Editor: Richard (Dick) Innes
Published by: ACTS International
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Vol. 10 – No. 0508 February 02, 2008
Thought for the week: "Judge your success not only by what you've become, but by what others have become because of you." – Unknown
"The man who complains about the way the ball bounces is likely the one who dropped it." – Lou Holtz, football coach
"Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try one more time." – Thomas Edison
"The proof that you know something is that you are able to teach it." – Aristotle
"Confidence, like art, never comes from having all the answers; it comes from being open to all the questions." – Earl Gray Stevens
"I do not feel obliged to believe that the same God who has endowed us with sense, reason, and intellect has intended us to forgo their use." – Galileo Galilei
"The Bible will always be full of things you cannot understand as long as you will not live according to the things you do understand." – Unknown
Arriving at the cottage frazzled after a 2 1/2-hour drive and a 20-minute boat ride with three kids in tow, ages nine, five and two, my sister Barbara discovered there was no food in the cupboards.
She rounded the kids up, got their life jackets back on, jumped back in the boat, docked as close to the store as she could and went in. The kids went in three different directions. Barbara kept an eye on them, managed to select her groceries and finally handed the clerk her credit card.
Hands full with bags and kids, Barbara started out. But then she turned back to the clerk and asked through clenched teeth, "May I have my credit card back, please?"
The clerk smiled sympathetically, "It's in your mouth."
Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and our children's children what it was once like in the United States where men were free.
The story is told of an old man who lived on a farm in the mountains of Kentucky with his young grandson. Each morning, Grandpa was up early sitting at the kitchen table reading from his old worn-out Bible. His grandson who wanted to be just like him tried to imitate him in any way he could.
One day the grandson asked, "Papa, I try to read the Bible just like you but I don't understand it, and what I do understand I forget as soon as I close the book. What good does reading the Bible do?"
The Grandfather quietly turned from putting coal in the stove and said, "Take this coal basket down to the river and bring back a basket of water."
The boy did as he was told, even though all the water leaked out before he could get back to the house. The grandfather laughed and said, "You will have to move a little faster next time," and sent him back to the river with the basket to try again.
This time the boy ran faster, but again the basket was empty before he returned home. Out of breath, he told his grandfather that it was "impossible to carry water in a basket," and he went to get a bucket instead.
The old man said, "I don't want a bucket of water; I want a basket of water. You can do this. You're just not trying hard enough," and he went out the door to watch the boy try again.
At this point, the boy knew it was impossible, but he wanted to show his grandfather that even if he ran as fast as he could, the water would leak out before he got far at all. The boy scooped the water and ran hard, but when he reached his grandfather the basket was again empty. Out of breath, he said, "See Papa, it's useless!"
"So you think it is useless?" the old man said. "Look at the basket."
The boy looked at the basket and for the first time he realized that the basket looked different. Instead of a dirty old coal basket, it was clean.
"Son, that's what happens when you read the Bible. You might not understand or remember everything, but when you read it, it will change you from the inside out."
That is the work of God in our lives—to change us from the inside out and to slowly transform us into the image of His Son. Take time to read a portion of God's word each day, and remind a friend by sharing this story.
5. How to Revitalize a Church ... (and/or your life)
There are four ways to revitalize a church—organizationally speaking.
The easiest is policy change. You simply adjust the way you do things. A second strategy is to change personnel. Firing the minister or electing new lay leaders is a common approach. Another change tactic is to create new program structures. Reorganization plans are familiar in institutions of all kinds.
Change policy. Change people. Change programs. Each of these approaches has its advocates. But the approach I suggest is the most basic of all—clarify purpose. The fourth way to revitalize a church is to define and act on its fundamental purpose. A new dream awakes a congregation. A poster motto challenges: "Aim for the sun. You may not reach it, but you will fly higher than if you never aimed at all."
"Now the multitude of those who believed were of one heart and one soul..." (Acts 4:32).
When we hear the term character education, we usually think of the responsibility and opportunity of parents and primary school teachers to teach young children the difference between right and wrong and to inspire them to choose what is right.
But what about older children, young adults, and mature professionals? Is there a time when a person's character has been formed, when the clay, so malleable in early youth, hardens like stone and character education becomes futile? Lots of people think so, not only about other people but about themselves.
While working to integrate ethical decision-making strategies into police and military academies, I've seen conclusive evidence that this notion of a fully developed or fixed character is not only wrong, it's wasteful. Character development is a lifelong process, and all people have the capacity to be better today than they were yesterday.
Police and military academies explicitly recognize that good moral character is as vital as competence. While they try to select only young people of sterling character, they don't leave it at that. A large portion of their training is designed to instill or enhance moral qualities associated with good character—and it works.
It's not that hard either. Guided discussions, simulations, and supervised field experiences all can be used to generate attitudes and habits that make new officers more diligent, thorough, and accurate; more committed to honesty; better able to control negative impulses; more willing to treat people—even ones they don't like—with respect; and more likely to summon the moral courage to do the right thing even when it may be personally costly. This is high-level character education.
What about you? Are you as good as you will ever be?
This is Michael Josephson reminding you that character counts.
One writer observed a mother walking with a small handicapped child whose both legs were in braces. He was having a difficult time but his mother was right there with him encouraging him at every step.
"That's great! You're doing splendidly," she kept repeating.
"I want to run," the boy called.
"Very well, try it," his mother encouraged enthusiastically. As he did, he tripped and almost fell and would have except his mother was right there beside him and caught him so he wouldn't hurt himself. "You did fine," she said again, "and next time you will do even better."
God, too, knows our limitations. He sees our brokenness and doesn't expect us to be able to make it alone. He knows we can't run with a broken leg. He also knows we can't live the Christian life without help and encouragement. He wants us to know that he is right there beside us to encourage us to keep trying and to keep growing and become stronger.
God also knows that we need supporting friends to encourage us, to help keep us on track, and to keep us accountable—as none of us can make it alone.
Suggested prayer: "Dear God, help me to be an encouraging and supporting friend to the people you bring into my life. And help me not to be too proud or afraid to ask for help when I need a friend to lean on. And thank you that I can always ask for and receive your help as needed. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus' name, amen."
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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
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