Daily Encounter with: ACTS International

Today's Daily Encounter

Well Done

"His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful
servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I
will put you in charge of many things. Come and share
your master's happiness!'"1

Theodore Roosevelt said, "It's not the critic who
counts, not the one who points out how the strong man
stumbled or where the doer of good deeds could have
done better.

"The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the
arena: Whose face is marred by dust and sweat and
blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short
again and again…

"Who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions,
and spends himself in a worthy cause…

"Who, at best, knows the triumph of high achievement…

"And who, at worst, if he fails at least fails while
daring greatly so his place shall never be with those
cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor
defeat."

Every one of us has been given at least one talent;
many have been given several. Regardless of whether we
have one or many talents, what is important is to use
well what God has given and entrusted to us and
therewith give life our best shot.

Remember, too: "Only one life 'twill soon be past /
Only what's done for Christ will last."

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, grant that I will so live
today that when I stand before you face to face, I will
hear your welcoming words, 'Well done, good and
faithful servant. Enter into the joy of your Lord.'
Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer.
Gratefully, in Jesus' name, amen."

1. Matthew 25:21 (NIV).

<)))><

NOTE: If you would like to accept God's forgiveness
for all your sins and His invitation for a full pardon
Click on: http://www.actsweb.org/invitation.php. Or
if you would like to re-commit your life to Jesus Christ,
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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) 2012 by ACTS International.

When copying or forwarding include the following:
"Daily Encounter by Richard (Dick) Innes (c) 2012
ACTS International.

Today's Daily Encounter
Taking Risks

"The one who calls you is faithful and he will do
it."1

How true it is, as someone (with tongue-in-cheek)
said, "Blessed be he who aimeth at nothing for he
shall surely hit it!" Or as another said, "Better to
aim at the clouds and hit the tree tops than to aim at
the tree tops and hit the ground."

To have meaningful goals in life is to risk failure.
Not to have any goals may keep one feeling safe and
comfortable, but it is to guarantee failure. "Equally
comfortable," writes Peter Wagner, "is to define your
goals in terms of what you happen to be doing at any
given time. If you shoot first, then draw the target
around the bullet hole, you'll never miss the bull's
eye. If someone looks later, he might even call you a
good marksman." Then you can brag about your
accomplishments!

But this is not success. It is allowing life to shape
you rather than you shaping your life and deciding how
you want to invest it.

True success is to discover what God's purpose for
your life is and then give life everything you've got
to achieve that purpose.

Whatever that is, it's not failure that is a crime,
but to have such a low aim that there is no chance of
failure. Or, as somebody else put it, "Not to have a
goal is more to be feared than not reaching it." If
you tried and did your best, even if you failed to
achieve all of your goal, you are already a success.
All God requires is that we do our best.

Remember, however, if your goals are in harmony with
God's purpose for you, he has already equipped you
with the wherewithal to be able to achieve them. It's
up to us to get well trained and learn how to
effectively use these abilities. So, don't waste your
life. Invest it in a worthwhile God-given life
purpose--a noble cause into which you can put your
best efforts and be excited about it.

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, please give me the desire
to find and the insight to discover my God-given life
purpose and goals and, with your help, the courage and
determination to pursue and reach them, and do so for
your glory. May they always be in harmony with your
will and be a part of what you are doing in the world
today. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer.
Gratefully, in Jesus' name, amen."

1. 1 Thessalonians 5:24 (NIV).

<)))><

NOTE: If you would like to accept God's forgiveness
for all your sins and His invitation for a full pardon
Click on: http://www.actsweb.org/invitation.php. Or
if you would like to re-commit your life to Jesus Christ,
please click on http://www.actsweb.org/decision.php to note this.

* * * * * * *

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) 2012 by ACTS International.
When copying or forwarding include the following:
"Daily Encounter by Richard (Dick) Innes (c) 2012
ACTS International.

Today's Daily Encounter
Don't Be a Part of the Living Dead

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace,
patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness
and self-control."1

Frank Lloyd Wright, the world-famous architect, tells
how a lecture he received at the age of nine helped
set his philosophy of life. An uncle, a stolid,
no-nonsense type, had taken him for a long walk across
a snow-covered field. At the far side, his uncle told
him to look back at their two sets of tracks. "See, my
boy," he said, "how your footprints go aimlessly back
and forth from those trees, to the cattle, back to the
fence then over there where you were throwing sticks?
But notice how my path comes straight across, directly
to my goal. You should never forget this lesson!" "And
I never did," Wright said. "I determined right then
not to miss most things in life as my uncle had."2

To experience the wonders of life we need to be in
touch with all of our God-given emotions--including
the emotion of wonder. "Life without emotions," said
one humorist, "would be like playing a trombone with a
stuck slide," which of course would be dreadfully
monotonous and boring. The same is true when one's
emotion of wonder is repressed, the effects of which
are to be characteristically bored with life.

Emotions are God-given. They are a vital part of
living a life with vitality, joy and wonderment. So
learn to enjoy the emotion of wonder. Learn to let
your hair down more often. Have fun. Hang loose. Go
with the flow. Plant a tree. Write a poem. Draw with
your non-dominant hand. Tell your spouse and kids how
much you love them … tell them now and tell them
often. Get out of your ruts. Do something different.
Stretch your imagination. Step out of your comfort
zone.

As Robert Frost said in his poem, "Road Less
Traveled," "I shall be telling this with a sigh /
Somewhere ages and ages hence / Two roads diverged in
a wood / And I took the one less traveled by / And
that has made all the difference."

And by the way, being in touch with all of your
God-given emotions and using them as God intended is a
vital part of being whole and living the abundant life
Jesus spoke about. It's also being authentic.
Repressed people are a part of the living dead.

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, please help me to be in
touch with all of my God-given emotions and use them
as you intended. Help me to be authentic and free, and
an open channel through whom your love can freely flow.
Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer.
Gratefully, in Jesus' name, amen."

1. Galatians 5:22-23 (NIV).
2. Gary Swanson, "Living in a Powder Keg," Focus on
the Family, Sept. 1992, p. 14.

<)))><

NOTE: If you would like to accept God's forgiveness
for all your sins and His invitation for a full pardon
Click on: http://www.actsweb.org/invitation.php. Or
if you would like to re-commit your life to Jesus Christ,
please click on http://www.actsweb.org/decision.php to note this.

* * * * * * *

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) 2012 by ACTS International.
When copying or forwarding include the following:
"Daily Encounter by Richard (Dick) Innes (c) 2012
ACTS International.

Today's Daily Encounter
A Reminder About Healing

"Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray
for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer
of a righteous man is powerful and effective."1

Does God heal people today? Let me answer by first
asking another question, "Does God answer prayer
today?" My answer is, "Sometimes, 'yes.' Sometimes,
'no.' Sometimes, 'wait a while,' and sometimes,
'you're praying the wrong prayer!'" James in the Bible
wrote about prayer saying, "You ask and do not receive,
because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your
pleasures."2 In other words, when we don't get prayer
answered, sometimes it is because of false motives or
simply that we're praying amiss; that is, we're
praying the wrong prayer.

The same principle applies to prayer for healing.
Sicknesses can have many causes for the simple reason
that we live in a sin-sick, broken world. And, as it
rains "on the just and on the unjust alike,"3 sickness
also "rains" on the just as well as the unjust.

However, we can avoid many sicknesses by living a
wholesome life, resolving impaired relationships,
putting wrongs right, avoiding stress, and resolving
super-charged repressed negative emotions such as
guilt, hurt, anger, hostility, jealousy, irrational
fears, and other sins of the spirit. This is why the
Bible, God's Word, makes it clear that before we even
pray for healing, we need to confess all sins to God
(and, at least, to one safe person)--including the
sins of the spirit--in order to clear the way for
healing.

In my many years of being involved in church life from
childhood until the present, and having heard a number
of "faith healers" in years past, I have never heard
one of these preachers even mention James's
instructions regarding the necessity to confess one's
sins to one another before ever praying for healing.

As I have shared before, I grew up in a very
dysfunctional family and was taught early in life to
bury and deny my negative feelings, but when I
realized the fallacy of this teaching, and got in
touch with my "super-charged repressed negative
emotions," and confessed them in a growth support
group as well as to a counselor, I was healed of
several years of miserable hay fever and painful
bursitis. In fact, I am physically healthier today
than when I was half my age, for which I truly thank
God that I followed the biblical principle for
healing.

The fact is that some sicknesses (not all by any
means) are symptoms of a deeper fault, sin, or
unresolved problem. In these situations the prayer for
healing needs to be directed not merely towards the
symptom, but on the deeper cause (or causes) which
need/s to be confessed and resolved to clear the way
for healing.

Being honest with one's self, with God, and with at
least one trusted person is the righteous thing to do;
and such prayers are truly powerful and effective.1

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, whenever I have any
unresolved problems, issues, or sicknesses, please
confront me with the truth of any cause in me that
might be in any way contributing to or causing the
problem I am experiencing; give me the courage to see
it, to confess it to a safe person, and the help to
resolve it so that I can be healed. Thank you for
hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus'
name, amen."

1. James 5:16 (NIV).
2. James 4:3 (NKJV).
3. Matthew 5:45 (NLT).

<)))><

NOTE: If you would like to accept God's forgiveness
for all your sins and His invitation for a full pardon
Click on: http://www.actsweb.org/invitation.php. Or
if you would like to re-commit your life to Jesus Christ,
please click on http://www.actsweb.org/decision.php to note this.

* * * * * * *

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) 2012 by ACTS International.
When copying or forwarding include the following:
"Daily Encounter by Richard (Dick) Innes (c) 2012
ACTS International.
Today's Daily Encounter

The Scorpion and the Frog

"Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard its
spots? Neither can you do good who are accustomed to
doing evil."1

You've no doubt read the old fable about the scorpion
and the frog. It illustrates how man's nature is much
more devious and controlling than is his logic.

The fable says how, "One day a scorpion arrived at the
bank of a river he wanted to cross, but there was no
bridge. He asked a frog that was sitting nearby if he
would take him across the river on his back. The frog
refused and said, 'I will not, because you will sting
me.'

"The scorpion replied, 'It would be foolish for me to
sting you because then we would both drown.'

"The frog saw the logic in the scorpion's words, and
agreed to carry the scorpion across. But when they
were halfway across the river the scorpion stung the
frog. The stunned frog asked, 'Why did you sting me?
Now we will both die!'

"The scorpion replied, 'Because I'm a scorpion … and
that's what scorpions do.'"

