All posts by 5Q

Encouragement and Support

Leave a comment

Some time ago an experiment was conducted to measure people’s capacity to endure pain. How long could a barefooted person stand in a bucket of ice water? It was discovered that when there was someone else present offering encouragement and support, the person standing in the ice water could tolerate pain twice as long as when no one else was present.1

Most people are aware of who Moses was—the leader of the ancient Israelites who, when leading this young nation out of slavery in Egypt, faced many a battle when conquering the Promised Land given to them by God. In one battle God told Moses that as long as he held his hands heavenward, God would give the Israelites victory over the enemy. If he lowered his hands, the enemy would gain the upper hand. You can imagine how exhausting this would have been for Moses. So, “When Moses’ hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up—one on one side, one on the other—so that his hands remained steady till sunset.”2

What was true for Moses is also true for you and me. We all need encouragement and support. This is especially true when we are going through tough times; we need the support of loving friends to hold up our hands.

“Therefore,” as God Word says, “encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.“3

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, please help me to be a sensitive and understanding person and always ready to give a helping hand and word of encouragement to a loved one or friend in need of such. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. John C. Maxwell, Encouragement Changes Everything, p. 25.

2. Exodus 17:12 (NIV).

3. 1 Thessalonians 5:11 (NIV).

<:))))><

Will God Ever Reject Anyone?

Leave a comment

First, a special thank you to all who responded to our special appeal for support. Because of your help we are able to run the advertising for Daily Encounter all this month.

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”1

A Daily Encounter reader needing help shares, “The circumstances of my birth were not good. My mother, newly wedded, had me by another man. Ever since I found this out in my teenage years (when my parents finally got divorced after a horrible, horrible marriage), I have felt like an outcast, as if I were cursed because I was born in a sinful manner. I know a child of God cannot be cursed because Jesus hung on a tree for us, but it’s hard to shake the feeling sometimes. I’ve often felt as if God had rejected me. Is it possible for God to reject a person?”

Dear Michael (not his real name), thank you for sharing your heart. First, let me assure you that you are not rejected by God. He loves you no matter what your background is or the circumstances of your birth. God’s Word assures us that he loves each of us with an everlasting love. Remember that Solomon in the Bible was the child of a woman with whom King David committed adultery, and that God forgave David, and that Jesus came through the line of David via Solomon. This is a divine example of the grace of God.

When my youngest son was still a teen, on one occasion he was very angry at me about something—something that I can’t remember—but I will never forget his reaction. He blurted out in a very angry voice, “Well, why did you have me anyhow?”

Immediately I replied, “Because you are a part of God’s eternal plan!”

And Michael that is also true of you. YOU, too, are a part of God’s eternal plan. God loves you eternally. Jesus died on the cross for YOU. Please don’t ever forget that. And if you have never accepted Jesus as your Savior, I urge you to do that today. For help, please read the article, “How to Be Sure You’re a Real Christian” online at: http://tinyurl.com/real-christian.

Also, at the beginning of every day I urge you to pray the following prayer: “Dear God, again today I commit and trust my life and way to you. Please guide me in the way that I should go and help me to become the person you want me to be. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus’ name, amen.”

I have prayed this prayer every day ever since my youth and plan on praying it every day for the rest of my life. I encourage you to do the same. This prayer has truly revolutionized my life. If you pray this prayer every day from your heart—not as a ritual—it will, in time, also revolutionize your life.

And to every Daily Encounter reader I encourage you to pray the above prayer every day of your life as it can also revolutionize your life.

1. John 3:16 (NIV).

<:))))><

Why Did Jesus Have to Die?

Leave a comment

“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering.”1

Today is Good Friday, the day we remember the crucifixion of Jesus Christ who died on an excruciatingly painful Roman cross two thousand years ago. I am sure that many people today ask the same question that a Daily Encounter reader asked: “I understand Jesus died for our sins. I believe it but I just can’t understand why he had to do it. Didn’t God have power over everything? I have looked for the answer to this question for a long time. Please help.”

I’m sure that many people struggle with this same issue so let me explain. Because God is a God of infinite justice, he cannot forgive sin without justice being served. Otherwise he wouldn’t be God. This means that all sin must be judged according to the moral law of God and the universe. We can no more defy this law and live than we can defy the law of gravity by jumping out of an airplane without a parachute. The end result will be death unless—unless we apply another law, the law of aerodynamics. This law makes it possible for an airplane to fly and a parachute to lower us to the earth gradually and thereby save us.

