Daily Encounter with: ACTS International

Today's Daily Encounter

Secret Love  

"Open rebuke is better than secret [hidden] love."1

Kevin Axe in Salt shares how "an episode in the TV
show, 'The Equalizer,' showed the hero talking with his
son. When the boy was eight, the father had gone off
for what seemed like forever to be a super spy. The son
tells his dad he used to go sit on a special rock in
the park and wonder what he had done that was so
terrible to make his own father stop loving him and
leave."

"But I've always loved you," says the Equalizer.

"I realize that now," says the boy, "but I just wish
love had a higher priority."

Don't wait until it's too late. Show your love today to
the ones you love the most. You can express it in
numerous ways. And don't forget to put it into words as
well--every day. As Solomon said, "Open rebuke is
better than secret love." For some who are starving for
some loving attention negative attention can be better
than no attention. Positive, loving attention is so
much healthier--and greatly needed by all of us. So,
don't let your love be secret! Communicate it openly
and often.

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, thank You that you love me
and expressed it in giving Your Son, Jesus, to die on
the cross for my sins. Help me to show my love and
appreciation every day not only to You, but also to the
ones I love the most, and I thank You for every one of
them. Thank You for hearing and answering my prayer.
Gratefully in Jesus’s name, amen."

1. Solomon (Proverbs 27:5).

<)))><    
  
  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, 
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   When copying or forwarding include the following: 
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Today's Daily Encounter

Perseverance Pays  

"Let us not become weary in doing good: for in due
season we will reap, if we don't faint."1 Had Thomas
Edison not been a man of faith, perseverance and
determination, we may still be working by gaslight or,
at least, it may have been many years before the first
electric light was seen.It has been reported that
Edison failed over 6,000 times before perfecting the
first electric light bulb.

On one occasion a young journalist challenged Edison
saying to him, "Mr. Edison, why do you keep trying to
make light by using electricity when you have failed so
many times? Don't you know that gas lights are with us
to stay?"

To this Edison replied, "Young man, don't you realize
that I have not failed but have successfully discovered
six thousand ways that won't work!"

Because Edison believed an electric light was possible,
he refused to give up. He tried countless types of
material in his search for a filament that would work.
He sent men to China, Japan, South America, Asia,
Jamaica, Ceylon and Burma to search for fibers to test
in his laboratory--all to no avail.

On October  21, 1879, after thirteen months of repeated
failures, Edison finally succeeded in finding a
filament that would work. While experimenting, the
thought came to him, "Why not try a carbonized cotton
fiber?" After going through two spools of cotton, he
eventually perfected a strand only to break it while
trying to place it in a glass tube. He still persevered
with this idea for two more days and nights without
sleep. Finally he succeeded in placing a carbonized
thread into a vacuum-sealed bulb! Eureka! It worked.

"Suggested prayer: "Dear God, thank You that You have a
mission in life for me to fulfill. Give me the insight
to know what it is, the faith to believe You will help
me, the courage to attempt to do it, and the
perseverance to hang in there and ‘not faint’ till my
life's work is done. Thank You for hearing and
answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus’s name, amen."

1. St. Paul (Galatians 6:9).

<)))><    
  
  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.
  
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 When copying or forwarding include the following: 
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Today's Daily Encounter

Be Prepared  

“Prepare to meet your God, O Israel."1

Terry George, director of ACTS work in Australia told
how, at a special community fire safety meeting, the
attendees were reminded that they live in one of the
highest fire risk areas in Australia. Because of this,
they needed to be well prepared ahead of time should
their area be consumed by a bush (forest) fire. This
was particularly pertinent at a time when so much of
Australia was experiencing extreme drought conditions.

Terry and Lynne live right on the edge of Adelaide’s
bush land in a delightful natural setting where they
often see koalas, kangaroos, echidna, rosella parrots
and many other birds and small creatures in their back
yard. During a time of severe drought Terry was
actually giving a kangaroo a drink from his garden
hose. All of these things are a thrilling experience
and, as such, it is all too easy to forget the dangers
of their surroundings.

The first question the rural fire officers asked was,
“Do you have an action plan in case of a bush fire?"
Terry realized that he didn’t and was determined to
make sure that he did for the protection of their home
but especially for the safety and survival of himself
and Lynne.

He was also reminded of the vital importance for all of
us to have an action plan in place for when we come to
the end of our life’s journey. God’s reminder to
ancient Israel to prepare to meet God also applies to
each of us. God’s Word also reminds us that “It is
appointed for men to die once, but after this the
judgment."2

"Suggested prayer: "Dear God, thank You that Your Word
not only reminds me that I need to prepare now for when
I meet You face to face, but also that it shows me just
how I can prepare by accepting Jesus as my Lord and
Savior. Help me to make sure that I have done this and
am fully prepared to meet You. Thank You for hearing
and answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus’s name,
amen."

NOTE: For help to make sure you are prepared to meet
God read “How to Be Sure You’re a Real Christian" at:
http://tinyurl.com/8glq9

1. Amos 4:12 (NIV).
2. Hebrews 9:27 (NKJV).

<)))><    
  
  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.
  
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  When copying or forwarding include the following: 
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  ACTS International.

Today's Daily Encounter

The Blame Game  

"How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the
speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a
plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the
plank out of your own eye, and then you will see
clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye."1

I have worked for a number of years in divorce recovery
and relationship workshops. I have repeatedly found
that a big percentage of people who have gone through
divorce or have impaired relationships primarily blame
the other person for the relational breakdown.

Many of us don't like this but the reality is there are
no innocent parties in any divorce or broken
relationship. Both parties are contributing something,
even if it is being too weak, too passive, too
submissive, not having healthy boundaries, being
immature, too overdependent or codependent, etc., etc.

A lady I was dating a number of years ago said to me,
"Dick, are you angry at me because I've been divorced
three times?"

I answered, "Angry? No. Frightened? Yes!"

"They were all jerks," she stated.

"Why did you marry them then?" I asked.

In actuality, we are as sick or as healthy as the
people we are attracted to--especially romantically. We
can tell a lot about ourselves by the people we are
attracted and drawn to. If we want to have healthy
relationships, we need to see what we have contributed
to any relational conflicts in the past and do what we
need to do to become healthy people. Only healthy
people find and have healthy relationships.

Our conflicts can be God's wake-up call to motivate us
to take stock of our life, face our character issues,
take responsibility for overcoming our personal
weaknesses and grow to become healthy persons.

As long as we play the blame game and blame others for
our problems we will B-LAME!

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, help me never to play the
blame game but in every conflict help me to see exactly
what I am contributing to the situation, and lead me to
the help I need to overcome my character weaknesses.
Thank You for hearing and answering my prayer.
Gratefully in Jesus's name, amen."

1. Matthew 7:4-5 (NIV).

<)))><    
  
  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.
  
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 When copying or forwarding include the following: 
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  ACTS International.

Today's Daily Encounter

On Guilt and Conscience  

"If a person sins and does what is forbidden in any of
the LORD's commands, even though he does not know it,
he is guilty and will be held responsible."1

Do you ever feel guilty about things you shouldn't feel
guilty about and not feel guilty about things you
should feel guilty about?

I do? Why is this? A major reason is that we tend to
think in terms of guilt as an emotional response that
comes from our conscience. This, however, can be
misleading.

Keep in mind that guilt in the Bible is a legal
term--not an emotional one. If we do what is wrong in
the eyes of God, we are guilty regardless of how we
feel. That's also true of our legal system. If I break
the law, I am guilty whether I feel guilty or not--or
whether I get caught or not. For some, guilt is more a
fear of getting caught.

On the other hand, conscience, while very important, is
a learned emotional response. The word "conscience"
comes from "con" meaning "with" and "science" meaning
"knowledge." Thus conscience means "with knowledge." We
were born with the ability to learn what was right and
what was wrong but the programming of our conscience
came largely from those who shaped our formative years.
For some, a legalistic parent, church or religion gave
them a very punitive conscience. At the opposite
extreme, a loose-living parent or teacher failed to
give any meaningful programming to a child's
conscience.

