Pure Religion
“Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.”1
As the late Karen Carpenter used to mournfully sing, “Loneliness, it’s such a sad affair.” How true this is for so many in today’s digital world.
Special holiday times such as Easter, Christmas, birthdays and even weekends are joyous occasions for many. For others these are some of the loneliness times of the year… especially for those who are alone, for those who have lost their spouse or a child, and for single adults … all of whom remember happier times and suffer a deep kind of loneliness at these times.
Many Daily Encounter readers have been there. Some are there right now. I’ve been there, too. I know the pain. This is why all of us need to be sensitive to the needs of all in our circle of relationships, remembering that many a smiling face hides an aching heart. We need to reach out to those who are lonely and hurting—invite him, her, or them over for a meal. Call them on the phone or send them an email to let them know you are thinking about them. Ask if there is anything you can do for them. Visit an elderly friend or neighbor. Provide gifts for the children of a family that is in deep need. Provide some food for the hungry.
I had a dear friend whom I met in kindergarten. We went all through grade school and technical college together. We’d been in national service together, too, and even though we’d lived thousands of miles apart, we never lost contact with each other. A while ago my friend fell on hard times, became discouraged, withdrew into himself and took his life. A tragic waste! Sadly, he never let me know of his struggle. How sad it is when, in our hour of need, as adults, we forget to hold hands and reach out for the help and support we need—so we can, as Jesus taught, “bear one another’s burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ”—and practice pure and true religion!
Suggested prayer: “Dear God, thank you for all your endless blessings given to me. Help me always to be responsible, loving, kind, a burden-bearer, and above all to be Christ-like in all that I say and do. And when I need help, give me the courage to reach out and admit that I have a problem and ask for help. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”
from DailyEncounter, 03-23-2008
My Eating Disorder Is Eating Me
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.”1
A Daily Encounter reader writes: “I need help. My eating disorder is eating me. I have tried to give it to God, but I am not sure if I have wholeheartedly done this. I want to stop but I am hooked on the skinniness thing.”
When under- or over-eating is an addictive behavior, it can be a serious problem. Seeing what the cause of the problem is may be the hardest thing to come to terms with. With all addictions the problem we see—the presenting problem—is usually just the symptom of the real problem—”the fruit of a deeper root.”
While symptoms need to be treated, it is critical that the root cause/s are treated and resolved. If only the symptom is treated, the root will pop out in another area. I know of one man who claimed he was healed of alcoholism the moment he became a Christian. In reality all he had done was change from being an alcoholic into an anger-aholic!
The bottom line in many, if not most, addictions is that somewhere in the past, mostly in early childhood, there has been a failure somewhere in love. The addictive behavior is used to medicate and not feel the pain of one’s inner hurt of not feeling adequately loved. Besides asking for God’s help and praying for deliverance, we need to do our part as well. As we get damaged in damaging relationships we get healed in healing relationships. This is why support groups such as twelve-step programs can be very effective, and why working with a skilled counselor or therapist may be needed and even critical.
As alcoholics need to be in an alcoholic-anonymous support group, food-aholics need to be in an overeaters anonymous group (and so on), where they can be loved and accepted for whom they are. As it is a failure in love that drives people into addictive behaviors, it is unconditional love that is one of the greatest healing agents to deliver one from addictive behaviors. When people feel genuinely loved and accepted, the need to “act out” in self-destructive addictive behaviors is greatly lessened.
A support group also helps the addict to keep accountable for his behavior, for it is only as he stops his addictive behavior and feels the real pain of his hurt or rejection, can he face and resolve the root cause of his problem.
from DailyEncounter, 03-19-2008
An Open Letter To ()
*This discussion came up after reading Angels and Demons by Dan Brown. And when I said I died – in a different sense
destiny – (dě’stǐny)
– n. predetermine events; power that foreordains, invincible necessity
predestination – (préděstǐnā’tion)
– n. God’s appointment from eternity of some of mankind o salvation and eternal life; God’s foreordaining of all that comes to pass; fate, destiny
existential – (ěxǐstě’ntial) (ěgz- ; -shal)
– a. of or relating to existence; (Logic, of a proposition) predicating existence; (Philos.) concerned with existence, esp. with human existence as viewed by existentialism; hence ~ly2
Existentialism – (ěgz- ; -shal-)
– n. philosophical theory emphasizing existence of the individual person as free and responsible agent determining his own development; hence ~ist
source: Oxford Dictionary
Well, actually, you make perfect sense – except that it’s kinda contradicting. You said that you believe in predestination – which is, accdng. to Oxford, God’s foreordaining of all that comes to pass, and you’re an existentialist – from existentialism which is a philosophical theory emphasizing existence of the individual person as free and responsible agent determining his own dev’t. It’s a huge, HUGE, that is, contradiction. Which is which? You can’t actually believe someone can believe in predestination and at the same time believe in existentialism, yo.
