This past weekend the Harry Potter movie series became a record-breaking, worldwide success. According to the BBC News, the recently released Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows II became “the most successful movie franchise in history … a decade after the young wizard’s first film debut … and has broken box-office records. In the US alone the finale of the eight-film series is estimated to have brought in over $168.5m in its opening weekend, ten million dollars more than the previous record set by the 2008 Batman film ‘The Dark Night.’… Its distributor, Warner Brothers, said the last Harry Potter installment broke international records as well with highest-ever weekend figures in the UK and Australia. Hollywood-watchers are estimating the film is on track to break a rare barrier to become a billion-dollar movie.” http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/language/wordsinthenews/2011/07/110718_witn_potter.shtml

I was awestruck when I read the article. A movie about wizards, warlocks, magic, incantations, and witchcraft; pure evil wrapped up in famous actors, “fascinating” computer generated graphics, and Hollywood glamour. It would not have affected me so much had it not been for the many Christians who Facebooked about getting their tickets for the opening night. It made me ponder on what we, Christ’s followers, are bowing down to.

In I Kings, chapter 18, Elijah met with and confronted Israel as they were vacillating between being identified as Jehovah’s people and yet worshiping at the altar of Baal. His straightforward comments left the nation speechless. Elijah asked them, “How long will you halt and limp between two opinions?” in order to show them that they looked just like the prophets of Baal who incorporated a “halting and limping” motion in their worship. Their divided hearts were challenged as they realized they could not belong to Jehovah and kiss the altar of Baal.

The Lord later spoke to Elijah about a pure-hearted group that had not vowed devotion to Baal. In I Kings 19:18, the Lord said, “Yet I will leave Myself 7,000 in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal and every mouth that has not kissed him.” To kiss idols was a term applied to those who worshipped them. To kiss the feet of an idol, one had to bow down, showing an act of homage or submission, and literally kiss the feet of it. Yet, Baal worship was more than just bowing down to an idol. Children were sacrificed, brutally murdered in an “act of worship” to this demon god. Modern day abortion is just one of the tentacles of Baal worship in our land. The obvious, hideous sin of abortion is enough to rally the prayers and actions of the saints.

Yet, it’s the subtle glorification of evil and the alluring of our hedonistic society that has made the sin of Baal worship through movies, books, music, and TV programs become rampant enjoyment in the Body of Christ. It’s one thing for the lost to take pleasure in such “entertainment,” but it’s quite another for believers to justify their fascination of such devilish cravings. We no longer stand apart from the world. There’s no distinction between the righteous and unrighteous. In fact, some believers resemble Israel of old, as they bow down to the same idols the ungodly do and still think that they can belong to Jehovah.

The way we walk with the Lord affects our children and the generations after them. If we “halt and limp” in our devotion to Christ Jesus, how will our children learn to serve Him with a whole heart? Too many have been sacrificed on the altar of abortion. How many more will be sacrificed to the indoctrination of a self-absorbed, hedonistic, double-minded standard some call Christianity?

Elijah told Israel, “If the Lord is God, follow Him; if Baal, then follow him.” The prophet had brought the nation to a moment of decision. His statement was clear; if God is Who He says He is, then why are you so entangled in the worship of another? It was time to make a desperately needed separation from Baal and be fully dedicated to God. And so today, it’s time to sever the entanglements that oppose our devotion to Jesus. If 7,000 would not bow the knee to Baal in Elijah’s day, how many will be counted in our day?
Added scriptures:
James 1:8 (Amplified) [For being as he is] a man of two minds (hesitating, dubious, irresolute), [he is] unstable and unreliable and uncertain about everything [he thinks, feels, decides].
Psalm 24:3-6 (Amplified) Who shall go up into the mountain of the Lord? Or who shall stand in His Holy Place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who has not lifted himself up to falsehood or to what is false, nor sworn deceitfully. He shall receive blessing from the Lord and righteousness from the God of his salvation. This is the generation [description] of those who seek Him [who inquire of and for Him and of necessity require Him], who seek Your face, [O God of] Jacob. Selah [pause, and think of that]!

Prior to 9-11, for many of us, Islam was the stuff of Disney animated films, a movie called “Lawrence of Arabia,” and tales of flying carpets. When planes flew into American buildings on that fateful day, everything changed—except that most of us still know little about Islam.