Have you ever noticed that God is not concerned about
being "politically correct?" Sad to say some people
today are more concerned about being "politically
correct" than they are about being "biblically
correct." They change the name of sins to justify
people's sinful behavior. They do this because they
are more concerned about the approval of man than they
are about the approval of God. To God, sin--all sin--is
sin by whatever name we call it, and all sin is
ultimately self-destructive regardless of how we seek
to justify it.

Furthermore, God's Word reminds us that no matter how
good, how noble, how educated, how refined, or how
sophisticated we may be, we are all sinners.2 Like the
leopard that cannot change its spots neither can we
change our nature. We are not sinners because we sin,
but rather, we sin because we are sinners. That's our
nature and that's why we need God's salvation to save
us from the eternal consequences of our sin--which is
eternal separation from God for all eternity in the
place the Bible calls hell.

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, thank you for providing a
way of escape from the eternal consequences of my
sinful nature in that you gave your Son, Jesus, to die
on the cross in my place to pay the punishment for all
my sins. Help me to be certain that I am a true
Christian, and that I have received your gift of
forgiveness and eternal life. And dear Jesus, because
you died for me, please help me to live for you always
in all ways. Thank you for hearing and answering my
prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus' name, amen."

For help be sure to read the article, "How to Be Sure
You're a Real Christian without having to be
religious" online at:
http://tinyurl.com/real-christian.

1. Jeremiah 13:23 (NIV).
2. See Romans 3:23.

<)))><

NOTE: If you would like to accept God's forgiveness
for all your sins and His invitation for a full pardon
Click on: http://www.actsweb.org/invitation.php. Or
if you would like to re-commit your life to Jesus Christ,
please click on http://www.actsweb.org/decision.php to note this.

* * * * * * *

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) 2012 by ACTS International.
When copying or forwarding include the following:
"Daily Encounter by Richard (Dick) Innes (c) 2012
ACTS International.

Today's Daily Encounter
Hammer Theology

"The reason you don't have what you want is that you
don't ask God for it. And even when you do ask, you
don't get it because your whole motive is wrong--you
want only what will give you pleasure."1

People who provide simplistic solutions to life's
complex problems can leave a trail of hurt people in
their path. I heard a so-called "faith healer" tell a
woman who had just experienced a major stroke that the
reason she wasn't healed after he prayed for her was
because she (and not he) lacked faith. I mean, how
cruel can you get?

I attended a lecture on healing attended by some 300
people, all in some form of ministry. At one point
during the lecture the speaker asked all those not
feeling well to stand. About 50 people
stood--including me. The speaker called on the demon
of sickness to be "cast out" en masse. He then told
all those who had been healed to sit down. All but
nine or ten of us sat down. One by one he then "cast
out" the demon of sickness and told the individual to
sit down if he had been healed. One by one they sat
down. Then came my turn! He then "cast" the demon of
sickness out of me. Nothing happened. The pressure to
conform and lie was incredible. I refused to do so. I
told the speaker that I still felt sick and that I
thought my upset stomach was because of a new
medication I was on, and I sat down. He moved on to
the next person. During the following break one
attendee thanked me for not yielding to the pressure
to conform.

I've heard another well-known speaker teach that the
answer to personal problems was to be filled with the
Holy Spirit, and another that the answer to loneliness
was to accept Jesus as your Savior. These may be an
answer for some situations but certainly not for all.
Some of our problems are physical in nature, including
biological problems such as a chemical imbalance in the
brain; numerous problems are emotional in nature caused
by unresolved negative emotions and/or by impaired
relationships; and some by a multiple of different
spiritual causes. Problems may be caused by a
combination of all three of these areas.

The causes of our problems can be very complex and
multiple and to tell a person who has appendicitis
that he has a demon or doesn't have enough faith to be
healed is ignorant, insensitive, cruel and possibly
even life-threatening--and certainly not Christian or
Christ-like.

As psychologist Abraham Maslow said, "If the only tool
you have is a hammer, you tend to see every problem as
a nail." May I suggest you stay clear of hammer
theology--it is neither of the truth nor of God.

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, please help me to be
sensitive to the needs of others and never give
simplistic solutions to life's complex problems. Help
me to understand the nature of human suffering and
always seek the truth about the true causes of my own
and other's problem, when called for, and thereby pray
accordingly. Thank you for hearing and answering my
prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus' name, amen."

1. James 4:2-3 (NLT).

<)))><

NOTE: If you would like to accept God's forgiveness
for all your sins and His invitation for a full pardon
Click on: http://www.actsweb.org/invitation.php. Or
if you would like to re-commit your life to Jesus Christ,
please click on http://www.actsweb.org/decision.php to note this.

* * * * * * *

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) 2012 by ACTS International.
When copying or forwarding include the following:
"Daily Encounter by Richard (Dick) Innes (c) 2012
ACTS International.

Today's Daily Encounter
Feeling Lost or Far From God

"From one man he made every nation of men … God did
this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out
for him and find him, though he is not far from each
one of us. 'For in him we live and move and have our
being.'"1

A Daily Encounter reader writes, "I am feeling lost
before God and fear that I will never get to heaven
and am on my way to hell. Please can you help me?"

Dear Janet (name changed), feeling lost in
relationship to God and feeling far from him is
something many people experience, so you are not alone
in your struggle. This can be caused by various things
such as the following:

First, it can be because we are depending on our
feelings rather than trusting in what God's Word says.
So be sure to read the article, "How to Be Sure You're
a Real Christian at http://tinyurl.com/8glq9. If you
prayed the prayer to receive Jesus as your Savior and
truly meant it, God has forgiven all your sins and has
guaranteed that you have the gift of eternal life in
Heaven with God forever. You need to believe God's
Word and what he says regardless of your feelings. We
are saved by faith in God and not by our feelings.

Second, feeling lost or far from God can be caused by
guilt … that is, if we are acting in ways that we know
are sinful and wrong. This causes a barrier to come
between us and God. If this is the case, you need to
confess your sins to God, ask for his forgiveness, and
change your ways.

Third, another major reason for feeling lost and/or
feeling far from God is because of impaired
relationships which can go back all the way from
yesterday to early childhood. If you have any
unresolved issues with any significant person in your
life, ask God to help you to resolve this if at all
possible. If this isn't possible, you need to resolve
any repressed negative feelings in you (such as hurt
and/or anger) regarding this relationship so you can
freely forgive the person (or persons) whom you feel
have hurt you. These supercharged negative feelings
not only build a barrier between ourselves and loved
ones, but also between ourselves and God. For further
help be sure to read the article, "Forgiveness: The
Power to Heal" at http://tinyurl.com/dvwh5. You may
also need the help of a well trained counselor to help
you resolve repressed negative emotions.

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, thank you that you are
close to me regardless of how I feel. Please reveal to
me the cause (or causes) of my feelings when I am
feeling lost or when it seems that you are far away.
With your help I choose to trust in you no matter
what, and please help my feelings to catch up with my
choice. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer.
Gratefully, in Jesus' name, amen."

1. Acts 17:26-28 (NIV).

<)))><

NOTE: If you would like to accept God's forgiveness
for all your sins and His invitation for a full pardon
Click on: http://www.actsweb.org/invitation.php. Or
if you would like to re-commit your life to Jesus Christ,
please click on http://www.actsweb.org/decision.php to note this.

* * * * * * *

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) 2012 by ACTS International.
When copying or forwarding include the following:
"Daily Encounter by Richard (Dick) Innes (c) 2012
ACTS International.

Today's Daily Encounter
Barking Dogs and Sleeping Lions

"Not many of you were wise by human standards; not
many were influential; not many were of noble birth.
But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame
the wise … the weak things of the world to shame the
strong … the lowly things of the world and the
despised things--and the things that are not--to
nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast
before him."1

Washington Irving is credited with having made the
remark that "a barking dog is often more useful than a
sleeping lion." Another way of saying the same thing is
that "the race is not always to the swift but to those
who keep on running."

One of the encouraging aspects about God is that you
don't have to be an expert or anything out of the
ordinary for him to use you. God uses people just like
you and me. Consider, for example, the men Jesus chose
to be his disciples: a couple of fishermen, a despised
tax gatherer, a traitor, and so on. They did, however,
spend three years with Jesus, the Master Teacher to
equip them for service.

Jesus himself didn't attend college or seminary (or
the equivalent in his day) but chose as his profession
to be a carpenter as was his earthly father.

For God to use us, all we need to do is to be
available and faithful to his calling. One of my daily
prayers is: "Dear God, I'm available. Please make me
usable and use me today to be as Christ to my family,
to someone in need, and in some way to every life I
touch."

What a difference we Christians would make in our
family, in our church, and in our world if every one
of us would pray this prayer and mean it--every day!

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, I'm available. Please
make me usable and use me today to be as Christ to my
family, to someone in need, and in some way to every
life I touch. Thank you for hearing and answering my
prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus' name, amen."

1. 1 Corinthians 1:26-28 (NIV).

<)))><

NOTE: If you would like to accept God's forgiveness
for all your sins and His invitation for a full pardon
Click on: http://www.actsweb.org/invitation.php. Or
if you would like to re-commit your life to Jesus Christ,
please click on http://www.actsweb.org/decision.php to note this.

* * * * * * *

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) 2012 by ACTS International.
When copying or forwarding include the following:
"Daily Encounter by Richard (Dick) Innes (c) 2012
ACTS International.

Today's Daily Encounter
Weight Watchers

"Share each other's troubles and problems, and in this
way obey the law of Christ."1

Jean Nidetch, a 214-pound homemaker desperate to lose
weight, went to the New York City Department of Health
where she was given a diet devised by Dr. Norman
Jolliffe. Two months later, discouraged about the 50
plus pounds still to go, she invited six overweight
friends home to share the diet and talk about how to
stay on it. This was in 1963.

Today, some 50 years later, one million members attend
250,000 Weight Watchers meetings in 24 countries every
week. Why was Nidetch able to help people take control
of their lives? To answer that, she tells a story. When
she was a teenager, she used to cross a park where she
saw mothers gossiping while the toddlers sat on their
swings, with no one to push them.

"I'd give them a push," says Nidetch.

"And you know what happens when you push a kid on a
swing? Pretty soon he's pumping, doing it himself.
That's what my role in life is--I'm there to give
others a push."2

And isn't that what Christianity and serving God is
all about? We're here to give others "a push" to help
them get up when they have fallen down and to get on
their own two feet. And who knows what might be the
eventual effect?

