Daily Encounter with: ACTS International

Was Jesus Ever Politically Correct?

"In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will
judge the living and the dead, and in view of his
appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge:
Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of
season; correct, rebuke and encourage--with great
patience and careful instruction. For the time will
come when men will not put up with sound doctrine.
Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather
around them a great number of teachers to say what
their itching ears want to hear."1

It’s amazing how, in our day and age, so many are
afraid to stand up and be counted when it comes to
taking a public stand for that which is morally
correct, based on biblical principles and the
Judeo-Christian ethic, for fear of not being
politically correct. To bash Christianity, the Ten
Commandments, the Word of God and even Jesus’ "Sermon
on the Mount" has become acceptable (and even popular)
among certain circles, but try condemning gay marriage
or other religions such as Islam and it becomes a
different story.

But did Jesus Christ ever allow himself to be so
controlled? Hardly.

Jesus was a man of passion. He hated the abuse of
God’s house so he drove out the money changers with a
whip. He hated evil and sin, not simply because these
were opposed to his Word but because they were, and
are, damaging to those whom God loves--us. But he
always loved sinners and was against anything that
hurt them, kept them in bondage, or hindered their
growth. And he was hated for his stand.

"In Jesus’ case, we have the story of the holiest man
who ever lived, and yet it was the prostitutes and
lepers and thieves who adored him, and the religious
who hated his guts."2 Why? Because he loved people and
was opposed to religious dogma and programs that kept
people in bondage and used them for their own ends
rather than helping them to grow.

"People were offended with Jesus because he violated
their understanding of religion and piety. The
religious of his day were particularly incensed that
he deliberately healed on the Sabbath.... They accused
him of being a drunkard, a glutton and having tacky
taste in friends. As Gene Thomas is fond of saying,
‘Jesus was simply not your ideal Rotarian.’ It is a
profound irony that the Son of God visited this planet
and one of the chief complaints against him was that he
was not religious enough."3

In other words, Jesus was totally committed to
people’s spiritual and personal growth and was
strongly opposed to anything that stopped or hindered
that growth. Political correctness was never ever a
part of his agenda.

As an English Bishop once said, "Wherever Jesus went
there was either a revival or a revolution. Wherever I
go, they serve tea."

Question: Do we, the members of our church, want to
start a revival or a revolution? Or do we just prefer
to serve tea?

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, please give me the
courage to stand up and be counted as a true follower
of Jesus Christ and never be afraid to state clearly,
in love, what your Word, the Bible, teaches--and help
me to live it first. And help me never to allow myself
to be controlled by today’s politically correct
nonsense. Thank you for hearing and answering my
prayer. Gratefully in Jesus’ name, amen."

1. 2 Timothy 4:1-3 (NIV).
2. Rebecca Manley Pippert, Out of the Saltshaker and
Into the World (Downer’s Grove, IL: Inter-Varsity
Press, 1979), p. 39.
3. Ibid, p. 40.

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Daily Encounter is published at no charge by
ACTS International, a non-profit organization,
and made possible through the donations of
interested friends. Donations can be sent at:
http://www.actscom.com

ACTS International
P.O. Box 73545
San Clemente, California 92673-0119
U.S.A.
http://www.actsweb.org

Copyright (c) 2009 by ACTS International.

When copying or forwarding include the following:
"Daily Encounter by Richard (Dick) Innes (c) 2009
ACTS International.

Struggling to Believe

"Demas has forsaken me, having loved this present
world."1

"Robert Robinson came from a poor family; his father
died when Robert was a child and his mother sent him
to London to learn barbering when he was a teenager.
Instead he fell in with a gang and was involved in
vandalism, looting and petty theft. They went to
heckle a traveling evangelist, George Whitefield, who
was preaching in the town square but Robert
encountered the Lord Jesus and eventually accepted him
as his Savior. He went on to become a renowned preacher
and pastor, as well as a writer of extraordinary hymns
and was well known throughout Europe. But late in his
life he left the faith. We don’t know the reason why,
we don’t know the circumstances, but the story is told
that there came a day late in his life when he was
traveling by stage coach, seated next to a woman who
was humming the hymn, ‘Come Thou Fount of Every
Blessing.’

"If nothing else, maybe simply to make conversation,
she asked him, ‘Sir, do you know this song?’

"Robinson replied, ‘Know it? Madam, I am the miserable
man who wrote it and I would give a thousand lives to
know the joy and peace that I knew then but I’ve lost
it.’

"Mr. Robinson died shortly thereafter.

"’Come thou Fount’ is one of my favorite hymns and
that story is one of the saddest--and I am afraid,
all-too-familiar--ones that I know."2

This hymn also happens to be one of my favorites. The
words of the last stanza say: "O to grace how great a
debtor / Daily I’m constrained to be / Let that grace,
Lord, like a fetter / Bind my wand’ring heart to Thee /
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it / Prone to leave the
God I love / Take my heart, O take and seal It / Seal
it from Thy courts above."

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, please keep me from
straying from you for I, too, know that my heart is
prone to wander and that I could very easily leave the
God I love. Please take my heart and seal it from and
for your courts above. Thank you for hearing and
answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus name, amen."

1. 2 Timothy 4:10 (NKJV).
2. By Tod Bolsinger, Sermon, "The God Who Does the
Impossible … A story for those who struggle to
believe."

