All posts by 5Q

Relational Living

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“The Lord God said, ‘It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.’”1

It is good to remind ourselves that God created mankind primarily for relationships from which come eighty percent of life’s satisfaction. To live meaningfully we need to be in meaningful relationships, without which life can be very empty and lonely.

If we don’t know how to relate in healthy ways, we don’t know how to live fully, and we can impair both our mental and physical health as a result. Or another way to put it: to fully live we need to fully love!

It helps us to remember that God himself is in relationship through the Trinity (God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit). Also, Jesus started the Christian movement with relationships: “He [Jesus] appointed twelve…that they might be with him.”2 Furthermore, practically all of Christ’s ministry was done in relationship with his twelve disciples.

As a Christian, our first need is to keep in a right relationship with God, which begins by accepting Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord. Trying to live the Christian life without this is like trying to go east by traveling west.

We then need close, healthy relationships with people. Only then can we realize some of the deepest longings of the human heart. This doesn’t mean that we are to be overdependent on others, codependent with them, or independent from them, but interdependent with them.

The reality is that we need people. Barbra Streisand expressed it well in the song: “People who need people are the luckiest people in the world.”

Furthermore, the degree of our mental health, emotional maturity, and spiritual well-being will be reflected in the health or otherwise of our close relationships. God’s command to “love one another” is not a sentimental suggestion. It’s an imperative.

Suggested prayer, “Dear God, please help me first of all to have a right relationship with you and then to resolve any character issues in my life that may hinder my having healthy relationships with others. Help me to love you and others more fully and myself in a healthy way. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name. Amen.”

1. Genesis 2:18 (NIV).
2. Mark 3:14 (NIV).

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The Fruit of a Deeper Root

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“People who conceal their sins will not prosper, but if they confess and turn from them, they will receive mercy.”1

Problems. Nobody is immune from committing sins. However, often the problems we see are not the problems that are! For instance, a problem, whether it is emotional, spiritual or physical, is often the symptom of a deeper problem; that is, “the fruit of a deeper root.” The root cause may be an unresolved emotional, spiritual or moral problem which can express itself in any one of a number of ways such as the following: relational conflicts, worry, stress, anxiety, insomnia, depression, addictions, spiritual dryness, physical sickness, abuse, etc., etc.

Many physical symptoms can be symbolic. For example, ulcers may be caused not so much by what we eat but by what is eating us. Tension headaches can be caused by “jamming up” anger in our head. Aching shoulders may be caused by our feeling that we are burdened by a heavy load. And if I have a pain in the neck, I may….

Confession opens the door for recovery: not only from the symptoms but also from the causes.

After David confessed his sin, he said, “Oh, what joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven, whose sin is put out of sight! Yes, what joy for those whose record the Lord has cleared of guilt, whose lives are lived in complete honesty! When I refused to confess my sin, my body wasted away, and I groaned all day long. Day and night your hand of discipline was heavy on me. My strength evaporated like water in the summer heat. Finally, I confessed all my sins to you and stopped trying to hide my guilt. I said to myself, ‘I will confess my rebellion to the Lord.’ And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone.”2

A good example to follow.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, here’s the symptom/s (be specific_____________name it/them) in my life. I acknowledge these to you. Please give me the courage to face the cause/s of these and lead me to the help I need to resolve them. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. Proverbs 28:13 (NLT).
2. Psalm 32:1-5 (NLT).

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How You Can Be an Effective Witness? Part V

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“It was he [Jesus] who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up.”1

First, to be an effective witness for Christ we need to be real. On one occasion when I was still living and working in my homeland and returned from being overseas, I met a new member, Lynne G., who had been added to our Australian staff while I was away. When Lynne was offered a job with ACTS, her husband, Terry, told her that it would be OK but not to get involved with a bunch of religious nuts! That’s what he thought about us Christians.

Soon after, Lynne overheard me telling a pushy salesperson where to get off. I had no idea she could hear me, but when she got home that night, she said to Terry, “You’ll never believe my new boss. He said, ‘such-and-such.’ He’s real.” And that was the turning point of their life and began their journey to a committed Christian life. That was over three decades ago. Today, Lynne and Terry are both on the ACTS staff. Terry is the Australian director and Lynne is in charge of all the print publications for the Australian office.

Now, I’m not suggesting that you tell people where to get off as a way of witnessing, but what I am saying is that to be an effective witness for Christ it is important that people see us as real persons and not just as phony saccharine-sweet-do-gooders!