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, please help me to be a
'good pusher' to help those who need a helping hand
when they are down or in need. Thank you for hearing
and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus' name,
amen."

1. Galatians 6:2 (NLT).
2. The online source is no longer available but you
can see Jean Nidetch's story online at:
http://tinyurl.com/ygpzn6z.

<)))><

NOTE: If you would like to accept God's forgiveness
for all your sins and His invitation for a full pardon
Click on: http://www.actsweb.org/invitation.php. Or
if you would like to re-commit your life to Jesus Christ,
please click on http://www.actsweb.org/decision.php to note this.

* * * * * * *

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) 2012 by ACTS International.
When copying or forwarding include the following:
"Daily Encounter by Richard (Dick) Innes (c) 2012
ACTS International.
Today's Daily Encounter

Where's the Scent?

"The Lord disciplines those he loves … for our good,
that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems
pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however,
it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for
those who have been trained by it."1

Earl Nightingale told how on one National Secretaries
Day he gave his secretary flowers and she remarked how
beautiful they were. She also said that she couldn't
understand why they didn't have any scent.

He informed her that the flowers came from a hothouse
and explained that because flowers raised in this type
of environment have everything done for them, they
don't have to attract insects to pollinate them. As a
result they lose their scent. In the same way fruit
raised in a hothouse, because it doesn't need to
attract insects to scatter its seeds, doesn't taste as
good as fruit grown in its natural environment.

It's similar to the child who wanted to help a
butterfly out of its cocoon by putting a slit in it
and, in so doing, caused it to die. He didn't realize
that the struggle to get out of the cocoon is needed
to strengthen the butterfly's wings so that it is able
to fly.

When people do too much for us or overprotect us,
especially in our early developmental years, they can
do serious harm to us. And even in adulthood it's the
problems and difficulties we have that strengthen us,
build character, give wisdom, understanding, and
compassion--if we let them. Note, too, that if we ask
God to give us wisdom and guidance, he will, but he
won't overprotect us from the things we need to help
and make us grow--and to teach us wisdom!

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, help me not to run from
my fears, trials, and problems but accept them as
opportunities for personal and spiritual growth. Thank
you for hearing and answering my prayer, Gratefully in
Jesus name, amen."

1. Hebrews 12:6, 10-11 (NIV).

<)))><

NOTE: If you would like to accept God's forgiveness
for all your sins and His invitation for a full pardon
Click on: http://www.actsweb.org/invitation.php. Or
if you would like to re-commit your life to Jesus Christ,
please click on http://www.actsweb.org/decision.php to note this.

* * * * * * *

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) 2012 by ACTS International.
When copying or forwarding include the following:
"Daily Encounter by Richard (Dick) Innes (c) 2012
ACTS International.

Today's Daily Encounter
Lost in Wonder, Love and Awe

"But you [God] desire honesty from the heart, so you
can teach me to be wise in my inmost being."1

In response to an earlier Daily Encounter on
materialism being caused by the repression of the
emotion of wonder, Kay wrote, "I really like what you
said about wonder. I think we get so caught up with
the day-to-day drive that we miss out on so many
things that are 'wonderful' because we don't value
this emotion enough. Could you please discuss how we
who are overworked and tired can take some time to
re-activate that sense?"

If you are in touch with your emotions, you need to
make and "take time to smell the roses" … to walk on
the beach, climb a mountain, sing songs, listen to
quality music, dance in the snow, let your hair down,
plant a garden, have fun, etc., etc. This will greatly
increase your appreciation of God and the marvels of
his creation. As the hymn writer put it we become
"lost in wonder, love and awe."

However, if one is repressed and out of touch with
his/her God-given emotions, it's a lot more
complicated than this.

In much younger days I'd never even heard of the
emotion of wonder. The only clue I had that something
was missing in my life was that I constantly felt
empty inside. On the outside I was living what would
be considered a good Christian life but emotionally I
felt blah. I recall sharing how I felt with a friend
and he, too, felt the same way. Both of us had grown
up being taught that feelings weren't important and
that you couldn't trust them. So, in spite of all we
had been taught, we got down on our knees, told God
how we felt, and asked him to give us some feelings
anyhow.

Whew … be careful how you pray. Very soon after
praying that prayer my world fell apart. I won't bore
you with the details but I surely did get feelings
back. Early in life I learned to build walls around my
heart to protect myself from hurt and negative
feelings. However, in hiding my negative feelings I
also put walls around my positive feelings and they
became buried and repressed too. Unfortunately, as
pain is the way into hiding, pain is also the way out.
I learned it was only when my pain was greater than my
fear that I was able to break through the walls
(defenses) that had cut off my feelings.

My recovery didn't happen overnight by any means and I
had many painful experiences to go through, but as a
result I am a much healthier, happier, more contented,
and more fulfilled person today than I was at half my
age.

Let me suggest as a starting point for experiencing
wonder that you genuinely pray today's prayer: "Dear
God, thank you that I have been created in your image
with the ability to think, to feel, and to choose.
Please help me to get in touch with all of my
God-given emotions (no matter how painful this may be)
so that I can experience the glory of your presence and
the marvels of your creation--and therein be lost in
wonder, love, and awe. Please grant that my life will
become wonder-full. Thank you for hearing and
answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus' name, amen."

P.S. For additional help in this area be sure to read
the book, You Can't Fly With a Broken Wing, by yours
truly. Check it out at www.actscom.com/store.

1. Psalm 51:6 (TLB)(NLT).

<)))><

NOTE: If you would like to accept God's forgiveness
for all your sins and His invitation for a full pardon
Click on: http://www.actsweb.org/invitation.php. Or
if you would like to re-commit your life to Jesus Christ,
please click on http://www.actsweb.org/decision.php to note this.

* * * * * * *
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) 2012 by ACTS International.
When copying or forwarding include the following:
"Daily Encounter by Richard (Dick) Innes (c) 2012
ACTS International.

Today's Daily Encounter
Enrich Your Personal Life Part III

"Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and
not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint."1

Another way for enriching your personal life is by
investing your life in a worthwhile cause. Everybody
needs something to live for that is bigger than him or
herself--a noble or worthwhile cause into which he/she
can put his/her best efforts.

A few years ago I was going through a particularly
difficult time. Had it not been for both my work and
an outside project, I'm sure I would have cracked
under the strain. My work is helping people discover
more meaningful personal and spiritual values and my
outside project at that time was building my own home
with my own hands--both worthwhile causes.

A creative use of one's talents is also essential for
giving meaning to life. God gave us all talents to
use. When we aren't using them, we feel unfulfilled.

One man I know was very successful in his work but he
was feeling very unfulfilled in it. He felt his job
was too small and that he wasn't using his best
talents. So he took the risk, quit his job and went
back to college to train for the work he really wanted
to do. He struggled for several years but today he has
built a work that is helping many people, and this has
greatly enhanced his purpose for living.

This is why I believe it is important to discover what
your best talent is (or talents are), get the training
you need to sharpen that talent, and find a place
where you can use it--either in your job, in a hobby,
in your church, or with a volunteer organization.
God's purpose for your life will definitely involve
the use of your gifts and talents in ways to help
others.

Faith, hope, and charity. The poet Goethe lists nine
requisites for meaningful living. They are as follows:
"Health enough to make work a pleasure. Wealth enough
to support your needs. Strength enough to battle with
difficulties and overcome them. Grace enough to
confess your sins and forsake them. Patience enough to
toil until some good is accomplished. Charity enough to
see some good in your neighbor. Love enough to move you
to be useful and helpful to others. Faith enough to
make real the things of God. Hope enough to remove all
anxious fears concerning the future."

There is, I am sure, no greater way to increase your
hope for the future and enrich your personal life than
by learning to love others more fully, by developing a
vital faith in God, and discovering and fulfilling
your God-given life purpose. Why not tell God right
now that you want to do that and confirm your decision
by becoming more involved as a volunteer in community
service, a mission organization, and/or in your church
or chapel. If you are not involved in a local church,
ask God to help you find the church that is right for
you.

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, please help me to
increase my hope and trust in you and thereby renew my
strength and, as I serve you with meaningful purpose,
help me to soar on wings as eagles, run and not be
weary, and walk and not faint. Thank you for hearing
and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus' name,
amen."

1. Isaiah 40:31 (NIV).

<)))><

NOTE: If you would like to accept God's forgiveness
for all your sins and His invitation for a full pardon
Click on: http://www.actsweb.org/invitation.php. Or
if you would like to re-commit your life to Jesus Christ,
please click on http://www.actsweb.org/decision.php to note this.

* * * * * * *

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) 2012 by ACTS International.
When copying or forwarding include the following:
"Daily Encounter by Richard (Dick) Innes (c) 2012
ACTS International.

Today's Daily Encounter
Enrich Your Personal Life Part II

"Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your
might."1

It is purpose--not wealth or success--that makes life
worthwhile. Purpose makes even drudgery acceptable and
is an immunization against many sicknesses. How then
can we find more meaning and purpose to life? The
following tips can help:

Getting out of yourself. Another grandmother I know
had a large family to bring up and was widowed
reasonably early in life. She had her share of
heartaches but never allowed these to get her down.
She lived a full and active life and had a wonderful
gift for passing on cheer to those around her. Her
secret was helping other people. She was an active
member of her church and had a deep conviction that
one of the basic purposes of the church was to help
people less fortunate than herself. One way she did
this was through years of hospital visitation to pass
on a word of comfort to the sick.

No matter how busy we are or how many problems we
have, we can all find little ways to bring cheer to
those around us--like bringing home a rose for your
wife, a special treat for the children, a favor for a
neighbor. Visit someone who is shut-in. Write a note,
use your telephone, or send an email to tell a friend
you appreciate him or her. Words of encouragement and
acts of kindness do wonders for both the giver and the
receiver.

A vital part of finding happiness and contentment is
found in discovering something more important than
yourself to believe in, by helping others, and by
directing your thoughts and actions towards them.
Egotists are seldom happy.

Love and friendship are also essential for giving life
meaning and purpose. Without wholesome relationships,
which give us a sense of belonging, we live as islands
alone in a very large universe.

So take time for friends. They are a priceless asset
in life. "Do you want to make friends?" asks Dale
Carnegie, who gives the following advice. "Be
friendly. Forget yourself. You can make more friends
in two months by becoming interested in other people
than you can in two years by trying to get other
people interested in you."

And remember, as another has said, "The person all
wrapped up in himself makes a very small package."