As adults, to have a healthy conscience we need to
reprogram or reeducate it to make sure it is in harmony
with the source of all truth and knowledge as to what
is right and what is wrong--that is God's Word, the
Bible.

Based on this knowledge, the important thing is to
always do what is right regardless of how we feel. As
we consistently act in this manner, little by little
(over time) we will reprogram our conscience so it is
in complete harmony with the will and Word of God.

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, thank You for Your Word,
the Bible, that instructs me in how to behave and live.
Please help me to re-educate and reprogram my
conscience so the way I feel will be in direct harmony
with Your Word. And then, help me to live in harmony
with Your will so I will always have a clear
conscience. Thank You for hearing and answering my
prayer. Gratefully in Jesus's name, amen."

1. Leviticus 5:17 (NIV).

<)))><    
  
  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.
  
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  Copyright (c) 2014 by ACTS International. 
  When copying or forwarding include the following: 
  "Daily Encounter by Richard (Dick) Innes (c) 2014
  ACTS International.

Today's Daily Encounter

How to Win in a Lost Argument  

"If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live
at peace with everyone."1

Let's face it, some people can be very difficult to
live with and/or get along with. Some are impossible.
However, following is an interesting tip giving one way
to resolve a quarrel: According to Ludwig Bemelman's in
The Best of Bits & Pieces: "A book issued by the Army
years ago gave all manner of advice to noncommissioned
officers. It even tells how to make men who have
quarreled become friends again. The men are put to
washing the same window, one outside, the other inside.
Looking at each other, they soon have to laugh and all
is forgotten. It works; I have tried it."

So the next time you have a quarrel with your spouse,
try washing the windows! Admittedly, this would be
easier said than done. It is extremely rare for Joy and
me to argue over anything but when we do have a
difference, neither one of us can rest until we get
together, talk it over, apologize where we have been
wrong, and put things right.

In a quarrel always aim for a "win-win" outcome.

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, whenever I am in an
argument please help me to know what to say and what
not to say. When I am in the wrong, help me to be
humble enough to admit it, apologize, and make things
right. And if perchance, I am not in the wrong, help me
to be humble enough not to rub in 'my rightness,' and
gracious enough to forgive the one who has hurt me as
You so freely forgive me whenever I sin and do wrong.
Thank You for hearing and answering my prayer.
Gratefully in Jesus's name, amen."

1. Romans 12:18 (NIV).

<)))><    
  
  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.
  
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  Copyright (c) 2014 by ACTS International. 
  When copying or forwarding include the following: 
  "Daily Encounter by Richard (Dick) Innes (c) 2014
  ACTS International.

Today's Daily Encounter

Lady of the Night, Part III  

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and
will forgive us our sins and purify us from all
unrighteousness."1

The previous two Daily Encounters shared how I had been
approached in a city out East by a lady of the night
and how we got into an interesting conversation. (You
can read the previous two issues at:
http://tinyurl.com/kwhdf29. Click on October 20 and
21).

Now I knew the reason why Toni was a prostitute. She
was craving a father's and mother's love which she had
never received. She was also acting out her inner hurt,
anger, and self-hatred in self-destructive ways. She
was desperately craving for love and
acceptance--obviously in all the wrong ways and places.

Apparently there was another couple involved in this
“business." They could see that things weren't going
too well for them. They were closing in on Toni and
trying to get her away.

I reached around to block them for a moment, put my arm
around Toni's shoulder and said, "Toni, I will probably
never ever see you again, but there is something very
important that I want to tell you. I hope you will
never forget this as long as you live. It is this: no
matter what you have ever done or have failed to
do--and no matter what it is, and no matter how you
ever feel or don't feel, please remember that God loves
you and so do I."

And with that I let go of Toni and she was taken away.

As I sat down again I felt deeply moved in my spirit.
Two people had related--heart-to-heart and not merely
head-to-head as in so many conversations. Then I was
struck with the thought that in God's sight there
wasn't that much difference between Toni and me; the
only difference being that, to overcome the voice of
her inner pain and emptiness, Toni became a sexaholic.
To overcome my inner pain and emptiness I became a
workaholic--"for God," no less! But with God, who looks
on the heart and not merely on the outward appearance,
there wasn't any difference--Toni and I had both sinned
and come short of the perfection (wholeness) that God
had envisioned for us both.2

In God's sight we were both equally sinners. And then
as I sat there in deep contemplation, waiting for my
friend to get off work, another truth hit me. It was
this: It was a lack of love that drove Toni into acts
of sin. Only love will ever take her out again!

Love, understanding, acceptance and forgiveness. That's
the message of Christ and true Christianity. It's the
message that we all need to hear--and experience. And
it's the message that Christ has for you and me today
(and the message He wants you and me to give to
everyone else in need). As another has said,
“Christianity is experiencing divine love, divine
acceptance and divine forgiveness and communicating
this to every life we touch."

So, dear reader, God wants you to know, too, that no
matter what you have ever done or have failed to do, He
loves you and has the gift of acceptance and
forgiveness for you. It's yours for the taking. Why not
respond to God's love today by confessing your need and
asking for His forgiveness and healing?

For help be sure to read the article, “How to Be Sure
You’re a Real Christian--without having to be religious
at: http://tinyurl.com/8glq9

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, please help me always to
be accepting and non-judgmental of fellow sinners and
be one to whom they feel safe to confess their
sins--and help them to turn to You for Your
forgiveness. Thank You for hearing and answering my
prayer. Gratefully in Jesus’s name, amen."

1. John 1:9 (NIV).
2. Romans 3:23.

<)))><    
  
  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.
  
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  Copyright (c) 2014 by ACTS International. 
  When copying or forwarding include the following: 
  "Daily Encounter by Richard (Dick) Innes (c) 2014
  ACTS International.

Today's Daily Encounter

What We Project  

"Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps
what he sows."1

Jim DeLoach tells the following story: "A little boy in
a fit of anger shouted at his mother that he hated her.
Then, perhaps fearing punishment, he ran to a steep
cliff near their house and shouted into the valley, 'I
hate you, I hate you!' Back from the valley came an
echo, 'I hate you, I hate you!' Startled at this, the
boy ran into the house and told his mother that there
was a mean little boy who lived in the valley who
shouted at him, 'I hate you, I hate you!'

"His mother took him back to the hillside and told him
to shout, 'I love you, I love you!'

"When he did, back came the reply, 'I love you, I love
you!'"

What we project is what we get back. If we project
hatred, hatred is what we will receive in return. If we
project love, love is what we will receive in return.
We do reap what we sow--even if it is eventually.

"Suggested prayer: "Dear God, when I am angry, hurt or
afraid, help me to realize that these are my issues,
and help me to deal with these creatively so I will
always project love wherever I go. Thank You for
hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus's
name. Amen."

1. Galatians 6:7 (NIV).

<)))><    
  
  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.
  
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  Copyright (c) 2014 by ACTS International. 
  When copying or forwarding include the following: 
  "Daily Encounter by Richard (Dick) Innes (c) 2014
  ACTS International.

Today's Daily Encounter

Lady of the Night, Part II  

“They kept demanding an answer, so he [Jesus] stood up
again and said, 'All right, but let the one who has
never sinned throw the first stone!'"1

Continuing our series on “Lady of the Night" … I was
saying how, when traveling out East, I was approached
by a young lady in the lobby of a large hotel whose
name was Toni (not her real name).

After asking her various questions about her
background, Toni seemed to get suspicious and blurted
out, "Hey, Dick, wait a minute. Nobody in my whole life
has ever talked to me like this before. By the way, who
are you? What do you do?"

Oh, no, I thought to myself, if I tell her who I am and
what I do, she'll really clam up and that'll be the end
of our conversation.

I didn't want to answer Toni’s question so I stood
there and grinned rather foolishly. I probably learned
that technique early in life in order to disarm my
mother when she was mad at me. It used to work then. It
didn’t now. I decided to tell Toni the truth.

