Dwight Thompson Ministries

Be Yourself

Be yourself

When you witness to others about Jesus Christ, you will run into some people who will have objections or questions.

Suppose you want to talk to someone about being born again, and they say to you, “Not now—some other time.” How do you answer this objection?

Here are some Scriptures that will help you. When they say, “Not now, some other time,” read from Proverbs 27:1: “Boast not thyself of tomorrow, for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.”

Hebrews 3:15: “While it is yet today, if you will hear his voice, harden not your hearts.”

Luke 12:19: “And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. But God said unto him, thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee, then whose shall those things be which thou has provided?”

With God, Time Is Of The Essence

Use these verses of Scriptures to encourage them to make that commitment to the Lord right now.

You might also want to have this verse of Scripture that I think is very important: Isaiah 55:6, “Seek the Lord while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near.”

Try to encourage them to realize that God’s time is RIGHT NOW!

I found out that I was putting on some kind of religions facade, it was sort of a mask in some ways, to get up behind the pulpit and suddenly sound religious, as opposed to just being me.

I found out that I can’t be Billy Graham, because God called Billy Graham to be Billy Graham. I just have to be me. I found out that just being Dwight Thompson was the best thing to be because that was all I was.

Just be sincere! Paul said in Philippians 1:10, “That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ.”

I want you who are reading this just to be yourself. You’re really super! God had a wonderful idea when He made you, so don’t try to be someone else – just be yourself.

You will influence someone that will never listen to me. I could never reach them but YOU CAN! Let that personality just come out and be yourself, because people will listen to you.

A New Chapter For Our Grandson Dalton

Photo by Sarah Greer

Last night our wonderful grandson Dalton Thompson graduated high school. We are so proud of him for all he has achieved these past four years. This year he was honored as the MVP of his baseball team and has received one of the highest scholarship to play ball in college as a pitcher. More important Dalton has kept his integrity and commitment to the Lord, on and off the field, for his identity remains in Christ. We have watched Dalton’s faithfulness to the Lord and now we are seeing the blessings flow for his obedience as he embarks on a new chapter in his life.

1 Peter 2:9 says, “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness in to his wonderful light.”

The promises of our Lord still remain true! Amen.

A New Person

Second Corinthians 5:17 says, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”

When you accept Christ, YOU ARE A NEW PERSON. Your concept, your understanding has changed. You now realize that God and the Bible are right, and that you have been wrong.

You have made the adjustment and you have confessed that you were wrong and that God was right…and this is REPENTANCE (which simply means… a change of mind). You have been transformed by the renewing of your mind.

Romans 12:2 says, “And be not conformed to this world but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, an perfect will of God.”

Now you have a brand new idea about life and death. “To live is Christ; to die is gain” (Phil. 1:21).

You have new attitudes toward others. No longer is there hate, but now you are motivated by love for others. Now, you are not afraid to live and to love, and to be loved.

A Kind Word

Fear is a weight on the heart of man, but faith lifts the heart with joy.

“An anxious heart weighs a man down, but a kind word cheers him up” (Prov. 12:25).

Dr. Leonard Cammer, a psychiatrist who has specialized for thirty years in treating depressed persons, said, “The human being is the only species that can’t survive alone. The human being needs another human being – otherwise he’s dead! A telephone call to a depressed person can save a life. An occasional word, a ten-minute visit, can be more effective than twenty-four hours of nursing care. You can buy nursing care. You can’t buy love.”

2012 The Breakthrough of Your Life

When we learn to pray just like Christ prayed, 2012 will be the breakthrough year of your life.

Our Father in Heaven… Hallowed be your name… Your kingdom come… Your will be done… On earth as it is in Heaven… Give us this day our daily bread… Forgive us our debts… As we forgive our debtors… Lead us not into temptation… but deliver us from evil… For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen Matthew 6:9-13 (NKJV)

1.“Our Father…” Jesus established a relationship of love between the believer and his God. Just as our earthly father is easy to approach, so is our Heavenly Father.

2.“…In Heaven, hallowed be your name…” While God is our father, He still is our God and deserves our respect. By recognizing His position, we recognize that His ability and power help us far beyond the ability of our earthly father. This is why Christ taught us early in each prayer to pause and thank God for that relationship… recognizing His great glory and power.

3.“…your kingdom come…” This world has been wrecked by the havoc of satan. Our Lord teaches us to pray His kingdom will come into the hearts of men and on the face of this earth. All Christians must pray daily for Christ’s kingdom to come.

4.“…your will be done on earth as it is in heaven…” Our prayers should be prayers of faith imploring God to bring forces to bear on this earth so men will be responsive to His glorious Will.

5.“…give us this day, our daily bread…” God desires we ask Him each day for our daily needs. Everything we need is supplied by God. Freely we have received that we are now able to freely give.

6.“…and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors…” Jesus made it clear in Mark 11:26 that if we do not forgive others, forgiveness is withheld from us.

7.“…lead us not into temptation…” Our Lord teaches us to pray that we escape temptation. While the spirit is willing, the flesh is weak. We must never think we can resist temptation in our own strength.

8. “…but deliver us from evil…” Almost in the same breath, our Lord Jesus admonishes us to pray to and rely on God to deliver us from the evil one. The effectual prayer of a righteous man avails much. Victory in every area of our lives is in God… and not our own strength.

9. “…for yours is the kingdom, the power, and the glory forever…” Jesus has now come to the full circle of prayer. His prayer began with praise and now concludes with praise. Our praise to God in all matters is our act of faith that His kingdom,His power, and His glory are forever and ever. We clearly express the mighty power of our Lord’s Prayer that defeats Satan.

