Insights Magazine: October 2011

October 2011

Prophets, Predictions, &Precision

in this issue

“A prophet could make only

two possible

grades on this test:

100 or 0.”

3 Prophetic Momentum Charles R. Swindoll

pressure points

6 Handling God’s Words Steve Johnson

lifetrac

9 Not Buying into the Hype Robyn Roste

STRONG FAMILY

12 Reflections of a Mother Julia Johannesson

laughing matters

14 Unplugged Phil Callaway

Help Me Understand

17 Conflict Resolution Insight for Living Canada Copyright © 2011 Insight for Living Canada. All rights reserved. No portion of this monthly publication may be reproduced in any form without prior written permission from the publisher. Insights is published by IFLC, the Bible teaching ministry of Charles R. Swindoll.

IFLC is an autonomous ministry and certified member of the Canadian Council of Christian Charities. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture passages are taken from the NASB. Printed in Canada. Unless otherwise noted, photography by IFLC staff.

Prophetic

Momentum

by Charles R. Swindoll

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I

remember the time I spoke to the Los Angeles Rams at their pre-game chapel service, and later that night, they creamed the Dallas Cowboys. The evening before Super Bowl XIV, I spoke to the Steelers, and they ripped the Rams apart the next day. Then I spoke to the Dodgers before they took the field against the Reds, and they cleaned their clock!

I am now being asked to speak to the Bills, the Jets, the 49ers, the Chicago Cubs, and the Texas Rangers. No, not really. But it is a lot of fun when you get a winning streak going.

When a winning streak happens in sporting events, sportscasters call it “athletic momentum”—that surge of assurance, that deep sense of confidence that says, “No doubt about it; we’re gonna win this thing!” If I didn’t know better, I might call my pre-game chapel winning streak, “prophetic momentum.” I could lead teams to believe I have such a gift: “You guys wanna win? Just invite me over a few hours before the game, and it’s in the bag. When I speak, you win!”

Yeah, right.

No reason to kid ourselves. In the long run, I’m about as prophetically gifted as your local weather forecaster. And my momentum is about as surging as a poached egg. Whatever connection there is between my speaking and somebody’s winning is purely coincidental. Prophetic utterance is not my bag.

True prophets—the authentic variety— have long since fled the scene. But they once walked the earth like spiritual giants. They were daring men and women, who were willing to stake their lives on the absolute truth of their claims. They allowed for no margin for error in judgment, no mental mistake of even the smallest 4

Prophetic Momentum continued from p. 3

detail. And they didn’t predict obvious generalities like, “Tomorrow, the sun will rise,” or, “Tonight, it’s going to be dark.”

No, original, genuine prophets were risky.

I mean some were downright scary! Their credentials weren’t based on diplomas from impressive graduate schools or their escalating ages or how high they had risen through the ranks, slowly earning the right to be respected.

Back then, a prophet was a prophet because he or she passed a very simple (yet exacting) test: if the prophet were true, whatever he or she predicted, that very thing would occur. If the prophet happened to be a phony, nothing would happen. Moses laid down that precept in simple terms in Deuteronomy 18:21-22.

A prophet could make only two possible grades on this test: 100 or 0. Ace it, or flat out flunk. Worse than that, the people stoned the fake prophet if the predicted stuff didn’t happen (Deuteronomy 13). But if God’s hand was on that prophet…if the person was indeed Jehovah’s “throat”… the people should have stood back in fear.

What was predicted was sure to happen.

The prophetic momentum was awesome.

And I do mean awesome! Every one of those true prophets was a summa cum laude graduate of the School of Divine Presence. They didn’t mess around. They never missed.

“many have undertaken what I call ‘the dating game’—a half-baked attempt to pinpoint the day Christ will return.”

Take Isaiah, the brilliant son of Amoz, who passed Moses’ test with flying colours.

