All posts by 5Q

According to Your Faith

Leave a comment

“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 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

Robert Schuller shares the wonderful story about Olympic champion, Charlie Paddock who loved to speak to young people in high schools. At East Tech High School in Cleveland, Ohio, he challenged those young people: “If you think you can, you can! If you believe something strongly enough, it will come to pass in your life.” Afterward he lifted his hand and said, “Who knows? Maybe there’s an Olympic champion in this auditorium this afternoon.”

Later a scrawny little black boy approached him and said, “Gee, Mr. Paddock, I’d give anything if I could be an Olympic champion just like you.”

It was that young boy’s moment of inspiration. From that moment on his life was changed! In 1936 he went to Berlin, Germany, and won four gold medals. His name is Jesse Owens. When he returned home he was driven through the streets of Cleveland and greeted by a cheering crowd. The car stopped for him to sign autographs. That day a skinny little boy pressed himself against the car and said, “Gee, Mr. Owens, I’d give anything to be an Olympic champion just like you.”

Jesse reached out to this little fellow (who was nicknamed “Bones”) and said, “You know that’s what I wanted when I was about your age. If you will work hard and train hard, and if you will believe, then you can become an Olympic champion.”

The little boy was so inspired that he ran all the way home where he told his grandmother, “I’m going to become an Olympic champion.” In Wembley Stadium in London, England, in 1948, six young men waited to hear the starting gun. The man in the outside lane burst out ahead; drove down to hit the tape, and won the race. His name was Harrison “Bones” Dillard. He tied Jesse Owens’s Olympic record that day and went on to break many more records.2

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, please help me to see what you want me to achieve with my life, give me the faith to believe it is possible, and the courage and determination to pursue it with all my heart for the betterment of others and for your glory. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. Matthew 9:27-30 (NIV).
2. This illustration is from Robert Schuller’s Move Ahead With Possibility Thinking, (New York: Jove Books, 1967).

<:))))><

Mutagen Cells

Leave a comment

“And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.”1

In his book, The Magic of Teamwork, Pat Williams shared how “Chad Sheron was an outstanding basketball player at Vanderbilt University. He came up with a great metaphor describing the interaction of individuals and teams—but his metaphor comes not from the world of sports but from his premed studies at Vanderbilt. He observed that the various cells of the human body—muscle cells, blood cells, organ cells, bone cells, and all the other cells—are designed to work together to enhance the health and life of the entire body. Each cell is a part of the body’s ‘team.’ But there is one kind of cell that can create enormous problems for the body—a cell called a mutagen. ‘A mutagen,’ Chad observes, ‘is a cell that has stopped acting like its peer cells and just grows for its own sake. Just as mutagens cause cancer in the human body, people who behave like mutagens can have a cancerous effect on a team.”2

Either rightly or wrongly I was taught years ago in a pastoral counseling class that every church has a church boss—and very often it isn’t the pastor. Almost always, wherever people are together, there is someone who wants to be in control. The church is no different because we are all fellow strugglers—sinners saved by grace—and, unfortunately, we won’t be free from conflict until we get to heaven.

I recall some years ago in the church where I was a member how I said to the pastor about a “control freak” that if he (the pastor) didn’t get rid of this man, he would do his utmost to get rid of him (the pastor). He almost did and caused great harm to the church. So what do we do with these “mutagens”? It’s tough I know, but there are times when tough love is called for, and we have to do what we have to do. For if we have a “cancer” and don’t get rid of it, the cancer will get rid of us.

It may be a bit crude, but when they threw troublemaker Jonah overboard, there was a great calm. At the very least, discipline is needed to reform “mutagens.” If this fails, then the Jonah principle may need to be applied to save the many from the damage by the least.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, please help me never to be a ‘mutagen’ in any group—whether it is at my work place, on a sports team, at church, and especially in my home. And where there is a ‘mutagen’ in any one of these where I am a team player, please give me the wisdom to know how and the courage to lovingly deal with this person as you would do. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. 1 Corinthians 12:26 (NKJV).
2. The Magic of Teamwork by Pat Williams, Thomas Nelson Publishers, Nashville, 1997, p. 10. Cited on http://www.sermons.com/.

