Category: self-doubt

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Be Fishers of Men. You Catch Them; He’ll Clean Them.

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Our bookstore is still carrying the great book, “Signs of Hope: Ways to Survive in an Unfriendly World.” It is a very timely book that reaches out to those who may suffer from anxiety, fear, self-doubt, addictions, hopelessness, and the many other usual suspects.

I am sure you can think of someone who could benefit from this book. You could help them change their lives.

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I am sharing a chapter from the book, “Signs of Hope: Ways to Survive in an Unfriendly World.”

This chapter talks to us about our need to reach out to others who may be suffering and show them the way to happiness.

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Chapter 62

 

Be Fishers of Men. You Catch Them; He’ll Clean Them

 

They went out and preached that people should repent.

Mark6:12

 

I loved this catchy bumper sticker when I saw it on the car ahead of me. I almost drove off the road trying to write it down!

I said earlier that fishing is one of my favorite pastimes. Catching fish is fun, but cleaning them has to be one of the most disgusting jobs in the world. The fish are slimy, and you have to clean out their insides—yuck! Kinda’ takes away the desire to eat the fish. But we always do, and the fish is always delicious. It is also good for you.

This is true for Christians today. We spend time going to church, trying to learn more about God so we can live for Him more effectively. We do our own growing and have close encounters with God. Almost as an aside, we want other people to be Christians, but we don’t want to get involved in their messy lives to help them get cleaned up. We’d rather have someone else do that part. It is an unpleasant job that takes courage.

We forget that there are many people outside (and even some inside!) the church who need to know God too. But we, His followers, don’t spend enough time sharing the Word with non-Christians. Our attitude is almost: “I am in this church protected from the outside, and the rest of the world out there can go to hell!”

We are commissioned to help as many people come to God as we can.

The obvious way to start spreading Christianity is in our own homes with our children. If we raise them in the way of the Lord, they will also raise their children the same way. I have been blessed in this way. My three children are all Christians, and their children love the Lord just as much as they do. Bringing them up in a Christian home is what made the difference.

For those who aren’t comfortable witnessing to someone, being a good example is always a proven way to lead others to Christ. If we are consistent in living out our Christian beliefs, others will say, “I want to be like him/her.” I love a quote that has been attributed to St. Francis: “Preach the gospel at all times. Use words if necessary.”

Door-to-door or cold-calling, trying to pressure someone into a decision for Christ is not a very effective way of reaching others with Christ’s message. It’s much more natural to witness to others when the opportunity arises. When something happens that causes pain in someone’s life, we can let them know about the Lord and perhaps how He helped us work through a similar situation.

We’re not telling them they need to get down and confess all of their sins right there on the spot, but that they can turn to the Lord for help. The Lord will take it from there. He will clean up the “mess” in their lives while we can stay close, letting them know we’re there for them and are praying for them. They will want to know more about our faith.

We have brought them to Jesus, who will take over from there. We may need to stay on the sidelines to encourage them, but Jesus is the only one who can clean up the mess in their lives.

 

[Jesus said], “In the same way, let your light shine before men,

that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.”

Matthew 5:16

 

Further Adventures

Try calling on someone you know who is under stress for any reason. Just let them know you’re praying for them and how God has helped you through similar problems. You don’t have to try to lead them to the Lord right then. It may happen just because the person is ready to do that. Don’t fear praying with them to accept the Lord if they seem very open to learning more about how to do that.

 

Something to Ponder

Isn’t it funny how someone can be so fired up for Christ on Sunday but be an invisible Christian the rest of the week?

 

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Real Men Love Jesus

Thank you all so much that have been signing up for the RSS feed to this site. There has been over 190 of you doing that recently. This helps us climb up in the Google Search Rankings. help us climb even higher by signing up today if you haven’t already. Just click on the icon right after the title to do that.

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We have been sharing excerpts from my book called, “Signs of Hope: Ways to Survive in an Unfriendly World.” This book reaches out to those who may suffer from anxiety, fear, depression, addictions, self-doubt, hopelessness, and the many other usual suspects.

This book is on sale right now in our bookstore. Check it out by clicking on the “Bookstore,” tab at the top of this page.

