ACTS International
Home Page of ACTS International
Home Page of ACTS InternationalHow to Find and Know God without having to be religiousLife Help Articles dealing with faith, family, and practical helps for purposeful livingDaily and Weekend Encounters with more than a third-of-a-million worldwide subscribersSupport the Work of ACTS International a not-for-profit organization. Donations are tax deductible for U.S. donorsCurrent report on the ministries and services of ACTS InternationalOnline Store of ACTS ... ACTS CommunicationsAbout ACTS International
ACTS International Home Page Click here for the current issue of  Daily Encounter
         
     
   
Tell a Friend Site Map Share and/or Bookmark
   
         
   
 Dick Innes


Weekend Encounter

Editor: Richard (Dick) Innes          
Published by: ACTS International

To receive the email edition of Weekend Encounter (without charge) click on the Subscribe button.

Privacy policy: We do not sell or rent subscriber's e-mail
addresses to anyone. We value your privacy.

 
Global Communications Outreach:
Learn how to be a missionary right from your own home and have a vital part in worldwide gospel outreach by becoming an ACTS People Power for Jesus Partner. Click HERE There is no charge.

Vol. 9 – No. 4507 November 10, 2007

 
Thought for the week: "If you were going to die soon and had only one phone call you could make, who would you call and what would you say? And why are you waiting?" – Stephen Levine
 
    INDEX
1.   Words of Wisdom
2.   On the Lighter Side
3.   What Cancer Cannot Do
4.   Sheep Jumped off a Cliff in Turkey
5.   Codependency
6.   Character Counted for a Fourth-Grader
7.   Should I Marry an Angry Man?
8.   Receive Daily Encounter Devotional  Without Charge
9.   Weekend Encounter E-mail Edition  Without Charge
10.   Know God ... Without Having to Be Religious
11.   Seven Pillars of Character
12.   Prayer Partners Needed
13.   To Submit a Prayer Request
14.   Please Help Support Weekend Encounter
15.   Helpful Books and Cassette Messages
16.   Free Services
17.   ACTS in Action Report; Archives for Daily and Weekend Encounter
 

1. Words of Wisdom

"Baseball is the only field of endeavor where a man can succeed three times out of ten and be considered a good performer." – Ted Williams

"Nothing makes us so lonely as our secrets." – Paul Tournier

"We are as sick as our secrets." – Unknown

"Our little time of suffering is not worthy of our first night's welcome home to Heaven." – Samuel Rutherford

"Reflect on your present blessings, of which every man has many; not on your past misfortunes, of which all men have some." – Charles Dickens

"A ship in harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for." – John Shedd

"The secret of success in life is for a person to be ready for opportunity when it comes." – Benjamin Disraeli

"Egotist: Someone who is usually me-deep in conversation." – Unknown

Index

2. On the Lighter Side

Yuk!

Weddings can be adventures. I will never forget one several years ago that went just beautifully until the very end of the ceremony. In that tender moment when bride and groom kissed, the bride's five-year-old brother, the ring bearer, let out with a "YUK!" The congregation was on the floor laughing. As people left that afternoon, the place glowed with everyone's grins. And in years to come, when people think of that wedding, the one thing they will remember is YUK!

       Dr. David E. Leininger, "This Jesus is Something!"
       Source: www.sermons.com

Index

3. What Cancer Cannot Do

To be true, cancer is a dreaded disease, but as Perry Smith wrote:

    Cancer is limited:
    It cannot cripple love,
    It cannot shatter hope,
    It cannot corrode faith,
    It cannot eat away peace,
    It cannot destroy confidence,
    It cannot kill friendship,
    It cannot shut out memories,
    It cannot silence courage,
    It cannot invade the soul,
    It cannot reduce eternal life,
    It cannot quench the spirit,
    It cannot lessen the power of the resurrection.

       Source: Encounter magazine (ACTS Int. Australia),
       July/August, 2006, p. 21.

Index

4. Sheep Jumped off a Cliff in Turkey

Near the Village of Gevas in eastern Turkey, while shepherds ate their breakfast, one of their sheep jumped off a 45-foot cliff to its death...

