Discipleship Network Forum

Life is all about choices. Every choice has a consequence of one kind or another, either positive or negative. And sometimes the consequence is not apparent for a long time after the choice has been made.

There’s a stunning scene toward the end of the 1989 movie, “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.” Both Indiana Jones and a Nazi named Walter Donovan had been in search of the Holy Grail, the legendary chalice Jesus and His disciples used in the Last Supper. Indy wants the Grail so he can save his dying father, but the Nazi selfishly wants the Grail as a fountain of youth to give himself eternal life and an advantage over his enemies.

After passing through an assortment of traps and tests, both men encounter an ancient knight who is guarding the Grail. To their amazement, there isn’t just one chalice on the table before them. The numerous choices include cups of gold, platinum, silver, clay, and wood.

Bewildered by all the choices, Donovan asks the knight which chalice is the Holy Grail. In one of the classic lines in movie history, the knight replies, “You must choose. But choose wisely, for as the true Grail will bring you life, the false Grail will take it from you.”

The Nazis in these movies always make wrong choices, and Donovan was no exception. Attracted to the most glittery and expensive-looking chalice on the table, he smiles and says, “Truly the cup of a king.”

Donovan fills this cup with water and takes a drink, expecting instantaneous eternal life. But to his horror, he instead begins to rapidly age and decompose, leaving nothing but bones, dust, and his metal Nazi pin.

At this point, the wise old knight observes, “He chose…poorly.”

Our hero, Indy, fortunately has more sense than this. Surveying the options before him, he selects a simple wooden cup, concluding that it must be “the cup of a Galilean carpenter.” With much fear, based on the grim consequences to Donovan, Indy drinks from this humble chalice.

“You have chosen wisely,” the knight tells him, much to Indy’s relief.

There’s an old maxim that says, “Not everything that glitters is gold.” In fact, as the Nazi discovered in this movie, some things that glitter are actually fool’s gold.

Years ago, I heard a great Christian song based on Proverbs 8:1-2 (ESV): “Does not wisdom call? Does not understanding raise her voice? On the heights beside the way, at the crossroads she takes her stand.”

Every day, we face a crossroads of whether we will choose wisely or choose poorly. Through the prophet Jeremiah, God challenged His people long ago: “Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls. But you said, ‘We will not walk in it’” (Jeremiah 6:16 NIV).

Today God is offering us rest for our souls, but we must choose wisely. Instead of opting for what seems right in our own eyes, we must “ask for the ancient paths.” The Holy Grail stands before us, but the table is increasingly cluttered with other options.

“When we lived under the U.S.S.R. we felt we were being controlled. We were told what to say. We were told what to wear. Independence was like a second life, the birth of something new. My wings spread and I started to remember poems I recited to my mother as a child.Now, I have poems of terror.”  (Ludmila Elagina; Mariupol, Ukraine; quoted in The Washington Post, August 31, 2014)

Remembering what life was like before Ukraine received its independence in 1991 from the Soviet Union, Ludmila has volunteered to help dig trenches in her hometown because she is afraid of the return of a repressive regime.

She says people are panicking because they don’t know who to trust. If they hear an explosion, they don’t know if it is coming from the Ukrainians or the rebels.

Ukrainian military officials report that rebels who want to reunite with Russia are being supported by Russian soldiers, tanks and armored personnel carriers.

The Russian incursion has deepened anxieties about the future. The West is alarmed. The European Commission president said the crisis would soon “reach the point of no return.” Ukraine’s president Poroshenko warned the conflict could spread further into Europe. Some historians foresee a possible 21st century repetition of the warring 20^th century world.

In these troublesome times, believers in Christ proclaim our creed to the world—

we believe the Prince of Peace will accomplish what warriors could not;

we believe international chaos will be replaced by heavenly calm; 

we believe the future is as bright as the promises of God; 

we believe the Messiah will return to restore paradise; 

we believe terror will be conquered by Truth;

we believe heaven on earth will materialize;

we believe there will be peace at last.

We who live in a country rich in freedom should pray that Ludmila will again be able to remember peaceful poems.

“The boots of the warrior and the uniforms bloodstained by war will all be burned, fuel for the fire.

His government and its peace will never end. He will rule with fairness and justice for all eternity.

The passionate commitment of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies will make this happen!” (Isaiah 9:5, 7 NLT)

Johnny R. Almond

Christian preacher and writer

Author, Gentle Whispers from Eternity

http://GentleWhispersFromEternity-ScripturePersonalized.com/

Amos from Tekoa a day’s journey south of Jerusalem lived in the southern kingdom of Judah. The break into two kingdoms came about post Solomon (about 933-31 BC). Amos ministered so far as we know only in the northern kingdom of Israel. Bethel had become the northern kingdoms religious centre and Gilgal [Amos5:5b-6a] was important too; they had also become the focus of institutional life.

Their religious life had diverged from true religion as shown in 2Kings14:23-24 also 2Kings17:28–33 where we see a description of the society of the day.

Amos began his ministry in the eighth century BC, probably just before Hosea, and a few years before Isaiah. We cannot be precise as the systems of dating related to kings and events rather than any calendar we would recognise. They were prosperous days for Israel, with Jeroboam II (793-753) on the throne and their enemies defeated. The most important fact to take in is this: Amos was an ordinary man; a shepherd and dresser of Sycamore Fig trees. He was a skilled landsman rather than a professional cleric (as was Isaiah) or even a professional prophet. A professional prophet would be paid in coin or goods for his words; not so Amos.

