All posts by 5Q

Voice in the Dark

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“The LORD came and stood there, calling as at the other times, ‘Samuel! Samuel!’ Then Samuel said, ‘Speak, for your servant is listening.’”1

“One summer night a young man who lived in Scotland decided to take a shortcut across the moors on his walk into town where he worked.

“The countryside was known for its limestone quarries. He knew he would be passing near one of these quarries, but thought he could avoid it. The night was pitch black without a star in sight, but the young man set out through the rock and heather anyway.

“Suddenly he heard a voice call out with great urgency, ‘Peter!’

“He was unnerved but stopped and called back into the darkness, ‘Yes, who is it? What do you want?’ There was no response—just a gentle breeze over the deserted moorland.

“He decided that he’d been mistaken and walked on a few more steps. Then he heard the voice again, this time even more urgent than the first: ‘Peter!’

“He stopped dead in his tracks, bent forward to peer through the darkness, and stumbled to his knees. He reached out a hand to the ground before him, but only clutched thin air. It was the quarry! Sure enough, as Peter carefully felt around in a semicircle he found that he had stopped on the edge of the abandoned limestone quarry one short step before a fatal plunge into the abyss. Out there in the desolate moor someone knew him and someone cared about him.

“Peter Marshall never forgot that incident. Dedicating his life to the one who’d called him by name, he went on to become one of America’s greatest ministers.2

Did you ever stop to realize that God also knows you by name—and everything else about you. Have you ever “heard” him calling you? If you learn to listen with your heart, you will hear what he wants of you.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, help me always to be sensitive to your call. Please give me an attentive mind and a listening heart as well as a willing spirit to always heed your bidding and obey your word. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. 1 Samuel 3:10 (NIV).

2. Steven R. Mosley, Glimpses of God, (Sisters, Oregon: Questar Publishers, Inc., 1990), pp. 149-150. Cited on www.sermons.com

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Too Ugly to Be Beautiful

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“He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.”1

I don’t know who the author of today’s story is, but it was sent to me by a Daily Encounter subscriber. It was so beautiful I want to share it with you.

When Stephen was five, he wanted a flowerbed of his own. So I helped him lay out the bed and get the ground ready. I asked him what kind of flowers he wanted to plant. His answer was simple, “Beautiful ones.”

The next day after work I picked up several different kinds of bulbs. Stephen was so excited about finally planting his flowers. As he opened the packages the disappointment was all over his face. Stephen looked up and said, “Mama, you got the wrong thing, these are not flowers, they are too ugly to be beautiful.”

I assured him that if he would plant the bulbs, and take care of them, they would grow and be the beautiful flowers he wanted them to be. Stephen wasn’t at all convinced, but he trusted me and was willing to give it a shot. He planted the bulbs and everyday he watered them and watched to see if they would grow. It seems like yesterday, he was standing there in overalls, hands on his hips, staring at his flowerbed waiting to see something beautiful appear out of the dirt.

Finally, he could see the stems, then the little buds, the day two buds opened up was an amazing day. Stephen came running into the house yelling, “Hurry mama you have got to see my beautiful flowers.”

As we stood by the flowerbed Stephen said, “I didn’t think they would ever grow, but they did. I growed it beautiful right out of the dirt.” Then he slipped his little hand into mine and asked, “Mama, how can something so beautiful come from something so ugly”?

I think of our Heavenly Father watching and waiting for us to come to Jesus, then He can take something ugly and stained with sin, clean us up, guard and love us, as we grow. Then I can see Him standing and proudly looking at us and saying look at My beautiful children, I grew them right out of the dirt.2

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, thank you that you are not only a God of love, justice and mercy, but also a God of infinite beauty. As best I know how, I surrender my heart and life to you and ask that you will make something beautiful out of my life. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

Note: If you have never come to Jesus and asked him to be your Savior—and to make something beautiful out of your life—Click on: http://tinyurl.com/real-christian or https://learning.actsweb.org/christian

1. Ecclesiastes 3:11 (NIV).

2. Submitted by Betty, a Daily Encounter subscriber. If anyone can let me know the name of the author, I will appreciate it and add it to the archived copy.

