Daily Devotional

A question for the Church of Jesus Christ: What has our government given to the church that has made them fearful to preach against sin? Their non-profit corporation status! In the coming days if the church does not adhere to “political correctness” the government will take this status from them and make them pay taxes on all the money that comes in to their churches. Does the loss of tax exemption bring fear to our church leaders? Do they think paychecks, programs and buildings will be affected if people are not given these tax deductions?

 

When someone or something can control how you think and live you have become their slave. Their control over you is nothing more than intimidation to make you fearful about what they can take from you.

 

For people to accept living as slaves depends on how long it takes for those who keep freedom alive – to die out. Here in America we have freedom-fighters working against the government programs that are slowly enslaving us by making us dependent on them for all our needs. After the freedom-fighters are gone who will carry on in their place and fight for American liberty? 

 

Our forefathers knew slavery in England and came to this land to start a new life of liberty and dependency on God. They knew that eventually the threat of slavery would come again, so they made a monument to show us how to ward it off, and even come back and be a free people again if we have become slaves in any generation. It is the “National Monument to the Forefathers.” Here are the words that are at the bottom of each statue on the monument.

 

The steps to freedom and how to stay a free people:

 

1. FAITH: in God alone. His written word is absolute truth.

2. MORALITY: you cannot have morality (godliness) without God and His truth. With morality come the prophet and evangelist to reveal immorality (wickedness).

3. LAW: following the laws of God, not the laws of man. With God’s laws come justice and mercy. Without God’s law you will have confusion, not knowing right from wrong; injustice.

4. EDUCATION: to teach the next generation the words and wisdom of God. Learning starts in the family unit with the parents and grandparents teaching their children.

5. LIBERTY: willing to fight tyranny to preserve liberty; knowing that peace comes out of liberty.

 

The road of liberty (freedom) starts with people who no longer depending on what our government can provide for them. History has shown us that in order to make a nation of slaves it will only take 3 generations of twisting the truth and pumping lies into the people. Every generation is responsible to keep truth alive by first knowing what God says, living it out personally and then going public with it. 

 

The people who walk this road of freedom will be men and women who will take on the intimidating giants; they will be over-comers of lies and deception. Our forefathers were freedom fighters, but over the generations we have seen a subtle cowering because it is easier to allow the government to provide for us than to do for ourselves. 

 

The road of freedom is a very narrow road; too narrow for most. It will require us to come out of dependency on government systems, and to depend upon God for everything. The power of God’s freedom is that with Him all things are possible for those who believe. “Without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” Hebrews 11:6

 

“A government big enough to give you everything you want is a government big enough to take from you everything you have.”  (Quote from Gerald R. Ford)

 

“Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn’t pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same.” (Quote from Ronald Reagan)

 

“America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves.” (Quote from Abraham Lincoln)

 

“Never, never, never give up.” (Quote from Winston Churchill)

Daily Devotional

A question for the Church of Jesus Christ: What has our government given to the church that has made them fearful to preach against sin? Their non-profit corporation status! In the coming days if the church does not adhere to “political correctness” the government will take this status from them and make them pay taxes on all the money that comes in to their churches. Does the loss of tax exemption bring fear to our church leaders? Do they think paychecks, programs and buildings will be affected if people are not given these tax deductions?

 

When someone or something can control how you think and live you have become their slave. Their control over you is nothing more than intimidation to make you fearful about what they can take from you.

 

For people to accept living as slaves depends on how long it takes for those who keep freedom alive – to die out. Here in America we have freedom-fighters working against the government programs that are slowly enslaving us by making us dependent on them for all our needs. After the freedom-fighters are gone who will carry on in their place and fight for American liberty? 

 

Our forefathers knew slavery in England and came to this land to start a new life of liberty and dependency on God. They knew that eventually the threat of slavery would come again, so they made a monument to show us how to ward it off, and even come back and be a free people again if we have become slaves in any generation. It is the “National Monument to the Forefathers.” Here are the words that are at the bottom of each statue on the monument.

 

The steps to freedom and how to stay a free people:

 

1. FAITH: in God alone. His written word is absolute truth.

2. MORALITY: you cannot have morality (godliness) without God and His truth. With morality come the prophet and evangelist to reveal immorality (wickedness).

3. LAW: following the laws of God, not the laws of man. With God’s laws come justice and mercy. Without God’s law you will have confusion, not knowing right from wrong; injustice.

4. EDUCATION: to teach the next generation the words and wisdom of God. Learning starts in the family unit with the parents and grandparents teaching their children.