God the Father sent Amos, how difficult would that have been it’s one thing to be sent to one’s own kith and kin even one’s near neighbours but we see Amos responding in obedience. It is the going that marks out the active disciple. Amos exposed the people's comfortable illusions. As they listened to him denouncing the sins of other nations, they would not have expected to hear ‘The people of Israel have sinned… And their hopes for a future ‘day of the Lord’ were confounded when the prophet foresaw a day of darkness rather than light. They would have nodded sagely as Amos listed the misdoings of the surrounding nations ‘For three sins even for four…’ a way of announcing excessive sinning. It is clear that monetary wealth and possessions had taken over as the focus of the peoples desires.  ‘Careful’ did I hear someone say, ‘Careful you’re getting close to where I am…’ They even enslaved their own people! There could be no security when wealth was for the few and the many were denied justice. This was not and is still not God's way.

Amaziah, the priest at Bethel, who was in the pay of the king of Israel, told Amos to pack up and take his message back to Judah. If a professional cleric dismisses the word of God through one of His prophets it will have given legitimacy to the people’s refusal to listen or follow the prophet’s declarations. All people in leadership need to heed the warning and not easily dismiss what any messenger of God may be saying for they will be held accountable. So too ordinary mortals should not listen uncritically to pulpit pronouncements but check them out against the scriptures to see if they be true.

The people [potential disciples] of Bethel and Gilgal (the religious centres) turned a deaf ear, as they did to his contemporary, Hosea. Who I wonder do we hear as prophets of God today and what attention do we pay to them? Thirty years after Jeroboam's death the Assyrians destroyed Samaria and took the people into exile. Israel ceased to exist. Do we [the disciples of today] have the patience to listen to God’s word through his prophets now and will we have the memory and the patience to recognise the fulfilment of God’s prophetic word 30 years hence in the 21^st century? But Amos the prophet has I believe a word for any nation in Israel's condition. Put his descriptions into 21^st century dress and those words still strike home.

God the Father is NOT absent. He is always on the watch, and will judge the nations for their lack of mercy. Christians must work to transform unjust social structures, to eliminate the need for military powers which consume millions of pounds/dollars and millions of lives, and as disciples of Jesus should seek to create a new social order. From Amos we see that the poor, the weak and the down-trodden are God's chosen agents in bringing about this dream. (John 10:10b I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.) Moved by faith in Jesus Christ, and not by human ideologies, they will work to make this world a better place to live in. This God, who became man among the poor, gave his own life for human-kind and He desires that all people should be fully human; willing and able to be His voice to the world today.

Jn.17:21b just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.

Is it OK to love myself?

I’m the rope in a tug of war on this issue. Here’s why:

My adulthood and new faith experience both developed at the same time as the find your inner self, please yourself, if it feels good do it, movements.  Christian culture reacted in many different ways- mostly with a mighty shove against self-aggrandizement.

1. To increase the scope of; extend.

2. To make greater in power, influence, stature, or reputation.

3. To make appear greater; exaggerate: aggrandize one argument while belittling another.

I was raised, as many of you know, with an abusive verbal onslaught branding my mind to believe that I was not only unlovable but a bad seed.  I knew then, and now, more than ever, that I was no angel. Yet the slant I’d been taught had me battling for years with these scriptures that seemed to put grace on one end of the rope and what seemed to be only raw truth on the other:

Rom. 12:3  For through the grace given to me I say to every man among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith.

2Tim. 3:2 For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy (all obviously very bad things)

Then I ran across James 2:8  “If, however, you are fulfilling the royal law, according to the Scripture, “YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF,” you are doing well.”

Well I didn’t love myself.

And I thought that was ok, even scriptural.

So how could I ever obey this commandment to love my neighbor?

In one sense the question was answered with Matt. 7:12  “Therefore, however you want people to treat you, so treat them,”

But my early experience taught only self-protection, and I had little trust that I was worth being treated any way other than I’d known most of life.

I was one confused little chick.

Then I experienced both Grace and Truth together in the salvation experience of Rom. 5:8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

I finally more than got it – and knew with certainly that I was truly loved.  Now I had something to pass on to others.

Strong’s Concordance became dear as I searched the original meanings behind my questions.  That little word “love” had so many nuances, n this verse it derived from an obsolete, seldom used form of etheleo, eth-el-eh´-o, - to determine, to incline myself toward, to choose to prefer others (put them first), to intend to, to delight to, be disposed to please…

It confirmed what I’d known.  I could not previously shared what I did not have.

But wait!  I was not “just” to share this with my neighbor. I was to experience it, and revel in it myself (so that) I would be able to share it.

Am I making sense?  If I had just gone off and loved my neighbor as I loved myself at the time (even though I had recently begun a personal relationship with the Lord), it could not have been what God intended.  How could I love others in truth before I had an idea of what love was? I needed to accept God’s love, soak in it, experience it, and fill up with it, so it would overflow naturally.

I had my first answer.

YES! It not only was ok to love myself, God wanted me to love  who he loved (myself).  God commanded me to love myself (his creation).

Forgive the rambling—there is a point here, even if I’m still in the process of trying to nail it down fully myself….

In fact, a lot of the reason for this current post would be that I’m still processing and/or trying to live into what I’m dealing with. In fact, there’s a quote in my last book Lay It Down (buy it now, kids) that seems as prophetic now as it seemed just plain-old relevant then:

Each of our lives need to move from being of Christ to being in Christ—and finally to the point where our life “is Christ” (Philippians 1:21, et al.).

The fact, I’m still trying to live up to my own words. They've been my wrestling match for quite some time now, and especially in the last several months. Not to mention the repeated assertions/convictions throughout 1 John:

Whoever says ‘” know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected…. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world. There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love (1 John 2:4-5; 4:16-18).

And yet, Jesus also tells us, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:37-39). That’s harder than it sounds—especially the implication that we already truly “love ourselves.” Because here’s the thing: God’s best is also my best. When I live in that truth, I am truly loving myself, far more than I am when I’m indulging/enabling/abusing myself.

