jambres.”1

In a takeoff regarding certain political adherents CINOs are Christians in Name Only. They are people who claim to be followers of Jesus Christ, but, like Jannes and Jambres in the time of Moses, they had a counterfeit faith.

Wayne Blank wrote about Jannes and Jambres saying that they “are mentioned only once in the Bible by the apostle Paul…. Although they are not identified by name in the Old Testament, Rabbinic tradition holds that Jannes and Jambres were, or were among, the magicians who opposed Moses and Aaron at the time of the [Israelites'] Exodus [out of Egypt]…. Jannes and Jambres obviously had ‘miraculous’ powers, but unlike Moses and Aaron who were empowered by God, the Pharaoh’s magicians were fraudulent and/or Satanic.”2

In today’s world there is never a shortage of counterfeit Christians, and counterfeit so-called “Christian” leaders who may have magnetic personalities, great oratory skills, and who are able to attract many followers, and in so doing deceive masses of people. Sad to say, this kind of person is found in every aspect of life be it in religion, in pseudo-science, in education circles, in business, and in politics.

As Christians we need to be like the people of Berea who are recommended by the Bible: “Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.”3 Even though the Apostle Paul was the great leader of the early church, the Berean believers wanted to make sure that everything Paul taught was in harmony with the Word of God, the Bible. I suggest you do the same regarding all of my writings too.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, please help me to be an authentic follower of Jesus and grant that my life and words will always be in harmony with your Word. And please give me a spirit of discernment so that I will always recognize false teaching. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. 2 Timothy 3:8-9 (NLT).

2. www.keyway.ca/htm2000/20001210.htm.

3. Acts 17:11 (NIV).

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Israel: The Miracle

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

If you were to ask me what I thought might be the number one evidence for the validity of God’s Word, the Bible, I would answer that question in one word by saying, “Israel.”

In fact, the nation of Israel is one of the clearest evidences for the validity of God’s Word. Its history is a continual story of biblical prophecy being fulfilled. For instance, some fifteen hundred years B.C., God said through Moses that Israel would turn from him and be driven by enemies from their homeland. God said, “I will bring the land into desolation … I will scatter you among the nations … your land shall be desolate, and your cities waste.”2

The result? In 721 B.C., the ten northern tribes of Israel were taken into captivity by Assyria, and in 586 B.C. the two southern tribes were taken captive by Babylon. Seventy years later a small remnant of 40,000 Jews returned to Israel while the rest were scattered throughout the world. In A.D.70 Jerusalem was destroyed by the Romans, and the remnant of Israelites was dispersed among the nations. Israel then became desolate as predicted 1,600 years before.

God’s word also stated that the nation of Israel would be restored, saying, “Neither will I destroy them utterly.”3 “For I will take you from among the nations, and gather you out of all countries and will bring you into your own land.”4 “I will restore the fortunes of my people Israel, and they shall rebuild the ruined cities and live in them again,”5 and the nation “will blossom as the rose.”6 The beginning of these prophecies being fulfilled was on May 14, 1948 when Israel once again became a nation.

The people of Israel have survived heinous atrocities committed against them by the Assyrians, the Babylonians, the Greeks, the Romans, Hitler and others. And even today there are surrounding nations who want to “wipe Israel off the map.” Israel’s repeated survival against overwhelming odds and the rebuilding of their nation—which is still taking place at this time, twenty-five hundred years after God said that it would happen—is irrefutable evidence of the validity of the Bible.

But God has not finished with the nation of Israel by any means. According to the Bible the climax of world history as we know it 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.7 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 all opposing armies. Christ will then set up his Kingdom and rule and reign on earth from Jerusalem for a thousand years8—after which he will create a new earth and a new heaven.9

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 will also be accelerating.

Of these yet unfulfilled biblical prophecies regarding Israel, we can be just as certain that they will be fulfilled in minutest detail just as all prior prophecies regarding Israel have been fulfilled in minutest detail.

The important issue for you and me today is that we are ready for these end-time events and especially for the return of Jesus Christ to earth. You will not want to be left behind. To make sure you are ready, be sure to read the article, “How to Be Sure You’re a Real Christian” at: www.actsweb.org/christian.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, thank you for your Word, the Bible, that informs mankind regarding the ultimate defeat of Israel’s enemies and assures us of the return of Jesus Christ to earth to end forever the rule of evil over mankind, and to set up your eternal kingdom. Thank you, too, for your great gift of salvation so that all who trust in you and accept your forgiveness will be delivered from the coming evil and spend forever with you in eternity. Please help me to be absolutely certain that I am ready for the day of your return. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name.”

