Deception

1 Peter 5:8-9 (NKJV)

8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. 9 Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.

These verses are a solemn warning. With a roar, a lion proclaims dominion over a territory and calls out to other lions to come and partake of the meal that has been captured. So we are warned to watch out, to resist the temptations of Satan through a steadfast faith in The Lord; with the understanding that those who are faithful to God will always be tempted. We should never forgot that the one who deceives us, wait for an opportunity to take us.

In a classic "Twilight Zone" episode from 1960, an American on a walking trip through central Europe gets caught in a raging storm. Staggering through the blinding rain, he chances upon an imposing medieval castle. It is a hermitage for a brotherhood of monks. The reclusive monks reluctantly take him in.

Later that night, the American discovers a cell with a man locked inside. An ancient wooden staff bolts the door. The prisoner claims he's being held captive by the "insane" head monk, Brother Jerome. He pleads for the American to release him.

The prisoner's kindly face and gentle voice win him over. The American confronts Brother Jerome, who declares that the prisoner is actually none other than Satan, "the father of lies," held captive by the Staff of Truth, the one barrier he cannot pass.

This incredible claim convinces the American that Jerome is indeed mad. As soon as he gets the chance, he releases the prisoner—who immediately transforms into a hideous, horned demon and vanishes in a puff of smoke!

The stunned American is horrified at the realization of what he has done. Jerome responds sympathetically. "I'm sorry for you, my son. All your life you will remember this night and whom you have turned loose upon the world."

"I didn't believe you," the American replies. "I saw him and didn't recognize him"—to which Jerome solemnly observes, "That is man's weakness and Satan's strength." [Kevin Stump, "Is the Devil Dead?" The Plain Truth, (Mar/Apr 2001)]

In Luke 21:8 Jesus spoke, “And He said: “Take heed that you not be deceived. For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am He,’ and, ‘The time has drawn near.’ Therefore do not go after them.”

Be careful in this world for there are many already deceived by Satan because he has called them to come and abide with him. Having been deceived they set out to deceive others and draw them into the snares that wait. Do not be deceived, stand firm in the power and the might of The Lord.

The dead who walked

Matthew 27:51-53 (NLT)

51 Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split, 52 and the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; 53 and coming out of the graves after His resurrection, they went into the holy city and appeared to many.

It is unknown who the saints were that arose from their graves and went into Jerusalem where they appeared to many people. “That Jesus Christ, by dying, conquered, disarmed, and disabled, death. These saints that arose, were the present trophies of the victory of Christ's cross over the powers of death, which he thus made a show of openly. Having by death destroyed him that had the power of death, he thus led captivity captive, and gloried in these re-taken prizes, in them fulfilling that scripture, I will ransom them from the power of the grave.”

All Hallows Eve is a yearly celebration that takes place on October 31th. It has also been called Halloween as a contraction of Hallows Evening. It is a time to remember the dead, including the saints, the martyrs and all the faithful departed Godly believers. The traditional focus of All Hallows' Eve revolves around the theme of using "humor and ridicule to confront the power of death.”

Over time Halloween changed as other customs were incorporated. Some believe pagan traditions were allowed to be mixed with Christian celebration so as to incorporate the non-believers into participating in the Christian holidays.

Today we have a mix of many traditions during the Halloween season. There are those who try to keep Christian traditions. There are those who participate in the fun of going house to house asking for candy, which grew out of an ancient English tradition of begging for soul cakes on Hallows Eve in order to pray for the dead of the house. And while many traditions are for fun, we have to be careful to separate the fun from the maliciousness of Satan and his demons.

Halloween has caused many to believe in ghosts and evil spirits, but The Bible infers demons pose as the dead in order to trick and deceive us. However, as in the verses above there have been times when those who had passed away came back to life. The Apostles were witnesses to those faithful to God, had died and then appeared to them. Lazarus arose from the grave and appeared to his friends and family. Christ has the power over death, but Satan and his demons only have the power to deceive us about the truth of death.

So let me wrap up by saying enjoy Halloween and the festivities around it, but avoid anything that does not line up with the word of God. It may be there are times when the image of someone may appear to speak for God, but if that were to happen it is to give glory to God and to comfort whoever may be the witness to such event. 

God can change anyone

Proverbs 29:11 (NKJV)

11 A fool vents all his feelings, But a wise man holds them back.

A wise man will not utter all his mind at once, but will take time for a second thought, or reserve the present thought for a fitter time, when it will be more pertinent and likely to answer his intention; he will not deliver himself in a continued speech, or starched discourse, but with pauses, that he may hear what is to be objected and answer it. [Matthew Henry]

As a young woman, Frances Havergal, author of the hymns, "Take My Life and Let It Be" and "Like a River Glorious," had a very quick temper the kind that would explode. Afterward she would be mortified and confess it to the Lord. But then she would lose her temper, again and again.

One day after a particularly bad explosion, she threw herself down by her bed and wept. She prayed, "Lord, must it always be so? Will I always have this temper to keep me humble before you?"

While she was on her knees, the Lord injected a verse of Scripture in her mind: "The Egyptians whom you have seen today you will see no more forever." God spoke these words to Moses when the Egyptians pursued the Israelites to take them back into bondage. Havergal related the verse to her temper and the way in which Satan wanted to use it to pull her into bondage. She saw that God could take her temper away.

She asked, "Lord, could it be forever?"