Only that which is pure can conquer death. Jesus proved that. And we are in Him. I don’t need patience, restraint, humility—I need Christ. He is my patience, restraint, humility. If I am dead in Christ, then He is the only life I have.  The same, therefore, is true for my neighbor.

We do not have to separate ourselves from the world—God has separated us from the world, and we need to live out of that—in the way that God has separated us. We’ve gotten it backwards.

And yet, I am becoming increasingly convinced that God is powerful enough to change even a Christian. “You are not your own, for you were bought with a price” (1 Cor. 6:19b-20a). So where do we go from here, Lord?

“Cast all your cares on God; that anchor holds.” (Alfred, Lord Tennyson)

The God who is the one and only God does not wish to remain anonymous.

The God who cared for His people in the Old Testament gives His saints today peace in pandemonium, calm in chaos, and courage in valleys.

The God who liberated His people from slavery sent Jesus to unshackle us from sin’s cruel bondage. 

The God who observed the misery of His chosen people in Egypt has His eyes constantly on us. He is perfectly aware of our headaches and heartaches, and He deeply cares about our well-being.

The God who led the Israelites through a dangerous wilderness by daily cloud and nightly blaze conducts us through life’s labyrinth by a built-in Guidance System.

The God who changed His people’s diet from unsatisfying fare to Promised Land milk and honey satisfies our appetite for excellent thoughts by His timeless wisdom.

The God who will always be who He has always been has always loved us and always will. So we do not address our prayers “to the God it may concern.”

The God who is love is our Firm Anchor on life’s high seas. He is all we ever really need in life.  

“I Am the One Who Always Is.” (Exodus 3:14 NLT)

Johnny R. Almond

Christian preacher and writer

Author, Gentle Whispers from Eternity

This devotion based on Day 39 of Gentle Whispers from Eternity]

http://GentleWhispersFromEternity-ScripturePersonalized.com/

Hi:

Was active with Navs at San Francisco State in '60's, & went to Siberia/Russia with them in 1994.  Was on staff 19 years with CBMC, led men thru "Operation Timothy."  Retired now;  active in missions, small group leadership and Celebrate Recovery in Chester, CA.  Praying that somehow we can take CR into prisons of Plumas and Lassen Counties - Larry

Psalm 139:7 “Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?”

“God in the Roasting Room”

Have you ever felt you didn’t matter? Somehow your life is less than you expected? You were called to so much more and deep inside you feel God is slighting you? I would guess many feel they fit this description.

As a coffee roasting company we spend much time in the roasting room. It’s away from everything else. The roasting room is located in the back of the building. No windows, no people, no music, no carpet, no desk, and no one to pat you on the back saying, “Good job.”

What has become apparent is that what I used to do was for the affirmation of others, to be accepted by others. The roasting room is hardcore work. Sweat and passion run hand in hand. The only voice I hear is God’s voice.

Perhaps the question to ask is would I “do” if no one else cared other than God?

What I’ve discovered in the noise and shadow of the roaster is the quiet voice of God encouraging me to become more of who He desires me to be. To know that all that matters is His presence. To recognize that God is in the place where I am, even in the roasting room. The next time you feel you don’t matter, you do. God is with you always, even in the roasting room.

Coffee Tip: Sometimes the best cup of coffee is enjoyed alone.

                “There is power in the name of Jesus. He will break every chain.” (Gospel music played in the background at the viewing of the body of Michael Brown)

                At noon yesterday, family members and friends gathered for a private viewing of Brown’s body in St. Louis. His mother said “they say tomorrow is going to be the hardest day, but I think today was.”

                The black 18-year-old was shot by a white police officer on August 9. Brown’s father said he didn’t want protesters at the funeral, since what their son needs is a moment of silence.

                Just before the viewing was finished, the Rev. Charles Ewing, the late teen’s great-uncle led the family and friends in prayer. “Help us, Lord, to get through this. Help us bind together in the spirit of unity and let peace prevail. Let joy prevail. Let harmony prevail. In the mighty name of Jesus. Help us to keep our minds stayed on You, for You said You would keep in perfect peace those whose mind is stayed on You. There shall be glory after this.”

                Racial discrimination has a long and sad history, but the Bible consistently condemns it. If we go back far enough, we’re all related (Genesis 1:26-28; 3:20). God “made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth” (Acts 17:26). Evidence from genetic science points to the unity of the human race. The Human Genome Project shows that the human genome sequence is almost exactly the same (99.9%) in all people.  

                The parable of the good Samaritan exposes the wrong of the ethnic prejudice between Jews and the Samaritans (a mixed race). Jesus told His followers to “make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19)—all ethnic groups. Paul taught that unity among different ethnic and racial groups in the church witnesses to the world of the wisdom of God (Ephesians 3:10). God’s plan is the unification of diverse kinds of human beings in one body, the church of Jesus Christ.

                It is terrible when Christians of any racial background exclude others from their churches. This is antithetical to the glorious future God promises (Revelation 7:9-10). 

                Some of us grew up singing “Jesus loves the little children, all the children of the world; red and yellow, black and white, they are precious in His sight.” He still loves them, and they are still precious.

                So what color is God’s skin?  The Up with People song gets it right—“It is red, it is yellow, it is black, it is white; everyone’s the same in the good Lord’s sight.”

                In yesterday’s Washington Post, Columbia University’s Fredrick Harris asked the question, “When does a moment become a movement?” He wrote, “Events such as the killing of unarmed, 18-year-old Michael Brown can provide the moral shock that political movements need to build their ranks and bring attention to a community’s afflictions.” Whether or not what happened in Ferguson, Missouri sparks a movement remains to be seen. But in the shadows of grief, the vision of peace still inspires hope in believing hearts.