What is Islam? Where did it come from? What’s the religion’s problem with Christians and Jews?

Prior to Mohammed, Jewish tribes dwelt alongside Arabs, in Arab lands. Jews spoke like their Arab cousins, dressed like their Arab friends and associates, and interacted with Arabs in a reasonably comfortable manner. Jews made up a sizeable amount of the aggregate population of Medina. Ten years after Mohammed’s arrival, however, all the Jews were killed or displaced, and all of their land and former holdings were in Arab hands as a result of Islamic expansionism.

We are wise to not make generalizations about Islam.

Islam certainly is a religion. However, it is not a religion like most Christians and Jews think about religion or religious systems. Islam is a political entity as much as it is a religious one, with no distinction between the two, which is the case in Judeo-Christian cultures.

To a fault, the doctrine of the “Separation of Church and State” is sacred in American democracy. It is upheld on the basis of a founding promise that we shall make no laws with respect to religion, nor shall we require it of our citizens, who are entitled to the pursuit of “life, liberty and happiness” according to their own consciences. America cherishes pluralism and freedom, freedom that includes being able to opt for any religion or no religion, if preferred. Along with our founders, I believe this right should be held inviolate.

In contrast, Mohammed founded an Arabian-based system where he controlled both the religion and the empire. The dichotomy between regnum (state) and sacerdotium (church)—central and sacred in present-day Judeo-Christian political dogma—meant nothing to Mohammed then or many of his followers now. He was bent on forging both a religious and a political entity through his religion—and in one stroke.[1]

In the last nine years of Mohammed’s life, the religion’s founder attended twenty-seven raids, battles, and military expeditions, and ordered thirty-eight others. These, coupled with the assassinations and executions he was directly involved in, underscore the militant and warring nature of the man and his movement—mistakenly called the “religion of peace” today, by revisionist’s who won’t come to terms with the religion’s history and reality. War was indeed part of the Prophet Mohammed’s doctrine and practice. The random slaughter of innocent civilians, through brazen acts of terror, is considered by many Muslims to be a modern innovation born out of the frustration of the times—American meddling and Israel’s emergence particularly.

For Mohammed, Jews were viewed as pathetic “apes” and Christians were referred to as “pigs.” Searching for more colorful ways to defame Jews, Mohammed once said, “A tribe of B’nai Yisrael (sons of Israel) disappeared. I don’t know what became of them, but I think they became rats.” This was construed by Mohammed as Divine judgment. Jews were said to have incurred God’s wrath because they changed their Scriptures to hide the truth of Islam. Mohammed expressed that Arabia would be better if it weren’t infested by these Jewish creatures. Anxious to please Mohammed after his death, Umar, his lieutenant, eradicated the Jews.

Though Mohammed ordered the removal of Jews from Arabia, Islam deemed that there were times when it was prudent to keep them and the Christians around, especially when they needed servile work done. In certain cases, Jews and Christians could exist as “dhimmis,” members of a second class to do what was beneath the dignity of Islamic over-lords, such as working as hangmen, gutter cleaners, and the like. Inordinately high taxes were forever a problem for Jews, as was the realization that the lands they worked and the homes they lived in could be confiscated at the Muslim overlord’s pleasure.

Jews, who wouldn’t convert to Islam, were humbled incessantly and in various ways. Unrepentant, non-Islamic Hebrews couldn’t wear nice clothing, couldn’t build nice buildings, and had to be distinguished from Muslims in their dress and headgear. Yellow patches were affixed to clothing to designate their inferiority—an idea Hitler also popularized.

When Muslims started their expansive campaigns, they were preoccupied with only one concern about the newly conquered territories—exacting money and the extortion of properties. In fact, the headquarters—whether in Mecca, Damascus, or Baghdad—adopted a policy coined in a proverbial statement implemented throughout the conquered territories throughout the centuries. The statement that came out in poetic form said: “Milk the udder until it dries; then suck the blood until it dies.” Think about that. Nations were no more than “cows to milk,” until the cows were dead. Decadence to the point of collapse was the guaranteed result. For example, Egypt had six million acres of cultivated land when the Muslims first invaded the country. It took only 70 years for this cultivated land to shrink to only three million acres.

