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 Dick Innes


Weekend Encounter

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

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Vol. 18 – No. 1816 April 30, 2016

 
Thought for the week: "The measure of a life is not its duration but its donation." – Corrie Ten Boom
 
Index
1.   Words of Wisdom
2.   On the Lighter Side
3.   I Believe...
4.   The Power of One
5.   The Power of Stickability
6.   Why Martin Luther King Is a Hero
7.   Amazing Opportunity Lost
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

"Those who have a great sense of entitlement, usually have the least amount of gratitude" – Anonymous

"We must become the change we wish to see in the world." – Mahatma Gandhi

"If you are going through hell, keep going." – Sir Winston Churchill

"He who has a 'why' to live, can bear with almost any 'how'." – Friedrich Nietzsche

"I am not young enough to know everything." – Oscar Wilde

"The best way to make your dreams come true is to wake up." – Paul Valery

"Vision is the art of seeing what is invisible to others." – Jonathan Swift

Index

2. On the Lighter Side

One Sunday morning, a Sunday school teacher was teaching on how Lot's wife looked back and suddenly turned into a pillar of salt.

One little boy raised his hand and said, "Yes, my mother looked back once while she was driving ... and she turned into a telephone pole."

Source: Mickey's Funnies. To subscribe go to: http://www.mikeysFunnies.com/sub/

Index

3. I Believe...

I Believe ... that just because two people argue, It doesn't mean they don't love each other. And just because they don't argue, it doesn't mean they do love each other.

I Believe ... that we don't have to change friends if we understand that friends change.

I Believe ... that no matter how good a friend is, they're going to hurt you every once in a while and you need to forgive them for that.

I Believe ... that true friendship continues to grow, even over the longest distance. Same goes for true love.

I Believe ... that you can do something in an instant that will give you heartache for life.

I Believe ... that it's taking me a long time to become the person I want to be.

I Believe ... that you should always leave loved ones with loving words. It may be the last time you see them.

I Believe ... that you can keep going long after you think you can't.

I Believe ... that we are responsible for what we do, no matter how we feel.

I Believe ... that either you control your attitude or it controls you.

I Believe ... that heroes are the people who do what has to be done when it needs to be done, regardless of the consequences.

I Believe ... that my best friend and I can do anything or nothing and have the best time.

I Believe ... that sometimes the people you expect to kick you when you're down will be the ones to help you get back up.

I Believe ... that sometimes when I'm angry I have the right to be angry, but that doesn't give me the right to be cruel.

I Believe ... that no matter how bad your heart is broken, the world doesn't stop for your grief.

I Believe ... that our background and circumstances may have influenced who we are, but, we are responsible for who we become.

I Believe ... two people can look at the exact same thing and see something totally different.

I Believe ... that your life can be changed in a matter of hours by people who don't even know you.

I Believe ... that even when you think you have no more to give, when a friend cries out to you, you will find the strength to help.

I Believe ... that credentials on the wall do not make you a decent human being.

– Author Unknown

Index

4. The Power of One

Have you ever felt helpless in light of the seemingly overwhelming problems we face in today's world—either at home or abroad? The truth of the matter, however, is that one person can make a world of difference to at least one other person and, more often than not, to a host of other persons. For instance:

One song can spark a moment,
One flower can wake the dream.
One tree can start a forest,
One bird can herald spring.
One smile begins a friendship,
One handclasp lifts a soul.
One star can guide a ship at sea,
One word can frame the goal.
One vote can change a nation,
One sunbeam can light a room.
One candle can wipe out darkness,
One laugh will conquer gloom.
One step must start each journey,
One word must start each prayer.
One hope will raise our spirits,
One touch can show you care.
One voice can speak with wisdom,
One heart can know what's true.
One life can make the difference,
You see it's up to YOU!

                               – Author Unknown

As another has said, "All the darkness in the world cannot extinguish the light of one small candle." And as Edward Everett Hale so eloquently said, "I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something; and because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do something that I can do."

Don't ever forget how very important you are in your world and remember too, that "One person is very important to God, too." Most of his work on earth has been started by one person. God is always looking for people who will do his work on earth. Will you be the one he is looking for today?

– Richard Innes

Index

5. The Power of Stickability

According to a television documentary, the cheetah survives by outrunning its prey. It can sprint up to seventy miles per hour, but only in short bursts. While it has a very lithe body that is built for speed, it has a tiny heart which gives it no staying power. Unless it catches its prey in its first burst of energy, it has to give up the chase.

When it comes to serving God and doing his work there are many "cheetahs." They start well with great enthusiasm and great vigor but finish poorly. As soon as the way gets rough and life tough, they tire and abandon the cause and drop out of the race. What is needed is not more speed but more staying power.

We all need bigger hearts for the greater abilities of stick-ability and dependability.

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, please help me not to be a 'cheetah,' but rather to have staying power to be what You want me to be and do what You want me to do. Thank You for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus's name, amen."