                I can almost hear echoes of Martin Luther King, Jr. quoting Amos 5:24—”Let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.”  

Johnny R. Almond

Christian preacher and writer

Author, Gentle Whispers from Eternity

http://GentleWhispersFromEternity-ScripturePersonalized.com/

             “He who, from zone to zone, Guides through the boundless sky thy certain flight, 

            In the long way that I must tread alone, Will lead my steps aright.”

               (William Cullen Bryant, “To a Waterfowl”, 1818)

             Miserable in your circumstances? Feeling nobody understands your heartache or even gives you a passing thought? Skeptics scoffing at your faith stance?

             A baby boy’s whimpers awakened sympathy in the heart of an Egyptian princess, so you can be sure your helpless cries touch the loving heart of God. He tracks every one of your woes and bottles all your tears.

             The Wonderful Counselor is ready to hear your dilemmas. The Mighty God is able to handle your desperate situation. The Everlasting Father is unfailing in compassion. The Prince of Peace sets your heart at rest in the eye of life’s storms.

             The God who moved with Abraham until he found the Promised Land, who laughed with Isaac until he learned to trust, and who wrestled with Jacob until he won a blessing will not break His sacred promise to care for you.

             Epicurus said “if there are gods, they do not care for you.” False gods of the heart are incapable of caring, but the God who is love cares for you (1 Peter 5:7).

              Aristotle said “it would be eccentric to claim that Zeus loved a human being.” He was right about Zeus, but the God with a heart loves all of us (Psalm 136).

             So do not wring your hands in worry—fold them in prayer. Trust God to sustain you in sad and dark times, and keep looking for exit signs from burdensome situations. Dramatic rescue will happen at just the right moment. Heaven’s clock is invisible, but it keeps perfect time. Exodus is certain as sunrise.

             “The Israelites groaned beneath their burden of slavery. They cried out for help, and their pleas for deliverance rose up to God. God heard their cries and remembered his covenant promise. He looked down on the Israelites and felt deep concern for their welfare.” (Exodus 2:23b-25 NLT)

Johnny R. Almond

Christian preacher and writer

Author, Gentle Whispers from Eternity

This devotion based on Day 38 of Gentle Whispers from Eternity]

http://GentleWhispersFromEternity-ScrripturePersonalized.com/

Sadly, church prayer meetings in the U.S. have largely gone the way of the dinosaur. Even when a church attempts to rouse God’s people to gather and pray, the results are often disappointing, both in attendance and in results. However, God wants the church to become “a house of prayer for all nations,” and these 12 tips can make your prayer meetings exciting!

1.  “We” trumps “I.” Jesus instructed us to pray “OUR Father…” (Matthew 6:9). Ordinarily, things are getting off-track if there is too much use of the word “I” in corporate prayer.
2. God-centered rather than problem-centered. The Lord’s Prayer, the prayers in Acts and Paul’s epistles, and the other prayers in the Bible sometimes addressed current problems (e.g., the prayer in Acts 4:23-31 regarding persecution). However, the overwhelming them is always God’s power, glory, and sovereignty (e.g., “Hallowed be Your name” and Ephesians 1, “far above all rule and authority and power and dominion”).
3. Brief trumps long. The Pharisees were known for their lengthy prayers, but Jesus encouraged His disciples not to put their trust in long prayers or “vain repetitions” (Matthew 6:7, Matthew 23:14). Compare the longwinded prayers of the prophets of Baal with the simple, short, and powerful prayer of Elijah (1 Kings 18:22-39).
4. Focused prayers trump shatter-shot prayers. Too often, people’s prayers are unfocused, covering too many topics and petitions all at once. If we want to have our prayers answered, it’s much better eliminate “fluff” and unnecessary rabbit trails. Specific prayers bring specific answers.
5. Prayers filled with faith and victory will always trump prayers marked by doubt and defeat. Nothing will bring discouragement to a prayer meeting faster than people who are praying prayers of unbelief.
6. United prayers trump individualism. Corporate prayer is only powerful when the prayers are offered in one accord (Matthew 18:19-20, Psalm 133, Acts 2:1-2). This is undercut if people’s prayers cannot receive an “Amen” from the rest of the participants. When Jesus described the power unleashed through prayers of agreement, the Greek word for “agree” is symphōneō, from which we get the English word “symphony.”
7. Spirit-led prayers trump human concerns. Understandably, prayer meetings often attract people who have “burdens” to pray about, whether the burdens are for themselves or for others. But unless these human concerns become motivated by the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:26-30), they will end up just being filled with well-meaning “flesh.”
8. It’s often helpful to mix elements such as worship and Scripture into prayer meetings. We see this approach in Colossians 3:16-17: God’s Word and “psalms and hymns and spiritual songs,” etc. Our prayers should not be based on wishful thinking but on God’s promises in His Word. This is not meant to endorse longwinded preaching during our prayer meetings, but rather prayers that are Scripturally based (e.g., Ephesians 1:15-23, 3:14-21).
9. Prayer meetings should be times of HEARING from God and not just SPEAKING to God. The principle in James 1:19 applies, being “quick to listen and slow to speak” (or pray). This means it’s OK to have times of silence and listening, not feeling it necessary to fill the entire time with speaking/praying. This means waiting on God, not just speaking to Him.
10. Prayer meetings usually work best when there is a balance between human leadership and free-flowing group involvement. If the hand of human leadership is too strong, people will be intimidated from listening to God or participating. But if there is no leadership at all, the prayers will often go off on tangents and become unfocused. This doesn’t mean the leadership has to be from just one person, but it’s helpful if people know who is “in charge” of sensing God’s direction in the meeting. People who are intercessors or prophetic sometimes distrust structure and time constraints, but the Bible provides numerous examples of God instituting structure before He performed miracles (e.g., breaking up the people into groups before feeding them loaves and fish). However, if there is going to be structure as to the format, time limitations, etc., they should be clearly communicated in advance (e.g., Paul’s instructions in 1 Corinthians 14 about the use of spiritual gifts in public meetings).
11. Since repentance and revival are objectives of corporate prayer meetings, the elements of 2 Chronicles 7:14 should be kept in mind: humbling ourselves, seeking God’s face, turning from our wicked ways), listening, receiving forgiveness and forgiving anyone who has wronged us.
12. Just as in our individual prayer lives, it’s helpful to keep an informal record of some of the prayer requests offered, and then the answers received. Keeping track of some of the testimonies will build faith in God’s faithfulness and in the power of prayer.