To be concluded …

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, please help me to live
life beyond myself, love people, and therein serve you
by serving others. Thank you for hearing and answering
my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus' name, amen."

1. Ecclesiastes 9:10 (NIV).

<)))><

NOTE: If you would like to accept God's forgiveness
for all your sins and His invitation for a full pardon
Click on: http://www.actsweb.org/invitation.php. Or
if you would like to re-commit your life to Jesus Christ,
please click on http://www.actsweb.org/decision.php to note this.

* * * * * * *

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) 2012 by ACTS International.

When copying or forwarding include the following:
"Daily Encounter by Richard (Dick) Innes (c) 2012
ACTS International.

Today's Daily Encounter

Enrich Your Personal Life Part I

"For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. If I
am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful
labor for me…."1

Several years ago one grandmother I know sold off the
old family home, pulled up her roots, left many of her
friends and activities behind, and moved to a
retirement village in another town. She had been
healthy and energetic all her life, but in the last
year after her move she aged considerably and
developed a terminal illness.

At age 65 another friend of mine retired from being a
full-time minister of a large church and set up a
full-time counseling center and wrote his first book.
His book became a bestseller and he has since written
ten more. At age 80 he had slowed down but was still
counseling and writing.

What made the difference between these two people?
Like many elderly people who retire or move to another
place, the first person suffered deeply from the loss
of friends, her home of many years, and the activities
she was used to. She became lonely and life for her
seemed to lose its meaning. She had no real purpose to
carry her through this time of major change and
readjustment.

The second person, however, had something to live for
long before his retirement. He just continued it after
"retirement."

Loneliness, emptiness, boredom, and lack of purpose
are all a very real part of modern man's dilemma. They
are indicative of our failure to find meaning for
living and they show up in the alarming abuse of
alcohol and other drugs, and in the high depression
and suicide rate.

In America, for example, the most affluent country on
earth, some 40,000 people take their own lives each
year, while it is estimated that ten times that number
attempt to. That means in our country one person out of
every 6,000 commits suicide each year. And there are
countless others who, while living in the midst of
abundance, to quote Henry D. Thoreau, live lives of
"quiet desperation."

The tragedy in life, however, is not death, but
rather, as Albert Schweitzer once said, "what dies
inside a man [or woman] while he/she lives." A person
dies inside when he has no meaningful purpose outside
of himself for which to live.

To be continued …

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, please help me to
discover my God-given life purpose and then, with your
help, employ all of my powers for the achievement of
this purpose. And please grant that what I contribute
will help make the world in which I live a better
place for others to live. Thank you for hearing and
answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus' name,
amen."

1. The Apostle Paul in Philippians 1:21-22 (NIV).

<)))><

NOTE: If you would like to accept God's forgiveness
for all your sins and His invitation for a full pardon
Click on: http://www.actsweb.org/invitation.php. Or
if you would like to re-commit your life to Jesus Christ,
please click on http://www.actsweb.org/decision.php to note this.

* * * * * * *

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) 2012 by ACTS International.
When copying or forwarding include the following:
"Daily Encounter by Richard (Dick) Innes (c) 2012
ACTS International.

Today's Daily Encounter

The Pleasure of an Icy Caress

"'Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ
will shine on you.' Be very careful, then, how you
live--not as unwise but as wise."1

The man huddled on the cabin floor was slowly freezing
to death. It was high in the Rockies in southwestern
Alberta, and outside a blizzard raged. John Elliott
had logged miles that day through the deep snows of
the mountain passes. As he checked for avalanches and
as dusk and exhaustion overcame him he had decided to
"hole-up for the night."

He made it wearily to his cabin but somewhat dazed
with fatigue, he did not light a fire or remove his
wet clothing. As the blizzard blasted through the
cracks in the old cabin walls, the sleeping forest
ranger sank into oblivion, paralyzed by the pleasure
of the storm's icy caress.

Suddenly, however, his dog sprang into action, and
with unrelenting whines, finally managed to rouse his
near-comatose friend. The dog was John's constant
companion, a St. Bernard, one of a long line of dogs
famous for their heroics in times of crisis.
"If that dog hadn't been with me, I'd be dead today,"
John Elliott says. "When you're freezing to death you
actually feel warm all over, and don't wake up because
it feels too good."2

Life can be like that too. Millions of people, whose
lives are filled with the pleasures and occupied with
the pursuits of the world, are lulled to sleep
spiritually, warm and cozy in their complacency,
oblivious to the fact that they are heading pell-mell
towards a lost eternity without God and without hope.*

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, please use me to help
awaken those who are spiritually asleep and unaware
that they are on their way to a lost eternity without
you. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer.
Gratefully, in Jesus' name, amen."

1. Ephesians 5:14-15 (NIV).
2. "Paralyzed by the Pleasure of an Icy Caress," The
Prairie Overcomer. Cited on Aces Online
www.acesonline.org.

*To discover hope click on: http://tinyurl.com/8glq9

<)))><

NOTE: If you would like to accept God's forgiveness
for all your sins and His invitation for a full pardon
Click on: http://www.actsweb.org/invitation.php. Or
if you would like to re-commit your life to Jesus Christ,
please click on http://www.actsweb.org/decision.php to note this.

* * * * * * *

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) 2012 by ACTS International.
When copying or forwarding include the following:
"Daily Encounter by Richard (Dick) Innes (c) 2012
ACTS International.

Today's Daily Encounter
To Make a Life

"Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all
the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it
to the right or to the left, that you may be
successful wherever you go. Do not let this Book of
the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and
night, so that you may be careful to do everything
written in it. Then you will be prosperous and
successful."1

Haim Potok, a Jewish rabbi, scholar and writer, was
born into an orthodox Jewish family in 1929. He grew
up in New York City and started writing fiction when
he was only sixteen years old.2

Repeatedly his Polish immigrant parents would keep
telling him, "Haim, be a brain surgeon. You will make
a lot of money and you will save a lot of people from
dying."

Time and again they would give him the same advice,
"Haim, be a brain surgeon. You will make a lot of
money and you will save a lot of people from dying."

However, Heim wanted to be a writer and after repeated
advice from both his mother and father telling him what
he should do with his life, he shouted back at his
mother, "I don't want to stop people from dying. I
want to teach them how to live."3

Speaking personally I spent many years gaining an
education that taught me many things--but never how to
live. I had to learn that in the "College of
Hardknocks!"

True, making a living is very important but learning
how to live is much more important. And that's what
God's Word, the Bible, is all about. As God said to
Joshua some 4,000 years ago if you follow all of my
laws, "Then you will be prosperous and successful."

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, please help me to get my
priorities straight so that I will always live in
harmony with your Word and become prosperous and
successful as you define these qualities. Thank you
for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in
Jesus' name, amen."

1. Joshua 1:7-8 (NIV).
2. SparkNotes,
http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/chosen/context.html
3. From a sermon by Tod Bolsinger, San Clemente
Presbyterian Church, San Clemente, California.

<)))<<

NOTE: If you would like to accept God's forgiveness
for all your sins and His invitation for a full pardon
Click on: http://www.actsweb.org/invitation.php. Or
if you would like to re-commit your life to Jesus Christ,
please click on http://www.actsweb.org/decision.php to note this.

* * * * * * *

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) 2012 by ACTS International.

When copying or forwarding include the following:
"Daily Encounter by Richard (Dick) Innes (c) 2012
ACTS International.

Today's Daily Encounter
Not Feeling Guilty When We Should: Guilt Part III

"The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will
abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and
things taught by demons. Such teachings come through
hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared
as with a hot iron."1

In a California murder case some time back, a case
that dragged out for months, the man being prosecuted
appeared to have a seared or dead conscience. The way
he lived and used other people for his own ends, and
showed no sorrow regarding this, nor any visible
emotion when he was handed a death sentence seemed to
indicate this.

This brings us to another aspect concerning guilt we
need to understand. True, it's important to resolve
false guilt and shame so we don't feel guilty or
shameful when we shouldn't. On the other hand there
are some people who don't feel guilty when they
should--when they have done wrong.

Some, who are too prideful to admit when they have
done wrong and refuse to say, "I was wrong. I am
sorry. Please forgive me," often play the blame-game
and project the blame onto somebody else. These people
have a very poor self-image and need to resolve that.
(Actually one of our greatest strengths is to admit
our weaknesses and mistakes. Only then can we ever
overcome them. Denial traps us in the web of our own
insecurities.)

Then there are those who have what the Bible describes
as a seared conscience. What they and we all need to
realize is that guilt in the Bible is a legal term.
That is, if we have done wrong and sinned, we are
guilty whether we feel guilty or not. The same is true
with the law of the land. The court is not going to
make a judgment on the basis of whether we feel guilty
or not. If we broke the law, we will be judged on the
basis of what we did--not on the basis of our feelings
or whether we had a dead conscience.

The word "conscience" itself literally means "with
knowledge" ("con" meaning "with" and "science" meaning
"knowledge"). The emotional term in the Bible
associated with guilt is Godly sorrow.2 In other
words, when we have sinned, the mature and healthy
response is to admit it, feel sorrowful for it,
confess it, and repent of (turn away from) it, and be
forgiven.

Denying our actions when we have done wrong and
willfully continuing with these wrong or sinful
actions can readily lead to a seared conscience. This
is a very dangerous path to pursue.

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, please give me the
courage to admit when I have done wrong and deliver me
from the sin of denial so that I will never end up with
a dead or seared conscience. And thank you that when I
confess my wrongs and sins, you freely forgive me. And
then please help me to forgive myself. Thank you for
hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus'
name, amen."

1. 1 Timothy 4:1-2 (NIV).
2. "Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to
salvation and leaves no regret" (2 Corinthians 7:10
(NIV)).

<)))><

NOTE: If you would like to accept God's forgiveness
for all your sins and His invitation for a full pardon
Click on: http://www.actsweb.org/invitation.php. Or
if you would like to re-commit your life to Jesus Christ,
please click on http://www.actsweb.org/decision.php to note this.

* * * * * * *

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) 2012 by ACTS International.

When copying or forwarding include the following:
"Daily Encounter by Richard (Dick) Innes (c) 2012
ACTS International.

Today's Daily Encounter

A God Thing

"You will seek me and find me when you seek me with
all your heart."1

According to Jim Green, Executive Director of The
JESUS Film Project, "A Jesus film team was driving to
a film showing site in a Muslim nation, a remote
region that has hardly been touched by the Good News.
It was a restricted area, with many hazards for those
who would dare to openly share their faith. As the
team drove along, they prayed that God would go before
them and open doors of opportunity and give them
safety.

