Just sharing.

[beensetfree]

Living Joyfully

"But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."1

Vance Havner used to say that, "Worry, like sitting in a rocking chair, will keep you busy but won't get you anywhere."

This reminds me of the "famous story of Jean Henri Fabre, the French naturalist, and his processional caterpillars. He encountered some of these interesting creatures one day while walking in the woods. They were marching in a long unbroken line front to back, front to back. What fun it would be, Fabre thought, to make a complete ring with these worms and let them march in a circle.

"So, Fabre captured enough caterpillars to encircle the rim of a flowerpot. He linked them nose to posterior and started them walking in the closed circle. For days they turned like a perpetual merry-go-round. Although food was near at hand and accessible, the caterpillars starved to death on an endless march to nowhere."2

There are lots of people like this. They worry themselves sick over unfounded fears which all but paralyze them, not realizing that 95 percent of things they fear never happen, and the other five percent probably won't happen either.

Many men, when they arrive at middle age, experience a mid-life crisis with a sense of despair, feeling that they haven't accomplished anything worthwhile with their life to date, and feel that they have nothing better to look forward to in the future.

Other people wander aimlessly through life without a purpose and without any meaningful and worthwhile goals. Even more tragic are the millions who go through life without ever having made plans and preparation for life after death.

Similar to the processional caterpillars, these people not only spend their life going in circles, but go in ever decreasing circles until their life diminishes into nothing. A terrible way to live. A tragic way to die.

But for those who discover their God-given life-purpose and plan and live accordingly as well as living in harmony with the will of God, when they come to the end of life's journey, they have the assurance of meeting God face to face and hearing his welcoming words at the entrance of heaven. "Well done, good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of your Lord." A joyous way to live. A triumphant way to die!

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, thank you that you do have a divine purpose for my life. Please help me to discover what it is and, with your help, start working on it today. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus' name, amen."

 

[beensetfree]

The Power of One

"And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel and the prophets, who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies."1

Throughout the entire Bible whenever God had a job to do he called a person—usually just one person. When he wanted to form a nation, the nation of Israel to be his own people, he chose and called Abraham. When he wanted to deliver the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt, he chose and called Moses. When he wanted a leader to take the children of Israel into the Promised Land, he chose and called Joshua. When he needed an earthly mother for the Christ child, he chose and called Mary.

From Genesis to Revelation, God's methods are people—calling one at a time. You, too, can be one that God uses. As the unknown poet wrote:

One song can spark a moment,
One flower can wake the dream.
One tree can start a forest,
One bird can herald spring.
One smile begins a friendship,
One handclasp lifts a soul.
One star can guide a ship at sea,
One word can frame the goal.
One vote can change a nation,
One sunbeam lights a room.
One candle wipes out darkness,
One laugh will conquer gloom.
One step must start each journey,
One word must start each prayer.
One hope will raise our spirits,
One touch can show you care.
One voice can speak with wisdom,
One heart can know what's true.
One life can make the difference,
You see it's up to YOU!

As Edward Everett Hale said, "I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something. And because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do the something I can do."

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, thank you that you use individual people through whom you do your work on earth. I am available. Please use me to be one person to make a difference in the world in which I live—for time and eternity. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus' name, amen."

 

[beensetfree]

Never too Old

"So here I [Caleb] am today, eighty-five years old! I am still as strong today as the day Moses sent me out; I'm just as vigorous to go out to battle now as I was then. Now give me this hill country that the LORD promised me that day. You yourself heard then that the Anakites were there and their cities were large and fortified, but, the LORD helping me, I will drive them out just as he said."1

"Emerson produced English Traits when he was 53 and Conduct of Life at 59.

"Kent wrote his Anthropology, Metaphysics of Ethics, and Strife of the Faculties at age 74.

"Oliver Wendell Holmes at 79 wrote Over the Teacups.

"Victor Hugo wrote Les Miserables at 62.

"Booth Tarkington wrote sixteen novels after age 60, some of them when he was totally blind.

"George Bernard Shaw wrote some of his famous plays at 80.

"Scott the commentator began study of Hebrew at 87.

"Jules Verne was writing his stories at 63.

"Croce the Italian philosopher published two of his works on philosophy at age 85.

"Santayana, the great Harvard philosopher, continued to write books at 88 years of age.

"Tennyson at 83 wrote 'Crossing the Bar.'

"Webster wrote his monumental dictionary at 70.

"And Colonel Sanders of Kentucky Fried Chicken didn't make his fortune until after he was 65."2

In God's economy we are never too old to serve God and to be a part of God's plans and what he is doing in the world today … even if we are sick and infirm, we can still be mighty prayer warriors. All we need to do is make ourselves available.

By way of Interest, I turned 84 back in March and trust God that I can keep publishing the gospel until the day He calls me home. Please pray with us, too, that God will provide the best person to take over the ministry of ACTS, including Daily Encounter, when it is time for me to step aside.

