Editor: Richard (Dick) Innes
Published by: ACTS International
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Vol. 9 – No. 2607 June 30, 2007
Thought for the week: "If you wish to travel far and fast, travel light. Take off all your envies, jealousies, unforgiveness, selfishness, and fears." – Glenn Clark
"Don't blame others for your failure to be fully accountable for your own life. If others are to blame, then you have given them control." – Bob Perks
"To go against the dominant thinking of your friends, of most of the people you see every day, is perhaps the most difficult act of heroism you can perform." – Theodore White
To be upset over what you don't have, is to waste what you do have. – Ken S. Keyes, Jr.
"The world is a great mirror. It reflects back to you what you are. If you are loving, if you are friendly, if you are helpful, the world will prove loving and friendly and helpful to you. The world is what you are." – Thomas Dreier
"The supreme quality for leadership is unquestionably integrity. Without it, no real success is possible, no matter whether it's on ... a football field, in an army or in an office." – Dwight D. Eisenhower
"Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired and success achieved." – Helen Keller
"Without personal growth the best we can achieve is infantile relationships." – Terry George
A socialist once came to see Andrew Carnegie and soon was railing against the injustice of Carnegie having so much money. In his view, wealth was meant to be divided equally. Carnegie asked his secretary for an assessment of everything he owned and at the same time looked up the figures on world population. He did a little arithmetic on a pad and then said to his secretary, "Give this gentleman 16 cents. That's his share of my wealth."
A story is told about the noted director of biblical epics, Cecil B. DeMille. When they began working on the movie Ben Hur, DeMille talked to Charlton Heston—the star of the movie—about the all-important chariot race at the end. He decided Heston should actually learn to drive the chariot himself, rather than just using a stunt double. Heston agreed to take chariot-driving lessons to make the movie as authentic as possible.
Learning to drive a chariot with horses four abreast, however, was no small matter. After extensive work and days of practice, Heston returned to the movie set and reported to DeMille.
"I think I can drive the chariot all right, Cecil," said Heston, "but I'm not at all sure I can actually win the race."
Smiling slightly, DeMille said, "Heston, you just stay in the race, and I'll make sure you win."
That is such a great illustration of the spiritual race which we are all running as Christians. We are to run that race in such a way that we "win" because only the one who wins the race receives the prize at the end (I Corinthians 9:24).
The thought of having to win the race seems a little unsettling to us until we realize that God says the same thing to us that DeMille said to Heston: "You just stay in the race and I'll make sure you win." Our responsibility as Christians is to run the race with endurance (Hebrews 12:3), to never quit and never give up. If we do that, God will make sure that we "win."
"Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, to God our Savior, who alone is wise, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever. Amen" (Jude 24-25).
A wealthy American textile buyer told a lengthy but amusing joke at a luncheon in Seoul, Korea. When his translator repeated it in just a few phrases, the audience laughed uproariously and applauded. The rich American asked the translator how he was able to translate the story with so few words. "It was not a problem," the translator said. "I told them, 'Rich American with big checkbook has told a joke. Do what you think is appropriate.'"
Why is everyone so fascinated with wealth? We're mesmerized by people who have it and spend large segments of time daydreaming about what we would do if we were as "blessed" as they are. Is wealth always a blessing from God? True, everything comes from Him ultimately. But for every person whose wealth is a blessing, we can probably find one for whom it is a curse. For every person whom God has blessed with riches, we can probably find one who has fought tooth and nail to accumulate them. Wherever you are on the wealth scale, make sure you received it and are spending it as a blessing from God: God's wealth has no sorrow attached to it.
Money is neutral. Whether it becomes a blessing or curse is a function of how it is used.
Turning Point Daily Devotional, 9-5-06
Cited on PreachingNow
To be more loving.
To be more courageous.
To be more joyous.
To be more friendly.
To be more sensitive.
To be more aware.
To be more forgiving.
To be more tolerant.
To be more humble.
To be more patient.