It seemed to her that the words came back from the Lord, "Yes. No more, forever."

Her sister said that from that day Frances Havergal never again lost her temper. She believed God, and God did a miracle.  [J. Oswald Sanders, "How Do You Love?" Discipleship Journal (March/April 1981)]

My wife and I will often watch Dr. Drew on HLN in the evenings. Last night on the show a Facebook poll was shown on Jodi Arias as to whether she could be rehabilitated. 95% of the respondents said no, while only 4% said yes.

Most of the people saying she cannot be rehabilitated see the hard callousness of Jodi Arias and what appears to be a very unrepentant person. The remorse one would expect from such an act of murder just isn’t there as many would expect.

God can bring about changes in anyone. For Frances Havergal,she had an explosive temper that she begged God to take away. As she cried out to God for change, God listened. As she heard God she questioned the response, “Lord, could it be forever?” What she heard was, “Yes. No more, forever.” And from that point she never lost her temper again.

Let us all pray for Jodi Arias that she will humble herself before God and ask for the changes that need to take place in her life. Let God respond that she may hear the answers she needs. Let God bring about change in the life of Jodi Arias and in the lives of others that we may see God’s power and might. God can change anyone!

God's love letter

1 Peter 1:24-25 (NLT)

24 As the Scriptures say, “People are like grass; their beauty is like a flower in the field. The grass withers and the flower fades. 25 But the word of the Lord remains forever.” And that word is the Good News that was preached to you.

These words are reminders that we are live temporary lives here on earth. We blossom in our youth and wither away as we grow old. However God’s word promises us Good News of an everlasting eternal life. It is become of God’s love that we have the hope of eternal life found in Jesus Christ.

Many years ago, a doting groom penned a love letter to his bride. Stationed at a California military base thousands of miles away from his wife, James Bracy's link to the lovely woman waiting for him to come home were their love letters.

But this letter didn't get delivered. Somehow it was lost, lodged between two walls in Fort Ord's mailroom in San Francisco. The letter was lost in the shadows, with its romantic affections of a youthful marriage, sealed with a kiss.

A half century later, James and Sallie Bracy had just finished celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary and were relaxing in the living room when "Once in a While," their song, began to play on the radio. Sallie remembered affectionately the 1950s song and how she used to get calls and letters from the man who owned her heart. They joked together knowing there would be no letter or phone call this time because James was at her side.

Meanwhile, a construction crew was dismantling the old post office at Fort Ord, and they discovered a long-forgotten letter from a young army corporal. The crew turned the letter over to Bob Spadoni, the postmaster in nearby Monterey. Spadoni began the process of delivering that letter, tracking down the Bracys through post office records and phone books.

Just a few days after hearing their song, the letter, dated January 28, 1955, was delivered to Sallie Bracy. The letter sent her heart aflutter, tears welled, and she again became a love-struck 22-year-old. "It meant a lot to me then," said Sallie. "It means even more now."

Many years ago God wrote his love letter to us. It's waiting to be delivered, to be opened at just the right time. It meant a lot then, and it means even more now. [Drew Zahn, assistant editor, Leadership Journal; source: "After 46 years lost in post office, love letter finally arrives," Jefferson City News Tribune (4-25-01)]

The Bible contains God’s words to us. They are words of direction, words of encouragement, words of hope and words of an eternal life with Him. God has written us a love letter of things yet to be seen. John 3:16 tells us, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”

God's Word

Hebrews 4:12 (NKJV)

12 For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

The written word of God is active and lively in all of its efforts. It grabs the conscience of a sinner and cuts into the heart to divide right from wrong. The word gives discernment to our thoughts and shows the intentions of our heart.

In Isaiah 55:11 God says, “It is the same with my word. I send it out, and it always produces fruit. It will accomplish all I want it to, and it will prosper everywhere I send it.” God’s word will always prosper when it is heard. It will move the hearts of people to understand things they did not know. It will cause them to realize their faults and to make corrections in their life.

For years I have written devotions using God’s word from The Bible. I started writing my devotions as a way to encourage a friend who was dealing with depression. It became obvious after a while that the words I read from The Bible were just as much for me as they were for my friend. The words of The Bible became encouraging, uplifting, inspiration, pointed out my faults and showed that I was not alone in the world with my problems.

Over the years I expanded the list of people I sent devotions to. People would tell their friends and they would ask me to place their names on my email list. Then I started placing the devotions on websites for others to read.

There have been many times over the years people would write back to me and ask, “How did you know what I needed today?” Or they might have said, “I was struggling with an issue and the Bible verse you used gave me the answer I needed.

Let me stop right here and say, when I write, I am not spying into people’s lives. I also do not direct my devotions towards a particular person. I usually start with a Bible verse and expand my devotion from there. And most of the time I am writing to myself. So don’t get paranoid if it sounds like I am talking to you.

Let’s go back to the verses I referenced above. God’s word cuts into our heart and shows us the intentions of our heart. God’s word produces fruit in our lives that we can use to live out our life. We prosper when we hear God’s word and it moves our heart to follow the will of God.

So when you are touched by words in a devotional, God is the one using His word to touch your life. His word is filling your heart and telling you what you need to hear. His word does not come back void but produces fruit in you that you can use to live.

So my friends meditate on God’s word that you may enrich your life. Let it give you wisdom and discernment. Let it teach you the things God wants you to know.

