Monday, February 29, 2016

PRINCIPLE OF SEPARATION



The story is told about a stage coach company was hiring teamsters to drive its stage coaches through a mountainous area. The local office manager had advertised for the position & people began to apply for the job.

As they were interviewed, the boss asked each applicant, “How close can you drive the team to the edge of the cliff as you round the mountain?” The first fellow replied that he was skilled enough that he could drive the stage coach within three feet of the edge of the cliff. The boss thanked him for his time & called in the next applicant.

In the course of the interview, the boss asked the next man the same question. He replied that he could drive the team & coach within one foot of the edge of the cliff. He likewise was thanked for his time & the next applicant was called in.

The boss asked this fellow the same question. He replied, “I would drive the coach as far from the edge of the cliff as I possibly could.” He got the job!

This story clearly illustrates the biblical principle of separation. There is great wisdom in steering our kids as far from the edge of the world as possible.

- (ministry127.com)

“Separation to God, separation from the world, is the first principle of Christian living.” -  Watchman Nee.

Gen 18:19 (NIV):  “For I have chosen him, so that he will direct his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing what is right and just, so that the LORD will bring about for Abraham what he has promised him.”

Sunday, February 28, 2016

BEING TRUTHFUL



In the home of a pious farmer there hung the well-known verse: "But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." (Joshua 24:15)

The verse meant something in that house, for the farmer prayed daily that he & all might truly serve the Lord. But his oldest son persistently refused to accept Christ.

One day the father & son were alone in the room where the verse hung. The father said, "My dear Henry, I cannot & will not be a liar any longer. You, who belong to my house, do not want to serve the Lord. Therefore I must add the words `except Henry.' It hurts me to do it, but I must be true."

The thought so impressed the boy that he gave himself to Christ.

- Examiner (moreillustrations.com)

“It is easier to find a score of men wise enough to discover the truth than to find one bold enough, in the face of opposition, to stand up for it.” - A.A. Hodge.

“An honest heart loves the Truth.” -  A.W. Pink.

Friday, February 26, 2016

SLAPPED IN THE FACE FOR YEARS



A man said, "For years when I have bowed down in private prayer a certain incident in my life has been slapping me in the face."

The speaker was a man above 80 yrs of age. He was a man of wealth. He had given thousands to missions & the cause of education. He was a liberal man. But there was a little sand on the journal, which caused a slight friction.

This is his story as related with his own lips. "Years ago I bought some hay from a neighbor. It was weighed & I gave the man the totals. Before the account was settled, the man died. I went to the administrator & asked if he had any account against me & he found nothing & I gave the claim no further attention. 

The matter has put a shadow on my life for years & has hindered & impeded my spiritual progress. Tomorrow morning first thing I am going to the widow & settle the account in full.”

Best of all, he did it. A new light broke over his face. The controversy was over. He had liberty again. His testimony rang clear & true. That which had been slapping him in the face was gone.

 - The King's Business. (moreillustrations.com)

Proverbs 28:13 (GNB): “You will never succeed in life if you try to hide your sins. Confess them and give them up; then God will show mercy to you.”

“Happy is the man who renounces everything which may bring a stain or burden upon his conscience.” -  Thomas a Kempis.

Thursday, February 25, 2016

THINGS THAT ‘SINK’ US



A personal friend of that quaint Methodist preacher, Peter Mackenzie, was telling me a story about him the other day.

Some years before his death he was in a railway accident, the effects of which seemed likely to end his singularly useful public life. When he was a little better, a trusted friend & adviser urged him to make a claim for damages.

After a time he consented & fixed the amount of compensation to be asked for. His friend strongly protested that the amount was not half of what he ought to ask & less than half of what he could get.

Mr. Mackenzie refused to put it higher. "It is enough," he held; then, looking his friend solemnly in the face, he said in his own characteristic way: "Eh, mon, but I shall have to cross the Jordan one day, cross the Jordan; and if I have a sixpence then that was badly gotten, it will sink me, it will sink me!"

