July 2017 Signs of the Times Email Newsletter

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July 2017 Signs of the Times Email Newsletter The Signs of the Times newsletter is a collection of stories and quotes from past issues of Signs and These Times. ***************************      A water bearer in India carried two large pots suspended from the ends of a pole that he carried across his shoulders. One of the pots was perfect and delivered a full load of water at the end of the long walk from the stream to the master’s house. But the other pot was cracked and always arrived only half full.      The perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments, but the cracked pot felt sad that it could achieve only half of what it had been made to do. One day, after two years of bitter failure, it spoke to the water bearer. “I am ashamed of myself,” it said, “and I want to apologize.”      “Why?” asked the water bearer.      “Because for two years I’ve delivered only half my load. This crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to the master’s house. Because of my flaws, you don’t get full value from your efforts.”      But the water bearer replied, “As we return to the master’s house, I want you to notice the beautiful flowers along the path.”      Sure enough, as they went up the hill, the cracked pot noticed the sun warming many beautiful wild flowers.      “Did you notice that there were flowers only on your side of the path?” the water bearer asked. “That’s because I’ve always known about your flaw, and I took advantage of it. I planted flower seeds on your side of the path. You watered them every day as we walked back from the stream. For the past two years I’ve used those flowers to decorate the master’s table. If you weren’t just the way you are, he would not have had this beauty to grace his house.”      We are all cracked pots, but nothing goes to waste in God’s great economy. He uses our flaws to grace the universe. So don’t be afraid of your flaws, for in your weakness you will find your strength.—Unknown, Signs of the Times, October 2001. Quote: “I have examined all, as well as my narrow sphere, my straitened means, and my busy life would allow me, and the result is, that the Bible is the best book in the world.”—By John Adams, Signs of the Times, February 1, 1938. *************************** Don't miss the ­­­­­­­­August issue of Signs of the Times: To order Signs, call: 1-800-765-6955 or order ONLINE! ***************************      The greatest thing a man can do for his heavenly Father is to be kind to some of His other children. Two brothers, one five and the other seven years of age, were saying their prayers. The younger one used the word “trespasses” in the Lord’s Prayer, which, of course, is perfectly correct according to one translation.      The seven-year-old in the upper bunk interrupted him. “That’s wrong,” he said, “you’re sayin’ it the old-fashioned way.”      “What do you mean?” asked the five-year-old.      “Why, you should pray it the new way. It’s supposed to be ‘forgive us our debts as we forgive those who are dead against us.’”      Well, there is something to that. Just try to forgive someone who is dead against you. God will help you do it.—By H. M. S. Richards, These Times, June 1951. Quote: “It is a good and safe rule to sojourn in every place, as if you meant to spend your life there, never omitting an opportunity of doing a kindness, or speaking a true word, or making a friend.”—By Ruskin, These Times, September 1961. *************************** NEW from Pacific Press—Prayer That Moves Mountains by Diane Pestes. An inspiring book on prayer that demonstrates what God longs to do in us and through us. If we pray, “Use me,” instead of asking “Why me?” then God will bless others through us in wonderful ways. What is God calling you to do? CLICK HERE to read the first chapter of this book online FREE! Order ONLINE or from your local Adventist Book Center--1-800-765-6955. ***************************      Michelle Pfeiffer credits her success as an actress to the confidence she gained from comments one of her teachers made. She says, “I had a high-school teacher who said one simple thing to me: ‘I think you have talent.’ And I never forgot it, partly because I got very few compliments while growing up.      “Now, I didn’t at that moment think, ‘Oh, I’ll be an actress.’ Still, I came to feel very confident in that world because of that single comment.”      Pfeiffer’s encounter is a reminder that positive words expressed become a creative force that generates energy.—By Victor M. Parachin, Signs of the Times, November 1997. Quote: Christianity is advancement—forward, upward, heavenward.”—By Charles G. Bellah, Signs of the Times, February 17, 1931. *************************** Please place in your church bulletin or newsletter: Do you have a friend who needs Jesus? Thousands have found that sharing Him is as easy as sending a subscription toSigns of the Times®. The fresh and interesting articles open hearts and bring renewal. Get started by ordering a sub from your Adventist Book Center. Call: 1-800-765-6955 or go online at: http://www.adventistbookcenter.com/signs-of-the-times-magazine-yearly-us-subscription.html ***************************      Four-year-old Jayde Cluff’s 60-cent donation to help heal victims of September 11 was only pocket change in financial worth. But the young girl’s heartfelt contribution touched hearts across the nation and inspired a wealth of giving.      When Jayde saw a news broadcast of United Airlines Flight 175 crashing into the second World Trade Center tower, the normally talkative little girl grew silent and sad. Three days later, while walking to preschool, she placed a handful of dimes in her mother’s hand. “Mommy, this can help the people who were hurt in those towers,” she said.      Jayde’s mother, Sarah, cried at her daughter’s sweet gesture. Jayde had been saving her dime-a-week allowance for six weeks to buy a Barbie doll. “That’s your Barbie money,” Sarah reminded her daughter.      “Send that money to New York,” Jayde replied with assertive determination.      The next day, Sarah and Jayde taped the six dimes to a letter addressed to New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani. “I know this contribution is only pennies,” Sarah wrote, “but we are a working-class family of little means, and this is my daughter’s greatest treasure. Please send it where it can help someone.” The little girl was content to wait for the doll if it meant helping those New Yorkers.      