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 Dick Innes


Weekend Encounter

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

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Vol. 9 – No. 4707 November 24, 2007

 
Thought for the week: "Humility is not thinking less of yourself. It's thinking of yourself less." – Unknown

Wishing a very Happy Thanksgiving Day
to our readers in the U.S.A.

    INDEX
1.   Words of Wisdom
2.   On the Lighter Side
3.   The Transformed Beetle
4.   Green Sickness
5.   True to Whom?
6.   Pressures Are Reasons, Not Justifications
7.   Thanksgiving
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

"Children need models rather than critics." – Joseph Joubert

"Parents wonder why the streams are bitter when they themselves have poisoned the fountain." – John Locke

"The question for the child is not 'Do I want to be good?' but 'Whom do I want to be like?'" – Bruno Bettelheim

"The greatest thief this world ever produced is procrastination, and he is still at large." – Henry Wheeler Shaw

"If you wait for inspiration you'll be standing on the corner after the parade is a mile down the street." – Ben Nicholas

"Chance favors those in motion." – James H. Austin

"How far you go in life depends on your being tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving, and tolerant of the weak and strong. Because some day in life you will have been all these." – George Washington Carver

Index

2. On the Lighter Side

I have a good friend who recently taught a Bible class made up of 4-year-olds. The lesson dealt with one of the widows in the New Testament and the teacher asked the children if they knew what a widow was. When they responded to her question with blank stares, she explained a widow like this: "If a man and a woman are married and the man dies, then the woman would be a widow." The children seemed to grasp the concept.

However, one of the little girls went home and, in the course of explaining what she learned in Bible class, told her mother, "I learned that if Daddy dies, then you'll be a weirdo!"

    From Alan Smith
    Helen Street Church of Christ
    Fayetteville, North Carolina

Index

3. The Transformed Beetle

The great director and producer, Cecil B. DeMille, was not only a man of great talent but also a man of keen insight. He shared this observation with his friends:

While canoeing on a Maine lake, he noticed a horde of water beetles just below the surface of the water. One of the water beetles came to the surface and slowly crawled up the side of the canoe. Finally, struggling to the top, the beetle grasped onto the wood and died.

DeMille forgot about the beetle until a few hours later when he noticed the beetle again. In the hot sun, its shell had become very dry and brittle. As DeMille watched, its shell split open and there emerged a new form, a dragonfly, which took to the air, its magnificent colors illuminated in the sunlight.

The dragonfly flew farther in an instant than the water beetle had crawled in days. Then it circled back and swooped down to the surface of the water. DeMille noticed its shadow on the water. The water beetles below might have seen it too. But now their erstwhile companion existed in a state far beyond their comprehension.

They were still living in their very small, limited world while their winged cousin had gained for himself all the freedom between earth and sky.

When he told friends about what he had seen, DeMille concluded with this penetrating question: "Would the great Creator of the universe do that for a water beetle and not for a human being?"

From First Impressions, Volume 6.16. "Live for God, on purpose, dedicated to Him in everything that you do!" Timothy Satryan, Senior Pastor, Wilmington First Assembly of God.

Cited on WITandWISDOM www.witandwisdom.org

Index

4. Green Sickness

A story is told about two great Italian symphony conductors, Toscanini and Mascagni. Mascagni was a proud, egotistical, unbelievably terrible character. Just to give you an idea of what he was like, he dedicated one of the operas he wrote to himself. Well, Mascagni resented Toscanini because of Toscanini's popularity.

One day, a committee in charge of putting on a music festival in Milan inquired as to whether Toscanini and Mascagni would both lead the orchestration. Mascagni was so jealous of Toscanini that he didn't even try to hide it. So he said, "I will conduct on one condition—that I am paid more money than Toscanini." The management agreed, and at the close of the festival, Mascagni received his fee—one lira. Toscanini had conducted for nothing, and Mascagni came out looking like a fool.

Let me remind you of a story in the Old Testament. King Saul had a son named Jonathan, who was likely next in line to inherit the throne. Then along came a singer by the name of David. Not only was he a singer, he was also a great shepherd, a giant-killer, articulate, poetic, a supreme musician—he had all kinds of abilities. One person with so much talent could be a very unpopular fellow. And with Saul he was. Saul hated him. He was jealous of David. The people were giving David more praise than Saul. Maybe David would even try to take the throne! So, one day, in a fit of fury, Saul grabbed his spear and threw it at David, trying to kill him.

Now we don't know much about Saul's son, Jonathan. We don't know anything about his musical ability, or his articulation or much of anything else about him. But, scripture does let us know one very important thing about him—Jonathan never had any jealousy of David. You may say, "Well, he didn't stand to lose as much as Saul." But he did. He was in line for the throne, and from the human perspective it could one day have been his. But the Bible says this about Jonathan, "And he [Jonathan] loved him [David] as he loved his own soul."1

Do you see what made the difference between Saul and Jonathan? It was a difference of love. Saul was jealous, and Jonathan wasn't. The reason is that Jonathan loved David, and love can't be jealous.2

So how are YOU doing? Do you ever get jealous over someone who owns more than you, is more attractive than you, has a better job than you, is more eloquent than you, is smarter than you, is thinner than you, wears nicer clothes than you, drives a nicer car than you, has more friends than you, has a happier marriage than you, gets better grades than you, and so on?

