Blow Upon Blow

"But no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be."1

Jim Rohn says, "You can cut down a tree with a hammer, but it takes about 30 days. If you trade the hammer for an ax, you can cut it down in about 30 minutes. The difference between 30 days and 30 minutes is skills."2
You could also put it this way: You can cut down a tree with an ax in about 30 minutes, with a chain saw in about five—so having the right tools for the job is a big help too!
On the other hand, it may take 30 years or more to replace that tree. So we need to be extremely careful before we start cutting down anything of value as we may never be able to replace it. Like blow upon blow of a sharp axe, blow upon blow of cutting words can hurt deeply, ruin a marriage, severely damage a friendship, and destroy the self-concept of a child!

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, grant that my speech and my conversation will always be seasoned with grace and truth, and never be used to chop down anyone. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus' name. Amen."

1. James 3:8-10 (NIV).

2. Cited on "Quotes From the Masters."
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Acts International - Daily Inspiration

Ministry and the Spiritual Life

All Jesus' words and actions emerge from his intimate relationships with his Father. "Do you not believe," Jesus says, "that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? What I say to you I do not speak of my own accord: it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his works. You must believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe it on the evidence of these works" (John 14:10-11).

Just as all Jesus' words and actions emerge from his communion with his Father, so all our words and actions must emerge from our communion with Jesus. "In all truth I tell you," he says, "whoever believes in me will perform the same works as I do myself, and will perform even greater works. ... Whatever you ask for in my name I will do" (John 14:12-13).

It is this profound truth that reveals the relationship between the spiritual life and the life of ministry.

Daily Meditation - Henri Nouwen

Empowered to Be

Who are we? Are we what we do? Are we what others say about us? Are we the power we have? It often seems that way in our society. But the Spirit of Jesus given to us reveals our true spiritual identities. The Spirit reveals that we belong not to a world of success, fame, or power but to God. The world enslaves us with fear; the Spirit frees us from that slavery and restores us to the true relationship. That is what Paul means when he says: "All who are guided by the Spirit of God are sons [daughters] of God, for what you received was not the spirit of slavery to bring you back into fear; you received the spirit of adoption, enabling us to cry out, 'Abba, Father!'" (Romans 8:15).

Who are we? We are God's beloved sons and daughters!

Daily Meditation - Henri Nouwen

"The Lord is my light and my salvation - whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life - of whom shall I be afraid?" Psalm 27:1

The Power of the Spirit

In and through Jesus we come to know God as a powerless God, who becomes dependent on us. But it is precisely in this powerlessness that God's power reveals itself. This is not the power that controls, dictates, and commands. It is the power that heals, reconciles, and unites. It is the power of the Spirit. When Jesus appeared people wanted to be close to him and touch him because "power came out of him" (Luke 6:19).

It is this power of the divine Spirit that Jesus wants to give us. The Spirit indeed empowers us and allows us to be healing presences. When we are filled with that Spirit, we cannot be other than healers.

Daily Meditation - Henri Nouwen

Empowered to Pray

Prayer is the gift of the Spirit. Often we wonder how to pray, when to pray, and what to pray. We can become very concerned about methods and techniques of prayer. But finally it is not we who pray but the Spirit who prays in us.

Paul says: "The Spirit ... comes to help us in our weakness, for, when we do not know how to pray properly, then the Spirit personally makes our petitions for us in groans that cannot be put into words; and he who can see into all hearts knows what the Spirit means because the prayers that the Spirit makes for God's holy people are always in accordance with the mind of God" (Romans 8:26-27).

These words explain why the Spirit is called "the Consoler."

Daily Meditation - Henri Nouwen

"God is spirit, and his worshippers must worship in spirit and in truth" John4:24

Choices

"'King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know you do.' Then Agrippa said to Paul, 'Do you think that in such a short time you can persuade me to be a Christian?' Paul replied, 'Short time or long—I pray God that not only you but all who are listening to me today may become what I am, except for these chains.'"1

Phil Parrino, a Daily Encounter reader, tells the story how in "World War I there was a young American ambulance driver who personally witnessed all kinds of death and suffering. After the war he wrote dark brooding novels and finally committed suicide. His name was Earnest Hemmingway.
"But there was another American Ambulance driver even younger than the first. The dead and dying he witnessed were mostly from the great influenza epidemic that swept Europe at the end of World War I. After the war he drew cartoons and made people laugh. When he died he was loved by millions. His name was Walt Disney.
"As you have said, it's not only what happens to us, but how we react to it. Our personality predisposes us to a certain extent, but in the end we make the choice."
Life is a series of choices. I am today where I am because of choices I made years ago. I will be where I am tomorrow based on choices I make today. And I will spend eternity based on the choice I make about accepting or rejecting God's great gift of salvation.
As Paul challenged King Agrippa to become a Christian, he challenges you and me today to make that choice and not to be an almost-persuaded. For help be sure to read, "How to Be Sure You're a Real Christian" at: www.actsweb.org/articles.

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, help me to see that my life has been shaped in so many ways because of choices I made in the past. Help me to make choices today for where I want to be tomorrow. And above all, help me to make the right choice about eternity by making sure I have accepted Jesus as my Savior and am a true follower of him. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus' name, amen."

1. Acts 26:27-29 (NIV).
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Acts International - Daily Inspiration

Passports

"Jesus answered, 'I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.'"1
Not so long ago I had an urgent phone call from a good friend in Australia—one of my closest friends when I was growing up. Two of his granddaughters on their way to a Bible College in Florida were stranded at the Los Angeles International Airport. My friend wanted to know if there was any way I could help them as their passport and entry papers were not in order. We offered to have them stay over with us until this got sorted out. No chance. They were not allowed out of the airport and we were not allowed to see them—not that we could have done anything but it would have been nice to at least give them a sympathetic ear.
They were put on the next plane and sent back to Australia
How terribly disappointing it was for them. They were just kids and didn't know any better as their travel agent hadn't given them the correct instructions. The good news is that all is corrected and they have returned to the U.S. and are now in college in Florida
This is a good reminder about making sure that we have our passport for heaven. All religions, as many would have us believe, do not lead to heaven. Good works, as many others claim, will not get us into God's heaven either. There's only one way and that is through the Lord Jesus Christ who has paid the ransom price for all our sins and wrongdoings through his death on the cross. There is no other way.
Accepting Jesus as your Savior is providing your passport for entry into heaven. Whatever you do, don't leave earth without it. Unlike our friends from Australia, there will not be a second chance to come back to get it right.

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, thank you that you gave your Son, Jesus, to pay the ultimate sacrifice in giving his life as a ransom price to pay for the penalty of all my sins, and that in accepting him as my Savior gives me my 'passport' to heaven. Please help me to be sure that I have my passport to heaven. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus' name, amen."
For your "passport to heaven" be sure to read "How to Be Sure You're a Real Christian" at: www.actsweb.org/articles.

1. John 14: 6 (NIV).
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Acts International - Daily Inspiration