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, thank you that in the work of your Kingdom on earth I will never be too old to serve you. Please let me know what my 'marching orders' are for today—and for every day for the rest of my life. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer and for using me. Gratefully, in Jesus' name, amen."

 

[beensetfree]

Luke 16:1-18 – Jesus and Money

“What is money?” It’s a question I used to ask my Senior Economics students. While money may be defined in several ways, one of the most important definitions is that money is a symbol of wealth – it stands for the material riches with which God has blessed us.

Economics, which literally means “law of the house” or “rule of the house,” is therefore primarily a matter of stewardship of what God has given us.
This is why Jesus tells so many parables about money. Far from condemning money, money is one of His favorite subjects!

Whenever Jesus tells a parable about money, pay careful attention. Because money is a symbol of the material riches with which God has blessed us, how we use our money and possessions is a symbol of how faithful we have been as stewards. Those who are poor stewards of their money are generally poor stewards of other resources God has given them as well: time, energy, gifts, and talents.

Jesus summarizes all of this, our entire life as stewards of His good gifts, in Luke 16:10 – “He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much.”

Often, we pay little attention to the little things in life because they are, well, little. We think, “Well, at least I’m getting the big things right.” But the little things are never just little because little things have also been created by God, and every little thing is to be treated with its proper respect.

Little things, also, have a magical way of becoming big things. I remember a comment Kobe Bryant made during halftime of one of the NBA playoff games this year, quoting a coach friend of his. The quote was this: “Everything turns on a trifle.” He meant that someone like Steve Nash, who steals, and makes assists and runs after loose balls and forces charging fouls can change the course of a game and even alter its conclusion – without even scoring a point. Caring about the little things in the NBA Finals is how an NBA Final, a very big thing, is won.

And so it is in the spiritual world as well, which, we should always remember, is attached to the physical world and not separate from it. Just as showing up for work every day, getting there on time, and doing your best job is important, so it’s important to show up every day in your life with God.

Though there is no one ready to fire you if you miss a day or “mail it in” that day, our daily walk with God should be marked by the same determination and excellence that generally marks the work place.

And so your management of your money, a relatively small thing, Jesus says, is a gauge of how you are doing with your life with God, which is the biggest thing of all. In Luke 16:11 Jesus teaches that “if you have not been faithful in unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?”



The measure of faithfulness with money, is not, however, how much you have, for we are all in different circumstances. But God gives us many good guidelines in the use of money. First, have you planned your life so that you are tithing – that is, giving God the 10% that is due to Him?

Tithing doesn’t just happen: it requires faithful stewardship, and those who hold back the tithe are also holding back other parts of their life that should be given to God. Second, have you provided for your family? Third, do you forsake extra luxuries so that you have enough to give to the poor?

Christians are supposed to give alms. Remember: every dollar you have belongs to God, and you are but a steward who must give an account for every dollar when you meet the Lord. Attached to every dollar is the mark of God’s ownership. Attached to every dollar is the spiritual use (remembering that physical things are also spiritual) for which God intended it. That ought to make us think twice about the words printed on every denomination bill in the U.S.: “In God We Trust.”

But money is only one measure. In fact, everything that God has given us is a gift from Him, and how we use each gift is a gauge of how faithful we are being as stewards. How do you spend the hours of the day? How much time is given to self and how much to others?

Do you stay up too late so that you can’t adequately do God’s work the next day? Have you chosen to use that half-hour exercise time for something easier but less healthy. And what about the special abilities God has given to you? How are they being used each day?
These are the day to day little things with which God has entrusted us.

If you want to be great in God’s kingdom, then begin by being faithful with the small things He has already brought you each day.
Faithful stewardship of the material and little things in life is the means by which God judges whether or not to entrust you with more of His spiritual riches.


Resolution/ Prayer: Lord, show me one little thing that is necessary this day, the one little thing you are asking me to be more faithful with. Help me to see the things that I have as gifts from you and learn to use them accordingly. Forgive my past selfish use of your treasure, and give me the grace to use it more righteously today.

 

[beensetfree]

They lie on the table side by side;
the Holy Bible and the TV Guide,

One is well worn and cherished with pride,
not the Bible, but the TV Guide,

One is used daily to help folks decide,
no, not the Bible but the TV Guide,

As pages are turned, what shall they see,
oh what does it matter, just turn on the TV,

Then confusion reigns, oh, they can not agree,
on what they should watch on the old TV,

So they open the book, in which they confide,
no, not the Bible but the TV Guide,

The Word of God is seldom read,
maybe a verse or two before they fall into bed,

Exhuasted and sleepy, as tired as can be,
not from reading the Bible, but from watching TV,

So then back to the table side by side,
lie the Holy Bible and the TV Guide,

No time for prayer, no time for the Word,
the plan of Salvation is seldom heard,

But forgiveness and sin, so full and free,
is found in the Bible, not on the TV.

