All posts by 5Q

Service

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“Then the man who had received the one talent came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. So I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.’”1

“Sir Michael Costa, the celebrated conductor, was holding a rehearsal. As the mighty chorus rang out, accompanied by scores of instruments, the piccolo player—a tiny pint-sized flute—thinking perhaps that his contribution would not be missed amid so much music, stopped playing. Suddenly, the great leader stopped and cried out, ‘Where’s the piccolo?’

“The sound of that one small instrument was necessary to the harmony, and the Master Conductor missed it when it dropped out. The point? To the Conductor there are no insignificant instruments in an orchestra. Sometimes the smallest and seemingly least important one can make the greatest contribution and even if it doesn’t seem to make that big a difference to the audience at large, the conductor knows it right away!

“In the church, in life and in God’s work on earth the players and the instruments are diverse—different sizes, different shapes, different notes, different roles to play. But like the piccolo player in Sir Michael’s orchestra, we often in our own sovereignty decide that our contribution is not significant. Our contribution couldn’t possibly make a difference. And so we quit playing. Stop doing that which we’ve been given to do. We drop out. But the Conductor immediately notices.”2

From our perspective your and my contribution may be small, but from God’s viewpoint it is critical. So, whatever you do, don’t bury your piccolo (talent) but put it to use in service for the Lord remembering that we serve God by serving people and doing it in Jesus’ name.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, thank you for the gift/s you have given to me and for the part you have given me to play as you orchestrate your plan for the world in which I live. Help me to play my part diligently, faithfully, and to the best of my ability always for your glory and the benefit of others. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. Matthew 25:24-25 (NIV).

2. Adapted from Richard Love, Sermon: “Blowing Your Horn,” Memphis: Sermon Illustrations, 1999. Cited on www.eSermons.com.

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Cognitive Dissonance

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“Timothy, my son, I give you this instruction in keeping with the prophecies once made about you, so that by following them you may fight the good fight, holding on to faith and a good conscience. Some have rejected these and so have shipwrecked their faith.”1

Beliefs are remarkably powerful in that they are to our lives what a rudder is to a ship. That is, they control the direction and destiny of our lives. Furthermore, while we don’t always live the life we profess, we always live the life we believe. Simply put, if I believe I am a failure, I will set myself up to fail. If I believe I am a successful person, I will succeed, and so on.

Another critical point to remember about beliefs is that while we may begin with healthy beliefs but if we fail to live up to them, we will experience cognitive dissonance; that is, mental disharmony that is caused by guilt. Because of this discomfort, the danger is that we may change our beliefs to match our lifestyle. And then, instead of living the life we believe, we end up unhappily believing the life we live—a dangerous and self-destructive path to follow.

The good news about beliefs is that we get to choose them. In so doing we choose the direction and destiny of our life. Thus we need to choose our beliefs carefully and base them on reality and not on that which is convenient, or on false teaching or faulty perceptions from the past. We need to base them on God’s Word and his principles for successful daily living.

For some in difficult circumstances it may be difficult to believe in God and that he has a specific purpose for your life. Nevertheless, we still believe in God by choice as exemplified by a World War II prisoner of war who wrote on a cellar wall in Cologne, Germany: “I believe in the sun, even when it is not shining; I believe in love, even when I feel it not; I believe in God even when he is silent.”

Another powerful thing about beliefs is that they determine not only the destiny of our present life, but also our relationship to God and our destiny for the life to come. God’s Word, the Bible, says, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son [Jesus Christ], that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”2 Also, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved [for the life to come].”3 And again, “To all who received him [Christ], to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.”4

Remember, too, that beliefs are only wishes until we act on them!

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, please give me the wisdom to choose my beliefs carefully—beliefs that are in harmony with your Word, the Bible. And give me the courage to always live in accordance with these beliefs and never change them to match a less than wholesome lifestyle. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. Timothy 1:18-19 (NIV).

2. John 3:16 (NIV).

3. Acts 16:31 (NIV).

4. John 1:12 (NIV).

NOTE: Today’s Daily Encounter is also adapted from “The Power of Belief” by Dick Innes at http://tinyurl.com/79peh.