 - The Wonderful Word. (moreillustrations.com)

Rev 21:27 (GNB): “But nothing that is impure will enter the city, or anyone who does shameful things or tells lies. Only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of the living will enter the city.”

“I believe that a great number of people are going to die and go to hell because they're counting on their religiosity in the church instead of their relationship with Jesus to get them to heaven. They give lip service to repentance and faith, but they've never been born again.” - Adrian Rogers.


Wednesday, February 24, 2016

CAUGHT BY HIS 'GENEROSITY'



It is said that a Covington grocer once met his match.

He purchased a table castor for one dollar. Then he marked it with a tag inscribed "$14" & gave it to a Methodist minister whose church his family attended.

The next day the minister brought the castor back to the grocer & said to him, "I am far too poor to display on my table so valuable a castor as this & if you have no objection I should like to return it & take $14 worth of groceries for my family in its stead."

The merchant could do nothing but comply.

- Earnest Worker. (moreillustrations.com)

“Carnal Christians tend to show off their differences and superiorities in clothing, speech or deeds. They desire to shock people into recognition of all their undertakings.” - Watchman Nee.

Rom 8:6-7 (KJV): “For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.”

Tuesday, February 23, 2016

HONESTY


When Grover Cleveland was a boy, he insisted upon returning the egg that a neighbor's hen daily laid on the Cleveland side of the fence. Thus he began to give proof of the honesty that marked him as a man and as President of the United States.

Honesty in little things leads to honesty in matters of great importance. There are times when a fellow feels that it will do no harm to cheat a little. "No one will notice," he thinks. But even if no one else notices, the boy himself knows, and that compromise with dishonesty paves the way for still more crooked dealings.
The boy who has the ambition to win true success will be honest in every detail. He cannot afford to make any exception.

- Pioneer. (moreillustrations.com)

Proverbs 11:3-4 (GNB): “If you are good, you are guided by honesty. People who can't be trusted are destroyed by their own dishonesty. Riches will do you no good on the day you face death, but honesty can save your life.”

Monday, February 22, 2016

KEEPING PROMISES



President Lincoln was not only known as "Honest Abe"; he was also known as one who loved the truth.
One day he was visited by a gentleman who was in the habit of making promises without keeping them. He coaxed one of the Lincoln boys to sit on his lap by promising to give him the charm he wore on his watch-chain.  The child climbed into his lap.

Finally the gentleman arose to go, when Mr. Lincoln said to him, "Are you going to keep your promise to my boy?"

"What promise?" said the visitor.

"You said you would give him that charm."

"Oh, I could not," said the visitor. "It is not only valuable, but I prize it as an heirloom."

"Give it to him!" said Mr. Lincoln sternly. "I would not want him to know I entertained one who had no regard for his word."

The gentleman undid the charm and handed it to the boy, and went away with a lesson which he was not likely soon to forget.

- Mabel Reynolds Makepeace. (moreillustrations.com)

“Now my time has come to die. Every one of you knows in his heart and soul that the Lord your God has given you all the good things that he promised. Every promise he made has been kept; not one has failed.” – Joshua (Josh 23:14).

“The future is as bright as the promises of God.” – William Carey.

A FEW CENTS



In a little country store in Illinois, there was a tall country boy serving as a clerk. One day an old woman came into the store to buy some goods. She handed the clerk a bill & he took the money due him & gave the change back to her.

That night when he balanced his cash book, he found he had a few cents more than he should have had. He went back in his mind over all his sales of the day & he remembered how much change he had given the old lady that morning. He had failed to give her as much as he should have done. Those few pennies belonged to her.

He put on his hat, closed the store & walked several miles to return the pennies to the old woman. This country boy was Abraham Lincoln, who, as you know, later became President of the United States.

-(moreillustrations.com)                                       

Jesus said: “Whoever is faithful in small matters will be faithful in large ones; whoever is dishonest in small matters will be dishonest in large ones.” (Luke 16:10 GNB).

“A wife who is 85% faithful to her husband is not faithful at all. There is no such thing as part-time loyalty to Jesus Christ.” - Vance Havner.