"You'll never believe me," I finally replied, "but I'm
a minister of religion," to which I fully expected her
to give some lame excuse and leave.

But Toni never batted an eyelid. As quick as a flash
she responded, "You mean you believe in the Lord?"

"Yes," I said, relieved that my reply didn’t make her
turn and run.

"So do I," she said positively, and continued, "I often
pray in the shower and ask God to forgive my sins."

Interesting, I thought to myself. That's pretty common.
Like Pilate of old who washed his hands after he had
Jesus condemned to be crucified, people still try to
wash away their guilt--which neither water nor the
symbolic act of washing can do. Only God can take and
wash our guilt away.

But Toni didn't give me a chance to reply again. She
just opened up to me. She told me all about her family
and her work, how much she despised what she was doing,
how unhappy she had always been, how she felt that her
father had rejected and deserted her and moved a
thousand miles away. She hadn't seen him since she was
a little girl. She had been deeply hurt by him. She
also told me in no uncertain terms how much she hated
her mother.

And then came the "crunch" line. I knew there would be
one, but wasn't sure what it would be. "Dick," she said
with tears brimming in her eyes, "in my whole life I
have never ever felt that anyone ever loved me. I am
terribly lonely all of the time."

I got a little watery-eyed myself. "I can understand
how you feel," I genuinely said. "I came from a broken
home too. My parents were divorced. And I hated my
father because I felt that he rejected me. I know what
it's like to feel lonely--like you're all alone in the
world and nobody loves you or even cares that you
exist. I know exactly what that feels like--only too
well."

To be concluded…

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, please deliver me from
‘casting stones’ at those whom I feel aren’t living up
to ‘my’ standards. Thank You for hearing and answering
my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus’s name, amen."

1. John 8:7 (NLT).

<)))><    
  
  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.
  
  * * * * *
  
  Copyright (c) 2014 by ACTS International. 
   When copying or forwarding include the following: 
  "Daily Encounter by Richard (Dick) Innes (c) 2014
  ACTS International.

Today's Daily Encounter

Lady of the Night, Part I  

“Let your conversation be always full of grace,
seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer
everyone."1

"Excuse me, Sir," I heard somebody say. I turned to see
who was speaking. I was taken by surprise. A young,
reasonably attractive woman was standing behind me.

She paused a moment, just long enough to get my
attention, and continued, "Would you like some female
company?"

I'd flown into town and had been waiting for a couple
of hours in the lobby of a large Eastern hotel to meet
an old friend from college days. Suddenly I was
awakened out of my day-dreaming. Would I like some
female company? An interesting question, to say the
least, I mused to myself and then repeated the question
out loud to the young woman looking at me.

I was somewhat taken aback by this rather unusual
confrontation. However, it didn't take too much insight
to realize that this lady of the day happened to be a
"lady of the night."

But somehow I sensed as I looked into her eyes a
feeling of sadness … in spite of the brave front. So I
introduced myself and asked her for her name. I’ll call
her Toni. I knew that here was a young lady who was
undoubtedly hurting in one way or another. So I began
to ask Toni questions. "Why are you in this business?"
I queried.

"Because I need the money," she replied.

Undoubtedly her reply was a poor attempt to rationalize
what she was doing. I didn't disagree outwardly.

"Well, tell me about yourself," I continued. "Do you
have brothers and sisters? What do they do? Do you
still live at home? What does your father do? And what
about your mother?"

Toni began to open up and we were having an interesting
conversation when suddenly she stopped, as if suspicion
had caused an instant freeze on her flow of words. She
blurted out, "Hey, Dick, wait a minute. Nobody in my
whole life has ever talked to me like this before. By
the way, who are you? What do you do?"

To be continued… 

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, please give me an
understanding heart and be willing to listen to a
person--and not judge or reject them because of their
particular lifestyle and behavior. Thank You for
hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus’s
name, amen."

1. Colossians 4:6 (NIV).

<)))><    
  
  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.
  
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  Copyright (c) 2014 by ACTS International. 
  When copying or forwarding include the following: 
  "Daily Encounter by Richard (Dick) Innes (c) 2014
  ACTS International.

Today's Daily Encounter

The Ant and the Feather  

"Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be
wise!"1

"One morning," writes Ron Clarke, "I wasted nearly an
hour watching a tiny ant carry a huge feather across my
back terrace. Several times it was confronted by
obstacles in its path and after a momentary pause it
would make the necessary detour.

"At one point the ant had to negotiate a crack in the
concrete about 10mm wide. After brief contemplation the
ant laid the feather over the crack, walked across it
and picked up the feather on the other side then
continued on its way.

"I was fascinated by the ingenuity of this ant--one of
God's smallest creatures. Here was a minute insect,
lacking in size yet equipped with a brain to reason,
explore, discover and overcome."

Can you imagine God telling us to learn from an ant? So
what can we learn? Ants are determined, they are not
afraid to work to achieve their goals, they work as a
team, they think through and work to overcome the
challenges thrown in their pathway, and they never give
up. But most of all they teach us about the marvels of
God's creation.

"Suggested prayer: "Dear God, thank You for the
miracles of Your creation. Help me to learn the lessons
I need to learn from the ants. Thank You for hearing
and answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus's name,
amen."

1. Proverbs 6:6 (NIV).

<)))><    
  
  NOTE: If you would like to accept God's forgiveness
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Today's Daily Encounter

Religion versus Relationships  

"Instead, we will lovingly follow the truth at all
times--speaking truly, dealing truly, living truly--and
so become more and more in every way like Christ who is
the Head of his body, the Church."1

God isn't into religion. He's into relationships. That
is, he not only wants us to have a close, loving, warm
and intimate relationship with himself but also with
each other.

Intimacy, however, can be scary. It means being open,
honest and vulnerable--not just with our thoughts and
ideas, but much more so with our feelings, failures,
and fears--not only with God but with at least one or a
few other trusted friends.

What's scary is that if you see me and know me as I
really am on the inside, you may not like me. Worse
still, if I know me as I really am on the inside, I may
not like me either!

However, only to the degree that I am open and honest
can I ever be known for who I truly am. Furthermore,
only to the degree that I am known, can I ever feel
loved. If I wear a mask, you may like my mask, but I
will never feel loved because my mask is not me. Only
real people can experience real love. And we're not
talking about the body-building TV ads that promise
real results for real people. These ads are about as
phony as they can get. Being real has to do with the
inner self and nothing whatsoever to do with the
external self.

May God help each of us to be real and become the
loving persons he planned for us to be.

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, thank You that You are not
into rigid religion but into loving relationships and
that You want a loving, intimate relationship with me.
Please help me to be honest with myself, with a few
others and most of all with You. Help me to stop
pretending and be real and in so doing become more and
more like Jesus in every way. Thank You for hearing and
answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus's name, amen."

1. Ephesians 4:15-16 (TLB).

<)))><    
  
  NOTE: If you would like to accept God's forgiveness
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  Click on: http://www.actsweb.org/invitation.php. Or
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  please click on http://www.actsweb.org/decision.php to note this.
  
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  When copying or forwarding include the following: 
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Today's Daily Encounter

Pressing Toward the Goal  

The Apostle Paul wrote, "One thing I do: Forgetting
what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I
press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God
has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. All of us who
are mature should take such a view of things."1

According to Peter Wagner, "Goal setting is a risk. One
of the most comfortable things in the world is to have
no goals, because then there can be no failure. It is
equally comfortable to define your goals in terms of
what you happen to be doing at any given time. If you
shoot first, then draw the target around the bullet
hole, you'll never miss the bull's eye. If someone
looks later, he might even call you a good marksman."
Some people have developed this technique very well.
Their goals are set more by their own inclinations than
by carefully formulated biblical priorities.

Having a clearly defined goal is the first step towards
the success of anything. However, according to
motivational specialists only three percent of people
have a major goal for their life. Without this we are
like a rudderless ship. Instead of our setting the
direction of our life, we let the winds and tides of
the times take us where they will. As someone has said
facetiously, "Blessed be he who aims at nothing for he
shall surely hit it!"

