“If you can?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for him who believes.” Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”¹

Earl Nightingale tells about a strength test in which people were asked to squeeze a dynamometer (a machine that tests the power of your grip) as hard as they could. After that first squeeze had been measured, they were put under hypnosis and told they were very strong. When asked to grip the machine again, their scores averaged forty percent better.

Their physical strength did not increase under hypnosis. But their ability to use that strength did. It wasn’t the hypnosis that did it, but their belief about themselves.

When we are led to believe we are stronger, we react accordingly. There is a sense in which we all go through life “self-hypnotized” in that a great deal of what we do is determined by what others have told us—and what we have told ourselves—and believed!

What we need to do is listen to what God’s Word, the Bible, says about us, believe it, and act accordingly. As the Apostle Paul said, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” [that is, things that are in harmony with God’s will].²

If there is one thing I have learned over the years it’s that God never calls any of us to do anything that he hasn’t equipped us to do. And he calls all of us to be faithful servants in his work on earth, and to be faithful stewards of all that he has given to us: our time, talents, money, and our resources.

Suggested prayer, “Dear God, I come to you making myself available. Please use me to be a part of your plans and the work you are doing in the world today. Like the doubting father in today’s Bible text, I do believe; help me to overcome any and all unbelief. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. Mark 9:23-24 (NIV).
2. Philippians 4:13 (NKJV).

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“You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”¹

In the October 2000 issue of Decision magazine, an anonymous young man wrote in with the story of how he became a follower of Jesus. Years before he was caught in a downward spiral of drugs and alcohol abuse. His older brother, Terry, had once participated in this lifestyle, too, but Terry had recently become a Christian and that brought about an immediate change in his lifestyle. He enthusiastically shared his faith with anyone he came across.

A few months after Terry’s conversion, the supermarket where he worked was robbed. One of the robbers shot Terry in the back. As Terry hung between life and death in the hospital, his younger brother finally turned to God and began to pray. He finally gave his life to Christ. He was able to tell Terry of his decision just a few days before Terry’s death.

A few months later, Terry’s brother got a job at the same supermarket where Terry had been shot. He began telling a colleague about his faith in Christ. This colleague told him that his older brother, Terry, had done the same thing. Then he added, “Your brother said that he would give his life if you could come to know the Lord Jesus.”²

NOTE: To be sure you know Jesus as your Savior read, “How to Be Sure You’re a real Christian Without Having to Be Religious” at: http://tinyurl.com/8glq9.

Suggested prayer, “Gracious God, how can I ever thank you enough for the gift of your Son, Jesus, who gave his life on the cross so that I might have all my sins forgiven and spend forever in Heaven with you. And Jesus, because you gave your life freely for me, please help me to live my life fully for you and your Kingdom. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. Romans 5:6-8 (NIV).
2. “My Brother’s Love,” Decision, October, 2000, p. 30.

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Jesus said, “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man [Jesus Christ] will come at an hour when you do not expect him.”¹

It is amazing how intensely some people get caught up in the setting of dates regarding Christ’s return and the end of this age. Jesus said that only God, the Father, knew the exact time his return would be. And yet whenever predictions are made with a specific date for Christ’s return, there are gullible people who believe it and give up all they have in preparation for that day.

Over the centuries there have been various theories as to when and how the world might end. If you google “date setters” on the web, you will learn that over the past 2000 years there have been many who have claimed that the world would end or that Christ would return on a certain date. Obviously they were all wrong. Following are just two of the many.

German mathematician, Michael Stifel, based on his study of Revelation, calculated that God’s Day of Judgment would be on October 19, 1533.²

Charles Taze Russell, founder of the Jehovah’s Witnesses, calculated 1874 to be the year of Christ’s return. It was then changed to 1878, 1881, 1910, 1914 with later dates.³

Unfortunately, because of these and modern-day fanatics, many people, including Christians, ignore or even shy away from the biblical teaching about Christ’s coming again and the end of this age as we now know it.

However, Jesus himself promised that he would come again.⁴ The angels of God assured the astounded followers of Jesus on the day of his ascension into heaven following his death, burial and resurrection saying, “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.”⁵ According to Jesus’ words (when he was on earth) only God the Father knew the date and time of his return to earth.⁶

The fact is that Jesus is coming again. We just don’t know when. It may not be for a hundred, or a thousand years, or it may be today. The important thing is to be sure that you are ready, for when we least expect it, Jesus will come again. As Theodore Epp said, we need to “live as though Christ died yesterday, rose from the grave today, and is coming back tomorrow.”