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Daily Encounter is published at no charge by
ACTS International, a non-profit organization,
and made possible through the donations of
interested friends. Donations can be sent at:
http://www.actscom.com

ACTS International
P.O. Box 73545
San Clemente, California 92673-0119
U.S.A.

http://www.actsweb.org

Copyright (c) 2009 by ACTS International.

When copying or forwarding include the following:
"Daily Encounter by Richard (Dick) Innes (c) 2009
ACTS International.

On Specks and Logs

"And why worry about a speck in your friend’s eye when
you have a log in your own? How can you think of saying
to your friend, ‘Let me help you get rid of that speck
in your eye,’ when you can’t see past the log in your
own eye?"1

Mike Atkinson in his Mickey’s Funnies shares the
following humorous story:

A young couple moved into a new neighborhood. The next
morning while they are eating breakfast, the young
woman sees her neighbor hanging the wash outside.

"That laundry is not very clean," she said. "She
doesn't know how to wash correctly. Perhaps she needs
better laundry soap." Her husband looked on, but
remained silent.

Every time her neighbor would hang her wash to dry,
the young woman would make the same comments.

About a month later, the woman was surprised to see a
nice clean wash on the line and said to her husband:
"Look, she has learned how to wash correctly. I wonder
who taught her this."

The husband said, "I got up early this morning and
cleaned our windows."2

Need I say more?

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, please deliver me from
the sin of playing the blame-game and projecting my
blind spots onto others--and judging them accordingly.
Gratefully in Jesus’ name, amen."

1. Matthew 7:3-4 (NLT).
2. Mickey’s Funnies © 2008 Mike Atkinson.
http://www.mikeysFunnies.com.

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Hurry, Hurry, Fast, Fast

"Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted
among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth."1

"I'm not a sociolinguist," writes Karen Carr,
missionary psychologist, "but I find languages
fascinating. The other day in Ghana I was walking past
a Ghanaian man talking on his cell phone in Twi (a
local language here). Suddenly, in the midst of a sea
of words I could not understand, I heard, ‘Hurry,
hurry. Fast, fast.’

"Why did he need to switch to English to use those
words? In a culture where relationships are valued
more than task, where listening to someone is more
important than crossing off my ‘to do’ list, where
greeting someone before you get to the point of your
conversation is a very high value--hurry, hurry, fast,
fast is apparently a value grafted in from the West. I
chuckled as I walked away and slowed my pace down just
a fraction--reminding myself that I can enjoy the
journey just as much as the destination."2

Back in college days I used to have a small placard on
my desk that said, "Beware of the barrenness of a busy
life." Some years ago there was a popular song that
said: "Slow down you move to fast, got to make the
morning last…looking for fun and feeling groovy."

I don’t know about you but I still struggle with being
too busy most of the time and need to remind myself
that I need to take time to have fun and to smell the
roses as life is short. At the same time I also
realize that my life is an investment in eternity so I
need to make sure my days are balanced and wisely
spent. As William Penn said, "I expect to pass through
this world but once. Any good, therefore, that I can
do, or any kindness that I can show to any fellow
creature, let me do it now. Let me not defer or
neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again."3

And as another has wisely said, "Only one life ‘twill
soon be past. Only what’s done for Christ will last."

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, please help me to live a
balanced life, to invest my life wisely with eternal
values in mind, and never be too busy to ‘be still and
know that you are God.’ Thank you for hearing and
answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus name, amen."

1. Psalm 46:10 (NIV).
2. Karen Carr of Mobile Member Care Team, Ghana, West
Africa, http://www.mmct.org/
3. Steven Grellet.

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Daily Encounter is published at no charge by
ACTS International, a non-profit organization,
and made possible through the donations of
interested friends. Donations can be sent at:
http://www.actscom.com

ACTS International
P.O. Box 73545
San Clemente, California 92673-0119
U.S.A.

Copyright (c) 2009 by ACTS International.

When copying or forwarding include the following:
"Daily Encounter by Richard (Dick) Innes (c) 2009
ACTS International.

The "Demon" of Lust?

"If you are angry, don’t sin by nursing your grudge.
Don’t let the sun go down with you still angry--get
over it quickly; for when you are angry you give a
mighty foothold to the devil."1

A Daily Encounter reader writes, "I have been fighting
with a lust demon for years. I have asked GOD to
relieve me of this demon but I keep slipping back and
doing the same thing all over again. I have just
rededicated my life to God and am on my church's
outreach team. I want this demon of Satan out of my
body never to return. Will you pray for me?"

Hello, Jim (name changed), Thank you for being honest
and sharing your struggle with lust. To resolve any
problem it is imperative to understand the root cause
of the problem. Let me assure you that lust, as with
anger, is NOT a demon. If I am wrongfully angry, that
is my problem and when I fail to resolve it, I give
the foothold to the enemy.

It’s the same with lust. Lust is a struggle most
red-blooded men struggle with at one time or another.
Severe lust, however, is usually a symptom of
repressed love or unmet love needs. As long as you
blame the problem on anything outside of yourself, you
will never overcome it because lust is a problem
within. I don't know who told you it was a demon but I
challenge this person to find anywhere in the Bible
where it says there is "a demon of lust."

Sure, Satan is the originator of all sin and does
tempt us, but most of us don't need the devil or a
demon to make, or even cause, us to lust. We can do it
all by ourselves because we are all sinners.