Except for Islam, every expansive civilization left something behind upon retreating from formerly conquered territories. The French, who occupied Egypt for only three years, tabulated all the Ancient Egyptian monuments. They deciphered the Rosetta Stone that opened the world’s eyes on the mysteries of one of the greatest ancient civilizations. The Brits, who followed, during their 70 years of occupation, built the railway and revived the idea of digging the Suez Canal. In comparison, the Islamic civilization left absolutely nothing after fifteen centuries of occupation.

Wherever Islam spreads, it creates an atmosphere of fear and utter despair, due to the following: collapse of the state, social injustice, persecution of the minorities, familial instability, high divorce rate, high reproduction rate, poverty, cultural repression, hopelessness at improving the current historical situation, overwhelming fear of God, eternal insecurity, etc. All of these factors form a fertile ground for the spawning of terrorism. It is an atmosphere of misery expressed in the irrational outbreak of the masses’ rage—with an external object being the source of anger: Jews, Israel, America or the West in general.

Mindful of the above, we shouldn’t delude ourselves with the popular, politically correct fantasy that by ceding more and more to Muslim terrorists, we are purchasing peace for the peoples of the Middle East and the world. It may sound good in theory, but it is not born out in practice. In truth, it is just another ploy to attack Jews in their ancestral homeland and the Christians who support them.

Nose Rings Are Not Only For Bulls

Did you know that a child, as young as 10 years, can lead a 2,000 pound bull around by a string that is attached to a ring in the bull’s nose? The bull’s nose is very tender, and when the bull senses a tug on the string, it quickly moves in the direction the child is leading. This seems simple enough to understand in regards to an animal, but what about when the ring gets put into your nose? I personally learned this when the Holy Spirit taught me a “spiritual” lesson about what it’s like to have a ring in your nose.

One day, the Holy Spirit spoke to me and directed me to put an invisible ring in my nose with an invisible string attached to the ring. Then, I was to imagine placing the string in my mom’s hand. Like the 2,000-pound bull being led by the young child, whenever I sensed tension between the direction I wanted to go and the direction Mom wanted to go, the Holy Spirit would prompt me to quickly move with Mom for the tension to dissolve.

This peacemaking action isn’t new. David, after being anointed king by the prophet Samuel, refused to allow division to arise between himself and King Saul. Instead, David continued to submit to Saul’s leadership, while Saul was still on the throne. As I learned to yield to Mom’s leadership, the Holy Spirit blessed me with peace, joy, and rest in our relationship, and God filled in the chasm between us by His Holy Spirit.

A year has come and gone since Mom graduated to her eternal home. There is no doubt, she is still praying about the ministry she led for nearly 4 decades. I’m sure she is still aware that CFN is covered with prayer by multitudes of her friends, which is a tremendous blessing for the ongoing success of the ministry. Even though, in the early years, she may have wondered if her youngest child, the baby of the family, would ever have the authority within him to lead the great ministry of Christ For The Nations, I’m sure that over the years she saw I had indeed learned the lessons to be able to lead the way.

God took me through a discipleship school, and Mom was my instructor. After graduating from Bible college, I married my lovely wife, Ginger. We served as missionaries for four years with Youth With A Mission. We returned home at the passing of my dad to assist Mom in her new role as President of Christ For The Nations. Of course, I had grandiose ideas for CFN’s success and for assisting God in building His Kingdom.

I was young, strong, energetic, and ambitious, but I was also immature in my walk with God. Mom, on the other hand, had years of experience, wisdom, and knew the godly way. Mom didn’t have the same great aspirations that I envisioned for the future of CFN’s ministry. As a result, tension continued to mount, and a chasm of disunity was being created between us. Unfortunately, I didn’t realize that, although my ideas were good, I still needed to be trained and to learn how to develop a submissive heart, before I could be used by God to help lead His work. God was not going to release authority in my life before there was a spirit of submission in my heart.

Case In Point

One classic example of the Holy Spirit’s efforts to work submission in my life began one Friday evening just before it was time to leave the office. At around 4:30 PM, Mom called and asked me to deliver some new plants that she had bought for her home about 30 minutes from campus. Although she lived on campus, from time-to-time, she would visit her off-campus home to get away on weekends to write and enjoy her family and friends. I informed her that I had dinner planned with my family and an engagement afterwards. So, I was unable to assist her. Mom quickly directed me in finding a couple of fellows from the men’s dorm who could first assist me in taking care of her request. I quickly repeated what I had already told her. She again reiterated her request, only this time more forcefully. I stood firm and refused to help her. I suggested she contact the maintenance department to run her errand and politely hung up the phone. Somehow, I could tell by the tone of her voice that she was not pleased with me. The chasm between us continued to enlarge.