Around 710 BC, a strong Assyrian army

besieged Jerusalem. When good King Hezekiah heard how his people were intimidated and paralyzed with fear, he pled with Isaiah to pray for deliverance. Isaiah did one better. He predicted that Sennacherib, the Assyrian king, would hear a rumour of trouble back home—a rumour that would cause him to return to Assyria without attacking Jerusalem. You guessed it. That’s exactly what happened (Isaiah 37:5-7, 3638).

And when Isaiah talked about “a virgin” someday being “with child” and calling this child’s name “Immanuel,” it was no fluke (Isaiah 7:14). Eight hundred years later, in a feeding trough in Bethlehem, the incredible reached zenith proportions. For the first time in the history of the world, God’s actual voice could be heard coming from tiny human vocal chords.

Now that’s prophetic momentum, folks.

Today, however, that same kind of prophetic precision falls flat. In fact, many have undertaken what I call “the dating game”—a half-baked attempt to pinpoint the day Christ will return. All of these predictions are made, mind you, in spite of the

fact that Jesus Himself said that only the Father knows when that event will occur (Matthew 24:36).

Guard against setting dates and don’t follow those who do. Remember Y2K? We were told all the computers would crash and burn. Everything would grind to a halt. Nothing happened. I know people who based their ministry on that false prediction. Some even wrote books about it. I confess…I was tempted to write the authors and say, “Hey, how’s your book selling…now that it’s January 2?” Don’t set dates. Don’t think someone’s teaching is “deep” because he or she predicts the exact time of Christ’s coming. Jesus said, “It is not for you to know” (Acts 1:7). Only the Father knows. Never forget that!

Prophets like Isaiah were not rookies who carried out hit-or-miss pre-game chapel programs for a few teams in Judah. No, they were the real deal, sent and anointed by God to be trusted and revered.

They had prophetic momentum.

Photograph of Chuck Swindoll © 2010 by David Edmonson

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6

Pressure Points

“Words & their meanings are important to God. They should be to us as well.”

Mark Twain once said, “The difference between the right word and the almost right word is like the difference between lightning and the lightning bug.”

Words convey meaning. Using the wrong word or misusing a word will convey the wrong meaning. Using the right word will convey the meaning you intend.

Misunderstanding and error arise because we mishandle words.

Earlier this year Harold Camping predicted Judgment Day on May 21 and the end of the world on October 21, 2011. At the root of his interpretations is the false assumption that Bible verses can have “twofold meaning.”1 And historical and biblical context don’t matter. Assume those things and you can make the Bible say anything you want. Consequently when the end didn’t happen he said the predicted earthquake did happen because people, who are made of earth (Genesis 2:7) quaked in fear. And the rapture or “catching up” occurred because as of that date there was a “catching up” or completion of those who are to be saved. Now complete, no one else will ever be saved.2 Because Scripture is inspired and the individual words of the Bible are God-

breathed, we know words and their meanings are important to God. They should be to us as well. Here are some fundamentals to remember when handling God’s words.

A word can mean many things.

When we interpret the Bible, we must remember that a word may be used in different senses in different places.

For example, in the Bible, the word “glory” can mean many things: splendour (Matthew 6:29), praise (Acts 12:23), brightness (2 Corinthians 3:7), and heaven (1Timothy 3:16). How do we know which meaning to choose? The context is the key that unlocks the sense so read the context.

A word cannot mean anything you wish. When we interpret the Bible, we must not attribute our own meaning to a word.

In Through the Looking Glass, Alice holds a strange conversation with Humpty Dumpty.

“I don’t know what you mean by ‘glory,’” Alice said. Humpty Dumpty smiled contemptuously. “Of course you don’t—till I tell you. I meant ‘there’s a nice knockdown argument for you!’” “But ‘glory’ doesn’t mean ‘a nice knock-down argument,’” Alice objected. “When I use a word,” Humpty Dumpty said, in rather a scornful tone, “it means just what I

1.

2.