So how do you overcome? First and foremost, you need
not only confess your lust to God, but also ask him to
confront you with the real cause of your lust ... to
show you the root cause of the problem … and then to
lead you to the help you need to overcome. Only by
facing the truth will you be set free.

Remember too, as David wrote in the Psalms, "The Lord
is near to all who call on him; to all who call on him
in truth."2

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, whenever I have any
problem that I can’t resolve, please help me to see
the root cause of it and help me to find the support I
need to overcome. Thank you for hearing and answering
my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus’ name, amen."

1. Ephesians 4:26-27 (TLB).
2. Psalm 145:18 (NIV).

<(((><
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Daily Encounter is published at no charge by
ACTS International, a non-profit organization,
and made possible through the donations of
interested friends. Donations can be sent at:
http://www.actscom.com


Copyright (c) 2009 by ACTS International.

When copying or forwarding include the following:
"Daily Encounter by Richard (Dick) Innes (c) 2009
ACTS International.

An Attitude Of Gratitude

"Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His
mercy endures forever. Oh, give thanks to the God of
gods! For His mercy endures forever. Oh, give thanks
to the Lord of lords! For His mercy endures forever."1

A legend tells the story of a fisherman called Aaron
who lived on the banks of a river. Walking home with
his eyes half-closed one evening after a hard day's
work, he was dreaming of what he could do if he were
rich. As he walked his foot struck a leather pouch
filled with what seemed to him to be small stones.
Absentmindedly he picked up the pouch and began
throwing the pebbles into the water.

"When I am a rich man," he said to himself, "I'll have
a large house". And he threw another pebble into the
river. He threw another one and thought, "My wife and
I will have servants and rich food, and many fine
things." And this went on until just one stone was
left. As Aaron held it in his hand, a ray of light
caught it and made it sparkle. He was not throwing
ordinary stones but valuable gems, throwing away the
real riches in his hand, while he dreamed of unreal
riches in the future."2

Don't wait until tomorrow because "what-ifs" rarely,
if ever, come. Be thankful for the blessings you have
today for today is the only day we ever have. Live in
the present for yesterdays are gone forever and
tomorrows are only a hope and always a day away!

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, please open my eyes that
I may see the countless blessings you have already
provided for and given to me. Help me to feel the
wonder of it all and give me a thankful heart for all
you have done and are doing for me. Thank you for
hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus'
name, amen."

1. Psalm 136:1-3 (NKJV).
2. Brett Blair www.eSermons.com. Adapted from a sermon
by Rev. Richard J. Fairchild: "The Man Without Wedding
Clothes."

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Daily Encounter is published at no charge by
ACTS International, a non-profit organization,
and made possible through the donations of
interested friends. Donations can be sent at:
http://www.actscom.com

http://www.actsweb.org

Copyright (c) 2009 by ACTS International.

When copying or forwarding include the following:
"Daily Encounter by Richard (Dick) Innes (c) 2009
ACTS International.

The Lies We Tell Ourselves

"When Jesus saw Nathaniel approaching, he said of him,
"Here is a true Israelite, in whom there is nothing
false [an honest man]."1

For several years I used to facilitate support groups.
I remember one woman who repeatedly told us what a good
husband she had while all the while we knew he was
mistreating her something terribly. Over and over she
would also tell us how honest she was.

Finally, I said to her as kindly as I could, "Florence
(not her real name), if I have to tell you what a
gentleman I am, you can be pretty sure I'm not. If I
have to tell you how humble I am, you know I've
already lost it. And if I have to keep telling you how
honest I am …."

Wow, she got really mad at me and stormed out of the
room--which proved my point. Actually, she came back
and we remained friends.

It's amazing the lies we tell ourselves and the amount
of denial we are in--in order to avoid facing the
painful reality of the truth.

Jeffrey Gitomer agrees. He said, "My experience has
shown me that if you have to say what you are, you
probably aren't. Think about that for a moment. 'I'm
honest,' 'I'm ethical,' even 'I'm the boss,' or 'I'm
in charge,' usually indicates just the opposite."

What freedom and release we find when we have the
courage to admit our faults, sins, and problems--not
as a means to put ourselves down--but as a means to
quit the merry-go-round trap of denial, and grow in
love and maturity. It's amazing what being honest and
becoming real will do for improving our
relationships--both with God and others! Denial is a
mask to hide behind but masks can't relate. Only real
people can. Furthermore, only God can help us to the
degree that we are honest with ourselves and with him.
It's the only way to live life to the full!

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, please help me to be
open-faced, honest and real--with myself, others, and
above all with you. Thank you for hearing and
answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus' name,
amen."

1. John 1:47 (NIV).

<(((><
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Daily Encounter is published at no charge by
ACTS International, a non-profit organization,
Copyright (c) 2009 by ACTS International.

When copying or forwarding include the following:
"Daily Encounter by Richard (Dick) Innes (c) 2009
ACTS International.

Today's Daily Encounter

Faith Vs. Sincerity

"Let it be known to you all, and to all the people of
Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth …
this man stands here before you whole … Nor is there
salvation in any other, for there is no other name
under heaven given among men by which we must be
saved."1

One of my favorite illustrations about "misguided
faith" comes from an advertising piece put out by a
business firm. On it was glued a small seed with the
claim that if you have as much faith in our business
as you do in this mustard seed, you will be guaranteed
great results.