10. .“…amen.” This final note of our Lord’s Prayer is one of confidence. We do not speak empty words into empty air. Rather, we have the divine assurance that what we ask in Christ’s name will be done. A resounding “AMEN” fills the air, which means: So be it!!!

This is the pattern to powerful praying in 2012. Christ prayed it… and Christ taught it. It is “The Lord’s Prayer.” However, it is also the Believer’s Prayer. Build your prayer life around these ten short sections and watch your prayer life soar to new heights this year!!

God has a Destiny for Your Life

“It’s in Christ that we find out who we are, and what we are living for. Long before we first heard of Christ and got our hopes up, he had his eye on us, had designs on us for glorious living, part of the overall purpose he is working out in everything and everyone.” Ephesians 1:11 (msg)

There is one thing we can be absolutely sure of, and that is, God has a wonderful plan and design for our lives. That plan was put into effect long before we had ever heard of Jesus Christ. This plan is packed with love and peace, jammed packed with adventure, joy and total fulfillment. This plan is glorious in its design and everything in our lives must work to accomplish God’s fixed intent.

Many will seek out God’s will, while others through their own desire will go another direction. God will allow us to seek our own will. God will even allow us to make harmful decisions that will put us on a fast track going in the wrong direction. The consequences of wrong choices can be painful and even permanent. No matter how far you run or how hard you try to have it “your way,” God is a patient God. You will never go so far that his love will not reach you.

I recall as a teenager packing my car and announcing to my parents, “I want to go live my life.” My mother said to me: “You can run as fast as you want and as far as you please, but you will never go so far that my love and prayers will not find you.” Thank God for my praying, loving mother and father… or I would not be here today.

God will not withhold any resource to fulfill his destiny for your life, but he will not violate your right to choose. “The Lord will fulfill His purpose for me.” Psalms 138:8 (NIV)

When I was a teenager, I had an opportunity to work for a missionary group in Mexico. This was a group of pilots who had small planes. They would fly into remote areas of Mexico and drop Christian literature over these small villages. Many of these villages were in mountainous areas and places where no automobiles would go. They were called “Air Mail From God.”

A wonderful man that attended my father’s church actually rebuilt a small two-seated plane. This plane as I recall, was a Stinson L5. It was a plane that was used during WWII as a reconnaissance over enemy territory. My job was to sit in the back seat and throw out the literature over the villages. It really was a sight to see. It would remind you of those big ticker tape parades you see in New York. The people in the village would run out into the streets and wave at us. They were always so excited to see us.

We would then land the plane in a field or any place where the ground looked flat. After landing, we would stay in the village for a few days and have a soul-winning crusade. Other pilots would follow and the people were wonderful and so grateful for us spending some time with them. I would sing the song: “How Great Thou Art.” Even though I could not speak Spanish, that song caught on very quickly. Just to re-live it now is so inspiring. The people would raise their hands and soon were singing along with me in their own beautiful Spanish language.

God will not withhold any resource to fulfill his destiny for your life, but he will not violate your right to choose. “The Lord will fulfill His purpose for me.” Psalms 138:8 (NIV)

Staying Right Side-Up in an Upside-Down World

“Trust in the Lord your God with all your heart and lean not to your own understanding. Proverbs 3:5 (KJV)

Flying is a big part of my life. On my way back from a crusade, I was riding on a private plane flown by a man who had been converted to Christ during the crusade.

We hit a rare thunderstorm and for a period of time the plane did it’s own version of “rocking and rolling.” It was late at night and the lightening really put on a show. There were moments when I could not tell if we were upside down or right side up. It was refreshing to hear my pilot’s reassuring words. He said to me in a very calming voice. ” When flying in a storm, I trust my instruments to tell me to keep it steady where I have it…That’s what I have to trust.” I was glad he knew what he was doing and got us safely to Dallas. I certainly couldn’t have done it.

This problem of disorientation in a storm is a fairly common one that can happen to us all from time to time. When everything comes at us at once, we are overwhelmed, and our emotions play tricks on us. We need to trust our instruments…in such circumstances…more than ever! God says to us: “Buckle up, and trust Me, and I’ll take you safely through the storm.”

A friend of mine once told me a story I have never forgotten: A man he knew flew himself and some family members on a trip in a private airplane. They passed through a terrible rainstorm and the plane was tossed around so much that it suddenly flipped over and was flying upside down. Two of his instruments indicated to him that he was upside down, but he had become disoriented and, feeling right side up, he rejected what the instruments were showing.

In his last words radioed to the control tower, he said, “I’m going to climb up out of this.” But since he was actually upside down, instead of climbing out of the storm, he actually plunged the small craft to the earth, and everyone on board the plane died.

Life has a way of shaking you up so badly that you get disoriented and hardly know which end is up. The devil is a master at confusing things. It’s time to climb higher, closer to God, where this is safety…but be careful, Follow your instruments…Don’t trust your own sense.

Listen for God’s voice, He’s the one true gage in everything you do, and everywhere you go. He’s the one who will keep you on track. Proverbs 3:6 (The Message)

Satan will try to make you think you’re all right when you’re not. He’ll try to make you trust someone else rather than trusting God. “With all your heart, you must trust in God, and not your own judgment.” Proverbs 3:5 (Contemporary English Version)

He knows that the moment you trust your feelings and your own ingenuity and talents and think that you don’t need God, you’ll crash and burn. Trust God’s plan for your life….Lean on Him…Acknowledge Him…Put Him first…Please Him in all things. If you do this, you will find happiness and prosperity, and you will begin to enjoy this journey called life.

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