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choose it to mean—neither more nor less.” “The question is,” said Alice, “whether you can make words mean so many different things.” “The question is,” said Humpty Dumpty, “which is to be master—that’s all.”3 While a word can mean many things, each of those things must be sensible with regard to that word. That’s why, for example, Peter used the word “defence” in 1Peter 3:15 and did not use the word “glory” in that place. The word “defence” can mean “a nice knock-down argument” but the word “glory” would not express that idea at all. No, Humpty, a word cannot mean anything you choose it to mean.

A word can mean only one thing at a time. When we interpret the Bible we must remember that a word can mean but one thing in one place and we cannot accommodate two conflicting meanings.

Seldom does one intentionally use a word in an ambiguous manner so that it has a double meaning. Normally a word means only one thing at one time. As an example, the word “word” itself is used in the sentence, “For the kingdom of God does not consist in word, but in power” (1 Corinthians 4:20). Obviously “word” here must refer to the prattling of men. It means this one thing here.

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In another place we have, “those who gladly received his word were baptized” (Acts 2:41). Obviously here “word” refers to the message of Christ, which Peter had preached. It means this different thing here. Only one of those meanings can exist in one place.

A word means what its author meant. When handling God’s words we must strive to gather what the author meant by what he said, and not make arbitrary interpretations.

For example, when Jesus used the word “temple” in one instance, people were wrong to put a meaning upon that word which Jesus had not intended. He meant the temple of his body, not the grand place of worship in Jerusalem (John 2:19-22; Matthew 26:61; 27:39-40).

Each time a word is used, its meaning is fixed in that instance, and it is the author who has fixed that meaning. The reader is not free to put his own meaning on it.

Rather, he must gather what the author meant by it.

Harold Camping needs to learn this.

4.

Steve Johnson is the interim executive director at IFLC.

http://www.ebiblefellowship.com/outreach/tracts/may21/ http://www.familyradio.com/graphical/literature/whathappened.html Carroll, L. Through the Looking-Glass. Raleigh, NC: Hayes Barton Press, 1872 ISBN 1593772165, (72).

on the air in november: Growing Deep in the Christian Life: Returning to our Roots,Volume 1

8

In this no-nonsense study, Chuck Swindoll blows the dust off the dull doctrines and breathes life into the practical side of theology. Filled with humorous stories and down-to-earth applications, Chuck’s study reveals how the practical side of theology is what helps us grow deeper in the Christian Life.

The Value of Knowing the Scoop Don’t Forget to Add a Cup of Discernment God’s Book—God’s Voice Handling the Scriptures Accurately Knowing God: Life’s Major Pursuit

notbuying into the

by Robyn Roste

On lifetrac.ca and facebook.com/lifetrac this month: Destination: Unknown By Robyn Roste

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I remember it like it was yesterday.

Driving home early January 1, 2000 and gazing at the empty streets and closed businesses. It seemed like a ghost town. Sure I knew I wasn’t witnessing the rapture in action or the end of the world. This was just a city recovering from millennium celebrations. So why was there a twinge of doubt in the back of my mind? My thoughts ranged from “Did Y2K really strike?” to “Why wasn’t I raptured with everyone else?”

Silly as it sounds, I know I’m not the only one whose theology got muddled up with the hype of yet another “the end is near” scare. Look at all the attention Harold Camping’s End of the World 2011 predictions are receiving, even though he has not only been discredited but his previous prophecies have been wrong. And what about the 2012 Phenomenon? With the Long Count Mayan calendar ending on December 21, 2012 some people are predicting Planet X or solar flares or an asteroid will destroy Earth. And this is despite the fact scientists say all of these catastrophes are impossible and Mayan descendants don’t even pretend that’s what the end of their calendar means.

“We live in a time where fact & fiction are confused with feelings. People believe what they feel over anything else.”

The truth is end times and date setting is big business. Not only does it make for popular action-packed movies but it’s good for the economy. People tend to react emotionally when frightened with messages of doom and gloom and often that fear translates into large purchases lacking critical thought.

