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 Dick Innes


Weekend Encounter

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

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Vol. 13 – No. 0711 February 12, 2011

 
Thought for the week: "You cannot make yourself feel something you do not feel, but you can make yourself do right in spite of your feelings." – Pearl S. Buck
 
    INDEX
1.   Words of Wisdom
2.   On the Lighter Side
3.   Trees
4.   Perception: Something to Think About
5.   Facts Regarding the Middle East Situation
6.   Freedom Is Not Free
7.   Boundaries: What Part of NO Don't You Understand?
8.   Receive Daily Encounter Devotional  Without Charge
9.   Weekend Encounter E-mail Edition  Without Charge
10.   Know God ... Without Having to Be Religious
11.   Prayer Partners Needed
12.   To Submit a Prayer Request
13.   Please Help Support Weekend Encounter
14.   Helpful Books, CDs, and Cassettes
15.   Services Without Charge
16.   ACTS in Action Report; Archives for Daily and Weekend Encounter

1. Words of Wisdom

"He who sees only half the problem will be buried by the other half." – Seen on Mickey's Funnies

"Life is not waiting for the storm to pass ... it's about learning how to dance in the rain." – Unknown

"Know what you want to do, hold the thought firmly and do every day what should be done, and every sunset will see you that much nearer the goal." – Elbert Hubbard

"The probability that we may fail in the struggle ought not to deter us from the support of a cause we believe to be just." – Abraham Lincoln

"We can let circumstances rule us, or we can take charge and rule our lives from within." – Earl Nightingale

"When we look at modern man, we have to face the fact that modern man suffers from a kind of poverty of the spirit. This stands in glaring contrast to his scientific and technological abundance. We've learned to fly the air like birds, we've learned to swim the seas like fish, and yet we haven't learned to walk the earth as brothers and sisters." – Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Index

2. On the Lighter Side

The following are supposed comments made by Police Officers:

"You know, stop lights don't come any redder than the one you just went through."

"You don't know how fast you were going? I guess that means I can write anything I want to on the ticket, huh?"

"Yes, sir, you can talk to the shift supervisor, but I don't think it will help. Oh, did I mention that I'm the shift supervisor?"

"Warning! You want a warning? O.K, I'm warning you not to do that again or I'll give you another ticket."

"The answer to this last question will determine whether you are drunk or not. Was Mickey Mouse a cat or a dog?"

"Just how big were those 'two beers' you say you had?"

"You didn't think we give pretty women tickets? You're right, we don't. Sign here."

Submitted by Tscharke, Tony

Index

3. Trees

I think that I shall never see
A poem lovely as a tree.
A tree whose hungry mouth is prest
Against the earth's sweet flowing breast;
A tree that looks at God all day,
And lifts her leafy arms to pray;
A tree that may in summer wear
A nest of robins in her hair;
Upon whose bosom snow has lain;
Who intimately lives with rain.
Poems are made by people like me,
But only God can make a tree.

by Joyce Kilmer (1886-1918)

Index

4. Perception: Something to Think About

In Washington, DC, at a Metro Station, on a cold January morning in 2007, this man with a violin played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time, approximately 2,000 people went through the station, most of them on their way to work. After about three minutes, a middle-aged man noticed that there was a musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds, and then he hurried on to meet his schedule.

About four minutes later: The violinist received his first dollar. A woman threw money in the hat and, without stopping, continued to walk. At six minutes: A young man leaned against the wall to listen to him, then looked at his watch and started to walk again. At ten minutes: A three-year old boy stopped, but his mother tugged him along hurriedly. The kid stopped to look at the violinist again, but the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk, turning his head the whole time. This action was repeated by several other children, but every parent—without exception—forced their children to move on quickly. At 45 minutes: The musician played continuously. Only six people stopped and listened for a short while. About 20 gave money but continued to walk at their normal pace. The man collected a total of $32.