We may not have financial wealth to pass on to our children, grandchildren, and future descendants. However, author Jennifer Kennedy Dean shares in her book, The Legacy of Prayer, about a spiritual trust fund that will only increase in value. She writes, “We can leave behind for our descendants a spiritual trust that can never be stolen, squandered, or lost. We can lay up a storehouse of imperishable wealth by praying for our grandchildren and future generations. Our prayers are deposits in their spiritual trust fund and will be for withdrawals when needed.” 

Our descendants do not inherit salvation. Nevertheless, we can pray our descendants will live in a constant awareness of God’s presence. Be firmly established in His Word, which will prepare their hearts for the time when they are presented an opportunity to step into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.    

We read in Proverbs 14:26, “He who fears the Lord has a secure fortress, and for his children it will be a refuge.” Jennifer Kennedy Dean also says, “As we seek the Lord ourselves, we are laying up treasures for future generations by the way God is reflected in our lives. As we invest in our own walk with the Lord and our prayers for our grandchildren and future generations, we are investing in eternity.”2 Now that is a great investment return all of us would enjoy seeing.    

I am happy to have the opportunity to invest in a Spiritual Trust Fund for each of my grandchildren, and now my two great-granddaughters. 

Let’s make Grandparents’ Day of Prayer on September 7 a day of investing prayers in the lives of our grandchildren, their parents and future generations. Help us promote this event by forwarding this blog to your friends and sharing it with your friends on Facebook.

I feel like God is waiting for us, as grandparents to unite in prayer to keep our grandchildren from falling captive to the enemy’s deception in the world they are living. I often hear grandparents say, “I may not be around very long, but I am really concerned about the future for my grandchildren.” That statement reminds me of the urgency of developing a spiritual trust fund filled with prayer for my grandchildren.   

Will you invite a group of grandparents to join you or commit to deliberately pray alone on September 7 for your dear grandchildren and their parents.

The greatest gift we can give our children, grandchildren and future generations 

is the legacy of a praying grandparent.

By Lillian Penner

National Prayer Coordinator for Christian Grandparenting Network,

info@grandparentingwithapurpose.com

1. Jennifer Kennedy Dean, Legacy of Prayer Birmingham, New Hope Publishers,  p. 15.

2. Ibid p.48-49

               “If clearness about things produces a fundamental despair, a fundamental despair in turn produces a remarkable clearness or even playfulness about ordinary matters.” (George Santayana, The Background of My Life, 1944)

                People across America were saddened last week to learn that comedian and actor Robin Williams had died, apparently by suicide. It was also reported that he had suffered from severe depression. He was well known for rapid-fire improvisations and serious dramatic roles. He was also known for his charitable work, kindness, generosity, and entertaining U.S. troops overseas. President Obama called Williams “one of a kind.” Then the president said “he touched every element of the human spirit; he made us laugh, and he made us cry.”

                Williams had problems with drugs and alcohol, but had sought treatment. He’d also had heart surgery in 2009, something that caused him to take a serious look at his personal life. Acknowledgment of his severe depression came as no surprise to many. Ordinary people can identify with his despair; people who “have it made” also can, realizing it is possible to have everything and still feel like dying.

                Though some people talk about depression as a character flaw or sin, followers of Christ are not exempt. And despite simplistic statements that people just need to “pull themselves out of it”, recovery is far more complicated. If we want to reach out to people suffering from recurring depression, we must realize they need more than a push to “get moving”. It we want to help, we must realize the truth of what Plato said—“Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.”

                To be honest, some sadness and depression are normal in every human life. Moses was in such despair he asked God to take his life (Numbers 11:14-15). Elijah was so deeply depressed he prayed to die (1 Kings 19:4). Psalm 42 is a meditation by a person suffering from depression.

                Difficult circumstances may darken our mood. At other times, we may feel down for no apparent reason. This is part of the pain of being human. But there’s also clinical or chronic depression—a pervasive, persistent despair having nothing to do with our circumstances. This is the dark night of the soul that F. Scott Fitzgerald said made it “always three o’clock in the morning, day after day.” Most people with chronic depression can find help from prescribed medications and counseling.

                The person who wrote Psalm 42 was obviously suffering from depression—perhaps situational, certainly painful. But the psalmist did not give up, believing that God and not depression would have the last word. “Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my help and my God.”

                Plato was right—everyone we meet is fighting a hard battle. Every human being has pain, whether the cause is visible or not. So we should have a heart and empathize with others.

                 No matter what we go through, we cannot control what happens to us but we can control how we respond to our experiences. Victor Frankl learned this lesson in a  WWII concentration camp: “the last of human freedoms—to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances.”  We can choose to respond with humble gratitude for the many blessings from God we have received; with patient trust in God’s faithfulness even when we cannot see the ultimate destination of our difficult journey; with courage to face each day’s challenge as it comes, depending on the power of Christ within our hearts.