The Fear of The Lord

Proverbs 9:10  (NIV)

10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

The heart must be principled with the fear of God; that is the beginning of wisdom. A reverence of God's majesty, and a dread of his wrath, are that fear of him which is the beginning, the first step towards true religion, whence all other instances of it take rise. [Matthew Henry]

Suppose you were exploring an unknown Greenland glacier in the dead of winter. Just as you reach the sheer cliff with a spectacular view of miles of jagged ice and mountains of snow, a terrible storm breaks in. The wind is so strong that the fear rises in your heart that it might blow you over the cliff. But in the midst of the storm you discover a cleft in the ice where you can hide. Here you feel secure.

But, even though secure, the awesome might of the storm rages on, and you watch it with a kind of trembling pleasure as it surges out across the distant glaciers. Not everything we call fear vanishes from your heart, only the life-threatening part. There remains the trembling, the awe, the wonder, the feeling that you would never want to tangle with such a storm or be the adversary of such a power.

And so it is with God. The fear of God is what is left of the storm when you have a safe place to watch right in the middle of it. Hope turns fear into a trembling and peaceful wonder; and fear takes everything trivial out of hope and makes it earnest and profound. The terrors of God make the pleasures of his people intense. The fireside fellowship is all the sweeter when the storm is howling outside the cottage. [John Piper, The Pleasures of God (Multnomah, 1991), pp. 205-206]

We have an awesome God! When we talk about the fear of The Lord we are talking about the mighty awesomeness of God that is so wonderful and so powerful it shakes the depths of our soul. For those of you who have had an experience like this with God you know what I am talking about. You have all the feelings of fear, but there is a great pleasure in knowing you have just seen God at work and you know God is on your side. Let us give The Lord praise for those moments in our lives!

Carry each other's burdens

Galatians 6:2 (NIV)

2 Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.

The apostle encourages the reader to act out of love thereby fulfilling the law of Christ by helping others to carry the burdens of life that are common to us all. There are many times compassion needs to be shown to others to help them through difficult spots. Also, there are times they may have needs they are unable to attend to by themselves; in those cases we are to help as we can.

In John 13:34-35 Christ told us, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

Emmy Award winner Leeza Gibbons is one of the most well‐known pop‐culture icons on the air. In addition to her impressive background in the field of entertainment and news media, Leeza is an instrumental advocate for healthcare, wellness, and caregiving. She is also a wife, mother, businesswoman and a New York Times bestselling author.

Recognized as a social entrepreneur, Leeza has become one of the leading voices for issues facing family caregivers. When her mother and grandmother were struggling with Alzheimer’s disease, she created what she wished she and her family had and started the Leeza Gibbons Memory Foundation. Her training as a journalist united with her compassion and business savvy when she opened the foundation’s signature programs, Leeza’s Place and Leeza’s Care Connection, offering free services for family caregivers encouraging them to call on their courage and summon their strength for the long journey ahead. [http://leezagibbons.com/about/#sthash.wDXWDMcz.dpuf]

It is through these programs that Leeza has helped carry the burdens of others.

Dr. Drew Pinsky is a practicing physician, Board Certified in Internal Medicine, Board Certified in Addiction Medicine and a member of the staff at Huntington Memorial Hospital. Pinsky is also Assistant Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at the Keck USC School of Medicine.

Pinsky starred in the hit reality series Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew which chronicled the struggle for sobriety and the cycle of addictive disorders of a group of celebrities.   The sixth installment of the series Rehab with Dr. Drew followed the real-life experiences of everyday people who are struggling with addiction as they undergo detoxification and treatment. [http://drdrew.com/]

For over a decade, Dr. Drew Pinsky and his wife Susan Pinsky has been active as Co-Chair for Hillsides, a Los Angeles based children’s charity dedicated to improving the overall well-being and functioning of vulnerable children, youth and their families. Hillsides kicked off its Fifth Annual Foster Soles Charity Event with Elton John, Carson Daly and No Doubt. The charity provided high quality care, advocacy, and innovative services that promote safe permanent environments where young people can thrive. [http://www.consciousnessmagazine.com/DrDrew.htm]

Dr. Drew and his wife Susan are helping to carry the burdens of young children who need help.

Let us strive to love one another and help carry difficult burdens people face just as those above have!

Love God with your heart

Psalm 40:8 (NIV)

8 I desire to do your will, my God; your law is within my heart.

God’s law rules within our heart; it is the conscious of our soul. Knowing God’s law and having a desire to perform God’s will gives us a joy and delight.

Lee Eclov shares the following true story about a conversation between Max, a first grader in Lee's congregation, and Max's dad, Todd.

Dad: Max! Why didn't you answer me when I called you?

Max: I didn't hear you, Dad.

Dad: What do you mean you didn't hear me?

Max does not respond.

Dad: How many times didn't you hear me?

Max: I don't know, maybe three or four times.

Although God abides with us and His law is with us there are many times we do not listen. We can hear God calling to us. We may be asked to perform a charitable act and yet we don’t respond. Sometimes we are directed away from things that are not good for us, but we do them anyway. And other times we just consider ourselves ignoring everyone else. Still God is calling, calling maybe three or four times and we still don’t listen.

The challenge in life is to pause and heed God’s calling. Listen closely as God speaks; and allow Him to direct the paths in your life.