As with the Apostle Paul, God has a specific goal for
each one of us. It is our responsibility to discover
what that goal is and work towards achieving it. And as
Paul said, "All of us who are mature should take such a
view of things."

"Suggested prayer: "Dear God, thank You that You have a
specific purpose and goal for my life. Please help me
to discover what that is and give me the desire,
courage, and direction to help me work towards
fulfilling that goal. Thank You for hearing and
answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus's name, amen."

1. Philippians 3:13-15 (NIV).

<)))><    
  
  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.
  
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  Daily Encounter is published at no charge by 
  ACTS International, a non-profit organization, 
  and made possible through the donations of 
  interested friends. Donations can be sent at: 
  http://www.actscom.com
 
  Copyright (c) 2014 by ACTS International. 
  When copying or forwarding include the following: 
  "Daily Encounter by Richard (Dick) Innes (c) 2014
  ACTS International.

Today's Daily Encounter

Achieving Good Success  

"Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all
the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it
to the right or to the left, that you may be successful
wherever you go."1

When Moses died, God appointed Joshua to be the new
leader of Israel. One of the very first things God did
was to give Joshua a goal--a goal to claim and conquer
the Promised Land. God spelled out the northern,
southern, eastern and western borders so the goal was
very specific. Joshua knew exactly what he needed to
do.

God also told Joshua that he had given him, and the
ancient Israelites this land--but they still had to go
and conquer it. It wasn't handed to them on a silver
platter. They had to battle every inch of the way to
conquer it. However, had God not given the land to
them, they wouldn't have been able to conquer it.

Furthermore, God promised Joshua good success providing
he and the people fully obeyed all the directions and
laws God had given to them through Moses.

It has been noted that "success is the ability to
embrace a worthwhile goal and then employ all of your
powers for the achievement of that goal." I'm sure
Joshua would have agreed with this definition of
success.

As we shared yesterday, God has a specific plan and
goal for you and me too. It's up to us to seek God to
discover what that plan and goal is. And then it's up
to us, with God's help, to "take action and go get it!"

Any worthwhile goal will also be a challenge for us to
fulfill. God isn't going to hand it to us on a silver
platter. However, as God promised to be with Joshua and
help him, he will also be with us and help us; that is,
providing we "employ all of our powers to achieve that
goal" and live and work in harmony with God's will and
obey his Word, the Bible. Only then will we, too, have
good success. Of that we can be confident.

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, thank You that as You
promised to be with Joshua You will also be with me as
long as I live in harmony with Your Word and Your will.
Show me specifically what You want me to be and do, and
give me the wisdom, faith, courage, and determination
to work to fulfill that goal, so that I, too, will
experience Your blessing and good success. Thank You
for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully in
Jesus's name, amen."

1. Joshua 1:7 (NIV).

<)))><    
  
  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.
  
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  Daily Encounter is published at no charge by 
  ACTS International, a non-profit organization, 
  and made possible through the donations of 
  interested friends. Donations can be sent at: 
  http://www.actscom.com
  
  
  Copyright (c) 2014 by ACTS International. 
  When copying or forwarding include the following: 
  "Daily Encounter by Richard (Dick) Innes (c) 2014
  ACTS International.

How to Get God's Leading  

"I being in the way, the LORD led me."1

I have read that on one occasion talk show host, Larry
King, asked Bill Gates of Microsoft fame what his
secret of success was. Gates answered, "I was in the
right place at the right time. I caught the vision of
where the computer industry was going. And I took
action."

This was also true of Abraham's servant when Abraham
sent him on a mission to find a wife for his
(Abraham's) son, Isaac. The servant committed his task
to the Lord, sought His guidance, took action and "got
going." As he did his part, God did His and led him to
the perfect bride. As the servant put it, "I being in
the way, the Lord led me."

Somebody with tongue-in-cheek said, "There are two ways
to get to the top of an oak tree. You can sit on an
acorn and wait or you can climb to the top of the
tree."

God has a plan and purpose for the life of every one of
us. It's our responsibility to seek God and discover
what that plan is. And then, we can sit on "the acorn"
and wait for that purpose to be fulfilled or we can
take action and get going. True, there are times when
we need to wait on the Lord to discover His purpose,
but once we know what it is, it's up to us to take
action. As we are in the way, God will lead us
too--just as He led Abraham's servant so long ago.

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, thank You for having a
plan and purpose for my life. Help me to discover what
it is, and take action. May I also be able to say, 'I
being in the way, the LORD led me!' Thank You for
hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus'
name, amen."

1. Abraham's servant (Genesis 24:27).

<)))><    
  
  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.
  
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  Copyright (c) 2014 by ACTS International. 
  When copying or forwarding include the following: 
  "Daily Encounter by Richard (Dick) Innes (c) 2014
  ACTS International.

Today's Daily Encounter

Marvels of Creation  

"When I consider your heavens, the work of your
fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in
place, what is man that you are mindful of him, the son
of man that you care for him? You made him a little
lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with
glory and honor. You made him ruler over the works of
your hands; you put everything under his feet: all
flocks and herds, and the beasts of the field, the
birds of the air, and the fish of the sea, all that
swim the paths of the seas. O LORD, our Lord, how
majestic is your name in all the earth!"1

Pastor Ron Clarke from Tasmania, Australia, wrote: "One
evening at dusk I was looking out of my window towards
the sea when a huge flock of birds appeared, almost
like a black cloud--there must have been thousands.
They were traveling from west to east parallel with the
coast. Then suddenly it happened. Not a few of them,
not some of them, but every single one of them
instantly changed direction and flew on a different
course.

"We human beings think we have perfected communication.
But those birds didn't have two-way radio yet they knew
precisely at what split second in time to change course
and in what direction to fly.

"These birds, Shearwaters or Mutton Birds, live on the
islands in Bass Strait off the north coast of Tasmania.
Every year these birds migrate to the North Pacific and
spend summer around the Aleutians. As the northern
winter approaches, the Shearwaters fly back to their
annual breeding ground on the Tasmanian islands and
will go to the same nest and, give or take a day or two
for adverse weather conditions en route, will arrive on
that same nest on a given day."

Think, too, of a million billion other marvels that
surround us every day on the earth below and in the
heavens above.

Did these all happen by chance? Or is there a Master
Designer of the entire universe and all that is
therein? For me it would take a whole lot more faith
(or presumption) to believe that everything in the
universe happened by chance.

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, thank You for the marvels
of your creation. I choose to believe that You are the
Great Creator who created all things great and
small--including all mankind--and I thank You that You
love us devotedly one and all. Thank You for hearing
and answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus's name,
amen."

Note: See "Marvels of Creation" at:
www.actsweb.org/marvels_creation.php

1. Psalm 8:3-9 (NIV).

<)))><    
  
  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.
  
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  When copying or forwarding include the following: 
  "Daily Encounter by Richard (Dick) Innes (c) 2014
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Today's Daily Encounter

Trapped Behind an Open Door  

"How shall we escape if we ignore such a great
salvation? This salvation, which was first announced by
the Lord [Jesus], was confirmed to us by those who
heard him."1

One Sunday I was having lunch in a restaurant where a
humming bird had flown in through an open door and
couldn't find its way out. It flew to the highest
window and was frantically trying to escape through the
glass. The more it tried--and failed--the harder it
worked at doing the same thing.

Little did it realize that a very simple way of escape
lay one yard/meter below it--through a wide-open door.

It could see quite well but was trapped by its own
blindness to the way of escape.

Fortunately one of the staff was able to climb on a
ladder, caught the bird in a box and set it free. We
all felt so good about its rescue that we applauded.

But how many people in today's world are struggling in
a vain attempt to save themselves--spiritually--but are
also trapped by their own blindness to the way of
escape God has provided for their total and free
salvation?