Some months later a customer wrote back to the company
saying, "You will be interested to know that I planted
your mustard seed and it is now grown into a healthy
plant bearing great tomatoes!"

I wonder how many times I've been hoodwinked by a less
than honest sales person or manipulated by false
advertising. Guess most of us have been at one time or
another.

Of much greater significance is how many of us are
deceived by the promoters of false religions.

Too many believe if they live a good life that will
get them into heaven. Others, like I used to believe,
believe that if they do enough good things to
outnumber the bad things they've done, that will get
them into God's heaven. Others believe that as all
roads lead to Rome so all religions lead to God. Not
so. Such beliefs, no matter how sincere, couldn't be
farther from the truth.

The religious Pharisees of Christ's day were zealots
in their sincerity but were wrong--totally wrong--in
that they missed the very Messiah (Savior) for whom
they were looking because he didn't come in the way or
did what they expected him to do.

There are many religions today, too, that have very
sincere zealots and religious people who are equally
as wrong even though they sincerely believe that they
have THE truth!

Jesus made it clear--very clear--that he was the only
way to God. "I am the way, the truth, and the life,"
Jesus stated emphatically. "No one comes to the Father
except through Me."2

And God's Word, the Bible, affirms: "Nor is there
salvation in any other, for there is no other name
under heaven given among men by which we must be
saved."

And that name is Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God.
Only in him can forgiveness of sins, salvation, and
the gift of eternal life be found. Furthermore, had
there been other ways to God, why on earth would Jesus
have come to earth to suffer an incredibly excruciating
death on the cross to pay the penalty of all your sins
and mine?

The question we all need to ask ourselves, "Have I
trusted Jesus as my Lord and Savior? To help you do
this read the article, "How to Be Sure You’re a Real
Christian" at: http://tinyurl.com/8glq9

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, thank you for Jesus and
that my trust is only in him for my eternal salvation
and a home in heaven to be with you forever. Thank you
for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in
Jesus' name, amen."

1. Acts 4:10, 12 (NKJV).
2. John 14:6 (NKJV).

<(((><
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Daily Encounter is published at no charge by
ACTS International, a non-profit organization,
and made possible through the donations of
interested friends. Donations can be sent at:
http://www.actscom.com

ACTS International
P.O. Box 73545
San Clemente, California 92673-0119
U.S.A.

http://www.actsweb.org

Copyright (c) 2009 by ACTS International.

When copying or forwarding include the following:
"Daily Encounter by Richard (Dick) Innes (c) 2009
ACTS International.

Today's Daily Encounter
Is God Punishing Me?

"Confess to one another therefore your faults (your
slips, your false steps, your offenses, your sins) and
pray [also] for one another, that you may be healed and
restored [to a spiritual tone of mind and heart]. The
earnest (heartfelt, continued) prayer of a righteous
man makes tremendous power available…."1

A Daily Encounter reader asks, "Can you explain why I
feel so miserable, guilty, and unhappy for not keeping
my promise to God to quit smoking? I feel he is
punishing me for failing and for breaking my promise."

No, no, no, no, no!
God is not like that. He is not a "punishing" father
like some earthly fathers--perhaps even like your
father was when you were little. God is much bigger
than that. It's we ourselves who punish ourselves.

Quitting smoking, or any addiction--small or large--is
not likely to happen by giving a promise to anyone, God
included. The root cause of the addiction is the
symptom of a deeper problem--also used as a means of
avoiding the real issue. As the saying goes, symptoms
are the fruit of a deeper root. Also, as another has
said, "God is merciful, when we have unresolved
problems, he gives us (or allows us to have)
symptoms!"

Sure, it's important not to neglect dealing with the
symptom but God wants to heal us at the deeper lever,
at the root cause of our problem. Symptoms need to be
a wakeup call for us to get the help we need.

So, first of all, pray the right prayer. If you are
struggling with an addiction or a bad habit, ask God
to give you the insight and courage to see the cause/s
behind the habit … why you started it in the first
place. Also, is it an escape from facing some
unresolved issue in your life? Ask God to confront you
with the truth behind your problem--the root cause--no
matter how painful this may be.

Second, ask God to lead you to the help you need to
overcome, which may be both medical and
psychological-counseling help, and to help you find a
support, twelve-step, or an overcomers anonymous
group--whatever it takes to help you overcome your
problem so it will no longer overcome you.

And remember, if you confess your failure to God and
ask for his forgiveness, he will always forgive,
forgive, and forgive. Remember that Jesus said we were
to forgive seventy-times-seven which mean forgiving
without end. That's the way God forgives us. This is
not an excuse to behave as we like but an expression
of God’s love when we genuinely want his help and
deliverance.

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, thank you that symptoms
are often a sign of unresolved personal problems.
About my bad habit of ________ (name it), if this is
the fruit of a deeper root, please give me the insight
to see the cause/s, the courage to confront it and
admit it to you and at least one other trusting
person, and the good sense to get the help I need to
overcome it. And please lead me to the help I need so
to do. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer.
Gratefully, in Jesus' name, amen."