There is another universal law that we cannot defy and live. It is “the law of sin and death,” which means that the judgment and penalty of all sin is death and eternal separation from God. That is, unless we apply a higher law which is “the law of the Spirit of Life,” which is a God-given “spiritual parachute” to save us from eternal death. God provided this law through the death of Jesus who died in our place to pay the penalty for our sin.

Furthermore, because God is also a God of absolute holiness, no sin or unforgiven sinners can survive in his presence. As some bacteria are not able to survive in the light and die if they are exposed to it, so it is with us. In our sinful state if we were exposed to God and his incredible light, we would be destroyed instantaneously. And herein lies our dilemma.

However, God’s answer to our dilemma lies in the fact that God is not only a God of infinite justice and absolute holiness, but also a God of eternal love. Because of his love, God gave his very own Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, to die on the cross in our place to pay the penalty for our sins to meet the automatic demands of his (God’s) justice and holiness. Christ’s death made possible God’s “law of the Spirit of Life”—our God-given “spiritual parachute”—to save us from eternal death.

Not to accept and use God’s “parachute” means certain death from which there is no other escape. In other words, anyone who doesn’t accept God’s pardon will automatically die for him/herself—which means eternal separation from God, the author of all love and life, in the place or condition the Bible calls hell. All we need to do is confess our sinfulness, believe that Jesus is the Son of God and that he died in our place for our sins, and ask God for, and accept, his forgiveness and pardon. If you have never done this, you can do so right now by praying the following prayer.

“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 for 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 be what you want me to be and to do what you want me to do. Thank you for dying for my sins, for your free pardon, for your gift of eternal life, and for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus’ name. Amen.”

If you prayed this prayer and truly meant it, please let us know by clicking on the “My Decision” link at http://tinyurl.com/pgntm and we will send you a free copy of the e-leaflet, “How to Grow” to help you in your new spiritual life.

For further help, click on the “How to Be Sure You’re a Real Christian” link at http://tinyurl.com/8glq9

1. Romans 8:1–3(NIV).

<:))))><

The Price of Freedom

Leave a comment

“He [Jesus] was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.”1

If you haven’t already read the following “prophetic” statements by leaders of their day, they are fascinating to hear:

“This ‘telephone’ has too many shortcomings to be seriously considered as a means of communication. The device is inherently of no value to us.” – Western Union internal memo, 1876

“The wireless music box has no imaginable commercial value. Who would pay for a message sent to nobody in particular?” – David Sarnoff’s associates in response to his urgings for investment in the radio in the 1920s.

“We don’t like their sound, and guitar music is on the way out.” – Decca Recording Co. rejecting the Beatles, 1962.

“So we went to Atari and said, ‘Hey, we’ve got this amazing thing, even built with some of your parts, and what do you think about funding us? Or we’ll give it to you. We just want to do it. Pay our salary, we’ll come and work for you.’ And they said, ‘No.’ So then we went to Hewlett-Packard, and they said, ‘Hey, we don’t need you. You haven’t got through college yet.’” – Apple Computer Inc. founder Steve Jobs on attempts to get Atari and H-P interested in his and Steve Wozniak’s personal computer.

“Drill for oil? You mean drill into the ground to try and find oil? You’re crazy.” – Drillers whom Edwin L. Drake tried to enlist in his project to drill for oil in 1859.

“No flying machine will ever fly from New York to Paris.” – Orville Wright

“Airplanes are interesting toys but of no military value.” – Marechal Ferdinand Foch, Professor of Strategy, Ecole Superieure de Guerre.2

How wrong all these people were. And what opportunities they lost.

When Jesus came to his people as their promised Messiah (Savior), they refused to believe in him. In spite of all the evidence when he healed the sick, made the dumb to speak, the blind to see, the deaf to hear, the lame to walk, and raised Lazarus from the dead—and rose from the grave himself—they still as a nation wouldn’t believe and continued to reject him and his teachings.

Our world today is still filled with skeptics who refuse to believe the evidence they see in that the “heavens declare the glory of God.” They also refuse to believe in and accept the teachings of Jesus, and reject the incomparable opportunity to accept God’s offer of forgiveness for all their sins and the gift of eternal life in heaven forever.

The price of rejecting God and his offer of salvation is unthinkable.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, open the eyes of my understanding so that I will see the evidence of your presence in all of life. And deliver me from any spiritual blindness so I will see, understand, and accept your full and free pardon for all my sins and receive your gift of eternal life. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

For help see the article, “How to Be Sure You’re a Real Christian” at: http://tinyurl.com/real-christian

1. John 1:10-12 (NIV).

2. Cited on www.goodquotes.com

<:))))><

To Change or Not to Change

Leave a comment

“Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong. Do everything in love.”1 “Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.”2

You’ve undoubtedly read about Swiss watchmakers who, for many years, dominated the world market for watchmaking.