Restore to me the joy of Your Salvation

Psalm 51:12 (NIV)

12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

This Psalm was penned after David committed adultery with Bathsheba and had her husband put on the front lines of battle where he would be killed. David is feeling remorse for his sins and in prayer asks God to restore the joy of his salvation. “When we give ourselves so much cause to doubt of our interest in the salvation, how can we expect the joy of it? [Matthew Henry]”

On August 16, 1987, Northwest Airlines flight 225 crashed just after taking off from the Detroit airport, killing 155 people. One survived: a four-year-old from Tempe, Arizona, named Cecelia.

News accounts say when rescuers found Cecelia they did not believe she had been on the plane. Investigators first assumed Cecelia had been a passenger in one of the cars on the highway onto which the airliner crashed. But when the passenger register for the flight was checked, there was Cecelia's name.

Cecelia survived because, even as the plane was falling, Cecelia's mother, Paula Chican, unbuckled her own seat belt, got down on her knees in front of her daughter, wrapped her arms and body around Cecelia, and then would not let her go.

Nothing could separate that child from her parent's love—neither tragedy nor disaster, neither the fall nor the flames that followed, neither height nor depth, neither life nor death.

Such is the love of our Savior for us. He left heaven, lowered himself to us, and covered us with the sacrifice of his own body to save us. [Bryan Chapell, In the Grip of Grace (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1992)]

We have a savior Jesus Christ who loves us so much He willingly gave His life as a sacrifice for all of our sins. Even knowing Christ’s love for us; we will still commit acts of sin that hurt others and hurt ourselves. It is in these time we often feel like King David that the joy of our salvation has been lost. We think, “How could God love us when we have done such horrible things?”  And yet, God does still love us. Had He not loved us He would not have sent His only Son to die for each and every sin we have committed and are yet to commit.

The Bible tells us in James 4:10,  Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.

Spend time with God while He confides in you

Psalm 25:14-15 (NIV)

14 The Lord confides in those who fear him; he makes his covenant known to them. 15 My eyes are ever on the Lord, for only he will release my feet from the snare.

The secret of the Lord is with those that fear him. They understand his word; for, if any man do his will, he shall know of the doctrine whether it be of God, Jn. 7:17. Those that receive the truth in the love of it, and experience the power of it, best understand the mystery of it. They know the meaning of his providence, and what God is doing with them, better than others

In his book The Pressure's Off, psychologist Larry Crabb uses a story from his childhood to illustrate our need to delight in God through adversity:

One Saturday afternoon, I decided I was a big boy and could use the bathroom without anyone's help. So I climbed the stairs, closed and locked the door behind me, and for the next few minutes felt very self-sufficient.

Then it was time to leave. I couldn't unlock the door. I tried with every ounce of my three-year-old strength, but I couldn't do it. I panicked. I felt again like a very little boy as the thought went through my head, "I might spend the rest of my life in this bathroom."

My parents—and likely the neighbors—heard my desperate scream.

"Are you okay?" Mother shouted through the door she couldn't open from the outside. "Did you fall? Have you hit your head?"

"I can't unlock the door!" I yelled. "Get me out of here!"

I wasn't aware of it right then, but Dad raced down the stairs, ran to the garage to find the ladder, hauled it off the hooks, and leaned it against the side of the house just beneath the bedroom window. With adult strength, he pried it open, then climbed into my prison, walked past me, and with that same strength, turned the lock and opened the door.

"Thanks, Dad," I said—and ran out to play.

That's how I thought the Christian life was supposed to work. When I get stuck in a tight place, I should do all I can to free myself. When I can't, I should pray. Then God shows up. He hears my cry—"Get me out of here! I want to play!"—and unlocks the door to the blessings I desire.

Sometimes he does. But now, no longer three years old and approaching sixty, I'm realizing the Christian life doesn't work that way. And I wonder, are any of us content with God? Do we even like him when he doesn't open the door we most want opened—when a marriage doesn't heal, when rebellious kids still rebel, when friends betray, when financial reverses threaten our comfortable way of life, when the prospect of terrorism looms, when health worsens despite much prayer, when loneliness intensifies and depression deepens, when ministries die?

God has climbed through the small window into my dark room. But he doesn't walk by me to turn the lock that I couldn't budge. Instead, he sits down on the bathroom floor and says, "Come sit with me!" He seems to think that climbing into the room to be with me matters more than letting me out to play.

I don't always see it that way. "Get me out of here!" I scream. "If you love me, unlock the door!"

Dear friend, the choice is ours. Either we can keep asking him to give us what we think will make us happy—to escape our dark room and run to the playground of blessings—or we can accept his invitation to sit with him, for now, perhaps, in darkness, and to seize the opportunity to know him better and represent him well in this difficult world. [Larry Crabb, The Pressure's Off (WaterBrook Press, 2002); pp. 222-223]

God our rock and redeemer

Psalm 19:14 (NLT)

14 May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.

He prays to God to keep him from sin, and then begs He would accept his performances; for, if we favour our sins, we cannot expect God should favour us or our services. ~Matthew Henry

In her book Walking in the Dust of Rabbi Jesus, Lois Tverberg retells the following story about a famous first century rabbi named Rabbi Akiva:

One day as Rabbi Akiva was shepherding his flocks, he noticed a tiny stream trickling down a hillside, dripping over a ledge on its way toward the river below. Below was a massive boulder. Surprisingly, the rock bore a deep impression. The drip, drip, drip of water over the centuries had hollowed away the stone. Akiva commented, "If mere water can do this to hard rock, how much more can God's Word carve a way into my heart of flesh?" Akiva realized that if the water had flowed over the rock all at once, the rock would have been unchanged. It was the slow but steady impact of each small droplet, year after year, that completely reformed the stone.

