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
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
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.
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.
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!!
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 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.
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Loving & Understanding People by Dick Innes
I Hate Witnessing by Dick Innes
God's Formula for Success by Dick Innes
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Healing of the Memories by David Seamands
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