Strive to grow in love, because love can't be jealous.3

By Alan Smith "Tuesday's Thought For The Day"
(July 11, 2006) www.tftd-online.com

   1. I Samuel 20:17.
   2. See I Corinthians 13:4.

Index

5. True to Whom?

It was good advice for Polonius to give his son (in Hamlet, of course) and it is good advice for us "This above all: to thine own self be true / And it must follow, as the night the day / Thou canst not then be false to any man." But unfortunately most of us think of that saying as meaning, "To what you wish were true of your self be true."

    Tod Bolsinger, http://bolsinger.blogs.com/

Index

6. Pressures Are Reasons, Not Justifications

    By Michael Josephson of Character Counts (506.2)

We've located the source of moral deterioration in this country: Pressure. It's all around us, and it's wreaking havoc on society.

According to a survey of American workers, more than half said they did something unethical or illegal in the previous year because of pressure. In Florida, sheriff's employees who falsified crime statistics were under pressure. So were the Texas school administrators who lied about their dropout rates, the baseball players who took steroids, and all the youngsters who cheat on exams. Can you imagine the pressure all the cheating executives were under?

Pressure. Apparently it's overpowering, irresistible. We can't expect mere mortals to stand up to it. The only way to restore our moral ozone is to remove pressure so there's no reason to lie or cheat.

There's something appealing about shifting responsibility for every form of human weakness from the individual to the system. Don't blame the liar; blame the law. Don't blame the cheater; blame the test.

Please! Pressures are no more than temptations in disguise. The difference is, while we expect people to overcome temptation, we expect them to succumb to pressure.

Lots of people will lie, cheat, or steal in the face of pressure. But that's a reason, an explanation—not a justification. Pressures, temptations—call them what you will—are part of life. Sure, it would be helpful if we had less pressure, but it's far more important that we have more character.

We need to believe in the power of virtue and to expect moral courage, not to surrender when moral principles are challenged. We need to encourage and expect good people to do what's right, even when it's difficult or costly.

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. Thanksgiving

Sample of Daily Encounter by Dick Innes

[On this Thanksgiving Day in the U.S.A., wherever you live around the world Joy and I wish you and your family a most gratifying and memorable day. There is so much we have to be thankful for, not only for God's unending blessings, but also for the affirmation and encouragement we have received from so many of our Daily and Weekend Encounter readers. We count it a real privilege to be able to share with you.]

"It is good to give thanks to the LORD, And to sing praises to Your name, O Most High; To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning, And Your faithfulness every night."1

"Today upon a bus, I saw a lovely maid with golden hair; I envied her—she seemed so happy, and how, I wished I were so fair; When suddenly she rose to leave, I saw her hobble down the aisle; she had one foot and wore a crutch, but as she passed, a smile. Oh God, forgive me when I whine, I have two feet—the world is mine.

"And when I stopped to buy some sweets, the lad who served me had such charm; he seemed to radiate good cheer, his manner was so kind and warm; I said, 'It's nice to deal with you, such courtesy I seldom find'; he turned and said, 'Oh, thank you sir.' And then I saw that he was blind. Oh, God, forgive me when I whine, I have two eyes, the world is mine.

"Then, when walking down the street, I saw a child with eyes of blue; he stood and watched the others play, it seemed he knew not what to do; I stopped a moment, then I said, 'Why don't you join the others, dear?' He looked ahead without a word, and then I knew he could not hear. Oh God, forgive me when I whine, I have two ears, the world is mine.

"With feet to take me where I'd go; with eyes to see the sunsets glow, with ears to hear what I would know. I am blessed indeed. The world is mine; oh, God, forgive me when I whine."2

As most readers will realize, today in the USA is Thanksgiving Day...a day when friends and family all across this land will join together in a great day of feasting, but I cannot help but wonder how many of us will be truly thankful—I mean truly thankful to God for the abundant blessings he has given to those of us who live in free countries.

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, please give to me a thankful heart—a heart to remember your lovingkindness every morning and your faithfulness every night—and that your blessings are new every morning and your faithfulness is unto all generations. And above all else beside I thank you with all my heart and soul that your 'so great salvation' and gift of eternal life is available to 'whosoever will may come.' Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus' name, amen."

<:))))><<

1. Psalm 92:1-2 (NKJV).
2. Source Unknown.

Index

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

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Over 15 million e-mail Daily, Weekend and Prayer Encounters are delivered to subscribers every year!

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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 108,000+ 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.

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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
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 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

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