Would that we Christians would care about these lost
souls all around us as much as the patrons cared about
a "trapped" bird in a restaurant.

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, thank You for providing a
way of escape from the penalty and judgment of my sin
through the giving of Your Son, Jesus, by sending Him
to die in my place on the cross so You could freely
forgive me and give me the gift of eternal life in
Heaven forever with You. Thank You for hearing and
answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus's name, amen."

For help: Click on #2 below for the article: "How to Be
Sure You're a Real Christian--without having to be
religious" or on http://tinyurl.com/8glq9

1. Hebrews 2:3 (NIV).

<)))><    
  
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  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, 
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  When copying or forwarding include the following: 
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Today's Daily Encounter

Discovering Your Life-Purpose  

"I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you
should go. I will counsel you with my eye upon you."1

In seminars I have asked hundreds of attendees how many
believe that God has a purpose for their life. Almost
every hand is raised. But then, when I ask how many
know what their God-given life purpose is, only a scant
few hands are raised. How sad that so few make the
commitment to discover their life purpose. How sadder
to think that we have lived without ever having
discovered--let alone fulfilled--our God-given life
purpose.

vWe serve God by serving people--and we serve people by
developing and using our God-given natural and
spiritual gifts. Wrapped up in these two principles one
discovers his or her God-given life purpose.

As Theodore Roosevelt said, "Far better to dare mighty
things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered
by failure, than to take rank with those poor spirits
who neither enjoy much nor suffer much, because they
live in the gray twilight that knows not victory, nor
defeat."

No matter what your life purpose is, if it is God's
will, there will always be a way to fulfill it no
matter how great the challenge. Think of what Wilma
Rudolph, Olympic Gold Medalist said, "My mother taught
me very early to believe I could achieve any
accomplishment I wanted to. The first was to walk
without braces."

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, please help me to discover
my God-given life purpose, get well-trained for it, and
with your help dedicate my life to fulfilling it. Thank
You for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in
Jesus's name, amen."

1. Psalm 32:8 (NSB).

<)))><    
  
  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.
  
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  Copyright (c) 2014 by ACTS International. 
   When copying or forwarding include the following: 
  "Daily Encounter by Richard (Dick) Innes (c) 2014
  ACTS International.
  
Today's Daily Encounter

Political Correctness Oxymoron  

"In the temple courts he [Jesus] found men selling
cattle, sheep and doves, and others sitting at tables
exchanging money. So he made a whip out of cords, and
drove all from the temple area, both sheep and cattle;
he scattered the coins of the money changers and
overturned their tables. To those who sold doves he
said, 'Get these out of here! How dare you turn my
Father's house into a market!'"1

One thing is for sure: Jesus was never politically
correct. He always stood for what was right and for
truth--never for that which was expedient, popular or
expected. As Mark Batterson said, "He wasn't afraid of
offending Pharisees; touching lepers; washing feet;
defending prostitutes; or befriending tax collectors."

In many ways, political correctness is destroying us!
It allows a secular and often godless society to
squeeze us into its mold. Besides "political
correctness" is an oxymoron if ever there was one.
There's nothing correct about it. It's really political
expediency in order to get one's own way, to get votes,
to be a crowd pleaser, to avoid criticism, or for
whatever other manipulative false motive. 

Furthermore, if we in the West don't wake up and smell
the "gunpowder" of radical Islam which is out to
destroy us, our insane political correctness WILL
destroy us. Had Jesus been politically correct, we
would still be lost in our sins without hope and
without eternal life.

You may recall how William Wilberforce fought the
battle for twenty years to end the slave trade in Great
Britain. He was hated. He was threatened. He was
despised. He was ridiculed, but he knew what was right
and he fought for this and for the truth until he won
and saw the wretched slave trade in England stopped.
Wilberforce was not politically correct either. As a
result he helped change his world.

We who claim to be believers in God and followers of
Jesus Christ also need to abandon this political
correct nonsense that is an integral part of today's
postmodern society for whom "tolerance, not truth, is
absolute."

Only truth is eternal. In the long run it will win.
Always.

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, please deliver me from the
sin of being politically correct for all the wrong
motives. Give me the courage, and help me always in all
ways to stand for and battle for truth and that which
is right in Your eyes. Thank You for hearing and
answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus's name, amen."

1. John 2:14-16 (NIV).

<)))><    
  
  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.
  
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  Daily Encounter is published at no charge by 
  ACTS International, a non-profit organization, 
  and made possible through the donations of 
  interested friends. Donations can be sent at: 
  http://www.actscom.com
  
  ACTS International
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  Copyright (c) 2014 by ACTS International.  
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Today's Daily Encounter

What Can I Even Begin to Do?

"So the Lord said to him [Moses], 'What is that in your
hand?'"1

In response to a Daily Encounter on the subject of
discovering one’s God-given life purpose, a subscriber
whom I shall name "Janet" (not her real name) e-mailed
me, saying, “I am disabled. I can't drive and am
homebound. I can barely take care of myself; so what
can my purpose be? I have multiple fractures of my
spine and could go on with all my surgeries. What can I
even begin to do?" Following is my reply:

“Dear Janet, I am very saddened to hear of your
condition. This has to be a terrible challenge.
However, here is a possible suggestion. Because you
have an e-mail address and can at least send e-mail
messages, tell God that you are available for Him to
use and ask Him to use you to be an encourager of
others via sending positive e-mail messages, or to give
you a ministry using your computer and e-mail. Also,
you could have a wonderful prayer ministry and be
greatly used by God in this area.

"For simple and practical ideas that you could use in a
personal ministry, please check out this website at:
http://www.actsweb.org/people_power_invite.php. God
could certainly use you in this ministry as a People
Power for Jesus Partner to reach others with the saving
gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.

"Here is a suggested prayer that you could pray at the
beginning of every day: "Dear God, today I commit and
trust my life and way to you. Oh that you would bless
me wonderfully. Please be with me in everything I do.
Greatly expand my Christian borders, and keep me from
all evil, harm and disaster. Also, I am available again
today. Please make me usable and use me to be an
effective witness for Jesus and to be 'as Jesus' in
some way to every life I have contact with, whether it
be in person, through an email, a letter, or via the
telephone. Thank you for hearing and answering my
prayer. Gratefully in Jesus's name. Amen."

I have been praying this prayer every morning since my
youth, and plan on praying it every morning for the
rest of my life. Nobody is more amazed than I am in how
God has faithfully answered this prayer over so many
years. If you will make yourself available to God for
Him to use and genuinely want Him so to do, I can
guarantee that God will use you to be a wonderful
blessing to the lives you touch.

When God called Moses to lead the Children of Israel
out of slavery in Egypt, Moses didn’t know how he was
going to do the job; so God simply told him to use what
he had in his hand. That’s how God uses each one of us
… He calls us to use what He has already given to us
and what we already have.

My suggested prayer for today, for every Daily
Encounter subscriber, is the prayer that I suggested
for Janet to pray.

1. Exodus 4:2 (NKJV).

<)))><

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.

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Copyright (c) 2014 by ACTS International.
When copying or forwarding include the following:
"Daily Encounter by Richard (Dick) Innes (c) 2014
ACTS International.

Today's Daily Encounter

The Choices We Make Make Us  

"But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then
choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve,
whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the
River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you
are living. But as for me and my household, we will
serve the LORD."1

Several years ago a close family friend whom I shall
name "Cynthia" (not her real name), experienced a very
painful divorce. However, instead of getting into a
recovery program or group to deal with her grief,
Cynthia got involved with a single man who she
envisioned would take care of her for the rest of her
life. He was a very capable man, was very successful in
terms of what many consider in today’s world to be
successful, and extremely wealthy--but he was an angry
man and very mean to Cynthia, and even after several
years of “using" Cynthia, refused to marry her.
Tragically, she refused to accept any friendly advice
and instead chose to stay involved with this man.

Several years ago now, Cynthia’s friend had an accident
that left him paralyzed from the neck down. He has been
in assisted living ever since. His family, fearing our
friend might inherit some of his money, had her cut out
of his will, and refused to allow Cynthia to even visit
him where he now lived. 