 

[beensetfree]

Elbert Hubbard's business "Credo":


I believe in myself.

I believe in the goods I sell.

I believe in the firm for whom I work.

I believe in my colleagues and helpers.

I believe in producers, creators, manufacturers, distributors,

and in all industrial workers of the world who have a job,
and hold it down.
I believe that Truth is an asset.

I believe in good cheer and in good health, and I recognize the
fact that the first requisite in success is not to achieve
the dollar, but to confer a benefit, and that the reward
will come automatically, and usually as a matter of course.

I believe in sunshine, fresh air, spinach, applesauce, laughter,
buttermilk, babies, bombazine and chiffon, always
remembering that the greatest word in the English language
is "Sufficiency."

I believe that when I make a sale I make a friend.
And I believe that when I part with a man I must do it in such a
way that when he sees me again he will be glad - and so will I.

I believe in the hands that work, in the brains that think, and
in the hearts that love.

 

[beensetfree]

“That through death he might destroy him that had the power of death.”

Hebrews 2:14

O child of God, death hath lost its sting, because the devil's power over it is destroyed. Then cease to fear dying. Ask grace from God the Holy Ghost, that by an intimate knowledge and a firm belief of thy Redeemer's death, thou mayst be strengthened for that dread hour.

Living near the cross of Calvary thou mayst think of death with pleasure, and welcome it when it comes with intense delight. It is sweet to die in the Lord: it is a covenant-blessing to sleep in Jesus. Death is no longer banishment, it is a return from exile, a going home to the many mansions where the loved ones already dwell.

The distance between glorified spirits in heaven and militant saints on earth seems great; but it is not so. We are not far from home—a moment will bring us there.

The sail is spread; the soul is launched upon the deep. How long will be its voyage? How many wearying winds must beat upon the sail ere it shall be reefed in the port of peace? How long shall that soul be tossed upon the waves before it comes to that sea which knows no storm?

Listen to the answer, “Absent from the body, present with the Lord.” Yon ship has just departed, but it is already at its haven. It did but spread its sail and it was there. Like that ship of old, upon the Lake of Galilee, a storm had tossed it, but Jesus said, “Peace, be still,” and immediately it came to land.

Think not that a long period intervenes between the instant of death and the eternity of glory. When the eyes close on earth they open in heaven. The horses of fire are not an instant on the road. Then, O child of God, what is there for thee to fear in death, seeing that through the death of thy Lord its curse and sting are destroyed? and now it is but a Jacob's ladder whose foot is in the dark grave, but its top reaches to glory everlasting.

 

[beensetfree]

Going Through Hell

. . . fear not, for I am with you—Isaiah 41:10

You know when you’re in the thick of it—facing tough financial circumstances, or maybe a problem with work or a relationship, or a health issue or an addiction? You know that “I just don’t know what to do” feeling? Most of us do, maybe all of us. The thing is, we actually do know what to do—we know exactly what to do. It’s just hard, in those moments, to remember . . . and to trust.

But we must remember and trust our Father God. He sees and he knows . . . and sometimes he allows. We must not be “surprised at the fiery trial,” therefore, “as though something strange were happening” (1 Peter 4:12). When he allows hardship, though, it’s always for good—even if that’s not, at first, very obvious (James 1:2-4; Hebrews 12:1-11; Romans 8:28).

And we must remember and trust our King, Jesus Christ. He is truth. He teaches us what to do in any ordeal. He knows like no other. “Fear not, I am the first and the last, and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades” (Revelation 1:17-18).

And we must remember and trust our God the Holy Spirit. He’s always with us, in every moment (John 14:16). And he can help and strengthen us, whatever the hardship. The “Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead” exists within us, and can certainly bring new life to our circumstances too (Romans 8:11).

 

[beensetfree]

“Lo, in the midst of the throne ... stood a Lamb as it had been slain.”

Revelation 5:6

Why should our exalted Lord appear in his wounds in glory? The wounds of Jesus are his glories, his jewels, his sacred ornaments. To the eye of the believer, Jesus is passing fair because he is “white and ruddy;” white with innocence, and ruddy with his own blood. We see him as the lily of matchless purity, and as the rose crimsoned with his own gore.

Christ is lovely upon Olivet and Tabor, and by the sea, but oh! there never was such a matchless Christ as he that did hang upon the cross. There we beheld all his beauties in perfection, all his attributes developed, all his love drawn out, all his character expressed. Beloved, the wounds of Jesus are far more fair in our eyes than all the splendour and pomp of kings. The thorny crown is more than an imperial diadem. It is true that he bears not now the sceptre of reed, but there was a glory in it that never flashed from sceptre of gold.