1. James 5:16 (AMP).
<(((><
* * * * * * *

Daily Encounter is published at no charge by
ACTS International, a non-profit organization,
and made possible through the donations of
interested friends. Donations can be sent at:
http://www.actscom.com

Copyright (c) 2009 by ACTS International.
When copying or forwarding include the following:
"Daily Encounter by Richard (Dick) Innes (c) 2009
ACTS International.

Today's Daily Encounter

Strike Three and You’re In

"Then Peter came and said to Him, ‘Lord, how often
shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up
to seven times?’ Jesus said to him, ‘I do not say to
you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times
seven.’"1

When I was a kid growing up I loved to play football
(rugby, I might add), but was never into baseball.
However, I did know what the saying "strike three and
you're out" meant. It meant if you missed hitting the
third ball that was in, you were out!

Life can be like that too. If you keep missing the
mark--of other's expectations of you--pretty soon you
discover that you are out--at least on the outside and
no longer with the in-group. You end up feeling and
believing that you are a loser.

And then you consistently set yourself up to lose
because that’s what you believe you are--a loser.

The opposite is also true. If you believe that you are
a winner, you will act in a winning manner. Even when
you fail at something, you will use it as a lesson to
improve what you do and move on to another success and
thereby reinforce your belief that you are a winner.

In other words, if you believe you're a loser, you
will lose. Or if you believe you're a winner, you will
win!

However, if we feel we are a loser, little by little
we can change our belief about ourselves by building
on our successes--no matter how small they are--and
not on our failures. Every one of us can do something
well if we choose to--even if we start by doing a good
job sweeping the kitchen floor and taking pride in the
fact that we did a good job…and then keep repeating
this practice with other chores.

Unfortunately, too many people have the belief that
they are either too bad or not good enough for God to
accept them and they feel that, to him, they are
losers. Not so. With God you can strike out "seven
times seventy" (ad infinitum) and you're still not
out--unless you allow yourself to be.

With God no matter what we have ever done or have
failed to do or how many times we have failed, we
never strike out with him. He loves us
unconditionally. All we need to do is acknowledge the
fact that Jesus died to pay the penalty for our sins,
confess our sins and failures to God and ask for his
forgiveness--and of course accept it with
thanksgiving-- and then little by little learn to
forgive ourselves. That's what you call hitting the
greatest home run of all.

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, thank you that I never
strike out with you. Thank you, too, that you forgive
all my sins and failures when I confess them to you.
Help me always to remember that when I accept Jesus as
my Savior, I am a child of the King and help me to
truly believe this and live accordingly. Thank you for
hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus'
name, amen."

Note: If you have never confessed your sins/sinfulness
to God and accepted his forgiveness, read, "How to Be
Sure You’re a Real Christian at:
http://tinyurl.com/8glq9

1. Matthew 18:21-22 (NASB).

<(((><
* * * * * * *

Daily Encounter is published at no charge by
ACTS International, a non-profit organization,
and made possible through the donations of
interested friends. Donations can be sent at:
http://www.actscom.com

ACTS International
P.O. Box 73545
San Clemente, California 92673-0119
U.S.A.

Phone: 949-940-9050
http://www.actsweb.org

Copyright (c) 2009 by ACTS International.

When copying or forwarding include the following:
"Daily Encounter by Richard (Dick) Innes (c) 2009
ACTS International.

Today's Daily Encounter
Lessons from Trees

"Whoever comes to Me [Jesus], and hears My sayings and
does them…is like a man building a house, who dug deep
and laid the foundation on the rock. And when the
flood arose, the stream beat vehemently against that
house, and could not shake it, for it was founded on
the rock. But he who heard and did nothing is like a
man who built a house on the earth without a
foundation, against which the stream beat vehemently;
and immediately it fell. And the ruin of that house
was great."1

Ravi Zacharias tells how when he and his family lived
in "England some years ago a terrible windstorm hit
much of the country. Amazingly, thousands of trees
were felled in one night. Some days later we were
walking outside Buckingham Palace and my wife noticed
something very significant. While the trees themselves
were huge and very tall, their roots were unbelievably
shallow. We marveled at this seemingly inexplicable
disproportion." The reason was that the water level
was close to the surface and the roots didn't have to
go deep to get their nourishment.

I have seen a similar thing happen in Southern
California where many Australian gum or eucalyptus
trees are grown. As this area is converted desert, all
or many of these trees are watered by a drip or
sprinkler system. Because the water is close to the
surface, many of these trees don't have a deep root
system either and I have seen many of them fall in a
wild windstorm after the ground was waterlogged.

Very different to gum trees growing up in the dry
parts of Australia where they are forced to drive
their roots down deep in order to survive. Their
branches get broken in storms but rarely do any of the
trees fall.

Furthermore, when I lived in South Australia at the
top of the Adelaide hills where the winds blow
furiously, I was advised to plant my trees while they
were still small and not to stake them too tightly.
They needed the freedom to bend and sway with the wind
as this helped them develop a deep root system from
their beginning in order to strengthen them when they
had fully grown.

Or take the mighty redwood trees--magnificent trees
that grow in Northern California and reach their leafy
arms toward heaven--some of which were growing when
Jesus walked on earth! Normally they receive good
rains and have a sufficient water supply. These giants
of the forest also have a very shallow root system but
as they grow in groves, all their roots are
intertwined so when the wild winds blow and the storms
rage, they hang on to each other and hold each other
up.