5. LIBERTY: willing to fight tyranny to preserve liberty; knowing that peace comes out of liberty.

 

The road of liberty (freedom) starts with people who no longer depending on what our government can provide for them. History has shown us that in order to make a nation of slaves it will only take 3 generations of twisting the truth and pumping lies into the people. Every generation is responsible to keep truth alive by first knowing what God says, living it out personally and then going public with it. 

 

The people who walk this road of freedom will be men and women who will take on the intimidating giants; they will be over-comers of lies and deception. Our forefathers were freedom fighters, but over the generations we have seen a subtle cowering because it is easier to allow the government to provide for us than to do for ourselves. 

 

The road of freedom is a very narrow road; too narrow for most. It will require us to come out of dependency on government systems, and to depend upon God for everything. The power of God’s freedom is that with Him all things are possible for those who believe. “Without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” Hebrews 11:6

 

“A government big enough to give you everything you want is a government big enough to take from you everything you have.”  (Quote from Gerald R. Ford)

 

“Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn’t pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same.” (Quote from Ronald Reagan)

 

“America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves.” (Quote from Abraham Lincoln)

 

“Never, never, never give up.” (Quote from Winston Churchill)

Relationships – Chapter 33

Communication – Part 2

 

Communication is a must for developing relationships with our wife, husband, children, colleagues and friends. In the last chapter we looked at the four essential proponents of communication. I would like to look at how it is essential to build common interests that in turn helps to have meaningful communication. In other words, the more we have in common the more communication we can have.

 

My wife and I were in Finland on the Operation Mobilization’s ship M/V LOGOS II. There I had a great time with the leadership of the ship. We had real communication because of our common interests. Having previously lived on the OM ships I knew the problems as well as the blessings in the ministry onboard.

 

It is stated that 50% of marriage will be without children. One of the reasons for divorces among people who have been married for 30 years or more is because after the children are grown there are no other common interests and if both parties have gone their own way in interests, divorce is a sad reality.

 

For many couples, when the children were at home the common interests understandably were with the children, but after the children are gone if husbands and wives don’t have any other common interest there is the natural tendency to separate. How much do we have in common with our children, spouses and even people in our own fellowships?

 

One of the things that we need to do is move towards more involvement with one another. One would think that this should be easy within the family of God and that there would be many things that we could be involved with, but often this is not the case!

 

There are some things that we as God’s people should have a common interest in: God’s Word, prayer, worship, world evangelism, all the things that pertain to God and who we are in Him. We all should have this in common as our firm foundation in our life, but there are also other things in life, other than our children, that as husbands and wives – we have as common interests; things we enjoy doing together, that interest us.

 

When I was the director of Operation Mobilization’s ship, the M/V DOULOS, people often wanted to know how we could have unity with such a variety of people. Among the 300 people on board we had people of 40-50 different nationalities, different denominations, different upbringing, etc., yet in the midst of such diversity we had a tremendous unity because we had a common interest: world evangelism, and this brought us together so that we were able to overcome all the different things that could have separated us.

 

One of the things breaking up families today is that among the different family members there is no common interest. Each member has gone their own way and developed their own interests, and consequently there is a lack of communication; then relationships suffer and are hindered from growing strong.

 

One of the things that I am learning is that it takes time and effort to develop common interests, and this is a must in order to be effective in communicating with one another.

 

Might God give us creative ways to develop common interests within our families, with friends, etc. in order to be effective communicators.

 

Daily Devotional

Son, I AM the first to rise from the dead, ruler of all the kings of the world. I AM the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. I AM the One who is, who always was, and who is still to come – the Almighty One. I died for one and all, but I AM alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and the grave.

 

I love you and freed you from your sins when I shed My blood for you. I know all the things you do. I have seen your hard work and your patient endurance. I know you get upset by evil people and that you hate what I hate.

 

But, Son, do you love Me? Then do all that I ask of you. I know that to be faithful to Me in this world will cause you to suffer, and you may lose things of the world, but you will be rich in My kingdom if you remain faithful! So don’t be afraid of what is coming; remain faithful, and I will give you the crown of life.

 

LORD, I rejoice in Your presence every morning! For You are a father to the fatherless, defender of widows. You are my Father and Defender! Each day I know that You carry me in Your arms, because my time with You is awesome!

Daily Devotional

Son, My Holiness is reveled through My children. Then all nations will know that I AM the LORD, and everyone will know how Holy My great Name is.

