Editor: Richard (Dick) Innes
Published by: ACTS International
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Vol. 15 – No. 3313 August 17, 2013
Thought for the week: "The history of the human race is the history of ordinary people who have overcome their fears and accomplished extraordinary things." – Brian Tracy
"It is necessary to the happiness of man that he be mentally faithful to himself." – Thomas Paine
"A man's doubts and fears are his worst enemies." – William Wrigley Jr.
"I can accept failure. Everyone fails at something. But I can't accept not trying." – Michael Jordan
"We have grasped the mystery of the atom and rejected the Sermon on the Mount ... The world has achieved brilliance without conscience. Ours is a world of nuclear giants and ethical infants." – General Omar Bradley
"We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give." – Winston Churchill
"I always view problems as opportunities in work clothes." – Henry Kaiser, businessman
A tour bus arrived at Runnymede, England. The guide asked the tourists to gather around and then said, "You are standing on the very spot where the barons forced King John to sign the Magna Carta."
A man in the group asked, "When did that happen?"
"1215," the guide answered.
The tourist looked at his watch, "Rats!" he said, "missed it by half an hour."
"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."
Edward Steichen, who eventually became one of the world's most renowned photographers, almost gave up on the day he shot his first pictures. At 16, young Steichen bought a camera and took 50 photos. Only one turned out—a portrait of his sister at the piano. Edward's father thought that was a poor showing. But his mother insisted that the photograph of his sister was so beautiful that it more than compensated for 49 failures.
Her encouragement convinced the youngster to stick with his new hobby. He stayed with it for the rest of his life, but it had been a close call. What tipped the scales? The vision to spot excellence in the midst of a lot of failure.
After 30 years of building houses for Ben, a prominent land developer, Sam announced that he wanted to retire, buy some land of his own, and build a small home for himself and his wife. Sam had hoped for a large bonus for all his years of service, but instead, Ben asked Sam if he would just build one more house. He gave Sam plans for a lovely home located on a choice piece of land with a magnificent view. "It was for a very important person," Ben said, and he urged Sam to do his best work.
Because Sam was resentful, his heart was not in the project and his work was shoddy. He ignored architectural details and he even substituted inferior materials so he could pocket the difference.
When the house was finished, there was a big celebration, and Ben gave Sam an envelope as a parting gift. At last! The bonus, Sam thought.
But there was no check in the envelope. Instead, it included a key and a note: "For everything you've done, the house is yours."
Sam was ashamed and embarrassed. He not only misjudged Ben; he betrayed his professionalism by building an inferior home, a home that turned out to be his own.
Through our daily actions we all build the houses we will ultimately live in. Careless decisions and neglected relationships, lies and insincerity are the shoddy workmanship and inferior materials of life-building. Whenever we take shortcuts to get us through the days, we shortchange ourselves for years. Whenever we put in less than our best and ignore our potential for excellence, we create a future full of creaky floors, leaky roofs and crumbling foundations.
This is Michael Josephson reminding you that character counts.
"And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit."1
I read how, some years ago, "a missionary physician in one of China's hospitals cured a man of cataracts. A few weeks later 48 blind men came to the doctor from one of China's wilds, all holding on to a rope guided by the man who had been cured. He had led them in this way, walking in chain for 250 miles to the hospital."2
Would to God that we who were once blind and healed spiritually by Jesus, the Great Physician, would do our utmost to lead others to Jesus, the only one who can cure spiritual blindness, and in so doing, give people the gift of forgiveness for all their sins and, with it, the gift of eternal life.
To have our witness be credible, however, it is imperative that we, too, "with unveiled faces reflect the Lord's glory" and more and more be transformed into Jesus' likeness so that people will always "see Jesus" in us. "With unveiled faces" means being open-faced, genuine, personally honest, authentic, and not phony in any way. Nathanael is an excellent example to follow. When "Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward Him ... said of him, 'Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no deceit [guile]!'"3
Suggested prayer: "Dear God, please help me to be a person in whom there is no guile or deceit, and always reflect your glory in all circumstances so that people will always "see Jesus" in me. And please help me to be transformed into your likeness and use me to be a living, effective witness for you in helping to introduce many others to you for your healing and forgiveness. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus' name, amen."
Note: To help introduce others to Jesus, please consider joining with ACTS to be a People Power for Jesus Partner. There is no charge. All you need is the desire to bring/introduce others to Jesus, have an e-Mail account, and access to the Internet. For more information see: www.actsweb.org/people_power.
1. 2 Corinthians 3:18 (NIV).
2. Sunday School Times. Cited in Encyclopedia of
7700 Illustrations, Lee, Paul Tan, p.1614.
3. John 1:47 (NKJV).
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