The same is true of us. In order to survive the storms
of life we need to develop a deep root system that is
anchored solidly in our faith in God--the one in whom
we trust implicitly. And like the mighty redwoods, if
we want to grow strong and healthy, we need the
support of one another, for none of us can make it
alone and weren't created to do so. As God's word also
says "not forsaking the assembling of ourselves
together."2

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, thank you for your Word
and its instructions for life. Help me to live by
these principles so that I will have deep roots built
on a solid foundation and can say with the hymn
writer, 'On Christ the solid rock I stand, all other
ground is sinking sand.' Thank you for hearing and
answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus' name,
amen."

1. Luke 6:47-49 (NKJV).
2. Hebrews 10:25 (NKJV).

<(((><
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Daily Encounter is published at no charge by
ACTS International, a non-profit organization,
and made possible through the donations of
interested friends. Donations can be sent at:
http://www.actscom.com

ACTS International
P.O. Box 73545
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U.S.A.

Phone: 949-940-9050
http://www.actsweb.org

Copyright (c) 2009 by ACTS International.

When copying or forwarding include the following:
"Daily Encounter by Richard (Dick) Innes (c) 2009
ACTS International.

Healing Shame That Binds

"Finally, I confessed all my sins to you and stopped
trying to hide them. I said to myself, 'I will confess
my rebellion to the LORD.' And you forgave me! All my
guilt is gone."1

Go to any supermarket where a parent is busy shopping
and their child is being obnoxious or feels he or she
is being ignored by the parent. Some of the put-down,
shame-based criticisms these children receive make
your blood curdle.

Listen to the angry tone of voice as the parent blurts
out: "You bad boy! If you don't stop your noise, I will
take you outside and .…" If they are getting this kind
of treatment in public, you can imagine what they are
receiving at home: "You terrible girl…shame on you…you
wicked, bad person .…"

When a child receives a continual dose of any
shame-based accusations, he eventually believes that
that is the kind of person he is and continues to feel
this way throughout his adult life unless he gets the
help he needs to resolve his damaged self-concept.

Another terribly shame-based group of people are those
who have been physically and, especially, sexually
abused in childhood or youth. Sex, to many of them,
has become a dirty, repulsive thing and because they
have sexual feelings, they often feel dirty and
ashamed of themselves. This is such a tragedy because
they never sinned but were grievously sinned against.

So how do we overcome a shame-based self-concept?

First, continually remind yourself that God loves you
just as you are and that he has totally forgiven all
your sins that you have confessed to him. Keep
reminding yourself of this--regardless of how you
feel. This kind of repetition helps re-program your
faulty belief system. Many a time when I was feeling
shame-based, I said over and over to myself, "God
loves and accepts me as I am so I love and accept me
as I am." This kind of repetition (with feeling)
programs truth (or lies) into our deeper mind and
belief system.

Second, realize that we were damaged in damaging
relationships and get healed in healing relationships.
So, with God's help, seek out a trusted friend (a
skilled counselor if necessary) with whom you can
trust your very soul. Little by little start to open
up to this person and share all your shame-based
feelings and all your failures. This needs to be with
a non-judgmental, non-advice-giving-wanting-to-fix-you
person. It needs to be someone who knows you fully and
accepts you totally. Through their loving acceptance
of you just as you are, little by little you learn to
love and accept yourself. This does take time.

I know this can be threatening because many of us feel
that if we are known for whom we truly are, we won't be
liked, let alone loved. But this is a false belief. The
fact is we can only be loved to the degree that we are
known. But again, it is very important that we never
open up to a shame-based, judgmental person.

Third, realize, too, that love is a feeling to be
learned. When we are born, we have the capacity to
love, but how to love is learned. If we grow up in an
angry environment, we will learn to be angry or, if in
a fearful environment, we will learn to be fearful. But
if we grow up in a loving environment, we will learn to
be loving. We love by first being loved. Unfortunately,
what we didn't receive as a child, we need to receive
now. That's the way God created us and he doesn't go
against his own design.

As the Bible says, "We love God because he first loved
us." The same principle applies to people--we love
others because someone needs to first love us." And,
as already noted, as we open up and are totally honest
to a safe, non-judgmental loving person, little by
little learn to love ourselves in a healthy sense.
This then frees us to work on overcoming our failures.
As long as we hide our sins and faults, we are never
free resolve them.

Remember the words of David who sinned grievously:
"Finally, I confessed all my sins to you and stopped
trying to hide them. I said to myself, 'I will confess
my rebellion to the LORD.' And you forgave me! All my
guilt is gone."2

We too can find the same freedom from
guilt…false-guilt…and shame.

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, thank you again that you
know me exactly as I am inside and out…and love me
still. Lead me to the help I need so I can learn to
love and accept myself the same way and be freed from
all my guilt and shame. Thank you for hearing and
answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus' name,
amen."

1. Psalm 32:5 (NLT).
2. Ibid.

<(((><
* * * * * * *

Daily Encounter is published at no charge by
ACTS International, a non-profit organization,
and made possible through the donations of
interested friends. Donations can be sent at:
http://www.actscom.com

ACTS International
P.O. Box 73545
San Clemente, California 92673-0119
U.S.A.

Phone: 949-940-9050
http://www.actsweb.org

Copyright (c) 2009 by ACTS International.