Lesson One Begins

Over the next 15 minutes, I began to sense that the Lord was not pleased with me, either, especially when my engagement after dinner was playing ball with the fellows. I quickly sensed I had grieved the Holy Spirit more than I had grieved Mom. I calculated that I actually could run Mom’s errand and arrive at the gym a little later than planned—if I hurried. To Mom’s surprise, I phoned her back, asking where the plants were and to let her know that I had rearranged my schedule to run her errand. Mom didn’t seem impressed that I had agreed with her request. She informed me that the plants were outside in the company truck, and the keys were with the business director. I quickly approached the business director who informed me that half of the plants were his. He asked if I would please take his portion to his home. I replied that I would, even though I knew it would take me an extra half hour.

Without asking any students to help, I was on my way. When I completed the chore, I returned the company truck and keys to where I found them. I went home and changed clothes, grabbed a bite of food, and went to the gym, arriving nearly two hours late. By being tardy I had to wait my turn to rotate into the game. After several hours of exercise, I returned home, showered, and retired to bed. I sensed I had pleased the Holy Spirit by yielding to Mom’s directive. However, there was more to learn. The lesson of submission was far from being over.

Confusion Attempts to Derail the Lesson

Around 10:30 PM, there was a knock on our apartment door. It was my father-in-law, Clark. He informed me that my mom was desperate to get in touch with me, and would I please call her immediately? I apologized to him for having to come over, as we had disconnected our phone. I called Mom and asked her what the problem was. She quickly asked me where the truck was. I said, “I returned it where I found it.” She informed me that my uncle was waiting for the truck. I told her that she had not informed me that it was the truck my uncle used. Again she quickly commented, “Get the truck to your uncle; his tools are in the back, and he has been waiting for more than an hour past his bedtime.”  My father-in-law overheard the conversation and offered to take the truck to my uncle. I apologized again for the inconvenience to him, thanked him for the offer, and I returned again to bed.

About an hour later there was another knock on our door. This time it was my mother-in-law, Mildred. She informed me that my mom was desperately trying to get in touch with me. I thought, “Now what?” I called Mom. The tone of her voice indicated that she was aggravated with me. She asked me, again, “Dennis, where is the truck? Your uncle is waiting for the truck.” I reported to her that the truck had been delivered. Clark had taken it over an hour ago. She informed me that the truck was not there. Since Mom’s apartment was next to my uncle’s, she was aware that the truck had not yet arrived. She ended the conversation by repeating, “Dennis, get your uncle’s truck back to him now.”

Now I was really confused. I apologized to my mother-in-law, who had gotten out of bed, dressed, and drove to our apartment. I asked her if she knew where Clark was. She said she did not know; she had been asleep when Mom called to ask her if she would get in touch with me. I deeply apologized again for all the confusion and inconvenience she had experienced, which she immediately responded, “No problem.”

I headed right over to the office, all the while thinking, “What in the world has happened. Did Clark get sidetracked? Could he not find the keys? Did he look for them in my office, rather than the business director’s office?” When I arrived at the office I found the truck right where I had parked it, and the keys were right in the middle of the business director’s desk where I had left them. I immediately drove the truck to my uncle who was still up, waiting anxiously. I apologized profusely to him for the inconvenience the waiting had caused him and explained the best I could about what had happened. I could tell that he was not a “happy camper.” Now, I’m really concerned about what happened to Clark. Even with the help of campus security, I was unable to locate him. I eventually returned home, but it was well after midnight.

The next morning, I quickly called my in-laws. Mildred answered the phone. I asked her if Clark was okay. She informed me that all was well. I asked her what happened to Clark during the night. She responded that she was not aware of his whereabouts as she had gone to sleep before Clark had returned home. I apologized again and felt better that everything seemed to be under control. The Holy Spirit, however, was not finished with my opportunity to grow in submission, so He could release His authority in my life.