"Just before they arrived at the village, a policeman
flagged down their car. It seemed that an Islamic
teacher needed a ride. The officer made the
introductions and asked if they could help. Feeling it
was an acceptable and necessary risk, they agreed and
offered a ride, and continued towards town.

"You can imagine the anxiety the team must have felt
when this highly respected teacher asked, 'Tell me,
are you the ones planning to tell people about God?'

"Entrusting themselves to the Lord, they responded,
'Yes, we are.' Apprehension turned to astonishment as
they listened to what this teacher said next. Bouncing
along the dusty road, the teacher told the team how he
had experienced a unique dream.

"'I was told to come to this spot in the road, at this
time, and that I would encounter someone who would tell
me about God. It must be you.'

"They gave him some literature that JESUS film teams
carry in the local language, and invited him to come
the showing of JESUS that night. He not only came but
also helped distribute literature to the people!"2

It is my personal conviction that if an individual
sincerely seeks God and his truth, God will reveal
himself to him/her in whatever way or through whomever
he chooses.

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, thank you that whenever I
or anyone sincerely seeks you with all their heart,
they will find you. Gratefully, in Jesus' name, amen."


For more information about "Jesus Christ: Is He God or
Man?" click on http://tinyurl.com/award

For help to know Jesus personally click on:
http://tinyurl.com/8glq9

1. Jeremiah 29:13 (NIV).
2. Jim Green, Executive Director of The JESUS Film
Project, a division of Campus Crusade for Christ
International. Monthly report letter, July 8, 2005.

<)))><

NOTE: If you would like to accept God's forgiveness
for all your sins and His invitation for a full pardon
Click on: http://www.actsweb.org/invitation.php. Or
if you would like to re-commit your life to Jesus Christ,
please click on http://www.actsweb.org/decision.php to note this.

* * * * * * *

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) 2012 by ACTS International.
When copying or forwarding include the following:
"Daily Encounter by Richard (Dick) Innes (c) 2012
ACTS International.

Today's Daily Encounter
Freedom from Guilt, Part II

"Day and night your hand of discipline was heavy on
me. My strength evaporated like water in the summer
heat. 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

In continuing our three-part series on guilt, we
explained yesterday that genuine confession is the way
to resolve true guilt.

Most readers will be familiar with David's sin of
adultery with Bathsheba and his ordering her husband,
Uriah, to be killed in a vain attempt to cover what he
had done. The only person he fooled, of course, was
himself. What he did wasn't hidden either from God or
his own conscience. In today's Scripture it shows how
he struggled with his guilt but then when he confessed
it, he felt free from his guilt--and greatly relieved.

Resolving false guilt and shame aren't as simple to
overcome because neither one of them is
guilt--regardless of how they feel.

As we said yesterday, false guilt comes from early
conditioning, usually from parents, but it can be
caused by legalistic religion too. To overcome this
issue one needs to re-condition his thoughts and
feelings. It starts with recognizing what is true and
what is false. When feeling guilty, ask yourself, "Am
I really guilty? Did I really do anything wrong?" If
not, tell yourself, "No, I didn't do anything wrong
and I am not guilty." The more you do this (with
strong feeling), in time the more you will be able to
slowly recondition your feelings and thoughts.

Also, if you are feeling guilty and are confused,
share your feelings with a trusted friend or counselor
to confirm whether your feelings are valid and based on
reality. Don't share with anyone whose purpose is only
to make you feel good regardless of whether you did
wrong or not. That will do more to hurt you rather
than help you.

If you struggle with shame, you will also need to
re-condition or re-program your feelings and thoughts
about yourself. This takes time too. Again, you need
to share (confess) what you have done and/or how you
feel even if you haven't done anything wrong to a
safe, trusted friend or counselor, and as they love
and accept you just as you are and don't "shame" you,
in time, little by little you will learn to accept
yourself with all of your faults and be free from
those wretched feelings of shame. This takes
considerable time and persistence, however, because we
don't undo years of false conditioning overnight.

Confession not only to God, but also to the right
person (a safe non-judgmental person), at the right
time, for the right reason is foundational for
healing. As James wrote in the Bible, "Therefore
confess your sins to each other and pray for each
other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a
righteous man is powerful and effective."2

To be continued …

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, please help me grow to
the point where I am free from false guilt and shame,
and be genuinely sorrowful for my sins. Thank you
again that when I confess my sins to you, you fully
forgive me. Help me to forgive myself and, with your
help, overcome sinful actions. Thank you for hearing
and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus' name,
amen."

1. Psalm 32:4-6 (NLT).
2. James 5:16 (NIV).

For additional help:

See See Guilt-Throwers Vs. Guilt-Catchers at:
www.actsweb.org/daily.php?id=434.

Freedom from Guilt, by psychologist Dr Bruce
Narramore. It's available online while supplies last
at: http://actscom.com/store/books_2b.htm

<)))><

NOTE: If you would like to accept God's forgiveness
for all your sins and His invitation for a full pardon
Click on: http://www.actsweb.org/invitation.php. Or
if you would like to re-commit your life to Jesus Christ,
please click on http://www.actsweb.org/decision.php to note this.

* * * * * * *

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) 2012 by ACTS International.
When copying or forwarding include the following:
"Daily Encounter by Richard (Dick) Innes (c) 2012
ACTS International.

Today's Daily Encounter
Freedom from Guilt, Part I

"If we confess our sins, he [God] is faithful and just
and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all
unrighteousness."1

"Dear Sir, I have been a Christian for almost a
decade," writes a Daily Encounter reader, "but I have
this overwhelming sense of guilt. I cannot seem to
shake it. What can I do?"

"Dear Stephen (name changed), you are not alone in
your struggle. It's a problem many experience. To
overcome, it is essential to understand the difference
between true guilt, false guilt, and shame. Some
psychologists claim that guilt is psychologically
damaging. This is not correct regarding true guilt. We
ought to feel guilty when we have done wrong. If we
don't, we face the danger of developing a seared
conscience. It's false guilt and shame that are
psychologically damaging.

While true guilt says you have done wrong, false guilt
makes you feel guilty even when you haven't done
anything wrong. And shame says that you are a bad
person not only when you have done something wrong but
often when you haven't.

With true guilt when we have admitted that we have
done wrong, confessed it to God and asked for his
forgiveness and, where necessary, asked the one we
have hurt for his or her forgiveness--and wherever
possible have put right the wrong we have done, the
guilt feelings go. As today's Scripture assures us,
when we confess our sins, God forgives us … and then
we need to forgive ourselves.

However, if after confessing our sins we still feel
guilty, guilt is not the problem. If, for example, I
am a perfectionist and have unrealistic expectations
of myself and am beating myself up because of what I
did wrong, the problem is my perfectionism. Or if as a
child I was controlled by an overbearing parent and
made to feel guilty if I didn't conform to his or her
every demand, present situations where I have done
something my parents had opposed--even if there was
nothing wrong with it--this can trigger those old
memories and feelings of false guilt.

Or if my early life was shame-based; that is, if
whenever I did something wrong an angry or critical
parent repeatedly said in a harsh tone, "Shame on you
… you bad person," as an adult whenever I do wrong, or
even feel I have done something wrong, I will feel that
old shame regardless of how irrelevant it may be today.


So, how do we overcome?

To be continued….

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, please help me to discern
the difference between true guilt, false guilt and
shame and lead me to the help I need to overcome any
feelings of false guilt or shame in my life. And
wherever there is true guilt, give me the courage to
confess what I have done, and ask for your
forgiveness. Thank you for hearing and answering my
prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus' name, amen."

1. 1 John 1:9 (NIV).

<)))><

NOTE: If you would like to accept God's forgiveness
for all your sins and His invitation for a full pardon
Click on: http://www.actsweb.org/invitation.php. Or
if you would like to re-commit your life to Jesus Christ,
please click on http://www.actsweb.org/decision.php to note this.

* * * * * * *
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) 2012 by ACTS International.
When copying or forwarding include the following:
"Daily Encounter by Richard (Dick) Innes (c) 2012
ACTS International.

Today's Daily Encounter
Some Fell on Stony Ground

"A sower [farmer] went out to sow his seed. And as he
sowed, some fell by the wayside; and it was trampled
down, and the birds of the air devoured it. Some fell
on rock; and as soon as it sprang up, it withered away
because it lacked moisture. And some fell among thorns,
and the thorns sprang up with it and choked it. But
others fell on good ground, sprang up, and yielded a
crop a hundredfold." When He had said these things He
cried, "He who has ears to hear let him hear!"1

Probably most people like to have a nice lawn around
their house. Joy and I certainly do. We used to have a
lovely front lawn, but unfortunately ugly weedy-type
grass has taken a hold and ruined it. Unfortunately, I
didn't get rid of it when it first appeared, so to make
it good again, I'll have to destroy the entire lawn and
start over from scratch.

It's amazing how easily ugly grasses and weeds grow,
but to maintain a good lawn and garden takes constant
care. Hopefully this summer I will make the effort to
plant a new lawn. To do so, I will first have to
destroy our entire lawn, carefully re-cultivate the
soil, and get a new layer of top soil before planting
new good lawn seed, and then take care of it so it
will take root and thrive.

It's exactly the same with the "seed and soil" as
illustrated by Jesus in his parable in today's
Scripture passage. The seed represents God's message
as found in his Word the Bible--a message that
includes his message of salvation--and, as Jesus
explained, the four soils represent all those who hear
God's message and what they do in response to it.

The four soils are best explained in the words of
Jesus: "Now the parable is this: The seed is the word
of God. Those by the wayside are the ones who hear;
then the devil comes and takes away the word out of
their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved.
But the ones on the rock are those who, when they
hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no
root, who believe for a while and in time of
temptation fall away. Now the ones that fell among
thorns are those who, when they have heard, go out and
are choked with cares, riches, and pleasures of life,
and bring no fruit to maturity. But the ones that fell
on the good ground are those who, having heard the word
with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit
with patience."2

Today's question to you and me is this: "Which soil
represents you?" Have you accepted God's message of
forgiveness and eternal life and allowed it to grow in
"good reproductive soil"? For help to receive God's
forgiveness see "How to Be Sure You're a Real
Christian" at: www.actsweb.org/christian.

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, please give me the desire
to not only hear your Word, but also the good sense to
listen to it with my heart, accept it, and follow its
direction knowing that it is for both my temporal and
eternal wellbeing. Thank you for hearing and answering
my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus name, amen."

