Editor: Richard (Dick) Innes
Published by: ACTS International
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Vol. 10 – No. 4808 November 29, 2008
Thought for the week: "Nothing lies outside the reach of prayer except that which lies outside the will of God." – John Blanchard
On the weekend of the biggest motorcycle gathering of the year, I was bartending at a club nearby. When the roaring machines pulled up outside, our patrons' eyes swung toward the door and conversation turned into uneasy whispering.
A group of tough looking bikers walked up to the bar, and one of them asked me where the phone was. I pointed it out, and the silence in the room let everybody overhear what the biker said into the receiver. "Hi, Mom. Just want to let you know I'll be home late tonight."
The first Thanksgiving proclamation, given by George Washington in 1789, reads as followers:
"Whereas it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly implore His protection, aid and favors ... Now, therefore, I do recommend and assign Thursday, the 26th of November next, to be devoted by the people of these states to the service of that great and glorious Being, who is the Beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be that we may then all unite in rendering unto Him our sincere and humble thanks for His kind care and protection of the people of this country, and for all great and various favors which He has been pleased to confer upon us...."
4 Years of Age – My Mommy can do anything.
8 Years of Age – My Mom knows a lot! A whole lot.
12 Years of Age – My Mother doesn't really know quite everything.
14 Years of Age – Naturally, Mother doesn't know that, either.
16 Years of Age – Mother? She's hopelessly old-fashioned.
18 Years of Age – That old woman? She's way out of date.
25 Years of Age – Well, she might know a little bit about it.
35 Years of Age – Before we decide, let's get Mom's opinion.
45 Years of Age – Wonder what Mom would have thought about it.
65 Years of Age – Wish I could talk it over with Mom.
The lion was proud of his mastery of the animal kingdom...
One day he decided to make sure all the other animals knew he was the king of the jungle. He was so confident that he bypassed the smaller animals and went straight to the bear. "Who is the king of the jungle?" the lion asked. The bear replied, "Why, you are, of course." The lion gave a mighty roar of approval.
Next, he asked the tiger, "Who is the king of the jungle?" The tiger quickly responded, "Everyone knows that you are, O mighty lion."
Next on the list was the elephant. The lion faced the elephant and addressed his question: "Who is the king of the jungle?" The elephant immediately grabbed the lion with his trunk, whirled him around in the air five or six times, and slammed him into a tree. Then he pounded him onto the ground several times, dunked him under water in a nearby lake, and finally threw him up on the shore. The lion—beaten, bruised, and battered—struggled to his feet. He looked at the elephant through sad and bloody eyes and said, "Look, just because you don't know the answer is no reason for you to get mean about it!" (Gerald Flury)
"Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall" (Proverbs 16:18).
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Uncommon Decency 565.2 Last week, Sara Tucholsky, a 5-foot-2-inch softball player in her senior year for Western Oregon University, was playing in a big game with Central Washington University. Both teams were vying for the Division II NCAA playoffs. Sara, who was batting less than .200 all season, hit the ball over the fence with two runners on.
She had never hit a ball out of the park before, even in practice. She was so excited, she missed first base. Realizing this, she turned to go back but collapsed in agony as her knee gave out. Her first-base coach yelled that she had to crawl back to first base because if anyone on Sara's team touched her, she'd be out and her home run would be nullified. Her coach encouraged her to try to crawl around the other bases to preserve her home run, but it was out of the question.
That's when the star player on the other team, Mallory Holtman, asked the umpire if she and a teammate could carry Sara around the bases. It was an unprecedented request from an opponent fighting for a playoff berth, but the rules allowed it. Without hesitation, Mallory and shortstop Liz Wallace lifted Sara and carried her, lowering her to touch each base with her good leg.
To Mallory it was simple: "In the end, it's not about winning and losing so much; it was about this girl. She hit it over the fence and was in pain and deserved a home run."
Mallory was right. It's just common decency.
Sadly, such kindness isn't common at all in sports, and that's why all the coaches, players, and spectators who were stunned by this spontaneous act of sportsmanship wept. And that's how Mallory became a national hero.
By the way, her team lost 4-2, but in my eyes, everyone won.
This is Michael Josephson reminding you that character counts.
"I [Jesus] have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble [tribulation]. But take heart! I have overcome the world."1
A Daily Encounter reader from a much poorer country than North America asks, "Can you please write a message on prosperity teachings. [Some American preachers] ... say it is a sin to be poor, but when you are prosperous (have money), you are blessed."
Amazing isn't it?
If God has gifted me to be a good businessman and to make money, and I can do that honestly, then I'd say it would be my responsibility to make money ... not for personal indulgences, but so I would be able to give generously in supporting the Lord's work on earth.
I for one, however, don't have that gift or that calling. Neither am I a gifted fundraiser, so financing God's work for me has always been a challenge and probably will be until the day I retire or die ... whichever comes first!
However, to some degree I have been gifted with an ability to communicate. Thus it is my responsibility to be trained in this area and communicate God's truth and the gospel to the best of my ability. Not to do so would be a sin for me. As the Bible says, "Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins."2
To claim that everybody is gifted to make money or to communicate effectively is not true—and, if claiming this to be true, could lead many to doubt God's blessing on their lives. The same goes for those who are led to believe that it is God's will for every Christian to be financially prosperous.
Think of Jesus, for example. Was he prosperous? Not financially here on earth. Were the twelve disciples prosperous? Matthew, the tax collector, may have been at one time—but through questionable methods. Peter and the other fishermen and disciples probably made just enough to make ends meet. True, Moses came from a well-to-do background, having grown up in Pharaoh's household, but he gave it all up to serve God and lead the people of Israel.
If, however, prosperity is God's will for everyone, then let's take this message to the poverty-stricken parts of the world where untold thousands of people are dying of malnutrition.
For the rest of us less prosperous ordinary folks, let's do the best we can with the gifts God has given to us to help make our world a better place in which to live.
Suggested prayer: "Dear God, please grant that I will always be a messenger of truth and never be misled by false promises from false prophets who claim to be speaking in the name of the Lord. If ever I teach a false message, please reveal that to me so it can be corrected immediately. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus' name. Amen."
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