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 Today’s excerpt is about a State Policeman who is 6′ 5″ tall, but loves the LORD, and has been a tremendous leader amongst the young people.

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                                                                               Chapter 61

 

Real Men Love Jesus

 

So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.

I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Isaiah 41:10

 

I know a guy who was 6 foot, 3 inches and weighed around 230 pounds. He had no fat on him. His job required that he be tough and in good shape. There were days he faced death, and days when he’d be called on to save someone’s life. He was an Oregon State Trooper.

The first time I met him, I was very impressed. He didn’t seem like a guy who wanted to rip your head off. He didn’t even seem like a guy who would get angry.

I was right in both cases. He was a man that loved the Lord, and he let everyone know about it. (When He gave his testimony, you’d better listen!) Andy Olson was my two sons’ Sunday school teacher.

Andy has a way with young people. You’d think some of them would want to stay away from him because of their pasts. Instead they flocked to him at our church. He built close relationships with each of them, and they admired his honesty and caring ways.

Andy is retired from OSP now and serves as a State Representative in the Oregon Legislature. He is liked by his fellow representatives and demonstrates great leadership. He is also still witnessing for the Lord. Since I volunteer as a gallery doorkeeper (the fancy name for a person who makes sure no one takes flash pictures or shouts bad things at the representatives), I got to hear him speak before the whole House about Christian living during one session.

Representative Olson is doing what all real men should be doing—using whatever situations they can to tell others about the Lord.

How about us? Do we witness for the Lord? Are there times we could have witnessed but didn’t because we feared rejection? Are we the kind of guys who think we’re too tough to show someone else that we love the Lord and depend on Him? Too many of us are the macho kind of man who wants everyone to think we’re the kind of guy who can make it on his own without God.

Get ready for a big fall.

Jonah ran away from God by trying to float way from Him in a boat. That didn’t turn out too good. He was swallowed by a big fish, and probably had to bathe for weeks to get the smell off him after God released Him from the fish. But he went on to be a tremendous servant for the Lord.

David didn’t do too well either. He had to act like he was stark raving mad to avoid being killed and then went to live in a cave, making him feel far away from God. But God was with him all the time, and David knew he couldn’t make it on his own, so he prayed for God’s help. David went on to be a man that God loved dearly.

Samson was an extremely strong man who let his guard down. He let wicked Delilah cut off his hair, making him a very weak man. He was then captured, and the Philistines gouged his eyes out. He found that great strength in one area of life does not make up for great weaknesses in other areas. His hair began to grow back, and he asked God to let him die with the Philistines when he pushed on the pillars of the building where thousands were gathered. He killed not only himself, but all of those Philistines as well. In that one final event of his life, he killed more of the enemy than he had previously. Even though Samson had turned away from God and lived in sin, God still loved him and heard his prayer.

These examples show us that every situation can be salvaged if we’re willing to follow God again, like each of these men did.

It’s time to put our pride away in the closet and put on some new clothes made of humbleness, meekness and calmness. We don’t have to look tough. We don’t even have to hide our tears. We need to be good examples for our children and for the other men around us.

 

May he strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless and holy in the presence of our

God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all his holy ones.

1 Thessalonians 3:13

 

Further Adventures

I’m sure you have met men who think they are tough. They claim they eat nails for breakfast. They say they can pull a train with their teeth. Pretty macho, right? I don’t think so. I don’t think God is looking for people in heaven who can eat nails or pull a train with their teeth.

God wants real men. The ones that gave up much and received little. The ones that served Him in some capacity. These men may have worked in the secular world, but they put their lives on the line to promote their heavenly Father and did it without shame.

Are you a tough guy? Do you think you need to show your “stuff” to be accepted? The meek will inherit the earth. Those words from a verse in the Bible don’t mean Atlas-type people are the only ones who will inherit the earth. It is you and me—the average everyday little guy.

That is my only hope, because if I tried to eat nails, I would weigh twenty pounds more, and if I tried to pull a train with my teeth, well, you probably know the outcome there. I am not all that tough. I am tame as a purring cat on your lap. I am strong enough to know that I am not very strong. I don’t need to be. God will provide my strength, and He will do it for you, too.

 

Something to Ponder

Isn’t it funny how tough we can act, and yet hurt on the inside?

