Category Archives: Ask the Teacher

Judge but Don’t Judge!

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“Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”1

A Daily Encounter reader writes, “As Christians we are told not to judge others. However, we are also told not to cast our pearls before swine. Does that not involve a judgment? This has always confused me.”

A judgmental person is a critical, negative, and often an angry and even hostile person. Jesus was saying that if you project this kind of an attitude onto others, that’s what you will receive in return. That’s true in much of life, for what we project is what we get back. Thus, if we project a judgmental attitude, that’s what we’ll get back. Or if we project a loving attitude, that’s what we will receive in return. What we sow is what we will reap!

Also, the Bible says, that a spiritual person judges or appraises all things.2 So while we are not to be a judgmental person, we need to judge or appraise actions and “all things” to discern that which is good and that which is bad or evil.

When Jesus said, “Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs,”3 he was telling us to use discernment and judge the actions of evil people, but not to be judgmental towards them. We are to love these people, but at the same time lovingly avoid sharing with them what you know will be rejected and trodden on.

For me personally, I find it very difficult to do this. I still have a lot of growing to do in this area of my life; that is, to love people when I hate and even despise what they are doing.

Suggested prayer, “Dear God, please give me the wisdom to know how to evaluate (judge) all things, and help me to separate a person from his destructive actions. Help me to hate sin but love the sinner just as you do. And help me to love the things you love and hate the things you hate—and give me the wisdom to know the difference. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. Matthew 7:1-2 (NIV).
2. 1 Corinthians 2:15.
3. Matthew 7:6 (NIV).

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God Speaks, Part II

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“Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.”1

Years ago I had a strong conviction that my own vision for the Lord’s work was too small. This was when I was still doing ACTS ministry in my homeland of Australia. But I had no idea what more God was leading me to do. Shortly afterward, circumstances out of my control brought me to California (which at the time I thought would only be for a year or two). When I realized I was “stuck” here for longer than I expected, and not having any further leading, I told God that I would open an office here in California and put my conviction to the test!

Well here we are some two-plus decades later and God has indeed greatly expanded the ministry of ACTS far beyond anything I could have ever dreamed or hoped for! Without the circumstances that brought me here in the first place, I never would have had the courage (nor the desire) to leave my homeland and, of all places, open an office in California where there are numerous Christian organizations.

Yesterday we pointed out how God “speaks” to or leads us through His Word, the Bible, and never contrary to it, through a sense of inner conviction and peace, and through our circumstances.

Next, with some people I hear them saying that God told them such and such but the next week, according to them, he is telling them something different. You can be sure that this word isn’t from God.

When a word is from God, there is always 100% accuracy. There was a severe penalty (death) in Old Testament times for false prophets—that is, those who claimed their message was from God and it wasn’t. The test for a true prophet or spokes–person for God was 100% accuracy all the time.

Fifth, for me personally, whenever I feel God is “speaking” to me or leading me, I pray and ask him to reveal to me the truth of the matter, and…

Finally, all the preceding steps need to line up (like the markers in a harbor leading ships on a safe course both in and out of the harbor), and when they do, we can be confident that the leading or word is from God. Then we need to step out in faith to test the leading to make doubly sure it is from God. I prefer to do this and even be wrong, rather than through fear of failure, not put what I believe is God’s leading to the test.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, please teach me how to test the spirits, to be certain when the word I hear is from you, and not from myself or any other source. And when I am certain you are speaking to me, please give me the courage to step out in faith, and put to the test what I believe is from you. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. 1 John 4:1 (NKJV).

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God Speaks, Part I

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“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight [or direct your paths].”1

A Daily Encounter reader asks, “How can I know when God is speaking to me, or when it is just my own thoughts? I often joke that God needs to throw a brick and hit me upside the head with a note attached!” I can understand how this person feels and feel confident that many other readers struggle with the same question.

I once had a man tell me that God told him that he was to work for me. I didn’t buy his message. And I wasn’t struck down by lightning when I wouldn’t give him a job! When I was a deacon in a former church, this same man and another deacon, when important matters were to be discussed, claimed that God had told them the way it was to be.

This could have been the end of any further discussion, for who can argue against God? But my answer to these people where it affects me is that “God hasn’t told me yet, so can we discuss the matter further?”

These people didn’t like me very much!

God has never spoken to me in an audible voice but apparently he does to some people. I believe at least on one occasion God has “spoken” to me in a vivid dream. What we need to be certain of is to test the message to see if it is from God or from myself or any other source. How do we do this?

First, God’s message will always be in harmony with his Word, the Bible, and never in opposition to it. I recall hearing one speaker talking about a phenomenon happening in his church saying that it must be a new work of God because it isn’t in the Bible! This can be a very misleading path to follow.