“The Swiss made the best watches in the world and were committed to constant refinement of their expertise. It was the Swiss who came forward with the minute hand and the second hand. They led the world in discovering better ways to manufacture the gears, bearings, and mainsprings of watches. They even led the way in waterproofing techniques and self-winding models. By 1968, the Swiss made 65 percent of all watches sold in the world and laid claim to as much as 90 percent of the profits.

“By 1980, however, they had laid off thousands of watch-makers and controlled less than 10 percent of the world market. Their profit domination dropped to less than 20 percent. Between 1979 and 1981, fifty thousand of the sixty-two thousand Swiss watchmakers lost their jobs. Why? The Swiss had refused to consider a new development”3—the development of the digital watch.

Some time ago I wrote a Daily Encounter with the title, “If the Horse is Dead, Dismount.” Some readers felt that I was suggesting that we change much of what we were doing in the church for change’s sake. I was not suggesting this at all. What I was saying was we needed to make changes in our methodology where what we were doing was no longer effective. The Swiss were right in that watches were still needed. Their mistake was that they weren’t open to adding a new method for watchmaking.

Years ago when I was a director of a youth organization and started changing our method of reaching teens with the gospel, I was told that my methods weren’t acceptable. I was given an ultimatum—either I stayed with the “accepted ways” of doing things or get out. I chose the latter. And that’s how and why ACTS International was founded. (To be perfectly honest I would never have had the courage to start my own organization had I not been “pushed out” of the one I was with.) For the next three decades I majored in publishing outreach literature which has been distributed to more than 40 million people around the world—and is still being distributed by our offices in Australia and, until recently, in New Zealand.

However, here in North America, with the revolution of electronic communications via E-mail and the Internet, had I not been willing to change my methodology once again, my work here would be dead. I haven’t changed the message—just changed the way of communicating it.

Let us learn a lesson from the Swiss watchmakers. If we need to change our methods to be more effective in what we are doing, let’s be willing to make and implement the necessary changes.

At the opposite end of the scale, where even some churches and Christians are making changes just to be politically correct and are thus accepting behaviors that are drastically opposed to what the Word of God teaches—let us, as the Apostle Paul advised, stand firm in the faith and in harmony with the Word of God regardless of what the secular world thinks or the media promotes.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, give me a love for and an understanding of what your Word teaches. Help me to discard that which is out of harmony with what you say, and always stand firm in my faith and hold fast to that which is good—regardless of the pressure to be politically correct. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. 1 Corinthians 16:13-14 (NIV).
2. 1 Thessalonians 5:21 (KJV).
3. Quoted by Brett Blair. http://www.esermons.com/.

<:))))><

Parable of the Pigeons

Leave a comment

“For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: ‘If a man will not work, he shall not eat.’”1

Michael Josephson tells about an experiment where “pigeons were put in cages with one green and one red button. In one cage, if the birds pecked the green button they got food every time. In the other, the green button yielded food erratically and the pigeons had to persist to get enough food. In both cases, pecking the red button did nothing. Both sets of birds thrived, learning what they had to do to survive and ignoring the red button that yielded no food. But when the birds that were used to getting a reward every time [when they hit the green button] were put in the cage that fed them only occasionally, they failed to adapt; they hit their heads against the cage and pecked wildly at everything in sight.

“The pigeons were smart enough to learn quickly how to get the benefits they wanted by hitting the green button and avoid hitting the red button which did nothing for them. Sadly, for some of the pigeons, who had been spoiled by getting rewarded every time they hit the green button, were unable to adapt to the new situation which only worked occasionally.”2

How like human beings! Kids who are spoiled by their parents by getting everything they want can find it exceptionally difficult to adapt in the real world when they have to start fending for themselves. Furthermore, they can have major conflicts in marriage if and when they expect their spouse to continue giving them everything they want—be it realistic or otherwise—with little or no effort on their part.

And then for the rest of us, if we would just learn to stop hitting red buttons, we would find that life would be so much more enjoyable and satisfying.