When copying or forwarding include the following:
"Daily Encounter by Richard (Dick) Innes (c) 2009
ACTS International.

Today's Daily Encounter

Guilty or Not Guilty

"Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who
are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the
law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of
sin and death."1

"Why do I feel so guilty when I haven't done anything
wrong," someone asks. Another asks, "Even when I have
asked God to forgive me for things I have done wrong,
why do I still feel awful?"

I think these are questions many struggle with. I
certainly have in the past. The problem lies in the
confusion between real guilt, false guilt, and shame.

First, let me again qualify real guilt. In the Bible
and in our society guilt is a legal term. If we have
disobeyed God or the law of the land, we are guilty
whether we feel guilty or not. The appropriate
emotional response for when we have done wrong in
biblical terms is godly sorrow. This is the way we
rightly feel when we have sinned and done wrong. If we
don't, we may have a dulled or dead conscience.
However, at least in our Western society, we tend to
think of guilt as an emotional response, so that's the
way I will address it here.

With real guilt, as we said yesterday, when we confess
our sin and wherever possible put wrongs right, we
should no longer feel guilty. God forgives us and we
are no longer under condemnation. If we still feel
guilty, chances are it is false guilt and/or shame.

True guilt says you have done bad (or badly). False
guilt makes you feel bad even when you are not guilty.
And shame says you are bad; that is, a bad person. The
latter two are both psychologically damaging and are
conditioned or learned responses.

For example, some children grow up in families where
guilt is used as a means of control. That is, the
message (usually non-verbal) is communicated that if
you do what I want you to do; behave the way I want
you to behave; conform to my wishes; and for some, if
you believe what I want you to believe, I will give
you my love and approval. If the child doesn't
conform, love and approval are withheld and the child
is made to feel guilty. This kind of love is called
conditional love, which isn't love at all. It's
control. And tragically, false guilt is often used in
religious circles to get adherents to conform to
leaders’ dictatorial control--and people who don’t
conform are made to feel guilty. This is false guilt.

On the other hand, if a child grows up with a
condemning family and constantly gets the message,
"Shame on you … you are such a bad boy (or girl),"
over time this message is programmed into his
unconscious mind and he comes to believe deep down
that he is a bad, shameful person. So when things go
wrong--even if he isn't responsible for it--his
shame-based belief about himself is triggered and he
feels wretched.

So how are we freed from false guilt and shame?

To be continued.…

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, thank you that when I
confess my sins to you, you forgive me and I am no
longer condemned because you paid the penalty for me
for all my sins. Please help me to know and feel the
freedom as a result of sins forgiven. If I still feel
bad, please help me to see if I am struggling with
false guilt and/or shame. If so, lead me to the help I
need to overcome this problem. Thank you for hearing
and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus' name,
amen."

1. Romans 8:1-2 (NIV).

<(((><
* * * * * * *

Daily Encounter is published at no charge by
ACTS International, a non-profit organization,
and made possible through the donations of
interested friends. Donations can be sent at:
http://www.actscom.com

ACTS International
P.O. Box 73545
San Clemente, California 92673-0119
U.S.A.

Phone: 949-940-9050
http://www.actsweb.org

Copyright (c) 2009 by ACTS International.

When copying or forwarding include the following:
"Daily Encounter by Richard (Dick) Innes (c) 2009
ACTS International.

Today's Daily Encounter

Faith Vs. Fear

"When I am afraid, I will trust in you. In God, whose
word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid.
What can mortal man do to me?"1

Nelson Mandela may be a controversial figure to some
but I think you will agree with what he said when
quoting Marianne Williamson (I believe it was) in the
following: "Playing small doesn't serve the world.
There's nothing enlightened about shrinking so that
other people won't feel insecure around you. You were
born to make manifest the glory of God that is within
you. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone.
And as you let your own light shine, you unconsciously
give other people permission to do the same. As you are
liberated from your own fear, your presence
automatically liberates others."

I don't know whether we are ever totally liberated
from fear in this life;for fear seems to be inherent
in all of us to some degree. And while faith in God
doesn't guarantee freedom from fear, it does empower
us to defuse fear's control over us and free us to
achieve all that God has envisioned for us to do and
achieve.

Think again of the heroes of faith in the Bible--faith
empowered them to do what God had called them to do.
God's Word says about them: "By faith Noah … By faith
Abraham … By faith Isaac … By faith Jacob … By faith
Joseph … By faith Moses … By faith the people passed
through the Red Sea as on dry land … By faith the
walls of Jericho fell … By faith Gideon, Barak,
Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel and the prophets …
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."2

True…some unresolved fears from the past can cripple
us but these, too, through faith, doing our part, and
God's help can be overcome. We'll address these in
Monday's Daily Encounter.

While only a few may be called to do great things for
God, all of us are called to bring glory to God
through what we do. To achieve this we need faith. And
faith is a choice…it is a choice to put our trust in
God (regardless of our fears) and to do what David
chose to do. He prayed to God, "When I am afraid, I
will trust in you … in God I trust."

When our time on earth is done, may it also be said of
you and me, "By faith _ _ _ _ _ _ _ (put your name in
the blank space) walked with God and achieved…."

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, today I choose to trust
my life to you. Help me to know what you want me to
achieve with my life and give me the faith to do
it--and the faith to not allow any of my fears to
control me. Thank you for hearing and answering my
prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus' name, amen."