1. Luke 8:5-8 (NKJV).
2. Luke 8: 11-15 (NKJV).

<)))><

NOTE: If you would like to accept God's forgiveness
for all your sins and His invitation for a full pardon
Click on: http://www.actsweb.org/invitation.php. Or
if you would like to re-commit your life to Jesus Christ,
please click on http://www.actsweb.org/decision.php to note this.

* * * * * * *

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) 2012 by ACTS International.
When copying or forwarding include the following:
"Daily Encounter by Richard (Dick) Innes (c) 2012
ACTS International.

Today's Daily Encounter
Great Weddings or Great Marriages

"Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing
with one another in love."1

"The glossy, coffee-table book was grandly titled, The
Greatest Weddings of All Time. It featured media stars
like Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston, Prince Charles
and Princess Diana, Marilyn Monroe and Joe DiMaggio,
Ted Turner and Jane Fonda."

As Mark Early of BreakPoint said, "Sadly, most
relationships like those don't last very long--which
is probably why the book celebrates great weddings
instead of great marriages."2

Like far too many marriages, partners have little or
no idea what qualities to look for in a spouse--and
even more importantly--what qualities they need to
have in order to find a suitable partner and to make a
happy marriage.

I've taught in divorce and recovery groups for a
number of years and over and over I hear the same
question asked: "How can I find a good marriage
partner?"

My answer is always the same, "By being a good
marriage partner."

The reality is that like attracts like. If I want to
find a mature partner, I need to be a mature person.
If I want to have a happy marriage, I need to be a
happy person. Only happy, mature people have happy,
mature marriages.

And why should I expect God to give me a great partner
if I'm an immature, self-centered, control freak or
whatever? Trust me, he won't.

Before getting married, or to help save a poor
marriage, or to make an even good marriage better,
learn what it takes to make it happen. Read good books
on marriage relationships.* Attend relationships and
growth seminars. Join a recovery and/or growth group.
Learn how to communicate effectively. Good
relationships don't happen by chance. They take
knowledge, understanding, commitment, and hard work on
the part of each partner so that they become healthy
and mature (spiritually and emotionally) and are thus
able to build a healthy and lasting marriage.

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, please help me to grow in
faith and love and every grace so that I will become a
mature and whole person and thereby be able to build
mature, loving and lasting relationships. Thank you
for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in
Jesus' name, amen."

1. Ephesians 4:2 (NIV).
2. Mark Earley, BreakPoint, June 28, 2005.

*See http://www.actscom.com/store/books for some
excellent book suggestions.

<)))><

NOTE: If you would like to accept God's forgiveness
for all your sins and His invitation for a full pardon
Click on: http://www.actsweb.org/invitation.php. Or
if you would like to re-commit your life to Jesus Christ,
please click on http://www.actsweb.org/decision.php to note this.

* * * * * * *

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) 2012 by ACTS International.
When copying or forwarding include the following:
"Daily Encounter by Richard (Dick) Innes (c) 2012
ACTS International.

Today's Daily Encounter
Great Hymns of the Church

"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all
wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms
and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in
your hearts to the Lord."1

Recently a friend sent me an audio video of the
wonderful old hymn written in 1912 by evangelist
George Bennard. It made me homesick--not only for
heaven--but also for the hymns of the faith that so
many of "we oldies" grew up with and that, for many
years, we sang regularly in our churches. It was "The
Old Rugged Cross." What a soul-stirring message.

I can't even remember the last time I heard this hymn
sung in church. Nor can I remember the last time I
heard another equally grand old hymn: "When I Survey
the Wondrous Cross" which I am playing on my computer
right now. Hear the words--what a message:

"When I survey the wondrous cross/on which the Prince
of Glory died/my richest gain I count but loss/and
pour contempt on all my pride. Were the whole realm of
nature mine/that were an offering far too small/love so
amazing, so divine/demands my soul, my life, my all."

Hear "When I Survey the Wondrous Cross" at:
http://tinyurl.com/42wfntt, or at this we address
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3C_GJAnPOpw&feature=related,
and hear "The Old Rugged Cross" at
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rylsA5_0jcM&feature=related.

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, thank you for the grand
old hymns of the Christian faith that express your
great love and sacrifice for mankind. What a joy it
will be when we all get to heaven and sing these great
messages together with you in person. In the meantime,
please help me always to live the words that I sing
for the glory and praise of your holy and eternal
name. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer.
Gratefully, in Jesus name, amen."

1. Colossians 3:16 (NKJV).

<)))><

NOTE: If you would like to accept God's forgiveness
for all your sins and His invitation for a full pardon
Click on: http://www.actsweb.org/invitation.php. Or
if you would like to re-commit your life to Jesus Christ,
please click on http://www.actsweb.org/decision.php to note this.

* * * * * * *

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) 2012 by ACTS International.
When copying or forwarding include the following:
"Daily Encounter by Richard (Dick) Innes (c) 2012
ACTS International.
Today's Daily Encounter

Ask the Blind Man--He Saw It All

"What do you want me to do for you?" Jesus asked him.
The blind man said, "Rabbi, I want to see."1

Down the long, dusty road on their way from Jericho to
Jerusalem, some two thousand years ago, trod Jesus with
His motley band of twelve disciples, followed by a huge
crowd.

They were probably already hot and sweaty. The dust
clung to them, but, because Jesus was at the height of
His popularity, the great crowd of people pressed close
to Him. They were jabbering endlessly. Asking
questions. Seeking favors. They could be heard a mile
away.

"Hey, what's all the noise?" blind Bartimaeus asked
his friend as they sat by the roadside begging.

"I don't know," answered his friend with a puzzled
tone in his voice.

"Let's ask somebody else," they agreed.

"It's Jesus," a passer-by informed them.

"You mean Jesus of Nazareth, the fellow they claim can
heal the sick and the blind?" Bartimaeus excitedly
asked.

"That's the One," he replied, "and I'm not going to
miss seeing him for anything."

The crowd came closer and closer. Excitement filled
the air. The noise became intense. "I can't believe
it," shouted Bartimaeus to his friend. "This just has
to be my lucky day. I've got to get to Jesus. I know
He can heal me."

"Hey, Bart, there He is," cried Bartimaeus's friend,
"but how will you ever get his attention?"

"This is it," said Bartimaeus. "I may never come close
to Jesus again. I want to be healed."

With dignity dismissed, Bartimaeus, seeking to be
heard above the rowdy crowd, yelled at the top of his
voice, "Jesus, have mercy on me! O Lord, son of David,
have mercy on me!"

"Cool it, man! Calm down! Shut up!" retorted some of
the crowd to Bartimaeus. "You're making a fool of
yourself. There are so many others here you don't
stand a chance of getting to Jesus, so just relax and
keep quiet!"

But Bartimaeus was all the more determined to get to
Jesus. He couldn't see with his eyes but he sure could
with his heart … and he could yell. He cried out all
the louder. Hear his voice rise above the din of the
crowd. It rang out like a great clarion call. "Jesus,
O Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! Jesus, O Lord,
Son of David, have mercy on me!"

And Jesus stood still.

And the crowds stood still.

And a great calm settled down over them all.

Imagine it. The winds and the waves couldn't stop the
Savior. Neither could angry mobs. Crowds of people
couldn't stop him either. But the call of one lone,
blind beggar did.

And Jesus with his great heart of compassion called
for Bartimaeus to be brought to him. "What do you want
me to do for you?" Jesus asked.

"Lord," Bartimaeus replied, "please give me my sight."


And Jesus did. "Go your way," He said, "your faith has
made you whole."

Immediately Bartimaeus could see and he followed Jesus
along the way.2

Most of us are not physically blind, but many of us
suffer from spiritual blindness. If we are as
determined as Bartimaeus was to reach the Savior,
Jesus will stand still for us too-when we call upon
him from a determined heart-and our spiritual eyes
will be opened.3

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, please give me a
determination such as blind Bartimaeus had and open
the eyes of my understanding so that I will know and
understand your Truth and, as a result, become a
genuine follower of you. Thank you for hearing and
answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus' name,
amen."

1. Mark 10:51 (NIV).
2. Mark 10:46-52.
3. Adapted from I Hate Witnessing by Dick Innes. Can
be purchased online at www.actscom.com/store.

<)))><

NOTE: If you would like to accept God's forgiveness
for all your sins and His invitation for a full pardon
Click on: http://www.actsweb.org/invitation.php. Or
if you would like to re-commit your life to Jesus Christ,
please click on http://www.actsweb.org/decision.php to note this.

* * * * * * *

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) 2012 by ACTS International.
When copying or forwarding include the following:
"Daily Encounter by Richard (Dick) Innes (c) 2012
ACTS International.

Today's Daily Encounter

The Healing Power of Confession

"Therefore confess your sins [and faults] to each
other and pray for each other so that you may be
healed."1

In response to the Daily Encounter, "Do You Want to Be
Healed?" where we shared the importance of the need and
biblical injunction to confess our sins to a safe and
trusted friend, one subscriber responded saying,
"Thank you for this message. However, I have a
question, what if among the people I fellowship with,
there is no one with whom I feel safe to confess my
sins. My pastor said that if I confess my sins to
someone, and tomorrow, he hears someone talking or
gossiping about what I confessed, I can only blame
myself for telling it to someone. So where can I find
a trustworthy person who will not break my
confidence?"

I replied to this lady saying, "Yes, I agree that it
is difficult to find a trusted, safe friend, to whom
we can confess our sins and faults. This is such a
tragedy as the Bible teaches us that this is a vital
part of healing. And, unfortunately, I have never in
my entire life ever heard a pastor or a 'faith healer'
ever teach on the importance of confession of sins as a
vital part of healing. My suggestion is, if this is
possible, if you can't find a safe, trusted friend, it
is worth paying a well-trained professional counselor
to whom you can safely confess your sins and faults."

I don't think this is true in the Catholic Church. If
confession of sin/s to a priest is done with the right
motive, besides being a biblical injunction, besides
resolving guilt which, unresolved, can make people
literally ill, it is a very healthy and a vital part
of healing and recovery. It is tragic when we as
Christians don't feel safe to confess our sins to
church leaders and fellow church members.

If a counselor is needed for a trusted person to
confess to, and if you live in the U.S. or Canada, you
could call the Narramore Christian Foundation for the
name of a Christian counselor in your area. Call
1-800-477-5893 and press "1" for Dianne and she should
be able to help most callers.