Note: Again, if you are not absolutely certain that you are ready for Christ’s return, be sure to read the article, “How to Be Sure You’re a Real Christian” at: www.actsweb.org/christian.

1. Psalm 121:4 (NIV).

2. Leviticus 26:32-33.

3. Leviticus 26:44.

4. Ezekiel 36:24.

5. Amos 9:14 (TLB) (NLT).

6. Isaiah 35:1.

7. Revelation 16:12-16.

8. Revelation 20:1-6.

9. Revelation 21:1-3.

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Two No-No Words

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“But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’”1

Without a doubt one of the major causes of conflict in relationships is poor communications. And two of the most damaging “no-no” words in interpersonal communications are “you always” and “you never” as these are almost always false statements.

The husband who repeatedly says to his wife (or any family member), “You never do such and such, or you never do thus and so,” is almost always expressing an overstatement, and never builds a bridge for resolving the conflict at hand. Or the wife who repeatedly says to her husband (or any family member), “You always do such and such, or you always do thus and so,” is also almost always expressing an overstatement, and in so doing, builds a barrier between herself and her loved one.

This type of accusation is usually an unfair criticism from an unhappy, and sometimes angry, person who is projecting his or her own unresolved issues onto the other person.

When misunderstandings occur, it is much wiser, more creative, and more loving to express how one feels without accusing the other person for the way he or she feels. When I am upset and start a sentence with words such as, “You always …” or “You never…” I am blaming the other person for the way I feel, while in reality nobody can make me feel the way I feel without my permission.

It is important to acknowledge the fact that my feelings are always my responsibility. Furthermore, to the degree that I overreact, my feelings are always my problem. The most loving way to respond when our feelings are hurt is to start our sentence by saying, “I feel hurt …” or “I feel sad, lonely,” or whatever it is I am feeling. This way I am being honest with my emotions; am taking responsibility for them; and am not blaming the other person for the way I am feeling. By taking this approach, we have a much greater chance and opportunity for resolving the conflict or issue at hand. Remember too, that feelings are neither right nor wrong, it’s the way that we handle them that counts.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, please help me to always be open and honest regarding my reactions and my emotions; never blame anyone else for the way I respond or feel; and always accept responsibility for these by communicating how I feel in an open, honest and loving way. Please help me to always be like Jesus in every situation in which I find myself. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus’ name, amen.

1. Matthew 5:37 (NKJV).

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Apathy-But Who Cares?

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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

On one occasion when I was leading a seminar, I asked the group in attendance the following question: “What do you think the Christian’s number one sin or problem is?” One jokester called out from the back of the room, “Apathy! But who cares?”

Funny, yes, but tragically, as the old saying goes: “Many a true word is spoken in jest.”

Look at today’s world, for example: Our government is spending, spending, spending and borrowing trillions of dollars to do just about anything it wants to do without considering the ultimate consequences, but who cares? Political correctness (which is anything but correct) is destroying us, but who cares? Our country is on an accelerating moral decline, but who cares? Opposition to Christianity is growing more intense, but who cares? Giving in to the demands of Islam and their relentless push to have their Sharia law accepted, and for them to gain more and more power and control in our Western nations, is also steadily but surely increasing, but who cares?

Surely, Satan has blinded the minds of the masses. But what about us; that is, we who call ourselves Christians, what are we doing to make an impact on today’s society? In younger days we used to sing with great enthusiasm, “Onward Christian soldiers, marching as to war, with the cross of Jesus going on before….” It’s been many years since I have heard this grand old hymn sung anywhere, or similar call to action hymns such as: “Stand up, stand up for Jesus, ye soldiers of the cross….” Perhaps there is a lot of truth in another jokester’s words who said, “Like a mighty tortoise moves the church of God, brothers we are treading where we’ve always trod.”

As Edmond Burke so simply yet powerfully stated: “All that is needed for evil to triumph is for good men [and women] to do nothing!” And might I add, “and to remain silent.”

Note, too, what Chuck Colson said: “German sociologist Elisabeth Noelle-Neumann coined the phrase “the Spiral of Silence” after witnessing Hitler and his ilk intimidate citizens until they were afraid to speak out against the most horrible evils imaginable: the mass slaughter of human beings.”2

So, apathy just may be our greatest sin, our greatest danger, and our greatest enemy.