Saturday, February 20, 2016

INTOXICATION



Drunkenness is a matter of choice. In fact, many small choices lead to the state of intoxication. A person must choose to let alcohol continuously pass his lips & must choose to swallow.

At the first sign of light-headedness, the wise person abstains, but the potential drunk chooses to continue until reaching the point of intoxication.

There are other forms of intoxication. We can easily get drunk on bitterness, jealousy, lust or pride. As with drinking alcohol, this intoxication is a matter of choice – lots of small choices.

We choose to let our self-centered thoughts turn into bitterness or jealousy. Then, instead of abstaining, we entertain bad-thought after bad-thought & in no time we are intoxicated with hatred, anger & revenge.

Similarly we become drunk with pride, lust, arrogance & power. Then, as with all drunks, it will not be long before we are making fools of ourselves & hurting those we love.

The truth is, from time to time, we all have these thoughts (the Bible says we are liars if we say we don’t). So at the first sign of intoxication, the wise person abstains by confessing those thoughts to God & starts afresh with a sober mind.

- (freechristianillustrations.com)

1 John 1:8-9 (GNB): “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and there is no truth in us. But if we confess our sins to God, he will keep his promise and do what is right: he will forgive us our sins and purify us from all our wrongdoing.”


Thursday, February 18, 2016

GOD - A PATIENT FATHER



A wealthy man had a son whom he loved very much.  He constantly showered him with gifts.  He spent every moment of the day teaching & caring for his son.  But as the boy grew into manhood, he turned away from his father & soon came to despise him - yet his father continued to support him in the hope that he would come around. 

He paid his bills, furnished him with a mansion & wrote to him daily.  Instead of being thankful, the son ripped up the letters, ended all contact & cursed anyone who dared mention his father’s name in conversation.  However, the son never stopped taking his father’s financial support.

Sadly, the ungrateful son illustrates humanity.  God is our heavenly Father & many of us imitate the son’s attitude.  God spends every moment with us:  giving, teaching & caring - yet, many turn away.

In spite of this, God still continues to support us with the desire that we will come around.  He has paid our bills (Christ on the cross) and written to us (the Bible).  We may curse God - but isn’t it ironic that we still expect Him to continue supporting us - which, as the loving Father, He does.

“Then I remember something that fills me with hope. The LORD’s kindness never fails! If he had not been merciful, we would have been destroyed. The LORD can always be trusted to show mercy each morning.” - (Lam 3:21-23 CEV).

- (freechristianillustrations.com)

DEFICIENCY



When our bodies lack certain vitamins there will soon be signs of those deficiencies.  Lack of vitamin A causes night blindness.  Lack of vitamin B causes blemished skin, hair loss & insomnia.  Lack of vitamin C causes bleeding gums, loose teeth, muscle aches, dry hair & skin.  Lack of vitamin D causes weak bones.

When our soul lacks the intake of God’s Word it won’t be long before we see outward signs of depression, bitterness, selfishness, arrogance & so on. 

God’s Word produces virtue, a sense of purpose, a relaxed mental attitude, inner strength, beauty & happiness.  Without it we shouldn’t be surprised when our soul is deficient – lacking meaning & causing a huge cavity that we constantly try to fill with all sorts of meaningless worldly rubbish.

When deficient in something, the smart thing to do is identify what is missing & remedy it. 

- (freechristianillustrations.com)

Luke 4:4 (NKJV): But Jesus answered him, saying, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.’”

Tuesday, February 16, 2016

UNION AND LIBERTY



Back of the platform of Faneuil Hall, Boston stands a large painting of Webster's debate with Hayne, inscribed, "Union and Liberty, one and inseparable, now and forever."

I was present when old General William Booth, founder of the Salvation Army, once made an address in Faneuil Hall. His conclusion was dramatic.

Turning to the painting, he said, "'Union and liberty' - union with Christ & liberty from sin - 'one and inseparable, now and forever."'