 

Truth lives in My children. Though they were overwhelmed by their sins, I forgave them. I faithfully will answer all of their prayers, because I AM their savior. I gave them a new heart, and put My Spirit in them. For, I took away their stony, stubborn heart and gave them a tender, responsive one. I put My Spirit in them so that they would be obedient.  I did not do this because they deserved it, but out of My love for them.

 

Lord, I must tell everyone how glorious You are! How awesome Your miracles are! It is by Your great power that You rule, and You watch every movement of the nations. People come and listen, and I will tell you what My Lord has done for me. For I cried out to Him for help, and He listened! He paid attention to my prayer. Therefore, my life is in His hands forever!

 

Son, when you say that you love Me, it means that you will do all that I ask of you. Do My children understand this about loving Me? Therefore, I am asking all of My children to defend the faith that I entrusted to them. Ungodly people have wormed their way into your churches, saying that My marvelous grace allows them to live immoral lives. The condemnation of these people was recorded long ago. These people have become like unthinking animals that do whatever their instincts tell them. These people are grumblers and complainers, living only to satisfy their sinful desires. They brag loudly about themselves, and they flatter others to get what they want. These people are the ones who create divisions among people.

 

When immorality is unchecked and left alone – it will allow people to become bold and arrogant. This immorality becomes hostile, beating and shouting at the door of your homes until they get you to agree with them. You know this is a horrible thing, but what will anyone do; who is going to speak up and condemn it? Who is upright and bold enough?

 

I will punish any nation that allows immorality to run rampant. I will make Myself known by what I do to their rebellion towards holiness and truth. Then they will know that I, the LORD, have heard and seen every wicked thing they do. I see and hear it all! Nothing is hidden from Me! I, the LORD, have spoken, and I will do what I say: “Judgment is coming!”

 

Lord, You alone are God, and You alone are the Savior of the world. You are my Savior!  All glory is Yours, even before time, and now in the present, and beyond all time – You reign on High and You will fulfill every one of Your awesome words. I will continue to look to You and do what You tell me to do. With Your help, make it so!

 

 

Daily Devotional

To my grandchildren:

 

You are living in the last days, and the Anti-Christ is coming. So it is important that you know the truth. Jesus is the Word of Life, and His words are life giving, and with His Spirit you have all you need to see clearly in the days ahead. If you think you can belong to the world and live as the world does, then you will not be able to see clearly and hear correctly; you will fall my children into the traps of the enemy and not see or hear your way out.

 

Remember, when you harbor hate in your heart you are living in darkness, and you will not know the freedom, joy and peace of God’s love. Do not love this world and go after all the things it offers you; for this world only knows how to offer you that which satisfies human cravings for physical pleasures, and endless opportunities for pride’s own self-importance. This world is fading away, along with everything that our sinful nature craves and produces. None of it will be remembered, so get yourselves free now – living for Christ’s Kingdom and not for the world.

 

People will reject you, hurt you and laugh at you because you stand for the truth of the Lord, but they were never really your friends – on the side of truth and godliness, which you must stand. I must keep instructing you and warning you to “know God’s Word,” so that you will know the difference between truth and lies, and keep walking with the Lord – to the end. You have the Holy Spirit in you, so you don’t need anyone of this world to teach you what they think the truth is. Remain in fellowship with Jesus Christ and be courageous, so that you will be ready to see Him. Do not shrink back from Him, or deny His Word for any reason; for this will bring upon you great shame and regret when you see Him.

 

To my granddaughters, if the Lord should not come back soon and you want to get married, let me tell you how to have a great marriage. Help your husband succeed in the Lord’s will, and do not torment and nag your husband day after day, or you will bring him down, and he might be captured by another.

But with every longing or hurt you have, bring it to your Lord in prayer; for He will bring about all that is good and lasting if you remain in your faith, hope and love of God.  You will not change anything by constant nagging and manipulation, but slowly drive a wedge into your marriage. The power of a women is not in her beauty or cunning ways, or her position in life, but in her fear of the Lord – with her prayer life!

