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 Dick Innes


Weekend Encounter

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

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Vol. 18 – No. 1716 April 23, 2016

 
Thought for the week: "It's better to walk alone than going with a crowd in the wrong direction." – Diane Grant
 
Index
1.   Words of Wisdom
2.   On the Lighter Side
3.   Perspective and Persistence
4.   Lord, Make Me an Instrument
5.   Growing Older
6.   Appreciating Appreciation
7.   God So Loved
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.   Please Help Support Weekend Encounter
13.   Helpful Books, CDs, and Cassettes
14.   Services without Charge
15.   ACTS in Action Report
16.   Archives for Daily and Weekend Encounter

1. Words of Wisdom

"God Himself doesn't propose to judge a man until he is dead, so why should you/we?" – Unknown

"Coincidence is when God chooses o remain anonymous." – Unknown

"Don't put a question mark where God put a period." – Unknown

"God doesn't call the qualified, He qualifies the called." – Unknown

"The will of God never takes you to where the Grace of God will not protect you." – Unknown

"The only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle." – Steve Jobs

Index

2. On the Lighter Side

The late Dr. Franklin Clark Fry enjoyed telling a story about women who were overly suspicious of their husbands. When Adam stayed out very late for a few nights, Eve became upset. "You're running around with other women," she charged.

"You're being unreasonabe," Adam responded. "You're the only woman on earth."

The quarrel continued until Adam fell asleep, only to be awakened by someone poking him in the chest. It was Eve.

"What do you think you're doing?" Adam demanded.

"Counting your ribs," said eve."

Source: Let Me Illustrate, Albert P. Stauderman, P.117

Index

3. Perspective and Persistence

Before Thomas Edison discovered how to make an electric light bulb work, a young journalist asked, "How come you keep trying to make an electric light when you have failed so many times. Don't you know that gas lights are with us to stay?"

"Young man," Edison said, "I have not failed but successfully discovered 6,000 ways that won't work!"

If anyone knew opposition it was the Apostle Paul. Besides being in prison and being exposed to death, he received from the Jews the thirty-nine lashes. He was also beaten with rods, stoned, and shipwrecked three times. He was in constant danger from bandits, his own countrymen, and from Gentiles. He often went without sleep and knew hunger and thirst and was left cold and naked, and knew constant pressure because of his concern for all the churches.1

Paul was faithful to the end. In spite of innumerable setbacks, he never quit and he never gave up.

Great perspective. Great persistence. Great attitude.

1. See 2 Corinthians 11:24-28.

Index

4. Lord, Make Me an Instrument

One of my favorite prayers set to music is the beautiful prayer reported to have been written by St. Francis of Assisi; however, the identity of the true author remains a mystery.

What a difference it would make in today's world if every Christian prayed this prayer from the heart regularly:

Lord, make me an instrument of Thy peace;
where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
and where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master,
grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console;
to be understood, as to understand;
to be loved, as to love;
for it is in giving that we receive,
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal
life.

Index

5. Growing Older


As we grow older, and hence wiser, we slowly realize that wearing a $300. or $30.00 watch ... they both tell the same time...

Whether we carry a $300 or $30.00 wallet/handbag ... the amount of money inside is the same.

Whether the house we live in is 300 or 3000 sq.ft. ... loneliness is the same.

You will realize, your true inner happiness does not come from the material things of this world.

Whether you fly First, Business or Economy class, if the plane goes down ... you go down with it.

Therefore, I hope you realize, when you have mates, buddies and old friends, brothers and sisters, who you chat with, laugh with, talk with, have sing songs with, talk about north-south-east-west or heaven earth, That is true happiness!!

– Submitted by Robert Reese

Index

6. Appreciating Appreciation

      By Michael Josephson of CHARACTER COUNTS (927.5)

There's a song called "Thank God for Dirty Dishes" that makes the point that if you're lucky to have enough food to make dirty dishes, you should be grateful.

So instead of grousing about your property taxes, be thankful you own property. When you have to wait in line at the bank or are stuck in traffic, just be grateful you have money in the bank and a car to drive.

It makes sense, but that doesn't make it easy.

