IS THE BIBLE THE WORD OF GOD? Part III

"Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path" (Psalm 119:105, NKJV).

In concluding this series on the validity of God’s Word, the continuity of the Bible is further confirmation of its authenticity. Through it was written over a period of fifteen hundred years by thirty-five to forty different writers with sixty-six different books, it has only one
major theme--the salvation of lost mankind. This supports the claim that there is only one author--God.

Evidence from science and archaeology. While the Bible isn’t a book of science, scientific facts that have been in its pages for at least thirty-five hundred years have come to light only in recent times. For example, many of the statutes and regulations in the Old Testament were given for health and hygienic purposes--knowledge that was unknown to the ancient world.

In his book, None of These Diseases, Dr. S.I. McMillen wrote, "When God led the Israelites out of afflicted Egypt, he promised them that if they would obey his statutes, he would put ‘none of these diseases’ upon them [diseases from which Egypt and other nations were suffering]. God guaranteed a freedom from disease that modern medicine cannot duplicate."17

Dr. McMillen continues, "I am confident that the reader will be intrigued to discover that the Bible’s directives can save him from certain infectious diseases, from many lethal cancers, and from a long gauntlet of psychosomatic diseases that are increasing in spite of modern medicine."18

In the final analysis, however, it is up to each individual as to whether or not he or she chooses to accept the Bible as God’s Word. For those who want to believe it is, there is more than sufficient evidence to support this belief.

Furthermore, all who have accepted the Bible as God’s Word, and have responded to Jesus Christ’s invitation to receive him as Lord and Savior and live according to biblical principles, have a deep assurance that the Bible is God’s Word, that it is true, and that they have been given the gift of eternal life.19

The greatest quest of man over the ages has always been to know: "Where did I come from? Why am I here? And, where am I going?" Only God’s Word, the Bible, can give him the answers to these questions.

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, thank you again for your Word, and that it is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path. Help me to live according to its divine principles and thereby make my life a light unto those who don’t know you. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen."

Footnotes
1. 2 Timothy 3:16 (NASB). 2. Luke 24:44. 3. Matthew 5:17-18 (NIV). 4. See 2 Peter 3:15-16. 5. Genesis 3:15 and 49:10. 6. 2 Samuel 7:12-16. 7. Micah 5:2. 8. Isaiah 7:14. 9. Daniel 9:25, 26. 10. Psalm 22:16 and Isaiah 53. 11. Isaiah 13:5-22. 12. Leviticus 26:32-33. 13. Leviticus 26:44. 14. Ezekiel 36:24. 5. Amos 9:14 (TLB). 16. Isaiah 35:1. 17. McMillen, S.I., None of These Diseases (Westwood, New Jersey; Fleming H. Revell Company, 1963), p. 17. 18. Ibid, p. 18. 19. See John 17:17 and 1 John 5:13.

IS THE BIBLE THE WORD OF GOD? Part II

Regarding the Coming Messiah: "But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Though you are little among the thousands of Judah, Yet out of you shall come forth to Me The One to be Ruler in Israel, Whose goings forth are from of old, From everlasting" (Micah 5:2, NKJV).

Hundreds of years before Christ came to earth, both David and Isaiah predicted in specific detail the sufferings of Christ and the manner of his death. David, referring to and "speaking for" Jesus Christ, wrote in the Psalms, "They pierced my hands and my feet."10 This is precisely what happened when Jesus was crucified on a Roman cross.

Isaiah also predicted the fall of the then mighty Babylonian Empire, saying it would be conquered by the nation of Media. He predicted permanent extinction for Babylon. The site has been deserted since the fourth century B.C.11 (However, Saddam Hussein began the rebuilding of the city of Babylon, which Revelation 18:21 said will once again be "thrown down, never to be found again.")

Evidence from Israel. The nation of Israel is one of the clearest evidences for the validity of God’s Word, the Bible. Its history is a continual story of biblical prophecy being fulfilled.

Some fifteen hundred years B.C., God said through Moses that Israel would turn from him [God] and be driven by enemies from their homeland. God said, "I will bring the land into desolation ... I will scatter you among the nations ... your land shall be desolate, and your cities
waste."12

The result? In 721 B.C., the ten northern tribes of Israel were taken into captivity by Assyria, and in 586 B.C. the two southern tribes by Babylon. Seventy years later a small remnant of 40,000 Jews returned to Israel while the rest were scattered throughout the world. In A.D. 70 Jerusalem was destroyed by the Romans, and the remnant of Israelites was dispersed among the nations. Israel then became desolate as predicted 1,600 years before.

God's word also stated that the nation of Israel would be restored, saying, "Neither will I destroy them utterly."13 "For I will take you from among the nations, and gather you out of all countries and will bring you into your own land."14 "I will restore the fortunes of my people Israel, and they shall rebuild the ruined cities and live in them again,"15 and the nation "will blossom as the rose."16

The people of Israel have survived heinous atrocities committed against them by the Assyrians, the Babylonians, the Greeks, the Romans, Hitler and others. Their repeated survival against overwhelming odds and the rebuilding of their nation--which is still taking place at this time--twenty-five hundred years after God said that it would happen--is irrefutable evidence of the validity of the Bible.

To be continued ....

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, thank you for the numerous prophecies in the Old Testament, all of which have been fulfilled, which in turn verifies the validity of your Word. Thank you, too, that this gives us the assurance that all future prophecies regarding the return of Jesus to earth and the promised home of heaven will also all be fulfilled. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen."

IS THE BIBLE THE WORD OF GOD? Part I

"All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness" (2 Timothy 3:16, NASB).

Have you ever wondered why the Bible is one of the best selling books of all time and why almost every home has a copy?

Some, I suppose, have a Bible as a sort of lucky charm. Others have a copy to maintain a form of religious acknowledgment. And many millions have a copy because they believe the Bible is God’s Word.

But is the Bible God’s Word and his special message to mankind, or is it simply a compilation of man-made messages? How can we know whether it is one or the other? What evidence is there to support the Bible’s own claim that it is "inspired by God?"1 Let’s look at the following evidence:

Support from Jesus Christ. The fact that Jesus accepted the Bible as God’s Word is important to note. In his day, only the Old Testament section of the Bible had been written. It was then known as the Law, the Prophets, and the Psalms, or simply as the Law. Referring to these writings Jesus said, "All things which are written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled."2

He also said, "Do not think I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law [the Bible] until everything is accomplished."3

Peter’s confirmation. The New Testament section of the Bible was written immediately following Christ’s time on earth. A large part was written by the Apostle Paul. In speaking about Paul’s writings, Peter--one of the better-known disciples of Jesus--equates what Paul wrote with the rest of the Bible.4

Evidence from fulfilled prophecy. The Bible boldly foretold events of major historical significance hundreds of years in advance--many of which have already been fulfilled.