Lois Tverberg comments:

When I first started studying the Bible's Hebraic context, I wanted one commentary that would teach me everything, one class that would explain it all. If I could learn all the "right answers" in one marathon event, all the better. I find now that God likes to reveal truth over many years, as I study alongside others. I realize now that big "splashes" aren't usually God's way of doing things. Instead, through the slow drip of study and prayer, day after day, year after year, he shapes us into what he wants us to be.

God loves to teach us lessons. Each of us needs to take the time to meditate on God’s word and speak with Him about things on our heart. God is our rock, the solid foundation on which we can steady our life. God is also our redeemer, our salvation, and the sustainer of our life. Let us be pleasing to God that God should favor the things we do.

Gentle answers

Proverbs 15:1 (NLT)

A gentle answer deflects anger, but harsh words make tempers flare.

May we keep peace and not stir up anger. Let our cause be spoken with meekness. When we are faced with hard arguments let us keep our words soft.

When I was a senior in high school, I worked at a Hardee’s restaurant as one of the assistant managers. It was my job to ensure things were running smoothly and that customers were satisfied with our product. If a customer walked away unhappy there was the likelihood they might not return, so we wanted to keep customers happy.

I can remember answering the office phone one day and hearing this obviously angry woman on the other end of the phone line. She began ripping into me about how she had gotten home and had found that her order was incorrect and that she was missing some items.

Although I didn’t know exactly what happened, I knew this woman was frustrated. So I calmly said, “What can I do to make this right for you?” She let me know rather quickly she wasn’t about to get in the car and drive back up there; that was just going to be too much effort on her part.

So I said, “I really want to make this right for you. How about I mail you several coupons good for free hamburgers, fries and drinks? This way you won’t have to make a special trip and you can drop back in anytime you want. If there is any money we owe you I can also send that to you.”

The woman’s tone changed immediately. She said thank you, but I wasn’t over charged, I just didn’t get everything I asked for. I told her I hoped the coupons would make up for her inconvenience. She politely gave me her address and I mailed the coupons to her.

This was one of those cases where you didn’t want to fight harsh words with harsh words. Instead it was an opportunity to use gentle replies to win back a customer that could have otherwise been lost.

In our relationships with others we should always try to deflect anger with a gentle answer. Instead of answering with a harsh tone, listen to the feelings of the person and acknowledge you understand their feelings and respond to them accordingly. Using harsh words can only make tempers worst.

Controlling your anger

Proverbs 14:29 (NLT)

29 People with understanding control their anger; a hot temper shows great foolishness.

A proverb of wisdom reminding us if we are to love others; then we need to understand and control our anger. For a terrible temper shows great foolishness to others.

In a 2011 Leadership Journal article, Gordon MacDonald shares the moving story about his friends Dr. Paul and Edith Rees. When the Rees's were in their 90s, MacDonald asked if they still fought after 60-plus years of marriage.

"O, sure we do," Dr. Rees responded. "Yesterday morning was a case in point. Edith and I were in our car, and she was driving. She failed to stop at a stop sign, and it scared me half to death."

"So what did you do?" MacDonald asked.

"Well, I've loved Edith for all these years, and I have learned how to say hard things to her. But I must be careful because when Edith was a little girl, her father always spoke to her harshly. And today when she hears a manly voice speak in anger—even my voice—she is deeply, deeply hurt."

"But, Paul," MacDonald said, "Edith is 90-years-old. Are you telling me that she remembers a harsh voice that many years ago?"

"She remembers that voice more than ever," Rees said.

MacDonald asked, "So how do you handle that driving situation from the other day?"

"Ah," he said, "I simply said, 'Edith, darling, after we've had our nap this afternoon, I want to discuss a thought I have for you. And when the nap was over I did. I was calm; she was ready to listen, and we solved our little problem."

MacDonald concluded: "These are the words of a man who has learned that conflict is necessary, can be productive, but must be managed with wisdom and grace. By the time I reach 90, I hope to be just like him." [Gordon MacDonald, "When Bad Things Happen to Good Relationships," Leadership Journal (Winter, 2011)]

Controlling our thoughts and responding in a loving way takes practice, patience and of course love. There are no rules that say we must have an argument. There are no rules that constructive criticism must be given right away. So find what works in life so you can communicate in a non-threating and loving manner. Take time out to think through your thoughts and organize them. Talk about your own feelings in way that another can understand. Most of all provide the mercy and grace that Christ has provided you.

God's Plans

Jeremiah 29:11 (NLT)

11 For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.

Known unto God are all his works, for known unto him are all his thoughts and his works agree exactly with his thoughts; he does all according to the counsel of his will. We often do not know our own thoughts, nor know our own mind, but God is never at any uncertainty within himself. We are sometimes ready to fear that God's designs concerning us are all against us; but he knows the contrary concerning his own people, that they are thoughts of good and not of evil; even that which seems evil is designed for good. [Matthew Henry Commentary]

In 1986, a Christian worker named Steve Saint was traveling through the country of Mali when his car broke down. Stranded and alone, Steve tried to rent a truck, despite warnings that he wouldn't survive in the Sahara Desert. After he failed to find a truck, in his fear and discouragement, Steve's thoughts ran to his father, Nate Saint, a former missionary in Ecuador. When Steve was only five, natives speared to death his dad and four other missionaries. Now, thirty years later, Steve found himself questioning his father's death. Steve reflected, "I couldn't help but think the murders were capricious, an accident of bad timing."

