All posts by 5Q

LEGO Lessons for Life

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“Now the body is not made up of one part but of many. If the foot should say, ‘Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,’ it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. And if the ear should say, ‘Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,’ it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be?”1

Today’s Daily Encounter Lego illustration is by Steve Klusmeyer who writes:

“Life might be less complicated for all of us if we each received our own LEGO kit at birth. Yes, I realize there is a choking hazard for children under three. But when you are old enough, you can learn a lot from LEGOs. I have learned that:

“Size doesn’t matter. When stepped on in the dark, a 2X2 LEGO brick causes the same amount of pain as a 2X8 brick.

“All LEGO men are created equal (1.5625 inches tall). What they become is limited only by imagination.

“There is strength in numbers. When the bricks stick together, great things can be accomplished.

“Playtime is important. Sometimes it doesn’t matter what you are building, as long as you’re having fun.

“Disaster happens. But the pieces can be put back together again.

“Every brick has a purpose. Some are made for a specific spot—most can adapt almost anywhere—but every one will fit somewhere.

“Color doesn’t matter. A blue brick will fit in the same space as a red brick.

“No one is indispensable. If one brick is unavailable, another can take its place.

“It doesn’t always turn out as planned. Sometimes it turns out better. If it doesn’t, you can always try again.”2

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, please help me to remember that I have a part to play in Your body, the Church, and that I am not any more or less important than any other member. Help me to know where I fit best, and play my part faithfully so that my life will bring honor and glory to Your name. Thank You for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. 1 Corinthians 12:14-17 (NIV).

2. Steve Klusmeyer. Web site no longer available.

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Hot Buttons

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“So get rid of your feelings of hatred. Don’t just pretend to be good! Be done with dishonesty and jealousy and talking about others behind their backs. Now that you realize how kind the Lord has been to you, put away all evil, deception, envy, and fraud. Long to grow up into the fullness of your salvation; cry for this as a baby cries for his milk.”1

One of the major problems Daily Encounter readers write to me about is relationship conflicts. When any close relationship is out of order, mental and emotional stress results. If continuing over a long period of time, this can cause major illnesses. No wonder that God’s Word, the Bible, instructs us to get rid of our feelings of hatred, jealousy, dishonesty and the like. In other words we need to resolve all negative emotions, stop repressing and denying feelings, and grow up in emotional as well as spiritual maturity. When we fail to do this, we pay the high price of relational conflict and run the risk of many physical and emotional illnesses.

Furthermore, when we fail to resolve super-charged, repressed negative emotions from the past, we have various “hot buttons” that get easily triggered and cause us to over-react. If for example, when growing up I had an angry father and was often in conflict with him, I am bound to have a “hot father-button.” And then, in my adult life whenever someone’s behavior towards me reminds me in any way of my father, my “hot father-button” will get triggered. I will then relate to this person in exactly the same way that I related to my father and overreact in my response towards that person. In my thinking I will automatically blame that person for my response. What this person did to me may or may not be a problem; however, my response to him/her is always my responsibility and to the degree that I overreact, that is always my problem! As long as I play the blame-game, I will “be lame”; that is, I will never resolve my relationship conflicts.

It is only as I become authentic (get real) and face the truth about why I overreact to people, will I ever be set free from and/or resolve my impaired relationships. As long as we are in denial, as John Powell so insightfully said, “We defend our dishonesty on the grounds that it may hurt another person; and then, having rationalized our phoniness into nobility, we settle for superficial relationships.”2

To resolve super-charged negative emotions from the past—even all the way back to childhood—often needs the help of a skilled professional counselor. If this is your situation, recovery begins with acknowledging your problem and admitting that you need help. Ask your minister or your family doctor if they can recommend a counselor who specializes in helping to resolve damaged emotions.* Above all, admit and confess your problem to God. One of the most powerful prayers anyone can ever pray is, “God I have a problem. I need help. Please be merciful to me a sinner and lead me to the help I need to overcome my problem.” (Be sure to name the problem. Call it what it is).

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, in every conflict situation in which I find myself, please confront me with the truth of what I am contributing to the conflict. Help me to recognize my ‘hot buttons’ and see when I am overreacting. Direct me to find the help I need to resolve my problem and overcome my ‘hot buttons.’ Thank You for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. 1 Peter 2:1-3 (TLB)(NLT).

2. John Powell, Why I Am Afraid to Tell You Who I Am, Argus Communications.

*For counseling help, if you live in the U.S. or Canada, call the Narramore Christian Foundation at 1-800-477-5893 and press “1″ for Dianne and she should be able to give you the name of a fine Christian counselor or two in your area.

NOTE: For further help see the article, “Resolving Conflict Creatively” at: https://learning.actsweb.org/articles/article.php?i=126&d=1&c=3&p=1.