                Williams was once asked, “If heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the pearly gates?” In response, the comedian told a joke about a concert including Mozart and Elvis, then said he’d like to know that there’s laughter. There is laughter in heaven (Luke 15:7; Revelation 12:10-12). There is also joy in the here and now, as we draw near God (Psalm 16:11).

                “The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning. Therefore I will hope in him!” (Lamentations 3:22-24 NLT)

             Johnny R. Almond

            Christian preacher and writer

            Author, Gentle Whispers from Eternity

            http://GentleWhispersFromEternity-ScripturePersonalized.com

“It is not desirable to cultivate a respect for the law, so much as for the right.”

- Thoreau, Civil Disobedience (1849)

Since God is the Absolute Sovereign of the universe, He alone deserves reverential fear.

We should submit to no lesser governor who dares countermand His rules for living.

No matter what society says is permissible, we should walk heaven’s high road.

In every situation, we should honor God above all earthly legal authority.

A higher law of integrity outshines the common practice of compromise.

A higher law of life conquers and cancels the dreadful reign of death.

A higher law of hope transcends the suffocating rule of despair.

A higher law of freedom breaks the merciless tyranny of sin.

Civil disobedience is imperative when human ideas clash with heavenly directives.

Whatever the god of the world advocates, God’s Word is the final answer.

Whatever earthly kings say, the King of kings is the highest authority.

Whatever opinion polls say, we should fear God, nothing else.

“Because the midwives feared God, they refused to obey the king.”

(Exodus 1:17 NLT)

Johnny R. Almond

Christian preacher and writer

Author, Gentle Whispers from Eternity

This devotion based on Day 37 of Gentle Whispers from Eternity]

GentleWhispersFromEternity-ScripturePersonalized (copy, paste to browser for blog & bio)

I’m a firm believer in studying the Bible every day.  To be honest, I don’t do it every day but it’s my desire and I attempt to make the effort.  The reason we read and study our Bibles every day is that they bring us the very words of God.  As Moses told the Israelites in Deuteronomy 32:47 about the Word of God, “These are no idle words for you, but your very life.”  I could go on and spend pages writing about the benefits of Bible study.  Instead I want to give you 5 books that I believe will enrich and strengthen your personal study of the Scriptures.  There are, of course, many other books.  These are just my top 5.

I will say up front that these books are not cheap.  They are reference books and they tend to get expensive, although the link I have provided should get you to the best prices. Just click on the highlighted text.

There is no substitute for sitting down with just your Bible and a journal.  You don’t need any of these books to study the Bible.  All you really need is the Holy Spirit to guide you into it’s truths.  However, these can enrich and enhance your study, making it even more fruitful.  So here goes…

1. The ESV Study Bible.  The notes in this study Bible are excellent. They provide valuable insight, background and understanding to the Scriptures.  From the publisher, “The ESV Study Bible was created to help you encounter the truth of God's Word as a powerful, life-changing reality. To accomplish this, it combines the best evangelical scholarship with the text, which, as an "essentially literal" translation, is especially suited for Bible study.” You can get it in a variety of covers like leather, hardcover, etc.
2. The Gospel Transformation Bible.  I love this Bible.  It helps the reader understand the Christ-centeredness of all of the Scriptures. From the publisher, “The apostle Paul summed up his whole ministry as existing “to testify to the gospel of the grace of God” (Acts 20:24). That single-minded goal is the heartbeat of the ESV Gospel Transformation Bible. Produced out of the conviction that the Bible is a unified message of God’s grace culminating in Jesus, it is a significant new tool to help readers see Christ in all of Scripture, and grace for all of life.”
3. Dictionary of Biblical Imagery.  Have you ever read the Bible and wondered what certain imagery it was trying to convey? What do the cedars of Lebanon mean? This huge compendium is extremely helpful in understanding the images of the Bible that we may not naturally get due to the fact that it was written in a different culture and times.  From the publisher, “The Dictionary of Biblical Imagery is the first contemporary reference work dedicated to exploring the images, symbols, motifs, metaphors and literary patterns found in the Bible. More than that, it examines the Bible's universal archetypes or master images--including the plot motifs and character types that recur throughout life, literature and the Bible.”
4. Systematic Theology, by Wayne Grudem.  Doctrine is important. Theology can be confusing. This is a solid reformed systematic theology that will help you make sense out of the doctrine of Scriptures.  From the publisher, “The Christian church has a long tradition of systematic theology, that is, studying theology and doctrine organized around fairly standard categories such as the Word of God, redemption, and Jesus Christ. This introduction to systematic theology has several distinctive features: - A strong emphasis on the scriptural basis for each doctrine and teaching - Clear writing, with technical terms kept to a minimum - A contemporary approach, treating subjects of special interest to the church today - A friendly tone, appealing to the emotions and the spirit as well as the intellect - Frequent application to life - Resources for worship with each chapter - Bibliographies with each chapter that cross-reference subjects to a wide range of other systematic theologies.
5. The Westminster Confession of Faith with Larger and Shorter Catechisms.  A concise theology of the reformed faith.  This confession guides our understanding of the core doctrines of the Bible.  Catechesis is the art of learning through memorizing questions and answers. Many children as well as pastors have used this to grasp the basic doctrines. The particular edition I am recommending references the Scriptures that each doctrine is based on.

I hope this helps!