For instance, at least fifteen hundred years B.C., God gave the first hope of a Savior (the Christ) who would come from Israel through the tribe of Judah.5 A thousand years B.C., the Bible said that Christ would come through the family of David.6 Seven hundred years B.C., Bethlehem was named by the prophet Micah as the birthplace of Christ.7 About the same time the prophet Isaiah wrote that Christ would be born of a virgin,8 and six hundred years B.C., the prophet Daniel predicted the time of Christ’s coming.9 All of these predictions were fulfilled exactly as stated in the Bible.

To be continued ....

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, thank you not only for your Word as found in the Holy Bible, but also for its invaluable instructions for life, and that there is so much evidence to prove its validity for all who want to see it. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen."

MORE ABOUT ETHICS

Jesus said, "But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash" (Matthew 7:26-27, NIV).

In my early days of ministry I was the South Australian director of Youth for Christ. At that time my most effective ministry was teaching Religious Instruction classes in the public high schools. Even though Australia is a very secular country, back then all students in public grade and high schools were required to attend a half-hour religious instruction class every week in school time. Strange as it may seem, students had to have a letter from their parents to be excused from attending these classes.

The classes were taught by the local churches and students could attend the class of their choice. However, the various church denominations voted to discontinue teaching these classes. At the time I remember talking to the assistant chief of police (superintendent) who was not a religious person, and he was furious at the churches for doing this. He said to me, "Students badly need religious training." (NOTE: I just learned that there has just been instituted an office of Chaplains for South Australian Schools which is now placing fulltime church-paid chaplains in all state-run high schools and many grade or primary schools.)

Also in the city of Adelaide, the local city council in the area where I lived emphasized the importance of the work that local churches were doing for the betterment of the community. There was none of this obsession about the separation of church and state supposedly being a part of the national constitution. In fact, even non-religious people wisely acknowledged the need and importance of religious training and the work of the church for its social service and its teaching in morals and ethics.

Admittedly, there are some failures in church and religious circles but unfortunately it’s these stories that the news media thrive on. They neglect to report on the tremendous impact that the church makes on a society. Imagine what America would be like if all the church doors were forced to be closed? Sad to say, more and more of the non-religious minority are accelerating their aggressive attacks on Christianity and tearing down our Judeo-Christian morals and ethics--the very foundation on which this nation was founded.

And here’s just the tip of the iceberg of the effect this is having on our society. Chuck Colson in BreakPoint writes: "A reporter for Forbes magazine observed an ethics class at Harvard Business School in which the professor and students discussed case studies but avoided coming to any moral conclusions. Students were graded on how well they could logically defend their position, not on whether their position was actually defensible. The reporter wrote that students in this kind of class, rather than developing moral principles, merely "develop skills enabling them to rationalize anything short of cannibalism."1

"A recent poll by George Barna2 showed that 54 percent of people who called themselves born-again Christians do not believe in ultimate moral truth--without which, of course, there can be no ethics."3

If you and I are going to make a difference and have an impact on our society, we need to first of all live what we say we believe. And there is no greater resource than the God’s Word, the Bible, for knowing what is ethical and what is not. Furthermore, unless we Christians believe that God’s Word holds ultimate moral truth, there is no hope of transforming our society. Without this authority every man becomes a law unto himself.

(NOTE: our next three issues of Daily Encounter will ask and answer the question, "Is the Bible the Word of God?")

In conclusion, if you would like a simple and effective formula for ethics, consider the following. In the book, Ethics for Today, which was a text book for a college course I took a number of years ago, the author whom I believe was Harold Titus, said words to this effect: If anything is helpful to myself or another--physically, emotionally, socially or spiritually--it is ethical. On the other hand, if anything is harmful to myself or another--physically, emotionally, socially or spiritually--it is unethical.

May God help each one of us to live accordingly.

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, in this day of the accelerating erosion of our moral and ethical foundation, please help me to know your Word, believe your Word, and live your Word and thereby make an impact in my world. And help us we Christians and churches to find a way to make an ever increasing impact on our nation to rebuild and strengthen our moral and ethical foundations before we pass the point of no return. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen."

YOU, TOO, CAN BE SUCCESSFUL

"Where there is no vision, the people perish" (Proverbs 29:18, KJV).

"David Levenson has written a book titled, The Seasons of A Man’s Life. In examination of the factors that contribute to the development, growth, and success of people, he discovered three primary factors that seem to be essential to success. The first is a great vision; a driving dream that moves and motivates you to do something with your life. Those who give themselves to the fulfillment of something worthwhile experience a great sense of accomplishment.

"The second thing common to the successful people he studied was that they had each found a teacher who could instruct and help them along the way. Not only do we need a vision, we need some folks who have had visions before us, who can walk beside us and point the way.

"There was another commonality among these successful people. They each had a deeply personal and significant relationship with at least one other person, someone who would support them in accomplishing their dreams. These were the folks who would walk with them through the difficult times, even when it seemed as though the dream would never come true. In short, they had a friend."¹

We don’t have to be famous to be successful ... all we need is a vision, a good teacher, and a faithful, supporting friend. To this I would add we need to have a noble life-purpose and a worthwhile goal to start with.

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, please help me to know what my God-given life purpose is and a realistic goal to work towards fulfilling that purpose. Give me a clear vision of what you want me to be and do, a good teacher to show me how to do it, and at least one trusted and faithful friend to support and encourage me. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen."

PUTTING COURAGE INTO

"But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness" (Hebrews 3:13, NIV).

"Dr. Alfred Adler, the great psychologist, had an experience when he was a young boy. He got off to a bad start learning arithmetic, so his teacher became convinced that Adler was stupid when it came to mathematics. The teacher told his parents that the boy was dumb, and also told them not to expect much from him. His parents were convinced that the teacher's evaluation was correct.

"Therefore, Adler passively accepted the assessment that they had made of his abilities. And his grades in math proved that they were correct. However, one day he had a sudden flash of insight and thought he saw how to work a problem the teacher had put on the board that none of the
other pupils could solve. He raised his hand and announced that he would like to do the problem. The students, and even the teacher, laughed at this. He became indignant. He strode to the blackboard and solved the problem perfectly much to everyone's amazement. And at that moment he realized that he could understand mathematics. He had been handed an unreal, negative self-evaluation, and he had believed it and performed on the basis of that assessment.