The one safeguard against sin's bondage is union with the living Christ. There is no spiritual liberty apart from this union.

 - Teacher's Quarterly. (moreillustrations.com)

 “Nothing harms or destroys us but the wrong use of that liberty of choice which God has entrusted to us.” - William Law.

Gala 5:1 (KJV): “Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.”

“Only what God has commanded in His word should be regarded as binding; in all else there may be liberty of actions.” - John Owen.

Monday, February 15, 2016

THE WISDOM OF SILENCE



In one of Aesop’s Fables, a donkey walking through the woods finds the skin of a lion. Hunters had killed the lion & left the skin to dry in the sun. The donkey put on the lion’s skin & was delighted to discover that all the other animals were terrified of him & ran away when he appeared.

Rejoicing in his newfound respect, the donkey brayed his happiness - only to give himself away by his voice. The moral of the fable was clear: fine clothes may disguise, but silly words will disclose a fool.

In our day of social broadcasting it seems that anyone can become famous by disclosing every embarrassing part of his life to the world on TV or the Internet. Yet what is truly gained by such “entertainment”?

People may sit at home & laugh at the folly of those who hold nothing back, but they are diminished in the process. This produces a corrosive effect because it encourages people to share more & more when they have less & less to offer.

Rather than being compelled to tell everyone we meet everything, we should remember that one of wisdom’s best qualities is the ability to hold the tongue.

“A fool uttereth all his mind: but a wise man keepeth it in till afterwards.” - Pro 29:11.

- (ministry127.com)

Sunday, February 14, 2016

LOVING GOD



Joseph T. Larsen in one of his tracts tells of a minister who went to Philadelphia from Massachusetts. He later called up his wife at a cost of $1.35 just to tell her how much he loved her.

The wife was bewildered, wondering if he was sick. But, no, he simply wanted to tell her that he loved her still & to the extent that he could not wait until he came home.

Do you ever tell God how much you love Him? Does He ever see you go to any expense to prove it?

- Finest of the Wheat. (moreillustrations.com)

Jesus said, “If you love me, you will obey my commandments.” (John 14:15 GNB)

 “As long as you want anything very much, especially more than you want God, it is an idol.” - A.B. Simpson.

Friday, February 12, 2016

FINDING THE TRUTH



George Washington Carver became one of the most honored & respected scientists of his generation by focusing on the very simple peanut. Eventually he would discover some 300 uses for this most basic & seemingly insignificant common food. Carver attributed all of his scientific discoveries to God.

He once said that he had asked God to explain the universe to him, but that he felt God saying that was too large a task. When he asked for something he could handle, Carver said that God directed his attention to the peanut.

His focus & search for value produced amazing results. Carver never doubted that God was rewarding his faith & effort. He said, “Without God to draw aside the curtain I would be helpless.”

In a day when many people deny that truth even exists as an absolute reality, those of us who know God need to be more focused than ever on seeking for it. Truth is not an abstract concept that varies with time & place & can never be fully known. Truth is part of the very nature of God.

"It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honor of kings is to search out a matter." (Pro 25:2)

Source: ‘The Peanut Man’ - Harry Albus  (ministry127.com)

“All my life I have risen regularly at four o'clock and have gone into the woods and talked to God. There He gives me my orders for the day.” - George Washington Carver.

“No individual has any right to come into the world and go out of it without leaving something behind.”  - George Washington Carver.
 
               

Thursday, February 11, 2016

COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS!



The story is told of an old Navajo Indian who became rich when oil was found on his property. He took all the money & put it in a bank. His banker became familiar with the habits of this old gentleman.

Every so often, the Indian would show up at the bank & say to the banker, “Grass all gone, sheep all sick, water holes all dry.”

Without a word, the banker would take the old Indian into the vault; show him several bags of silver dollars & say, “All this is yours.”

The old man would spend about an hour stacking up the dollars & counting them. Then he’d return the bags to their places, come out of the vault & say, “Grass all green, sheep all well, water holes all full.”

It is amazing the change that comes over us when we simply review our resources and & count our blessings.