After one hour he finished playing and silence took over. No one noticed and no one applauded. There was no recognition at all. No one knew this, but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the greatest musicians in the world. He played one of the most intricate pieces ever written, with a violin worth $3.5 million dollars. Two days before, Joshua Bell sold-out a theater in Boston where the seats averaged $100 each to sit and listen to him play the same music.

Joshua Bell, playing incognito in the D.C. Metro Station, was organized by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment about perception, taste and people's priorities. This experiment raised several questions: (1). In a common-place environment, at an inappropriate hour, do we perceive beauty? (2). If so, do we stop to appreciate it? (3). Do we recognize talent in an unexpected context?

One possible conclusion reached from this experiment could be this: If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world, playing some of the finest music ever written, with one of the most beautiful instruments ever made, how many other things are we missing as we rush through life?

According to Snopes, this is a story that happened on January 12, 2007. See http://www.snopes.com/music/artists/bell.asp

Submitted by Roy Simmons

Index

5. Facts Regarding the Middle East Situation

Here are overlooked facts in the current and past Middle East situation, facts that were were compiled by a Christian university professor:

1. Nationhood and Jerusalem: Israel became a nation in 1312 BC, two thousand (2000) years before the rise of Islam.

2. Arab refugees in Israel began identifying themselves as part of a Palestinian people in 1967, two decades after the establishment of the modern State of Israel.

3. Since the Jewish conquest in 1272 BC, the Jews have had dominion over the land for one thousand (1000) years with a continuous presence in the land for the past 3,300 years.

4. The only Arab dominion since the conquest in 635 lasted no more than 22 years.

5. For over 3,300 years, Jerusalem has been the Jewish capital. Jerusalem has never been the capital of any Arab or Muslim entity. Even when the Jordanians occupied Jerusalem, they never sought to make it their capital, and Arab leaders did not come to visit.

6. Jerusalem is mentioned over 700 times in Tanach, the Jewish Holy Scriptures. Jerusalem is not mentioned even once in the Koran.

7. King David founded the city of Jerusalem. Mohammed never came to Jerusalem.

8. Jews pray facing Jerusalem. Muslims pray with their backs toward Jerusalem.

9. Arab and Jewish Refugees: in 1948 the Arab refugees were encouraged to leave Israel by Arab leaders promising to purge the land of Jews. Sixty-eight percent left (many in fear of retaliation by their own brethren, the Arabs), without ever seeing an Israeli soldier. The ones who stayed were afforded the same peace, civility, and citizenship rights as everyone else.

10. The Jewish refugees were forced to flee from Arab lands due to Arab brutality, persecution and pogroms.

11. The number of Arab refugees who left Israel in 1948 is estimated to be around 630,000. The number of Jewish refugees from Arab lands is estimated to be the same.

12. Arab refugees were INTENTIONALLY not absorbed or integrated into the Arab lands to which they fled, despite the vast Arab territory. Out of the 100,000,000 refugees since World War II, theirs is the only refugee group in the world that has never been absorbed or integrated into their own people's lands. Jewish refugees were completely absorbed into Israel, a country no larger than the state of New Jersey.

13. The Arab-Israeli Conflict: the Arabs are represented by eight separate nations, not including the Palestinians. There is only one Jewish nation. The Arab nations initiated all five wars and lost. Israel defended itself each time and won.

14. The PLO's Charter still calls for the destruction of the State of Israel. Israel has given the Palestinians most of the West Bank land, autonomy under the Palestinian Authority, and has supplied them.

15. Under Jordanian rule, Jewish holy sites were desecrated and the Jews were denied access to places of worship. Under Israeli rule, all Muslim and Christian sites have been preserved and made accessible to people of all faiths.

16. The UN Record on Israel and the Arabs: of the 175 Security Council resolutions passed before 1990, 97 were directed against Israel.

17. Of the 690 General Assembly resolutions voted on before 1990, 429 were directed against Israel.

18. The UN was silent while 58 Jerusalem synagogues were destroyed by the Jordanians.

19. The UN was silent while the Jordanians systematically desecrated the ancient Jewish cemetery on the Mount of Olives.

20. The UN was silent while the Jordanians enforced an apartheid-like a policy of preventing Jews from visiting the Temple Mount and the Western Wall.