1. Psalm 56:3-4, (NIV).
2. See Hebrews 11.

<(((><
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Daily Encounter is published at no charge by
ACTS International, a non-profit organization,
and made possible through the donations of
interested friends. Donations can be sent at:
http://www.actscom.com

ACTS International
P.O. Box 73545
San Clemente, California 92673-0119
U.S.A.

Phone: 949-940-9050
http://www.actsweb.org

Copyright (c) 2009 by ACTS International.

When copying or forwarding include the following:
"Daily Encounter by Richard (Dick) Innes (c) 2009
ACTS International.

The Power of Faith

"According to your faith be it unto you."1 This is
what Jesus said to the blind men whom he healed.

I believe it was Napoleon Hill who said, "Whatever the
mind can conceive and believe can be achieved." I
wouldn't necessarily accept this statement in
totality, but there is a lot of truth in it. The idea
of course wasn't original with Hill by any means in
that it is very much akin to what Jesus said,
"According to your faith be it unto you."

Certainly we need to be realistic and not overestimate
what God will do through us, but it's equally important
not to underestimate it either. It all depends on what
God has called us to do.

John Kennedy and NASA scientists not only conceived
placing a man on the moon but believed it was possible
and were in a position to make it happen. And they did.
According to my interests, knowledge, and training it
would not have been possible for me to be a part of
that team. So, obviously we need to be realistic about
what we conceive. However, it is amazing what God can
and will do through anyone who is totally committed to
him. He's not going to call most of us to walk on the
moon, but he is calling every one of us to walk worthy
of him on the earth and to achieve all that we are
meant to be and to do.

That's the challenge we all need to face and
accept…then add a good dose of faith in God and you
and I can also be among the heroes of faith as listed
in the Bible.2 These heroes were ordinary men and
women who knew what they were meant to do--and by
faith in and help from God they did it.

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, please show me how I can
best serve you and exactly what you want me to do with
my life--be it large or small. And give me the faith to
do it. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer.
Gratefully, in Jesus' name, amen."

1. Matthew 9:29 (KJV).
2. See Hebrews 11.

<(((><
* * * * * * *

Daily Encounter is published at no charge by
ACTS International, a non-profit organization,
and made possible through the donations of
interested friends. Donations can be sent at:
http://www.actscom.com

ACTS International
P.O. Box 73545
San Clemente, California 92673-0119
U.S.A.

Phone: 949-940-9050
http://www.actsweb.org

Copyright (c) 2009 by ACTS International.

When copying or forwarding include the following:
"Daily Encounter by Richard (Dick) Innes (c) 2009
ACTS International.

Today's Daily Encounter

Wants Vs. Wishes

"Now a certain man was there who had an infirmity
thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there,
and knew that he already had been in that condition a
long time, He said to him, "Do you want to be made
well?"1

A Daily Encounter reader writes, "After many years of
counseling and prayer for help, my brother who has
been a Christian for many years can't seem to let go
of his emotional problems and failures. Is there
anything I can say to help him forgive himself? What
might be holding him back from finding healing and
freedom?"

There may be any of a number of reasons why this man
seems to be "stuck" in his situation. One may be that
deep down he doesn't want to get well.

According to reports I have read from both a Christian
and a secular source, of all the people who go to a
counselor or physician saying they want help
approximately 25 percent actually don't want to get
well. Some of these people like to feel sorry for
themselves and get some kind of satisfaction from
seeking sympathy. A further 50 percent expect the
counselor or physician to heal them. Only 25 percent
actually take responsibility for doing what they need
to do in order to get well. One physician said that
some patients would rather he operate on their body
than they operate on or change their lifestyle!

Many of us say that we want to lose weight, too, but
do little or nothing about it. What we do is confuse a
wish for a want. It's one thing to wish for something,
it's another thing to want it.

As Jesus said to the sick person, "Do you want to be
made well/whole?"

To be made well/whole, I need to be committed to being
made well/whole and accept responsibility for doing
whatever I need to do in order to get well. I can pray
forever about losing weight but if I don't watch my
diet and get sufficient exercise, it's not going to
happen. And if I cling to my grudges and refuse to
forgive all who have hurt me, I won't get well either.

True, some ills and miserable circumstances are beyond
our control but there are many that we can do something
about ourselves. Yes, pray for wisdom to know what to
do, for truth to see what we need to do, for courage
to do it, and for God to lead us to the help we need
to overcome. When we do our part, we can be sure that
God will do his.

The bottom line is do we truly want to be made
well/whole--or do we just wish for it?

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, please help me to accept
responsibility in every adverse situation that comes
my way. Besides trusting in you, help me to see what I
can and need to do to make healing and wholeness
possible. Thank you for hearing and answering my
prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus' name, amen."

1. John 5:5-6 (NKJV).

<(((><
* * * * * * *

Daily Encounter is published at no charge by
ACTS International, a non-profit organization,
and made possible through the donations of
interested friends. Donations can be sent at:
http://www.actscom.com

ACTS International
P.O. Box 73545
San Clemente, California 92673-0119
U.S.A.

Phone: 949-940-9050
http://www.actsweb.org

Copyright (c) 2009 by ACTS International.

When copying or forwarding include the following:
"Daily Encounter by Richard (Dick) Innes (c) 2009
ACTS International.