So what can you and I actually do? For one thing we can pray earnestly for a great spiritual awakening throughout our countries. And in this day of incredible electronic communications, everyone with an email address can become involved in helping to spread the message of Jesus Christ—the only hope of our sin-sick world. To help you do this I encourage you to stand with ACTS International in our Global Media Outreach and learn how to be a missionary right from your own home—and therein have a vital part in worldwide gospel outreach by becoming an ACTS People Power for Jesus Partner. Click HERE or on www.actsweb.org/people_power/. There is no charge. Furthermore, there is no greater opportunity and privilege than to share the message of Jesus Christ so please consider joining with us today so you can be a missionary right from your own home.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, please deliver me from the sin of apathy—of doing nothing and remaining silent when there is an urgent need to help share the message of Jesus Christ with people across the street and around the world. I am available; please use me to have an active part in what you are doing in the world today by helping to introduce others to Jesus. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus’ name, amen.”

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

2. The Chuck Colson Center for Christian Worldview, Feb 29, 2012.

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No “Ifs,” “Buts,” or “Maybes” … It’s a Must

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“There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, ‘Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.’”1

In Christ’s day, Nicodemus, a well-known Jewish religious leader, and undoubtedly an outstanding man of noble character and high moral living, came to Jesus one night wanting to find out just who this miracle-working Jesus was. Knowing what was really on Nicodemus’s mind, Jesus ignored his statement and went directly to the heart of Nicodemus’s personal need, and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”2

Understandably, Nicodemus didn’t understand what Jesus was talking about; but to underscore the point he was making, Jesus said, “Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’”3 To reiterate the imperativeness of what Jesus was seeking to communicate to Nicodemus, he said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.”4

Jesus was saying to Nicodemus that unless a person is born again, he won’t even see the Kingdom of Heaven, let alone enter it. That truth applies to every one of us.

So what does it mean to be born again—to be born of God’s Spirit? Obviously, to enter earth we had to be born physically, so to be born again means that if we want to enter Heaven after this life, we need to be born spiritually. For one thing, our physical bodies could never survive out of earth’s atmosphere, so obviously could not survive in Heaven. Furthermore, the fact that we are all sinners, God would never ever allow sin or sinners to enter his Heaven and pollute it. Furthermore, because God is a God of infinite holiness, no sinner could ever survive in God’s presence—like a moth in a flame, we would be consumed.

But because God is also a God of infinite love, He sent his Son, Jesus, to die in our place to pay the just penalty for all of our sins. We are born spiritually when we, as an act of faith, believe that Jesus is the Son of God, that he died on the cross in our place to pay the penalty for our sins, and in our hearts accept and with our lips confess Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. When we do this, we are born again—spiritually, and in so doing receive God’s forgiveness and are made fit to enter God’s Heaven. This means that after we die, at the resurrection, we will be given a new body, just like the body that Jesus had following his resurrection. We know this because Jesus said that when we see him, we will be like him.5

When it comes to entering God’s Heaven, there are no “ifs,” “buts,” or “maybes.” It’s an imperative! As Jesus said to Nicodemus, ‘You must be born again.”6 The same truth applies to you and me. We, too, must be born again to see and enter God’s Kingdom of Heaven.

If you are not absolutely certain that you are born again (spiritually), you can be today by genuinely praying the following prayer: “Dear God, I do believe that Jesus Christ is your Son—the Son of God, and that he died on the cross to pay the penalty for all my sins. I confess that I am a sinner; please ha ve mercy on me and forgive me for all my sins. And, Lord Jesus Christ, I invite you to come into my heart and life as my Lord and my Savior. I thank you for taking the punishment for all my sins by dying in my place on the cruel Roman cross. And I thank you, God, for giving your Son, Jesus, to die for me; for your gift of forgiveness, for the gift of spiritual re-birth, and the gift of eternal life so I will be able to live with you in Heaven forever. Thank you for the assurance that I am now born again according to your instructions. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer; gratefully, in Jesus name, amen.”

Note: If you prayed this prayer and genuinely meant it, please let us know by filling in the brief form online at: www.actsweb.org/decision.php and we will give you additional help without charge. Be sure to do this today. Or if you need further help, 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.

1. John 3:1-2 (NKJV).

2. John 3:3 (NKJV).

3. John 3:7 (NKJV).

4. John 3:5 (NKJV).

5. 1 John 3:2 (NKJV).

6. John 3:3 (NKJV)

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