To be sure you are ready for Christ’s return read, “How to Be Sure You’re a real Christian Without Having to Be Religious” at: http://tinyurl.com/8glq9.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, thank you for the wonderful hope that Christians have in that Jesus is coming again to take all his true followers to be with him forever in Heaven. Please help me to live as if he were coming back today so I will always be ready for Jesus’ return. Above all, please use me to tell as many people as possible about your wonderful life-saving gospel message. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. Matthew 24:42-44 (NIV).
2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Stifel
3. http://www.preservedwords.com/rapture.htm
4. John 14:1.
5. Acts 1:11 (NIV).
6. Mathew 24:35-36.

NOTE: ACTS does not necessarily endorse the websites listed in 2 and 3 above.

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“So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.”¹

I have read that “one of the most distinguished sculptors in American history was a man named Gutzon Borglum. He was a sculptor on a grand scale who is perhaps best known for his bust of Abraham Lincoln at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. On that project he carved the head of Lincoln from a large block of marble that had long been in his studio.

“The woman who cleaned his work area had swept around the formless mass of marble day after day for a long time. Then one day, as Borglum’s work progressed, she began to see the face of Lincoln emerging from the stone. She quickly turned and, looking at Borglum, asked, “Is that master Lincoln?”

“Yes,” he replied.

“How did you know he was in there?” she asked.

“The great sculptor knew, for he had double vision. All great artists have such a gift. They see what is and what can be.”²

Years before Michelangelo said the same thing: “I saw the angel in the marble and I chiseled until I set it free.”

And that’s how God sees you and me. He sees the “angel” within us (our God-given potential) and when we are truly committed to him, through his Spirit he will keep “chipping away” until we become all that he envisions us to be.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, thank you that when I surrender my life to you, through your Spirit you are making and molding me into the person you have envisioned me to be. And when some of that chipping/molding is painful, help me to realize that is all a part of your refining work in my life. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. 2 Corinthians 3:18 (TLB).
2. Leader Links, http://www.leaderlinks.com

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“How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, Who bring glad tidings of good things.”¹

“Do you remember the Mercedes TV commercial a few years ago that showed a Mercedes crashing into a concrete wall during a safety test? An engineer in a white lab coat walks over after the crash and kneels down to examine the damage, which is minimal. A reporter then asks the engineer about Mercedes’ energy absorbing car body. After the engineer tells all about the unique design the reporter asks him why Mercedes doesn’t enforce their patent on the design, a design evidently copied by several other companies because of its success.

“The engineer then replied matter-of-factly, ‘Because some things in life are too important not to share.’ How true this is. There are many things in life that fall into this ‘too-important-not-to-share category.’ Advances in science, in medicine, in technology. But all of these pale in importance to that of sharing our faith.”²

As Billy Graham said, “I am convinced the greatest act of love we can ever perform for people is to tell them about God’s love for them in Christ.”

There are many ways we can do this. Here’s one very simple way. For example, whenever I eat at a restaurant, I always leave one of my Good News business witness cards with the tip. And whenever a suitable opportunity arises, without being pushy, I ask the person I am talking to if I can give him or her one of my cards. It is a very attractive card that invites people to visit one of our Good News websites. The site has many articles that speak to the felt needs of the average person—articles that deal with overcoming worry, stress, marriage, relationships, and the like.

And, by the way, speaking to an individual’s felt needs is the only known sure-fire way to get people to read any message. The website also has a highly visible link to the clear gospel message, “How to Be Sure You’re a Real Christian … without having to be religious.” The general card I give out in the U.S. points to: www.GoodNewsfor.com/usa. (In time we will have them for other countries and in other languages as well.)

I’ve never had anyone ever refuse to accept one of these cards. They are attractively printed and are not in any way preachy. This is a very easy, attractive, and non-offensive way to witness even for the most timid person. If you live in the U.S., or have friends who live in the U.S., I encourage you to send for a package of 50 of the “Good News for USA” business witness cards to give to family, friends and contacts. They are only a web click away at: https://actscom.com/donate.php and are available for a donation, not only to cover the cost of printing and postage, but also to help support the building and maintaining of this gospel web outreach ministry.

It is true, the gospel message of Jesus Christ is far too important not to share. Please send today for a pack of Good News Business Witness cards so you, too, can be involved in what God is doing in the world today.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, I come to you with all my fears making myself available for you to use as a witness for Jesus Christ. Please use me to be ‘as Christ’ in some way to someone in need today, and give me the courage to share my Christian faith in a non-offensive and gracious way. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. Romans 10:15 (NKJV).
2. Rev. Steve Jackson, Sermon: “Come and See.”