As Josephson said, “Part of being responsible is learning from experience to appreciate the benefits of tenacity and the wisdom of avoiding useless, harmful and self-defeating patterns of behavior.”3

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, help me to always be responsible in everything I do, and have sense enough to avoid self-defeating patterns of behavior. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. 2 Thessalonians 3:10 (NIV).
2. Michael Josephson, Character Counts. http://www.charactercounts.org/.
3. Ibid.

<:))))><

How to Honor Your Parents

Leave a comment

“Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you.”1

Another Daily Encounter reader asks: “I would like to know what it means to honor your mother and father? My mother and I don’t have a mother-daughter relationship. I used to be so angry and bitter that I wouldn’t allow anyone to get close to me because I kept getting hurt. I tried to discuss my feelings with my mother but she got so angry at me that she hung up the phone and wouldn’t talk to me. I have been told that I am not honoring my mother. I would appreciate your advice on this matter.”

Jane (not her real name) asks a valid question because, without doubt, there are numerous—perhaps mega thousands—of adult children who have an impaired relationship with a parent or their parents. Until these conflicts are resolved, these people are bound to have ongoing conflicts in all close relationships.

However, if you were abused either physically, sexually, emotionally and/or spiritually by a parent or both parents, how do you even respect, let alone honor them? It’s a tough question.

First, I believe we honor our parents most by not allowing their mistreatment of us to stop or hinder our becoming all that God envisioned for us to be.

Second, it is critical that we don’t remain bitter towards our parents, and that we forgive them, because failing to forgive any and all who have ever hurt us is self-destructive. It’s “like drinking poison and waiting for the other person to die.”

Third, before we can truly forgive anyone, it is essential that we resolve our hurt and anger towards them. Unresolved hurt and anger is what leaves us feeling bitter and resentful—and blocks forgiveness. For help to resolve these feelings read “Taming Your Anger” at: http://tinyurl.com/tame-anger.

Fourth, we also need to develop healthy boundaries so that we don’t allow our parents (or anyone else) to continue to hurt us. Forgiving people doesn’t mean that we have to like them or allow them to continue to mistreat us. Reconciliation should always be the aim but that is dependent on both parties. Forgiveness is only dependent on the one who has been hurt and thus is a choice. The Bible also instructs fathers [and mothers] not to provoke their children to anger or embitter them.2 So while parents are responsible for what they have done and do, we are responsible for how we respond to what others have done to us. True, we need to forgive abusive people, but we also need to let them know in a loving way that if they continue this kind of treatment of us, we will have to distance ourselves from them.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, if I have any impaired relationships, please help me to see and resolve what I may have contributed to these situations, and help me to forgive any and all who have ever hurt me so that I will be free from all bitterness and resentment. Furthermore, where I have hurt others, help me to be humble enough to admit it and ask for their forgiveness and do all in my power to reconcile with this person or these persons. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. Exodus 20:12 (NIV).
2. See Colossians 3:21 (KJV and NIV).

<:))))><

Anger and Forgiveness

Leave a comment

“Don’t let the sun go down with you still angry—get over it quickly.”1

One of the biggest barriers to forgiving those who have hurt us is our unresolved hurt and anger. More often than not, where there is hurt, there is anger. Both need to be resolved.

Unresolved or buried anger is extremely destructive. This is why the Bible teaches us to resolve it as quickly as possible. Unless we do, it can turn into resentment, bitterness, hostility, and even rage if enough of it is bottled up for long enough. It is destructive to our physical, emotional and spiritual health. It is also very damaging to relationships and can lead to deep depression. Being angry in and of itself is not sinful. It is how we handle it—or fail to handle it—that is either right or wrong, creative or destructive. No matter what the other person does to me, my anger is always my issue and my responsibility. Nobody makes me angry without my permission.

Anger needs to be directed to its source and felt and expressed (not just talked about) in creative ways. Wherever possible it pays to express these feelings to the one who hurt us remembering always to “speak the truth in love.”2 Where this isn’t appropriate or possible, we can write out our feelings as David often did in the Psalms, read out loud what we have written, and then burn or throw away the copy. Or we can express these painful feelings to a trusted friend or counselor. Whatever we do we need to express them creatively and get them off our chest once and for all. This then clears the way for forgiveness; for as long as we nurse grudges and “sit” on our anger, we can never genuinely forgive anyone.

As Paul said, “Don’t let the sun go down on your anger!” Don’t sit on it. Don’t deny it. Don’t bury and don’t repress it. Express it in healthy ways. And remember, what we fail to talk out creatively we will inevitably act out destructively in one way or another. For further help read, “Taming Your Anger” at: http://tinyurl.com/b439f.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, when I feel angry, please help me to express it creatively without blaming others for my reaction. And help me always to speak the truth in love. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. Paul, in Ephesians 4:26 (TLB)(NLT).
2. Ephesians 4:15.