Chapter Two Begins

On Monday morning, as I was walking to the office, I met Clark. I inquired as to what had happened Friday night, regarding his offer to return the company truck to my uncle. “Oh,” he said, “As I was about to drive away from the office parking area, the director of maintenance drove by and asked me where I was going with the company truck? I informed him that you had asked me to take it to your uncle’s apartment and leave it there, since he was concerned about the safety of his tools. The maintenance supervisor requested that the truck be left right where it was as it would be safe. Next I asked, “Where did you go after that?” He informed me that he went over to the men’s dormitory and dabbled with a ham radio set in one of the rooms. I was somewhat relieved to know he was alright. Then I shared the rest of the story, with all the confusion that ensued. We were both amused. He knew nothing of the continued events.

Suddenly, Mom arrived on the scene. As we entered the office building, I asked her if she had heard the rest of the story. She responded, “The rest of what story?” As I began to share the evening’s events, a number of employees started listening. After explaining the whole situation to her, she turned and walked off to her office adding, “We will forgive you this time.”

I stood there flabbergasted. “What did I do wrong?” I thought. I never even received a thank you for delivering Mom’s plants. As I walked away in frustration to my office, and the staff was chuckling, I looked up to the ceiling and said, “Did you hear that God?” Immediately, I heard the Holy Spirit ask, “Who are you serving, Dennis, your mom or Me?” Next, I heard Him say, “I thank you, Dennis, for delivering the plants.”

Lesson Learned

I learned a tremendous lesson under Mom’s leadership, which I believe God used to prepare me for my future. Without a submissive spirit, God cannot release His authority for leadership in doing His work. I eventually realized that Mom had to become strong and bold in her leadership role, especially if she was truly going to impact the world as God had called her to do. As we know, the enemy of God has made giant strides in establishing man’s dominant leadership in this world. What God wants the world to know and experience, especially among Christians, is that God not only can, but will use women in leadership to help build His Kingdom.

There were more lessons to learn, but eventually Mom surprised us by asking the Board of Christ For The Nations to elect her younger son to follow in her footsteps and become the President of the ministry. Apparently, after more than a decade, Mom felt that I was ready for leadership. It has been 25 years since I accepted the position of President, and I realize now, more than ever, how submission is connected to authority. In fact, authority from God never comes until one has learned and developed a submissive spirit. Without submission and humility, there is no God-given authority. Maybe God has been working this principle in your life, teaching you the necessity to learn the importance of submission. Maybe God has a nose ring for you, too. Do you know whose hand He is asking you to place the attached string into?

Today, God has granted me an authority that astounds me; it’s one I have not even desired. Yet, I am aware of the magnitude of responsibility that comes with this gift. May I use my God-given authority to always please Him.

Truth is part of the spiritual armor needed to overcome the fiery darts of the devil. Without truth, we become susceptible to distorted doctrines, deceptive practices, and inordinate beliefs.

A righteous judicial system will bring order to society, but a system without truth, will just bring disorder. A judicial system must reflect truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth; when it doesn’t, it reflects man’s selfish nature.

Prior to January 22, 1973, it was illegal to have an abortion in America, but truth escaped the courtroom. The highest court used the rights of a woman’s privacy to not only create violence in her own womb, but to deny the rights of her unborn child, as well.

We are not the first nation to experience these atrocities. Habakkuk described Judah as a nation filled with violence. He explained that the underlying problem was the strife and contention in their legal system. While calling out for God’s help, Habakkuk questioned,

“Why do you make me look at injustice? Why do you tolerate wrong? I see destruction and violence all around me. Everywhere I turn there is strife and conflict. Our courts are paralyzed and justice never prevails. The wicked hem in the righteous and justice is perverted” (Habakkuk 1:2-4).

Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” Truth is the Son of God, but lying and deception come from the sperm of Satan. Jesus told a few scribes and Pharisees, “When the devil speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of lies.”

To cure the ills of our society we must listen to Zechariah, who in Zechariah 8:16, 17 gave Israel clear directions about how to handle their national problem. We must:

• Speak truth to one’s neighbor
• Establish a court system with truth, justice, and peace
• Don’t think evil in your heart toward your neighbor
• Don’t love a false oath

If these four things were honored and implemented in our present court system, we could establish righteous judgment. Our country was founded on godly principles. Godliness must be grounded in truth. We must establish truth, or we will face consequences. Only when truth rises to the surface, will God revisit America. Then, when we sing God Bless America, He will answer our prayers.