"Many of us have done the very same thing. Someone has told us that our abilities are limited, or that our dreams are unreachable. We have accepted that without question, and we go through life unhappy and unfulfilled. We become estranged from ourselves simply because we believe what others people have told us about ourselves."sup1;

Every one of us--young and old alike--needs to be encouraged. To encourage someone is to put courage into them. To discourage is to take courage out of them. It costs nothing to put courage into another ... to speak a kind word ... to let them know you appreciate them ... to tell them you believe in them ... that you admire them ... to thank them and so on.

So, today, make a point of putting courage into your spouse ... your children ... your boss ... your employees ... and the clerk at the local store. Go out of your way to do it. And in blessing others you will be blessed yourself.
Suggested prayer: "Dear God, thank you that you love, believe in, and encourage me. Please use me to encourage and put courage into my loved ones and the people you bring into my life today. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen."

WHERE'S THE SCENT?

"The Lord disciplines those he loves ... for our good, that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it" (Hebrews 12:6, 10, 11, NIV).

Earl Nightingale told how on one National Secretaries Day he gave his secretary flowers and she remarked how beautiful they were. She also said that she couldn't understand why they didn't have any scent.

He informed her that the flowers came from a hothouse and explained that because flowers raised in this type of environment have everything done for them, they don't have to attract insects to pollinate them. As a result, they lose their scent. In the same way fruit raised in a hothouse, because it doesn't need to attract insects to scatter its seeds, doesn't taste as good as fruit grown in its natural environment.

It's similar to the child who wanted to help a butterfly out of its cocoon by putting a slit in it and, in so doing caused it to die. He didn't realize that the struggle to get out of the cocoon is needed to strengthen the butterfly's wings, which enables it to fly.

When people do too much for us or overprotect us, especially in our early developmental years, they can do serious harm to us. And even in adulthood it's the problems and difficulties we have that strengthen us, build out character, and teach us wisdom, understanding, and compassion--if we let them--and enable us to "fly." This is why God disciplines those whom he loves by allowing us to go through difficult times.

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, please help me to yield to your discipline and to see in all the struggles and problems of life that you are wanting me to 'grow in faith and love and every grace, more of your salvation know and seek more earnestly your face.' Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. In Jesus' name, Amen."

NEVER TOO OLD

"So here I [Caleb] am today, eighty-five years old! I am still as strong today as the day Moses sent me out; I'm just as vigorous to go out to battle now as I was then. 12 Now give me this hill country that the LORD promised me that day. You yourself heard then that the Anakites were there and their cities were large and fortified, but, the
LORD helping me, I will drive them out just as he said" (Joshua 14:10-12, NIV).

Emerson produced English Traits when he was 53 and Conduct of Life at 59.

Kent wrote his Anthropology, Metaphysics of Ethics, and Strife of the Faculties. at age 74.

Oliver Wendell Holmes at 79 wrote Over the Teacups.

Victor Hugo wrote Les Miserables at 62.

Booth Tarkington wrote sixteen novels after age 60, some of them when he was totally blind.

George Bernard Shaw wrote some of his famous plays at 80.

Scott the commentator began study of Hebrew at 87.

Jules Verne was writing his stories at 63.

Croce the Italian philosopher published two of his works on philosophy at age 85.

Santayana, the great Harvard philosopher, continued to write books at 88 years of age.

Tennyson at 83 wrote "Crossing the Bar."

And Webster wrote his monumental dictionary at 70.¹

In God’s economy we are never too old to serve God and to be a part of God’s plans and what he is doing in the world today... even if we are sick and infirm, we can still be mighty prayer warriors. All we need to do is make ourselves available.

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, thank you that in the work of your Kingdom on earth I will never be too old to serve you. Please let me know what my ‘marching orders’ are for today--and for every day for the rest of my life. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer and for using me. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen."

IS PSYCHOLOGY OF THE DEVIL?

"Now while he [Jesus] was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many people saw the miraculous signs he was doing and believed in his name. But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all men. He did not need man's testimony about man, for he knew what was in a man"
(John 2:23-25).

One concerned "Daily Encounter" reader writes, "Would you please remove me from your email list. I find that you have too much psychology mixed with truth and I don't have the time to sort out which ones are really worth reading, as some are and some are not."

Some years ago a man held some of my writings in his hand as he demanded that my board reproach me. "This literature has psychology in it and psychology is of the devil," he charged rather aggressively.

Hmm . interesting observations . especially as I don't believe it is possible to have a healthy theology without a healthy psychology. Theology is the understanding of God and our relationship to him. Psychology is the understanding of man--especially his mind, emotions and relationships. Thus, Jesus was not only the Master Theologian par excellence but he was also the Master Psychologist par excellence, for he not only knew and understood God as no other, but he always understood man as no other. And he always knew what was in man and understood us as no other because he created our mind (our psychology), soul and heart as well as our body and spirit.

One major problem when we fail to have a well-balanced understanding of people (poor psychology), we tend to misapply theology to the detriment of those we are seeking to help.

Note also that the fruits of the Spirit are as much psycho- logical or emotional as they are spiritual. For example, love, joy and peace are all emotions. Furthermore, if my love is repressed (a psychological problem), how can the love of God flow through me? It can't! This is why I say it isn't possible to have a healthy spiritual life apart from a healthy psychological or emotional life. Both are inseparably intertwined. Perhaps, just perhaps, this is what the Scripture is implying when it asks who can divide between soul and spirit?

Sure . there is some very bad psychology and there is also some very bad theology. Basically, apart from misinfor- mation, many people who don't like true psychology are afraid of facing their own psychology. It is so much easier to say psychology is a lie or is of the devil than to face the truth about myself; that is, to face my personal flaws, unresolved character issues, broken parts and my sins-- blatant or otherwise.

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, please help me to discern all truth. Whether it is in psychology, theology or in any other area that affects my life and relationships. And give me the courage to face myself psychologically as well as spiritually, and thereby be able to bring all my broken parts to you for your healing. Help me to also see my strengths so I can dedicate these areas to you for your use and blessing. Gratefully, in Jesus' name. Amen."

THE POWER OF ONE

"And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel and the prophets, who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies" (Hebrews 11: 32-34, NIV).

Throughout the entire Bible whenever God had a job to do he called a person--usually just one person. When he wanted to form a nation, the nation of Israel, to be his own people, he chose and called Abraham. When he wanted to deliver the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt, he chose and called Moses. When he wanted a leader to take the children of Israel into the Promised Land, he chose and called Joshua. When he needed an earthly mother for the Christ child, he chose and called Mary.

