Editor: Richard (Dick) Innes
Published by: ACTS International
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Vol. 16 – No. 0314 January 18, 2014
Thought for the week: "Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin condemns any people." – The Bible, Proverbs 14:34 (NIV)
"A business that makes nothing but money is a poor business." – Henry Ford
"The path of least resistance is the path of the loser." – H.G.Wells
"Most of the things worth doing in the world had been declared impossible before they were done." – Louis Brandeis, U.S. Supreme Court justice
"Better to be prepared and not called, than to be called and not prepared." – James Wallace
"When someone shares something of value with you, and you benefit from it, you have a moral obligation to share it with others!" – Chinese Proverb
"Without God there is no virtue because there is no prompting of the conscience ... without God there is a coarsening of the society; without God democracy will not and cannot long endure. If we ever forget that we are One Nation Under God, then we will be a Nation gone under." – Ronald Reagan
It has been rightly claimed that what the mind dwells on the body acts on. If you don't believe this, think how temptation works. It starts as a thought and then, if you keeping thinking about it, then you begin to rationalize about doing it, and if you don't change your thoughts, you're doomed because you act on it.
"It isn't what you have, or who you are, or where you are, or what you are doing that makes you happy or unhappy. It is what you think about." – Dale Carnegie
Even Buddah is reported as having said, "What you think, you become."
And the greatest source of all states: "Whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate [keep thinking] on these things." – Philippians 4:8 (NKJV).
Love, like a tree,
sends its roots down deep
so when the storms of life abound
and the winds of adversity blow,
it shakes and bends
and goes with the flow
but doesn't break or fall.
And during times of drought
it drives its roots down deeper
so whatever comes and goes –
summer, winter, spring or fall,
the good times and the bad –
it stands the test of all.
Each of us is in possession of a magical bank. We just can't seem to see it. The magical bank is time!
Each morning we awaken to receive 86,400 seconds as a gift of life, and when we go to sleep at night, any remaining time is NOT credited to us. What we haven't lived that day is forever lost. Yesterday is gone forever.
Each morning the account is refilled, but the bank can dissolve your account at any time. WITHOUT WARNING. So, what will YOU do with your 86,400 seconds? Those seconds are worth so much more than the same amount in dollars. Think about that, and always think of this:
Enjoy every second of your life, because time races by so much quicker than you think. So take care of yourself, be happy, love deeply and enjoy life!
Here's wishing you a wonderful and beautiful day. Start spending.
The most traditional way to measure the quality of one's life is to evaluate success by listing accolades, achievements, and acquisitions. After all, in its simplest terms, success is getting what we want and most people want wealth and status.
Yet, as much pleasure as these attributes can bring, the rich, powerful, and famous usually discover that true happiness will elude them if they do not have peace of mind, self-respect, and enduring loving relationships.
Peace of mind doesn't preclude ambition or desire for material possessions or high position, but it assumes a fundamental foundation of contentment, gratitude, and pride—a belief that whatever one has is enough and an attitude of active appreciation for the good things in one's life.
Feeling successful can generate satisfying emotions of self-worth, but feeling significant—that one's life really matters—is much more potent. Peter Drucker, the great management guru, captured this idea when he wrote of the urge many high achievers have to "move beyond success to significance."
The surprise for many is that one of the surest roads to significance is service. It doesn't have to be of the Mother Teresa missionary variety. Parents who sacrifice their own comfort and pleasure for their children are performing service, as are teachers, public-safety professionals, members of the military, and volunteers who work for the common good.
In addressing graduates, Albert Schweitzer said, "I don't know what your destiny will be, but one thing I do know: The only ones among you who will be really happy are those who have sought and found how to serve."
This is Michael Josephson reminding you that character counts.
God said, "What do I care about incense from Sheba or sweet calamus from a distant land? Your burnt offerings are not acceptable; your sacrifices do not please me."1
The word "worship" comes from an old English word "worth-ship" meaning to acknowledge the worth of someone. For the Christian worship means to acknowledge the worth of God.
Many in the church today equate worship with singing upbeat choruses. Others equate it with a more traditional approach where the main meetings on the Lord's Day are called "worship" services—both of which may or may not have anything to do with worship.
A friend of mine, John Fitzroy, was once asked where he worshiped, which meant what church he attended. He gave a straightforward answer when he replied, "I attend such and such a church where I lead the choir, but I don't worship!" At least he was being honest.
As important as attending a good church is, I don't need to be in a church or chapel to worship. I can worship when I see a beautiful sunset, a new-born baby, a flower, a tree, a singing bird, an animal, the ocean, in sunshine or in rain, on a mountain, in the desert—wherever I am at home, school, work, or play—as well as at church.
I need to constantly acknowledge the worth of God which is what worship is. Chances are, if I'm not practicing worship throughout the week, I'm not too likely to do so sitting in a church for one hour a week. We bring a worship attitude or spirit with us. If we don't, we're not too likely to find it in church regardless of whether the service is contemporary or traditional. One thing is certain, we can't drum up the presence of God!
Worship is an attitude of the heart. Going through the motions when the heart isn't in it may be religiosity or churchianity, but it isn't worship. It's just a shadow of the real—and a very poor shadow at that. My best guess is that God thinks about the same of this as He did the burning of incense and burnt offerings in Old Testament days when they were rituals without heart or sincerity. The same is true of prayers that are insincere and are words without heart.
How absurd it must be to God when He sees us trying to "drum up" what we call worship—whether it's with a pipe organ, a grand piano, a clanging symbol, an electric guitar, or noisy drums—when our heart isn't in it, and in so doing, not be acknowledging the worth of God!
David had it right. He said, "I will praise you, O Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonders. I will be glad and rejoice in you; I will sing praise to your name, O Most High." And again, "I will extol the Lord with all my heart in the council of the upright and in the assembly."2 Now that's worship—with or without music. And, by the way, I love music and used to be on a gospel musical team in younger days.
Suggested prayer: "Dear God, please help me to understand the true meaning of worship and learn how to worship you in spirit and in truth, not only at church, but wherever I am. Please give me a worshipful heart and spirit. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus' name, amen."
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"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."