Jesus wears the appearance of a slain Lamb as his court dress in which he wooed our souls, and redeemed them by his complete atonement. Nor are these only the ornaments of Christ: they are the trophies of his love and of his victory. He has divided the spoil with the strong. He has redeemed for himself a great multitude whom no man can number, and these scars are the memorials of the fight. Ah! if Christ thus loves to retain the thought of his sufferings for his people, how precious should his wounds be to us!

“Behold how every wound of his
A precious balm distils,
Which heals the scars that sin had made,
And cures all mortal ills.

“Those wounds are mouths that preach his grace;
The ensigns of his love;
The seals of our expected bliss
In paradise above.”

 

[beensetfree]

Top Ten Bible Verses in Medieval England


According to Bible Gateway, the top Bible verses in 2016 were John 3:16, Jeremiah 29:11, Philippians 4: 6 and 13, Romans 8:28, and Psalm 23:1-6.

So modern Christians with access to Bible Gateway focus on how God saves us and how God promises to take care of us (even during times of anxiety and difficulty). The God, who is our shepherd, who walks with us through the valley of the shadow of death, and who has plans to give us a hope and future, loves us so much that he gave his one and only son Jesus to save all of us who believe and bring us to everlasting life.


The core of modern Christianity in a nutshell, right? These top verses also reveal a trend in modern Christianity toward reformed theology, as several highlight God’s sovereignty (even if they are being misinterpreted, like Jeremiah 29:11).

In short, the verses we emphasize say a lot about what we believe as Christians.
So what were the top verses in medieval Christianity?

Before I continue, I have three warnings to give. First, I am giving you a sneak preview of some of my current research. So this is a work in progress; you can cite me next year. Second, assessing “top” medieval bible verses is a lot more complicated than it is today. Bible Gateway can count verses from its search engine to see which are looked for the most. I can’t do that. What I did was count how many times verses appeared in late medieval English sermons (mostly 1350-1500).

Usually I am very free with explaining my methodology, but I am going to be more cagey today. Hopefully you trust me by now. I will give you my sources and methodology after I publish. So stay tuned! Third, medieval sermons focus more on passages than single verses. Verse divisions didn’t exist yet and larger chunks of scripture were referenced instead (so, for example, as Luke says in chapter 10….). For the sake of simplicity, however, I am going to pretend like verse divisions existed in our modern form and give you the scripture references as we would recognize them today (just remember this is anachronistic).

Based on my survey of late medieval sermons, these are the top ten bible passages for Christianity in late medieval England. Here is the countdown, David Letterman style:
10. Matthew 20:1-16 (the parable of the workers in the vineyard, concluding with: “the last shall be first, and the first shall be last; for many are called, but few chosen”)
9 & 8. John 6:1-15 and John 16:23-30 (Jesus feeds the five thousand and Jesus telling his disciples that the time had come for him to speak openly to them because he is about to leave them, “I went from the Father, and came into the world; again I leave the world, and go to the Father”)

7. John 14:23-31 (Jesus explaining that those who love him will obey his word, that the Holy Spirit will come to teach us because he is returning to the Father, and that he gives leaves his peace so that we do not have to be troubled or afraid)
6. Matthew 21:1-9 (the triumphant entry of Jesus into Jerusalem, a.k.a. Palm Sunday)

5. Luke 11:14-28 (When Jesus was rebuked for driving out a demon, he responded that “a house divided against itself will fall” and that “whoever is not with me is against me”; a woman with a loud voice calls out from the crowd, “Blessed be the womb that bore you and the teats that gave you suck” to which Jesus responded, “blessed be they that hear the word of God and keep it.”)

4. Luke 1:16-28 (the angel Gabriel announces birth of John the Baptist to Zacharias, who doesn’t believe and is made mute; Zacharias’ wife Elizabeth conceives, and Gabriel visits Mary: “Hail, Mary, full of grace; the Lord is with thee; blessed be thou among women”)
3. Matthew 11:25-30 (Jesus proclaiming: “all who are weary, come to me, and I shall give you rest. Take my yoke and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light”)

2. John 8:31-47 (Jesus explaining that only those who hear God and obey belong to God, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free”)
1. Matthew 25: 34-41 (the sheep and the goats, “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me” and “whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me”)

In two weeks, as I continue my posts on understanding medieval faith, we will talk about what these verses say about medieval Christianity.

 

[beensetfree]

Developing a Healthy Self-Concept, Part I

"Love your neighbor as yourself."

Jim was standing in line at the supermarket checkout when, to his amazement, in charged an angry, aggressive man, with his browbeaten wife in tow, pushing in line ahead of Jim and several other customers. With a forty pound (twenty-kilogram) sack of flour slung over his shoulder and handing his wife some money, he growled: "Here, you pay for the stuff." He then proceeded to stomp off with his bag of flour.