I have to admit that appreciation has not been a natural attribute for me. In my more ambitious days when I believed that excess was not enough, gratitude seemed like a form of surrender and a very poor life strategy. After all, if you're satisfied with the way things are, you'll never make them better.

What a pity I had to reach my 50s before I began to appreciate appreciation. I finally began to see that it was irresponsible and irreverent not to realize how many things I should feel grateful for. I also came to realize how good it feels to acknowledge how good I have it.

Real gratitude is much more than politeness, like saying thank you when someone passes the salt or conveys good wishes; it's a deeper psychological state of genuine thankfulness.

Whether we believe whatever good fortune we have is the product of our own labor and talents, random luck, or a gift from God, the fact remains that each of us could spend a full day identifying all the things that merit gratitude.

According to an old proverb, "If you never learn the language of gratitude, you'll never be on speaking terms with happiness."

I'm still a beginner, but it's true; the more I appreciate, the happier I am. That's a lesson I want my children to learn.

This is Michael Josephson reminding you that character counts.

For Commentaries go to: http://whatwillmatter.com/category/commentary/

© 2016 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. God So Loved

A sample of Daily Encounter by Dick Innes

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life."1

In a tribe of Indians, or so the story goes, someone was stealing chickens. The Chief declared that, if caught, the offender would receive 10 lashes.

When the stealing continued, he raised it to 20 lashes. Still the chickens methodically disappeared. In anger the Chief raised the sentence to 100 lashes.

The thief was finally caught, but the Chief faced a terrible dilemma. The thief was his OWN mother! When the day of penalty came, the whole tribe gathered. Would the Chief's love override his justice? The crowd gasped when he ordered his mother to be tied to the whipping post.

The Chief removed his shirt, revealing his powerful stature, and took the whip in hand. But instead of raising it to strike the first blow, he handed it to a strong, young brave standing at his side. Slowly the Chief walked over to his mother and wrapped his massive arms around her in an engulfing embrace. Then he ordered the brave to give him the 100 lashes.

That's what JESUS did for you and me. In love He became our substitute and died in our place to pay the penalty for all our sins. He overcame our inability to save ourselves by paying the price for our sins. His death bridged the gulf between God and man and made it possible for us to be reconciled to God and to be restored to fellowship with Him through faith in Christ and in His atoning death for us.2

Suggested prayer: "Dear Jesus/God, how I thank You for loving me so much that You gave Your life to die on the cross at Calvary to pay the penalty for every sin I have ever committed, for Your full and free pardon, and for the gift of eternal life for all who accept You as their personal Savior. For this I will be eternally grateful. In Jesus's name, amen."

NOTE: To help you to be sure you have accepted God's forgiveness and his gift of eternal life, click on "How to Be Sure You're a Real Christian" at: http://tinyurl.com/8glq9

1. John 3:16 (NASB).
2. Contributed by Alexandra Perros from Holland.

NOTE: If you would like to accept God's forgiveness for all your sins and His invitation for a full pardon, click on: http://www.actsweb.org/invitation.php.

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Index

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Index

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Index

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Index

11. Prayer Partners Needed

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Index

12. Help Support Weekend Encounter

    "Changing the World . . . One Person at a Time" 

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 379,000+ subscribers, and every week Weekend Encounter is going to 7,000+ 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!

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Index

13. 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

Books:

Books by Dick Innes, Editor of Weekend Encounter
   You Can't Fly With a Broken Wing
   How to Mend a Broken Heart
   I Hate Witnessing—A Handbook for Effective Christian
      Communications

   On Sale at: http://www.actscom.com/store

CDs/Cassettes:

  Healing, Wholeness & Happiness by Dick Innes
  Loving & Understanding People by Dick Innes
  I Hate Witnessing by Dick Innes
  God's Formula for Success by Dick Innes
  Damaged Emotions by David Seamands
  Healing of the Memories by David Seamands

  On SALE at: http://tinyurl.com/2unmmy

Index

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10. Plus many more sources of helpful information

GO TO: http://www.actsweb.org/links.php

Index

15. ACTS in Action Report
 
Click HERE for ACTS in Action ... Monthly Report Letter
 
16. Archives for Daily and Weekend Encounters
 
Click HERE for 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."



© 2016 ACTS International


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