In Jeremiah 11, the Lord warns Jeremiah that He is going to judge Israel for her unfaithfulness. Jeremiah responds, complaining that the ungodly seem to live a life of ease and the wicked prosper. The Lord’s challenge to Jeremiah was, “So, Jeremiah, if you’re worn out in this footrace with men, what makes you think you can race against horses? And if you can’t keep your wits during times of calm, what’s going to happen when troubles break loose …?” (Jeremiah 12:5 The Message Bible).

I believe this challenge from the Lord is still relevant to us today. In these last days, we must be ready for two things: a great harvest and great hostility. If the harvest you’ve been praying for came to pass: Would you be willing to disciple and lead them to a place of spiritual maturity? When the persecution of Christians comes to America, what will you do? Will you be ready to stand for Jesus at any cost?

A serious athlete takes stock of their physical fitness, and we must learn to examine ourselves to ensure that we’re fit for God’s purposes.

1. 1. Attitude (Ephesians 4:22-24)

If you’ve ever watched “The Biggest Loser,” you know that each contestant reaches the point of “That’s it—I’ve had enough! It’s time to change!” This attitude change motivates them through the grueling workouts, food cravings, and sheer exhaustion. We must choose daily to renew our minds in Christ Jesus, rejecting apathy, frustration, and fear of failure.

1. 2. Diet (Mark 7:20-23)

Just as diet plays a vital role in physical fitness, our spiritual diet plays a vital role in our spiritual fitness. If we gained weight eating too many potato chips or cookies, would we be surprised? So, we shouldn’t be surprised if we don’t sense God’s Presence when we spend countless hours on the Internet or watching TV. What goes in—always comes out.

1. Exercise (Philippians 2:12, 13)

Any trainer will tell you that while eating a healthy diet is important, you still need exercise. We become spiritually fat when all we do is receive—real spiritual fitness requires “working out our salvation.” In addition to the daily disciplines of prayer and Bible reading, share Jesus with your neighbors or go on a mission trip. Get out of your comfort zone and develop spiritual muscles you never knew existed.

Bottom Line: We must keep ourselves spiritually fit for the days ahead.

It was my first morning on a summer cruise to Alaska with my family—a gift to me in celebration of my 2002 college graduation. When Grandma Lindsay, my 88-year-old mentor and friend, invited me to be her roommate, I innocently accepted. But I had no idea of the “generational clash” that would follow!

The night before, Grandma had gone to bed early, while I stayed out late to enjoy exploring the cruise ship with my siblings. Now, at 6:00 a.m., I was jolted awake when the curtains opened and the 24-hour sunlight came blazing into our little room. I said to myself, “Surely Grandma is not trying to wake me up this early on my vacation … this must be a mistake.” So I yanked the covers over my head and turned my face to the wall. Suddenly, Grandma began shouting and praising God, as if we were having our own private worship service. I thought to myself, “Grandma knows I am asleep—how could she be so absent-minded?” Feeling a little put out, I pulled the pillow over my ears, determined to drown out the noise and go back to sleep.

Just when it seemed to be getting quiet, Grandma opened her Bible and began reading aloud: “… I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance” (Matthew 9:13), or some such Scripture. As far as I was concerned, we had never discussed the possibility of having devotions at 6:00 in the morning on this vacation cruise. Furthermore, judging from the passage she was reading, I wondered whether she thought I was in the sinner category, and she was trying to convert me!

But Grandma just kept reading in her strong voice until she had completed her quota of three chapters that day. Then, closing her Bible and picking up another book, she said, “Now I’m going to read you a chapter from a missionary story called Before We Kill and Eat You, by H. B. Garlock.”

“Are you kidding me?” I fumed silently. “What kind of story is that at this hour of the morning? If she’s trying to convince me to become a missionary to Africa, reading a story about working among cannibals is not the method I would choose to motivate one of my grandchildren!”

As if depriving me of sleep were not enough, Grandma would stop every few minutes and ask me questions about the story, just to ensure that I was listening. By this time, I knew I couldn’t win, so I’d respond with, “Uh-huh … yeah … OK …” to every question.

Finishing the chapter, she moved right into prayer and intercession, beginning by thanking God for His continued faithfulness to our family. Then she settled on praying for every nation in the world, mentioning each country by name (no exaggeration). I thought, “This woman is like an Energizer Bunny that just keeps going and going!”