<:))))><

Armageddon

Leave a comment

“And they gathered all the rulers and their armies to a place called Armageddon in Hebrew. Then the seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air. And a mighty shout came from the throne of the Temple in heaven, saying, ‘It is finished!’”1

I have read how, “at the end of the 19th century, two French writers went to visit the well-known French scientist, Pierre Berthelot. Berthelot was a kind of scientific prophet. He forecast some of the weapons of mass destruction that would appear in the next century. He said to the writers, ‘We have only begun to list the alphabet of destruction.’ Silence fell over the meeting. Then the elder of the two writers said quietly, ‘I think before that time comes, God will come like a great gatekeeper with his keys dangling at his waist and say, “Gentlemen, it’s closing time.”‘”2

Armageddon, among other things, is a part of God’s closing time on mankind’s history. Books have been written and films produced about Armageddon, showing it as the world’s great closing time battle of all battles. It is depicted in the Bible as the raging war at the end of this world age when, at some point, God will step into man’s history to put down all evil forever, and to stop mankind before we totally destroy ourselves.

I don’t claim to be a student of biblical prophecy, especially relating to the specific details of the end of this world age. For me, the important thing is that we are ready because that time will also be marked by Jesus Christ’s coming again for all those who have accepted him as their Savior—and have had their sins forgiven—to take them to be with him forever in heaven. It is my understanding, however, that Christ’s return for his people will precede the Battle of Armageddon.

What a glorious day Christ’s return will be for all true Christians—not those in name only—but for those who are truly Christ-ones. And what a tragic day it will be for those who have never accepted God’s forgiveness. Also at the end of this world age, to the non-Christ-ones, according to Jesus, God will say, “‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire [hell] prepared for the devil and his angels.”3 Whatever and wherever hell is, it is a terrifying thought to be lost there without hope for all eternity—eternally separated from God, the author of all love and life.

The good news is that there is no need for you or me to miss out on God’s forgiveness and a home in heaven to be with him forever—where God himself will wipe away all tears … and where there will be no more sickness, sadness, sorrow, or dying. God’s gift of forgiveness and eternal life is ours for the asking.

As sure as the prophecies in the Old Testament concerning Christ’s first coming have all come true, we can be just as certain that Jesus Christ will come again and that Armageddon will take place. To make sure you are prepared for Christ’s return be sure to read the article, “How to Be Sure You’re a Real Christian” at: https://learning.actsweb.org/christian.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, thank you that you have given us your Word to warn us of the ‘wrath to come,’ and to show us your plan of salvation so we can have our sins forgiven, accept Jesus as our Savior, and be prepared to meet you face to face—and be saved from a lost eternity in hell. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. Revelation 16:16-17 (NLT).
2. Source unknown. Cited on eSermons.com.
3. Matthew 25:41 (NIV).

<:))))><

Identifying False Prophets

Leave a comment

“But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves.”1

A Daily Encounter reader asks: “How do you know if you are being taught by a false prophet—a wolf in sheep’s clothing; and, if so, what should you do? I have a friend who is in a certain church, should I be concerned for her and what she shares with others?”

One of best ways to know if you are being taught false teaching by a false prophet is to have a sound knowledge and understanding of what God’s Word teaches. If you know God’s Truths, you won’t be deceived by the devil’s lies. If any teaching is out of harmony with God’s Word, you can know it is not of God. I even heard one radio preacher talking about a new movement claiming that it had to be a new work of God because it wasn’t in the Bible. Yeah, right! No, wrong! That was good evidence that it was not of God.