When Steve asked some locals directions to a church, a few children led him to a tiny mud- brick house with a poster on the wall showing wounded hands covering a cross. A man in flowing robes introduced himself as Nouh Af Infa Yatara. Nouh started sharing with Steve about his faith in Christ. After becoming a Christian, his family disowned him. His mother even put a sorcerer's poison in Nouh's food at a family feast. He ate the food but suffered no ill effects.

When Steve asked Nouh why he was willing to pay such a steep price for following Christ, he simply said, "I know God loves me and I'll live with him forever." But Steve pressed, "Where did your courage come from?" Nouh explained that when he was young, a missionary gave him books about Christians who had suffered for their faith. Then he added, "My favorite was about five young men who risked their lives to take God's good news to people in the jungles of Ecuador. The book said they let themselves be speared to death, even though they had guns and could have killed their attackers!"

Utterly shocked, Steve said, "One of those men was my father." Now Nouh felt stunned. "Your father?" he exclaimed. Then Nouh told Steve that God had used the death of those five brave missionaries to help him, a young Muslim who had become a Christian, hold on to his faith. [Adapted from Randy Alcorn, If God Is Good (Multnomah, 2009), pp 400-401]

There are times in life when we face pain, hurt and even death. We do not know why things happen, but fortunately God does and uses what was meant for evil to be good. Five men gave their lives for Jesus Christ, but they knew they had an eternal life with Christ. The actions of these men had an impact on Nouh Af Infa Yatara that sustained his Christian faith even though he was rejected by his own family. God had used the death of those five brave missionaries to help him, a young Muslim who had become a Christian, hold on to his faith. It also gave hope to Nate Saint about the questions he had concerning the purpose of his father’s death. God’s plans are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.

Take a time out before talking

Proverbs 10:19 (NLT)

19 Too much talk leads to sin. Be sensible and keep your mouth shut.

A warning to us all if we voice our thoughts in an unchecked manner those thoughts can turn to sin. Instead we should hold our thoughts to ourselves until the proper moment when through discernment and wisdom we have reasoned out the facts.

I showed up at the house of a friend and rang the doorbell. I was supposed to bring some chairs. He opened the door and said, "Ron, where are the chairs?"

I responded, "Oh, I forgot."

He glared at me and barked, "That figures!"

I thought, That figures? He thinks I'm no good. He thinks I can't follow through. He thinks I'm useless. Then I thought, Who does he think he is? The creep. I bet he's got a problem or 12!

But then I decided I had two options: believe the best about what he was saying—although that was pretty tough—and just forget about it, or ask him what he meant—even though it seemed obvious to me.

A couple of weeks later I saw him and brought it up: "You know the other day when I was at your house and forgot to bring the chairs and you said, 'That figures'? …"

He interrupted me and said, "I shouldn't have said that."

"I was wondering what you meant."

"Well, all day long that day in every meeting someone had forgotten something. It just figured."

So, he wasn't saying, "Jenson, you're a jerk." He was saying, "My day's been terrible."

[Adapted from Ron Jenson in Fathers and Sons, "Jerk Reaction," Men of Integrity (January/February 2005)]

It would have been so easy for Ron’s anger to get the best of him and speak out in ways that could have damaged a friendship. Instead Ron chose to wait, ponder his thoughts and ask for clarification to comments that were made. When he received his answer not only did he feel better, but he also avoided the trap of sin and kept a friendship whole.

Too often we want to speak out against something we just heard, but maybe we haven’t heard the full story yet. Our haste to speak may place us in a position where we later regret the words we have said. In this day and time of fast flowing information, take a moment, slow down and allow reason and wisdom to prevail you say something you will regret. 

Blessings

Psalm 128:1 (NKJV)

Blessed is every one who fears the Lord, Who walks in His ways.

Today I just want to share a favorite song about the blessings of life.

"Blessings" by Laura Story from the album Blessings

We pray for blessings, we pray for peace

Comfort for family, protection while we sleep

We pray for healing, for prosperity

We pray for Your mighty hand to ease our suffering

And all the while, You hear each spoken need

Yet love us way too much to give us lesser things

'Cause what if your blessings come through rain drops

What if Your healing comes through tears

What if a thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know You're near

What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise

We pray for wisdom, Your voice to hear

We cry in anger when we cannot feel You near

We doubt your goodness, we doubt your love

As if every promise from Your word is not enough

And all the while, You hear each desperate plea

And long that we'd have faith to believe

'Cause what if your blessings come through rain drops

What if Your healing comes through tears

What if a thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know You're near

What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise

When friends betray us

When darkness seems to win

We know that pain reminds this heart

That this is not,

This is not our home

It's not our home

'Cause what if your blessings come through rain drops

What if Your healing comes through tears

What if a thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know You're near

What if my greatest disappointments or the aching of this life

Is the revealing of a greater thirst this world can't satisfy

What if trials of this life

The rain, the storms, the hardest nights

Are your mercies in disguise

God watching over us

1 John 5:7 (NKJV)

7 For there are three that bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one.

This is the apostle’s reminder that we are watched over by three witnesses. All are God: The Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit.