From Genesis to Revelation, God’s methods are people--calling one at a time. You, too, can be one that God uses. As the unknown poet wrote:

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

As Edward Everett Hale said, "I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something. And because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do the something I can do."

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, thank you that you use individual people through whom to do your work on earth. I am available. Please use me to be one person to make a difference in the world in which I live--for time and eternity. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen."

A JOYOUS WAY TO LIVE

"But 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" (Philippians 3:13-14, NIV).

Vance Havner used to say that, "Worry, like sitting in a rocking chair, will keep you busy but won't get you anywhere."

This reminds me of the "famous story of Jean Henri Fabre, the French naturalist, and his processional caterpillars. He encountered some of these interesting creatures one day while walking in the woods. They were marching in a long unbroken line front to back, front to back. What fun it would be, Fabre thought, to make a complete ring with these worms and let them march in a circle.

"So, Fabre captured enough caterpillars to encircle the rim of a flowerpot. He linked them nose to posterior and started them walking in the closed circle. For days they turned like a perpetual merry-go-round. Although food was near at hand and accessible, the caterpillars starved to death on an endless march to nowhere."¹

There are lots of people like this. They worry themselves sick over unfounded fears which all but paralyze them, not realizing that 95 percent of things they fear never happen, and the other 5 percent probably won'thappen either.

Many men, when they arrive at middle age, experience a mid-life crisis with a sense of despair feeling that they haven't accomplished anything worthwhile with their life to date, and feel that they have nothing better to look for in the future.

Other people wander aimlessly through life without a purpose and without any meaningful and worthwhile goals. Even more tragic are the millions who go through life without ever having made plans and preparation for life after death.

Similar to the professional caterpillars, these people not only spend their life going in circles, but go in ever decreasing circles until their life diminishes into nothing. A terrible way to live. A tragic way to die.

But for those who discover their God-given purpose and plan for their life, and live in harmony with the will of God, when they come to the end of life's journey, they have the assurance of meeting God face to face and hearing his welcoming words at the entrance of heaven. "Well done, good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of your Lord." A joyous way to live. A triumphant way to die!

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, thank you that you do have a divine purpose for my life. Please help me to discover what it is, and with your help, start working on it right now. Today. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus' name, amen."

WHAT IS THAT IN YOUR HAND?

"Moses answered [God], ‘What if they do not believe me or listen to me and say, 'The LORD did not appear to you?' Then the LORD said to him, 'What is that in your hand?' 'A staff,' he replied. The LORD said, 'Throw it on the ground.' Moses threw it on the ground and it became a snake, and he ran from it" (Exodus 4:1-3, NIV).

I have read how "there was a 10-year-old boy, who's left arm was damaged and subsequently amputated. He decided to learn judo. His Sensai (teacher) was an old Chinese judo expert.

"The boy learned quickly. After three months, he had learned only one move. He asked his teacher to teach him more moves. The Sensai told him that this was all he would need.

"Soon after, the boy entered a tournament, where he quickly advanced to the finals, where his opponent was bigger and more experienced. The boy seemed very outmatched. After a long match, the opponent seemed to lose concentration. Quickly, the boy took advantage and pinned what seemed to be his superior opponent.

"On the ride home, the boy asked his Sensai. ‘How could I win with only one move?’ The Sensai replied, ‘You have nearly mastered one of the most difficult moves in all of judo. And, the only defense against that move, is for your opponent to grab your left arm.’"¹

Sometimes we don’t think we have much to offer in service to God. But we all have at least "one thing in our hand." If we offer that willingly to God, he will use it for his glory. And as the writer of the above story said, "Sometimes your biggest weakness can become your greatest strength."

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, thank you for the gift you have given to me. Help me to know what it is and how I can best use it for serving you and helping others. I want to be a winner in your book. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen."

I AM THE WAY

"Jesus answered, 'I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me'" (John 14:6,NIV).

Stanley Jones tells of a missionary who got lost in an African jungle, nothing around him but bush and a few cleared places. He found a native hut and asked the native if he could get him out. The native said he could.

"All right," said the missionary, "show me the way."

The native said, "Walk," so they walked and hacked their way through unmarked jungle for more than an hour.

The missionary got worried. "Are you quite sure this is the way? Where is the path?"

The native said, "Bwana, in this place there is no path. I am the path."1

When it comes to finding the way to God, there are numerous religions in the world today all claiming to have a corner on the truth and to be "the path" to God.

There are also vast numbers of people who believe that the way to God and the path to Heaven is through good works. Or at least, they reason (as I did in youthful days), "If I do more good things than I do bad things, my good deeds will outweigh my bad deeds, and that will get me into Heaven." According to God's Word, the Bible, this belief is also doomed for failure: "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast."2

Then there is a Christianity that also makes the claim that it has the ONLY way to God's and Heaven. As God's Word says, "Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name [other than Jesus Christ] under heaven given among men by which we must be saved."3

The question we need to ask is this: "Is Jesus Christ the Son of God and the Savior of the World?" If he is and his word is truth, then he is the only way to God and to Heaven. If he is not the Son of God, then he is not a good man nor a great religious leader. He would be a liar, an imposter, and guilty of leading multiplied millions astray.

But how can we know if Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God, or not?

We will answer this question in the next three days' Daily Encounters.

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, in all the many voices claiming to have the way to you and that of eternal salvation, help me to know the truth so I can be absolutely certain that I am on the 'Truth Way' and on my way Heaven when I die. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. In Jesus' name. Amen."

THE FATE OF FLIGHT 232

"And then he [Jesus] told them, 'Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone, everywhere'" (Mark 16:15, NLT).

"In 1976, a daily flight which originated in Quinto, Ecuador, and departed for the southern Ecuadorian city of Cuenca completely disappeared. Despite ongoing investigations, Saeta Flight 232, a 727 Boeing jet with 59 passengers, was never heard from again until recently. For over 25 years family members had no peace of mind as to the plight of their loved ones. But that changed in February of this year as Chimborazo Mountain climbers discovered the jet imbedded in the snow and ice of one of the highest volcanic mountains in the world. The plane was almost intact and the bodies of the passengers were well preserved by the year-round icecap on top of the great mountain.

"However, the story doesn't end there. Upon finding the wrecked plane and its preserved bodies, it was evident that others had already been there. The passengers had been stripped of their jewelry, wallets and other possessions. When, nobody really knows."1

It's difficult to believe that those who found the wrecked airplane never bothered to inform any authorities so loved ones of those who perished on that fateful flight could be told of their whereabouts.

And how tragic when we know people who are lost without Christ and without hope, and never bother to share with them the saving message of Jesus Christ. As Mark Creech said, "Perhaps the greatest of all sins is to know the truth, to possess the knowledge that can free others, and then to conceal it for reasons that are essentially selfish."