When word of Jayde’s big heart got to Mattel, Inc., Barbie’s manufacturer, the company sent her 17 Barbies and accessories in a box that was taller than she is. Moments later, Jayde drew out the Jo March Barbie doll (based on a character in the book Little Women) and ran to Sarah. “This is the doll, Mommy. This is the Barbie I want to give the little girl who lost her daddy,” she said, referring to a firefighter’s four-year-old daughter whom she’d seen on TV. Jayde’s parents were able to track down the girl and send the doll so it would arrive on her birthday.      As hotel bellhop John Barnes rode home from work on the subway, he heard Jayde’s story, and it brought him to tears. He sent her another Barbie.      “I love you! The doll you sent is beautiful,” Jayde told him on the phone.      New York police officer Tom Janow sent Jayde NYPD badges along with another Barbie. He told her that it’s little girls like her that make this country great. And even more dolls arrived—police officers, firefighters, and ordinary citizens sent Jayde 46 Barbies along with other toys and gifts!      Jayde and Sarah gave all the Barbies away to families grieving September 11 losses and to other needy children. Sarah contacted families to determine which Barbie fit best with each child. If there was a boy in the family, she sent another toy for him. Three dolls went to three girls in Washington State whose mother was a passenger on one of the planes that crashed into the World Trade Center. Four went to sisters in Arizona who lost an aunt on one of the hijacked planes. Eight others she gave to Toys for Tots, to be distributed locally.      Jayde’s generosity has inspired her sisters, who have raised money to help others by doing chores. “Her spirit is much bigger than her little body,” Sarah says. “She gave away her greatest treasure, and she is my greatest treasure.”—By Carolyn Campbell, Signs of the Times, September 2002. Quote: “A writer in an Australian paper says: ‘Religion is not dead; it is only sleeping.’ St. Paul represents that sort of sleep and death as not far from identical. ‘Awake thou that sleepest, arise from the dead!’ True religion never sleeps. Religious people, exhausted, stupefied by carbonic-acid gas, or lulled by the droning voice of a dull speaker, may go to sleep in church; but their religion never goes to sleep. Religion is life and power. A sleeping church is a dead church.”—N.Y Christian Advocate, Signs of the Times, January 20, 1890. *************************** FREE! This year marks the 500th anniversary of the beginning of the Protestant Reformation. Signs of the Times has created a special issue on the impact made by Martin Luther. For a free sample copy, CLICK HERE! (Offer good in the US and Canada. Please respond by July 17, 2017.) ***************************      Ten-year-old Bob trembled as he stood before the teacher, holding an examination paper she had handed back to him. His entire appearance expressed his disappointment and discouragement with his achievement. Winking back the tears, he looked up at his teacher wistfully as he said, “There won’t be any examinations in heaven, will there?”      With tears in her own eyes, the teacher replied, “No, Bob, not the kind you are thinking of.” As he left, she thought of his record in heaven. He tried so hard! Surely he was making a good record in those books up there, even if her grade book did have a list of failures after his name. She wondered, too, if she would pass her heavenly examination with as good a record as Bob’s.     Yes, there are examinations in heaven. When we hand in our papers here, an imperfect human teacher judges their worth. There God Himself, who never makes a mistake, will judge our records.      When this final examination day comes, there is a way by which we may be sure we will be found acceptable before God. Peter said, “Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord.” Acts 3:19—By Helen Marquardt, Present Truth, Vol. 26, No. 18. Quote: “I would rather be right than President.”—By Henry Clay, Our Times, July 1950. *************************** CLICK HERE to see the largest selection of resources for giving Bible Studies. ***************************      Two businessmen were chatting in the lobby of a hotel in old Hong Kong. One was a youngish-looking, keen-eyed, ruddy-countenanced young man; the other a portly, middle-aged English gentleman.      “So you have come over here to the Orient to trade?” the older man inquired of the young sea captain. “Step into the bar and we will have a drink while you tell me more about your plans.”      “Sorry, sir,” the young captain replied, with courteous emphasis. “I never frequent bars, and I use no alcoholic beverages.”      The portly man raised his eyebrows, and a cynical smile crept over his round florid face as he remarked, “You mean you are entering the trade without whiskey and rum?”      “Yes, sir, I mean just that.”      “Do you think you will be able to do business over here without taking your friends and business acquaintances into the saloon for a friendly drink? If that is your plan, God help you!”      “God will help me,” the young man answered, without hesitation.      And God did help that young man, for in after years Robert Dollar had a fleet of vessels of his own, and they traversed the seven seas with their cargoes.      Captain Robert Dollar was the president of the Dollar Line, with offices in his own building overlooking San Francisco Bay, where from his window he could see his vessels loading, and unloading, coming, going with their precious cargoes. He was a clean man who found time every day to read his Bible. He did not stoop to questionable practices to get business. He sacrificed no principle to make friends or to turn trade his way. He was faithful to his friends, true to principle, and loyal to his God. And God wonderfully blessed him and his business. So many feel today that we cannot mix religion and business. If we cannot do so, there is something wrong either with our business or with our religion.—By C. L. Paddock, Our Times, September 1947. Quote: “The gospel is not an old, old story, freshly told. It is a fire in the Spirit, fed by the flame of Immortal Love; and woe unto us, if, through our negligence to stir up the Gift of God which is within us, that fire burns low.”—By Dr. R. Moffat Gautrey, These Times, December 1966. *************************** CLICK HERE to see the largest collection of Adventist eBooks! *************************** Face the Sun!      Don’t hunt for troubles—but look for success;      You’ll find what you look for, don’t look for distress;      If you see but your shadow, remember, I pray,      That the sun is still shining, but you’re in the way.      Don’t grumble, don’t bluster, don’t dream, and don’t shirk;      Don’t think of your worries, but think of your work.      The worries will vanish, the work will be done;      No man sees his shadow who faces the sun.—Author Unknown, These Times, August 1966. *************************** Compiled by Dale Galusha. 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