All posts by 5Q

Be Prepared: The Rapture Is Coming

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“So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man [Jesus] will come [again] at an hour when you do not expect him.”1

When one of my nephews was only five, he heard me talking about Christmas being the time when we celebrate Jesus Christ’s coming to earth. He wanted to know if Jesus would come back to earth again. I assured him that Jesus promised that he would come back again.2

According to Bible scholars the return of, or second coming of, Jesus Christ is called the Rapture which comes from the Latin word “Rapare” which means to take away or to snatch out.

Following Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection, he was “snatched away” and taken up to heaven. While Jesus’ disciples were standing there looking up in amazement, two angels appeared to them and said: “Men of Galilee, why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”3

Jesus’ first coming to earth 2000 years ago is an undeniable fact of history. His second coming is just as certain. The critical issue is to be ready for Christ’s return. According to God’s Word here’s what will take place at the rapture: “For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we [true followers of Jesus] who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.”4

Jesus is coming again just as he went. It could be today. He said that he would come at an hour when we do not expect him.5

To be absolutely sure you are ready for the rapture be sure to accept God’s invitation for forgiveness and his gift of eternal life. To do so click on the “God’s Invitation” button below or for further help click on the “Know God” button or on: http://tinyurl.com/8glq9.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, again I thank you for the promise of Christ’s return. Thank you for your great salvation and the promise of a home in Heaven for all who believe in and have accepted you as their Savior. Help me to be sure I am ready today for Christ’s return by having repented of my sins, asked for and accepted your forgiveness and received Jesus as my Savior. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. Matthew 24:44(NIV).

2. See John 14:3.

3. Acts 1:11 (NIV).

4. 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 (NIV).

5. See Matthew 24:44.

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The World’s Greatest Treasure

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I recall hearing how the Duke of Norfolk once sent a priceless family treasure to the King of England as an expression of his love and esteem. It was the Portland Vase, a rare antique which had been handed down for generations. Wanting to share this treasure with the nation, the King had the vase placed in the British Museum.

Sometime later came disaster. In the Duke’s own realm his chief servant plotted to overthrow the Duke and take his place. He was subsequently caught and dismissed.

Eaten up with resentment, the servant vowed to get even with the Duke. Remembering the Duke’s priceless gift to the King of England, he went to the British Museum in London to find it. When no one was in sight, he climbed over the barrier, picked up this priceless treasure and smashed it into a thousand pieces.

“Save every piece,” the King said when hearing of the tragedy. “This is my most treasured gift. We’ll search for someone who can repair it no matter what the cost.” Eventually, a man was found who, with painstaking skill, sorted each broken fragment, and meticulously placed it back where it belonged.

Though I cannot vouch for its authenticity, this story offers a graphic illustration of God’s dealing with mankind. Biblical accounts tell of an angel who lived in heaven. Second only to God, he was brilliant, beautiful, and majestic. His name was Lucifer, son of the morning. He, too, had a problem with pride. Plotting to overthrow God, he said, “I will ascend into heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will set enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of the sacred mountain. I will make myself like the Most High.”1

Lucifer, now identified as Satan, the Devil, was caught and dismissed from his pinnacle of power and cast out of heaven.2 Filled with bitter resentment, he was determined to strike back at God. This is when he changed to a being filled with evil and determined to destroy the apex of God’s creation—mankind. He did this by causing mankind to sin and consequently be separated from a God of purity and holiness—in whose presence no sinner could ever survive.

But because God is also a God of infinite love he sent his Son, Jesus, to save broken humanity by dying on the cross to pay the penalty for your sins and mine, so we could be freely forgiven and placed back into God’s “masterpiece” of creation.

When Jesus healed all the sick who came to him, and forgave the prostitute, the thief, the despised tax collector and all who asked for forgiveness, he was picking up the broken pieces of his creation and lovingly placing them back into God’s master design. All were of infinite value to him.