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, how can I ever thank you enough for those who told me about your marvelous plan of salvation--which includes your gift of forgiveness and eternal life? Please use me to be as Christ to every life I touch and therein communicate your love and salvation--and
grant that others, seeing Jesus in me, will want you for themselves. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus' name, amen."

DID JANET CAUSE TOM TO BECOME AN ALCOHOLIC?

"Be sure to do what you should, for then you will enjoy the personal satisfaction of having done your work well, and you won't need to compare yourself to anyone else. For we are each responsible for our own conduct" (Galatians 6:4-5, NLT).

A Daily Encounter reader, whom I will call Janet, wrote asking if it were right for a Christian to marry a non-Christian. Naturally, I answered her question telling her what I believed the Bible taught on this subject. Janet wrote to me again this week telling me that she had broken up with her fiancé, whom I shall call Tom, because she saw that it wasn't God's will for her to marry an unbeliever. It was very painful for she loved him very much. Following the breakup she dreamt that he committed suicide, but after further counsel she saw that her dream was caused by her fear, and not by the devil as she first thought.

Janet made another statement, the answer to which I feel could help many people. She said that her breakup caused her former fiancé to become an alcoholic. I think that it would be safe to say that many people feel that they are responsible for somebody else's behavior. If only they could have loved their husband more, he wouldn't have become an alcoholic or any of a host of other problematic conditions.

Not true!

Janet was very fortunate she decided to heed God's Word to not marry this man. There is no way that she caused him to become an alcoholic. You can be almost positive that he already was an alcoholic. She just didn't realize it because he had it well hidden, or she may have been blinded to it. He certainly would have had an addictive personality. He also has a deep unresolved emotional problem of which his alcoholism is just a symptom.

As certain as the sun rises every morning and sets every evening, had Janet married Tom, sooner or later (probably sooner) the alcoholism would have reared its ugly head.

When we accept the responsibility for somebody else's negative behavior, we are being co-dependent. And that's our side of the problematic equation. And it's not only women who do this. We men do it too. I know, for I was a super-co-dependent. I grew up taking care of my mother, my younger sisters and the family home. So what kind of a person was I attracted to in younger days--someone who needed to be taken care of. I mistook need for love and paid dearly for it.

What we all need to realize is that while it is important that we don't intentionally cause a weaker brother or sister to stumble, we are not responsible for their actions or behavior. They are, as we are for ours. What we also need to see is why we are attracted to an alcoholic or any other kind of needy or unhealthy person. It is because of our own sickness and immaturity.

When we have a need to be needed to feel loved, or feel a compulsion to rescue others from the consequences of their irresponsible actions, we are being co-dependent and immature. We can't change the other person or anybody else. The only person we can ever change is ourselves. And that's what we all need to see, to understand, to accept responsibility for, and to do.

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, please help me to accept full responsibility for my own unresolved issues and areas of immaturity and not try to rescue others as a means of avoiding facing my own immaturity. And help me always to live in harmony with your will as revealed in your Word, the Bible. Gratefully, in Jesus' name. Amen."

PETERPANDEMONIUM

"We proclaim him [Christ], admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect [mature] in Christ" (Colossians 1:28, NIV).

As Charles Colson in BreakPoint said, "When J. M. Barrie wrote Peter Pan, the story of a boy who refused to grow up and lived in a place called 'Neverland,' he was writing fiction to amuse children."

Today, however, apparently more and more adults are seeking to model themselves after Peter Pan--not wanting to grow up. As Colson also reported: "A recent article in the NewYork Times chronicled the emergence of a new cultural trend. Known variously as 'Peterpandemonium' or 'Rejuveniles' that is characterized by 'grown-ups who cultivate juvenile tastes in products and entertainment.'"


And says Colson, "'Peterpandemonium' extends beyond the mall. A surprisingly large part of the audience for children's television shows like the Teletubbies are 'young adults.' And more people between the ages of 18 and 49 watch the Cartoon Network than watch CNN [news reports]."1

Certainly Hollywood and the media have popularized and glorified the youth culture. And yet at the root of this "madness" is a growing lack of personal responsibility. Too many of us adults play the blame-game refusing to accept responsibility for the mistakes we make and what we
personally contribute to our failures especially in the area of relationships.

Then there is politics and their blame-game seeking to get votes at pretty much any cost. If business is bad, it's the other party that's to blame. If people are not getting the handouts they want, then again, it's the other party's fault. It's a sad state of affairs when the politicians who offer the most handouts get the most votes--instead of the politicians who stand for justice, right, personal responsibility, and the good of all the citizens and the nation as a whole.

And if we adults don't accept personal responsibility and grow up, what can we expect of our kids?

The reality is that I and only I am responsible for my life. True, I was not responsible for a less than perfect upbringing, but I am totally responsible for what I become. I may even have been a victim in the past, but if I remain one, I am now a willing volunteer. Furthermore, while I am not responsible for the circumstances that are out of my control, I am totally responsible for my attitude and for what I can do about my situation.

Blaming others for the problems I have, and expecting others to resolve my problems for me, is a handy excuse to hang on to if I don't want to grow up.

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, please help to grow in maturity, emotionally as well as spiritually, and accept responsibility for every area of my life. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus' name, amen."

THE SIGN OF THE CROSS

"But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world" (Galatians 6:14, KJV).

Charles Colson tells how, "During the years of Communist rule in the U.S.S.R., a person could be arrested for any act or statement that seemed threatening to the government. Writers, philosophers, teachers, and pastors were imprisoned for their beliefs.

"During this era, Soviet author Alexander Solzhenitsyn was sentenced to eight years of hard labor in a Soviet prison camp for writing "disrespectful" remarks about Stalin in a private letter to a friend. The oppression, the humiliation by the guards, the backbreaking work in the gulag wore him down. He was ready to give up on life.

"One day, he wandered away from a work team and sat down. At any moment, he expected the guards to kill him, and he no longer cared. Instead, an old man came and sat next to Solzhenitsyn. Picking up a stick, he drew a crude outline of a cross in the sand. And as Alexander Solzhenitsyn looked at that cross, he suddenly realized that this was his only hope. With Jesus' power inspiring him, he could survive anything. After his release from the camps, Solzhenitsyn wrote world-renowned books on the nature of freedom and faith."1

I recall reading some years ago how an earthquake all but destroyed a city which I believe was in the Orient. As a hymn writer, John Bowring, looked out over the devastated city, a lone church steeple with a cross atop was still standing. This inspired him to write the following words:

In the cross of Christ I glory,
Tow'ring o'er the wrecks of time;
All the light of sacred story
Gathers round its head sublime.
When the woes of life o'ertake me,
Hopes deceive, and fears annoy,
Never shall the cross forsake me;
Lo! It glows with peace and joy.