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Christmas: God’s Eternal Reminder

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Jesus said, “In my Father’s home [heaven] there are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me.”1

Year after year with “tireless regularity and eternal patience” God reminds the world every Christmas that he sent his Son, Jesus, to save lost mankind. Christmas is also God’s reminder that Jesus is coming back to earth for all who have accepted him as their personal Lord and Savior.

His first coming is an indisputable fact of history. His second coming to end this world age is just as certain.

According to Bible scholars there are 1,845 references in the Old Testament and 318 in the New Testament about Christ’s coming again. This means for every prophecy in the Bible about Christ’s first coming—every one of which was fulfilled in minute detail—there are eight about his second coming!

Jesus is coming again. God has promised this in his Word, the Bible. Jesus himself also promised it—as did the angels at the time of Christ’s ascension into heaven. And all the signs that Jesus and the Bible said would precede his return are becoming increasingly evident today reminding us that Christ’s return could be very soon. If it were today, would you be ready?

Christmas is also a reminder to all Christians that Jesus has commissioned all of us to spread his message of salvation to everyone everywhere.2 Jesus said that, “This gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.”3

Never has this been more possible than it is today because our generation has the greatest means of worldwide communications the world has ever seen. And working together we can reach literally millions of people with the gospel just through email and the web alone. Please help ACTS to do this. To see how you can help, go to ACTS secure donor site at: http://actscom.com/

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, how can I ever thank you enough for your great Christmas love gift to the world in giving your Son, Jesus, to come to earth and die for my sins. And Jesus, because you gave your life to save me for all eternity, I surrender my life to you as my Christmas gift to you. Please make me usable and use me to be a part of your plans to reach people across the street and around the world with the gospel. Help me to so live that people seeing Jesus in me will want you for themselves. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

Note: If you have never accepted God’s incredible Christmas love gift, be sure to read, “How to Be Sure You’re a Real Christian” at: http://tinyurl.com/real-christian.

1. John 14:2-3 (NIV).

2. Mark 16:15.

3. Matthew 24:14 (NIV).

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Rich Is Not What You Have

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

Dr. James Moore wrote, “During World War II, four young American soldiers who had been on the front lines of battle for some time, were sent back to a small French village for a little R & R. When they arrived in the village, they realized that it was Christmas Eve. They began to discuss how they would like to spend Christmas. One of the soldiers said, “You know, as we were coming into town earlier today, I noticed an orphanage on the outskirts of the village. Why don’t we go there in the morning and take some Christmas joy to those children?” The others liked the idea and the more they talked about it, the more excited they became. So they went out and bought all kinds of toys, candy, clothing, food, books, and games. Early the next morning they showed up at the front door of the orphanage with wonderful Christmas presents for all the children.

“The orphanage director was pleased and all the children were delighted as they opened their gifts. All the children that is, except for one little girl who stood quietly off to the side. She appeared to be 5 or 6 years old and her face looked very sad. One of the soldiers noticed that she was not participating, so he asked the orphanage director about the little girl. ‘Bless her heart,’ said the director, ‘we just got her last week. Both of her parents were killed in a car wreck. There was no one to take her in, so we brought her here.’

“The soldier went over to the little girl and gently he said to her, ‘It’s Christmas morning and we have wonderful Christmas presents here: toys, clothes, candy, food, books, and puzzles. Which would you like? What do you want most for Christmas?’ And the little girl said, ‘I want somebody to hold me.’

“Maybe that is the best Christmas gift of all—someone to hold us. As somebody once put it, ‘Rich is not what you have. It’s who you have beside you.’ Well, this sacred season comes along once each year to remind us that ‘Love Came Down At Christmas,’ that God is even now reaching out to us with open arms, and that He wants us to accept His love and to pass it on to others.”2

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, thank you that love came down at Christmas from Heaven in the birth of your Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, who came to earth to give his life as a ransom for my sins. In gratitude for all you have done for me, help me to live with eternal values in view and not get caught up in the materialism of this world. But rather, help me to give to others as you have given to me. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

Note: If you have never accepted God’s incredible Christmas love gift, be sure to read, “How to Be Sure You’re a Real Christian” at: http://tinyurl.com/real-christian.