Index

6. Why Martin Luther King Is a Hero

      By Michael Josephson of CHARACTER COUNTS (863.2)

The dictionary defines a hero as "a person noted for feats of courage or nobility of purpose, especially one who has risked or sacrificed his or her life." A "personal hero" is someone you or I hold in especially high esteem. For me, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., is both a national and personal hero.

I have no illusions that he was a flawless man. I simply have the conviction that his virtues far outweighed his faults and that this nation is a better place because of him.

When I read his speeches and weigh them in the context of his times, and consider his ability and courage to pursue his aggressive, but nonviolent, humanitarian principles, despite enormous pressures from those who thought he was going too far, as well as those who thought he wasn't going far enough, I conclude that he was an extraordinarily inspirational leader with uncommon vision and strength.

Dr. King didn't simply talk about his dreams; he went to the battle lines time and time again to fight for them. Before he was finally murdered at the age of 39, his home had been bombed and he knew he put his life at risk continuously to advocate social justice, human dignity, and an end to racism and bigotry.

We have not yet fully reached Dr. King's Promised Land, where all people will be judged by the content of their character, but we are certainly closer to it because of him.

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

This is Michael Josephson reminding you that character counts.

© 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. Amazing Opportunity Lost

A sample of Daily Encounter by Dick Innes

"Then [King] Agrippa said to Paul, 'Do you think that in such a short time you can persuade me to be a Christian?' Paul replied, 'Short time or long—I pray God that not only you but all who are listening to me today may become what I am, except for these chains.'"1

Governor Nash stepped out of his office and, for a moment, out of his role as Governor of Ohio. He tucked his large, black Bible under his arm and made his way down the hallway of the State Penitentiary, in Columbus, Ohio. As a Christian, his heart burned with desire to share Christ with a certain young man waiting on "death row." Guilty of first-degree murder of his girlfriend, the condemned one sat in his cell, just hours away from his appointment with the electric chair. Upon seeing the elderly man with a dark suit and Bible under his arm, he thought him to be a minister or the prison chaplain. His anger boiled over and he cursed as he sent the man away. A guard standing nearby could hardly believe his eyes. "You fool," he said,"don't you know who that was?"

"A preacher, I guess," was the reply. "No, that was the Governor, the only one who could set you free, and you sent him away." The young man died a few hours later, guilty not only of murder, but of sending away his only hope for freedom and life.2

You and I may never have committed any major crime, but in God's sight we are all guilty sinners facing God's judgment which is eternal separation from God in the place the Bible calls hell—whatever and wherever that may be. Because Jesus Christ, the Son of God, died on the cross to pay the penalty for all your sins and mine, he is the only one who can give us the hope of a full and free pardon with God's gift of eternal life in heaven forever. If you have never accepted Jesus Christ's pardon, whatever you do don't turn him away today and in so doing fail to accept his offer of a full and free pardon.

In the words of William Shakespeare: "There is a tide in the affairs of men / Which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune / Omitted, all the voyage of their life / Is bound in shallows and in miseries."

NOTE: To accept God's Invitation for a full and free pardon go to: http://tinyurl.com/6k49w or for further help read, "How to Be Sure You're a Real Christian" at: http://tinyurl.com/8glq9

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, how can I ever thank You enough for giving Your Son, Jesus, to die on the cross to pay the just penalty for all my sins. Please help me to be sure that I have accepted Your free pardon and am a true Christian. Thank You for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus' name, amen."

1. Acts 26:28-29 (NIV).
2. Source: Roger A. Parsons, "Light From The Word," Spring 1992. Cited on http://net153.com/illustrations.

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.

Or if you would like to re-commit your life to Jesus Christ, please click on http://www.actsweb.org/decision.php to note this.

For more information on Daily Encounter, Click HERE.

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<:))))><

Index

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Index

9. Receive E-mail Edition of Weekend Encounter ... Without Charge

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Index

10. Know God ... Without having to be religious

Click HERE to Know God and be sure you're a real Christian

 

Index

11. Prayer Partners Needed

One of ACTS greatest needs is Prayer Partners to stand with us as we seek to share the gospel with millions of people around the world through E-mail and the Internet and to win the lost to Jesus. If you would like to be an ACTS Prayer Partner, please subscribe to the Prayer Encounter list. Approximately one prayer report is e-mailed monthly. Thank you.

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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 404,000+ subscribers, and every week Weekend Encounter is going to 6,400+ 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!

If you find value in the Weekend Encounter and/or Daily Encounter, we hope you will be comfortable donating at least $26. That's only 50 cents a week for an entire year (tax-deductible in the U.S.). You can donate in one of the following ways:

Donate Online: You can donate online at ACTS secure web site. Click HERE on ACTS support donations.

Donate Through PayPal:You can donate securely through PAYPAL. Click HERE on PayPal. Where it says Payment For: type in Donation.

Donate by Telephone: ACTS accepts credit card donations by phone by calling 1-949-940-9050.

Donate Through Postal Mail: If you prefer to write a check or money order, please send it and make it payable to:

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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://www.actscom.com/store

Index

14. Services Without Charge

 1. Bible concordance and Bible helps
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 8. To check the weather in your area
 9. Hoax Web Sites
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


Know God

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