Not Buying into the Hype continued from p. 9

But this is nothing new. In the 1950s Wisconsin Senator Joseph McCarthy rose to power and fame by capitalizing on America’s fear of communism. He made hundreds of unfounded accusations of politicians, business owners, and celebrities sympathizing with communist ideals. Thanks to what is now known as “McCarthyism,” many of these people lost their careers and livelihoods even if the accusations were later found to be false.

McCarthyism reared its ugly head again after 9–11, when many Muslims were accused, arrested, detained, humiliated, and more without proof or cause. Even now there is a palpable distrust between people groups who differ religiously, politically, or racially. People are afraid to trust each other, lest they be fooled and terrorists strike again.

So should we be surprised when the Harold Campings of the world step up to make wild, unfounded predictions and people actually buy into it? With fear as the propelling force for decision-making and critical thought and biblical knowledge lagging behind, the difference between truth and fiction becomes relatively irrelevant.

In the face of these situations, how do we avoid getting swept up in the hype and losing ourselves to fear and doubt?

The key to keeping your head is knowing your Bible. Matthew 24 is an especially powerful contrast to the hype of end times.

It’s encouraging to know even the disciples wanted to know when the end would come (verse 3). So what should our response be when people tell us the end is near? What about when people tell us it will happen on an exact date?

More than once Jesus warns against setting dates. Yet despite the warning people continue to do so. Chuck Swindoll in his message More Seals Broken…More Lives Shaken

“When the Son of Man returns, it will be like it was in Noah’s day. In those days before the flood, the people were enjoying banquets and parties and weddings right up to the time Noah entered his boat. People didn’t realize what was going to happen until the flood came and swept them all away. That is the way it will be when the Son of Man comes.”

Matthew 24:37-39 (NLT)

and Taken says “Let me give you a tip about that. Never follow a teacher who sets dates regarding prophecy. That person is not reliable. Jesus himself said not even angels know the precise moments. So believe me neither do we who are on this earth know the precise date or day.” Matthew 24:36 says no one knows when the end is. As well we can be assured that it will happen suddenly—unexpectedly and without warning (verses 40-44). Therefore, anyone who tries to tell us otherwise is incorrect.

But this “not knowing” shouldn’t be something to fear. In fact, we’re told not to be afraid of the end.

When we put our trust in the Lord and as we live in God, 1 John 4 tells us our love grows more perfect.

And “such love has no fear because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of judgment, and this shows that his love has not been perfected in us,” (1 John 4:18 NLT). When we are filled with God’s perfect love, there is no room for fear.

We live in a time where fact and fiction are confused with feelings. People believe what they feel over anything else. In this light, it is more important than ever that we remain rooted in God’s Word and in His love, so that we will not be caught up in the hype of another prediction, or another impending disaster.

We must not give into fear because, like Pastor John MacArthur says, “Our hope is not placed in the Antichrist. Our hope is placed in Jesus Christ.” And that’s not scary at all.

Free mp3 In a world where everything seems right, how do we see through the fog and read between the lines to see where Truth lies? The key is discernment.

In this full-length message, The Disturbing Realities of Our Times, Chuck Swindoll teaches us how to navigate through the cultural maze of humanism, skepticism, and postmodernism we all face daily.

Download this discerning message today at lifetrac.ca

Don’t Trust Date Setters!

We all want to know where we’re going and we’ve wanted to know since Jesus walked the earth. But the exact date of Christ’s return is not information that we’ve been given. So while we don’t know when Christ will return, we are to be ready.

Subscribe or listen free online at lifetrac.ca

Robyn Roste is the LifeTrac coordinator at IFLC.

Strong Family

of a

Mother

by Julia Johannesson

Colossians 3:23-24 “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord and not for human masters…It is the Lord Christ you are serving” (NIV).

Parenting is not to be taken lightly. I became a mother at age 24 and it didn’t take long to realize God had chosen to bless my husband and me with our daughter and we needed to take that seriously. As parents, we all have moments where we want to walk away or feel like we need a do over, but that doesn’t happen. What does happen is our reflection in our children.