1. Luke 12:15 (NIV).

2. Dr. James W. Moore, ChristianGlobe Sermons, ChristianGlobe Networks, Inc., 2003. Cited on www.eSermons.com.

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Love Never Fails

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“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.”1

Michael Josephson in Character Counts tells the story about Todd, “a sadly quiet 11-year-old struggling to adjust to the death of his mother. His father left long ago and he was living with an aunt who made it known that she resented the responsibility of caring for him. On several occasions Sheryl, the boy’s teacher, heard the aunt tell Todd, ‘If it weren’t for my generosity you would be a homeless orphan.’

“Sheryl took extra pains to make Todd feel valued and she encouraged his interest in making things. Just before the Christmas break, Todd shyly presented her with a small decorated box he’d made.

“‘It’s beautiful,’ Sheryl gushed.

“Todd replied, ‘There’s something very special inside that my mom gave to me before she died. She said it’s the one thing I can give and still have plenty left. It helps you feel better when you’re sad, and safe when you’re scared.’

“As Sheryl started to open the box, Todd warned her, ‘Oh, you can’t see it.’

“‘Well, what is it?’ Sheryl asked kindly.

“‘It’s love. And you’re the first person since my mom that I love.’

“Sheryl hugged Todd tightly and said, ‘I’ll treasure this forever. It’s the best gift I ever got.’

“She kept it on her desk until she retired and touched it whenever she was sad or scared. It never failed to make her heart smile.

“Years later, Todd sent her the tassel he wore during his graduation from medical school. It’s been in the box ever since.

“In truth, it’s love, not diamonds, that’s the gift that keeps on giving. What’s more, love generates itself. The more you give away, the more you have left.”2

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, please help me to be a more thoughtful, gracious, understanding and loving person. Help me in some way to communicate your love to every life I touch. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 (NIV).

2. Michael Josephson, “The Box Full of Love” (337:4), Character Counts. You can subscribe to Michael’s weekly ezine at: www.charactercounts.org.

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Who Started Christmas Anyhow?

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“In the beginning was the Word [Jesus the Christ], and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. . . . The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”1

I read the following story about a woman who was out Christmas shopping with her two children. After many hours of looking at row after row of toys, and everything else imaginable, and after hours of hearing both her children asking for everything they saw on those many shelves, she finally made it to the elevator with her two kids.

She was feeling what so many of us feel during the Christmas holiday season. Overwhelming pressure to go to every party, every housewarming, getting the perfect gift for every person on one’s shopping list, and making sure no one on the card list and those who sent a card is forgotten.

When the elevator doors opened there was already a crowd in the car. Exasperated, she pushed her way into the car and dragged her two kids in with her and all the bags of stuff. When the doors closed she couldn’t take it anymore and stated, “Whoever started this whole Christmas thing should be found, strung up and shot.”

From the back of the car everyone heard a quiet calm voice respond, “Don’t worry, we already crucified him.” For the rest of the trip down the elevator was so quiet you could have heard a pin drop.

Don’t forget this year to keep the One who started Christmas in your every thought, deed, purchase, and word. If we all did it, just think of how different this whole world would be.2

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, how can I ever thank you enough for the greatest Christmas gift ever given, your Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Help me—not only during the Christmas season, but all year long—to so live that my life will reflect an attitude of gratitude in everything I am and do. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. John 1:1-3, 14 (NIV).