Then, as the stunned shepherds looked on, the rest of the flock followed. In all, 1,500 sheep mindlessly stumbled off the cliff. The only good news was that the last 1,000 were cushioned in their fall by the growing woolly pile of those who jumped first. According to The Washington Post, 450 sheep died. The Bible often refers to human beings as sheep (Ps. 100:3; Isa. 53:6; Matt. 9:36). Easily distracted and susceptible to group influence, we would rather follow the crowd than the wisdom of the Shepherd.

Whom are we following? One another? Or the voice and direction of the Good Shepherd? Our challenge is to avoid the mistake of the sheep who blindly followed one another over a cliff. We must make it our daily purpose to ask ourselves: Am I listening for the voice of the Good Shepherd? Am I following Him?

"I [Jesus] am the Good Shepherd.... My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me" (John 10:14,27).

– Mart De Haan. Cited on KneEmail,
   kneemail-subscribe@welovegod.org

Index

5. Codependency

There was a woman whose husband loved her very much. During her convalescence from a severe illness he carried her from room to room. On sunny days he would carry her onto the porch or out into the garden. He waited on her constantly. On day, the physician told him, "If you keep this up, she will never walk again. She likes being carried, and she will never even try to walk."

The husband saw the point, so when he went home that night he watched as she walked tremblingly and stumblingly. He even let her fall and painfully pick herself up. I would have been so easy to rush to her side and keep her from falling. And that is what we want God to do. We want Him to pick us up when we fall, and rush to our sides to take away all the pain. No one can ever imagine what it cost God to refrain from intervening as His own beloved Son was put to death. But God's holding back was not weakness. The Cross of Christ became the power of God unto salvation."

       C. L. Allen, "Joyful Living" (Revell).
       Source: Preaching Well, Vol. IV, No. 2.

Index

6. Character Counted for a Fourth-Grader

    By Michael Josephson of Character Counts (479.1)

Gary Smit, a school superintendent in Lombard, Illinois (a suburb of Chicago), is a passionate advocate of CHARACTER COUNTS! He says his school system adopted the program because it makes such a difference in the lives of kids and communities.

He illustrates his convictions with powerful stories including the following. An elementary school was engaged in a major fundraising drive to purchase plants and flowers to beautify its grounds. After collecting $400, it scheduled a Saturday for a special planting celebration and sought the help of kids and their parents. One of the students—a girl I'll call Karen—announced she and her parents would not be participating in the planting because her father had lost his job and they had been evicted from their apartment. She said she would have to move to another school.

Chris, a fourth-grader, made a motion to donate all the money they had collected for plants to Karen's family so she could stay in the school. "If we're a CHARACTER COUNTS school," he said, "caring is more important than plants."

The motion passed unanimously. When the faculty heard about the gesture, they decided to match the $400. And when word reached the local newspaper, the community got involved. More money was contributed, and Karen's father was offered a job. Karen was able to stay at the school and eventually graduated.

By the way, Dr. Smit added, the school was beautifully landscaped with plants and flowers also donated by members of the community—all because of the character of one fourth-grade boy.

This is Michael Josephson reminding you that character counts.

© 2007 Josephson Institute of Ethics; reprinted with permission. Michael Josephson, one of the nation's leading ethicists, is the founder of the Josephson Institute of Ethics and the premier youth character education program, CHARACTER COUNTS! For further information visit www.charactercounts.org

Index

7. Should I Marry an Angry Man?

Sample of Daily Encounter by Dick Innes

"But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him."1

A Daily Encounter reader asks, "I just broke my engagement with a man whom I deeply loved. We have had a lot of problems and when he gets angry, he is out of control and says very hurtful words. He wants us to get back together but I am very confused.... How can I know God's will?"

Dear Joanne (name changed), it is true that broken engagements and broken relationships can be incredibly painful. I know. I've been there. However, to discern God's will in these matters it might be wise to first ask, "What is not God's will?" In answering this question, you can be certain that it isn't God's will for you to allow anyone to abuse you. People who do are almost always codependent; that is, they have a need to "fix" others in order to avoid facing and "fixing" their own problems.

Second, you can be certain that God's will is that you first work on your own growth and maturity. There is a reason why you were attracted to an angry man. For instance, was your father an angry man by any chance? Whatever the reason, it is imperative that you ask God to face you with the truth about yourself, and to show you the issues in your life that you need to resolve. Furthermore, what we fail to resolve we are destined to repeat.