In 2012, on a cold November night in Times Square, Officer Lawrence DePrimo was working a counterterrorism post when he encountered an older, barefooted homeless man. The police officer, who is normally assigned to different section of New York City, said, "I looked over and someone was laughing at this elderly [homeless] gentleman who had no socks (and) no shoes. You could see the blisters from a distance. I had two pairs of socks and I was still cold."

So, he asked the man if he had anything to cover his feet. "It's okay, Sir, I've never had a pair of shoes," the homeless man replied. "But God bless you." As the homeless man strolled away, DePrimo caught up to him and asked him his shoe size before walking into a Skechers on W. 42nd St. DiPrimo told a worker, "I'd like to buy a pair of boots, something that will last a while. I don't care what the price is." A few minutes later, the kindhearted cop bought a $100 pair of all-weather boots, size 12. A store manager later said, "We were just kind of shocked. Most of us are New Yorkers and we just kind of pass by that kind of thing. Especially in this neighborhood."

The act of kindness would have gone unnoticed and mostly forgotten, had it not been for Jennifer Foster, a tourist from Arizona. Foster said, "The officer expected NOTHING in return and did not know I was watching." Her snapshot—taken with her cellphone and posted to the New York Police Department's official Facebook page—made Officer DePrimo an overnight Internet hero. As of June, 2014, the post had attracted over 600,000 "likes" and more than 48,000 comments—a runaway hit for the NYPD. Many comments have pointed to how this simple act of kindness has "restored my faith in humanity."

[David Goodman, "Photo of Officer Giving Boots to Barefoot Man Warms Hearts Online," The New York Times (11-28-12); Amanda Mickelberg, "NYPD Officer Larry DePrimo immortalized in tourist's photo ..." New York Post (12-18-12)]

Out of an act of kindness this police officer was watching after this homeless man by tending to his needs. We have a God in heaven who watches over us, looking out for us and taking care of our needs. Give your cares and worries to God in prayer that he would hear them and help you through any difficult times you are having.

God knows us

Isaiah 29:15 (NJKV)

15 Woe to those who seek deep to hide their counsel far from the Lord, And their works are in the dark; They say, “Who sees us?” and, “Who knows us?”

In these verses Isaiah speaks to the people about their blindness to their own disobedience. He warns them of the heart ache that will follow when they conceal troubles and sins from the Lord. For they try to hide in darkness and are even bold enough to question, who sees us, and who knows us, when they know God does.

I had an elementary principal named, Mr. Rhame. Mr. Rhame was an incredible, kind, compassionate,  and caring principal; and best of all he remembered the names of his student. And he didn’t just remember them while they were in his school; he remembered their names as they grew up. When I was an adult and Mr. Rhame would see me out somewhere he would yell out, “Hi Artie, how are you doing?” It was always a greeting that warmed my heart. It wasn’t that I was special; Mr. Rhame enjoyed his students and remembered their names. Countless other people can tell you the same story. If Mr. Rhame saw them he would call out their name with a greeting to them. Mr. Rhame knew us because he had a bond as our principal; a special bond that lasted a lifetime.

As much as Mr. Rhame knew us, God knows us in much deeper way. God knows our names. God knows our actions. God knows our feelings. And what do we try to do? We try to hide those things from God. Yet, God already knows all about us and then we think like the people Isaiah addressed, who sees us and who knows us? I’ll tell you the truth, besides God there are more people who see us and know what we are doing than we think.

We are supposed to turn all our cares, all our worries, all our problems and all our sins to God. Remember God already knows all this stuff, so why should we tell Him? Because it helps us to become free from the problems we are experiencing. We release those problems to God so He can help us deal with them.

When you are bitter and angry towards a person, who are you hurting? You are hurting yourself because the other person may have little to no clue you feel the way you do. You are basically letting them live in your head tormenting you as they walk around happy. When you keep sins a secret to yourself, who gets hurt? Several people get hurt. First you hurt yourself because the sin you carry weights you down as a heavy burden. Second the person who you have sinned against is usually hurt as a consequence of the sin and often they don’t know where the hurt is coming from.

Remember God knows all this stuff, so take a moment and talk to Him about it. Just carry on a conversation, a prayer, to share the feelings of your heart. Then let God speak to you and guide you on the right paths of life. And remember Jesus is there with you and comforting them as you let go of your troubles.

Trust the promises of The Lord

Isaiah 26:4 (NIV)

4 Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord himself, is the Rock eternal.

Let us never lose the promises The Lord has given us. For The Bible says Trust in the Lord and from those words spring everlasting promises. Psalm 118:8 says, “It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in humans.”

Eleanor Turnbull, a veteran missionary to Haiti, collected and translated the prayers of the Christians who lived in the mountains of Haiti. These profound and child-like prayers are recorded in the book God Is No Stranger. Here are four prayers about God's grace and protection.

Lord,

 All my life, I have been just a weed;

 I became a flower.

 I am young and I want to grow and be cultivated

 so I can become more beautiful.

Lord,

 In Christ, we are a grain of corn in a clear bottle.

 Satan comes like a chicken and pecks for the corn, but never reaches it.

Lord,

 How glad we are that we don't hold you,

 you hold us.

Lord,

 Don't let us put our load of trouble in a basket on our head.

 Help us put them on Jesus' head.

 Then we won't have headaches.

