Editor: Richard (Dick) Innes
Published by: ACTS International
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Vol. 10 – No. 4608 November 15, 2008
Thought for the week: "You may forget with whom you laughed, but you will never forget with whom you wept." – Unknown
On a church bulletin board: "God does not believe in atheists; therefore atheists do not exist."
"Men acquire a particular quality by constantly acting a particular way. You become just by performing just actions, temperate by performing temperate actions, brave by performing brave actions." – Aristotle, Philosopher
"Popularity has killed more prophets than persecution." – Vance Havner
"When I get to heaven, I shall see three wonders there. The first wonder will be to see many there whom I did not expect to see; the second wonder will be to miss many people whom I did expect to see; and the third and greatest of all will be to find myself there." – John Newton
"The best portion of a good man's life is his little, nameless, unremembered acts of kindness and of love." – William Wordsworth
"When I was young, I admired clever people. Now that I am old, I admire kind people." – Abraham Joshua Heschel
"A positive attitude is perhaps more important at home than anywhere else. As spouses and parents, one of our most vital roles is to help those we love feel good about themselves." – Keith Harrell
I pulled into the crowded parking lot at the Super Wal-Mart Shopping Center and rolled down the car windows to make sure my Labrador Retriever pup had fresh air.
She was stretched full-out on the back seat and I wanted to impress upon her that she must remain there. I walked to the curb backward, pointing my finger at the car and saying emphatically, "Now you stay. Do you hear me?"
"Stay! Stay!"
The driver of a nearby car, a pretty blonde young lady, gave me a strange look and said, "Why don't you just put it in park?"
He began His ministry by being hungry, yet He is the Bread of Life.
Jesus ended His earthly ministry by being thirsty, yet
He is the Living Water.
Jesus was weary, yet He is our rest.
Jesus paid tribute, yet He is the King.
Jesus was accused of having a demon, yet He cast out demons.
Jesus wept, yet He wipes away our tears.
Jesus was sold for thirty pieces of silver, yet He redeemed the world.
Jesus was brought as a lamb to the slaughter, yet He is the
Good Shepherd.
Jesus died, yet by His death He destroyed the power of death.
By Gregory of Nazianzus, A.D. 381
Cited on Sermon Illustrations http://net153.com/
"Whoever wishes to understand fully the words of Christ must try to pattern his whole life on that of Christ."
"Indeed it is not learning that makes a man holy and just, but a virtuous life makes him pleasing to God. I would rather feel contrition than know how to define it."
"It is vanity to wish for long life and to care little about a well-spent life."
"On the Day of Judgment, surely we shall not be asked what we have read but what we have done; not how well we have spoken but how well we have lived."
From Chuck Colson: "So while God may not ask you on Judgment Day if you read The Imitation of Christ, He will examine how Christ-like a lifestyle you have lived."
When we write letters, we commonly end them with "Yours sincerely." Have you ever wondered why you do this? The practice has its origins in ancient Rome. Roman sculptors often concealed cracks in apparently flawless marble statues with melted beeswax. When the wax dried and crumbled, the angry purchaser sought compensation. Reputable sculptors guaranteed their work as sine sera, which means "without wax." Hence "Yours sincerely." Likewise, we are called to be people of integrity whose words are true.
Suppose you're an Olympic athlete and you hear that the only person who has a chance to beat you is ill and may have to withdraw. Are you overjoyed at your good luck or disappointed that you won't be able to compete against the very best?
You ought to be disappointed. Olympian John Naber, winner of four gold medals in swimming, says a true sportsman wants to compete against his best competitor on his best day. Although that makes winning more difficult and less likely, it also makes the event more exciting and a victory more meaningful. Being declared a winner is not real victory; being the best is.
In any sport, what's more fun: to play against someone you easily dominate or against someone who forces you to be your best and makes every point an exciting challenge? The aim of sports is to have fun trying to win and to love the game enough that you can enjoy yourself whether you win or not.
Athletic competition is not a form of war. The people you compete against are also the people you play with. They aren't enemies. The word "competition" comes from the Latin root competere, which means "to strive together, not against each other."
Be thankful for quality competitors who push you to your limit. You'll find sports more healthy and enjoyable when you respect and like your opponents rather than hate them. When you compete against someone as good as or better than you, you may not always win, but you never lose.
This is Michael Josephson reminding you that character counts.
"When he [the prodigal son] came to his senses, he said, 'How many of my father's hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men.' So he got up and went to his father."1
In his One-Minute Uplift email newsletter Rick Ezell writes, "In the highlands of Scotland sheep often wander off into the rocks and get into places that they can't get out of. The grass on these mountains tastes very sweet, and the sheep like it. They will jump down ten or twelve feet to a ledge with a patch of grass, and then they can't jump back up again. The shepherd hears them bleating in distress. The shepherd may leave them there for days, until they have eaten all the grass and are so faint that they cannot stand. Only then will the shepherd put a rope around the sheep and pull them up out of the jaws of death.
"Why doesn't the shepherd attempt a rescue when the sheep first get into the predicament? The sheep are so foolish and so focused on eating that they would dash away from the shepherd, go over the precipice and destroy themselves.
"Such is the case with us. Sometimes we need to experience a little bit of death before we can enjoy the abundance of life. The Lord will rescue us the moment we have given up trying, realizing that we can't liberate ourselves, and cry to him for help."2
For many of us, like the prodigal son, it's only when all else fails and we hit rock bottom that we turn to God for help, but that's a good thing because only God can rescue us from the jaws of eternal death and damnation.
Suggested prayer: "Dear God, thank you that when I finally admit that I have a problem—that I am a sinner—and need help, I discover that you have been waiting patiently for me to come to you so you could rescue and save me from the tragic consequences of sin which is eternal death and separation from you. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus name, amen."
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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
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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...
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