And when God found me, another piece of broken humanity—a fallen, lost sinner—he picked me up, forgave my sin, healed my spirit, and placed me back into his great plan. Today, Christ the Savior is still seeking the lost and calling young and old alike everywhere to come to him for forgiveness, to receive his gift of eternal life, and to be placed back into his divine plan. “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened,” Jesus said, “and I will give you rest.”3

Christ’s invitation includes you too, dear reader. Today he is calling you to come to him for forgiveness, wholeness and the gift of eternal life. This indeed is the world’s greatest treasure.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, thank you that you gave your Son, Jesus, to die on the cross to save me from the consequences of my sins and to forgive me, and thereby place me back into your master plan for my life. I confess that I am a sinner and, believing that your Son, Jesus, died to pay the penalty for all my sins, I accept Jesus as my Lord and Savior. Please help me to become the person you want me to be and always live to faithfully serve you. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

If you prayed this prayer and genuinely meant it, please go to www.actsweb.org/decision.php to let us know and we will send you a free copy of the eBrochure, “How to Grow.”

Note: For this complete article and more help go to: http://tinyurl.com/greatest-treasure. This website includes a photo of the Portland Vase.

1. Isaiah 14:13-14 (NIV).

2. Isaiah 14:12,15.

3. Matthew 11:28(NIV).

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To Judge or Not to Judge

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Jesus said, “Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.”1

As you can well imagine we receive a constant flow of emails in response to Daily Encounter. Most of the responses are very encouraging and appreciated. However, we do receive our share of negative criticisms especially when I write on controversial topics. What is somewhat amusing is that when I criticize something that I believe is wrong, I get criticized by those telling me I shouldn’t criticize or judge others.

Fred (not his real name) recently wrote to me saying, “We Christians are not to judge but to teach love, honor, respect and forgiveness. We believe in God and they believe in their religion. Whatever our and their beliefs are, we are all children of God. The question is, what would Jesus do?”

I especially appreciate Fred’s last question about “what would Jesus do?” In Jesus day when the money changers were misusing the temple, Jesus took a whip with him into the temple and drove the money changers out. And when it came to the hypocrisy of the religious Pharisees, Jesus severely condemned them saying,

“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean. In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.… You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape being condemned to hell?”2

Jesus was not soft on evil doers. He didn’t mince words and knew exactly how and when to exercise tough love. We, too, need to take a stand against all evil.

Yes, it is true that God’s Word says that we are not to judge others, but it also says we are to judge all things.3 This means that we are not to be judgmental as persons; that is, not to be a negative, critical person looking for the faults in others. When we do this, it is usually because we are projecting our own unresolved issues onto others. But we are also told in the Bible that while we are to love others, we are to judge wrong and sinful actions—and take a strong stand against these things.4

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, please give me the insight to know—and the courage to stand for—what you are for and what you are against, and to do this in a spirit of love and not in a negative judgmental attitude. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. Luke 6:37 (NIV).

2. Matthew 23:27-28,33 (NIV).

3. 1 Corinthians 2:15(NKJV).

4. 2 Timothy 4:2 (NKJV).

Suggestion: To have a part in standing for what is right you may want to read and sign the Manhatten Declaration at: http://www.manhattandeclaration.org/home.aspx. Or for Australians there is the Canberra Declaration at: http://www.canberradeclaration.org.au/.

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God’s Good News

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“I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes.”1

The word “gospel” means good news—it is the greatest news in all the world—it is the Good News of God’s salvation, without which mankind would be doomed for eternal damnation and separation from God, the author of all love and life.

But why is the gospel God’s Good News?

First, the gospel is not a message about religion but a message about God’s eternal love and purpose for all mankind. Religion wants to fix us from the outside in. God wants to fix us from the inside out. The first can become an impossible burden. The latter is what brings freedom.

Also, it’s important to realize that no matter what we have ever done or have failed to do God loves us with an everlasting love and has a wonderful purpose for our lives—for this life and the next. As Jesus said, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”2 And again, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”3

Second, the gospel is a message about sin, something we are all guilty of. As the Bible says, “We have all sinned and fallen short of God’s standard.”4 Sin, however, is not only doing harmful acts. It is anything that falls short of the standard of perfection that God envisioned for us. This includes an unforgiving spirit, pride, jealousy, mixed motives, etc. Most of us, too, are guilty of sins of omission; that is, not doing what we know we should and could do.5