While God doesn't make our decisions for us, he will give us wisdom if we ask him for it. Obviously we need to be very wise in such situations and don't allow ourselves to be controlled by our heart alone. The reality is that as long as this man has a serious anger problem, anyone who marries him will be heading for future heartache and disaster.

Unless this man gets into an in-depth anger management counseling program (that probably isn't likely) to resolve his anger problem, it is imperative that you don't go back to him. And even if he does get into such a counseling program, you would need to have absolute assurance from his counselor that he has resolved his anger (and any other relational problem/s).

Much wiser for you to resolve your hurt and move on without this man in your life. Better to feel hurt and disappointed now than suffer for the rest of your life. I trust these suggestions will help.

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, in every painful situation please give me the wisdom to, first of all, see what I am contributing to the problem, and the good sense to resolve my own issues first. And then help me to see the overall truth of the conflict I am in so I will know exactly what I need to do. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus' name, amen."

1. James 1:5 (NASB).

Index

8. Receive Daily Encounter E-mail ... Free

Daily Encounter, a free weekday e-mail inspirational from ACTS International is now going to 106,000+ subscribers. Scores of letters from around the world have come from readers saying how much they are being helped by this brief, practical devotional.

Over 23 million e-mail Daily, Weekend and Prayer Encounters are delivered to subscribers every year!

Click HERE for more samples of Daily Encounter

NOTE: Some ISPs (especially AOL) now use e-mail filtering software that allows you to add e-mail addresses to your 'buddy', 'safe', or 'approved' list. Please be sure to add acts@actsweb.org to yours so you won't miss any issue of Daily Encounter.

Index

9. Receive E-mail Edition of Weekend Encounter ... Free

NOTE: Some ISPs (especially AOL) now use e-mail filtering software that allows you to add e-mail addresses to your 'buddy', 'safe', or 'approved' list. Please be sure to add acts@actsweb.org to yours so you won't miss any issue of Weekend Encounter.

Index

10. Know God ... Without having to be religious

Click on: How to Be Sure You're a Real Christian -- without having to be religious. Know God

Index

11. Seven Pillars of Character

The first of these six pillars of character are from Michael Josephson of Character counts to which I have added a seventh:

  • Trustworthiness
  • Respect
  • Responsibility
  • Fairness
  • Caring
  • Citizenship
  • Personal Honesty

Index

12. Prayer Partners Needed

One of ACTS greatest needs is Prayer Partners to stand with us as we seek to share the gospel with millions of people around the world through E-mail and the Internet and to win the lost to Jesus. If you would like to be an ACTS Prayer Partner, please subscribe to the Prayer Encounter list. Approximately two prayer reports are emailed monthly. Thank you.

Index

13. To Submit a Prayer Request

If you have a special prayer request please submit it to David Clark at: www.responda.co.uk/prayer.php. David is not on the ACTS staff but is offering this as a service to Daily and Weekend Encounter readers.

Helpers Needed: If you can help David pray for prayer requests, please could you go to:
www.responda.co.uk/member.php

Index

14. Help Support Weekend Encounter

    "Changing the World . . . One Person at a Time" 

Weekend Encounter and Daily Encounter are just two of the ways the nonprofit organization, ACTS International, is working to improve the spiritual and emotional life of many thousands of people around the world.

Every weekday Daily Encounter is going to 106,000+ subscribers, and every week Weekend Encounter is going to 10,000+ subscribers worldwide—many of whom are in places where it is forbidden to spread the Christian gospel and message. Plus we reach several hundred thousand more every week through our advertising. As a result every day we are seeing an average of 5-6 salvation responses from around the world—over 3000 in the past 12 months!

If you find value in the free Weekend Encounter and/or Daily Encounter, we hope you will be comfortable donating at least $26. That's only 50 cents a week for an entire year (tax-deductible in the U.S.). You can donate in one of the following ways:

Donate Online: You can donate online at ACTS secure web site. Click HERE on ACTS support donations.

Donate Through PayPal:You can donate securely through PAYPAL. Click HERE on PayPal. Where it says Payment For: type in Donation.

Donate by Telephone: ACTS accepts credit card donations by phone by calling 1-949-940-9050.

Donate Through Postal Mail: If you prefer to write a check or money order, please send it and make it payable to:

     ACTS International
     P.O. Box 73545
     San Clemente, California 92673-0119
     U.S.A.