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, thank you for the cross of Jesus Christ which stands as a lone sentinel calling to a broken and lost world. Grant that men and women, boys and girls everywhere will see their dire need of your salvation, look to the cross and live--forever. And please use me to help many to do so. Gratefully, in Jesus' name. Amen."

WHAT YOU THINK OF ME ...

"Even my close friend, whom I trusted, he who shared my bread, has lifted up his heel against me" (Psalm 41:9, NIV).

A Daily Encounter reader writes, "I am currently experiencing discouragement from a friend. It's unfortunate that undue criticism so often comes from loved ones or friends ... making it more difficult to shake off. In my case I have to wonder if some friends are just too afraid ... afraid of us surpassing them in some area, afraid of being left behind. Sad, but it makes me want to pray more for my 'discouragers' so that they may find our Lord faithful to supply all of their wants, needs, and desires as well. After all, discouraging us certainly doesn't make them more successful, significant or victorious ... Rather, quite the opposite."

It is true in that whenever someone rises head and shoulders above his fellow man, he quickly becomes the target for the jabs and jibes of jealous lesser men.

Criticism can be very painful especially when it comes from those who are closest to us. In the long run, however, it does much more harm to the one criticizing than it does to the one being criticized. Furthermore, criticism only destroys us if we allow it to.

If we are being criticized and the criticism is valid, we need to be big enough to accept the criticism and make necessary changes to correct where we have been wrong.

On the other hand, if the criticism is unjust, we need to realize (though easier said than done) that the more secure we become within ourselves, the less others' criticism will bother us. In such cases I like what another has said, "What you think of me is none of my business."

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, please help me to be big enough to accept all criticism, evaluate it honestly, admit where I am wrong, and make changes where change is necessary. Where criticism is unjust, help me to brush it off and pray for my accuser. And deliver me from a critical spirit. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus' name, amen."

FATHERS NEEDED

"If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever" (1 Timothy 5:8, NIV).

Ron Farmer of the University of New South Wales (Australia) Psychology Department said, "Any man seeking too strenuously for recognition in his early adult life was likely to find that neglect of his family unit during that time would lead to an alienation from his wife and children
at the time he most needed their affection and understanding."

As fathers we know we are to provide for our family's physical needs. But provision goes far beyond this. We are to model Christian fatherhood and provide for our family's spiritual needs as well. Equally important is to meet emotional needs, the absence of which is a major cause of many emotional ills and marriage breakdown.

As fathers we need to be emotionally present and connected to our wives and children. However, if we're not connected to our own emotions and inner self, we cannot be emotionally connected to or intimate with our family. Of all the people I've worked with in recovery groups over the years who are struggling emotionally and/or are divorced, a large percentage of them say that their father was never there for them emotionally when they were growing up. They felt he was distant and lived in his own private world. They never really knew him. In God's design it's not only mothers who are needed. Fathers play a vital role in the emotional, spiritual and sexual development of their children. When fathers don't meet their children's needs, their children are programmed for problems as adults--especially in the areas of emotional wellbeing, sexual identity, and interpersonal relationships.

As adults, many of these "emotionally undernourished children" project their feelings towards their earthly father onto God, the Heavenly Father, and feel that he, too, is distant, cold and not there for them. When we are not emotionally present and involved with our children we can, without realizing it, drive wedges between our precious children and God.

Being present for and emotionally involved with our spouse and our children physically, emotionally, and spiritually is critical for, and a vital part of, providing for our children's needs and the future of their children.

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, please help me as a father (parent) to be available today and every day to my spouse and my children, and to give them my presence, so they will know without a shadow of a doubt that I love them. In so doing may they feel my love and affirmation at the very core of their being. And may I and they also know and feel your love and affirmation at the core of our being. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in
Jesus' name, amen."

Thoughtful Message

A Message by George Carlin

The paradox of our time in history is that we have taller buildings but shorter tempers, wider freeways, but narrower viewpoints. We spend more, but have less, we buy more, but enjoy less. We have bigger houses and smaller families, more conveniences, but less time. We have more degrees but less sense, more knowledge, but less judgment, more experts, yet more problems, more medicine, but less wellness. We drink too much, smoke too much, spend too recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast, get too angry, stay up too late, get up too tired, read too little, watch TV too much, and pray too seldom. We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values. We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often. We've learned how to make a living, but not a life. We've added years to life not life to years. We've been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet a new neighbor. We conquered outer space but not inner space. We've done larger things, but not better things. We've cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul. We've conquered the atom, but not our prejudice. We write more, but learn less. We plan more, but accomplish less. We've learned to rush, but not to wait. We build more computers to hold more information, to produce more copies than ever, but we communicate less and less. These are the times of fast foods and slow digestion, big men and small character, steep profits and shallow relationships. These are the days of two incomes but more divorce, fancier houses, but broken homes. These are days of quick trips, disposable diapers, throwaway morality, one night stands, overweight bodies, and pills that do everything from cheer, to quiet, to kill. It is a time when there is much in the showroom window and nothing in the stockroom. It is time when technology can bring this letter to you, and a time when you can choose either to share this insight, or to just hit delete. Remember, spend some time with your loved ones, because they are not going to be around forever. Remember, say a kind word to someone who looks up to you in awe, because that little person soon will grow up and leave your side. Remember, to give a warm hug to the one next to you, because that is the only treasure you can give with your heart and it doesn't cost a cent. Remember to say, "I love you" to your partner and your loved ones, but most of all mean it. A kiss and an embrace will mend hurt when it comes from deep inside of you. Remember to hold hands and cherish the moment for someday that person will not be there again. Give time to love, give time to speak, and give time to share the precious thoughts in your mind. Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. HOW TO STAY YOUNG 1. Throw out the non-essential numbers. This includes age, weight and height. Let the doctor worry about them. That is why you pay him/her. 2. Keep only cheerful friends.. The grouches pull you down. 3. Keep learning. Learn more about the computer, crafts, gardening, whatever. Never let the brain idle. "An idle mind is the devil's workshop." And the devil's name is Alzheimer's. 4. Enjoy the simple things. 5. Laugh often, long and loud. Laugh until you gasp for breath. 6. The tears happen. Endure, grieve, and move on. The only person who is with us our entire life is ourselves. Be ALIVE while you are alive. 7. Surround yourself with what you love, whether it's family, pets, keepsakes, music, plants, hobbies, whatever. Your home is your refuge. 8. Cherish your health: If it is good, preserve it. If it is unstable, improve it. If it is beyond what you can improve, get help. 9. Don't take guilt trips. Take a trip to the mall, to the next county, to a foreign country, but NOT to where the guilt is. 10. Tell the people you love that you love them, at every opportunity. (emphasis added -Iris) AND ALWAYS REMEMBER: Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. If you don't send this to people.... who cares?