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“Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.”¹

My twenty-something son came to see me last night. He was terribly distraught over a broken relationship that triggered a lot of pain from the past. As I hugged him, he sobbed his heart out on my shoulder. I am so thankful that he felt safe enough to do this knowing that it is always okay to share his feelings with me no matter what those feelings are.

At times like these I have little to say—I feel my silence and giving him my presence speaks the loudest. I do, however, assure him of my love and acceptance no matter what. Unfortunately—usually more by men than women—when our kids or anyone else is hurting, we want to fix them and wax eloquent with unsolicited advice—advice that is totally divorced from the need of the moment and totally misses the opportunity to be as Jesus to one who is hurting. What people need when they are troubled is a listening ear, an understanding heart, and a shoulder to cry on.

At a time like this the question is often asked, “Where is God when our heart is breaking … does he care? Strange enough, right while my son was sobbing his heart out, the following gospel song was being sung on my computer. It brought tears to my eyes.

Does Jesus care when my heart is pained
Too deeply for mirth or song,
As the burdens press, and the cares distress,
And the way grows weary and long?

Refrain:
Oh, yes, He cares, I know He cares,
His heart is touched with my grief;
When the days are weary, the long nights dreary,
I know my Savior cares.

Does Jesus care when I’ve tried and failed
To resist some temptation strong;
When for my deep grief there is no relief,
Though my tears flow all the night long?

Does Jesus care when I’ve said “goodbye”
To the dearest on earth to me,
And my sad heart aches till it nearly breaks –
Is it aught to Him? Does He see?²

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, thank you that you do care when my heart is breaking. Help me to always remember this and sense your comforting presence knowing that when I commit and trust my life to you, you will, in time, turn my mourning into rejoicing and I will become a richer, healthier, more caring person. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. 1 Peter 5:7 (NLT).
2. Frank E. Graeff, 1901.

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“No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.”¹

Nelson Searcy tells of a study that was conducted about the best tasting ice cream. Members of the control group were blindfolded and given all kinds of vanilla ice cream to taste—quality brand ice cream, gourmet ice cream, homemade ice cream, cheap ice cream and everything in between.

It didn’t matter if it was gourmet, brand name, or homemade ice cream, “The number one determining factor was the percentage of fat in the ice cream. In other words, the more fat that was in the ice cream, the more people liked it.”

As Searcy stated, “Now, isn’t that one of the ironies of life? Why can’t fried chicken, which happens to be my favorite food, be as good for you as an apple? I have never heard a doctor say—‘A fried chicken leg a day will keep the doctor away.’ The reason they say that is because if you had fried chicken every morning for breakfast, it would probably keep the doctor nearby because your cholesterol would shoot up. I guess I’ll have to settle for apples.”²

And who doesn’t like a good fatty ice cream? As a kid we even used to pour pure cream over our ice cream. Yum! Yum! We had no idea how unhealthy that was.

Temptation, too, can have an overpowering attraction and appeal. It can look fabulous and at first taste very inviting—but in the long run its effects are deadly. It reminds me of an extremely beautiful fish that is found on the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. It’s only very small but its sting is incredibly painful. It needs to be avoided at all cost. Same with sin. Regardless how attractive it appears, its end result is deadly so it needs to be avoided at all costs. As Searcy said, “When we give in to temptation, we always regret it because in the long run we always give up something greater for instant gratification right now.”³

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, please help me to remember that while sin’s temptation can be very appealing, it always pays self-destructive dividends. Through your Spirit please give me the strength to resist the lures of the evil one—and the good sense to always depend on you and not try to fight it in my own strength. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. 1 Corinthians 10:13 (NIV).
2. Nelson Searcy. Source KneEmail.
kneemail-subscribe@welovegod.org.
3. Ibid.

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“His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord’”¹

After serving as a missionary for forty years in Africa, Henry C. Morrison became sick and had to return to America. As the great ocean liner docked in New York Harbor there was a great crowd gathered to welcome home another passenger on that boat. Morrison watched as President Teddy Roosevelt received a grand welcome home party after his African Safari.

Resentment seized Henry Morrsion and he turned to God in anger, “I have come back home after all this time and service to the church and there is no one, not even one person here to welcome me home.”

