Thursday, May 28, 2015

[size=18pt]Six Powerful Words[/size]

"But the tax collector stood at a distance and dared not even lift his eyes to heaven as he prayed. Instead, he beat his chest in sorrow, saying, 'O God, be merciful to me, for I am a sinner.'"1

I have read how a parts manager for a small electronics shop had occasion to order part No. 669 from the factory. But when he received it he noticed that someone had sent part No. 699 instead.

Furious at the factory's incompetence, he promptly sent the part back along with a letter giving them a piece of his mind. Less than a week later, he received the same part back with a letter containing just four words: "TURN THE PART OVER."2

You'd be amazed at how many people get mad at me because they can't receive their Daily Encounter. I need to remind them that our server only has the control of the sending. The receiving is totally out of our control. Others get mad at me because they can't unsubscribe. Very often it is because they are trying to unsubscribe an address they aren't subscribed as. After I have checked everything at our end and explained the above situations, not one subscriber has ever apologized to me for blaming me for their error.

Sadly, too many of us are too quick to blame others for our "mistakes" and too slow to apologize for them.
[size=18pt]
When it comes to relationships, blaming others for our problems can be disastrous. Tell me … I've taught in divorce recovery classes for years and I'd say about 90 percent of the divorcees I've worked with primarily blame their former spouse for the breakup of their marriage—without even considering that every one of us contributes something to a failed relationship.[/size]

True, we all make mistakes, but the one who wins in the long run is not the one who plays the blame-game but the one who can say and genuinely mean the following six words: "I was wrong. Please forgive me."

Furthermore, the only person God can help is the one who can say from the heart, "O God, be merciful to me, for I am a sinner."

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, thank You for Your loving mercy for always forgiving me when I genuinely confess my sins and failures to You—and ask for Your forgiveness. Thank You for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus's name, amen."

Note: For additional help read, "Forgiveness: The Power That Heals," at http:///3bw3q3

1. Luke 18:13 (NLT).
2. Sunday Funnies Humor, http://www.net153.com/best.htm

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

Friday, May 29, 2015

[size=18pt]Strengthen Your Self-Confidence[/size]

God said to Joshua: "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go."1

According to Samuel Johnson, "Self-confidence is the first requisite to great undertakings." This is true for both the non-Christian and the Christian alike but what the Christian needs perhaps even more is God-confidence.

As another has pointed out, "Moses lacked self-confidence when God called him. Had Joshua had lots of self-confidence, why would God have told him to not be afraid? Gideon certainly lacked self-confidence. And until the disciples of Jesus were filled with the Holy Spirit, understandably, they had little self-confidence. When Jesus was taken captive, they fled. Undoubtedly, just as I would have done had I been in their shoes. Had Paul had lots of self-confidence in all situations, why would God have sent an angel to him when he was in prison to tell him to fear not? And over and over God had to tell David not to fear."

Lacking self-confidence is par for the course for most of us because we all struggle with this to some degree. So how do we overcome?

First, we need to build on our successes and not our failures … and on what we can do, not on what we can't do! For instance, I may be a terrible bricklayer but that doesn't make me a terrible or bad person.

Second, more importantly, building up our self-confidence needs to come from within … that is, building up my belief in myself. This comes mostly from being open, honest and transparent with at least one or two trusted friends to whom I reveal my total self—warts and all. As they love and accept me as I am, little by little I learn to love and accept myself as I am. And as we grow in a healthy self-love, it is amazing how our self-confidence increases.

Third, how do I build up my God-confidence? I do this by choosing to trust Him no matter how I feel. When I am lacking in self-confidence, I just keep saying to God, "I'm afraid but I choose to trust You in this situation." Eventually my feelings catch up with my choice to trust God.

We also build up God-confidence through experience … by stepping out and practicing faith in God and doing what we believe he wants us to do. As we see God using us, our God-confidence grows.

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, thank You that you love and accept me as I am … please help me to do the same … and help me to grow to become the person You want me to be so that my God-confidence and self-confidence will increase greatly—all for the glory of Your name and not mine. Thank You for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus's name, amen."

1. Joshua 1:9 (NIV).

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

Monday, June 1, 2015

[size=18pt]A Chance to Change the World[/size]

"And then he [Jesus] told them, 'Go into all the world and preach [communicate] the Good News to everyone, everywhere.'"1

Donald William Dotterer wrote, "Steven Jobs is the man who founded the enormously successful company called Apple Computer. Jobs decided that Mr. John Sculley was the man he needed to help him fulfill his dream of building a completely different kind of computer company, one which [Jobs dreamed] would make computers available to every person in the world. However, Mr. Sculley was comfortably and safely entrenched as president of the Pepsico Corporation, the makers of the soft drink Pepsi.

"In this position, John Sculley had achieved everything that a man could want: power, prestige, public recognition, an enormous salary and a secure future. The thought of a career change requiring a move to the West Coast frightened him. He was concerned about losing pensions and deferred compensation and the adjustment to living in California, in other words, 'the pragmatic stuff that preoccupies the middle-aged.'

"John Sculley knew that he was safe at Pepsico. But he also knew that he had grown to dislike the competitive nature of the business. He also knew how bored he was. Steven Jobs at Apple Computer sensed this. And so he finally confronted his new friend with this pointed question. He said to John, 'Do you want to spend the rest of your life selling sugared water or do you want a chance to change the world?' That question penetrated deep into the heart and mind of John Sculley. It changed the course of his life. He therefore went to Apple Computer and helped it to grow into one of the most successful corporations in the world. Mr. Sculley's life was changed because he took the risk and decided to invest. Was it a risk? Yes. But without it, there would be no reward."2

I'm not suggesting that you should change your job (though some of you may need to), but I am asking, "Do you want to spend the rest of your life doing only what you are doing now, or do you want to help to truly change the world—one person at a time?"

You can. Here are a few of many simple ways you can do this:

First, make yourself available to God every day and ask Him to use you to be as Jesus to every life you touch and that people seeing Jesus in you will want Him for themselves.

Second, become involved in serving others through your local church or a fine voluntary organization and help make a difference in your local community.

Third, you can send copies of suitable Daily Encounters to friends and loved ones and share with them these non-preachy Christian messages that speak directly to their personal needs. Hundreds of people are being reached with the gospel and Christian message in this way and it, too, is helping to change the world—one person at a time.

Fourth, besides financially supporting your local church, help support faith organizations that are making a difference and those that are spreading the gospel. There are many such organizations that are dependent on the support of concerned Christians for their operation. And in your giving, please consider becoming a partner with ACTS International (publisher of Daily and Weekend Encounter) through your prayer and financial support and therein be a part of a work that is sending the gospel around the world via E-mail and the Internet every day of the year.

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, thank You for Jesus, the Savior, the hope of lost mankind, and the only one who has the power to truly change the world. I am available—please guide me in how I can best invest my time, talents, and money in Your work, and use me today and every day to be as Christ to every life I touch, and therein help change the world in which I live—one person at a time. Thank You for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus's name, amen."

1. Mark 16:15 (TLB-NLT).
2. Donald William Dotterer, "Living the Easter Faith," CSS Publishing Company, 1994. Cited on www.eSermons.com, 2002.

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