Monthly Archives: November 2014

Forgotten Provisions

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“And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.”1

“A story is told about William Randolph Hearst, the late newspaper publisher. Hearst invested a fortune in collecting great works of art. One day he read about some valuable pieces of art and decided that he must add them to his collection. He sent his agent abroad to locate and purchase them. Months went by before the agent returned and reported to Hearst that the items had at last been found—they were stored in his own warehouse. Hearst had purchased them years before.”2

Sometimes we get so bogged down with the busyness and pressures of life, with the abundance of things we possess, and/or with unresolved baggage from the past that we are either unwilling to claim, unable to appropriate, or simply unaware of the riches in Christ Jesus that God has for us.

We’re not talking about material riches that clutter many of the lives of those of us who live in the West, but about riches of a far greater kind, such as peace with God, forgiveness of our sins and wrongs, freedom from guilt, the assurance of eternal life and a home in Heaven, and the journey in the “here-and-now” to growth, inner healing and wholeness.

God has all these riches [blessings] and many more for all of us. But it’s up to each of us to claim them. To discover what they are, it helps to read and study God’s Word the Bible.

“Suggested prayer: “Dear God, deliver me from the barrenness of a life that is too busy, a life that carries too much baggage from the past, and from the curse of being controlled by materialism. Help me to make my peace with You through Jesus Christ, to resolve every impaired relationship, and to find inner peace, healing and wholeness as You promised to all who truly want it and put their trust in You. Thank You for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus’s name, amen.”

1. The Apostle Paul (Philippians 4:19, NIV).
2. From Our Sufficiency in Christ by John MacArthur, Jr.

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Being an Indian-Type Friend

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“Share each other’s troubles and problems, and so obey our Lord’s command.”1

The North American Indians had no written language before they met the white man. Their language, however, was far from primitive. Many of the Indians had as many words in their vocabulary as their English and French exploiters. Some of their words were much more picturesque, too. For example, “friend” to the Indians was “one-who-carries-my-sorrows-on-his-back.”

Everybody needs at least one trusted “Indian-type” friend with whom he or she can share his or her deepest sorrows and painful feelings. We all need a helping hand and a listening ear when we’re going through difficult times.

How do we find such a friend? First, by praying and asking God to help us to be an “Indian-type” friend to others. And then by asking God to help us find such a friend for ourself.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, help me to become a true ‘Indian-type-safe-burden-bearing friend’ myself and be supportive of others in need. And please help me to find a friend with whom I feel safe to share all my sorrows, failures, struggles, and problems—as well as all my successes and joys. Thank You for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus’s name, amen.”

1. The Apostle Paul, (Galatians 6:2, TLB).

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Winning Over Worry

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“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?”1

A Daily Encounter reader writes: “I need help strengthening my faith to realize God will keep His promises as found in His Word in Matthew 6:25-27. ‘Too little too late’ has always been my experience so far.”

I can appreciate this person’s struggle and doubts as I’ve struggled with some of these things myself at times.

I’ve been a Christian for many years and the greatest evidence I have of God meeting my needs and leading me is as I look back over the course of my life. In doing so I stand amazed at the course my life has taken, the way God has provided through the good times and the bad, the mean times and the lean. I can truly say with the hymn writer, “Jesus led me all the way.”

Whenever I worry or am afraid, I keep praying, “God, I’m worried/afraid but I choose to trust in you.” When I do this, in time my feelings catch up with my choice to trust God.

What I believe Jesus is saying in today’s Scripture is not to be over-consumed with these issues he talks about.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, help me to learn to trust You in every circumstance knowing that my life is in Your hands. Help me always to be responsible, but not to worry and doubt. Thank You for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus’s name, amen.”

For the article, “Winning Over Worry” go to: http://tinyurl.com/2mkeph

1. Jesus (Matthew 6:25-27, NIV).

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Choosing to Trust

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“When I am afraid, I will trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can mortal man do to me? In God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?”1

“When she looked ahead, Florence Chadwick saw nothing but a solid wall of fog. Her body was numb. She had been swimming for nearly sixteen hours.

“Already she was the first woman to swim the English Channel in both directions. Now, at age 34, her goal was to become the first woman to swim from Catalina Island to the California coast.

“On that Fourth of July morning in 1952, the sea was like an ice bath and the fog was so dense she could hardly see her support boats. Sharks cruised toward her lone figure, only to be driven away by rifle shots. Against the frigid grip of the sea, she struggled on—hour after hour—while millions watched on national television.

“Alongside Florence in one of the boats, her mother and her trainer offered encouragement. They told her it wasn’t much farther. But all she could see was fog. They urged her not to quit. She never had … until then. With only a half mile to go, she asked to be pulled out.