Remember too, that most, if not all, false prophets have an element of truth in their teaching. This makes what they say believable and more deceptive. Even the devil tried to tempt Jesus by quoting the Bible to him. And when he tempted the first man and woman, he deceived them by using a part-truth.

Furthermore, the more honest and real you are as a person, the easier it is for you to “smell” (sense, discern) the phoniness of false prophets.

Equally important, ask God to give you discernment and reveal to you the truth—first about yourself to make sure you are not overreacting—and then about the person you sense may be a false teacher, and what it is he/she is claiming is truth.

Regarding friends who are caught up in false teaching, as a general rule, most of them are convinced in their mind that they have the truth so there is little, if anything, you can say to them. It’s best to ask God to help you to be “as Christ” to these people and as opportunity arises, to give you the right words to say, and of course, to “speak the truth in love.”

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, please give me a love for and understanding of your Word; help me to be honest with myself; and give me a spirit of discernment so I will have a clear understanding of what is truth and what is error. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. 2 Peter 2:1 (NIV).

<:))))><

A War Time Prayer

Leave a comment

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”1

Ravi Zacharias shares how, “At the historic Amsterdam Conference for Itinerant Evangelists in 1986, a renowned Korean speaker, Billy Kim, told the story of an American soldier hiding in a bunker during the Korean War. When his commander ordered him to rescue some of his fallen mates on the front lines, the soldier nodded his head, took a covert glance at his watch, stalled till his commanding officer was out of sight, and simply made no move. Several minutes went by, and a colleague reminded him of his rescue assignment. Again he looked at his watch and delayed. Finally, he leaped out of the bunker and fearlessly began carrying his compatriots to safety.

“At the end of the day, a friend asked him to explain his actions. The soldier said, ‘I was afraid because I knew I was not ready to die. I waited until my fear would be overcome—remembering that at a certain time every hour my mother had said she would pray for me. Then I knew that no matter what awaited me, I could face it.’”2

Prayer does matter. Prayer does change things. Prayer is a powerful means of connecting to God of the eternal. How thankful I am for all who pray daily for me and the Daily Encounter ministry. How thankful I am that I can pray every day for my loved ones and commit and trust them to God and his care. And how thankful many a serviceman/woman is that every day loved ones and friends at home are also praying for them.

And as wars and acts of terrorism continue, and as Christians in various parts of the world are being persecuted and killed, let us pray faithfully for God’s care for all his children, and that the day of Christ’s return will hasten so that in God’s time all wars, suffering, sickness and starvation, will finally be ended forever. Pray, too, that everyone in the world will have the opportunity to hear the saving gospel of Jesus Christ and accept God’s forgiveness and eternal life.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, thank you that your Word encourages us to pray without ceasing. Help me to do this and also to pray according to your will so that I have the assurance that my prayers will always be answered. And I pray today for all who are suffering for your sake that you will protect them from the hands of evil people. And grant that we Christians will do all in our power to join with those who are taking the gospel to the ends of the earth so that your gospel is proclaimed in all the world so that your coming can take place. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. Philippians 4:6-7 (NIV).

2. A Slice of Infinity, http://www.sliceofinfinity.org.

<:))))><

Good News in a Bad News World

Leave a comment

“Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.”1

“For the first time in her life, Western Oregon University’s Sara Tucholsky not only hit a home run in a game against Central Washington University, but she hit it over the fence.

“She had passed first base and was on her way to second base when she collapsed. Something had happened to her knee and she couldn’t run. No one on her team could help her around the bases because if they touched her, she’d be out. That’s when her opponents from Central Washington picked her up and carried her around the bases and across the home plate. ‘My whole team was crying. It touched a lot of people,’ says Tucholsky.”2

I don’t know if any of these kids were Christians or not, but what an incredible example for all of us. In doing likewise we certainly would be helping to fulfill “the law of Christ.”