- (ministry127.com)

Ps 103:2 (ISV): “Bless the Lord, my soul and never forget any of his benefits.”

“Concentrate on counting your blessings and you'll have little time to count anything else.” - Woodrow Kroll.

THE DEVIL



“I saw the chamber of Luther, with the bed in which he slept, his wash basin & his desk - a notable desk, too, for on that desk Luther translated the New Testament into German.

On one of the walls of the room there is a place bare of plaster. It is the spot where Luther hurled his inkstand at the devil, whose fearful apparition he had seen. This may be but legend.

But there is no doubting the fact that by his translation of the New Testament into the language of the people, Luther did hurl an inkstand of considerable weight at the devil & all his works.”

- Clarence Macartney. (moreillustrations.com)

“Do you think the devil is impressed by anyone's Bible knowledge or degree-certificates? Not at all. Satan fears only holy, humble men and women who know God.” - Zac Poonen.

Js 4:7 (ISV): “Therefore, submit yourselves to God. Resist the devil and he will run away from you.”

Tuesday, February 9, 2016

A LETTER



Some time ago an 18-year-old girl from Washington State attended a worship service. For the first time in her life she heard the gospel message. The following Tuesday the members of the church received a letter from her. It read:

Dear Church Members,

Last Sunday I attended your church & I heard the preacher. In the sermon the preacher said that all men have sinned & rebelled against God. Because of their rebellion & disobedience they all face eternal damnation & separation from God.

But then he also said God loves man & sent His Son, Jesus Christ, into the world to redeem men from their sins & that all those who believe in Him would go to Heaven & live with God eternally.

My parents recently died in rapid succession. I know they did not believe in Jesus Christ, whom you call the Savior of the world. If what you believe is true, they are damned. You compel me to believe that either the message is true, that you yourself don't believe this message, or that you don't care. You see, we live only three blocks from your church & no one ever told us.

- (ministry127.com)

“The Christian that is bound by his own horizon, the church that lives simply for itself, is bound to die a spiritual death and sink into stagnancy and corruption. We never can thank God enough for giving us not only a whole Gospel to believe, but a whole world to give it to.” - A.B. Simpson.

Mar 16:15-16 (ISV): Then he (Jesus) told them, “As you go into all the world, proclaim the gospel to everyone. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever doesn’t believe will be condemned.”

His fellow soldiers trusted him



Dr. Will H. Houghton tells of a soldier who ultimately was made a Christian believer through seeing his companions make fun of another soldier who was a believer in Christ.

The thing that impressed him was the fact that, though they made fun of this man, they left their money in his possession for safekeeping.

- Sunday School Times. (moreillustrations.com)

Pro 28:20 (ISV): “The faithful man will prosper with blessings, but whoever is in a hurry to get rich will not escape punishment.”

“Every day you are witnessing. What are you witnessing to? Your witness is the total package of your attitudes, character, and actions. It does not lie.” - Winkie Pratney.

Sunday, February 7, 2016

GIVING TO THE LORD'S WORK



Henry Crowell contracted Tuberculosis as a boy. After hearing D. L. Moody preach, he prayed, “I can’t be a preacher, but I can be a good business man. God, if You will let me make money, I will use it in Your service.”

He later started the Quaker Oats company & consistently gave 60-70% of his income to the Lord’s work.

Source: ‘The One Year Book of Devotions for Men on the Go’ - Stephen, Pam & Bill  (ministry127.com)

“What makes the Dead Sea dead? Because it is all the time receiving, never giving out anything. Why is it that many Christians are cold? Because they are all the time receiving, never giving out anything.” -  D.L. Moody.

2 Cor 8:12 (NLT): “If you are really eager to give, it isn’t important how much you are able to give. God wants you to give what you have, not what you don’t have.”

“After giving something to God, you are no longer accountable for it. Your blessing is based on your giving, not on what others do with the gift.” - Ed Cole.

INVESTING TIME



Charles Francis Adams, son of President John Quincy Adams & grandson of President John Adams, kept a diary.