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The Power of Belief

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Paul the Apostle wrote, “For…the time has come for my departure. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.”1

“Down the streets of Portsmouth more than two hundred years ago,” said Lt. General Ira C. Eaker in a speech given some time ago, “walked a sailor with one arm, one eye, and a persistent state of nerves and unable to tread a ship’s deck without being seasick. Indeed he would probably have been in a home for incurables were his name not Admiral Lord Nelson. The man’s spirit drove the flesh.”

Born in 1758, Horatio Nelson, the son of a pastor, was a small, frail child who loved sailing. As a young teenager he joined the British navy and, while journeying to the East Indies, caught a fever that seriously damaged his health. But he never allowed this to hold him back. At age 18 he was appointed a lieutenant in the Royal Navy and by the year 1802 was made commander-in-chief of the British fleet.

Two years later, at the Battle of Trafalgar, Nelson defeated the combined French and Spanish fleets. This was the greatest naval victory in British history and left the British in control of the seas for the rest of the 1800s. Unfortunately, Nelson was mortally wounded during Trafalgar but lived long enough to know that his fleet had won the battle. His last words were, “Thank God I have done my duty.”

Nelson was a man of fearless courage and devotion. He believed in his country, in his cause, and in himself. He proved this with his words and more so with his life. He once said, “I am of the opinion that the boldest measures are the safest.” Nelson was a man greatly admired by others who said about him, “His frail body housed a great spirit.”

John Stuart Mill would agree. He said, “One person with a belief is equal to a force of ninety-nine who only have interest.”2

No matter what your limitations or your handicaps are, God has a plan and purpose for your life. Believe it and you will receive it. Act on it and you will achieve it and like the Apostle Paul you, too, will be able to say, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, help me to so believe and live that when I come to the end of life’s journey, I too will be able to say, ‘Thank God that I have done my duty.’ Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. 2 Timothy 4:6-8 (NIV).

2. Adapted from “The Power of Belief” by Dick Innes at http://tinyurl.com/79peh.

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Quality Marriage and Relationships

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“The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.”1

According to Morris Chalfant, “When polls are taken to discover what unhappily married men and women object to in each other, the ‘silent husband’ heads the wife’s list, and the ‘nagging wife’ almost always heads the list of most husbands.”

So, if my marriage and/or close relationships are less than desirable, what can I do about it? Lots actually.

First, quit the blame game. Remember, as long as we play the blame game we will b-lame.

Second, work on yourself and your own growth and maturity. The fact is that the only person we can ever change is our self, and as we change, those around us tend to change also—not always for the best, however, as some people don’t like it when we change.

Third, for men, three lessons: Learn to communicate, communicate, communicate. Your marriage and family depend on effective communications. And communication goes far beyond sharing your thoughts and saying what you think. It’s learning to be honest with your feelings and not being afraid to say how you feel, whether it be happy, joyful, sad, afraid, hurt, angry or whatever. Admittedly, if you haven’t learned to do this, it can be like learning a whole new language. I know—been there—done that! And when we do share, we need to remember to always “share the truth in love.”

Third, for women. Quit nagging. Let’s face it, it doesn’t work and unfortunately the less something works, all too often, the more we do it. As the saying goes, “if you keep doing what you’ve always done, you’ll keep getting what you’ve always got and you’ll keep feeling as you always felt.”

Fourth, for both men and women a strong reminder to use “I” messages when you are sharing your feelings. Never say, “You made me feel such and such,” because nobody can make us feel anything without our permission. But rather say, “I feel hurt, afraid (or whatever) and I need to talk to you about such-and-such.”

Fifth, attend an effective communications class and read a good book together on this topic. An old book that I found very helpful is John Powell’s, Why Am I Afraid to Tell You Who I Am. You may be able to buy a copy at your bookstore or on amazon.com. If not, borrow a copy from your library. Your librarian can also tell you about other good books on effective communications and interpersonal relationships.

Sixth, pray together—every day or night. It’s still true that the family who prays together is more likely to stay together. But when you pray, learn to pray openly and honestly. God knows exactly how you feel anyhow so you may as well tell him and then you are in a position to receive his help. Remember, “The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.” Praying empty words and meaningless clichés is like talking to the wind.