Second, be available. When I told God I was quitting witnessing because I was too afraid, but was available for him to use to share the gospel, little did I know what lay ahead. I prayed that prayer at least 25 years ago. My work in ACTS has never grown to the point that we have a large organization. We are still only very small (in fact, Joy, my wife, and I are now the only full-time workers in our U.S. office). But God has used our work to share the gospel with millions of people around the world.

We have seen over 40 million pieces of our printed gospel literature distributed, reached multiplied thousands with our radio spots that we ran throughout Australia for a number of years, shared with many more thousands through our Australian monthly magazine, and now are reaching many thousands more every day around the world via email and the Internet. In fact, this Daily Encounter will go to 162,000 worldwide subscribers today. Thousands more will be reached today via Weekend Encounter and our many Internet pages.

If you tell God that you are available for him to use and genuinely make a commitment to do this, he will use you too.

Third, use the gifts God has given you. For instance, it is important to realize that out of the twelve disciples personally handpicked by Jesus to launch the taking of the gospel to the world, only one clearly had the gift of personal evangelism. No it wasn’t Peter. He had the gift of mass evangelism. It was Andrew who, whenever we read about him, in his own quiet way was bringing someone to Jesus: Peter; the boy with the loaves and fishes; and the Greek enquirers.

God wants to use your gifting, too. Know what your gifts are, develop them, and offer them back to God for his use in his work here on earth. And every day remember to pray the following prayer:

“Dear God, I am available again today. Please make me usable and use me … with the gifts you have given me … for the furtherance of your work on earth. And please use me today to be as Christ to whomever you bring into my life and in some way to every life I touch. Make me a channel through whom your love can flow, and grant that people will see Jesus in me. Always in all ways. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. Ephesians 4:11–12 (NIV).

NOTE: To make it extremely easy to witness for Christ, we have printed very attractive and appealing Good News business witness cards. See samples online at http://actscom.com/witness_cards.php.

Try them. You’ll like them. I gave one to my barber, he looked at it, read it, and said, “My grown daughter really needs this,” and thanked me for it. I’ve given scores away and have never had anyone not accept it.

Today’s message is also adapted from the book, I Hate Witnessing (A Handbook for Effective Christian Communications) by yours truly. See http://tinyurl.com/33kfbk to obtain a copy.

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Projection, Witnessing Part IV

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“Now, the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, he gives freedom. And all of us have had that veil removed so that we can be mirrors that brightly reflect the glory of the Lord. And as the Spirit of the Lord works within us, we become more and more like him and reflect his glory even more.”1

I happen to be an Australian living in America. When I first came here, I had a very heavy Australian accent. I was even told that I spoke wonderful English for a foreigner. These days I like to kid and say that I now speak “HARF and HAFF.” However, even after many years my speech (accent) still betrays me. I simply cannot hide the fact that I am from Australia.

Now I don’t choose to be nor do I necessarily want to be, but wherever I go, because I am an Australian, I am automatically being a witness for my homeland. That’s just the way it is. If I happen to be what is called an okker Australian; that is a loud-mouthed, braggadocio, obnoxious Australian, people won’t like me. And, if I’m the only Australian they’ve ever met, in all probability they will project their negative feelings towards me onto all other Australians and not like them either. Thats the way it hapens.

On the other hand, if I’m the only Australian some Americans know and when they meet me and get to know me, they like me, chances are that they will also project their feelings of warmth onto all other Australians and like them too!

It’s the same with Christians. As a child of God and a citizen of Heaven I am automatically being a witness for Christ everywhere I go and in everything that I do. No matter how eloquent and articulate I may happen to be in sharing my faith, if people perceive me to be an okker Christian, I will do more to turn them away from Christ rather than draw them to him. On the other hand, I may be a very poor communicator, but if people sense the love of God flowing through me, they will automatically be drawn to the Savior. This is what I believe Jesus was saying when he said we would BE his witnesses.

Imagine if every Christian genuinely wanted God to use them every day to be an effective witness for him, and asked God to help him/her to be as Christ to every life they touched, what an impact we would make on our society and on our world!

I’m reminded of what St Francis of Assisi said: “Preach the Gospel at all times. If necessary, use words.”

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, I am available. Please help me to BE as Jesus in some way to every life I touch today, and grant that people will see Jesus in me and, seeing Jesus in me, will be drawn to you. And help me to know what to say and what not to say and when to say it or not say it. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. 2 Corinthians 3:17–18 (NIV).

NOTE: To make it extremely easy to witness for Christ, we have printed very attractive and appealing Good News business witness cards. See samples online at http://actscom.com/witness_cards.php.