Unknown to him, there was a hole in the back of the flour bag. As he stormed out of the supermarket, he left behind a trail of white flour all the way to his car. As Jim walked out of the store, the angry man had just discovered his now half-empty sack of flour. Poetic justice one might suggest!

What makes people like this man so obnoxious? Among other possibilities, he undoubtedly has a very poor self-image. The bottom line is that these people don't feel loved. That's why his wife was such a wimp, too.

People who strongly dislike themselves tend to either become weak, passive and over-compliant and withdraw, or project their self-hatred onto the people around them by being aggressive and bullying. Because they don't like themselves, they believe others don't like them either and set themselves up to be rejected.

At the root of many of life's conflicts, personal problems, and failures is a low sense of self-worth. If, for example, I believe and feel I am a failure, I will set myself up to fail. And if I believe I am a bad person, I will act accordingly.

On the other hand, if I believe myself to be a person of worth and am lovable, I will act in a worthwhile and lovable manner. If I believe I am a successful person, not in an egotistic way but in a healthy sense, I will succeed in life.

This doesn't mean that I won't make mistakes and experience failures from time to time. But when I do, I may be disappointed, but I won't be devastated and will ask myself, "What can I learn from this experience?" I will then get up and try, try, try again—until I do succeed!

The self-concept is basically comprised of one's (1) self-image—how I picture or see myself, (2) self-esteem—how I feel about myself; and (3) self-worth—how much I value myself, all of which add up to one's level of self-acceptance, which is how much or how well I accept myself;

A person with a healthy self-concept is not conceited, arrogant or proud. The latter is one who is covering up a poor self-concept. Healthy people know what their strengths and abilities are and develop and use these to achieve worthwhile goals. They also acknowledge their weaknesses without putting themselves down because of them, and work to overcome and master these.

By the way, while the Bible says to love our neighbor as our self, a humorist remarked, "Heaven help your neighbor if you hate yourself." There's a lot of truth in that statement.
To be continued…

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, your Word says to love my neighbor as myself. Please help me to love and accept myself in a healthy way so I can also truly love and accept my neighbor in a healthy way. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus' name, amen."

 

[beensetfree]

Developing a Healthy Self-Concept, Part II

"Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought."1

A healthy self-concept is central to one's success in life. It is one of the greatest gifts we can give our children. Their self is a gift from God, but their self-concept is pretty much in our hands. However, if we parents fail to love and accept ourselves in a healthy sense, we cannot help our children develop a healthy self-concept because we cannot give what we don't have. Furthermore, without a healthy self-concept we become our own worst enemy.

While God's Word says we are not to think too highly of ourselves, it doesn't mean that we are to think too lowly of ourselves and have a poor self-image or a bad self-concept. We need to see and accept ourselves as God sees and accepts us which will give us a very healthy-self concept. So how then can we overcome a poor self-concept and/or make a good self-concept better?

First, we need to be real. Many of us are afraid that if we are known as we really are, we won't be liked, so we pretend to be something we are not. People may like the mask or the false front or happy face we wear, but this will never make us feel loved because what they like is not the real us. We can only be loved to the degree that we allow ourselves to be known for who we are.

Second, to be real I need to be connected to my dark side which is the side of me that is hidden, often from my self as well as from others. It is that part of me that I am ashamed of or feel embarrassed or guilty about—often a major cause of why I don't like or reject myself.

The dark side may or may not be anything that I have done that is bad. It can be parts of me that were rejected when I was small, or it maybe where somebody has done something hurtful to me somewhere in my past. For instance, if somebody consistently put me down when I was a child and made fun of my ears or anything else—and I buried those hurtful feelings—I need to get in touch with that pain and express it to a loving friend or counselor to have that side of me accepted.

Or, if I was rejected or abused either physically, emotionally, or sexually in any way, that experience also needs to be brought into the light and the pain and anger resolved before I can fully love and accept myself.

In fact, all painful memories and unresolved feelings of guilt, shame, anger, fear, hurt or grief need to be brought into the open and resolved so I can be freed from my past and forgive those who have hurt me. Unresolved, these supercharged, repressed negative emotions are barriers that stop me fully loving myself and others.
To be concluded …

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, please help me to see myself as you see me and love and accept myself as you love and accept me so I will become a healthier, more contented and loving person. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus' name, amen."

 

[beensetfree]

Differently

A study of a group of elderly people 95 and older were asked the
question,

“What would you do differently if you had your life to live over?”

The central theme of all of the responses was,
“I would have done more with my life.”

The three most common answers:

I would have thought more
I would have risked more
I would have done more things that would live on after I die.

 

[beensetfree]

Developing a Healthy Self-Concept, Part III

"So get rid of your feelings of hatred [malice]. Don't just pretend to be good! Be done with dishonesty and jealousy and talking about others behind their backs … put away all evil, deception, envy and fraud. Long to grow into the fullness of your salvation."