So what did Cynthia do to avoid facing and resolving
her pain? Tragically, she turned to alcohol to deaden
her pain. Today she is a hopeless alcoholic and has had
to be hospitalized. Furthermore, she is in denial and,
like any alcoholic, unless she is willing to admit that
she is an alcoholic and is willing to seek help, her
situation is hopeless. 

Cynthia’s problem started long before she even took her
first drink. It started when she became involved with a
fellow who only wanted and used her for her body, was
mean to her, and she made the choice to stick with him
no matter what--all because of money--the money she
never received, or will ever receive! 

Cynthia’s choices not only made her; they destroyed
her. Always remember, too, that the choices you and I
make will make us. 

We are also reminded of God’s Word that says, “Do not
be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he
sows."2  

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, please forgive me for all
the bad choices I have made in the past and help me to
make wise and careful choices today and in the future,
remembering that the choices I make, will make me.
Thank You for hearing and answering my prayer.
Gratefully, in Jesus's name, amen."

Note: If you have never made the choice to accept Jesus
Christ as your Savior, and thereby receive God's
forgiveness for all your sins, for help read, "How to
Be Sure You're a Real Christian" at:
http://tinyurl.com/real-christian. 

1. Joshua 24:15 (NIV).
2. Galatians 6:7 (NIV).<)))><

     
  
  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.
  
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  When copying or forwarding include the following: 
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Today's Daily Encounter
Will I Make a Difference?  

"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the
race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up
for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the
righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not
to me only but also to all who have loved His
appearing."1

On a recent Saturday night Joy and I were enjoying
listening to gospel music and heard the Oakridge Boys
singing; "Did I Make a Difference?" The lyrics were
tremendously challenging. Following are some of these:

"I'm caught up in the push and shove / The daily grind,
burning time, spinning wheels / I wonder what I'm doing
here / Day to day, year to year, standing still ...I
can't help but ask myself when I lay down at night:

"Did I make a difference in somebody's life? / What
hurts did I heal? What wrongs did I right? / Did I
raise my voice in defense of the truth? / Did I lend my
hand to the destitute? / When my race is run, when my
song is sung / Will I have to wonder, did I make a
difference? / Did I make a difference?"

The good news is that you and I, especially working
together, can make a tremendous difference. Every
weekday of the year, via Daily Encounter, ACTS is
communicating a message from God’s Word, including the
gospel, to well over a third-of-a-million worldwide
subscribers. Thousands more are being reached via ACTS
web pages and Weekend Encounter. As the stats show, on
average, people from 194 countries and territories
visit ACTS web pages every month! Best of all, since
going online in 1998, ACTS has received 41,000+
salvation and re-commitment to Jesus Christ decision
responses from 168 countries that we know about. 

You, too, can have a vital part in this ministry and
help make a difference in countless lives for all
eternity. You can do this by (1) joining with us as an
ACTS Prayer Partner, (2) as a People Power for Jesus
Partner, or (3) as an ACTS financial supporter. 

First, If you would like to be an ACTS Prayer Partner
committing to pray regularly for ACTS Daily Encounter
and ACTS daily gospel outreach ministry, please sign up
at: http://www.actsweb.org/subscribe.php, or email me
and tell me you would like to be an ACTS Prayer
Partner.

Second, if you have an email address, you can become a
missionary right from your own home by becoming a
People Power for Jesus Partner. It is very simple,
doesn’t cost a single cent or penny, and can help reach
any friend, family member, or contact for Christ via
the email and Internet. For more information go to:
http://www.actsweb.org/people_power_invite.php. 

Third, another vital way you can help make a major
difference in hundreds of lives is by becoming a
monthly Financial Supporter of ACTS gospel ministries.
In the past year we lost 50% of our monthly supporters.
These supporters badly need to be replaced because it
is the ACTS financial supporters who make all of ACTS
gospel outreach ministries possible. You can sign up to
be a monthly supporter, or send a one-time donation on
ACTS secure donor site at:
https://actscom.com/donate.php.

Will YOU make a difference with your life? With God’s
help you can! 

When you and I stand before Jesus to give an account of
our life, may we both hear His welcoming words: “Well
done, good and faithful servant. Enter into the joy of
your Lord."

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, I dedicate my life afresh
to You today as I want my life to make a difference.
Please use me in whatever way You choose to be a part
of what You are doing in the world today to help win
lost souls to Jesus. Please lead me in the way I should
go and show me exactly what I can and should do. Thank
You for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully in
Jesus's name, amen." 

1. 2 Timothy 4:7-8 (NKJV). 

<)))><    
  
  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.
  
  * * * * *
  Copyright (c) 2014 by ACTS International. 
  When copying or forwarding include the following: 
  "Daily Encounter by Richard (Dick) Innes (c) 2014
  ACTS International.

Today's Daily Encounter

When You Don’t Feel Like Being Loving  

“Instead, we will lovingly follow the truth at all
times--speaking truly, dealing truly, living truly--and
so become more and more in every way like Christ…."1

Do you ever get your feelings hurt? If so, when this
happens, how do you usually react? Do you want to
withdraw from that person or get angry? Or if it it is
a friend whom you feel hurt you, do you feel like
ending the friendship? 

When I feel hurt, my tendency is to want to withdraw,
but what I try to remember to do is to pray and admit
to God just how I feel and then ask Him to help me to
be “as Jesus" to this person no matter how I feel, and
then choose to do the loving thing towards this person,
whether I feel like it or not. 

Wherever possible, I also choose to share my hurt
feelings with the person involved with the goal to
“speak the truth in love." To do this it is important
to use “I" messages, not “you" messages. That is, to
say, “I really feel hurt and need to talk to you about
such and such…." Don’t say, “You really hurt my feeling
when you did or said such and such." We need to
remember that what the other person says or does is
their issue. The manner in which we respond and how we
feel is always our issue and our responsibility.

I am not in any way seeking to justify what the other
person does; rather, I am taking full responsibility
for what I do and the manner in which I react. If I
over-react to what is said or done, that is triggering
some unfinished business in me. Furthermore, to the
degree that I overreact, that is entirely my problem
and my responsibility. 

Admittedly, speaking the truth in love when we are
feeling hurt and/or angry is much easier said than
done, but it is something we need to learn how to do to
maintain loving relationships.

At the same time, if the person who we feel has hurt us
has a habit of lashing out when things don’t go their
way, then we need to be firm with tough love, letting
him or her know that if he/she continues to treat us in
a hurtful manner, we will need to distance our-self
from them, until they resolve their issue. 

In all conflict situations, with God’s help, as a
Christian, our goal is always to speak the truth in
love.

Suggested prayer, “Dear God, when my feelings are hurt,
please help me to evaluate my feelings to see if they
are justified, or if I am over-reacting. If the latter,
please help me to resolve the cause of my reaction and
never blame anyone else for my issue. And even if my
hurt feelings are justified, always help me to be ‘as
Jesus’ to the person in question and always speak the
truth in love. Thank You for hearing and answering my
prayer. Gratefully in Jesus’s name, amen."

1. Ephesians 4:15 (TLB).

<)))><

Note: For additional help in this area, see the
article, “Resolving Conflict Creatively" at:
http://www.actsweb.org/articles/article.php?i=126&d=1&c=3&p=1   
  
  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.
  
  * * * * * *
  
  Copyright (c) 2014 by ACTS International. 
  When copying or forwarding include the following: 
  "Daily Encounter by Richard (Dick) Innes (c) 2014
  ACTS International.

Today's Daily Encounter

Responsibility  

"Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on
your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge
him, and he will make your paths straight."1

I was recently criticized for suggesting that I wanted
Jesus to be my co-pilot. I was informed that Jesus is
to be our pilot.