“Still thawing her chilled body several hours later, she told a reporter, “Look, I’m not excusing myself, but if I could have seen land I might have made it.” It was not fatigue or even the cold water that defeated her. It was the fog. She was unable to see her goal.

“Two months later, she tried again. This time, despite the same dense fog, she swam with her faith intact and her goal clearly pictured in her mind. She knew that somewhere behind that fog was land and this time she made it! Florence Chadwick became the first woman to swim the Catalina Channel, eclipsing the men’s record by two hours!”2

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, please help me when I am in a fog and cannot see my way, and am afraid, to trust in You no matter what—for I know that You will never leave me or forsake me. Thank You for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus’s name, amen.”

1. King David (Psalm 56:3-4,11).
2. By Author Unknown. Taken from A 2nd Helping of Chicken Soup for the Soul. © 1995 by Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen.

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Now—The Only Time We Ever Have

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God’s Word says, “Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.”1

Several years ago I invited Jennifer, a cousin of mine, and her husband to come to a special week of gospel meetings at our church. During the invitation to accept Jesus as one’s Savior, I could see that my cousin was really struggling with the call to accept Jesus as her Savior. Tragically she resisted and said no to Him. She passed away recently and I don’t know if she ever did accept Jesus as her Savior. All I know is that she had the opportunity to receive God’s forgiveness and his gift of eternal life but at that time she said no to God’s offer.

Motivational speaker, Jim Rohn, said, “I find it fascinating that most people plan their vacations with better care than they plan their lives.” To this I would add—how unbelievably tragic it is when, even if we do plan for this life carefully, we fail to make plans for the afterlife—which is forever—forever.

I know that when I get to Heaven I will see my mother, my father, and my sisters and friends who have gone ahead of me because they had made their peace with God by asking for God’s forgiveness and accepting Jesus as their Savior, but I don’t know if I will ever see my cousin again. That makes me very sad.

Remember that for all of us, “Opportunity comes to pass—not to pause.” So whatever you do, Dear Friend, make plans for life after death by making peace with God today! We have absolutely no guarantee of tomorrow so be sure to do that—today—for as God’s Word reminds us: “Now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.”1

Suggested prayer: Dear God, thank You that today You are giving me the invitation and opportunity to receive Your forgiveness for all my sins, and for giving me the gift of eternal life with the assurance of a home in heaven to be with You forever. Thank You for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus’s name, amen.”

If you have never made your peace with God or accepted His gift of forgiveness, you can do that today. For help read “God’s Invitation” at: http://tinyurl.com/6k49w

For additional help be sure to read the article, “Life After Death” at: http://tinyurl.com/8brzh

1. The Bible (2 Corinthians 6:2, NKJV).

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Words Without Meaning

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“And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.”1

After Jesus said these words He went on to say, “This, then, is how you should pray…” and He taught them the Lord’s prayer—a prayer that has only 66 words!

I have read that the Gettysburg Address has only 286 words. The Declaration of Independence has 1,322 and the government regulations on the sale of cabbage has 26,911 words!

The point that Jesus is making (when we pray) is that we need to get to the point—and not use empty, vain repetitious words that come only from the top of our head and not from the heart.

It’s the meaning of the heart that God wants to hear—which, of course, is the heart of all meaningful, intimate communications—with God or man. As the simple ditty expresses it:

I often say my prayers,
But do I really pray,
And does the meaning of my heart
Go with the words I say.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, help me when I pray to share with You what my heart is saying and what I am truly feeling—good or bad—and in so doing be ruthlessly honest with myself and with You. Always. Thank You for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus’s name, amen.”

1. Jesus (Matthew 6:7-8, NIV).

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Failure Is Never Final

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“I will never leave you, nor forsake you.”1

Back in 1929 Georgia Tech played the University of California in the annual Rose Bowl football game. In that game a man named Roy Riegels recovered a fumble for California. Unfortunately he became confused and began running the wrong way. One of his teammates, Benny Lom, overtook and tackled him just before he scored for the opposing team.

This was during the first half. Everyone was wondering what Coach Nibbs Price would do with Roy Riegels in the second half. During the half-time break Riegels sat alone in a corner, wrapped a blanket around his shoulders, put his hands in his face and cried like a baby.

Three minutes before the start of the second half Coach Price looked at the team and said, “Men, the same team that played the first half will start the second.”

Riegels never moved. The coach called him and again he never moved. Coach Price went over to where Riegels sat and said, “Roy, didn’t you hear me? The same team that played the first half will start the second.”

Reigels said, “Coach, I can’t do it to save my life. I’ve ruined you. I’ve ruined the University of California. I’ve ruined myself. I couldn’t face that crowd in the stadium to save my life.”

Then Coach Price reached out and put his hand on Riegels’ shoulder and said, “Roy, get up and go on back, the game is only half over.”