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girl

© istockphoto.com/Brosa

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them learn that, first and foremost, they Children are like mirrors. If our relaneed to choose to follow Christ. And when tionship with Christ is hurting, so is theirs. they accept Christ they become children If we are upset, they are too. If we feel like of God. They then need to know His Word we don’t need to walk with God each and and what it means to them, and take it seevery day, neither will they. Kids feed off riously. This will give them the strength of everything their parents do and say. and discernment to navigate their way We raise them and try to teach them right through life. from wrong, but ultimately we let them go and hold our breath. We pray as they take those steps out our front door that we have taught them enough, so that they “We raise them and try to teach can be a beacon into others lives. them right from wrong, but My daughter is almost three now, and I am pregnant with our second child. ultimately we let them go and Recently the two of us were driving and hold our breath.”

I was trying to explain that she was goBut how can we ask that of our children ing to have a new sibling sometime after if we don’t do it first? Deuteronomy 6:6-7 Valentine’s Day. I tried my best to make and 18 says, “These commandments that everything as simple as I could and then I give you today are to be on your hearts.

I asked the regrettable—“Do you have any Impress them on your children. Talk about questions?” them when you sit at home and when you For about a minute there was silence. walk along the road, when you lie down And then…you guessed it. “Where do baand when you get up.... Do what is right bies come from?” It was hard not to laugh and good in the Lord’s sight…” Pray for and I quickly said, “Well this one is comyour children. Pray they would have a ing from mommy’s tummy.” desire for God and accept Christ at an Another moment of silence followed. early age. Pray that God will give them the While I thanked God for letting me dodge strength to put Christ first in their lives. that bullet, she followed up with, “Are baAnd pray their lives will mirror Christ’s bies presents from God?” love to the world.

This made my heart soar for two reaBecoming a parent was definitely an sons. First it meant that God had made it eye-opener. It was humbling to discover into her life. She was beginning to become that this little person would one day walk aware of Him. And secondly, because she out into the world repeating everything realized how special and amazing chilwe taught her…good or bad. It is amazdren are, which in turn made her feel like ing how children will walk up to you and she’s a present from God. speak truth with no barriers. Imagine if As our children grow they will face a they could be that honest but in the name secular world full of temptation, jealousy, of God. promiscuity, sexuality and gender issues, and be told to accept it. They will be told Julia Johannesson is self-employed and lives with her family in British Columbia. truth is relative and the essential virtue is tolerance. We must find a way to help 13

Laughing Matters

by Phil Callaway

14

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hen our children were teenagers, I came home from work to discover my house was moving. My sons had commandeered my stereo and had broken the sound barrier with music that sounded like a herd of angry cats chasing a bagpiper. I smiled as I approached the house, knowing that what goes around comes around.

You see, throughout my teenage years I gladly drove inexpensive cars if they had expensive stereo systems. Noise was a big part of my life back then. I put on the headphones at night and fell asleep somewhere between Chicago and the Eagles. Sometimes I miss the good old days. But more than anything, I miss my hearing.

The Hearing Foundation of Canada reports that I am not alone.

Hearing loss is the fastest growing chronic condition facing Canadians today, with close to three million adults suffering from hearing problems. Pete Townsend of the rock group The Who has tinnitus from performing before huge crowds and large speaker towers for the past three decades. “I can’t even hear what my children are saying,” he said recently.

We not only live in a sped up world, we live in an excessively noisy one. One day I stood in a cafeteria line beside a teenager who had surgically-implanted headphones just above his earrings. I smiled at him and then mouthed a question.

Kindly removing the headphones, he cocked his head.

“Are you OK?” I asked. “It sounds like someone’s killing chickens in there.” Thankfully he smiled too. “I’m listening to Blink 182,” he said proudly. Then he laughed and shook his head. “Killing chickens,” he said, sliding the headphones back into place and turning up the chickens.

Noise induced hearing loss, as the experts call it, is by no means a new problem. Ancient papyrus from Egypt shows that men working near Nile waterfalls developed it. So did those working in print shops, shipyards, and church nurseries. But in the last 20 years the culture of noise has descended on North America with a vengeance.