One day he entered: “Went fishing with my son today - a day wasted.”

His son, Brook Adams, also kept a diary, which is still in existence. On that same day, Brook Adams made this entry: “Went fishing with my father - the most wonderful day of my life!”

The father thought he was wasting time while fishing with his son, but his son saw it as an investment of time.
The only way to tell the difference between wasting & investing is to know one’s ultimate purpose in life & to judge accordingly.

- from: ‘Better Dads, Stronger Sons’ by Rick Johnson (ministry127.com)

1Ti 3:5 (ISV): “For if a man does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God’s church?”

“I believe the family was established long before the church, and my duty is to my family first. I am not to neglect my family.” - D.L. Moody.

Ecc 3:1 (NET): “For everything there is an appointed time, and an appropriate time for every activity on earth.”

Friday, February 5, 2016

FASTING



John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, refused to ordain anyone who did not fast two days in a week. It seems he felt that anyone who could not rule his own belly cannot be expected to rule the church.

Matt 17:21 (NHEB): “But this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting. “

“Fasting helps express, deepens, confirms the resolution that we are ready to sacrifice anything, even ourselves, to attain what we seek for the kingdom of God.” - Andrew Murray.

Joel 2:12 (GNB): “But even now,” says the LORD, “repent sincerely and return to me with fasting and weeping and mourning.”

Wednesday, February 3, 2016

NO LAUGHING MATTER



Edwin Cooper was famous across America, yet almost no one knew his real name. Coming from a family of circus clowns, Cooper began performing before audiences when he was just 9 yrs old.

After a stint with the Barnum & Bailey Circus, he became a fixture on television in the 1950s as Bozo, the Clown. In addition to entertaining both young & old, Cooper had a message for his “buddies & partners” - every week: get checked for cancer.

Yet Cooper was so busy working that he neglected to follow his own advice. By the time his cancer was discovered, it was too late for it to be treated. He died at just 41 yrs of age from a disease he had warned many others to watch out for.

Sin is far more deadly than the most aggressive & fast growing cancer. Sin kills & destroys everything it touches. When we regard sin as God does, we find nothing amusing or humorous about it. We will not make it the subject of the jokes we tell or those we hear. Seeing the price paid for our sin reminds us that it is no laughing matter.

- Reading Eagle. (ministry127.com)

“No, I keep on disciplining my body, making it serve me so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not somehow be disqualified.” – Paul (1Co 9:27 ISV).

COURAGE OF CONVICTION


Harry Shepler, a young man of whom the Sunday School Times tells, was in the signal service. Being ordered one morning by a sergeant to report for duty at the canteen, he refused to do so & the sergeant threatened to report him to the officer that day.

"All right," said Shepler, "go ahead. I did not enlist to be a bartender but a soldier & I will not report at the canteen."

He was duly reported to the major who sent for him. Shepler went with trembling knees & with a steady heart, for he knew he was right. The officer said to him, "Are you the young man who disobeyed orders this morning?"

"Yes, sir, I am."

"Why did you do it?"

"Simply because I do not believe it is right to do what I was asked to do. I enlisted to be a soldier & not a bartender."

The major arose quickly from his stool & extending his hand, said: "Shepler, you are the kind of man we want. I am glad to see a fellow who has the courage of his convictions. You are not obliged to report at the canteen."

- (moreillustrations.com)

Pro 15:1 (GNB): “A gentle answer quiets anger, but a harsh one stirs it up.”

“Soft words are hard arguments.” - Thomas Fuller.

Tuesday, February 2, 2016

ANSWERING A FOOL


Seeing John Wesley coming along the street one day, a man straddled the pavement and said to him: “I never get out of my way for a fool.”

“But I always do,” replied Wesley, as he stepped aside.

A fine illustration of fulfilling the command: “Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own estimation.” (Pro 26: 5 NET).

- (moreillustrations.com)

“Wisdom prepares for the worst, but folly leaves the worst for the day when it comes.” - Richard Cecil.

Pro 1:7 (ISV): “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.”