In answering the question on how to build a healthy self-concept we have said that first we need to be real; that is to be truly honest with our self. Second, to be real we need to be connected to our dark side so that we are aware of and in touch with those areas in our life that we would be embarrassed for others to see.

This brings us to our next point.
Third, we learn self-love. As the Bible teaches, we love God because he first loved us.1 While this can be very difficult and threatening to grasp, we love other people and ourselves in exactly the same way. That is, we need someone to first love us because love is a skill to be learned.

If I didn't feel loved or sufficiently loved as a child, it's not likely that I will feel loved as an adult. To overcome, I need somebody to love me first. As I get connected to my dark side and share all these wounded parts of me with at least one or two safe people, as they love and accept me as I am—warts and all, little by little I learn to love and accept myself. (Safe people are those who know me and still love me and will not reject, judge, or try to fix or change me when I share my real self with them.)

Fourth, it is imperative that I resolve any and all unresolved feelings of hatred (stored up anger) and all other repressed negative emotions. As the Bible says, "Get rid of your feelings of hatred and don't just pretend to be good." We don't get rid of these damaging emotions by repressing and denying them. They need to be brought out into the open and resolved in healthy ways. Repressed they are destructive to healthy living, healthy relationships, and to having a healthy self-concept.

Fifth, I need to live in harmony with healthy moral and ethical values based on God's standards, and maintain clearly defined boundaries—that is, ensure that I live by my values and don't allow boundary-busters to violate my personal boundaries. When I live this way, I feel good about myself. And when I don't, I don't feel good about myself!

Sixth, it is also imperative that I forgive all whom I feel have hurt or offended me. Failing to forgive keeps me bound to my past and trapped by my unresolved negative feelings.
Seventh, the ultimate in self-love and acceptance is to feel connected to God and know/experience his love and affirmation at the very core of my being.

This begins by confessing our dark side and our sins to God, asking for his forgiveness and accepting his Son, Jesus Christ, into my heart and life as personal Lord and Savior. And then, as we take the above steps to improve our self-concept and reach out and love other people, more and more we experience God's love. As God's Word says, "If we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is perfected in us."

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, please help me to resolve all my negative emotions and attitudes, forgive all who have hurt me, live in harmony with your will, grow up into the fullness of my salvation so that I will develop a God-honoring healthy self-concept and be a clear channel for your love to flow through to every life I touch. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus' name, amen.

 

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True Humility

"A man's pride will bring him low, But a humble spirit will obtain honor."1

"Tony Campolo tells of preaching a really good sermon in his preaching class in seminary. Campolo felt pretty proud of his outline, his arguments, and his delivery. He felt pretty proud of himself—until he read his professor's comments at the bottom of the page: 'You can't convince people that Jesus is wonderful and you're wonderful in the same sermon.'"2

I recall hearing a somewhat heated discussion between a church member and his minister. I couldn't help but overhear the member all but shouting, "I tell you, I AM humble!" The trouble is if I have to tell you how humble I am, already I've lost it.

Humility, however, is not degrading or putting yourself down or hanging your head in a false kind of shame. That's insecurity. True humility is having a realistic evaluation of yourself, recognizing your gifts, abilities, and strengths and being grateful to God for them—and putting all these gifts to good use in serving God and others. Humility also recognizes and accepts one's weaknesses and, with God's help, does something about overcoming them.

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, please help me to grow in love and maturity and become more and more like Jesus in every way so that I will be genuinely humble … recognizing that 'every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.'3 And help me to always give you the praise for all the gifts and good things you have given so freely to me. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus' name, amen.

 

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Refocusing the Drive

greatest among you become as the youngest

. . . leader as one who serves—Luke 22:26

We men devote so much of our mental attention and hard work to our own greatness. We plan for advancement; strategize next moves; put our heads down and grind. Deep in our inner machinery there’s something that drives us on toward securing greatness . . . of some kind or another . . . for ourselves. Maybe it’s on a small scale. Maybe on a large scale. Maybe in our work, maybe in our communities, maybe even in our faith. The drive is just there.

The twelve Apostles—men, human men—had this drive. In the upper room, a dispute “arose among them, as to which of them was to be regarded as the greatest” (Luke 22:24). But Jesus stopped them and taught them (and us) that this drive must be refocused. “But I am among you as the one who serves” (Luke 22:27). That’s our blueprint. His life is the blueprint for our lives. We must follow it and no other. We must reject all blueprints drawn by our pride, or envy, or selfishness.

Refocusing this drive, away from lifting ourselves and toward lifting those around us, is one of the most important things we can do, as men. It moves us into true masculinity—where we lend our strength to others, who need it, rather than use it solely for our own gain. We must trust that this is a better way to live . . . better for God, better for us, and better for those we are to love and serve.