We stay close to God by being open and truthful with him. We stay close to one another in exactly the same way.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, thank you that you know all about me—my deepest joys, sorrows, hurts, fears, sins and failures—and love me still. Please help me to be real with myself, with you and with my partner, other loved ones, and my closest friends. Help me to be real and authentic so that my life will be a free channel for your love to flow through to others. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. Psalm 145:18 (NIV).

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Lord, Kill the Spider

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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

Last Sunday our pastor told an interesting story and, had it not been serious, it would have been funny. He told about a fellow in a support group who for months on end kept praying about a personal problem but never did anything about it. Week after week he would pray with seemingly great conviction, “Oh God, clean the cobwebs out of my life…clean the cobwebs out of my life!”

Finally, in utter frustration the leader of the group broke into the man’s prayer and prayed rather boisterously, “Oh God, KILL THE _ _ _ _ _ _ _ SPIDER!”

I can identify with this leader in that I, too, know of people who have been confessing the same sin and/or problem for years, asking God for deliverance but never doing anything about it. True, God feeds the sparrows but as the old saying goes, he doesn’t throw the food into their nests.

If we are struggling with a besetting sin or bad habit, what can we do about it? Certainly pray and ask God for deliverance but also pray that he will show us the root cause of our problem because, more often than not, our repetitive failures are the fruit of a deeper root. God not only wants to deliver us from habitual sins but also free us from the deeper root cause. Also, we need to ask God to lead us to the help we need to overcome whether it be an AA Group, some other kind of recovery group, a counselor, a pastor or whatever help we need. And then we need to do something about finding that help. As we do our part, God will do his, but he won’t do for us what we can and are able to do for ourselves. For us to do less is an avoidance of personal responsibility.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, thank you that you have already done for me what I couldn’t do for myself in that you gave your Son, Jesus, to die for and free me from a life of sin and failure. Please help me to see the root cause of my besetting sin or problem [name it] and help me to find the help I need to overcome. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

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

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True Greatness

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“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”1

“Shortly after Booker T. Washington, the renowned black educator, took over the presidency of Tuskegee Institute in Alabama, he was walking in an exclusive section of town, when he was stopped by wealthy white woman.

“Not knowing the famous Mr. Washington by sight, she asked if he would like to earn a few dollars by chopping wood for her. Because he had no pressing business at the moment, Professor Washington smiled, rolled up his sleeves, and proceeded to do the humble chore she had requested.

“When he was finished, he carried the logs into the house and stacked them by the fireplace. A little girl recognized him and later revealed his identity to the lady. The next morning the embarrassed woman went to see Mr. Washington in his office at the Institute and apologized profusely. “It’s perfectly all right, Madam,” he replied. “Occasionally I enjoy a little manual labor. Besides, it’s always a delight to do something for a friend.”2

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, please help to remember that I, too, am a fellow struggler and always be ready to lend a helping hand to that person in need whom you bring across my path. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. Matthew 5:3 (NKJV).

2. KneEmail, www.oakhillcoc.org

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An Irreversible Spin

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“Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.”1

Following the crash of an Aeroflot jet in Siberia, which killed all 75 people aboard in March of 1994, the voices heard on the recording were ones of terror! They came from a chilling scene. Apparently the pilot was giving his children a flying lesson at the time of the crash.

The transcript from the cockpit tapes reveals the desperate situation. “Daddy, can I turn this?” cried the child who was sitting in the captain’s seat.

Then came the voice of the captain shouting, “Get out! Get out! More than a dozen times he yelled out to his son who had “accidentally pushed the right pedal, sending the aircraft into an irreversible spin.”

Sometimes the choices we make seem insignificant at the time, but when we stop living the life we believe, we end up unhappily believing the life we live. In so doing we can put our life into “an irreversible spin” and unless we face the reality of our actions and call to God for help, in the long run there’s no way out.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, help me to so live that I will never ignore your Word with its moral principles for daily living or forget you and thereby place my life in an irreversible spin. And thank you that when I am in trouble and call out to you for help, you always hear and answer my prayers. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. James 1:15 (NKJV).

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Cheap Advice

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Jesus said, “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.”1

In a Peanuts cartoon Lucy is playing her role as psychiatrist. She sits in her booth with the sign that reads: “Psychiatric Help—5 cents.” The sign below says, “The Doctor Is In.” Lucy says to Charlie Brown, “Your life is like a house.”