Index

15. Helpful Books and Cassette Messages

Oprah Winfrey: "Books were my pass to personal freedom. I learned to read at age three, and soon discovered there was a whole world to conquer that went beyond our farm in Mississippi." – Oprah Winfrey

Books:

Books by Dick Innes, Editor of Weekend Encounter
   You Can't Fly With a Broken Wing
   How to Mend a Broken Heart
   I Hate Witnessing—A Handbook for Effective Christian
      Communications

Books by Bestseller and Popular Authors:
   The Miracle of Kindness
   His Needs, Her Needs by Willard F. Harley, Jr.
     has topped the charts as the best marriage
     book available. More than one million couples
     have read it ... made their marriage sizzle.
   Fall in Love Stay in Love
   Just Hand Over the Chocolate ...
   Love, Sex, and Lasting Relationships
   Sex Starts in the Kitchen
   Making Children Mind Without Losing Yours
   Harried With Children
   Adolescence Is Not an Illness
   Show Time
   It Takes a Church to Raise a Christian
   On Sale at: http://www.actscom.com/store

Cassettes:

  Healing, Wholeness & Happiness by Dick Innes
  Loving & Understanding People by Dick Innes
  I Hate Witnessing by Dick Innes
  God's Formula for Success by Dick Innes
  Damaged Emotions by David Seamands
  Healing of the Memories by David Seamands...
  On SALE at:
http://tinyurl.com/2unmmy

More books, tapes and poems by D. Innes & others are also available at: http://www.actscom.com/store

Index

16. Free Services

 1. Bible concordance and Bible helps
 2. New Hope Crisis Counseling with trained
     lay/volunteer counselors. www.newhopenow.org
 
3. E-Word Today for a daily Bible reading
 4. To find your ZIP+4 Area Code in the U.S.A.
 5. How to find and write to your U.S. Representative
 6. ASK ... Smart answers fast
 7. Send a FREE greeting card for all occasions
 8. To check the weather in your area
 9. Hoax Web Sites
10. Plus many more sources of helpful information

11. Also donate to Food for the Hungry

GO TO: http://www.actsweb.org/links.php

Index

17. ACTS in Action Report and Encounter Archives

ARCHIVES: Daily and Weekend Encounters

"Because the world is hungry,
    go with bread.
Because the world is filled with strife,
    go with peace.
Because the world is filled with deceptions and lies,
    go with truth.
Because the world would die without,
    go with the love of God."


Know God

ACTS International
PO Box 73545
San Clemente, CA 92673-0119
U.S.A.

To receive the email edition of Weekend Encounter
without charge click on the Subscribe button.

Privacy policy: We do not sell or rent subscriber's e-mail
addresses to anyone. We value your privacy.

 
   
         
   
Site Map   Top
   
     
         
Find Peace With God footer
 
  ARTICLES
About God
About Faith
Relationships
Success/Failure
Solutions
Recovery
Ask the Teacher
Better Living Tips
Friendship
Words of Love
Words of Inspiration
People Power for Jesus
Simple and Effective Witnessing for Christ

SITE TRANSLATIONS
Spanish Espanol
French Francois

  DEVOTIONS
Devotionals
Daily Encounter
Weekend Encounter
Encuentros Diarios
Archives
Subscribe
When God Is Silent
Prayer Partners
  Needed

Special Needs

BIBLE HELPS
Helps and Studies
Today's Reading
Annual Reading

  QUOTES AND TESTS
Today's Quotes
Happiness Test
Stress Test

ACTS IN ACTION

ACTS Websites
ACTS in Action Report

COMMUNICATIONS

Syndicate ACTS Articles
"I Hate Witnessing"
   Audio—No Charge

Opening Closed Minds
Effective Communications
Jesus, the Communicator
Punching Holes in
   the Darkness

  REPORTS
About ACTS
Be an ACTS Friend

MISC.
People Power Invite
Links
Weather
Privacy Policy
Snail-Mail List
Contact Us/Feedback

ACTS BOOKSTORE
Online Bookstore


Site Map
Report problems to ACTS International
All pages in this site © Copyright 2005-2024 by ACTS International
P.O. Box 73545, San Clemente, CA 92673 U.S.A.
 
HOME   Daily Encounter  Find Peace With God