These are the simple prayers of people looking for the promises of God to be fulfilled in the lives. They are the expressions of heartfelt emotions. From the words of the song Turn Your Eyes upon Jesus, by Helen H Lemmel come these thoughts.

Turn your eyes upon Jesus,

Look full in His wonderful face,

And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,

In the light of His glory and grace.

His Word shall not fail you—He promised;

Believe Him, and all will be well:

Then go to a world that is dying,

His perfect salvation to tell!

The difficult times of Ebola

Matthew 24:17-21 (NIV)

17 Let no one on the housetop go down to take anything out of the house. 18 Let no one in the field go back to get their cloak. 19 How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! 20 Pray that your flight will not take place in winter or on the Sabbath. 21 For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now—and never to be equaled again.

Jesus is explaining the end times to the disciples after they asked when the end of the world would be coming. In the verses above Jesus gave some warnings and things that would take place before the end of the world approached.

The Ebola patient being held in a Texas isolation unit was a good neighbor who helped carry a pregnant woman who was convulsing and vomiting blood to an Ebola ward and then home again less than week before he left Liberia for Texas, neighbors told ABC News.

The pregnant woman who was 19 and about seven months along became sick on Friday, Sept. 12, according to neighbor Irene Seyou. On Monday, Sept. 15, she went to a clinic, but was told they couldn't help her and advised her to go to a hospital. After returning from the clinic, the woman started convulsing that night and neighbors, including Duncan, helped carry her to a taxi, which took her to the maternity ward at JFK Hospital, which wouldn't take her. The hospital's Ebola treatment unit also turned her away. They then drove to another hospital named ELWA2, which also couldn't take her, according to Seyou.

Duncan rode with her during this last trip and when the cab returned, it stopped at the edge of housing compound and Duncan helped carry her to home. During this time, she was vomiting blood, Seyou told ABC News.

She died the next day, Seyou said.

[ABC news, Texas Ebola Patient Was Good Neighbor Who Helped Dying Woman]

The Bible tells us that even before the end times come “How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers!” Only God the Father knows the exact time when the world as we know it will come to an end. However, The Bible still holds true about things we will see as we draw closer to an end.

As I read about the Ebola virus in an online article; I was reminded of the verse above when it was mentioned in the article that women who are pregnant and catch Ebola have little hope of survival. I worry we have thought this problem was not ours and we will deal with it when the times comes. Well the time has come and we can say how dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! L

Let us take action to do what we can. Pray for those who are sick. Support charities that are providing aid and relief to the efforts against the Ebola virus. Remember above all that God is in control and will protect you as you stay close to Him.

The snare of extremes

Proverbs 29:25 (NIV)

25 Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe.

Those may be said to flatter their neighbours who commend and applaud that good in them (the good they do or the good they have) which really either is not or is not such as they represent it, and who profess that esteem and that affection for them which really they have not; these spread a net for their feet. [Matthew Henry Commentary]

In his Focus on the Family magazine article entitled "The Problem with Nice Guys," Paul Coughlin insists Christians must avoid passive and aggressive extremes, opting instead for assertiveness. He offers the following example from pop culture to illustrate what Christian assertiveness looks like:

Three major personality types are found among the judges of the popular reality TV show American Idol. Passive Paula Abdul is gracious but not always truthful. Aggressive Simon Cowell is truthful but rarely gracious. Assertive Randy Jackson is often truthful and gracious. Be like Randy.

We can’t afford to sugar coat the truth or we will fall into the trap of believing the things we do wrong in life are OK. We also can’t afford to be too harsh with ourselves; for when we do that we feel shame and guilt. Instead we need to be honest with ourselves and The Lord so He can guide us to the right path and we are willing to follow.

Enticement

Proverbs 1:10 (NKJV)

10 My son, if sinners entice you, Do not consent.

This is a warning passed along from father to son, “My son, if sinners entice you, Do not consent.” It is a good message for any parent to give their children as they enter into the world. They need to know there are those who will lure them with greed and other methods to commit acts of sin. King Solomon continues in this chapter of Proverbs to explain the consequences for taking such actions to his son.

There are some things a person never forgets, in my case it was an act of greed enticed by a friend. I was young and my mother had taken me and a friend to a convenience store. Inside the store was a young girl probably around our age that had a handful of pennies. She accidentally dropped them and they rolled all over the floor.

My friend whispered to me, “Stand on one of those and we can pick it up when she leaves.” Back then a penny could buy you three pieces of bubble gum. So I walked over and stood on one of the pennies until the girl had picked up the others off the floor. She obviously didn’t know how many pennies she had; she was just there to buy some candy with the amount she had.

My mother was still talking to someone in the store, so I used that time as an opportunity. I picked up the penny, grabbed three pieces of bubble gum and paid with that penny. After all, it wasn’t stealing if I was paying, right? I even gave my friend one of the pieces of bubble gum for the advice. Wasn’t that sharing?

My mother had finished her conversation and she got us in the car to take us home. During the ride home my friend mentioned how I had gotten the penny and bought the bubble gum. It was at that point I felt the shame and guilt of taking that girl’s penny. If it already wasn’t bad enough, my mother gave me a lecture about STEALING the girl’s penny. The sin I committed many, many years ago is still imprinted on my mind today.

Warnings to others are important. They are important for us to give our children so they understand the consequences before they are faced with them. Warnings are important to us so we also know what not to do and keep safe. So, my friends, if sinners entice you, do not consent!