Editor: Richard (Dick) Innes
Published by: ACTS International
To receive the email edition of Weekend Encounter (without charge) click on the Subscribe button.
Privacy policy: We do not sell or rent subscriber's e-mail
addresses to anyone. We value your privacy.
Global Communications Outreach:
Learn how to be a missionary right from your own home and have a vital part in worldwide gospel outreach by becoming an ACTS People Power for Jesus Partner. Click HERE There is no charge.
Vol. 15 – No. 1113 March 16, 2013
Thought for the week: "Nothing splendid has ever been achieved except by those who dared believe that something inside them was superior to circumstance." – Bruce Barton
"Do not wait for leaders; do it alone, person to person." – Mother Teresa,
"I have learned in my years on earth to hold everything loosely, because when I hold things tightly, God has to pry my fingers away. And that hurts!" – Corrie ten Boom
"Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power." – Abraham Lincoln
"The bad news is, time flies. The good news is, you're the pilot." – Michael Altshuler
"When nothing seems to help, I go and look at a stonecutter hammering away at his rock perhaps a hundred times without as much as a crack showing in it. Yet at the hundred and first blow it will split in two, and I know it was not that blow that did it—but all that had gone before." – Jacob Riis
"All men who have achieved great things have been great dreamers." – Orison Swett Marden
A minister told his congregation, "Next week I plan to preach about the sin of lying. To help you understand my sermon, I want you all to read Mark 17."
The following Sunday, as he prepared to deliver his sermon, the minister asked for a show of hands. He wanted to know how many had read Mark 17. Quite a few hands went up.
The minister smiled and said, "Mark has only 16 chapters. I will now proceed with my sermon on the sin of lying."
John Calvin said gratitude was at the center of the Christian life, and G. K. Chesterton called it "the mother of all virtues." It was gratitude for living in a free country that caused me to put on the uniform of a United States Marine officer during the Korean War. We do our duty to our country out of gratitude for those who went before us to defend the liberties we hold so precious.
I love the scene at the end of the movie, Saving Private Ryan. Ryan, who is now seventy years old, returns to Normandy, and he is looking at the grave marker of Captain Miller, the man who died to save him during World War II. Ryan is on his knees. The grave marker is a stark, white cross. He addresses Miller, now long dead: "I've tried every day to live up to what you did for me ... I hope I've lived a life worthy of your sacrifice."1
Ed. Note: I trust that we who call ourselves Christians are, with God's help, living a life worthy of Jesus Christ's sacrifice for us.
1. BreakPoint with Charles Colson. Commentary #020911 – 09/11/2002 www.pfm.org/
In 1910 DeWitt Wallace developed a new idea for a magazine. It would consist of a collection of condensed articles. He put together a proposed sample and sent it to publishers throughout the country. Nobody seemed interested. DeWitt was terribly discouraged.
About the same time he met Lila Bell Acheson, the daughter of a Presbyterian minister. Before long the two fell in love. Lila believed in DeWitt's dream. She wouldn't let him give up and encouraged him to keep trying his wonderful idea for a magazine. Boosted by her faith in him, DeWitt started mailing circular letters to potential subscribers.
In October, 1921, Lila married DeWitt. On returning from their honeymoon, they found a bundle of letters from interested subscribers. Together they worked on Volume 1, Number 1, which appeared in February, 1922. DeWitt Wallace included Lila Bell Acheson as his co-founder, co-editor, and co-owner. Over the years their little magazine grew. Now printed in at least eighteen languages, Reader's Digest is the bestselling magazine in the entire world.
DeWitt and Lila were more than husband and wife, they were true friends. They encouraged, supported, and believed in each other. They worked side by side to make their dream come true, and in the process they respected each other. DeWitt once said, "I think Lila made the Digest possible." I can imagine that Lila would probably say the same about DeWitt.
Yes, love believes all things. It sticks up for seemingly impossible dreams, cheering as those dreams struggle forward and applauding when they finally come true.
I once heard the chairman and CEO of a huge public company tell a roomful of ambitious, hardworking, dedicated executives that if he had to do it all over again, he would have spent more time with his family. That's not news, but to Type-A personalities, it's easier said than done.
David L. Weatherford's poem "Slow Dance" sends the message in a particularly compelling way:
Have you ever watched kids on a merry-go-round
Or listened to rain slapping on the ground?
Ever followed a butterfly's erratic flight
Or gazed at the sun fading into the night?
You better slow down, don't dance so fast,
Time is short, the music won't last.
Do you run through each day on the fly?
When you ask, "How are you?" do you hear the reply?
When the day is done, do you lie in your bed
With the next hundred chores running through your head?
You better slow down, don't dance so fast,
Time is short, the music won't last.
Ever told your child, "We'll do it tomorrow,"
And in your haste not seen his sorrow?
Ever lost touch, let a good friendship die,
'Cause you never had time to call and say hi?
You better slow down, don't dance so fast,
Time is short, the music won't last.
When you run so fast to get somewhere,
You miss half the fun of getting there.
When you worry and hurry through your day,
It's like an unopened gift thrown away.
Life is not a race, so take it slower,
Hear the music before your song is over.
The question isn't whether this makes sense to you. It's what are you going to do about it, and when are you going to start?
This is Michael Josephson reminding you that character counts.
"Indeed, he [God] who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep."1
If you were to ask me what I thought might be the number one evidence for the validity of God's Word, the Bible, I would answer that question in one word by saying, "Israel."