Try them. You’ll like them. I gave one to my barber, he looked at it, read it, and said, “My grown daughter really needs this,” and thanked me for it. I’ve given scores away and have never had anyone not accept it.

Today’s message is also adapted from the book, I Hate Witnessing (A Handbook for Effective Christian Communications) by yours truly. See http://tinyurl.com/33kfbk to obtain a copy.

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Being Vs. Doing, Witnessing, Part III

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“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”1

Some time ago when I was in counselor training, a very interesting thing happened. There were twelve students in the class and at one point our teacher paired us to practice by counseling each other. My trainee counselor was Sue. An amazing thing happened as I looked into Sue’s face. Suddenly her appearance seemed to change and in her face I saw the face of my sister, Margaret, who died at 19 months of age when I was only five. I still recall that day how, when people asked me how I felt, I just grinned and told them I was okay.

Sadly, I had been taught by the time I was five that big men don’t cry, so I learned at a very early age to stuff and deny my true feelings. I paid a high price for that later in life. But seeing Margaret in Sue’s face triggered all those deep emotions that I had long since buried and I began sobbing uncontrollably.

“Why am I crying?” I asked Sue. Mercifully she didn’t tell me not to feel that way or give me some meaningless super-spiritual platitudes. She gave me the permission to cry and made me feel safe in so doing. It seemed like a bottomless pit of grief had been unplugged. I sobbed intensely over the next three days.

On the third day Sue was counseling me once again. We were sitting on cushions on the floor. Sue had no words of advice. She just sat on the floor and wept with me. Again, something amazing happened. Sue’s face changed but this time instead of seeing the face of my sister, I saw the face of Jesus.

I don’t know what you call that kind of an experience and it has never happened again. All I can say was that there was something about Sue that reminded me of my sister and when she wept with me, it reminded me of Jesus. In her loving act and compassion I saw Jesus.

I’ve never forgotten that experience and it made me wonder do people ever see Jesus in me?

Immediately prior to Christ’s return to Heaven following his resurrection, he didn’t say to his disciples and followers: “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will do witnessing….” He said, “You will BE my witnesses!”

And therein lays one of the major keys for all effective witnessing for Christ and communicating the gospel. Instead of being taught to DO witnessing, we need first of all to learn how to BE his witnesses. As I read on a poster at college:

“The living truth is what I long to see,

I cannot live on what used to be.
So close your Bible and show me how
The Christ you talk about is living now.”

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, I want to be an effective witness for you. Please help me to BE one. Help me to so live that people will see Jesus in me; that is, your love and light shining through me, and grant that their seeing you in me, will cause them to want the same for themselves. Help me in some way to BE ‘as Christ’ to every life I touch today and every day for the rest of my life. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. Acts 1:8 (NIV).

NOTE: To make it extremely easy to witness for Christ, we have printed very attractive and appealing Good News business witness cards. See samples online at http://actscom.com/witness_cards.php.

Try them. You’ll like them. I gave one to my barber, he looked at it, read it, and said, “My grown daughter really needs this,” and thanked me for it. I’ve given scores away and have never had anyone not accept it.

Also today’s message is adapted from the book, I Hate Witnessing (A Handbook for Effective Christian Communications) by yours truly. See http://tinyurl.com/33kfbk to obtain a copy.

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I Hate Witnessing, Part II

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

On one occasion I had the opportunity to speak to some 300 students in chapel at a theological seminary. Most, if not all of the students, were training for some form of Christian ministry. The first thing I said when I went to the podium was, “The title of my message today is, ‘I Hate Witnessing.’” The silence was deafening and if looks could kill…! After a brief pause I then said, “And I bet most of you do too!” Some snickers came from the students. Then I asked, “Well how many of you love to witness, find it easy, and do it regularly?” A whole three hands were raised! Then there was much laughter!

Whenever I have asked groups of people how many don’t like to witness and are afraid to do it, most hands are raised. Then there seems to be a great sigh of relief from the audience when they realize that they are not alone in their struggle with witnessing for Christ.

One reason I believe so many of us have problems with witnessing is because most of us are taught to witness by teachers who have the gift of personal evangelism, and they teach us to witness the way they do as if we had the same gifting. That can be like training a person who is tone deaf to sing. That can be impossible, frustrating, and guilt-producing! Plus, I don’t know about you, but I was made to feel guilty if I weren’t telling someone about Jesus much of the time.

Getting back to my prayer where I told God I hated witnessing and was quitting: I did add, “However, God, if you want to use me to spread the gospel, I’m available, but you’ll have to do it through me because I’m too scared.”