I know that sounds impressive. However, in the
Christian life it is sometimes difficult to discern how
much God does for us and how much we need to do for
ourselves. One thing is certain, God will do for us
what we are unable to do for ourselves, but He will not
do for us what we are able to do and need to do
ourselves. If He did, He would be being codependent and
that would keep us overdependent, irresponsible and
immature.

God has promised to give us wisdom if we ask for it,
guidance if we seek it, and be with us wherever we go
if we ask Him to--providing we stay within the limits
of His guidelines and boundaries. The fact is, however,
that we are always responsible for the decisions we
make and the actions we take. We are in charge of our
life.

Doing our part is accepting personal responsibility. As
I do this, I can rest assured God will do His part. We
will sit and wait for a long time if we expect
otherwise. God isn't codependent.

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, help me to act responsibly
in everything I do and always look to You for wisdom,
guidance and direction. Thank You for hearing and
answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus's name, amen."

1. Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV).

<)))><    
  
  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.
  
  * * * * * * * 
 
  Copyright (c) 2014 by ACTS International. 
  When copying or forwarding include the following: 
  "Daily Encounter by Richard (Dick) Innes (c) 2014
  ACTS International.

Today's Daily Encounter

Confession as a Game  

“Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven,
whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man whose sin
the LORD does not count against him and in whose spirit
is no deceit."1

We have on more than one occasion emphasized the fact
that confession is needed for the healing of many
sicknesses. It is also needed for spiritual and
emotional healing. However, keep in mind that
“confession without repentance is a game."

True repentance not only includes godly sorrow for the
wrongs we have done, but literally means to turn around
and go the opposite way. That is, with God’s help, we
need to determine to stop committing the sins we
confess.

Realize, too, that some (if not many) outward acts of
sin are the “fruit of a deeper root." That is, the
obvious act of sin is the symptom of a deeper sin. And,
as Cecil Osborne pointed out, “When we are hiding a
deeper sin or fault, we confess a lesser one all the
more vigorously."

For instance, a critical, negative person is an angry
person. If he is going to stop criticizing people, he
also needs to confess and resolve his anger. A control
freak is a very insecure person. To overcome her
problem, she needs to confess and get help to resolve
her insecurity. A man who lashes out and hurts the
opposite sex (or uses them for sex) is more likely than
not to have unresolved issues with his mother and is
angry at her. He needs to confess not only his obvious
sin against women, but also to admit, confess and
resolve his issues with his mother. It’s the same with
a woman who has unresolved issues with her father and
is acting this out sexually. We either confess and talk
out these issues in creative ways or we inevitably act
them out in self-destructive and sinful ways.

Thus, true confession and genuine repentance require
that we be personally honest, or, as David put it,
without deceit in our spirit. That is, we are not
living in denial. In other words, we need to see,
admit, and confess not only our external acts of sins
(the obvious ones), but also the deeper and often
hidden “sins of the spirit" that cause us to act out in
self-destructive and sinful ways. Without doing this,
genuine repentance isn’t possible, because as long as
we fail to confess and resolve our inner sins, we will
continue to act them out in one destructive sinful way
or another.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, please help me to see,
admit and confess any deeper unresolved issue I may
have that causes me to be sick or act out in sinful
ways. Lead me to find the help I need to overcome these
so my confession with repentance can and will be
genuine. Thank You for hearing and answering my prayer.
Gratefully in Jesus’s name, amen."

1. Psalm 32:1-2  (NIV).

<)))><    
  
  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.
  
  * * * * * 
  Copyright (c) 2014 by ACTS International. 
  When copying or forwarding include the following: 
  "Daily Encounter by Richard (Dick) Innes (c) 2014
  ACTS International.

Today's Daily Encounter

The Power of God's Word  

King David wrote, "I have hidden your word in my heart
that I might not sin against you."1

When Satan tempted Jesus in the wilderness, he targeted
his appeal to where Jesus was, at that time, most
vulnerable. Jesus had fasted for forty days and would
have been very weak and hungry so Satan tempted him to
turn stones into bread--a seemingly harmless thing for
Jesus to do.

However, Jesus was aware of what Satan was up to so he
rebuffed him by quoting God's Word, "It is written:
'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word
that comes from the mouth of God.'"2

Satan also tempts us in seemingly harmless
ways--especially where we are vulnerable. But once we
take the bait, he will lead us deeper down sin's path.

Because Satan will often tempt us at a point of
legitimate need, we need to make certain we get this
need met in healthy ways so we won't be susceptible to
his tempting us to get them met in sinful,
self-destructive ways!

When Satan does tempt us, an important way to rebuff
him is to know God's Word, memorize and meditate on it
as David did, and quote it to him as Jesus did.

Dwight L. Moody, the renowned evangelist, knew the
power of God's Word too. He had written in the fly leaf
of his Bible, "This book will keep me from sin or sin
will keep me from this book."

It pays to know God's Word and hide it in our heart.

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, please give me a greater
love for Your Word with the desire to hide it
(memorize) it in my heart--and be quick to quote it
when I am tempted. Thank You for hearing and answering
my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus’s name, amen."

1. Psalm 119:11 (NIV).
2. Matthew 4:4 (NIV).

<)))><    
  
  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.
  
  * * * *
 
  Copyright (c) 2014 by ACTS International. 
  When copying or forwarding include the following: 
  "Daily Encounter by Richard (Dick) Innes (c) 2014
  ACTS International.

Today's Daily Encounter

An Answer to Suffering  

“Remember the poor."1

In an issue of Our Daily Bread I read about Mark and
Alice Westlind who are missionaries in Colombia. In one
of their monthly letters they wrote the following:

“Driving through Christmas traffic, fighting the
drizzling rain, I chanced on a 4-year-old little girl.
She was wet and cold and shaking. Her clothes were
ragged, her hair was matted, and her nose was running.
She walked between the cars at the stoplight, washing
headlights because she was too short to wash
windshields. A few gave her coins, others honked at her
to get away from their vehicles.

“As I drove away only some 50 cents poorer, I raged at
God for the injustice in the world that allowed the
situation. ‘God, how could you just stand by,
helpless?’

“Later that evening, God came to me softly with that
still small voice and responded not in like kind to my
rage, but with tenderness, ‘I have done something. I
created you.’"

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, please give me a grateful
heart for all the blessings and provisions You have so
freely given to me. And give me a compassionate heart
so that I will always share what I have with the poor
and those who are genuinely in need--and are not in a
position to be able to help themselves. Thank You for
hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus’s
name, amen."

1. Galatians 2:10.

<)))><    
  
  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.
  
  * * * * * 

  Copyright (c) 2014 by ACTS International. 
  When copying or forwarding include the following: 
  "Daily Encounter by Richard (Dick) Innes (c) 2014
  ACTS International.

Today's Daily Encounter

First Things First  

“Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the
church and gave himself up for her."1

In his sermon, “The Turning Point," Richard Fairchild
tells how, at the Olympic Games in Paris in 1924, Bill
Havens, a member of the four-man U.S. canoe rowing
team, made the very difficult decision to withdraw from
the games in order to be with his wife for the birth of
their first child. The U.S. team won the gold medal and
it turned out that the birth of the baby was so late
Bill could have stayed on the team and arrived home in
plenty of time for the baby’s birth.

However, Bill said he had no regrets because his first
commitment was to his wife.

However, there is a fascinating sequel to this story.
“The child eventually born to Bill and his wife was a
boy whom they named Frank. Twenty-eight years later, in
1952, Bill received a cablegram from Frank. It was sent
from Helsinki, Finland, where the 1952 Olympics were
being held. The cablegram read: ‘Dad, I won. I'm
bringing home the gold medal you lost while waiting for
me to be born.’

“Frank Havens had just won the gold medal for the
United States in the canoe-racing event, a medal his
father had dreamed of winning but never did."2

It is true for all of us in that whenever we honor our
commitments--no matter what the immediate losses may
seem--in the long run it always pays to do the right
thing. Always.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, please help me to always
put first things first, honor all my commitments, and
never forget to keep the long-term effects of my
actions in mind. Thank You for hearing and answering my
prayer. Gratefully in Jesus’s name, amen."