Look around you—today, this week—for people you can serve. Keep it simple. Whom will you come into contact with, naturally? Whom do you have influence over, in the normal course of your days? Whom might you have overlooked? Ask yourself, what do they need and how can I help?

 

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Embrace the Fear

. . . for man shall not see me and live—Exodus 33:20

We’re made for fear. We’re made to live with fear, not without it, as we’d like. It’s just, as so often happens, we get preoccupied with things we can see and hear and touch. But these aren’t what we’re supposed to fear—not people, nor circumstances. About such things, our King, Jesus Christ says, “do not fear” (Luke 12:4-5, 22-24). No, we’re meant to fear a fearsome God.

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge” (Proverbs 1:7).

But what does it mean to fear God? Well, mostly it means keeping our thinking straight. It means seeing God, in all his power, in proper relation and proportion to the people and problems in this world. Though we sometimes act as if he were, God isn’t smaller than financial hardship, difficult work situations, difficulties with children. He’s not equal to them. He’s so much bigger, so much more powerful, even comparing doesn’t make sense. He’s alpha and omega. He’s the beginning and the end of everything.

What’s astonishing is this fearsome God, for some reason, chooses to love each of us with a fierce love—a love that’s good and will never relent. So, to him, we mustn’t respond as we’ve been conditioned to respond to fear—control, minimize, avoid, numb. We must respond by recognizing, every day, every moment, that he’s the most important, most powerful force in our lives, and that we’re his favored sons.

Name your biggest fears. Write them down. Look at them. Imagine them as God sees them. How frightening are they now? The truth is, things we can see, hear, touch are never our ultimate threats, not when God’s around—and he always is. Our ultimate threat is choosing to live as if these things are bigger than he.

 

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I Am the Way

"Jesus answered, 'I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.'"1

Stanley Jones tells of a missionary who got lost in an African jungle, nothing around him but bush and a few cleared places. He found a native hut and asked the native if he could get him out. The native said he could.

"All right," said the missionary, "show me the way."

The native said, "Walk," so they walked and hacked their way through unmarked jungle for more than an hour.

The missionary got worried. "Are you quite sure this is the way? Where is the path?"

The native said, "Bwana, in this place there is no path. I am the path."2

When it comes to finding the way to God, there are various religions in the world today all claiming to have a corner on the truth and to be "the path" to God.

There are also vast numbers of people who believe that the way to God and the path to Heaven are through good works. Or at least, they reason (as I did in youthful days), "If I do more good things than I do bad things, my good deeds will outweigh my bad deeds, and that will get me into Heaven." According to God's Word, the Bible, this belief is also doomed for failure. As the Bible says, "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast."3

It is true that Christianity makes the claim that it is the ONLY path or way to God and to God's Heaven. Again, the Bible says: "Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name [other than Jesus Christ] under heaven given among men by which we must be saved."4

The question we need to ask is this: "Is Jesus Christ the Son of God and the Savior of the World?" If He is and His Word is truth, then He is the only way to God and to Heaven. If He is not the Son of God, then he is not a good man nor a great religious leader. He would be a liar, an imposter, and guilty of leading multiplied millions astray.

But how can we know if Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God, or not?

We will answer this question in the next three issues of Daily Encounters.

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, in all the many voices claiming to have the way to you and that of eternal salvation, help me to know the truth so I can be absolutely certain that I am on the 'Truth Way' and on my way to Heaven when I die. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. In Jesus' name. Amen."

 

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Overcoming Addictions ... Please Help Me

"The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth."1

A Daily Encounter reader writes, "I'm writing this in pure despair. I've written to some other Christian organizations only to receive 'canned' responses. I am a 50-year-old woman and have been a drug addict since the age of 13. I have been in many treatments, had psychiatric care, on psychiatric meds, in all kinds of 12-step programs, attended Church on a regular basis, read my Bible daily, prayed earnestly, helped others in leading them to the Lord … on and on and on. But I am hopelessly defeated.

"I've often thought that I had a demon or demons in me. I have received the Baptism of the Holy Spirit and even prayed in tongues, but nothing happens. I don't seem to hear from God. Has He given up on me? I'm so scared of going to hell. I don't want to be this way. Please help me."

Hello, Jeanie (name changed),

I am sorry to hear of your plight and your struggle. First, let me say, you are not lost. It is our faith in Christ that saves us for all eternity—not our own good works. As long as you believe that Jesus is the Son of God and died on the cross for your sins, and have accepted him as your Savior, you will never be lost nor will you go to hell.

Second, you can never go it alone to rescue yourself from your addiction. You need to continue in a good recovery program for support and to help you get and stay off drugs. And I urge you to find a good Christian counselor who specializes in helping people overcome addictive behaviors.

Third, only God and your unconscious mind know the root cause/s of your addiction. So I urge you to earnestly seek God to reveal to you the truth; that is, the root cause of your problem. You will need to be willing to face this truth with all your heart because in reality you may not want to do this because it is too painful. Tell God that you are willing to be made willing to see this truth no matter how much it hurts. Also ask God to help you find the help you need to resolve your problem.

