Editor: Richard (Dick) Innes
Published by: ACTS International
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Vol. 10 – No. 4208 October 18, 2008
Thought for the week: "You are accountable for what you do, and no one else is accountable."
– Edith Martin
"Try not to become a man of success, but rather a man of value." – Albert Einstein
"Chance favors the prepared mind." – Louis Pasteur
"Don't walk in front of me; I may not follow.
Don't walk behind me; I may not lead.
Walk beside me and be my friend." – Albert Camus
"The things which are impossible with men are possible with God." – Jesus (Luke 18:27)
"Peace I leave with you, My peace I give unto you: not as the world gives, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." – Jesus (John 14:27)
"Perseverance is the hard work you do after you get tired of doing the hard work you already did." – Newt Gingrich
Two teenagers were arrested. The police sergeant told them they were entitled to a phone call. Some time later a man entered the station and asked for them by name.
The sergeant said, "I suppose you're the lawyer?"
"Nope," the chap replied, "I'm just here to deliver their pizza."
Dr. John Maxwell of San Diego, California, claims that the average person influences 10,000 people—either for good or bad—in the course of a lifetime.
Everyday our words, our actions and our behaviors are heard, seen and felt by many. According to Dr. Maxwell, at least two or three of people daily will be impacted by those words, deeds and actions. We don't think much about it, but we are always "on stage." We do make a difference—one way or the other. That influence may affect another for many years to come.
Be sure to add value to someone's life today.
Source: Thought for Today by Ray Lammie. To subscribe, send a blank email to RIL3@aol.com with Subscribe in the Subject line.
President James Garfield's words from 1877 still ring true. "Now more than ever before, the people are responsible for the character of their Congress. If that body be ignorant, reckless, and corrupt, it is because the people tolerate ignorance, recklessness, and corruption. If it be intelligent, brave, and pure, it is because the people demand these high qualities to represent them in the national legislature ... if the next centennial does not find us a great nation ... it will be because those who represent the enterprise, the culture, and the morality of the nation do not aid in controlling the political forces."
Stephen M. Crotts, George L. Murphy, Stan Purdum, Sermons for Sundays: After Pentecost (Last Third): Rendering to God, CSS Publishing Company, Inc. Source: eSermons.com.
Several years ago I watched a movie about a man who chose not to talk. He figured he could get by writing on a piece of paper rather than verbally asking for work. People in his small town figured he was born mute. In one scene he witnesses a murder, and, later, in court, he verbally testifies against the accused murderers. The citizenry was awestruck about his ability to speak. Afterward, he said that he had always gotten along and made a satisfactory living without speaking.
I am reading through the book of Revelation in the Bible, a particularly complex book to understand because it is hard to see the underlying meaning on account of the numerous images. The meaning of the word, revelation, is to reveal. The book is a revealing of future events as shown to St John, a pastor to seven churches. John is awestruck as he silently witnesses events at least 2000 years out, and at times, he actually talks with angels as he writes what he sees. At one point (chapter 10) he is told to not write, but simply observe. What he writes is of immense help to us as we connect what he says with what we see happening today.
At the beginning of chapter 13, John witnesses a beast rising from the sea, having ten horns and seven heads, a beast that portrays a powerful political/religious power. While the whole earth is gaping at the beast spewing blasphemies against God and his Church, the world also worships it. The only ones not worshipping the beast are God's holy people standing firmly by their faith in Jesus. The thought of standing firm continues in chapter 14 (The Message): "The saints stand passionately patient, keeping God's commands, staying faithful to Jesus." Standing firm conveys that they allow nothing to cause them dismay.
While today, many people respond to tragedy with fright and fluster, Christians respond with patience and understand that God is at work in the lives of those who don't know the Lord. I sense that God's holy people understand the difference between false religion and real faith in God. While John is a silent witness to the vision, he does not forget that he is also a pastor and his calling is to preach. In the book of Acts, John and Peter were publicly censured for preaching; their response was that they couldn't help but speak about what they saw and heard.
We, too, are called to preach (testify) using the change in our lives as a calling card. It is not always necessary to talk because our lives may be a silent witness when we don't get easily rattled. Similarly, St Francis of Assisi said, "Preach the gospel at all times, if necessary, use words." Our lives are an example when we stand firm, and is the way God shows how people are changed by His grace. At times, we say more by saying less. This may be even more important if we are indeed living in end-times. Friends, let us be silent no more.