2. Submitted by Les Nixon, www.outbackpatrol.com.au.

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My First Christmas in Heaven
I see the countless Christmas trees,
Around the world below.
With tiny lights, like Heaven’s stars,
Reflecting on the snow.
The sight is so spectacular,
Please wipe away the tear.
For I am spending Christmas with
Jesus Christ this year.
I heard the many Christmas songs,
That people hold so dear.
But the sounds of music can’t compare,
With the Christmas choir up here.
I have no words to tell you,
The joy their voices bring.
For it is beyond description,
To hear the angels sing.
I know how much you miss me,
I see the pain inside your heart.
But I am not so far away,
We really aren’t apart.
So be happy for me, dear ones,
You know I hold you dear.
And be glad I’m spending Christmas
With Jesus Christ this year.
I sent you each a memory,
Of my undying love.
After all, love is a gift more precious,
Than pure gold.
It was always most important,
In the stories Jesus told.
Please love and keep each other,
As my Father said to do.
For I can’t count the blessings of love,
He has for each of you.
So have a Merry Christmas and
Wipe away the tear.
Remember, I am spending Christmas
with Jesus Christ this year.
Love,

Your loved one in Heaven

Submitted by Tad Durham

Cushion of the Sea

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“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.”1

Several years ago a submarine was being tested and had to remain submerged for many hours. When it returned to the harbor, the captain was asked, “How did the terrible storm last night affect you?” The officer looked at him in surprise and exclaimed, “Storm? We didn’t even know there was one!” The sub had been so far beneath the surface that it had reached the area known to sailors as “the cushion of the sea.” Although the ocean may be whipped into huge waves by high winds, the waters below are never stirred.2

Being a Christian doesn’t deliver us from the trials and troubles of life because we live in a broken world where it rains on the just as well as the unjust.3 However, our faith in Christ gives us an anchor in the storm and a hiding place in the shadow of his wings. As David the Psalmist prayed, “Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy! I look to you for protection. I will hide beneath the shadow of your wings until this violent storm is past”.4

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, in the words of the hymn writer, ‘When the storms of life are raging, Stand by me; When the world is tossing me Like a ship upon the sea Thou Who rulest wind and water, Stand by me.’5 And when the storms of life are raging, help me to put my trust in you so I will find a sense of calm and inner peace regardless of the circumstances that are threatening to drown me. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. Psalm 46:1-3 (NIV).

2. Rev. Adrian Dieleman, Sermon: “Receive the Holy Spirit.”

3. See Matthew 5:45.

4. Psalm 57:1-2 (NLT).

5. “When the Storms of Life Are Raging,” Charles A. Tindley.

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Failure Is Never Final

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“But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.”1

December 1—or any other day of the year—may have been the final day of your divorce, the day you were rejected, the day you lost your job, or the day you failed a major final exam; but remember, as difficult as it was, December 2 was the first day of the rest of your life. It was a day of new beginnings. So, if you have suffered a major loss or setback, and haven’t done your grieving, be sure to do it now. It may not be easy, and it will take time, but it is tremendously important that you face, accept, and resolve your pain; learn to get up even if you have to drag yourself up, and go on. The following suggestions will help you to do this effectively:

Develop the right attitude. Attitude is what makes the difference between a painful experience becoming a failure or a success. You can let the loss leave you timid and afraid to step out again for fear of being hurt, or you can determine that your failure will be your teacher. As William James said, “The greatest discovery of my generation is that a human being can alter his life by altering his attitude.”

Use your failures/losses to enrich your life. True, we all need mountaintop experiences from time to time to encourage us, but we don’t grow through these. It is in the valley of disappointment and through our failures/losses that we are given the opportunity to take stock of our life and move toward a new dimension of life, and toward a greater level of growth and maturity.

Know what your purpose in life is. The more clearly defined that your life purpose is—and the more deeply it is embedded in your unconscious mind—the less likely it will be that disappointments and failures will set you back.

A spacecraft en route to the moon is off course 90 percent of the time. It is constantly pulled back by the earth’s gravity, and is continually drawn to one side or the other by other forces. But it has a built-in computer that has a singleness of purpose that homes in on the moon. The computer is making continual corrections to keep the spacecraft on target with its purpose and goal.

Life’s like that. If your eye is on your goal, if you have a singleness of purpose, nothing will stop you getting to where you plan and choose to go.