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Same-Sex Marriage: Where Will It lead?

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As God’s Word says, “Do not practice homosexuality, having sex with another man as with a woman. It is a detestable sin.”1

On December 19 “… the New Mexico Supreme Court voted unanimously to redefine marriage to include two men or two women. New Mexico joins 16 other states and the District of Columbia in allowing same-sex marriage, after Hawaii and Illinois passed similar laws last month.

“There are certain laws which judges, legislators, and even the people cannot change. They are called natural laws. The Declaration of Independence refers to these laws as the ‘laws of nature and of nature’s God.’ These natural laws transcend time, cultures, and political institutions.

“Sir William Blackstone said any earthly law which is contrary to the natural law is no law at all. This view of law has shaped Western law and government for over 2,000 years. St. Augustine and Martin Luther King, Jr. shared this view of law. If there is a Creator God, then there must be a higher law which cannot be transgressed. We easily accept this view when it comes to the laws of physics such as the law of gravity. But the same is true of certain moral laws, among which include the sanctity of human life, marriage between a man and a woman, and religious freedom.

“When judges, legislators, or the people have the hubris to deceive themselves into thinking they can violate these laws without consequences, they are blind to history and the Scriptures. Deconstructing marriage will be the end of freedom or the beginning of a new revolution.”2

The fact is that ALL of God’s laws are for the health, well-being and protection of those whom God loves—us! When we disregard God’s laws, we do so to the detriment of ourselves, our families, and our society. If we defy God’s physical law, such as the law of gravity, we harm or even destroy ourselves. If we defy God’s moral laws, we do the same thing.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, as our society more and more disregards your Word and your laws, the more we are on a pathway to self-destruction. Please send a great spiritual awakening which is a desperate need … and please start your work in me. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer.

Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. Leviticus 18:22.
2. “Liberty Alert,” Liberty Council, http://www.lc.org/index.cfm?PID=14102&AlertID=1687.

To subscribe to “Liberty Alert,” an e-Mail service without charge, go to: http://www.lc.org/index.cfm?PID=14103.

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Secret of Success

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“Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the instructions Moses gave you. Do not deviate from them, turning either to the right or to the left. Then you will be successful in everything you do.”1

Many years ago God gave his people, the ancient Israelites, a specific goal and with it an unbeatable formula for success. The goal was to claim and possess the Promised Land which, in time, became the country we know today as Israel.

If we want to be successful—that is, in the eyes of God, we also need to discover our God-given life purpose and, with God’s help, be totally committed to fulfilling it, and in the process be sure to live in harmony with God’s instructions for wholesome living.

It seems to me that far too many people drift through life mostly allowing “life as it happens” to direct and determine their future, rather than specifically choosing the direction and future of their life. To avoid the former, it is imperative to have a clearly defined life purpose with specific goals to fulfill that purpose.

Psychologists have been telling us for years that if we are to be successful, we need to have well defined goals. Furthermore, Victor Frankl, the Viennese psychiatrist, says that “not having a goal is more to be feared than not reaching a goal.”

If you want to be truly successful, make sure that you have a clearly defined life purpose and goal that is both realistic and worthwhile. Be sure to get the training you need to be able to fulfill your goal, and determine a plan for fulfilling it. The beginning point is to discover your life purpose-goal, put it into writing—with a specific plan to fulfill it—and commit this to memory and review it constantly. Doing this will program it into your subconscious mind that will help your mind to automatically work on your plans even when you are asleep.

As another has wisely said, “Success is the ability for formulate a worthwhile goal and then employ all of your powers for the achievement of that goal.”

Furthermore, and above all, make sure that your life purpose and goal includes planning for your life beyond this life because, as God’s Word reminds us: “It is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment.”2 For help, read the article, “Life After Death,” online at: http://tinyurl.com/after-death-life.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, please help me to discover my God-given life purpose and goal, and establish a workable plan to fulfill this goal. Help me to get the training needed to be able to achieve this goal, and the determination—with Your help to fulfill it—and do all for Your glory. Thank You for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. Joshua 1:7 (NLT).

2. Hebrews 9:27 (NKJV).

Footnote: As Jack Canfield suggested, “If you are clear where you are going and you take several steps in that direction every day, you eventually have to get there. If I head north out of Santa Barbara and take five steps a day, eventually I have to end up in San Francisco. So decide what you want, write it down, review it constantly, and each day do something that moves you toward those goals.”

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Miracles

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“According to your faith let it be to you.”1 — Jesus.

George Washington Carver, whose research won him international fame, was an African American born to slave parents. “A week after his birth, George was kidnapped along with his sister and mother from the Carver farm by raiders from the neighboring state of Arkansas. The three were sold in Kentucky, and among them only the infant George was located by an agent of Moses Carver and returned to Missouri.”2

Someone claimed that when growing up, George had a lot of faith, and when he was still young, prayed: “Lord, tell me all about the universe.”