Movie theatres have pumped up the volume. Bands at wedding receptions are tired of being background music. Boom boxes on city streets and ear-splitting rock and roll performances are the norm.

“Every part of our environment has increased its noise,” states Dr. Marin Allen, who studies such things. She cites an increase in urban traffic, heavy equipment, and 15

the use of power tools. “Everything we do seems to be louder,” she says. “If you use a hair dryer next to your ears for a period of years—you know that’s something that our grandmothers didn’t have. That’s part of life now.”

All of us seem to be affected by an addiction to noise. But perhaps we are losing something even more valuable than our hearing. It is our ability to listen. To quietly contemplate. To be still and think deeply.

In Letter 22 of C.S. Lewis’ The Screwtape Letters, wicked Uncle Screwtape boasts, “We will make the whole universe a noise.

The melodies and silences of Heaven will be shouted down in the end.” And Richard Foster in his book Celebration of Discipline writes, “In contemporary society, our Adversary majors in three things, noise, hurry and crowds. If he can keep us engaged in ‘muchness’ and ‘manyness’, he will rest satisfied.”

Some of us are fearful of silence. If we stop we may have to think for ourselves.

If we listen we may not like what we hear.

We find solitude synonymous with loneliness. And so we miss the quiet whisperings of God. Though He can be heard anywhere, He speaks most often in the silence, rarely through our headphones and seldom while we sit in traffic jams honking. As surely as light makes no noise as it

travels, God is best heard where noise does not distract and disturb and interrupt.

And old Italian proverb says “Where the river is deepest it makes the least noise.”

We are deepened in the quiet places.

The Bible has much to say about the merits of quietness: “Be still and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10 NIV). “In quietness and confidence is your strength” (Isaiah 32:17). “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me” (John 10:27).

Such following cannot take place without listening for directions.

I once asked a teenager who was voted most popular girl in her entire high school what her secret was. She said simply, “I listen.”

No one loves a good movie or a loud celebration more than I, but there are times when we must be still and listen. When we would do well to lift our eyes and enjoy nature, watch a bird feeder rather than a television, and drive with the radio off.

There’s a time for everything. A time to pull the plug on the kingdom of noise.

And a time to eat supper too. I think that’s my wife calling. Or it could be the stereo.

Or the wind. Boy, do I miss my hearing.

Phil Callaway is a popular speaker and the author of numerous books including Making Life Rich Without Any Money. Visit him at www.philcallaway.com

This Month’s Gift

Songs for all Seasons 2012 Insight for Living Canada Calendar Our 2012 calendar is ready! It features 12 favourite hymns and 12 beautiful photographs of Canadian landscapes with plenty of room for your appointments and special dates.

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CONFLICT RESOLUTION

CONFLICT RESOLUTION

“We just can’t agree”

If I had to liken my confrontation style to an animal, I guess I’d say I’m a turtle. Whenever emotions are heightened I retreat into the safety of my shell and wait until the storm passes.

My spouse, on the other hand, is more like a territorial lion.

Conflict is a part of life and my spouse fights for what is right.

Sometimes I’m accused of being a doormat, always giving in. But I would rather have a peaceful life and do what my spouse wants than start fights and end up divorced. Also it feels awful when people are mad at me, I feel nervous and jumpy. Why would I risk making people angry by speaking my mind if I just feel horrible afterward? No, I’ll just keep it to myself.

I’ve always looked at conflict as a “fight or flight” choice—when we disagree with each other we should stuff it down because our goal should be to live in peace with each other. I try to live without conflict even if it means I don’t get my way. That’s what the Bible says about fighting, right?

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Our Problem — Conflict is a fact of life. People have different motives, methods, perspectives, and desires. Some of these are sinful some are not. In fact trying to live a godly life in a sinful world will create conflict.