A few hours later I was sitting in a jumbo jet high over the Pacific reading Hal Lindsey’s book, The Late Great Planet Earth. I had a whole row of seats to myself and at one point in the journey a fellow passenger came and sat beside me, introduced himself, and asked what I was reading. After I told him it was a book about the return of Christ to earth, he asked me if I believed Christ would come again. I said I did, to which he replied, “Will you please tell me all about it?”

Now, I love witnessing like that!

I’m not saying this kind of thing happens all the time. It doesn’t. But I think this particular incident happened because I was being honest with myself and with God, and to verify to me that God had heard my prayer and was already answering it.

The starting point with God always is being honest for, “The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.”2

(To be continued)

Suggested prayer, “Dear God, I want to be an effective witness for you. I’m also available, but ask you to do it through me because I, too, am afraid. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. Psalm 145:18 (NIV).
2. Psalm 145:18 (NIV).

NOTE: Today’s message is adapted from the book, I Hate Witnessing (A Handbook for Effective Christian Communications) by yours truly. See http://tinyurl.com/33kfbk to obtain a copy.

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I Hate Witnessing, Part I

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“And then he [Jesus] told them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone, everywhere.’”1

It was a beautiful morning. The sky was a brilliant blue. Bathers were already soaking up the sunshine and challenging the surf. High above, I sat on my private balcony at the motel where I was staying overlooking the beach at Waikiki in Hawaii. I was having my devotions and felt an urge to tell God how I was feeling about my work which was being the director of an organization whose work was that of communicating the gospel.

“It’s about this witnessing thing, God,” I said. “I hate it and I’m quitting.”

No, the lightning didn’t strike and the balcony didn’t collapse. Now I’m not one to hear God’s voice audibly or to see visions etc., etc. But this morning I kind of sensed God saying, “Amen, Dick, I hate the way you witness too!”

The kind of witnessing I hated was sharing the gospel message out of a sense of duty, compulsion, and guilt (false guilt that is)… or by buttonholing an individual and, like a high-pressure salesman, “shoving” my pre-programmed message down their throat. I am embarrassed today just thinking about how I botched up some of my so-called witnessing experiences. Like the minister who said, “I feel guilty when I don’t witness to my neighbors. And I feel guilty when I do because I make such a botch of it. My approach is so unnatural.”

In her book, Out of the Salt Shaker and Into the World, I love what Rebecca Pippert had to say about witnessing out of a sense of guilt. “Whenever the guilt became too great to bear, I overpowered the nearest non-Christian with a nonstop running monolog and then dashed away thinking, Whew! Well, I did it. It’s spring of ’74 and hopefully the guilt won’t overcome me again ’till winter of ’75. (And my non-Christian friends hoped the same!) I witnessed like a Pavlovian dog. The bell would ring, I would get ready, activated, juices running and then BAM! I’d spit it out.”

So, it’s one thing to talk about the gospel to somebody else, but it can be a far cry from effectively communicating Christ’s love and the gospel message. For those who have the gift of personal evangelism, confrontive evangelism can be very effective, but for the 99% of us who don’t have the gift, witnessing for Christ can be a daunting task if we act and witness as if we had the gift!

Stay with me … we’ll pick up on this message tomorrow. Just let me say there is hope for the 99% of us who “hate” to witness. And lest you think I am bordering on being a heretic, let me say that while I may hate “witnessing,” I love to communicate the gospel.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, please help me to be always honest with myself and with you, confess the areas in my life where I feel like I am failing and botching things up, and seek your help to do your work in your way for your glory. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. Mark 16:15 (NLT).

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NOTE: Today’s message is adapted from the book, I Hate Witnessing (A Handbook for Effective Christian Communications) by Dick Innes. See http://tinyurl.com/33kfbk to obtain a copy.

Happy Mother’s Day

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Wishing all mothers a very Happy Mother’s Day

“Be followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.”1

Lee Strobel tells about a mother from Costa Mesa, California who told about the day her three-year old son was on her heels wherever she went. She was having trouble doing her routine chores.

“Whenever I stopped to do something and turned back around I would trip over him,” she said. “Several times I suggested fun activities to keep him occupied, but he would just smile and say, ‘That’s alright Mommy I’d rather be in here with you.’ He continued to follow me and after the fifth trip, my patience wore thin and I asked him why he was following me constantly.”

He said, “My Sunday school teacher told me to walk in Jesus’ footsteps but I can’t see him so I’m walking in yours.”

The greatest way we can teach our children about and show our loved ones the love of Jesus is through the example of how we live, and how we model his love in our everyday life.