<:))))><

Healing Beyond the Test Tube Part IV

Leave a comment

“You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.”1

Without doubt, God still provides miraculous healings. I believe there is sufficient evidence to validate this. However, if the cause or causes of my illnesses are within myself, it is irresponsible of me to expect God to heal my sickness symptoms and allow me to avoid facing and dealing with the issues that are causing my ills. God simply will not do this. And when we ask him so to do, it is praying amiss. As Dr. Cecil Osborne said, “Only the immature, the childish expect instantaneous, miraculous answers to life’s problems.”

We now know that emotional stress is a major factor behind many of our sicknesses. We also now know that much of our emotional stress and anxiety is caused by unconfessed and unresolved, super-charged, repressed, negative emotions. In other words, as John Powell puts it, “When I repress my emotions, my stomach keeps score.”

Considerable healing is available if we are prepared to follow God’s divine principles for physical and mental health. Cleanliness of body and mind, upright living, a tranquil mind, and confession of our sins and our negative emotions are the great therapeutic tools for health and divine healing. When we follow these laws or principles, God has guaranteed that if we pray correctly, healthier living will follow.

How do I know this is true? I’ve tried it. It works. For one thing, when I learned to get honest with my true feelings and resolved my buried feelings of hurt, grief and anger, I was healed of miserable hay fever and painful bursitis in my shoulders. Sure my body is growing older but in many ways I am healthier than when I was in my mid-thirties. We simply can’t improve on God’s plans. It’s best to get in on them.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, thank you again for your Word that gives us wonderful principles for living healthier, happier, and more fulfilling lives. Help me to live accordingly. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. James 4:3 (NKJV).

<:))))><

Healing Beyond the Test Tube Part III

Leave a comment

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

In our series on “Healing Beyond the Test Tube” we said that the first law of health and healing was clean living—that is, physical hygiene, sanitation, and moral living. The second law is being free from stress and worry.

The writer of the Proverbs stated, “A tranquil mind gives life to the body.”2 And as Jesus said in today’s Scripture verse: “Don’t worry about things—food, drink, and clothes … don’t be anxious about tomorrow. God will take care of your tomorrow, too. Live one day at a time.”

Dr. William Saddler once remarked, “No one can appreciate as fully as a doctor the amazingly large percentage of human disease and suffering which is directly traceable to worry, fear, conflict, immorality, dissipation, and ignorance—to unwholesome thinking and unclean living. The sincere acceptance of the principles and teachings of Christ with respect to the life of mental peace and joy, the life of unselfish thought and clean living, would at once wipe out more than half the difficulties, diseases, and sorrows of the human race. In other words, more than one-half of the present afflictions of mankind could be prevented by the tremendous prophylactic power of actually living up to the personal and practical spirit of the real teachings of Christ.”3

A Sure Cure

The third law for health and healing is confession and prayer. The modern or medical word for old-fashioned confession is “catharsis.” It means an emptying out. And it is now known that one of the most powerful tools for healing is an emptying out of our supercharged repressed negative emotions of anger, hostility, guilt, fear, anxieties, and all the things that worry and bother us. As someone has wisely said, it is not so much what we eat that upsets us, but what eats us.

But this principle of emptying out or confession is as old as the Bible. Two thousand years ago, James, the brother of our Lord Jesus Christ, wrote, “Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; and the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up, and if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven him.”4

But the important point to note in finding healing is that the Scriptures didn’t stop at that point. James went on to say, “Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed.”5

Before prayer can be effective, genuine confession, or an emptying out is needed to both God and at least one other person. This confession of sins includes our emotional sins and faults such as repressed negative emotions of fear, anxiety, hostility, resentment, etc. as well as our guilt for wrongdoing. These are killers and need to be confessed and emptied out before healing can take place.

To be continued….

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, please help me to get in touch with all of my negative emotions and everything in my life that is hindering or blocking my healing. And help me to find a safe and trusted person to whom I can confess all my emotions, my failures, and my sins so that I can and will be healed. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. Matthew 6:25, 34 (Living Bible)(NIV).
2. Proverbs 14:30.
3. McMillen, S.I, None of These Diseases, (c) 1963. Fleming H. Revell, Co., Westwood, NJ. Used by permission. P 67. (Note: this book has since been updated).
4. James 5:14-15.
5. James 5:16.

<:))))><