Editor: Richard (Dick) Innes
Published by: ACTS International
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Vol. 17 – No. 4215 October 17, 2015
Thought for the week: "Only one life 'twill soon be past. Only what's done for Christ will last!" – Unknown
"Be careful the environment you choose for it will shape you; be careful the friends you choose for you will become like them." – W. Clement Stone
"Though no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending." – Author Unknown
"The supreme task of the church is the evangelization of the world." – Oswald J. Smith
"We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give." – Winston Churchill
"Our greatest legacy will be those who live eternally in heaven because of our efforts." – Unknown
"And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come." – Jesus Christ, Matthew 24:14 (NKJV).
"The covers of this book are too far apart." – Ambrose Bierce (1842-1914)
"Everywhere I go I'm asked if I think the university stifles writers. My opinion is that they don't stifle enough of them." – Flannery O'Connor (1925-1964)
"Too many pieces of music finish too long after the end." – Igor Stravinsky (1882-1971)
"Anything that is too stupid to be spoken is sung." – Voltaire (1694-1778)
For family devotions, Martin Luther once read the account of Abraham offering Isaac on the altar in Genesis 22. His wife, Katie, said, "I do not believe it. God would not have treated His son like that!" "But, Katie," Luther replied, "He did."
A successful businessman was growing old and knew it was time to choose a successor to take over the business.
Instead of choosing one of his Directors or his children, he decided to do something different. He called all the young executives in his company together.
He said, "It is time for me to step down and choose the next CEO. I have decided to choose one of you. "The young executives were shocked, but the boss continued. "I am going to give each one of you a SEED today—one very special SEED. I want you to plant the seed, water it, and come back here one year from today with what you have grown from the seed I have given you.
I will then judge the plants that you bring, and the one I choose will be the next CEO."
One man, named Jim, was there that day and he, like the others, received a seed. He went home and excitedly, told his wife the story. She helped him get a pot, soil and compost and he planted the seed. Every day, he would water it and watch to see if it had grown. After about three weeks, some of the other executives began to talk about their seeds and the plants that were beginning to grow.
Jim kept checking his seed, but nothing ever grew. Three weeks, four weeks, five weeks went by, still nothing.
By now, others were talking about their plants, but Jim didn't have a plant and he felt like a failure.
Six months went by—still nothing in Jim's pot. He just knew he had killed his seed. Everyone else had trees and tall plants, but he had nothing Jim didn't say anything to his colleagues, however, he just kept watering and fertilizing the soil—he so wanted the seed to grow.
A year finally went by and all the young executives of the company brought their plants to the CEO for inspection.
Jim told his wife that he wasn't going to take an empty pot. But she asked him to be honest about what happened. Jim felt sick to his stomach, it was going to be the most embarrassing moment of his life, but he knew his wife was right. He took his empty pot to the boardroom.
When Jim arrived, he was amazed at the variety of plants grown by the other executives. They were beautiful—in all shapes and sizes. Jim put his empty pot on the floor and many of his colleagues laughed, a few felt sorry for him!
When the CEO arrived, he surveyed the room and greeted his young executives.
Jim just tried to hide in the back. "My, what great plants, trees and flowers you have grown," said the CEO. "Today one of you will be appointed the next CEO!"
All of a sudden, the CEO spotted Jim at the back of the room with his empty pot. He ordered the Financial Director to bring him to the front. Jim was terrified. He thought, "The CEO knows I'm a failure! Maybe he will have me fired!"
When Jim got to the front, the CEO asked him what had happened to his seed. Jim told him the story.
The CEO asked everyone to sit down except Jim. He looked at Jim, and then announced to the young executives, "Behold your next Chief Executive Officer!
His name is "Jim!" Jim couldn't believe it. Jim couldn't even grow his seed.
"How could he be the new CEO?" the others said.
Then the CEO said, "One year ago today, I gave everyone in this room a seed. I told you to take the seed, plant it, water it, and bring it back to me today. But I gave you all boiled seeds; they were dead—it was not possible for them to grow.
All of you, except Jim, have brought me trees and plants and flowers. When you found that the seed would not grow, you substituted another seed for the one I gave you. Jim was the only one with the courage and honesty to bring me a pot with my seed in it. Therefore, he is the one who will be the new Chief Executive Officer!"
As M. Dunham wrote, "Sir Edmund Hilary was the first person to conquer Mt. Everest. The first time he tried, he failed. He was knighted by the Queen of England, and at the gala occasion, on the wall behind the head table, was a huge picture of Mt. Everest. The people gave him a standing ovation for even daring to attempt the climb. When they ceased applauding, Hilary turned his back to the audience, faced that picture and said, "Mt. Everest, you have defeated me once and you might defeat me again. But I'm coming back again and again, and I'm going to win because you can't get any bigger, Mt. Everest, and I can."*
Whatever mountain you are facing at this time of your life—large or small— remember God is right there with you if you choose. If anything is His will for you, you know that with His help you, too, can say to your mountain, "You have defeated me once and you might defeat me again. But I'm coming back again and again, and I'm going to win because you can't get any bigger and I can. Plus God is on my side to help me."
*NOTE: Actually I understand that Mt. Everest is growing a tiny fraction each year, but the illustration is valid re the point Sir Edmund Hilary was making.
What's causing the growing hole in our moral ozone? Why are cheating and lying so common in schools, on the sports field, and in business and politics? Apparently it's a thing called pressure.
Kids are under pressure to get into college, athletes and coaches are under pressure to win, and, according to a survey by the American Management Association, the pressure to meet business objectives and deadlines is the leading cause of unethical corporate behavior. The desires to further one's career and protect one's livelihood are the second and third reasons people lie or cheat.
In other words, we take ethical shortcuts to get what we want. DUH!
Why are we so willing to shift responsibility for every form of human weakness from ourselves to the system? We don't blame the liar; we blame the law. We don't blame the cheater; we blame the test.
The implication is: Don't expect me to be ethical when personal interests are at stake.
Please!
What we call pressures today used to be called temptations. Everyone knew that the test of character was our ability to resist them. Calling enticements pressures doesn't change anything.
We must believe in and expect integrity and moral courage and not surrender when our principles are challenged. We need to expect good people to do what's right, even when it's difficult or costly.
Yes, lots of people act dishonorably in the face of pressure. But pressure is an explanation, not a justification. Pressures, temptations—call them what you will—are part of life. Sure, it would be helpful if we had less pressure, but it's far more important that we have more character.
"I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground."1
Oswald Chambers said, "God who made the birds never made bird cages. It's men who make bird cages [and put people in them] and after a while we become cramped and can do nothing but chirp and stand on one leg."
In one of his parables Jesus illustrated how everybody is responsible for making good use of the talents he or she has been given. The one who had been given ten talents invested them wisely and was rewarded accordingly. The man who had only one talent and sat on it, lost it.
This principle is true in many areas of life. A few years ago I snapped an Achilles tendon—twice in a three-month period. I was on crutches for several months. When I was back on both feet again, my right leg was very weak and my calf muscle had already shrunk from lack of use. I had to have intensive physical therapy to get its use and strength back again.
What we don't use we take the risk of losing. This is true in various areas of life. And as Jesus' parable intended to teach us, it is even more applicable when it comes to using our gifts and talents for the Kingdom of God and investing them in eternal values.
Suggested prayer: "Dear God, thank You for the talents You have entrusted to me. Help me to invest and use them wisely for Your Kingdom and for Your glory. Thank You for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus's name, amen."
1. Matthew 25:25 (NIV).
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