– Submitted by Al Rawley

Speaking of Isreal, God said, "I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you" (Genesis 12:3, NIV).

Index

6. Freedom Is Not Free

By Michael Josephson of Character Counts (678.5)

We know from our revolutionary origin, two World Wars, and the 9-11 attacks, that there are real enemies outside our country who would impose their will on us if we did not protect it vigorously and vigilantly. But the idea that freedom is never free also applies to the price every citizen must pay to be part of a democratic society that reveres both rights and responsibilities.

Every law restricts someone's personal liberty while it seeks to protect our lives, property, and fundamental freedoms of religion, speech, and privacy. We pay for our freedom by obeying laws we don't like, paying taxes we don't want to pay, and by refraining from conduct that interferes with the personal freedom of others to choose how they want to live, and by supporting their rights to make choices that do not harm us or others and to live and let live.

Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes provided a good guideline: "Your right to swing your fist ends where another man's nose begins." The other side of that observation is, "We have a right to swing our fist, so long as we don't hit someone else's nose."

Finally, if we exercise our freedom responsibly, we acknowledge that an act is not ethical simply because it's legal, nor is it proper simply because it's permissible. As Justice Potter Stewart said, "There's a difference between what we have a right to do and what is right to do."

An ethical citizen will often choose to do less than the law allows and more than it requires.

This is Michael Josephson reminding you that character counts.

© 2011 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. Boundaries: What Part of NO Don't You Understand?

A sample of Daily Encounter by Dick Innes

"Jesus entered the temple area and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves."1

A Daily Encounter reader writes in response to one of our messages on being peacemakers: "As you know, meaningful relationships require boundaries. Sometimes this means letting the other person know you are offended even if they do not react the way you might wish. At times keeping your boundaries may even mean terminating an unhealthy relationship.

"But what about when the relationship is one you cannot terminate, say with a parent, spouse, or other family member who is also a Christian? I am not speaking of blatant abuse situations but the gray areas in which a lot of people, including myself, often find ourselves. What about when parents have deep unresolved anger and hurt which they will not confront and resolve, so they wind up projecting it onto their children—including their adult children?

"So where is the line? How do you honor your parents and keep your boundaries?"

True, the Bible does say we are to honor and obey our parents, but it never says that we are to accept everything they, or anybody else, do to us, or ask us to do.

Meekness isn't weakness. Jesus, of course, is the prime example of one who had healthy boundaries. He didn't allow anyone to do anything to him without his permission, nor did he always meet the expectations of his parents. And he always confronted evil and wrongdoing.

So, while we are also told in the Bible to obey our parents and our leaders, when they, or anyone else, are abusive, evil, or do wrong, the higher law for us to follow is the law of God—and that is always to do the right thing. At times this will require tough love and saying "no" to anyone who would mistreat or abuse us, and who are being boundary busters with us.

When Peter and the other apostles were commanded by the religious leaders not to preach about Jesus, Peter said, "We ought to obey God rather than men."2 And they kept preaching.

And think how Jesus handled the religious Pharisees and those who abused the house of God (the temple) and were ripping off the poor. He drove them out of the temple with a whip and called them a brood of vipers!

If we ask ourselves the question, "What would Jesus do?" in every situation in which we find ourselves and could discern the correct answer, we would know what to do. And then we would need to ask him for the courage to help us to do it.

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, thank you for Jesus who is the prime example for us to follow in every situation . . . whether warm and compassionate or angry at evil. Please help me to know what you would do in every confusing situation in which I find myself—and please give me the courage to do that without being controlled by false guilt or what others might think of me. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus' name, amen."

1. Jesus in Matthew 21:12 (NIV).
2. Acts 5:29.

     For more information on Daily Encounter, Click HERE.

Index

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Index

14. Helpful Books, CDs and Cassettes

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

Click HERE for books, CDs, tapes and poems by Dick Innes and others.

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16. 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."



© 2011 ACTS International


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