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, please help me always to be available to bear another’s burden when his or her load is too heavy to bear alone. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. Galatians 6:2 (NKJV).
2. Source, KneEmail, http://www.forthright.net/kneemail/

<:))))><

The Ripple Effect

Leave a comment

“Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither labored in vain.”1

Brett Blair reports how Henry P. Crowell contracted tuberculosis when a boy and couldn’t go to school. After hearing a sermon by Dwight L. Moody, young Crowell prayed, “I can’t be a preacher, but I can be a good businessman. God, if you will let me make money, I will use it in your service.”

Under the doctor’s advice Crowell worked outdoors for seven years and regained his health. He then bought the little run-down Quaker Mill at Ravanna, Ohio. Within ten years Quaker Oats was a household word to millions. Henry P. Crowell faithfully gave 60 to 70 percent of his income to God’s causes, having advanced from an initial 10 percent.2

One of the recipients of Crowell’s support was the Moody Bible Institute—the school that D. L. Moody founded in Chicago. And by way of interest, that is the school where I did most of my Bible and theological training. So, I too, benefited by the commitment to God that Henry Crowell made so many years ago.

What you and I do today for God can also have a ripple effect and touch many other lives for years to come—and many for all eternity. So let’s invest our time, our talents, and our life wisely, keeping eternal values in mind.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, thank you that no matter what my gifts and talents are—be they many or few—I can use them to serve you and help others. Please help me to do this and influence many for time and eternity. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. Philippians 2:16.

2. Brett Blair, www.eSermons.com, 2002

<:))))><

Make the New Year Count

Leave a comment

The Apostle Paul wrote, ”One thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”1

Wishing all our Daily Encounter readers a very Happy and Prosperous New Year. Obviously, the past is behind us. We can’t undo it even if we wanted to, but we can start the New Year with hope and purpose, keeping in mind the words of Minnie Haskins who said, “And I said to the one who stood at the gate of the year, ‘Give me a light that I may tread safely into the Unknown.’ And he replied, ‘Go out into the darkness and put your hand into the hand of God. That shall be to you better than light and safer than a known way.’”

I couldn’t think of a better way to start the New Year and, with God’s help, “Let this coming year be better than all the others. Vow to do some of the things you’ve always wanted to do but couldn’t find the time. Call up a forgotten friend. Drop an old grudge, and replace it with some pleasant memories. Vow not to make a promise you don’t think you can keep. Walk tall, and smile more. You’ll look ten years younger. Don’t be afraid to say, ‘I love you.’ Say it again. They are the sweetest words in the world.“2

As each year rapidly passes I’m becoming more aware of the fact that life is short for all of us. So be sure to make 2010 an investment in eternal values knowing that, in the words of the poet, we have “Only one life ’twill soon be past, only what’s done for Christ will last.”

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, thank you for another New Year in which to serve you. Please help me to invest it wisely in eternal values so that when I stand before you face to face, I will hear your welcome words: ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. Enter into the joy of your Lord.’ Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. Philippians 3:13-14 (NIV).
2. Ann Landers.

<:))))><

A Voice in the Night

Leave a comment

“Sit up!” the voice in the night said, “and take a deep breath.”

“It was a stormy night,” a personal friend shared, “and we were awakened by an extremely loud clap of thunder. After the initial fright, checking the kids and the house, we went back to bed and to sleep.

“Then came the voice. I was certain I heard someone speaking. “Sit up and take in a deep breath,” it said.

“I only half-awoke and thought I must have been dreaming, so rolled over and went back to sleep.”

“The voice spoke again with more insistence, ‘Sit up and take in a deep breath.”‘

“This is weird,” I thought so again rolled over and went back to sleep.

“‘SIT UP! Take in a deep breath!’ the voice spoke again with great urgency.

“So I sat up and took in a deep breath … and smelled smoke!” I was fully awake in an instant … awakened my husband … rushed to wake the children … we had the oldest one phone 911 (for emergency) … my husband took over the phone … the operator asked if the lights were working … my husband said they were going out one room at a time.