In the next frame, she says reflectively, “You want your house to have a solid foundation, don’t you?” Charlie Brown has a kind of blank look on his face. Lucy says, “Of course you do.”

Charlie Brown is still silent—saying nothing. Then in the fourth frame, psychiatrist Lucy says, “So don’t build your house on the sand, Charlie Brown.” About that time, a huge wind comes up and blows the booth down. Lucy, sitting in the rubble says, “Or use cheap nails.”2

Sad to say, too many of us are too quick to give cheap advice to others and forget, as the old saying goes, that when we point a finger at others, there are four fingers pointing back at us. People who are quick to give unsolicited advice are, generally speaking, very insecure and gain a sense of false security by having a ready answer for everyone else’s problems—except their own.

So “my advice” is: “Don’t be an unsolicited advice giver!”

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, please help me not to be a judgmental person, nor be quick to find fault with others, or be an unsolicited advice giver, but rather, help me to see my own character flaws and lead me to the help I need to overcome these. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. Matthew 7:3-5 (NIV)

2. Brett Blair, www.eSermons.com

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Destruction Invited

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“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”1

Vernon Eaton, commenting on the book, Ways of the Ant, by John Crompton, writes: “A pleasure-mad society needs to take a lesson from the Sanguine ants and their affair with the Golden-Haired beetle.”

“The ants’ normal diet is plain, often to the point of austerity, but they love unusual and exotic tidbits and will go to any lengths to satisfy this craving. For example, the Golden-Haired beetle exudes from the base of its golden hairs some secretion which ants find irresistible. So it is allowed to do anything it likes, even lay its own eggs, which soon turn to grubs. So besotted and obsessed do the worker ants become that they feed the beetle with food intended for their own infants, and even with food reserved for the queen.”

“Worse, much worse, they allow the beetle to kill their infants and eat them. They even kill their own infants themselves and feed them to this stranger. The beetle repays them with a generous allowance of the secretion they crave…. The end is not immediate. The colony may last two years more, but the end is certain.”

“How like Satan is this picture. Promising the ‘pleasures of sin’ and then enslaving us with our own cravings. The ‘dead-end’ may not be obvious at first, but it is inevitable.”

The good news is that while the end result of sin is eternal death, which is eternal separation from God the author of all love and life, the gift of God is both forgiveness and eternal life. Both are available for all who believe and ask. For help be sure to read “How to Be Sure You’re a Real Christian” at: www.actsweb.org/aricles.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, help me always to remember that sin always has its consequences and that I will reap what I sow. And I thank you that you have provided an escape from sin’s ultimate consequences—eternal death and separation from you—by giving Jesus to die in my place on the cross. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. Romans 6:23 (NIV).

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Passports

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

Not so long ago I had an urgent phone call from a good friend in Australia—one of my closest friends when I was growing up. Two of his granddaughters on their way to a Bible College in Florida were stranded at the Los Angeles International Airport. My friend wanted to know if there was any way I could help them as their passport and entry papers were not in order. We offered to have them stay over with us until this got sorted out. No chance. They were not allowed out of the airport and we were not allowed to see them—not that we could have done anything but it would have been nice to at least give them a sympathetic ear.

They were put on the next plane and sent back to Australia

How terribly disappointing it was for them. They were just kids and didn’t know any better as their travel agent hadn’t given them the correct instructions. The good news is that all is corrected and they have returned to the U.S. and are now in college in Florida

This is a good reminder about making sure that we have our passport for heaven. All religions, as many would have us believe, do not lead to heaven. Good works, as many others claim, will not get us into God’s heaven either. There’s only one way and that is through the Lord Jesus Christ who has paid the ransom price for all our sins and wrongdoings through his death on the cross. There is no other way.

Accepting Jesus as your Savior is providing your passport for entry into heaven. Whatever you do, don’t leave earth without it. Unlike our friends from Australia, there will not be a second chance to come back to get it right.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, thank you that you gave your Son, Jesus, to pay the ultimate sacrifice in giving his life as a ransom price to pay for the penalty of all my sins, and that in accepting him as my Savior gives me my ‘passport’ to heaven. Please help me to be sure that I have my passport to heaven. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

For your “passport to heaven” be sure to read “How to Be Sure You’re a Real Christian” at: www.actsweb.org/articles.

1. John 14: 6 (NIV).

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