Footnote from Dick Innes. For a simple, non-offensive, attractive way to witness for Christ see and order some business-size Witness Cards at https://actscom.com/witness_cards.php ... they're available for USA, Canada, the World, and in Spanish. Try 'em ... you'll like 'em!
In the 1964 Winter Olympics in Innsbruck, Austria, six-time medalist Eugenio Monti from Italy was favored to win the gold medal in the bobsledding pair event. After his team's last run, it looked like they were going to make it.
The British team, led by Tony Nash Jr., still had a chance, but before their final run, Nash discovered a critical axle bolt had broken on their sled. They were done. Without hesitation, Monti removed the bolt from his sled and rushed it up to Nash's team. They were able to continue, and their run was so strong they won the gold medal.
The Italian press viciously criticized Monti for giving up the gold, but he was steadfast. "Nash didn't win because I gave him the bolt," he said. "He won because he had the fastest run."
Olympic swimming medalist John Naber says a true sportsman, one who believes in the Olympic ideal, not only wants to win, he wants to win against his best opponent on his best day. A true sportsman is not elated, but disappointed, when top competitors are injured or disqualified.
Monti won the gold medal at the next Winter Olympics, but it was his willingness to lose that earned him a prominent place in Olympic history. His act represents sportsmanship at its best: the pursuit of victory with zeal and passion, recognizing that there's no true victory without honor.
Today, with so many teams and athletes willing to cheat or behave badly to win, we need reminders of the noble potential of sports. Parents and coaches should teach youngsters that the real glory of sport is in the striving, not the winning.
This is Michael Josephson reminding you that character counts.
"'Lord, if it's you,' Peter replied, 'tell me to come to you on the water.' 'Come,' he [Jesus] said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus."1
One of the best decisions I ever made in my life was also one of the scariest. I struggled with it for about three years. As a young man I felt a deep sense of God's call to full-time Christian ministry, but knew that to be effective I would need to be adequately trained. For ministry I had no training whatsoever. I hadn't even been to high school. I was only 13 when my father made me quit school and go to work. As a teenager I attended technical college part time and became well trained as a carpenter and joiner (joiners make windows and doors and those kinds of things). I could build houses, but to get up in front of people and speak—forget it!
But the "Hound of Heaven" kept bugging me.
"You've got to be kidding, God," I argued. "You mean you want me to leave my home, my family, my friends, and my security to go overseas for training! Don't you know how insecure I am? I'm only a carpenter and you want me to do what—to step out of my security boat and walk on water!"
"Yes, that's correct," God said in his not too still, small voice. "Did you forget that Peter was only a fisherman? And by the way, my Son, Jesus, was a carpenter."
"Okay, God," I finally said, "You win. I know what I have to do." I said this when I was flat on my back on a hospital bed following an accident I had on a construction site. For some of us we have to be hit over the head, as it were, by a four-by-four in order for God to get us to listen—I mean, really listen!
As quickly as I could I worked to save enough money for my one-way airfare to the U.S. and to get started in my first semester in college (providing I could find part-time work). I also had to be put on probation because I had never been to high school. All through Bible school, college and graduate school I worked part time to finance my education. This included working three jobs in the summer months when I drove a CTA passenger bus in Chicago during the morning and evening rush hours shifts, painted houses in the middle of the day, and worked as a janitor in a large church in the evenings and weekends.
Was it easy? Not really. But with a burning conviction that this is what I was meant to do, I was never without motivation to keep on keeping on. Plus, I was never without needed work, was able to pay all my bills—and passed every course.
And now, by the grace of God, here I am today—40+ years later—with the wonderful privilege of being able to reach around the world every day of the year with the saving gospel message of Jesus Christ. My life has never been more blessed or fulfilling.
How I thank God that he kept urging me to answer his call and say yes to him. After accepting Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior, stepping out of my comfort zone and going back to college to train for what I am doing today was the greatest (and about the scariest) decision of my life.
If you sense that God is calling you to step out of your comfort zone to accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior and/or to an area of service for him—be it in a voluntary or full-time capacity—I urge and encourage you to say yes to God today. It is a decision you will never regret and be thankful for all eternity.
Suggested prayer: "Dear God, thank you that you call each one of us to accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior and therein receive your forgiveness for all our sins and your gift of eternal life—and to serve you according to the gifts and talents you have given to each one of us. Please help me to hear your call to me and give me the courage to step out of my comfort zone and say yes to you today. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus name, amen."
1. Matthew 14:28-29 (NIV).
P.S. It's important to know that I had been involved in Christian ministry for several years as a volunteer before I answered the call to train for full-time Christian ministry.
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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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