Then a still small voice came to Morrison and said, “You’re not home yet.”²

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, help me to remember that while I want, with your help, to live life to the fullest and serve you faithfully, that the real rewards await my homecoming when I get home to be with you forever in heaven. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. Matthew 25:21 (NKJV).
2. Brett Blair, www.Sermons.com

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“By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a short time.”¹

According to a report in the Daily Mail (London, England), a pensioner used a live artillery shall as a doorstop for 20 years.

For decades the seven-inch-long shell had been a family memento, polished and given pride of place on the mantle piece. The First World War relic also served as a toy and finally, for the past 20 years, as a front doorstop at the home of 68-year-old Thelma Bonnett.

At any time during all those years, however, it could have exploded. The German squat shell was live, packed with its original payload and with its firing mechanism primed, experts have said. It was only when a neighbor saw the shell outside Mrs. Bonnett’s door that the danger became clear.

The police were called and they summoned Royal Navy bomb disposal experts to the house in Paignton, Devon. Several neighbors were evacuated from their homes and the device was taken to a local quarry and exploded. It had been in the family for nearly a century after her grandfather Arthur Croxall brought it home in 1918. “I had no idea it was dangerous,” Mrs. Bonnett said. “Grandfather picked it up on his travels with the Merchant Navy in 1918. My father used to polish it all the time and kept it on the mantelpiece….”

A Ministry of Defense spokesman said: “The shell was packed full of explosives and it could have gone off at any time.”²

It is true, as today’s Scripture verse implies, sin can be pleasurable—for a short time. However, if we continue to “toy” with and live a life of sin and wrongdoing, we may not realize it, but we, too, will be sitting on a time bomb that could explode at any time—and eventually will—and destroy one’s reputation, character, close relationships and/or one’s physical, emotional and spiritual health. Sin always has its consequences, the end of which is eternal death which is not the cessation of our being—but being eternally separated from God, the author of all love and life, in the place the Bible calls hell—wherever and whatever that may be. One thing is certain: It will be hell!

Sin—all sin is a deadly spiritual cancer—and you either get the cancer or the cancer gets you. God has the only cure for this deadly time bomb. For help click on the “Know God” link below or visit: http://tinyurl.com/8glq9.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, thank you that you have provided the only cure and way of escape from sin’s deadly consequences by giving your Son, Jesus, to die in my place to pay the penalty for all my sins. Help me to be certain that I have accepted Jesus as my Savior and received your forgiveness and gift of eternal life. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. Hebrews 11:24-25 (NIV).
2. Source: Daily Mail, London, England, July 2, 2007.
To see a picture of the shell and Thelma Bonnett
visit: http://tinyurl.com/ywtb8p.
Cited on WITandWISDOM www.witandwisdom.org

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“For the Son of Man [Jesus Christ] is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what he has done.”¹

In his Thought for the Day devotional Alan Smith said, “Perhaps you have heard about the latest invention. This report came through the AP news service this week:

“If you think keeping fit is merely mind over matter, Lester Clancy has an invention for you—a cordless jump-rope. That’s right, a jump-rope minus the rope. All that’s left are two handles, so you jump over the pretend rope.

“And for that idea kicking around Clancy’s head since 1988, the U.S. Patent Office this month awarded the 52-year-old Mansfield, Ohio, man a patent….

“It’s perfect for the clumsy, Clancy said, ‘If you’re still jumping, you’re still using your legs as well as your arms, and getting the cardiovascular workout. You just don’t have to worry about tripping on the rope….’

“As one professor pointed out in the article, you could accomplish the same thing using two toilet paper holders!”²

Naturally we laugh at such an absurd invention, but as Alan Smith points out, “And yet, there are things in the spiritual realm that are just as ridiculous. There are some who want to hold on to the handles of ‘faith’ without a rope of ‘works.’ There are others who want to hold onto the handles of ‘a God of mercy and grace’ without a rope of ‘a God of justice and holiness.’ There are some who want to hold onto the handles of ‘Christianity’ without a rope of ‘love.’ There are some who want to hold onto the handles of accepting Jesus as ‘Savior’ but want to leave off the rope of accepting Jesus as ‘Lord’ of their lives.”³

In the end, as today’s Scripture reminds us, we will be rewarded by God on the basis of what we have done and how we have lived—not on the basis of what we professed. Some of us may be holding only a couple of “religious sticks.”

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, please help me to become all that you envisioned for me to be when I accepted Jesus as my Savior, be genuinely committed to you, live in harmony with your will, and enthusiastically serve you with my life. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. Matthew 16:27 (NIV).
2. Alan Smith, “Thought for the Day,” June, 02, 2006,
http://www.tftd-online.com
3. Ibid.

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