However, a common misconception about God is that he is out to punish us for our sins. The fact is we bring sin’s punishment on ourselves because sin has its own natural consequences. If we try to break the universal law of gravity, for instance, we can’t. It will break us. Neither can we break God’s universal moral law. When we try to do so, it breaks us. And besides its painful effects in this life—suffering, sorrow, sadness, sickness and spiritual death—its ultimate and tragic consequence is eternal death and separation from God.6

Third, the gospel is a message about God’s remedy. Because sin has separated or disconnected us from God, we have been left with a “God-shaped” vacuum or spiritual emptiness within. As St. Augustine put it, “You have made us for yourself, O God, and our hearts are restless until they find their rest in you.” The world’s many religions are all evidence of man’s endless search to find God and fill this vacuum. However, because God loves us so much, he sent his own sinless Son, Jesus Christ, to save us from our predicament.7 Christ did this by dying on the cross in our place to pay the consequence of, and ransom price for, our sins—death. Thus, Jesus Christ is God’s only provision for our sin. He is the only way back to God and the only door to eternal life.8

Finally, the gospel is a summons to faith and repentance. If you were found guilty of a serious crime and were condemned to death, would you accept a free unconditional pardon, if offered? Because Jesus Christ died on the cross in your and my place, God now offers you complete acquittal, forgiveness, and the gift of eternal life. All you need to do is confess and repent of [turn way from] your sinful actions, believe that Jesus is the Son of God and that he died for your sins, and invite him into your life as Savior and Lord.

The following prayer will help you do this. “Dear God, I confess that I am a sinner and am sorry for all the wrongs I have done and the sins that I have committed. I believe that your Son, Jesus Christ, died on the cross for my sins. Please forgive me for all my sins and I invite you, Jesus, to come into my heart and life as Savior and Lord. I commit and trust my life to you. Please give me the desire to be what you want me to be and to do what you want me to do. Thank you for dying for my sins, for your forgiveness and free pardon, for your gift of eternal life, and for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus’ name, amen.”

If you prayed this prayer and genuinely meant it, please click on www.actsweb.org/decision.php to let us know and we will send you a copy (without charge) of the eBrochure, “How to Grow.”

NOTE: This article is condensed from, “Godspell” on our ACTS web site at: http://tinyurl.com/4896egr

1. Romans 1:16 (NIV).

2. John 3:16 (NIV).

3. John 10:10 (NIV).

4. Romans 3:23.

5. James 4:17.

6. Romans 6:23.

7. See Ephesians 2:8-9.

8. See John 14:6 and Romans 5:8.

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The “Yes-but” Disease

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“Simply let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’”1

In his weekly Character Counts series, Michael Josephson wrote, “Years ago I was talking to a group of Army generals about the way politicians often treat the defense budget as an all-purpose public works fund to help bring money into their districts. One general admitted, ‘Yes, if the chairman of the Appropriations Committee comes from a place that makes trucks, we’re probably going to buy those trucks. That’s the way it is, the way it always was, and the way it always will be.’

“I suggested that it was a form of bribery to buy the trucks just to please the politician. The general barked, ‘It’s not bribery. It’s extortion!’

“‘Don’t sound so powerless,’ I replied. ‘You’re a GENERAL!’

“Without skipping a beat, he answered, ‘Yeah, but I’m only a one-star.’”2

How many times do you and I make the “Yeah, but…” excuse to avoid personal responsibility? And how many times do we try to make it sound like we are agreeing with someone by saying, “Yes, but …” when all the time we are meaning “No”?

It’s a thought worth pondering … and a practice worth dropping.

As Edward Everett Hale said, “It’s true I am only one, but I am one. And the fact that I can’t do everything will not prevent me from doing what I can do.”

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, please deliver me from the ‘yes, but’ disease and help me to become an ethical, responsible person remembering that character does count. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. Matthew 5:37 (NIV).