In fact, the nation of Israel is one of the clearest evidences for the validity of God's Word. Its history is a continual story of biblical prophecy being fulfilled. For instance, some fifteen hundred years B.C., God said through Moses that Israel would turn from him and be driven by enemies from their homeland. God said, "I will bring the land into desolation ... I will scatter you among the nations ... your land shall be desolate, and your cities waste."2
The result? In 721 B.C., the ten northern tribes of Israel were taken into captivity by Assyria, and in 586 B.C. the two southern tribes were taken captive by Babylon. Seventy years later a small remnant of 40,000 Jews returned to Israel while the rest were scattered throughout the world. In A.D.70 Jerusalem was destroyed by the Romans, and the remnant of Israelites was dispersed among the nations. Israel then became desolate as predicted 1,600 years before.
God's word also stated that the nation of Israel would be restored, saying, "Neither will I destroy them utterly."3 "For I will take you from among the nations, and gather you out of all countries and will bring you into your own land."4 "I will restore the fortunes of my people Israel, and they shall rebuild the ruined cities and live in them again,"5 and the nation "will blossom as the rose."6 The beginning of these prophecies being fulfilled was on May 14, 1948 when Israel once again became a nation.
The people of Israel have survived heinous atrocities committed against them by the Assyrians, the Babylonians, the Greeks, the Romans, Hitler and others. And even today there are surrounding nations who want to "wipe Israel off the map." Israel's repeated survival against overwhelming odds and the rebuilding of their nation—which is still taking place at this time, twenty-five hundred years after God said that it would happen—is irrefutable evidence of the validity of the Bible.
But God has not finished with the nation of Israel by any means. According to the Bible the climax of world history as we know it will be when the nations of the world, headed by the Antichrist (Satan's emissary), will unite to come against Israel in an attempt to destroy her forever.7 This war, the like of which the world has never before seen, is known as Armageddon.
At this point Jesus Christ will return to earth from Heaven, will rescue Israel and totally destroy all opposing armies. Christ will then set up his Kingdom and rule and reign on earth from Jerusalem for a thousand years8—after which he will create a new earth and a new heaven.9
Keep an eye on Israel. This tiny nation is without doubt—in God's plan—the center stage for the world's final battle between good and evil. Thus, the more we see nations uniting to oppose Israel, the more we need to realize that the setting of the stage for the entrance of the Antichrist is accelerating. At the same time the setting of the stage for the second coming of Jesus Christ will also be accelerating.
Of these yet unfulfilled biblical prophecies regarding Israel, we can be just as certain that they will be fulfilled in minutest detail just as all prior prophecies regarding Israel have been fulfilled in minutest detail.
The important issue for you and me today is that we are ready for these end-time events and especially for the return of Jesus Christ to earth. You will not want to be left behind. To make sure you are ready, be sure to read the article, "How to Be Sure You're a Real Christian" at: www.actsweb.org/christian.
Suggested prayer: "Dear God, thank you for your Word, the Bible, that informs mankind regarding the ultimate defeat of Israel's enemies and assures us of the return of Jesus Christ to earth to end forever the rule of evil over mankind, and to set up your eternal kingdom. Thank you, too, for your great gift of salvation so that all who trust in you and accept your forgiveness will be delivered from the coming evil and spend forever with you in eternity. Please help me to be absolutely certain that I am ready for the day of your return. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer.
Gratefully, in Jesus' name."
Note: Again, if you are not absolutely certain that you are ready for Christ's return, be sure to read the article, "How to Be Sure You're a Real Christian" at: www.actsweb.org/christian.
8. Receive Daily Encounter E-mail ... Without Charge
Daily Encounter, a without charge weekday e-mail inspirational from ACTS International is now going to 389,000+ subscribers. Scores of letters from around the world have come from readers saying how much they are being helped by this brief, practical devotional.
Over 100 million e-mail Daily, Weekend and Prayer Encounters are delivered to subscribers every year!
NOTE: Some ISPs (especially AOL) now use e-mail filtering software that allows you to add e-mail addresses to your 'buddy', 'safe', or 'approved' list. Please be sure to add acts@actsweb.org to yours so you won't miss any issue of Daily Encounter.
One of ACTS greatest needs is Prayer Partners to stand with us as we seek to share the gospel with millions of people around the world through E-mail and the Internet and to win the lost to Jesus. If you would like to be an ACTS Prayer Partner, please subscribe to the Prayer Encounter list. Approximately one prayer report is e-mailed monthly. Thank you.
Weekend Encounter and Daily Encounter are just two of the ways the nonprofit organization, ACTS International, is working to improve the spiritual and emotional life of many thousands of people around the world.
Every weekday Daily Encounter is going to 389,000+ subscribers, and every week Weekend Encounter is going to 7,700+ subscribers worldwide—many of whom are in places where it is forbidden to spread the Christian gospel and message. Plus, we reach several hundred thousand more every week through our advertising. As a result, every day we are seeing an average of 5-6 salvation responses from around the world—almost 3,000 in the past 12 months!
If you find value in the Weekend Encounter and/or Daily Encounter, we hope you will be comfortable donating at least $26. That's only 50 cents a week for an entire year (tax-deductible in the U.S.). You can donate in one of the following ways:
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
1. Bible concordance and Bible helps
2. New Hope Crisis Counseling with trained
lay/volunteer counselors. www.newhopenow.org 3. E-Word Today for a daily Bible reading
4. To find your ZIP+4 Area Code in the U.S.A.
5. How to find and write to your U.S. Representative
6. ASK ... Smart answers fast
7. Send a greeting card without charge for all occasions
8. To check the weather in your area
9. Hoax Web Sites
10. Plus many more sources of helpful information
"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."