Fourth, you may also need some medical care to help you overcome the addictive side of drugs.

Fifth, it is highly unlikely that a demon is the cause of your drug addiction. True, Satan is the ultimate cause of all our failures, but when we fail to deal with and resolve them, we give him a foothold. But when we bring our problems "into the light" and resolve them, the enemy loses his foothold.

Finally, a reminder to always pray for the truth as today's Scripture says, "The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth." So again, ask God to confront you with the truth behind your addictive behavior; that is, help you to see the root cause of your addiction—and never give up until you see it. And remember that God loves you and is with you no matter what. He loves you with an everlasting love and wants to help you overcome your problem.

Here's a suggested prayer you could pray: "Dear God, I admit that I am a drug addict and am asking you to help me. Have mercy on me a sinner. I beg you to show me the truth of the cause behind my addiction. Please do this for me no matter how much it hurts, and please help me to find the help I need to overcome. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. In Jesus' name. Amen."

 

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A Little Water Works Wonders: Spiritual Encouragement for Moms

A few weeks ago, a sweet lady from church sent me some beautiful blue flowers that were put on display at the Easter service, which I was unable to attend due to illness. Unfortunately, my thumb doesn’t even come close to being green. So my first response was to wonder what I could do to keep from killing them. My daughter delivered them to me, and she, being like her mother, had nearly killed them in the two days they were under her care.
“This morning, they were so droopy I thought they had died. But a little water works wonders, Mom. See? Nice and perky.”

I’m pleased to report that I’ve “only” come close to killing the flowers four times since they were delivered. Yes, four. They’re still alive, because I remembered that “a little water works wonders.” But I’ve noticed some of the leaves are beginning to turn yellow – probably because I’ve been allowing the soil get as dry as the Mojave Desert before watering it. It seems I’ve inflicted an unhealthy cycle on it that doesn’t promote the best of health. The best of health would come, I think, if I would be more disciplined about never letting it get parched in the first place.

Isn’t that how it is spiritually? My tendency, especially when my kids were small, was to go a week here, four days there, without reading my Bible or praying. I’d become parched. Then I’d try and cram a large, profitable time of spiritual nourishment in whenever I could, like when the kids were sick and sleeping all day.
A lovely experience indeed, not unlike drinking from a firehose after a walk in that Mojave Desert!

Skipping spiritual watering is easy to do when the laundry piles are high, dinner needs to be made, and Johnny needs to be at football practice. As women and moms, we are constantly pouring ourselves into the lives of others. Our work truly is never finished. We are constantly nurturing. Loving. Discipling. Feeding. Sorting and folding. Or cleaning up. In the midst of it all, we tend to forget or even purposely neglect our own vital needs. But where our souls are concerned, while any feeding is better than no feeding, regular feeding is the healthiest.

A little water works wonders. But a little water every day works bigger and better wonders. When we are regularly filling our own cups, we avoid the parched phase, and are naturally able to spill over into the lives of others in a consistent manner. We overflow into empty vessels that need filling because we are full and have plenty to give, rather than working so hard just to maintain our own fluctuating strength.

When I was a young mom, I had to find simple, quick ways to be spiritually fed. If it was time to nurse the baby, I’d turn on the radio and listen to Elisabeth Elliot’s radio program. Or late at night, after the kids were in bed, I’d turn the radio back on (I’m really dating myself here), and listen to a kind, elderly man by the name of Bill Pearce who taught the Scriptures in a deep, soothing voice – exactly what I needed after a day of harrying activities. Another favorite spiritual watering method was to read snippets of the Bible or a book on spiritual growth during children’s quiet times, during nursing, after they’d gone to bed, or if they had a (seemingly) rare moment of playing well together. Prayer most often came as I was performing methodical chores, as that was the only time I could talk to God without falling asleep!

Though spiritual disciplines are difficult to find time for, we will find that God does give us that time. It may not look like we want. Or happen when we want. But even as busy people about the vital duties of motherhood, the time is there, and where there’s a will, there’s a way.

A huge blessing of consistent feedings, you’ll find, comes when you have spiritual strength to pour into your children. It never ceased to amaze me that what Mr. Pearce or Mrs. Elliot taught over the air would often come up in my conversations with my kids the very same day or shortly after, when it was still fresh in my mind and heart. It was necessary to present the truth to the kids on their level.

But what God gives, He often gives more than once. What He feeds us is exactly what He wants us to turn around and feed to our children. He is the Living Water, and He loves to nourish His children who then nourish their children.

So carpe minutam, moms. Seize the minute! And remember — a little water works wonders, but a little water consistently works bigger wonders. Not only for you, but for those you are attempting to bring up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.