2. Michael Josephson, “I’m Only a One-Star,” Character Counts, 384.4.

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Persistence

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“It is God himself, in his mercy, who has given us this wonderful work [of telling his Good News to others], and so we never give up.”1

Glen Weber wrote how “the first transcontinental flight across the country from New York, NY, to Long Beach, California was completed by American aviation pioneer Cal P. Rodgers in an early Wright flyer called the Vin Fiz after a soft drink company that sponsored the trip. On September 17, 1911, he left Sheepshead Bay at Brooklyn, NY, and arrived in California on December 10, 1911, 84 days later. Rodgers actual time in the air was 3 days, 10 hours and 14 minutes. The airplane was forced down by weather and mechanical failure more than 30 times resulting in ‘light crashes’ to crashes that required major repairs. When Rodgers landed in Long Beach, the only original parts on the airplane were the rear rudder and the oil pan on the engine. I would have given up the first time I lost my wings.”2

That’s determination and persistence! Obviously Cal Rodgers had a mission that he was determined to fulfill and a goal he planned to reach. Men and women like this are the ones who make things happen. They never give up.

As Christians who have the Good News of the gospel—the greatest news and message in all the world—we need to be more determined than ever to live and spread the gospel message especially in this day of ever increasing terrorism motivated by false religion, and an ever-increasing moral decline promoted by those who are determined to tear down all moral standards as set by God for the good of all mankind.

As the Apostle Paul said, “It is God himself, in his mercy, who has given us this wonderful work [of telling his Good News to others], and so we never give up!” An excellent admonition for every day of the year.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, please open the eyes of my understanding so I will clearly see and understand fully all that is happening in today’s world that seeks to destroy Christianity and all that your Word teaches (including the killing of Christians), and do everything in my power to live for you, to demonstrate my faith in my daily life, and do all I can to spread the Good News of the gospel to my neighbors and to the far ends of the earth. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. 2 Corinthians 4:1(TLB)(NLT).

2. By Rev. Glen Weber, Spirit of Grace Fellowship www.spiritofgracefellowship.org.

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Quality of Life

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“Then he said to them, ‘Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.’”1

“In The Death of Ethics in America, Cal Thomas quotes a letter written to the Washington Post in the mid ’80s. ‘I’ve lived both lives, Yuppie and non-Yuppie,’ the writer said. ‘In the first, I was married to a professional woman and on our dual incomes we Club Med-ed, sports car-raced, alpine skied and Kennedy Centered our 14-year marriage into oblivion.

“I’m now 42, remarried to a woman who gave up her ‘professional’ career to provide full-time care for our one- and five-year-old daughters, and living in Gaithersburg, Maryland—on one salary. Trips to Australia and Europe, Saturday night dining at Nathan’s, and Wolf Trap concerts are distant memories. Vacations are now taken in our nine-year-old used pop-up camper, and dining out means ‘Hooray! Daddy’s bringing home a pizza.’ We’ve just started into the second round of … one hundred readings of Pat the Bunny for our one-year-old. Satisfaction level in my first life measured about 2 on the 10 scale. Measured now, satisfaction is about 9.5.’”2

One thing is certain, money can’t buy happiness, satisfaction, love or loving relationships. These qualities come from within and are greatly determined by our values and attitudes. There’s nothing wrong with money in and of itself. It’s what we do with it that counts. As God’s Word said, it was “the love of money” that was “a root of all kinds of evil.”3

With noble values one can do noble deeds with his or her money. It’s a case of motives: Do we possess our possessions or do our possessions possess us?

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, please deliver me from the sin of trying to keep up with the Joneses and putting material possessions first in my life. Help me to have a healthy attitude towards money and possessions, earn what I can within reason, and contribute sacrificially, generously, and wisely to worthwhile causes—especially causes that help my fellow man and bring glory to your name. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. Luke 12:15 (NIV).

2. Michael Josephson in Character Counts. www.charactercounts.org

3. 1 Timothy 6:10 (NIV).

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Victimology vs Personal Responsibility

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“So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God.”1

Chuck Colson reports in Breakpoint how Gregg Easterbrook in his book, The Progress Paradox: How Life Gets Better While People Feel Worse, says that there is as much as a “ten-fold increase in unipolar depression in industrial nations in the postwar era.”