Conflict per se isn’t necessarily bad. But we have a problem when conflict stems from, is expressed with, or remains unresolved, because of sinful motives, attitudes, or actions.

God’s Answers — God’s Word addresses conflict with real practical direction aimed at our motives, attitudes, and actions.

• “Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification” (Romans 14:19 cf.12:18 NIV).

• “…then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus…” (Philippians 2:2-5).

• “What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight” (James 4:1, 2a).

• “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger” (Proverbs 15:1).

• “Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you” (Colossians 3:13).

• “…Everyone should be quick to lis-

ten, slow to speak and slow to become angry…” (James 1:19).

• “Do not repay anyone evil for evil” (Romans 12:17).

The Solution

1. Check your motives. Examine your heart for evidence of manipulation, mistrust, or feelings of resentment or entitlement.

These breed conflict (James 4:1-3). Ask God’s forgiveness if these are present. Ask yourself why the conflict issue is so important to you. Be sure you are wanting what God wants (Philippians 2:2-8).

“Conflict is a part of life and my spouse fights for what is right.”

2. Exercise humility by focusing on hearing and understanding the other person and her perspective. Do not minimize her needs or put down anything about her.

3. Choose your words carefully. Don’t escalate the conflict by yelling or using inflammatory or exaggerated statements such as “always” and “never.” Attack the problem not the person. Don’t clam up refusing to talk.

4. View yourselves as a team striving for resolution together rather than as opponents at odds. Work for a win/win rather than win/lose. Forgive; do not hold the conflict against the other person. Never seek revenge.

5. If emotions are running too high, set a later time to discuss and brainstorm solutions and options for resolving the conflict. by

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reg. $122.00

On The Air This Month God’s Masterwork, Volume Four: An Invitation to Return — A Survey of Hosea - Malachi 12 CD messages

Welcome to the Minor Prophets! Though dead, they speak today. Listen attentively to these 12 major instruments in the symphony of God’s Masterwork.

Sale!

3010

$

reg. $43.00

A Prophet We Can Trust single CD message

Can we trust modern-day seers? Should we listen when they predict the coming of Christ and the end of the world? And when their message doesn’t square with Scripture, what should we believe? Is there a prophet we can trust? Chuck Swindoll answers these questions and gives us a checklist of what we should look for in a trustworthy prophet.

Sale!

5

$ 60 reg. $8.00

Learn to Share the Good News of Christ!

Religions of the World Passport passport-sized booklet by Insight for Living

Sale!

750

$

This passport-sized guide teaches you the most effective way to share your faith with those of other religions. You’ll be prepared to ask the right questions and give the right answers.

reg. $10.00

Living Water for a Thirsty World paperback by Insight for Living, 82 pages

Sale!

900

$

Learn to clearly communicate the Good News in a simple and powerful manner.

reg. $12.00

Passion for the Gospel paperback by Charles R. Swindoll and Greg Laurie, 101 pages

Sale!

5

$

00

Chuck Swindoll and Greg Laurie share their testimonies and insights on evangelism.

reg. $7.00

Supernatural Living in a Secular World 5 CD messages

Journey with Chuck Swindoll through Romans 6-8, one of the most profound and practical sections in the Bible.

first copy

This Month’s Gift

Sale!

2175

$

reg. $29.00

FREE! 9 additional $ copies:

00

reg. $12.00

Songs for all Seasons: 2012 Insight for Living Canada Calendar 12-month wall calendar

Our 2012 calendar is ready! It features 12 favourite hymns and 12 beautiful photographs of Canadian landscapes with plenty of room for your appointments and special dates.

Prepare your heart for Christmas with the month-long devotional, A Promise Kept: A Pictorial Journey of the Coming of Christ.

Twenty-five devotionals and spectacular photographs combine to tell the story of Christ’s birth from a fresh perspective. Celebrate God’s loving promise of the Saviour.

Order now to have in time for the start of Advent on November 27!

Sale!

1200

$

reg. $16.00

info@insightforliving.ca • insightforliving.ca • 1.800.663.7639