-George Carlin

Quotable Quotes

“Hegel was right when he said that we learn from history that man can never learn anything from history.”
- George Bernard Shaw

“Public speaking is very easy.”
- Dan Quayle, to reporters (10/88)

“People who like this sort of thing will find this the sort of thing they like.”
- Abraham Lincoln, in a book review

“In our civilization, and under our republican form of government, intelligence is so highly honored that it is rewarded by exemption from the cares of office.”
- Ambrose Bierce, “The Devil’s Dictionary”

“All marriages are mixed marriages.”
- Chantal Saperstein

“She had a pretty gift for quotation, which is a serviceable substitute for wit.”
- W. Somerset Maugham

“When ideas fail, words come in very handy.”
- Goethe

“I would never die for my beliefs because I might be wrong.”
- Bertrand Russell

“What can you say about a society that says that God is dead and Elvis is alive?”
- Irv Kupcinet

“In theory, there is no difference between theory and practice; in practice, there is.”
- Chuck Reid

“Life is pleasant. Death is peaceful. It’s the transition that’s troublesome.”
- Isaac Asimov

“The first principle is that you must not fool yourself - and you are the easiest person to fool.”
- Richard P. Feynman

“The human race is faced with a cruel choice: work or daytime television.”
- Unknown

“I would rather be a coward than brave because people hurt you when you are brave.”
- E. M. Forster, as a small child

“God help those who do not help themselves.”
- Wilson Mizner

“Patriotism is your conviction that this country is superior to all other countries because you were born in it.”
- George Bernard Shaw

“Too many have dispensed with generosity in order to practice charity.”
- Albert Camus

“Learning to dislike children at an early age saves a lot of expense and aggravation later in life.”
- Robert Byrne

“If it weren’t for Philo T. Farnsworth, inventor of television, we’d still be eating frozen radio dinners.”
- Johnny Carson

“It is impossible to enjoy idling thoroughly unless one has plenty of work to do.”
- Jerome K. Jerome

“You can’t have everything. Where would you put it?”
- Steven Wright

“Absurdity, n.: A statement or belief manifestly inconsistent with one’s own opinion.”
- Ambrose Bierce: The Devil’s Dictionary

“I just need enough to tide me over until I need more.”
- Bill Hoest

“Any great truth can—and eventually will—be expressed as a cliche—a cliche is a sure and certain way to dilute an idea. For instance, my grandmother used to say, ‘The black cat is always the last one off the fence.’ I have no idea what she meant, but at one time, it was undoubtedly true.”
- Solomon Short

“I envy people who drink. At least they have something to blame everything on.”
- Oscar Levant

“If God did not exist, it would be necessary to invent him.”
- Voltaire (1694-1778)

“It is dangerous to be sincere unless you are also stupid.”
- George Bernard Shaw

“No problem is so formidable that you can’t walk away from it.”
- Charles Schulz

“Grown-ups never understand anything for themselves, and it is tiresome for children to be always and forever explaining things to them.”
- Antoine de Saint-Exupery, “The Little Prince”

“Why are our days numbered and not, say, lettered?”
- Woody Allen

“Interestingly, according to modern astronomers, space is finite. This is a very comforting thought—particularly for people who can never remember where they have left things.”
- Woody Allen

“An incompetent attorney can delay a trial for months or years. A competent attornety can delay one even longer.”
- Evelle J. Younger

“The big thieves hang the little ones.”
- Czech proverb

“Nothing is as irritating as the fellow who chcats pleasantly while he’s overcharging you.”
- Kin Hubbard

“You live and learn. At any rate, you live.”
- Douglas Adams

“If at first you don’t succeed, failure may be your style.”
- Quentin Crisp

“It is always the best policy to tell the truth, unless, of course, you are an exceptionally good liar.”
- Jerome K Jerome

“Who controls the past controls the future. Who controls the present controls the past.”
- George Orwell

“The family is one of nature’s masterpieces.”
- George Santayana

“Learn not only to find what you like, learn to like what you find.”
- Anthony J. D’Angelo, The College Blue Book

“They’re funny things, Accidents. You never have them till you’re having them.”
- Eeyore, Pooh’s Little Instruction Book

“Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved.”
- Helen Keller

“When everyone is somebody, then no one’s anybody.”
- W. S. Gilbert

“Criminal: A person with predatory instincts who has not sufficient capital to form a corporation.”
- Howard Scott

“I am determined that my children shall be brought up in their father’s religion, if they can find out what it is.”
- Charles Lamb

“Even if you do learn to speak correct English, whom are you going to speak it to?”
- Clarence Darrow

“The only thing that’s been a worse flop than the organization of non-violence has been the organization of violence.”
- Joan Baez

“Never knock on Death’s door: ring the bell and run away! Death really hates that!”
- Matt Frewer as Dr. Mike Stratford in “Doctor, Doctor”
“The true meaning of life is to plant trees, under whose shade you do not expect to sit.”
- Nelson Henderson

“People generally quarrel because they cannot argue.”
- Gilbert K. Chesterton

“The cynic knows the price of everything and the value of nothing.”
- Oscar Wilde
“Some people make things happen, some watch while things happen, and some wonder ‘What happened?’”
- Unknown

“Live as you will have wished to have lived when you are dying.”
- Christian Furchtegott Gellert

“The cat could very well be man’s best friend but would never stoop to admitting it.”
- Doug Larson


“I am a kind of paranoiac in reverse. I suspect people of plotting to make me happy.”
- J.D. Salinger

“It is dangerous to be right when the government is wrong.”
- Voltaire

“A judge is a law student who marks his own examination papers.”
- H. L. Mencken (1880-1956)

“Lawyers, I suppose, were children once.”
- Charles Lamb

“I don’t have any solution, but I certainly admire the problem.”
- Ashleigh Brilliant

“Humanity has advanced, when it has advanced, not because it has been sober, responsible, and cautious, but because it has been playful, rebellious, and immature.”
- Tom Robbins

“Americans detest all lies except lies spoken in public or printed lies.”
- Ed Howe:

“Some people like my advice so much that they frame it upon the wall instead of using it.”
- Gordon R. Dickson

“Education is what survives when what has been learned has been forgotten”
- B.F. Skinner
“Wisdom begins in wonder.”
- Socrates

“It’s the constant and determined effort that breaks down resistance, sweeps away all obstacles.”
- Claude M. Bristol
“A crash is when your competitor’s program dies. When your program dies, it is an ‘idiosyncrasy’. Frequently, crashes are followed with a message like ‘ID 02’. ‘ID’ is an abbreviation for idiosyncrasy and the number that follows indicates how many more months of testing the product should have had.”
- Guy Kawasaki

“Only the good die young. Note the average age in Congress.”
- Anon.

“Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Willing is not enough; we must do.”
- Goethe

“May you live every day of your life.”
- Jonathan Swift
“One that would have the fruit must climb the tree.”
- Thomas Fuller

“He who angers you conquers you.”
- Elizabeth Kenny

“Smoking is one of the leading causes of statistics.”
- Fletcher Knebel

“History is a relentless master. It has no present, only the past rushing into the future. To try to hold fast is to be swept aside.”
- John Fitzgerald Kennedy

“There is no virtue in being uncritical; nor is it a habit to which the young are given. But criticism is only the burying beetle that gets rid of what is dead, and, since the world lives by creative and constructive forces, and not by negation and destruction, it is better to grow up in the company of prophets than of critics.”
- Richard Livingstone

“Our doubts are traitors, And make us lose the good we oft might win By fearing to attempt.”

- William Shakespeare

“Don’t think of retiring from the world until the world will be sorry that you retire. I hate a fellow whom pride or cowardice or laziness drives into a corner, and who does nothing when he is there but sit and growl. Let him come out as I do, and bark.”
- Samuel Johnson

“If you are distressed by anything external, the pain is not due to the thing itself, but to your estimate of it; and this you have the power to revoke at any moment.”
- Marcus Aurelius

“Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not one bit simpler.”
- Albert Einstein
“Friends are treasures.”
- Horace Bruns

“An insincere and evil friend is more to be feared than a wild beast; a wild beast may wound your body, but an evil friend will wound your mind.”
- Buddha

“When I find myself fading, I close my eyes and realize my friends are my energy.”
- Anon.
“The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or
even touched - they must be felt with the heart.”
- Hellen Keller
“Remember how in that communion only, beholding beauty with the eye of the mind, he will be enabled to bring forth, not images of beauty, but realities (for he has hold not of an image but of a reality), and bringing forth and nourishing true virtue to become the friend of God and be immortal, if mortal man may.” N.B.: This famous aphorism is often misquoted, “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.”
- Plato, Symposium

“The definition of a beautiful woman is one who loves me.”
- Sloan Wilson

“The important thing is not to stop questioning.”
- Albert Einstein

“Every man ought to be inquisitive through every hour of his great adventure down to the day when he shall no longer cast a shadow in the sun. For if he dies without a question in his heart, what excuse is there for his continuance?”
- Frank Moore Colby, The Colby Essays

“There are two sorts of curiosity—the momentary and the permanent. The momentary is concerned with the odd appearance on the surface of things. The permanent is attracted by the amazing and consecutive life that flows on beneath the surface of things.”
- Robert Lynd, Solomon in All His Glory

“There is an enormous number of managers who have retired on the job.”
- Peter Drucker

“Sooner or later I’m going to die, but I’m not going to retire.”
- Margaret Mead

“Retirement at sixty-five is ridiculous. When I was sixty-five I still had pimples.”
- George Burns

“The whole business of marshaling one’s energies becomes more and more important as one grows older.”
- Hume Cronyn

“I find that a man is as old as his work. If his work keeps him from moving forward, he will look forward with the work.”
- William Ernest Hocking, Wisdom for Our Time

“Years and sins are always more than owned.”
- Italian Proverb
“It takes a great man to be a good listener.”
- Calvin Coolidge

“I like to listen. I have learned a great deal from listening carefully. Most people never listen.”
- Ernest Hemingway
“A good listener tries to understand thoroughly what the other person is saying. In the end he may disagree sharply, but before he disagrees, he wants to know exactly what it is he is disagreeing with.”
- Kenneth A. Wells, Guide to Good Leadership

“He that always gives way to others will end in having no principles of his own.”
- Aesop

“There is someone willing to argue about any point.”
I don’t know, but I’ll argue any attribution

“It is better to debate a question without settling it than to settle a question without debating it.”
- Jeseph Joubert

“Love thy neighbour as yourself, but choose your neighbourhood.”
- Louise Beal

“The movies are the only business where you can go out front and applaud yourself.”
- Will Rogers

“Fools rush in where fools have been before.”
- Unknown
“It is bad luck to be superstitious.”
- Andrew W. Mathis

“A hat should be taken off when you greet a lady and left off for the rest of your life. Nothing looks more stupid than a hat.”
- P. J. O’Rourke

“Dealing with network executives is like being nibbled to death by ducks.”
- Eric Sevareid

“A musicologist is a man who can read music but can’t hear it.”
- Sir Thomas Beecham

“The best defense against the atom bomb is not to be there when it goes off.”
- Anonymous

“Honest disagreement is often a good sign of progress.”
- Gandhi
“Everything starts as somebody’s daydream.”
- Larry Niven

“We’re more popular than Jesus now; I dont know which will go first; rock ‘n’ roll or Christianity.”
- John Lennon

“Television is the first truly democratic culture—the first culture available to everybody and entirely governed by what the people want. The most terrifying thing is what people do want.”
- Clive Barnes

NEW PROVERBS

If you’re too open minded, your brains will fall out.
Age is a very high price to pay for maturity.
Before you criticize someone, walk a mile in his shoes. That way, if he gets angry, he’ll be a mile away - and barefoot.
Going to church doesn’t make you a Christian any more than going to a garage makes you a mechanic.
Artificial intelligence is no match for natural stupidity.
A clear conscience is usually the sign of a bad memory.
A closed mouth gathers no feet.
If you must choose between two evils, pick the one you’ve never tried before.
My idea of housework is to sweep the room with a glance.
Not one shred of evidence supports the notion that life is serious.
It is easier to get forgiveness than permission.
I have found at my age going bra-less pulls all the wrinkles out of my face.
For every action, there is an equal and opposite government program.
If you look like your passport picture, you probably need the trip.
Always yield to temptation, because it may not pass your way again.
Bills travel through the mail at twice the speed of checks.
A conscience is what hurts when all your other parts feel so good.
Eat well, stay fit, die anyway.
Men are from earth. Women are from earth. Deal with it.
No husband has ever been shot while doing the dishes.