 

To my grandsons, be real men and lead your families the way God tells you to. You do not lead by pushing them with hard words and threats. You lead your wife and children by being out in front, walking with your Lord God, moving in the direction God is leading you. They will follow you then, as you break the way for them; for they are much weaker and need to know they can trust you to lead them in the right way. Don’t stop reading God’s Word and praying continually to Him, or you will be like a man who has his eyes gouged out, that cannot see in front of him, or the good future ahead that God has promised His faithful ones. Be wise, and don’t let yourselves be bound by this world – forced to grind out a living without any joy and peace or prosperity from God. Men who live without faith in the Word of God think they can prevent being chained and enslaved, but how will they not be enslaved if the LORD has left them on their own, just as they wanted?  Men like this think they are smart and intelligent, but their pride and arrogance will only ruin them and their families. The key to being a real man, a true husband and father – is to meet with your Lord and Savior every morning faithfully. Know what He has to say to you in His Word, and make it a priority to obey the Lord and do all He tells you to do, or not to do. The Lord is a man’s covering, and you are the covering for your wife and children. So, be a man of faith and prayer, standing for the truth no matter what, training your sons to be real men of God, and cherishing your wife and daughters as God’s weaker vessels to be valued, and helping all others whom God puts in your way for help.

 

Children, Jesus is your Rock, your only salvation, and your mighty fortress.

Let Him teach and lead you, for then you will never be shaken. Wait quietly for Him to speak and guide; for He is your only hope in life. Trust in Him at all times, and pour out your hearts to Him. He will be your strong refuge in the days ahead.

 

With all my hopes and prayers for you my darling beloved grandchildren,

 

Grandpa Dietz

 

To the parents of my grandchildren, my own children, I expect you to help each of my grandchildren along until they are able to stand in their own faith in Jesus Christ, able to fight the good fight of faith, hope and love in Christ unto a rich welcome into His Kingdom. And know that I am praying for you all. 

 

Relationships – Chapter 32

Communication – Part 1

 

It would seem that one of the great problems of the human race is the inability to communicate with one another. Many problems have come because of this. This lack of communication is another result of SIN.

 

When it comes to communication and developing our communication skills there are four things we need to keep in mind, and in this chapter I want to cover them. What are they?

 

1. Talking 

 

There are several Scripture verses for this in Proverbs.

 

Proverbs 10:19 “When words are many, sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise.”

 

Proverbs 21:23 “He who guards his mouth and his tongue keeps himself from calamity.”

 

Proverbs 29:20 “Do you see a man who speaks in haste? There is more hope for a fool than for him.”

 

Talking is one of the components in communication, but we see that it is surrounded by parameters like the above Scripture verses. How many times have we ‘put our foot in our mouth’ and afterwards wished that we had kept our mouth shut.

 

2. Listening 

 

Proverbs 18:13 “He who answers before listening that is his folly and his shame.”

 

James 1:19 “My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.” 

 

Someone said that when God gave us two ears and one mouth He has given us a visual aid of what is most important in communication. However, for some of us it seems to be the other way around and we have one ear and two mouths.

 

Sometimes it seems that we have a brain in second gear, but a mouth that is running in high gear. We would probably be a better partner if we were deaf and dumb.

 

3. Understanding

 

This is another component in communication that we often forget. Do we really understand what others are saying? We hear the words, but do we understand what is being said?

 

So often we assume that our wife, husband, children or whoever is thinking a particular thing, but how do we know? In these different components of communication we see that each one is a little harder.

 

It is easy to talk. Most of us have no problem with this, but when it comes to listening that is another story. That is harder and when it comes to understanding this takes even more effort. Most of the time we do not want to invest the time and effort to really come to an understanding of what someone might be trying to communicate.

 

4. Desire This another component in communication. Sometimes the problem is not the inability to understand, but the desire is not there to take the time and effort to understand what is being communicated to us.

 

Francis of Assisi said: “That I might seek to understand more than to be understood.” What a statement! We all want to be understood, don’t we? But are we ready to take the time, energy, etc. to actually understand others?

 

In developing relationships the art of communication is a great must. We must work on these four components since none of this happens automatically. It takes work. Might God help us to be better communicators!

Daily Devotional

Lord, Your children are divided and our country has great chasms. The land is about to receive more of Your judgments because Your children are not all united with You. Our foundation has spreading cracks that need repair! With Your help we can unitedly take back this nation to make it great again. Lord, unite us with Your wisdom and give us the confidence to stand on Your mighty promises. Save us by Your great power!  With Your favor upon us we can defeat those who reject Your truth; so that the disobedient are turned to the wisdom of the righteous.

 

Son, I have given My children everything they need to bring this country back to all that is right and just. They must unite in the truth by electing leaders who stand on My Word and believe in My precious promises. These promises, if they will firmly stand on them, will enable them to share in My divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by evil human desires. When My children obey My Word they will not fall and be disgraced, nor fail in their positions. In the end, they will make a grand entrance into My eternal Kingdom.