If you don't live in North American, it can help to
write a letter to God and confess all your sins and
faults and feelings in writing (David did this in the
Psalms) … then read the letter out loud in a prayer to
God, and then tear up the letter so no one else will
ever see it and hold it against you.

Also pray and ask God to help you find a safe and
trusted friend to whom you can safely share all your
failures, struggles, and sins.

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, first, please help me to
be a safe and trusted friend with whom fellow
strugglers feel safe to confess their failures,
struggles, and sins to. And when I need someone to
whom I can confess my failures and sins please help me
to find a safe and trusted person so I can be freed
from guilt and be healed of any unresolved sin and/or
super-charged repressed negative emotions that are
seriously affecting my physical, emotional, and/or my
spiritual health. Thank you for hearing and answering
my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus name, amen."

1. James 5:16 (NIV).

<)))><

NOTE: If you would like to accept God's forgiveness
for all your sins and His invitation for a full pardon
Click on: http://www.actsweb.org/invitation.php. Or
if you would like to re-commit your life to Jesus Christ,
please click on http://www.actsweb.org/decision.php to note this.

* * * * * * *

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) 2012 by ACTS International.
When copying or forwarding include the following:
"Daily Encounter by Richard (Dick) Innes (c) 2012
ACTS International.

Today's Daily Encounter
Persistence Pays

"It is God himself, in his mercy, who has given us
this wonderful work [of telling his Good News to
Others], and so we never give up."1

You may have read about the boy who loved to go house
to house handing out gospel tracts every Sunday
afternoon with his pastor father. On one rainy, cold
Sunday his father didn't want to go out on visitation
so the son, with his dad's permission, went out alone.

At the last house the son was visiting he rang the
bell many times but nobody came to the door. When he
turned to leave, he felt constrained to go back and
try one more time. This time he knocked very hard on
the door … waited patiently … and in a while an
elderly lady answered. He gave her his last tract and
told her that God loved her.

As the story goes, the following Sunday at the lad's
church when the pastor gave his people the opportunity
to share any blessings they had received the previous
week, an elderly lady in the back stood to share how,
on the previous wet, cold Sunday, she was at wits end.
Her husband had passed away and she had no friends or
family in the area and was about to end her life. She
shared how she had ignored the persistent ringing of
her doorbell but when she heard a loud knocking, she
decided to see who was there. She was surprised to
find a young lad who told her that God loved her and
handed her a piece of literature. "I read the
literature," she said, "and prayed the prayer to ask
Jesus to be my Savior. And as your church address was
on the literature, I decided to come here to church
today."

We never know just how God will use us if we are but
persistent! This story reminds me how, when I was a
teenager growing up in my small hometown church, each
year we would have a week of "revival" (evangelistic
outreach meetings), but not a single adult would ever
go house to house to give people an invitation to
attend. One year one of the pastor's teenage sons and
I were the only ones who would do this visitation.
Another year I went out alone.

So now today, many years later, I'm still going house
to house … but via the web and email … to thousands of
homes, families, and individuals worldwide every day.
As a teen I could never have imagined in all my
wildest dreams where I would be and what I would be
doing today.

And if you and I keep on serving God day by day, we
will never know the results until we get to Heaven for
only eternity will reveal what our faithful service to
the Lord will reveal.

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, please help me to be
faithful in my service to you no matter how small or
large my tasks may be, and grant that my efforts (with
your help) will affect other lives not only for time,
but also for eternity. Thank you for hearing and
answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus' name,
amen."

1. 2 Corinthians 4:1 (TLB)(NLT).

<)))><

NOTE: If you would like to accept God's forgiveness
for all your sins and His invitation for a full pardon
Click on: http://www.actsweb.org/invitation.php. Or
if you would like to re-commit your life to Jesus Christ,
please click on http://www.actsweb.org/decision.php to note this.

* * * * * * *

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) 2012 by ACTS International.
When copying or forwarding include the following:
"Daily Encounter by Richard (Dick) Innes (c) 2012
ACTS International.

Today's Daily Encounter
She Spat in His Face

"I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt,
out of the land of slavery."1

B. Hinn tells the following story about the days of
slavery. "During the years when slavery was legal in
the United States, a gentleman happened upon a
slave-bidding in a crowed street. The man paused to
observe the activities. As he watched from the edge of
the crowd, he saw one slave after another led to a
platform, their arms and legs shackled with ropes as
if they were animals. Displayed before the jeering
crowd, they were auctioned off, one by one.

"Some onlookers would inspect the 'merchandise,'
grabbing disrespectfully at the women, examining the
muscular arms of the men. The gentleman studied the
group of slaves waiting nearby. He paused when he saw
a young girl standing at the back. Her eyes were
filled with fear. She looked so frightened. He
hesitated for a moment and then disappeared briefly.
When he returned, the auctioneer was about to start
the bidding for the young girl he had noticed
beforehand.

"As the auctioneer opened the bidding, the gentleman
shouted out a bid that was twice the amount of any
other selling price offered that day. There was
silence for an instance, and then the gavel fell as
'sold to the gentleman' was heard. The gentleman
stepped forward, and waited at the bottom of the steps
as the young girl was led down to her new owner. The
rope which bound her was handed to the man, who
accepted it without saying anything. The young girl
stared at the ground. Suddenly she looked up and spat
in his face. Silently, he reached for a handkerchief
and wiped the spittle from his face. He smiled gently
at the young girl and said, 'Follow me.' She followed
him reluctantly. As they reached the edge of the
crowd, he continued to a nearby area where each deal
was closed legally.

"When a slave was set free, legal documents, called
manumission papers, were necessary. The gentleman paid
the purchase price and signed the necessary documents.
When the transaction was complete, he turned to the
young girl and presented the documents to her.
Startled, she looked at him with uncertainty. Her
narrowed eyes asked, 'What are you doing?' The
gentlemen responded to her questioning look. He said,
'Here, take these papers. I bought you to make you
free. As long as you have these papers in your
possession, no man can ever make you a slave again.'

"The girl looked into his face. What was happening?
There was silence. Slowly, she said, 'You bought me to
make me free? You bought me to make me free?' As she
repeated this phrase over and over, the significance
of what had just happened became more and more real to
her. 'You bought me to make me free?' Was it possible
that a stranger had just granted her freedom and never
again could she be held in bondage and servitude to any
man? As she began to grasp the significance of the
documents which she now held in her hand, she fell to
her knees and wept at the gentleman's feet. Through
her tears of joy and gratitude, she said, 'You bought
me to make me free. I'll serve you forever!'"2

And, Dear Reader, this is exactly what Jesus Christ
did for you and me. He died on the cross in your place
and mine to pay the ransom price for our sins so we
could be fully forgiven by God and set free from the
slavery of sin and its eternal damnation.

Have you accepted God's free pardon and forgiveness?
If not, I encourage you to do that today. For help be
sure to read the article, "How to Be Sure You're a
Real Christian" at: www.actsweb.org/christian.

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, how can I ever thank you
enough for giving your son, Jesus, to die on the cross
in my place to set me free from slavery to sin and its
eternal consequences. In the words of the slave girl,
'You bought me to make me free. I'll serve you
forever.' Thank you for hearing and answering my
prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus' name, amen."

1. Exodus 20:2 (NIV).
2. B. Hinn, "The Blood: It's Power From Genesis to
Jesus to You." Cited on
http://www.fellowshipforchrist.com/Stories/Stories6.htm


<)))><

NOTE: If you would like to accept God's forgiveness
for all your sins and His invitation for a full pardon
Click on: http://www.actsweb.org/invitation.php. Or
if you would like to re-commit your life to Jesus Christ,
please click on http://www.actsweb.org/decision.php to note this.

* * * * * * *

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
Today's Daily Encounter

The Fool-ishness of Atheism

"The fool has said in his heart, 'There is no God.'"1

Joy and I live close to the heavily trafficked
Interstate I-5 Freeway in Southern California.
Overlooking this freeway close to where we live is a
church that has erected a large cross located for all
freeway travelers to see. I said to Joy today when
passing by this cross, "How long will it be before the
ACLU, or some other anti-Christian extremist, do
everything possible to have this cross condemned and
removed from public view? Such attacks on Christian
symbolism here in the U.S. are becoming regular fare
across the nation in the daily news.

Much of this anti-Christian attitude began with the
banning of Bible reading and prayer in the public
schools when, in June of 1963, the Supreme Court voted
in favor of atheist, Madeline Murray O'Hare, who
claimed that such was against the constitution of the
United States of America.

"From that day to this, not only has prayer been
outlawed, God's very name has been declared anathema
to the United States Constitution, and forbidden to be
mentioned in any federal, state, county, city or
municipal context. Further decrees have revealed the
depths of the ouster that initial edict has fostered.
Not just prayer is forbidden in the public forum.
Display of the cross is forbidden. The Ten
Commandments are forbidden. The Bible is forbidden.
Nativity plays are forbidden. Even the mere mention of
the names, 'God' or 'Jesus', in schools are forbidden.
More than that, anything even suggestive of those
names is forbidden."2

Five months after the American Supreme Court ruled in
favor of Madeline Murray O'Hare, John Kennedy,
president of the U.S.A. was assassinated. Months later
the U.S. was plunged into the Vietnam War where over
200,000 Americans were wounded, maimed or killed. And
on Good Friday in April of the following year, "the
United States suffered its worst earthquake and tidal
wave in recorded history, a 9.2 behemoth that
shattered Alaska and sent massive tidal waves roaring
across the Pacific coastline…."2

Think, too, of the ever-increasing moral decline that
has taken place in the U.S. since June of 1963. Ten
years later in 1973 the Roe v. Wade landmark Supreme
Court case legalized abortion throughout the U.S.
Since then abortion for almost any reason has become,
not only acceptable, but legalized--including
murderous partial-birth abortion. Gay marriage has
been made legal in several states and even approved by
some supposed Christian denominations--something that
is forbidden in the Word of God.