Roy Reigels went back. Those Tech men will tell you they have never seen a man play football as Roy Riegels played that second half.

And isn’t that what God does for you and me? Time and again we blow it. We fail. We mess things up. We feel like such a failure. But Jesus is always there. He places a hand on our shoulder and says, “Get up. Don’t quit. I am with you. You are forgiven. I love you and I will never leave you or forsake you no matter what!”

Actually, if we were to translate Jesus’ words literally, they would read, Jesus said, “I will never, never, never, never, never (five times over) leave you or forsake you,” or “I will never, not ever, no never leave you or forsake you.”

As the saying goes, the only real failure is not to get up one more time than we fall or get knocked down.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, thank You that You love me and accept me just as I am—warts and, failures and all—and have forgiven me for all my sins and failures. I thank You that You will never leave me or forsake me. Please help me to learn and grow through all my mistakes and failures, and little by little become the man/woman You planned for me to be. Thank You for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus’s name, amen.”

1. Jesus (Hebrews 13:5).

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On Being a Positive Realist

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“Finally, brothers [and sisters], whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”1

About mental illness: Fortunately, it is accepted today as an illness perhaps more than ever before. In the past, mentally ill people were criticized, condemned, rejected, and even accused by some uninformed people of having demons. I don’t know any easy or simple answers to help such sufferers, except to assure them of our love and acceptance. Medication helps many, but not all. It’s the same with psychological counseling. It, too, helps many, but not all. I have two family members who are bipolar, but as long as they stay on their medication, they do very well.

With my grown son who is bipolar, I’m thankful that the medication he is on has helped him cope very well. Regardless as to whether he is up or down, I constantly assure him that I love him devotedly. But what I’ve also done to help is to encourage him to try to change his thinking so he will see that he is living with a challenge—rather than as a problem.

If you have a toothache, positive thinking is pretty much impossible. This is why I like to think I am a positive realist. If you are a positive realist and have a toothache, you will get to the dentist as quickly as you can. A positive realist sees his setbacks and problems as challenges that, with hard work and commitment, can be risen above and overcome. It has been well said that every one of us either has a problem, lives with a problem, or is a problem.

If you are living with a discouraging situation, try to think in terms that you are living with a challenge—not a problem, and with God’s help and that of others where needed, you will do your best to rise above your challenges and become a better, healthier and more fulfilled person. And for those who suffer from mental illness, let those of us who are not so afflicted remember God’s Word which says, “Encourage those who are timid. Take tender care of those who are weak. Be patient with everyone.”2

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, please help me to learn how to harmonize my thinking with Your Word, and in so doing turn all my problems into challenges and with Your help rise above and overcome them. And help me always to understand and ‘encourage the timid, take tender care of the weak, and be patient with everyone.’ Thank You for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus’s name, amen.”

1. Philippians 4:8 (NIV).

2. 1 Thessalonians 5:14 (NLT).

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Are We at the Finish Line Yet?

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“Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”1

A friend of Joy’s was running in a marathon who, when about half-way through the race, was asked by an exhausted fellow marathoner, who was gasping for breath, “Are we there yet? I’m done!”

I’ve never run in a marathon, but in younger days I used to enjoy hiking on foot on mountain trails. The longest hike was a day-long 32 mile round trip. My legs ached; my feet hurt, and I kept asking myself, “How much further do I have to go?”

I also rode a mountain bike for many years and know what it is like to be exhausted long before the finishing point. Yes, I’d stop and rest, but found that, like many a runner, if I just kept hanging in and plugging away, eventually I got what the runners call “a second breath,” and was able to make it to the end, that, on my mountain bike was usually home.

Sometimes life can be like that. I’ve been there. You are so emotionally exhausted and physically weary, you feel like giving up. If you are there now, or should the time ever come, remember the words of John Greenleaf Whittier:

Don’t Quit

When things go wrong as they sometimes will,

When the road you’re trudging seems all up hill,

When the funds are low and the debts are high

And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,

When care is pressing you down a bit,

Rest, if you must, but don’t quit.

Life is queer with its twists and turns,

As everyone of us sometimes learns,

And many a failure turns about

When he might have won had he stuck it out,

Don’t give up though the pace seems slow,

You may succeed with another blow.

Success is failure turned inside out,

The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,

And you never can tell how close you are,

It may be near when it seems so far,

So stick to the fight when you’re hardest hit,

It’s when things seem worst that you must not quit.

For all the sad words of tongue or pen

The saddest are these: “It might have been!”

Most important of all, when it comes to winning over life’s tough trials, the key to triumph is to trust your circumstances and your life implicitly to God. Suggested by a minister friend, I started making this commitment in my youth and have renewed it in prayer every morning. Some six decades later as I look back over the ups and downs of life—the good times and the bad, the successes and failures—I can confidently say that by the grace of God, I have triumphed only because God has led me every step of the way, and for this I will be eternally grateful.