After giving one or two other reasons for this increase Colson says, “Another mistaken idea contributing to depression is the ‘postwar teaching of victimology and helplessness.’ Intellectuals, politicians, tort lawyers, and the media have worked to identify and designate new classes of victims. As Martin Seligman [of the University of Pennsylvania] notes, more and more Americans identify themselves as victims of one sort or another. The result is a sense of helplessness. Americans, especially the young, claim to have less and less control over their lives at the same time that they enjoy unprecedented personal freedom.”2

As I’ve reported on several occasions, in my experience having taught in divorce recovery and relationship classes over the past couple of decades, one of the biggest causes I have seen for failure in relationships is this victim mentality. At least 90 percent of divorcees and those in failed relationships I have worked with primarily blame their partner for their unresolved conflicts, while failing to admit that they shared equal responsibility (even if it was just being too passive and/or too codependent).

Furthermore, almost none even consider what flaw it was in them that caused them to be attracted to their partner in the first place. The reality is we are as sick as the people we are attracted to [or as healthy]. Sadly, as long as people play this blame-game, they will never recover. Even worse, they will continue to repeat their past mistakes. It’s either resolution or repetition.

“Up to a point a man’s life is shaped by environment, heredity, and movements and changes in the world about him. Then there comes a time when it lies within his grasp to shape the clay of his life into the sort of thing he wishes to be. Only the weak blame parents, their race, their times, lack of good fortune, or the quirks of fate. Everyone has it within his power to say, ‘This I am today; that I will be tomorrow.’”3

Or we could put it this way, “This is the way I am today. That, by the grace of God, is what I will be tomorrow.”

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, please deliver me from ever playing the blame-game. Help me always to look for and discover whatever I have or am contributing to any conflict I happen to find myself in. And then, when admitting my problem, please lead me to the help I need to overcome. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. Romans 14:12 (NIV).

2. Breakpoint, August 26, 2004 http://www.breakpoint.org/bp-home

3. Louis L’Amour.

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Freedom and Responsibility

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“Why do you judge your brother? Or why do you look down on your brother? For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat. It is written: ‘As surely as I live,’ says the Lord, ‘every knee will bow before me; every tongue will confess to God.’ So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God.”1

Margaret Thatcher, former Prime Minister of England, said, “I remember being taught by my parents from my earliest childhood, that the one thing about being British was you did not have to be told what to do. You rose to your responsibilities and took the initiative. Religious belief played a fundamental part in shaping that character because, whether you take the Old Testament or the New Testament, it puts the emphasis on the dignity and responsibility of the individual. You are accountable because you have freedom.”

We, too, have freedom which is a priceless privilege. However, some people, because of this freedom, seem to think they can do as they please both before man and God. As such they are not free, but are in bondage to their own selfishness and passions. They are also boundary busters with little or no respect for other peoples’ person, property, or principles. They have confused liberty with license forgetting that the price of freedom is still eternal vigilance—which includes moral and ethical responsibility.

If we abuse our privileges, ultimately we lose them.

With freedom comes responsibility and with responsibility, accountability. We are accountable to our fellow man and above all we are accountable to God. As today’s Scripture says, “For we must all stand before God’s judgment seat … [and] each of us will give an account of himself to God.”

Suggested Prayer; “Dear God, please help me to so live that I will always act responsibly, that my life will always bring glory to your name, and that I will not be ashamed when I stand before you face to face and give an account of how I lived my life here on earth. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. Romans 14:10-12 (NIV).

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Fickle or Faithful Friends

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“A friend loves at all times.”1

It’s an old story but well worth repeating. It’s about Babe Ruth who was one of the all-time greats of American baseball. For years he had been the idol of sports fans. Time, however, took its toll. I read how, in one of his last games, he began to falter. He struck out and made several misplays that allowed the opposing team to score five runs in one inning. As he walked from the field, he was greeted with an enormous storm of boos and catcalls from the stands. Fans shook their fists.

Then a little boy jumped over the railing and, with tears running down his cheeks ran out to the great athlete. Unashamedly, he flung his arms around his hero’s legs and held on tightly. Babe Ruth picked him up, hugged him, set him down, and together the two of them walked off the field hand in hand.

A poet wrote:

I went out to find a friend,

But could not find one there.

I went out to be a friend,

And friends were everywhere!

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, please help me to be a faithful friend at all times. And thank you that your friendship for me is never based on my performance—good or bad—and that you love me at all times no matter what. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. Proverbs 17:17.

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