As Chuck Colson so wisely stated, "By rejecting
Christianity and its moral framework, Western liberal
democracies are in grave peril of collapsing upon
themselves. They will no longer be able to preserve
human rights and liberties. What comes next is
tyranny."3

Tragically, as a nation, so many have forgotten and/or
ignored the fact that, as God's Word declares, "Blessed
is the nation whose God is the LORD, The people He has
chosen as His own inheritance."4

Keep in mind, too, that while this principle, I
believe, applies to all nations, it is referring
specifically to the nation of Israel, and we now have
political leaders here in the U.S.A. who are
anti-Israel. I am not justifying everything Israel has
done any more than trying to justify everything that
the U.S. and my own country of Australia has done, but
never let us forget that God promised Abraham, the
father of the Israeli nation, saying, "I will make you
a great nation; I will bless you And make your name
great; And you shall be a blessing. I will bless those
who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; and
in you all the families of the earth shall be
blessed."5

Furthermore, the Christian and moral decline in the
U.S. has been further attacked by atheists who are
also doing all in their power to tear down and destroy
the very foundation that made the U.S. for so many
years such a great Christian nation--a foundation that
was based solidly on the Bible and on Judeo-Christian
ethics, standards and principles. What they are doing
is blind, irresponsible insanity. Symbolically
speaking, as a nation we are cutting off our nose to
spite our face.

America wake up … Christians wake up … stand up and be
counted and help spread the gospel message of Jesus
Christ--the only hope of our sin-sick country and
world. For a simple and effective way to do this,
please consider joining with ACTS as a People Power
for Jesus partner. For more information click on
http://www.actsweb.org/people_power/.

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, please open the eyes of
my understanding to see what is happening, not only in
the United States, but in the world in which I live.
Today, with your help, I rededicate and re-commit my
life to you. I am available, please use me to be a
part of your plans and what you are doing in the world
today as opposed to do what Satan is doing through his
followers--and allowing to be done through apathetic
Christian believers who do nothing. Thank you for
hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus
name, amen."

Note: If you prayed this prayer and truly meant it,
please let us know by filling in the form online at:
http://www.actsweb.org/decision.php.

1. Psalm 14:1 (NKJV).
2. "The Day America Spurned God,"
http://goodnewspirit.com/america-spurnsgod.htm
3. Chuck Colson, BreakPoint, Dec 28, 2011.
4. Psalm 33:12 (NKJV).
5. Genesis 12: 2-3 (NKJV).

<)))><

NOTE: If you would like to accept God's forgiveness
for all your sins and His invitation for a full pardon
Click on: http://www.actsweb.org/invitation.php. Or
if you would like to re-commit your life to Jesus Christ,
please click on http://www.actsweb.org/decision.php to note this.

Copyright (c) 2012 by ACTS International.
When copying or forwarding include the following:
"Daily Encounter by Richard (Dick) Innes (c) 2012
ACTS International.

Today's Daily Encounter

How to Be Filled with God's Holy Spirit Part 2

As noted in yesterday's Daily Encounter, it is God's
will that every Christian "be filled with God's
Spirit,"2 the evidence of which is P-O-W-E-R. As Jesus
said to his disciples, "But you will receive power when
the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my
witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria,
and to the ends of the earth."3 So the question is:
How can we be filled with God's Holy Spirit? Following
are five key steps, and today we will pick up on the
fourth point in how to be filled with God's Holy
Spirit:

P

Present your life to Jesus ChristO

Obey God on every issueW

Want sincerely to be filledE

Entreat or ask God to be filledR

Receive the filling by faith

4. Entreat God for His filling. "Entreat" simply means
to ask. Jesus said, "If you then, though you are evil,
know how to give good gifts to your children, how much
more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to
those who ask him!"12 And again, "This is the
confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask
anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we
know that he hears us--whatever we ask--we know that we
have what we asked of him."13

We can ask God with confidence because we know that it
is his will for every Christian to be filled with the
Holy Spirit. In fact, God has commanded it, saying, "…
be filled with the Spirit."14 Therefore "ask and you
will receive."

5. Receive the filling by faith. The Bible says, "By
this he [Jesus] meant the Spirit, whom those who
believed in him were later to receive."15 And again,
"Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer,
believe that you have received it, and it will be
yours."16

If you adhere to God's principles for the filling of
the Holy Spirit--Present, Obey, Want, Entreat, and
Receive-- God will fill you with his Spirit regardless
of how you feel. God's Word doesn't say that you will
receive "good feelings" when you are filled with the
Holy Spirit (although you may or may not) but that you
will receive POWER. We need to take God at his Word,
believe him, and act accordingly.

What is the evidence of the filling of the Holy
Spirit? The sure-fire evidence of the filling of the
Holy Spirit, according to God's Word, is power--power
to be an effective witness for Christ, power to serve
Christ, power to live a life that is in harmony with
God's will, and power to bear the fruit of the Spirit.
"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace,
patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness
and self-control. Against such things there is no
law."17

Having a gift or gifts of the Spirit are not
necessarily evidence of the filling of the Holy Spirit
because a person may have many gifts of the Spirit but
be anything but filled with God's Spirit.

How to maintain the filling of the Holy Spirit: The
filling of the Spirit is not a once-for-all
experience. It is a continual action and a daily need.
The literal translation of the command to be filled
with the Spirit18 is to "be on being filled with the
Spirit." The disciples of Jesus were repeatedly filled
with the Holy Spirit.19 Learn to continually abide in
Christ who said, "I am the vine; you are the branches.
If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much
fruit; apart from me you can do nothing."20 We abide
in Christ by spending time regularly with him in his
Word, in prayer, and by daily maintaining the five key
steps.

A suggested prayer for the filling of the Holy Spirit:
"Lord Jesus, I surrender my heart and life
unconditionally to you. Please take complete control
of my life, forgive me for every sin, and fill me with
your Holy Spirit and power so that my life will always
be lived for you and thereby glorify your name. Thank
you for taking control of my life, forgiving me for
all my sins, and filling me with your Holy Spirit as
you have commanded and promised to all who obey you,
ask for, and believe. Thank you for hearing and
answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus' name, amen."


2. Ephesians 5:18 (NIV).
3. Acts 1:8 (NIV).
12. Luke 11:13 (NIV).
13. 1 John 5:14-15 (NIV).
14. Ephesians 5:18(NIV).
15. John 7:39 (NIV).
16. Mark 11:24 (NIV).
17. Galatians 5:22-23 (NIV).
18. Ephesians 5:18 (NIV).
19. See Acts 2:4, 4:31, 9:17 and 13:9.
20. John 15:5 (NIV).

<)))><

NOTE: If you would like to accept God's forgiveness
for all your sins and His invitation for a full pardon
Click on: http://www.actsweb.org/invitation.php. Or
if you would like to re-commit your life to Jesus Christ,
please click on http://www.actsweb.org/decision.php to note this.

* * * * * * *

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) 2012 by ACTS International.

When copying or forwarding include the following:
"Daily Encounter by Richard (Dick) Innes (c) 2012
ACTS International.

Today's Daily Encounter

How to Be Filled with God's Spirit Part 1

On one occasion the late evangelist, Dwight L. Moody,
holding up an empty drinking glass, asked his
audience: "Tell me, how can I get the air out of this
glass?" One man said, "Suck it out with a pump." Moody
replied, "That would create a vacuum and shatter the
glass." After many impossible suggestions, Moody
smiled, picked up a pitcher of water, and filled the
glass. "There," he said, "all the air is now removed."
He then went on to show that victory in the Christian
life is not by sucking out a sin here and there, but
rather by being filled with the Spirit of God.1

As genuine Christians if we are to live a successful
Christian life--one that empowers us to overcome
sinful ways, gives us a sense of inner peace, and
empowers us to live a fruitful life that glorifies
God--it is essential that we are filled with God's
Holy Spirit.

In fact, it is God's will that every Christian "be
filled with the Spirit,"2 the evidence of which is
P-O-W-E-R. As Jesus said to his disciples, "But you
will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you;
and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all
Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."3 So
the question is: How can we be filled with God's Holy
Spirit? Following are five key steps:

P

Present your life to Jesus ChristO

Obey God on every issueW

Want sincerely to be filledE

Entreat or ask God to be filledR

Receive the filling by faith

1. Present your life to Jesus Christ. To be filled
with and empowered by the Holy Spirit for fruitful and
dynamic living, it is essential that we daily present,
commit and trust our life to Jesus Christ in
unconditional surrender--in deed and not just in word.
The Bible says, "Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the
mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and
holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your
spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed
to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of
your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God
is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect."4

2. Obey God on every issue. The second step to being
filled with God's Spirit is obedience; that is,
obedience to every command and direction of God as
found in his Word, the Bible. His Word says, "We are
witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit,
who is given to those who obey him."5

We need to realize that, like the laws of the land,
all of God's laws are for our benefit, protection and
well-being. They are not to keep us bound in rigid,
false-religion legalism. Thus it is imperative to
search the Scriptures daily to learn what is essential
for living in harmony with all that God's Word teaches.


Realize, too, that disobedience to God's laws is sin
and this grieves the Holy Spirit which, in turn,
breaks communion and fellowship with God.6 Thus all
sin needs to be confessed and forgiveness received
from God, which God always gives to those who confess
their sins to him.7 Should you fall down, get up
immediately, confess, ask God for forgiveness, and go
on.8

3. Want sincerely to be filled. Jesus said, "Blessed
are those who hunger and thirst [strongly desire] for
righteousness, for they will be filled."9 This
principle also applies to being filled with God's Holy
Spirit. As Jesus also stated, "'If anyone is thirsty,
let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me,
as the Scripture has said, streams of living water
will flow from within him.' By this he meant the
Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to
receive."10

And as Jesus said to the lame man lying by the pool of
Bethesda who had been an invalid for thirty-eight
years, "Do you want to get well?"11 He didn't say, "Do
you wish to get well?" He said, "Do you want to get
well?" So we, too, to be filled with God's Spirit need
to want this with all of our heart and be willing to
meet the requirements that God says are needed for to
be filled with God's Spirit.

To be continued ….

1. Lee Tan, Paul, Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations,
Assurance Publishers, Rockville, Maryland 20851, p.
555. 1979 by Paul Lee Tan.
2. Ephesians 5:18 (NIV).
3. Acts 1:8 (NIV).
4. Romans 12:1-2 (NASB).
5. Acts 5:32 (NIV).
6. See Ephesians 4:30 and 1 Thessalonians 5:19.
7. 1 John 1:9.
8. See Proverbs 24:16.
9. Matthew 5:6.
10. John 7:37-39 (NIV).
11. John 5:6 (NIV).

<)))><

NOTE: If you would like to accept God's forgiveness
for all your sins and His invitation for a full pardon
Click on: http://www.actsweb.org/invitation.php. Or
if you would like to re-commit your life to Jesus Christ,
please click on http://www.actsweb.org/decision.php to note this.

* * * * * * *

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) 2012 by ACTS International.
When copying or forwarding include the following:
"Daily Encounter by Richard (Dick) Innes (c) 2012
ACTS International.