Editor: Richard (Dick) Innes
Published by: ACTS International
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Vol. 18 – No. 4516 November 05, 2016
Thought for the week: "You are not defeated when you lose. You are defeated when you quit." – Paulo Coelho
"We could never learn to be brave and patient if there were only joy in the world." – Helen Keller
"If you wish to be loved, show more of your faults than your virtues." – Edward Bulwer-Lytton
"Unless commitment is made, there are only promises and hopes ... but no plans." – Peter Drucker
"There's a difference between interest and commitment. When you are interested in doing something, you do it only when it's convenient. When your'e committed to something, you accept no excuses; only results." – Kenneth Blanchard, Ph.D.
"A teacher affects all eternity. You never know where his influence stops." – Henry Adams
"There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work and learning from failure." – Colin Powell
One day a little girl was sitting and watching her mother do the dishes at the kitchen sink. She suddenly noticed that her mother had several strands of white hair sticking out, in contrast on her brunette head.
She looked at her mother and inquisitively asked, "Mommy, why are some of your hairs white?"
Her mother replied, "Well, every time you do something wrong and make me cry or unhappy, one of my hairs turns white."
The little girl was silent for a while, and then said, "Poor Grandma. You must have been very, very hard to raise."
Isn't it disappointing when someone says they will do something: get back to you, call you, etc. and they don't?
When you tell someone you will do something,
then do it! If anything, do it better. Do it sooner than you
promised. Others will trust and have faith in you. Be a person of your
word. If someone is asking something of you that can't be done (or
you don't want to do it) then tell them up front. Be honest about it.
They may not be happy, but you will keep their respect and your own. –
Ray Lammie
Editor's Note: "Keeping one's word is a character issue. Men and women of character always keep their word." – RWI
You really don't know what people are all about until you see them under stressful times. It's when they are facing serious problems, painful situations, challenges, pressure and stress that you get to see what they are made of.
We spend time during this journey of life facing a lot of small problems and challenges along the way. Conquering the little situations helps build character and teaches us how to overcome and move on. Then one day, we go head-to-head with a "mountain" of a challenge. The courage, the planning, attitude of victory, cast iron inner strength, positive belief and the ability to see beyond this monster of a problem, comes from those previous experiences.
Who we are is going to be put to the test. The faith we have built up over the years in our "self" will be there in direct proportion to the faith "deposits" we have made. The power of our positive (or negative) belief will also make a difference.
The things you do today in your battle of the "hills" will one day determine how you will handle the battle of the "mountain".
"This is the true joy in life—being used for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one; being thoroughly worn out before you are thrown on the scrap heap; being a force of nature instead of a feverish selfish little clod of ailments and grievances complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy."
When a pessimist is told there's a light at the end of the tunnel, he's likely to assume it's an onrushing train. According to journalist Sydney Harris, "A cynic is not merely one who reads bitter lessons from the past; he's prematurely disappointed in the future."
Pessimism and cynicism are fashionable these days, but it's the people who see and celebrate the positive aspects of life who live best. According to a well-traveled story, when Tillie died in her 90s, her friends were taken aback when they viewed her body and noticed a fork in her right hand. Tillie knew this would provoke questions, and she had instructed her pastor to give anyone who asked about the fork a copy of a signed note from her that read:
"I'm glad you asked about the fork. I've been to lots of church socials and potluck dinners in my life, and one thing I've noticed is when the dishes and flatware for the main course are being cleared, someone usually says, 'Keep your fork.' I loved that part because I knew dessert, the best part of dinner, was coming. So even as I pass from this life, I wanted a fork in my hand to remind you that the best is yet to come."
British wit Samuel Johnson called hope a species of happiness. To the extent we can discipline ourselves to choose our attitudes, it only makes sense to think positively and be hopeful.
This is Michael Josephson reminding you that character counts.
"As it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment."1
The question has often been asked, "If you knew today was the last day of your life, what would you do?"
Do you have any impaired relationships you would want to resolve before you pass on? Have you left a will so your loved ones will benefit from your life's work? Most important of all, when you come to the end of life's journey and you stand before a holy God at the entrance to Heaven, if God asked you, "Why should I allow you to enter Heaven," what would you say? In other words, if you died today, are you absolutely certain that you would spend eternity in Heaven with God?
If not, I urge you to make that preparation today. Eternity is forever. As I did in younger days, many people think that if they do enough good deeds to outnumber or outweigh the wrongs (sins) they have committed, this will qualify them to enter God's heaven. Wrong.
God's Word makes it very clear that nobody enters heaven because of their good works. It is only by God's grace (unmerited favor) that we are given God's gift of forgiveness and saved for all eternity. His Word says, "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast."2
God's Word also says, "For the wages [consequences] of sin is death [spiritual death which is eternal separation from God], but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."3
Because God is a God of infinite holiness no sinner can ever survive in His presence any more than a moth can survive in a flame. Furthermore, because God is also a God of infinite justice, all sin must be judged according to God's standard of holiness and perfection, and His justice calls for death; that is, spiritual death which is eternal separation from God in the place the Bible calls hell.
Fortunately however, God is also a God of infinite love. This is why He gave His Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cruel Roman cross 2,000 years ago in your place and mine to meet the demands of God's justice so we can be forgiven of all our sins and receive God's gift of eternal life. This is the expression of His perfect love.
All you need to do is believe that Jesus is the Son of God and that He died in your place to pay the penalty for all your sins, and to ask God for His forgiveness and accept His gift of eternal life. The following prayer will help you to do this.
Prayer: "Dear God, I confess that I am a sinner and am sorry for all the wrongs/sins I have committed. I believe that Your Son, Jesus Christ, died on the cross in my place to pay the penalty for all my sins. Please forgive me. I invite You, Jesus, to come into my heart and life to be my Lord and Savior. I commit and trust my life to You. Please give me the desire to be what You want me to be and to do what You want me to do. Thank You for dying for my sins, for Your free pardon, for Your gift of eternal life, and for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus's name. Amen."
NOTE: If you prayed this prayer and truly meant it, please be sure to Click HERE (http://www.actsweb.org/decision.php) to let us know you prayed this prayer, and we will send you the URL (web site address) of the free "Ten Steps to Christian Growth" which will help you to grow in your new spiritual life.
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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Because the world is filled with deceptions and lies,
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Because the world would die without,
go with the love of God."