But, as I’ve said previously, each has her own perspective. We read things the way see it. We see things the way we wanna see it. And for me, I still believe that destination is a matter of choice. Yes, it’s amazing to know/think that we are all part of a big book but it is a whole lot more amazing if we know that we are the ones filling up the chapters of that book. Isn’t it? {But don’t get me wrong, I acknowledge the existence of God’s Master Plan. But some of us just don’t wanna be part of that Master Plan and those are the people who go astray. Me, I wanna be part of that plan. But I still believe that we are the ones filling up those pages. God has made us a template to follow; we can still modify it – though, not too extreme. Like, there exists a sorta outline that we follow and we modify ‘em so they have a paragraph form. Modify in a sense that is still acceptable in the eyes of God.}
Well, you call me kiddo. And yes, I’m still a kid. Maybe that’s just how a kid sees it and a mature mind sees it differently.
Life’s own misery, eh? Life won’t be miserable if you won’t make it one. Life can always be good if you chose it to be. Anyway, it’s your choice.
And, yeah, HE leads the way if you wan Him to. Yeah, true. Also true that He can only lead if you let go and let Him |steer|. Right?
[In every rule, there is always an exception. You have no choice but to accept the fact that we can never erase death. (the literal one)]
Build Up Your Self-Confidence
God to Joshua: “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.”1
According to Samuel Johnson, “Self-confidence is the first requisite to great undertakings.” This is true for both the non-Christian and the Christian alike but what the Christian needs perhaps even more is God-confidence.
As another has pointed out, “Moses lacked self-confidence when God called him. Had Joshua had lots of self-confidence why would God have told him to not be afraid? Gideon certainly lacked self-confidence. And until the disciples of Jesus were filled with the Holy Spirit they had little if any self-confidence. When Jesus was taken captive, his disciples fled for their lives. Undoubtedly, just as I would have done had I been in their shoes. Had Paul had lots of self-confidence in all situations, why would God have sent an angel to him when he was in prison to tell him to fear not? And over and over God had to tell David not to fear.”
Lacking self-confidence is par for the course for most of us for we all struggle with this to some degree. So how do we overcome?
First, we do this by building on our successes and not on our failures—and on what we can do, not on what we can’t do! For instance, I may be a terrible bricklayer but that doesn’t make me a terrible person.
Second, more importantly, building up our self-confidence needs to come from within; that is, building up my belief in myself. This comes mostly from being open, honest and transparent with at least one or two trusted friends to whom I reveal my total self—warts and all. As they love and accept me as I am, little by little I learn (in a healthy way) to love and accept myself as I am. As we grow in self-love, it is amazing how our self-confidence increases.
Third, and how do I build up my God-confidence? By choosing to trust him no matter how I feel. When I am lacking in self-confidence, I keep saying to God, “I’m afraid, but I choose to trust you in this situation.” Eventually my feelings catch up with my choice to trust God.
Fourth, we also build up God-confidence through experience—by stepping out and practicing faith in God and doing what we believe he wants us to do. As we see God using us, our God-confidence grows.
Suggested prayer: “Dear God, thank you that you love and accept me as I am—and that you love me too much to leave me as I am. Please help me to accept myself as you do, and help me to grow to become the person you want me to be so that my God-confidence and self-confidence will increase greatly. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”
from DailyEncounter, 03-17-2008
Change of blog header
Uh-huh, I changed my blog header…
previous header
new header
I still love Maximum Ride. But this time I wanna make my statement.
Tell me which one is better.
And speakin’ of Max Ride, I haven’t had any updates on the movie and the possibility of a fifth book. I have been checkin’ Fly On but they haven’t talked ‘bout it lately. No updates on the UK website, too. And the James Patterson website newsletter hasn’t told me anythin’ new. But I’ll be checkin’ as often as I can.