After a half-hour of prayer to conclude her devotions, she declared it was time for me to get out of bed and call for our room-service breakfast, and I dutifully obeyed. The staff delivered our tray. As we ate, Grandma informed me that she was going to take a walk into the Alaskan town where we had just docked, and requested that I join her for a mile of exercise in the freezing weather. Still tired and not fully awake, I declined without even thinking that it wasn’t such a good idea for Grandma to go off on a walk by herself to a place she’d never visited before.

After my shower, I glanced out the window and saw her walking all bundled up, braving the cold Arctic wind, but thought nothing of it. Just then my Mom called. “Have you seen Grandma?” she asked anxiously.“Yes, I just saw her through my window walking into town,” I replied. Not believing me, Mom quickly hung up and went looking among the other relatives on board. “Are you sure you saw her?” she asked, calling me back. “Yes,” I insisted, adding that Grandma had asked me to join her for a walk into town for some exercise, but I declined because I needed to shower.  “Missy! That’s too far to walk!” Mom exclaimed. “There’s a bus that takes passengers into town. You let an 88-year-old woman walk into town in this frigid weather for exercise?

Fully awake now, the seriousness of the matter at hand dawned on me. Panicking, Mom hung up, and she and Dad rushed into town, only to find Grandma peacefully browsing through the tourist shops, unaware of the commotion she had just caused. She had walked close to a mile in freezing weather to get her daily exercise, and still had energy to shop!

That night she again retired early, while I stayed out and enjoyed a late evening with my family, thinking the 6:00 a.m. devotions would be a once-a-week thing. Wrong assumption! The next morning, at exactly the same time, the curtains opened, and Grandma launched into another worship service with loud shouts of praise.  “Doesn’t she know this is my vacation?” I thought, as I was startled awake. “What are the odds of this happening to me on my graduation cruise?”

That evening at dinner, I shared my dilemma with my family and asked for a volunteer to switch rooms with me. After all, this trip was a gift from them to me—couldn’t someone help me out? They responded by erupting in laughter, and no one took the offer. It was a graduation gift all right—I was graduating to a life of discipline!

Grandma’s morning routine continued, but after a few days, I had an idea that I thought would help me get a little more sleep. Returning to the room late one night, I set her alarm clock for 3:00 a.m., but then turned the batteries backwards. Since the sun in Alaska shines almost 24 hours a day in the summertime, I figured when Grandma awakened, she would see that it was only 3:00 a.m., and go back to sleep.

However, when she awakened at 6:00 the next morning, and saw that the clock read 3:00, she compared the time with her wrist watch and figured something was wrong with her clock. Immediately, the curtains opened, and devotions began.

That night at dinner, Grandma told my Dad about her clock crisis, explaining that she had just inserted new batteries before the trip. “I don’t understand why it suddenly stopped working,” she said. “I’ve had this clock for years, and it has never given me a problem until now—I need you to take a look at it.”  Knowing I was the culprit, I confessed to her what I had done, which prompted her to give me one of those crazy faces she makes. Everyone laughed, and the joke was on me again!

By the end of the trip, I was wishing for another vacation to catch up on all the sleep I had missed. At the same time, I came to realize that the Lord had strategically placed me in “boot camp,” with Grandma to impart to me the hidden secret of her success as a leader: praise, prayer, reading the Word, and physical activity—a routine to keep your life organized.

Observing up close the daily habits she still practiced at her advanced age, I discovered the importance of both physical and spiritual discipline in the life of a leader. I also realized how self-centered I had been. It wasn’t that I “put up” with Grandma, but that she “put up” with me. I came to admire her organized life, as she started off each day with what is most important.

Throughout her years of leadership, until she turned 90, Grandma has walked a mile, six days a week, every week for her physical well-being, and she has practiced the discipline of spending time in God’s Presence each morning for her spiritual well-being. She often told the students at CFNI, “Reading three chapters of Scripture every day, and five on Sunday, will put you through the Bible in one year.” Over her lifetime, she has read the Bible from cover-to-cover, well over 70 times.

Grandma has taught leaders and students all over the world the principles of her success. But through her life’s example, she has imparted to me in a very personal way the ingredients crucial to her legacy of great leadership: prayer, worship, the Word, and physical activity.

I thank God for the rich spiritual heritage that is mine, and pray that He will help me to live my life in a way that will make Grandma proud.