Remember that failure or disappointment is an event, not a person. Because you may have failed in your marriage or job, in another relationship, or other situation, doesn’t mean that you are a failure as a person. Not at all. Realize that the only real failure is not to try, or not to keep on trying, or not to get up one more time than you fall or get knocked down. The important thing is to learn from your past, invest it as an opportunity to grow, and to move ahead.

Give God a chance. If you feel as if you have failed or believe you’ve done wrong, ask God to forgive you—and be sure to forgive yourself. Then turn your failure into a stepping-stone toward a better you.

Where a bone is broken and heals, it becomes the strongest part of the bone. The same is true of your broken places—where you have been hurt, have fallen and failed, or are afraid. When you bring these to God for his healing, his strength is made perfect through your weakness.2

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, no matter what setback happens to me, whether it is my fault or that of another, please help me not to become bitter but better by using it as an opportunity to help me to 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. 2 Corinthians 12:9 (NIV).

2. Adapted from How to Mend a Broken Heart, by Dick Innes. Available at ACTS’ online store at www.actscom.com/store.

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What You See Is. . .

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“As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed him, calling out, ‘Have mercy on us, Son of David!’ When he had gone indoors, the blind men came to him, and he [Jesus] asked them, ‘Do you believe that I am able to do this?’ ‘Yes, Lord,’ they replied. Then he touched their eyes and said, ‘According to your faith will it be done to you’; and their sight was restored.”1

These men may have been blind physically but they had great spiritual vision. They saw with their mind’s eye what they wanted and went for it—and received it. Life’s like that. Basically, what we see is what we get. If we see ourselves as failures, we will set ourselves up to fail. And if we see ourselves as unlovable, we will set ourselves up to be rejected in love.

On the other hand, if we see ourselves as successful we will succeed in what we want to do with our life. If we see ourselves as lovable, we will never be lacking in giving and receiving love.

As Antoine de Saint-Exupery so eloquently said, “A rock pile ceases to be a rock pile the moment a single man contemplates it, bearing within him the image of a cathedral.” Michelangelo expressed the same idea when he said, “I saw the angel in the marble and kept chiseling until I set it free.”

What do you see about your life? “Two men looked through prison bars, one saw mud and the other saw stars!” If you are seeing mud, look up and see what God sees in you. He sees the “angel” within you and wants you to become that person. And if you have faith enough and act accordingly, you can become that person—and it will be done to you.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, thank you that you see the ‘angel’ within me—the person that you envision for me to be. Help me to see your vision for me that, with faith, persistence, hard work, and your help, I can become. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. Matthew 9:27-30 (NIV).

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Saint of Auschwitz

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“Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.”1

You may be familiar with the story of Father Maximilian Kolbe, a Catholic priest who was imprisoned in a Nazi concentration camp during World War II. Father Kolbe’s love for the other prisoners earned him the nickname “Saint of Auschwitz.” One day, a prisoner escaped from the camp. Each time anyone escaped, the guards executed ten men as a punishment. As the guards prepared for the execution, Father Kolbe came forward. He asked to take the place of another prisoner, a man named Gajowniczek. The guards agreed.

Father Kolbe and the other nine men were placed in a cell and starved to death over the next few days. Father Kolbe died on August 14, 1941. Every year, Mr. Gajowniczek returns to Auschwitz to commemorate the death of Father Kolbe. It is his way to say thank you to the man who died in his place.2

Suggested prayer: “Dear Jesus God, how can I ever thank you enough for giving your life and dying on the cross in my place so that I could inherit your gift of eternal life. Help me to always live in an attitude of gratitude for all that you have done for me. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

NOTE: If you have never accepted God’s gift of love for you, be sure to read: “How to Be Sure You’re a Real Christian—without having to be religious” at: http://tinyurl.com/real-christian.

1. John 15:13 (NIV).

2. From “A Man for Others” by Patricia Treece. Found in God’s Unexpected Blessings, edited by Kathy Collard Miller (Lancaster, PA: Starburst Publishers, 1998), pp. 79-80.

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