Fletch

I’ve always enjoyed silence. Early on, God told Isaiah, “In quietness . . . shall be your strength” (Isaiah 30:15). Jesus had a pattern of rising early to enjoy the stillness of the morning and occasionally retired to the “mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God” (Luke 6:12). Living in a world of noise, I am finding silence more and more difficult to find. Indeed, my younger friends no little about a world that includes silence. Writing what he calls a, “faith-based theology of technology” Archibald Hart says, “Studies have shown that the average person today, surrounded by the cyber world, can only bear about fifteen seconds of silence” (The Digital Invasion). How sad! While I have made a living out of words, spoken and written, I treasure the quiet, wordless, times. I guess some of those young friends, would refer to me as a “throwback,” but not everything in the past is bad. Without periods of silence, one tends to burn-out on noise. Mary Nelson Keithahn has written a moving verse, “Come away with me to a quiet place, apart from the world with its frantic pace, to pray, reflect, and seek God’s grace. Come away with me. Come away.” Since the noise around me often needs a silence break, I treasure the times away.

More from Dr. Dan at www.discipleallnations.org/blog.

We all go through painful experiences of one kind or another, and how we handle life’s adversities will have a lot to do in determining our character and our destiny. The intriguing story of Jabez reveals how our pain can be transformed as we lay hold of God’s promises:

Jabez was more honorable than his brothers; and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, “Because I bore him in pain.” Jabez called upon the God of Israel, saying, “Oh that you would bless me and enlarge my border, and that your hand might be with me, and that you would keep me from harm so that it might not bring me pain!” And God granted what he asked (1 Chronicles 4:9-10 ESV).

Too often, people assume that their upbringing inevitably determines their destiny. But Jabez knew otherwise. Right from the beginning, we see that he stood out from the crowd, and he was “more honorable” even than his own brothers.

However, as we read about Jabez’ life, we realize his life got off to a rough start. It seemed like the cards were stacked against him. His birth was so painful that “his mother called his name Jabez”—derived from the Hebrew word for pain.

Perhaps you can relate to Jabez’ story at this point. Your parents probably didn’t name you “a Pain”—at least not formally! But let’s be honest: Sometimes parents, siblings, peers, pastors, or employers send us negative messages about our identity…who we are. Or maybe there was a bully in your neighborhood who said you were too skinny…too fat…too ugly…too short…or too stupid.

There’s an old saying that is totally false. I’m sure you’ve heard it: “Sticks and stones can break my bones, but words can never hurt me.” That truth is just the opposite: We can recover from sticks and stones and even broken bones—but people’s words often cause us a lifetime of hurt.

That’s how Jabez’ story begins: with pain…with rejection from the very people who should have shown him the most love and acceptance. But the good news is that Jabez wasn’t content to wallow in his situation. He rejected the labels put on him by his detractors, choosing instead to seek God for a new identity…a new purpose…and a new destiny.

How did your story begin in its early chapters? Perhaps you had a wonderful, loving family that cared for you and nurtured you all along the way. But I meet so many people today who have had an experience more like Jabez.

So what did Jabez do to break free from the negative labels that threatened to bind him to a life of failure or mediocrity? The text says, “Jabez called upon the God of Israel.” If you are going to break free from people’s opinions about you, you must cry out for HIGHER opinion—the opinion of Almighty God. In the end, it’s really just HIS opinion that maters, isn’t it? When you stand before Him in eternity, the bullies and naysayers won’t be there to tear you down. The only thing that will matter will be hear His beautiful words of affirmation, “Well done, good and faithful servant” (Matthew 25:21).

We’re specifically told that he called upon “the God of Israel.” This doesn’t just mean he was calling upon the God of the nation of Israel. No, Jabez was calling upon the God of JACOB—the patriarch whose name was changed by God to ISRAEL.

Do you see why this is significant? Jacob had a pretty dysfunctional childhood, and his own brother seemed intent on killing him. And just like Jabez, Jacob had been given a rather negative name—Jacob, the “supplanter” or “usurper.” And up until the point when Jacob’s name was changed, he had lived up to his negative name, becoming an opportunistic scoundrel and deceiver.

But after Jacob wrestled all night with God in Genesis 32:22-29, the Lord changed his name to Israel, which meant “Triumphant with God” or “Prince with God.”

You see, Jabez knew the story of Jacob well. He saw how God had transformed Jacob from being a PAIN to being a PRINCE. And Jabez called on the “God of Israel (Jacob)” to do the same for him.

Perhaps you need a name change today…a new identity. God can take your PAIN and make you a PRINCE or PRINCESS. He can take your FAILURES and give you a glorious FUTURE. But you have a role to play. You must cry out to Him, like Jabez did. You may even need to wrestle with Him, as Jacob did. But don’t let go until you have a new name…a fresh start…a new beginning.

And I want you to notice that Jabez asked God to give him several specific things. This is an important lesson for us, because sometimes our prayers and our plans are too vague and undefined. I encourage you today to be specific about what you are asking God for. Specific prayer requests will bring specific answers!

Jabez first requested of the Lord, “Oh that you would bless me.” God wants to bless YOU, my friend! So go ahead, like Jabez, and ASK Him to bless you.

The second thing Jabez asked is that God would “enlarge his border.” In the same way, God wants to enlarge you today. He wants to give you bigger dreams…higher vision…more audacious plans.

But think of how incredible this prayer request must have been for Jabez, the man who was labeled a pain and a loser. He could have curled up in a ball and wallowed in his victimhood, but instead he did just the opposite. He called on God to enlarge his territory and give him greater responsibilities and impact.

So what about YOU? Is there some area of your life that you need God to enlarge? Your career…your finances…your health…your relationships…your ministry…your vision? Today can be your first step in asking God for an INCREASE that will change your entire trajectory in life.

Jabez’ next request was that “God’s hand” would be upon his life. This expressed Jabez’ recognition that he needed GOD’S FAVOR in order to accomplish his life’s PURPOSE. This is so important for you to see: In order to escape from any painful experiences that would hold you back from your destiny, you need God’s favor.