1. Ephesians 5:25 (NIV).
2. Richard Fairchild, “The Turning Point,"
http://tinyurl.com/3735ly

<)))><    
  
  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.
  
  * * * * * * 
  
  Copyright (c) 2014 by ACTS International. 
  When copying or forwarding include the following: 
  "Daily Encounter by Richard (Dick) Innes (c) 2014
  ACTS International.
  

Today's Daily Encounter

Mid-Life Challenge  

“Then he said to them, ‘Watch out! Be on your guard
against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an
abundance of possessions.’"1

It began to happen soon after his 50th birthday. Until
then Bill had always been reliable, dependable, a
successful business man, a good husband, father and
provider.

First, he went out and bought a new trendy wardrobe
more suitable for a twenty-something man; then he
changed his hair style, dyed his graying hair black,
and traded in his late-model family car for a hip
sports car. He said he didn’t like his work
anymore--work that he had always enjoyed. He was
depressed, started drinking more with the “boys," came
home late from work more often, and complained to his
wife about their growing apart. He said he needed space
to “think" about things, and hinted at divorce.

Bill is experiencing what many men go through in their
mid-years. He’s in the throes of a mid-life crisis. As
he looked back over his life and could now see the end
in view, he wondered if he had achieved anything truly
meaningful. His business and financial success, with
all the material possessions he worked so hard for,
left him feeling empty and unfulfilled. He now worries
about the future and has convinced himself that it will
just be more of the same--ad infinitum?

Unless Bill realizes what he is experiencing and gets
some counseling help, rather than further acting out
his unrealistic fantasies, he will cause serious
heartbreak for his family and possible disaster for
himself.

The sooner we men learn that significance is much more
important than what the Western world has defined for
us as success, and that purpose is of far greater value
than possessions, the better off and healthier we can
be for the rest of our lives--physically, emotionally,
relationally and spiritually.

If, when we come to the end of life’s journey and want
to have a sense of significance in that we have
contributed to the betterment of mankind in some small
way, it is imperative that we discover our God-given
life-purpose (that will be serving people in one way or
another), and dedicate the rest of our life to
fulfilling that purpose.

And by the way, we are never too old to begin that
journey.

As God’s Word reminds us, “Then he [Jesus] said to
them, ‘Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of
greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance
of his possessions.’"1

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, please help me to discover
my God-given life purpose and dedicate myself to the
fulfillment of this purpose so that when I stand before
You face to face, I will not feel that I have lived in
vain. Thank You for hearing and answering my prayer.
Gratefully in Jesus’s name, amen."

1.  Luke 12:15 (NIV).

<)))><    
  
  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.
  
  * * * * *
  Copyright (c) 2014 by ACTS International. 
  When copying or forwarding include the following: 
  "Daily Encounter by Richard (Dick) Innes (c) 2014
  ACTS International.

Today's Daily Encounter

Self Deception  

“Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your
brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your
own eye? How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take
the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is
a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the
plank out of your own eye, and then you will see
clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye."1

You may have heard the story about the elderly woman
who, when sitting in the waiting room for her first
appointment with a new dentist, noticed his DDS
diploma, which bore his full name.

Suddenly, she remembered that a tall, handsome,
dark-haired boy with the same name had been in her high
school class some 40-odd years ago. Could he be the
same fellow that she had a secret crush on, way back
then?

Upon seeing him, however, she quickly discarded any
such thought. This balding, gray-haired man with the
deeply lined face was way, way too old to have been her
classmate.

After he examined her teeth, she asked him if he had
attended Morgan Park  High School.

“Yes. Yes. I did. I'm a Morgan Mustang," he gleamed
with pride.

“When did you graduate?" she asked.

He answered, “In 1959. Why do you ask?"

“You were in my class!" she exclaimed.

He looked at her closely and then asked, “What did you
teach?"

How easy it is, when meeting old friends we haven’t
seen for many years, and think to ourselves how much
they have aged, not even imagining that they might be
thinking the exact same thing about us. And amazing how
easy it is to see “the speck of sawdust" in another’s
eye but fail to see “the plank" in our own eye.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, please help me to get real
about my own self with all my sins and faults so that I
will not be judgmental of others. Thank You for hearing
and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’s name,
amen."

1.  Jesus, in Matthew 7:3-5 (NIV).

<)))><    
  
  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.
  
  * * * * * 
 
  Copyright (c) 2014 by ACTS International. 
  When copying or forwarding include the following: 
  "Daily Encounter by Richard (Dick) Innes (c) 2014
  ACTS International.

Today's Daily Encounter

Sidetracked but Not Hindered  

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on
your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge
Him, And He shall direct your paths."1

Fred Bauer wrote how he once “went backstage at the
Metropolitan Opera to interview Jerome Hines, the
internationally famous singer, who is also an active
Christian layman. While he applied makeup and got ready
for his role in that night's production of Aida, I
asked him questions about his life and faith. One of
the most fascinating things he told me was that he
wasn't a good enough singer to make his high school
glee club. He auditioned for the choir, but failed to
impress the director. Did that detour his career? I
wanted to know.

"’No, I kept on singing,’ Hines said, ‘because I loved
to sing. I never considered it anything more than an
avocation.’ So he went off to college, studied math and
sang as a hobby--which led to some amateur roles, which
led to his discovery by people who had a different
opinion of his talent from his high school teacher.
Later that night, as I stood in the wings and listened
to his rich bass voice sweep over that famous hall, I
wondered how there could have ever been any question."2

Of one thing I am convinced, and that is that God has a
plan and purpose for every life. We may get
sidetracked, experience setbacks, and get discouraged
from time to time, but if we are genuinely committed to
discovering God‘s plan and, with His help, fulfilling
it--and never give up--God will surely direct us so His
plan for our life will be fulfilled. Our own life and
the lives of many others will be greatly enriched as a
result.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, help me to discover Your
plan and purpose for my life and never give up no
matter how many setbacks that come my way. May I always
learn to trust You no matter what. Thank You for your
help and for hearing and answering my prayer.
Gratefully in Jesus’s name, amen."

1. Proverbs 3:5-6 (NKJV).
2. Fred Bauer, Daily Guideposts, 1986, Guideposts
Associates, Inc., http://tinyurl.com/ydwer9

<)))><    
  
  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.
  
  * * * 
  Copyright (c) 2014 by ACTS International. 
  When copying or forwarding include the following: 
  "Daily Encounter by Richard (Dick) Innes (c) 2014
  ACTS International.

Today's Daily Encounter

Encouragement  

"Let us encourage one another."1

One writer observed a mother walking with a small
handicapped child whose both legs were in braces. He
was having a difficult time but his mother was right
there with him encouraging him at every step.

"That's great! You're doing splendidly," she kept
repeating.

"I want to run," the boy called.

"Very well, try it," his mother encouraged
enthusiastically. As he did, he tripped and almost fell
and would have except his mother was right there beside
him and caught him so he wouldn't hurt himself. "You
did fine," she said again, "and next time you will do
even better."

God, too, knows our limitations. He sees our brokenness
and doesn't expect us to be able to make it alone. He
knows we can't run with a broken leg. He also knows we
can't live the Christian life without help and
encouragement. He wants us to know that he is right
there beside us to encourage us to keep trying, to keep
growing, and to become stronger.

God also knows that we need supporting friends to
encourage us, to help keep us on track, and to keep us
accountable--as none of us can make it alone.

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, help me to be an
encouraging and supporting friend to the people You
bring into my life. And help me not to be too proud or
afraid to ask for help when I need a friend to lean on.
And thank You that I can always ask for and receive
Your help as needed. Thank You for hearing and
answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus’s name, amen."

1. Hebrews 10:25 (NIV).

<)))><    
  
  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.
  
  * * * *

  Copyright (c) 2014 by ACTS International. 
  When copying or forwarding include the following: 
  "Daily Encounter by Richard (Dick) Innes (c) 2014
  ACTS International.