I strongly encourage you, Dear Reader, to also make the following prayer commitment every morning for the rest of your life:

“Dear God, afresh today I commit and trust my life and way to You. Please help me to become the man/woman of God that You envision for me to become. Please be with me in everything I do. Greatly expand my Christian borders, and keep me from all evil, harm and disaster. Thank You for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’s name, amen.”

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

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Do All Roads Lead to God?

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“Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father [God] except through me.’”1

A Daily Encounter subscriber wanted to know how to respond to the person who made the following statement:

“Some people today claim that all religions get you to Heaven. They claim that God is just called by different names, but he’s the same God to all religions. My daughter is going to a Christian counselor who asked her if she believed all roads lead to God. She, of course, replied no. It’s only through believing in Jesus and what He did for us. Her counselor told her she was wrong. All roads DO lead to God. We will all end up on the same road to God, because everyone will stand before Him. After that, the choice will only be two—heaven or hell.”

First, Christianity is the only religion in the world who believes in the God of the Bible who is a Holy Trinity: God the Father, God the Son (Jesus Christ), and God the Holy Spirit. One occasion where the Holy Trinity is clearly seen is at the baptism of Jesus. As God’s Word, the Bible, reports: “When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as he was praying, heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended on Him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: ‘You are my Son, whom I love; with You I am well pleased.’”2 The voice from heaven was from God, the Father.

Second, Jesus Christ is God’s ONLY provision for saving mankind from the just penalty of our sins which is spiritual and eternal death. Spiritual death is not the cessation of life, but eternal separation from the God of all love and life in the place the Bible calls Hell. As the Bible says, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”3

Third, even though Muslims believe that Allah is the God of Abraham, Allah is NOT the God of the Bible. The Bible clearly states that Jesus Christ is not only the Son of God, but also the “Second person of the Trinity. He is the Word [the expression of God] who became flesh.4 He is both God and man.5 Islam states that Jesus is “a very great prophet, second only to Muhammad. Jesus is not the son of God and certainly is not divine, and he was not crucified.”6

Fourth, for evidence regarding the validity of the Bible, see the article, “Is the Bible God’s Word” online at: http://tinyurl.com/yulazq.

Fifth, regarding the statement, “All roads DO lead to God,” by the counselor in the Daily Encounter subscriber’s statement above; it is true that at the end of life’s journey every person will appear before God to give an account of his or her life. As the Bible says, “For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat.”7

But let me make it very clear that according to the Word of God, the Bible, ALL ROADS DO NOT lead to God for His gift of forgiveness and that of eternal life to live with HIM forever in Heaven. When Jesus was here on earth, He said to Nicodemus (a very religious Pharisee and member of the Jewish ruling council), “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.”8

For emphasis Jesus repeated the same injunction saying, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’”9

To put it simply, what Jesus was saying to Nicodemus—who was not only a very religious man, but also a very good man by human standards—was that: “Except a man be born again, he will not even see the Kingdom of God let alone enter it.”

What, then, does Jesus mean when He says to every one of us that to enter God’s Kingdom we must be born again? It simply means that when we entered this life we were born physically, but to enter God’s Kingdom of Heaven we need to be born spiritually. So how are we born spiritually? Simply by confessing to God that we are a sinner, that we believe Jesus is the Son of God, and that He died in our place to pay the penalty for all our sins, and accepting Him as our personal Lord and Savior.

If you have never received Jesus as your Lord and Savior and are not sure that you have been born again, the following prayer prayed genuinely will help you: “Dear God, I confess that I am a sinner and am sorry for all the wrongs that I have done. I believe that Your Son, Jesus Christ, died on the cross to pay the just penalty for all my sins. Please forgive me. I invite You, Jesus, to come into my heart and life as Lord and Savior. I commit and trust my life to You. Please give me the desire to become what You want me to be and to do what You want me to do. Thank You for dying for my sins, for Your forgiveness of all my sins, and a free pardon, for Your gift of eternal life, and for hearing and answering my prayer. Amen.”

If you prayed this prayer sincerely, be sure to let us know by clicking on: https://learning.actsweb.org/decision.php and we will send you further information to help you in your newfound Christian life. For further help if needed, read the article, “How to Be Sure You’re a Real Christian,” at: https://learning.actsweb.org/christian.

1. John 14:6 (NIV).

2. Luke 3:21-22 (NIV).

3. Romans 6:23 (NIV).

4. John 1:1, 14.

5. Colossians 2:9.

6. See the “Comparison Grid” between Christianity and Islam at: http://tinyurl.com/9khb4vd.

7. Romans 5:10 (NIV).

8. John 3:3 (NIV).

9. John 3:5-7 (NIV).

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