Jabez’ final request was that God would keep from harm—from the things that would cause pain, either to himself or the people around him. Jabez was a man of great faith, but he also was a realist. He understood that he had received a legacy of pain and dysfunction, and the natural thing would be to continue that legacy in his own life. It’s no secret that people in pain tend to cause pain to others. People who have been abused often become abusers. Children of alcoholics and addicts too often follow in their parents footsteps.

But Jabez knew the negative patterns must STOP! He had been called a pain, but that’s not how he wanted to treat others.

This passage about Jabez ends with a beautiful conclusion: “And God granted what he asked.” I love happy endings, don’t you? Just as God did in the life of Jabez, He has planned a happy ending for YOU!

“I can’t decide whether to watch the evening news, and be unable to eat;

or to watch the nightly news, and be unable to sleep.”

- Anonymous

The person who said this would have an even bigger problem these days.

Up-to-the-minute 24/7 news keeps us informed of the global turn of events—

events often so discouraging, we begin to wonder how the world even holds together.

Reviewing today’s CNN headlines does little to encourage an optimistic outlook for the future—

ISIS executes Yazidis who refuse to convert, crucifying people and bragging about it online;

Ebola outbreak has killed 961 people, triggering international public health emergency;

St. Louis suburb scene of looting and violence, following shooting of teen by police;

West Bank clashes in Hebron turn deadly, as Mideast spirals in war and terror;

Iraq President appoints new prime minister, complicating power struggle;

Tens of thousands of Yazidis flee trying to escape ISIS in Iraq and Syria;

Iraqi tanks surge toward Baghdad, threatening the U.S. Embassy.

In an effort to end its broadcast on a good note, a major network has a “Making a Difference” segment.

It’s nice to hear about occasional sparks of goodness in a fallen world, gleams of hope in the shadows.

However, when “everything nailed down comes loose,” we ask what in the world will happen next.

Jesus warned of “wars and rumors of wars” (Matthew 24:6)—as always, it turns out He’s right.

He said “heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away” (Matthew 24:35).

Nothing short of Christ’s return can bring peace to this troubled world.

Believe it or not, this dream of universal peace will materialize.

Revelation could be summarized—relax, we’re going to win!

In the midst of all the bad news, here’s some good news that’s a promise we can count on coming true—

“As the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west,

so will be the coming of the Son of Man.”  (Matthew 24:27)

Johnny R. Almond

Christian preacher and writer

Author, Gentle Whispers from Eternity

GentleWhispersFromEternity-ScripturePersonalized (copy, paste to browser for blog & bio)

“Those who hope for no other life are dead even in this.”

- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

People frequently make sad mistakes at funerals—

eulogizing a loved one only in the past tense, as if life were all history;

mourners speaking of the need for closure, laying to rest previous relationships;

through ritual and ceremony, trying to bury strong emotional ties along with the remains.

Grieving people do need to continue responsibly; and life, whether we like it or not, does go on.

However, what we need most is a sense of OPENING—a skylight of hope in the dungeon of despair.

Human beings do live on after death; it’s not all over when names appear in obituary columns.

The God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph did not say He was their God—He said I am.

God is the God of the living, not the dead—death does not have the final say—Life does.  

The future will be as bright as the promises of God.

The Lamb’s wedding will follow Satan’s funeral.

Life’s gala will succeed death’s dirge.

Heaven will cancel heartbreak.

Jesus is our skylight of hope.

“O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?

Sin is the sting that results in death, and the law gives sin its power.

But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

(1 Corinthians 15:55-57 ESV)

Johnny R. Almond

Christian preacher and writer

Author, Gentle Whispers from Eternity

[Devotion based on Day 36 of Gentle Whispers from Eternity]

GentleWhispersFromEternity-ScripturePersonalized (copy, paste to browser for blog)

              “You may call for peace as loudly as you wish, but where there is no brotherhood there can be in the end no peace.” (Max Lerner, “The Gifts of the Magi,” 1949)

                Images from the ongoing Israel-Gaza conflict are disconcerting—Palestinians searching through debris for survivors; corpses amid the rubble of more than 10,000 destroyed houses; boys carrying pages of copies of the Quran from a mosque hit in an airstrike; distraught mourners at funerals of Israeli soldiers.

                Since the conflict started July 8, more than 1900 Palestinians have been killed, mostly civilians. More than 60 Israeli soldiers have been killed in the fighting.

                This morning, another ray of hope is on the horizon. After several short-lived humanitarian truces, Israel and Hamas have accepted a three-day cease-fire proposal from Egypt beginning at 8 a.m.

                The Israeli military reports that its ground troops are in the process of pulling out of the Gaza Strip, following its destruction of 32 cross-border tunnels designed to permit Islamic militants to attack Israel. If the cease-fire works, Egypt will host talks to work out a long-term agreement. Israel insists that Gaza be demilitarized. Hamas continues to protest its economic isolation. Hope for lasting peace is precarious.

                National leaders seek to protect their citizens, and diplomats attempt to broker compromise between warring peoples. But centuries-old disputes die hard. Lasting peace continues to be illusive in the maelstrom of the Middle East. The best minds and noblest efforts have never been able to resolve the issues of warring sides. Cordiality seems a fanciful dream, conflict inevitable.

                Ultimately, Christians believe, the answer to the world’s perennial problem of war is the return and reign of the Lord Jesus Christ. We live in hope that the Son of God will bring enduring tranquility to the human situation. Despite all temptations to give in to despair, we look forward to the time of peace negotiated by the Prince of Peace.

                 “Out of Zion shall go the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. He shall judge between the nations, and shall decide disputes for many peoples; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore.”  (Isaiah 2:3-4 ESV)

Johnny R. Almond

Christian preacher and writer

Author, Gentle Whispers from Eternity—Scripture Personalized

GentleWhispersFromEternity-ScripturePersonalized (copy, paste to browser for blog & bio)