 

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If Pregnancy Were a Book, They’ed Cut Out the Last Chapters

Thanks to all of you who have been signing up for the RSS fed to this site. There have been over 190 of you who have done this recently. This has helped us climb up in the Google Search Rankings. Help us climb even higher by signing up today if you haven’t already. Just click on the icon right after the title to do that.

__________________________________________________________

We have been sharing excerpts from my new book, “Signs of Hope: Ways to Survive in an Unfriendly World.” This book reaches out to those who may suffer from anxiety, fear, depression, addictions, self-doubt, hopelessness, and the many other usual suspects.

This book is on sale right now in our bookstore. It is only about a week away from Easter, and this book is ideal to give as a gift. Just click on the “Bookstore,” tab at the top of this page to check it out.

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Today’s is a somewhat humorous approach to child birth, but it also talks about the responsibility that comes with parenthood.

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                                                                               Chapter 59

                                                                                                                     

If Pregnancy Were a Book, They Would Cut Out the Last Two Chapters!

 

Sons are a heritage from the Lord, children a reward from him. Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are sons born in one’s youth. Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them.

They will not be put to shame when they contend with their enemies in the gate.

Psalm 127:3-5

 

I think one of the most traumatic events I ever had to go through was the birth of my first son, Greg. I’m not saying that I had to go through what my wife went through by any means. But while in the waiting room, I was “reading” a magazine upside down! I thought I needed something in front of me to show I wasn’t nervous.

The fellow next to me blew my cover. “First baby, huh!” he remarked. I was much better with my second and third children, but that first one was almost too much.

Now that I’ve made you feel sorry for me, please understand what the mother must go through. There is no pain on this earth that can compare. But, the joy we get from having our children around seems to cover up the pain and anxiety parents have to go through.

Now I am a grandfather and get to watch my children go through the process of having children. It seems even more special when your own children are giving birth to new little people. It brings back fond memories of when my own were just small. And I get to have a grandchild to love (and sometimes spoil), and then send home! (Mean Grandpa.)

I think all newlyweds ought to consider what they are doing before they have children. It was once said: “People who sleep like a baby usually haven’t had one.” There are a lot of responsibilities in having children, and being up all night is one of them. A perfect example of minority rule is having a baby in the house. The one thing children can wear out faster than shoes is parents.

It is a tremendous responsibility to become a parent, and people need to think it about it long and hard before becoming one. Robin Clements was once quoted as saying, “No one who cannot train a dog to heel, sit and stay for at least ten minutes in command should be allowed to raise children.”

Now, after much tongue-in-check joking about parenthood, let me make sure we understand that children are God’s gift to us. It says in the scripture above: “Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are sons born in one’s youth. Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them” (Psalm 127:4-5).

There is pride in watching your children grow. You anticipate their future with joy.

Our children are very important to God, too. He loves the little children. The Bible tells me so. Our mandate is to raise them up in a way that God will be pleased. It is very important to show them the way Christians should act even when they are little. That means being a good role model. Our actions do speak louder than our words!

I have even more joy now that I’m a grandparent. I have my children, and they have presented me with their children. It says in Proverbs 17:6: “Children’s children are a crown to the aged, and parents are the pride of their children.” I am very proud of my children for the way they grew up. They are now the silent heroes for their own children, and I know my grandchildren are in very good hands.

As an aside: A little girl was visiting the maternity ward with her father who was a little on the heavy side. “Dad,” she asked, “Are you having a baby, too?”

 

Children’s children are a crown to the aged, and parents are the pride of their children.

Proverbs 17:6

 

Further Adventures

If you are a young person, and have just married, sit down with your spouse and plan your parenthood. I realize that this sounds ridiculous to some, but it is very important. We sometimes rush into having children and end up feeling overwhelmed. You may want to get to know each other and travel some before the children start coming.

Another thought should be the ramifications of the expense it will place on your budget. Most newly married couples are not swimming in a pool full of money. Children are very expensive in their early years. It seems small people need a new pair of shoes every week! After you have settled these two issues, then have many children and enjoy each and every one of them!

 

Something to Ponder

Isn’t it funny that those who can laugh at themselves will never cease to be amused?

 

Kids’ Thought

If you’re going to fight, use pillows.