Suggested prayer, “Dear God, please help me to so live that people, especially my children (and loved ones), will see Jesus in me and will want to follow in my footsteps and have Jesus in their life too. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. 1 Corinthians 11:1 (KJV).

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Hope and Endurance

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“For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.”1

You may have read the story about the “piano teacher who was affectionately known as Herman. One night at a university concert, a distinguished piano player suddenly became ill while performing an extremely difficult piece. No sooner had the artist retired from the stage when Herman rose from his seat in the audience, walked on stage, sat down at the piano and with great mastery completed the performance.

“Later that evening, at a party, one of the students asked Herman how he was able to perform such a demanding piece so beautifully without notice and with no rehearsal. He replied, ‘In 1939, when I was a budding young concert pianist, I was arrested and placed in a Nazi concentration camp. Putting it mildly, the future looked bleak. But I knew that in order to keep the flicker of hope alive that I might someday play again, I needed to practice every day. I began by fingering a piece from my repertoire on my bare board bed late one night.

The next night I added a second piece and soon I was running through my entire repertoire. I did this every night for five years. It so happens that the piece I played tonight at the concert hall was part of that repertoire. That constant practice is what kept my hope alive. Everyday I renewed my hope that I would one day be able to play my music again on a real piano, and in freedom.’”

I’m sure that some of our readers at this time are facing great hardships and may even be in peril for their life. The Apostle Paul knew what it was like to experience great hardships, shipwreck, whippings, and being thrown into prison for his faith. He was the one who wrote today’s Scripture verse encouraging the Christians in Rome (who, if they weren’t going through persecution at the time, would soon be) to find encouragement and hope in the Word of God. May you and I do the same.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, in times of hardship, despair and suffering, please help me to keep practicing my faith every day, putting my trust entirely in you. And please bring me through triumphantly to the last day when I will see you face to face and know you as you are. Grant that this hope and the encouragement from your Word will keep me enduring to the end. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name. Amen.”

1. Romans 15:4 (NIV).

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Resolving the Effects of Abuse

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“And whosoever shall offend one of these little ones that believe in me, it is better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the sea.”1

A Daily Encounter reader writes, “Could you please lend some encouragement for those of us who were sexually abused as young girls by a family member. I know it is a ‘taboo’ subject, but in my case, because of the abuse, I am still unmarried and I don’t understand why God has not answered my lifelong prayer for a mate, especially since he knows the crippling emotional pain that I faced and how desperately I need male love.”

I have often wondered if the words of Jesus in today’s Scripture verse didn’t apply to adults who abuse small children. Child abuse, whether it is physical, emotional or sexual is a grave offense against helpless children and is psychologically very damaging—often extremely damaging.

In my work, I have worked with many a victim and have seen first-hand some of the devastating results. One woman had been used in child pornography by one of her parents in order to make money! The struggles this victim has gone through in both her personal life and marriage have been horrific. Fortunately she is both committed to God and to the healing process, and after years of hard work is now a qualified counselor, herself helping others.

Those of us in the work of ministering to others could give numerous other examples. Sad to say, abuse is in the church as well as outside of it. The reality is that hurt people hurt people. And so often parents who themselves were abused as children, unless they resolve their hurt, tend to abuse others including their own offspring.

So how does an abused victim overcome her or his problem?

First, prayer. Some say that God uses prayer and prayer alone to bring abuse victims healing. I wish this were always true. However, I haven’t personally witnessed this. Yes, I believe solidly in prayer and I believe strongly in making prayer the foundation for any and all healing. But we need to pray the right prayer; that is, if I am an abuse victim, I need to ask God to confront me with the truth of what I may still be contributing in any way to my situation, to reveal to me all that I need to know about my problem, and lead me to the help I need to face and resolve all of my self-destructive feelings and beliefs and overcome them.

Second, I need to quit the blame and self-pity game. Yes, we need to acknowledge the fact that we were abused, and deal with and resolve our hurt and anger so that we get to the point of forgiveness. If I stay in the self-pity blame game, I will B – LAME. Third, most abuse victims need qualified and skillful counseling to help them work through their struggle, get to their buried feelings and express them creatively, and then to reprogram their feelings, negative thinking, and beliefs about themselves so they learn to trust again. This is not easy. It needs God’s help, determination, and a solid commitment to healing, growth and recovery, and most often the help of a skilled and qualified counselor.

Suggested prayer: “Dear Heavenly Father, there is such a need for the healing of wounded, broken souls all around us. Please use me to be a ‘wounded’ healer and grant that the church will become a healing center for us all. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name. Amen.”

1. Mark 9:42 (KJV).

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