“Get OUT of the house immediately,” declared the operator. Your house has been struck by lightning.”

As quick as a flash the family rushed outside … immediately the house exploded and burst into flames. It took firemen six hours to put the fire out. The house was totally destroyed … but the entire family was saved. Talk about a wake-up call!

Surely this was a God thing. Fortunately this family was committed followers of Jesus Christ and even though they lost their house, their lives were saved.

God doesn’t usually speak to most of us with an audible voice. He doesn’t have to because his “wake-up call” is spoken to us repeatedly in his Word, the Bible. “Wake up!” God says to every one of us, “Flee from the wrath to come” (God’s judgment of sin and evil for the world that has turned from God will be judged and purified by fire). Wake up, “It is appointed unto man once to die and after this the judgment.” Wake up, “I will come again,” Jesus promised “to take all who believe in me to be with me in heaven forever.”

“Wake up,” Jesus is coming again … it may be today. Are you ready? Again Jesus said, “I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in….”

Whatever you do don’t miss God’s wake-up call. Have you opened the door of life and invited Jesus, the Son of God, to come into your heart and life as your God and your Savior? If not, may I urge you to do that today … right now … by praying a simple prayer such as the following:

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, I hear your wake up call as faint as it may be. I confess that I am a sinner and ask for your forgiveness. Thank you, Jesus, for dying on the cross to pay the penalty for all my sins. I invite you to come into my heart and life as my God and my Savior. With your help I repent of and turn from my sinful ways. Thank you for hearing my prayer, for forgiving me of my sins, and for coming into my heart and life as my Savior. Help me to live for you always in all ways. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

NOTE: If you prayed this prayer, please let us know by clicking on http://tinyurl.com/pgntm and we will send you articles (without charge) to help you in your Christian life. (Be assured that we will never give any information about you to any other person, organization, or business.)

For more help Click ON: http://tinyurl.com/8glq9 for the article, “How to Be Sure You’re a Real Christian—without having to be religious.”

<:))))<

Thorns That Don’t Prickle

Leave a comment

“To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me.”1

“Around the turn of the century a young man named Ole took his girlfriend on a summer outing. They took a picnic lunch out to a picturesque island in the middle of a small lake. She wore a long dress with about a dozen petticoats. He was dressed in a suit with a high collar. Ole rowed them out to the island, dragged the boat on to the shore, and spread their picnic supplies beneath a shady tree. So hypnotized was he by her beauty that he hardly noticed the hot sun and perspiration on his brow. Softly she whispered to him, ‘Ole, you forgot the ice cream.’

“Ole pulled the boat back to the water and rowed to shore. He found a grocery store nearby, bought the ice cream, and rowed back to the island. She batted long eyelashes over deep blue eyes and purred, ‘Ole, you forgot the chocolate syrup.’

“Ole got back into the boat and returned to the store for syrup. As he rowed back toward the island, suddenly he stopped. He sat there in the boat the rest of the afternoon, fascinated by an idea. By the end of that afternoon, Ole Evinrude had invented the outboard motor. And by the way, Ole later married the girl who waited so long on the island.”2

As the old saying goes, when life presents you with a lemon, turn it into lemonade! For the Apostle Paul his “thorn in the flesh” (whatever it was) was used by God to keep him humble and effective in his work for the Lord. For me personally (as I’ve shared before), it was when I felt God put me on the shelf that I turned to writing for something to do—I’m still writing some forty years later. In every challenge, setback, failure, discouragement, there is an opportunity. When you face a daunting challenge or a major setback in your life, with strong desire, commitment to God’s purpose for your life, and seeking his direction, you too will discover what your opportunity is.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, when I’m faced with a challenge, setback, or discouragement, please help me to discern what opportunity you have for me in it, and then pursue it with all my heart. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. 2 Corinthians 12:7 (NIV).
2. From http://www.esermons.com/.

<:))))><