But God said, “George, that’s a tall order. Why don’t you pray for something more your size?”

So George said, “All right, Lord, tell me all about the peanut.”

God answered him and George discovered more than three hundred uses for the peanut—ranging from salad oil to soap.”

Greater still, George overcame his humble beginnings to discover the miracles in his life.

Whether this story about George’s prayer is real or just an allegory, it is an excellent parable for each of us to stop and evaluate our life, and ask ourselves if we have discovered the “miracle” in our life that God has planned for each of us, and to become the person he envisioned us to be.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, thank You that You have a wonderful miracle-purpose for my life, and will or have already given me all that I need to achieve this miracle. Please help me to see what that ‘miracle’ is, and give me the courage and help to do all that I need to do to fulfill this God-given life purpose miracle. Thank You for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. Matthew 9:29 (NKJV).

2. See also: http://www.biography.com/people/george-washington-carver-9240299.

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Ask Not What God Can Do for You

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“Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.”1

Many of our readers will remember the simple yet profound words of the late President John F. Kennedy who, in 1961, stated: “Ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country.” He was calling people to a noble life of service.

Other great leaders have confirmed the rewards of service. Albert Schweitzer said, “I don’t know what your destiny will be, but one thing I do know: the only ones among you who will be really happy are those who have sought and found how to serve.”

As followers of Jesus Christ we are all called to serve, and we serve God by serving our fellow man. Doing this is what God calls “pure and undefiled religion before God.” It is also laying up treasure in heaven which is what Jesus encourages each of his followers to do, saying, “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”2

I recall many years ago in much younger days, how I had an accident on a construction site that put me in the hospital for a few days. When in recovery, I switched on my bed-side radio and, the moment it came on, I happened by chance to tune into the only religious program for the day. The very first words I heard were these: “If you should stand before the Master [Jesus Christ] tonight, would you empty handed go?” If ever I felt that God had a message directly for me, it was that day. On that hospital bed I said “Yes” to God and committed myself to a life of service to God. Making and following through on that decision changed my life forever—and it is why you are receiving this message to read today.

If perchance you were called to stand before the Master today to give an account of your life, would you empty handed go? May I encourage you to make a commitment to God now to live a life of service to him? This can be a part of your everyday life in being “as Jesus” in some way to every life you touch; by becoming a part-time volunteer in a community service program through your local church or another organization, by being an effective parent, by teaching a Sunday School class, by leading a recovery group, or in any one of a score of different ways. And for someone reading this message, perhaps God is calling you to become a nurse, a pastor, a youth worker, or a missionary.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, today I am asking not what You can do for me, but what can I do for You. How can I best serve You by using the talents You have given me to serve others? I am available, please make me usable and use me today and every day to be an effective witness for Jesus by faithfully serving You. Please help me to see my God-given life purpose, and help me to do my utmost to fulfill this purpose in a life of service to You. Thank You for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus’ name, amen.”

Note: If you prayed this prayer and would like to re-commit your life to Jesus Christ today, please let us know by filling in the response form at: www.actsweb.org/decision.php. Any information you give about yourself will be held in strictest confidence.

1. James 1:27 (NKJV).

2. Matthew 6:19-21 (NKJV).

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Follow Me

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In the Book of Matthew in the Bible we are told of Jesus calling his first disciples. “Follow me,” he said, “and I will make you fishers of men.”1 Only once in the Gospels does it say that you must be born again (as important as this is), but it has been reported that Jesus said, “Follow me,” 21 times. Almost 2,000 years later how are we measuring up?

I recently heard a pastor say that the reason he doesn’t give an invitation in his sermons for people to accept Jesus Christ as their Savior, and to follow him, is because Jesus didn’t give invitations! Yet 21 times that we know about Jesus said to people, “Follow me.” I don’t think you can get a clearer invitation than that.

Note, too, that Jesus not only said in his invitation for people to follow him, but that when they did, he would make them fishers of men. If you and I are true followers of Jesus, we, too, have been commissioned to be fishers of men; that is, to invite and seek to win people to Jesus and to follow him. However, how many who claim to be followers of Jesus today are “fishers of men for Jesus,” and share some of the gospel, but never draw in the net by inviting people to accept Jesus as Savior and to follow him? As followers of Jesus it is our responsibility to inform people that, according to the words of Jesus, to enter God’s heaven, they, like Nicodemus, must be born again—spiritually—otherwise they will never even see the Kingdom of Heaven, let alone enter it.2 It is also our responsibility to invite them to accept Jesus as their personal Savior, and in so doing receive God’s forgiveness and his gift of eternal life.