2008 ozone hole larger than 2007’s hole
Maybe, I can say, “Not surprising…” Given all that we’ve been doing to our Earth. Nothing new. Nothing new. But I still believe we can do something ’bout it…
PARIS (UPI) — The European Space Agency says scientists have determined the 2008 ozone hole is larger than last year’s ozone hole but smaller than the 2006 hole.
“This year the area of the thinned ozone layer over the South Pole reached about 27 million square kilometers, compared to 25 million square kilometers in 2007 and a record ozone hole extension of 29 million square kilometers in 2006, which is about the size of the North American continent,” the ESA said.
Scientists said the depletion of ozone is caused by extremely cold temperatures at high altitude and the presence of ozone-destructing gases such as chlorine and bromine, originating from man-made products like chlorofluorocarbons, which were phased out under the 1987 Montreal Protocol but linger in the atmosphere.
Julian Meyer-Arnek of the German Aerospace Center which monitors the hole annually, said since the polar vortex remained undisturbed for a long period, the 2008 ozone hole has become one of the largest ever observed.
The annual analysis is based on data provided by instruments aboard the ESA’s Envisat, ERS2 and MetOp satellites.
Copyright 2008 by United Press International
from Arcamax Science and Technology e-zine, 10-09-2008
Resting on One’s Laurels
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily hinders our progress. And let us run with endurance the race that God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, on whom our faith depends from start to finish.”1
In an article in Leadership magazine, J. David Bianchin used the analogy of a basketball game. In “the 1987 NCAA Regional Finals, Louisiana State University was leading Indiana by eight points with only a few minutes left in the game. As is often the case with a team in the lead, LSU began playing a different ball game. The television announcer pointed out that the LSU players were beginning to watch the clock rather than wholeheartedly play the game. As a result of this shift in focus, Indiana closed the gap, won the game by one point, and eventually went on to become NCAA champions.”
At the human level, as we have been so graphically reminded by the events of 9-11 and more recent atrocities around the world, we dare not sit on our laurels or base our security on past victories. “Eternal vigilance is [still] the price of freedom.” And how much greater is the need for eternal vigilance in the work of the Kingdom of God.
As God’s Word says, “Be careful! Watch out for attacks from the Devil, your great enemy. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for some victim to devour. Take a firm stand against him, and be strong in your faith.”2 “For we are not fighting against people made of flesh and blood, but against the evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against those mighty powers of darkness who rule this world, and against wicked spirits in the heavenly realms.”3
May we, Like the Apostle Paul, say, “I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”4
This, by the grace of God, we can do because, as David the Psalmist wrote, “The LORD is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid?”5
Suggested prayer, “Gracious God, thank you for your great salvation in the gift of your Son, Jesus, and for all the unfathomable blessings you have in store for your children, both in the here-and-now and in the hereafter. However, help me not to rest on my laurels, but to keep my eye on the goal and serve you faithfully all the days of my life. So help me God. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”
from DailyEncounter, 03-14-2008
According to Your Faith
“If you can?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for him who believes.” Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”1
Earl Nightingale tells about a strength test in which people were asked to squeeze a dynamometer (a machine that tests the power of your grip) as hard as they could. After that first squeeze had been measured, they were put under hypnosis and told they were very strong. When asked to grip the machine again, their scores averaged forty percent better.
Their physical strength did not increase under hypnosis. But their ability to use that strength did. It wasn’t the hypnosis that did it, but their belief about themselves.
When we are led to believe we are stronger, we react accordingly. There is a sense in which we all go through life “self-hypnotized” in that a great deal of what we do is determined by what others have told us—and what we have told ourselves—and believed!
What we need to do is listen to what God’s Word, the Bible, says about us, believe it, and act accordingly. As the Apostle Paul said, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” [that is, things that are in harmony with God's will].2
If there is one thing I have learned over the years it’s that God never calls any of us to do anything that he hasn’t equipped us to do. And he calls all of us to be faithful servants in his work on earth, and to be faithful stewards of all that he has given to us: our time, talents, money, and our resources.
Suggested prayer, “Dear God, I come to you making myself available. Please use me to be a part of your plans and the work you are doing in the world today. Like the doubting father in today’s Bible text, I do believe; help me to overcome any and all unbelief. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”
from DailyEncounter, 03-13-2008