To be more helpful.
To be a greater human being.
When I was in college I heard of an event in a large stadium. Everyone was given an unlit candle. A speaker talked about the power of one person with the courage and desire to improve the world. To prove his point, he lit his own candle and walked over to two people in the stands and lit theirs with his. He asked them to light two others. In minutes, thousands of candles lit the entire ball park.
The experience was a powerfully vivid metaphor. The tiny flame from a single candle was all that was needed to light thousands of others. What's more, the original flame, and each one born of it, retained their own undiminished glow and warmth. The speed with which that single light spread to everyone in the stadium presented compelling proof of the life-changing power of every individual.
In today's dark world chilled by so many examples of human shortcomings, we need to reject the self-defeating prophesy of hopelessness and the self-fulfilling illusion of powerlessness.
If we are to realize our own potential as a change agent, we have to reject the darkened world view of the cynic. Even if we can't make everything perfect, we can make lots of things better—and that's a worthy lifetime's work.
As you approach the holidays and a new year full of unlimited possibilities, resolve to be a candle. Let your good deeds and kind words brighten days and heal wounds, stand up for what's right, and show others the way—and never waiver in your commitment to teach and model the power of virtue.
Please visit www.charactercounts.org to subscribe to these commentaries at no charge so you can pass on the light.
This is Michael Josephson reminding you that character counts.
"Sit up!" the voice in the night said, "and take a deep breath."
It was a stormy night and we were awakened by an extremely loud clap of thunder. After the initial fright, checking the kids and the house, we went back to bed and to sleep.
Then came the voice. I was certain I heard someone speaking. "Sit up and take in a deep breath," it said.
I only half-awoke and thought I must have been dreaming, so rolled over and went back to sleep."
The voice spoke again with more insistence, "Sit up and take in a deep breath."
"This is weird,"I thought, so again I rolled over and went back to sleep.
"SIT UP! Take in a deep breath!" the voice spoke again with great urgency.
So I sat up and took in a deep breath ... and smelled smoke! I was fully awake in an instant ... awakened my husband ... rushed to wake the children ... we had the oldest one phone 911 (for emergency) ... my husband took over the phone ... the operator asked if the lights were working ... my husband said they were going out one room at a time.
"Get OUT of the house immediately," declared the operator. "Your house has been struck by lightning."
As quick as a flash the family rushed outside ... immediately the house exploded and burst into flames. It took firemen six hours to put the fire out. The house was totally destroyed ... but the entire family was saved. Talk about a wake-up call!
Surely this was a God thing. Fortunately all members of this family, personal friends of Joy and mine, were committed followers of Jesus Christ and even though they lost their house, their lives were saved.
God doesn't usually speak to most of us with an audible voice. He doesn't have to because his "wake-up call" is spoken to us repeatedly in his Word, the Bible. "Wake up!" God says to every one of us, "Flee from the wrath to come" (God's judgment of sin and evil for the world that has turned from God will be judged and purified by fire). Wake up, "It is appointed unto man once to die and after this the judgment." Wake up, "I will come again," Jesus promised "to take all who believe in me to be with me in heaven forever."
"Wake up," Jesus is coming again ... it may be today. Are you ready? Again Jesus said, "I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in...."
Whatever you do don't miss God's wake-up call. Have you opened the door of life and invited Jesus, the Son of God, to come into your heart and life as your God and your Savior? If not, may I urge you to do that today ... right now ... by praying a simple prayer such as the following:
Suggested prayer: "Dear God, I hear your wake-up call as faint as it may be. I confess that I am a sinner and ask for your forgiveness. Thank you, Jesus, for dying on the cross to pay the penalty for all my sins. I invite you to come into my heart and life as my God and my Savior. With your help I repent of and turn from my sinful ways. Thank you for hearing my prayer, for forgiving me of my sins, and for coming into my heart and life as my Savior. Help me to live for you always in all ways. Gratefully, in Jesus' name, amen."
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