Second, when God is speaking to us or leading us, there is a quiet conviction and a sense of inner peace. As his Word says, “Let the peace of God rule in your heart” (Colossians 3:15). When I don’t have this inner peace, I have learned the hard way not to act on what I think I should do.

In younger days, if what I thought was God speaking to me, I would have been willing to stand on my head in public. But I learned that there is a vast difference between what God is saying (a conviction) and what is my own compulsion. With a conviction there is a sense of freedom and peace. But where the “little voice inside my head” keeps saying, “You have to do this! You have to do this! You have to do this!” and it is distressing me, I can be certain that it is a compulsion and not from God.

Third, God often “speaks to us” or leads us through our circumstances. Speaking personally, as I look back over the years, I can see how God has consistently led me through various and sundry circumstances and as the hymn–writer said, “Jesus led me all the way.”

To be continued…

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, thank you that when I commit my way to you and trust you with all my heart, you always lead me in the way that I should go. Please help me to learn how to discern when the “voice” I hear is from you or from myself or another source. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. Proverbs 3:5–6 (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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Prosperity Gospel

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“I [Jesus] have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble [tribulation]. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”1

A Daily Encounter reader from a much poorer country than North America asks, “Can you please write a message on prosperity teachings. [Some American preachers]…say it is a sin to be poor and when you are prosperous (have money) you are blessed.”

Amazing isn’t it?

If God has gifted me to be a good businessman and to make money, and I can do that honestly, then I’d say it would be my responsibility to make money … not for personal indulgences but so I would be able to give generously in supporting the Lord’s work on earth.

I for one, however, don’t have that gift or that calling. Neither am I a gifted fundraiser, so financing God’s work for me has always been a challenge and probably will be until the day I retire or die … whichever comes first!

However, to some degree I have been gifted with an ability to communicate. Thus it is my responsibility to be trained in this area and communicate God’s truth and the gospel to the best of my ability. Not to do so would be a sin for me as the Bible says, “Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn’t do it, sins.”2

To claim that everybody is gifted to make money or to communicate effectively is not true—and, if claiming this to be true, could lead many to doubt God’s blessing on their life. The same goes for those who are led to believe that it is God’s will for every Christian to be financially prosperous.

Think of Jesus, for example. Was he prosperous? Not at all. Were the twelve disciples prosperous? Matthew, the tax collector, may have been at one time but through questionable methods. Peter and the other fishermen and disciples probably made just enough to make ends meet. True, Moses came from a well-to-do background, having grown up in Pharaoh’s household, but he gave it all up to serve God and lead the people of Israel.

If, however, prosperity is God’s will for everyone, then let’s take this message to the poverty-stricken parts of the world where untold thousands of people are dying of malnutrition.

For the rest of us less prosperous ordinary folks, let’s do the best we can with the gifts God has given to us to help make our world a better place in which to live.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, please grant that I will always be a messenger of truth and never be misled by false promises from false prophets who claim to be speaking in the name of the Lord. If ever I teach a false message, please reveal that to me so it can be corrected immediately. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name. Amen.”

1. John 16:33 (NIV).
2. James 4:17 (NIV).

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Teaching Children (and Yourself) to Pray Effectively

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“Jesus said, ‘Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.’”1

A Daily Encounter reader writes, “How can I explain to my child how God answers prayers. My oldest son, 6 yrs old, has been praying that he would not have nightmares and be scared at night and for help with his behavior at school. How can I reinforce his belief in God when he doesn’t think that his prayers are being answered?

Dear Suzanne (name changed): Actually this is an ideal opportunity to teach your son how to pray so God will answer his prayers. Explain to him that both of you need to ask God to show you why he is having nightmares, why he is scared at night, and why he is having problems at school. Explain to him that these are caused by other fears in his life that need to be understood so you can get the help needed to overcome them. You can teach him that if God is going to answer our prayers, we need to learn how to pray the right prayers.

His nightmares and problems at school are undoubtedly symptoms of something in his everyday life that he is deeply troubled about. This is why it is important to ask God to show you the cause/s of his nightmares and problems, and to lead you to find the help needed to resolve these fears.

If there is any kind of conflict in the home, if his father has left, if he is having a conflict with a sibling or a bully at school—any of these issues could cause him to have nightmares. Continued nightmares are usually the symptom of some known or unknown fear. I would also suggest that you see a competent Christian child counselor right away to help resolve his fears. Untreated they will only get worse.

For possible counseling resources check our website at: https://learning.actsweb.org/counseling_resources.php

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, in all of my personal problems and those of my children and family, please help me to see the cause/s of these problems, and to resolve these please lead me to the help I need for myself, my children, and/or other loved one. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus name, amen.”

1. Matthew 19:14 (NIV).

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