Jesus also said, “I have come to seek and to save that which was lost.”3 In all of our teaching, preaching, and witnessing for Jesus Christ, if we make people feel comfortable with God just because they go to church, but never invite them to follow Jesus and to receive his forgiveness for their sins, we are not only teaching a false, incomplete gospel, but are inadvertently damning people to a lost eternity.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, please help me to be a true follower of Jesus and a good ‘fisher of men’ [people], by introducing people to Jesus and inviting them to accept Him as their personal Lord and Savior. Thank You for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus’ name, amen.”

SPECIAL INVITATION: If you have never accepted Jesus’ invitation to follow Him and accept Him to be your Lord and Savior and thereby receive God’s gift of forgiveness and eternal life, I would like to invite you to do that today. For help please go to this website today at: https://learning.actsweb.org/invitation.php.

NOTE TO: To help you to be a “fisher of men/people” in an attractive, non-offensive way, may I suggest that you obtain and use some of the ACTS business witness cards. These are attractively produced and encourage the receiver to go to a Good News website to receive articles that apply the Christian message to the needs everyday people feel. See: https://actscom.com/donate_wcards.php. These cards are available for a donation to cover our printing and postage costs.

1. Matthew 4:18-22.

2. John 3:3, 5.

3. Luke 19:10.

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I-A-D-O-M

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“Forgetting what is past … I press on toward the goal.”1

It’s an old saying but still appropriate as we commence another New Year: “Today is the first day of the rest of your life.”

For better or worse, last year is gone forever—even though many of its effects will live on forever. However, we can’t go back and do what we should or could have done. And we can’t undo those things we regret having done any more than we can un-ring a bell.

But the good news is that, if we are so inclined or determined, we can put the past behind us and accept the New Year as a new opportunity to grow emotionally and spiritually, to serve God and our fellow man, and to achieve something worthwhile that will last for time and eternity.I am encouraged because I know God has a purpose for your life and mine this year—something to live for that is bigger than we are that makes life worth living.

We serve God by serving people and sometimes this task, because of the great needs people have, can seem overwhelming. However, God has a part for every one of us and if we each play our part and work together, we can get God’s work done and we can each make a difference in somebody’s life and therein help make our world a better place in which to live.

Frank McInnes wrote, “During World War II, the munitions factory at Lithgow in Australia had as its motto five letters: I-A-D-O-M! Large posters with these letters printed on them were placed throughout the factory in strategic places.

And what did I-A-D-O-M stand for? “It All Depends On Me!”

Let’s work together this year to do God’s work and share his love and good news with more of our fellow countrymen than ever before. With God’s help and a willing spirit we can each have a very fruitful and productive year. And remember, as Henry Van Dyke put it: “What you possess in the world will be found at the day of your death to belong to someone else. But what you are will be yours forever.”

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, I am available. Please make me usable and use me this year to be a part of what you are doing in the world today—the privilege for which I am truly thankful. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. Philippians 3:13.

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Priorities

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“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there you heart will be also.”1

According to Sir Winston Churchill, “An optimist sees an opportunity in every calamity; a pessimist sees a calamity in every opportunity.” In other words, we all see pretty much what we want to see—often times what is based on our priorities.

Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “Every great and commanding moment in the annals of the world is the triumph of some enthusiasm.”

A Chinese proverb states, “Great souls have wills; feeble ones have only wishes.” Whether we have wills or wishes is also based much on our priorities or lack thereof. And Toby Montgomery reminds us that “what we give our time, energy and resources to are what we value most. They are our priorities.”

Or as Jesus put it, “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

At the close of yet another year may we each examine our priorities and make sure they are in harmony with God’s will for the coming New Year—all year long!

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, please help me to know what my God-given life purpose is and make that my priority for the New Year. And, with your help, fulfill this purpose for the glory of your name and for the extension of your Kingdom. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. Matthew 6:19-21 (NIV).

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Shooting the Saints

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“Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble. Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.”1

Dr. Leslie Flynn writes about the time when the English and French were at war in colonial Canada. “Admiral Phipps, in charge of the British Fleet, was ordered to anchor outside Quebec, a city on the St. Lawrence River. He was to await the coming of the British infantry and then join the land forces in attack.

“Arriving early, Admiral Phipps, an ardent nonconformist, was annoyed by the statues of the saints that adorned the roof and towers of the Catholic cathedral. So he spent his time shooting at them with the ships’ guns. How many he hit we don’t know, but history recorded that when the infantry arrived and the signal was given for attack, the admiral found himself out of ammunition. He had used it for shooting out the saints.”

I often wonder in the church how much of our efforts are poured into fighting among ourselves over insignificant trivialities instead of uniting our efforts to attack the real enemy, and do everything possible to reach the lost with the saving gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ—the only hope of our sin-sick world.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, please help me not to waste my time and energy and resources on trivialities nor majoring on minors, but always to major on the majors that are important to you. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. 1 Peter 3:8-9, (NIV)

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