 

Lord, listen to the filth and arrogance that comes from the mouths of our leaders. They boast of their great tolerances, and regard themselves as wise – making our nation a laughingstock. Look at all the immoral and wicked people that our leaders let influence their thinking, taking advantage of their positions as leaders to promote further wickedness in our land. These proud and arrogant people despise Your laws and authority over them, daring even to scoff at You without so much as trembling. They have become like unthinking animals, creatures of instinct; worse than animals because they do what is not natural to do, and give honor to anyone brave enough to make a public stand of their immorality. These fools brag about the plans they have to bring everyone in line with them, and work to shame those who oppose them. They promise a freedom that is not freedom at all, but bondage and further defilement of the land. They are quick to indulge in evil because their desire for sin is never satisfied.

 

Son, I know that My children are tormented by what they see and hear every day. They must understand that these people live under My curse, and are doomed to blackest darkness. My children have escaped the judgment of the world by knowing and obeying their Savior Jesus Christ. I have set them free from the bondage of sin – so that sin is no longer their master. But, if My children get tangled up and enslaved by sin again, they will be worse off than before! My children must remember this and guard their hearts and minds with My truth and Spirit.

Daily Devotional

Son, I am your Shepherd and the Guardian of your soul. It is by My great mercy that you have been born again. So live your life with great expectation; for there is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure some trials on this earth. Remember that your new life will last forever because it comes from your faith in My living Word which remains forever. I paid the ransom required to save you from an empty life that will quickly end; for you have been born again to live with Me eternally.

 

Though you do not see Me yet, you need to trust Me. So prepare your mind for action and exercise self-control. Put all your hope in Me, and don’t slip back into your old ways of living to satisfy your own desires. You must be holy because I AM holy.

 

Some of My children stumble because they do not know or obey My Word. I taught them that as My children they are only temporary residents in this world, and they are to be out of this worldly system that is now in place. To please Me they must guard themselves from worldly desires that wage war against their very souls. When they forget Me and choose to turn their back on Me they will bear the consequences of this great folly. I won’t hold back, nor will I change my mind; for they will be judged on the basis of their wicked choices.

 

Lord, when I am tempted and afraid, I will put my trust in You and remember Your words. I praise You for all that You have promised, for You are My God and coming King. It is my desire to stay close to You and do all you ask of me. Why should I be afraid of what man can do to me? You have told me that You keep track of all my sorrows, and collect all my tears in a bottle. You have recorded it all in Your book. Because of what Jesus did for me I can walk in Your presence each day, living before You day and night. I will walk in Your life-giving light so that even in the night – Your light is all around me.

Relationships – Chapter 31

Biblical Self-Esteem – Part 6

 

I believe it is very easy for us to misunderstand what is meant by biblical self-esteem. The biggest problem that we face is one’s self. In one sense ‘self’ is public enemy number one. When it comes to my relationships with others and my relationship with God – it is myself that is often the problem.

 

One of the things that we need to think about is this: What is the difference between biblical self-esteem (the way that we have been looking at it) and self-centeredness? I would like to give some thought to this difference.

 

Comparison is probably the first thing that comes to our mind. What do I mean by this?  Self-centeredness says: “I am more important,” but biblical self-esteem says: “I am important.” Do we see the difference? Whenever we begin to compare ourselves with others, it is wrong.

 

Self-centeredness will try to not only compare him/herself with others, but try and compete or even feel superior to someone else. This is wrong and will destroy relationships.

 

Biblical self-esteem simply confirms what God says about us. Again, we need to go back and see what the Lord says about us. God reaffirms His love for us. We are lumps of clay that He is shaping. Often we do not like what we see, but we must keep in mind that God is not through with us yet. We will become a true son or daughter of God; for in Christ Jesus we have become a new creation, with a new hope and a bright future.

 

Why is it important for us to know what the Lord thinks about us? We tend to behave according to what we think people think about us. If we think that people think of us as screw-ups then we have a tendency to behave that way.

 

It is important for me to know what the Lord really thinks about me, because it will affect my behavior for good or bad. It will affect my relationship with the Lord. In other words, my fellowship with God is determined by what I think He thinks about me.

 

Relating to the Lord in the right way helps me to relate to others in the right way. I will no longer be comparing myself to others, and I will accept others more freely as God does. This in turn liberates me to fulfill my individual function in the Body of Christ, so that the Lord’s Church is fulfilling the will of God.