Monday, May 30, 2016

HONEST HEART



There is an old legend of a monk who, when assailed by the devil in a low & immoral theater, asked the devil how he could be so bold as to tempt a servant of the Lord.

The devil answered, "What business has a servant of the Lord in my territory?"

- (moreillustrations.com)

Js 1:14 (ESV): “But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire.”

“One of the best results of temptation is that it shows us what is in our hearts.” - A.B. Simpson.

“An honest heart seeks to please God in all things and offend Him in none.” - A.W. Pink.

Sunday, May 29, 2016

TEMPTATION



Marco Polo, the famous medieval traveler, tells of a great desert near the town of Lop where evil spirits lured travelers to destruction by means of an extraordinary delusion.

If a traveler had fallen behind the caravan & was by himself, he would hear his name called in a familiar tone of voice. Thinking it was the voice of a companion or a friend; he would leave the road & follow the voice & so perish.

Probably no such place as Marco Polo describes ever existed. Nevertheless, what he relates is a parable which describes the temptation of a friend.

The temptations which come to us through friendship are often the most dangerous.

- (moreillustrations.com)

1 Cor 10: 13 (CEV): “You are tempted in the same way that everyone else is tempted. But God can be trusted not to let you be tempted too much, and he will show you how to escape from your temptations.”

“Ability to resist temptation is directly proportionate to your submission to God.” - Ed Cole.

Friday, May 27, 2016

TAKE HEED



“It was a bright Sunday morning in 18th century London, but Robert Robinson’s mood was anything but sunny.

All along the street there were people hurrying to church, but in the midst of the crowd, Robinson was a lonely man. The sound of church bells reminded him of years past when his faith in God was strong & the church was an integral part of his life. 

It had been years since he set foot in a church - years of wandering, disillusionment & gradual defection from the God he once loved. That love for God - once fiery & passionate - had slowly burned out within him, leaving him dark & cold inside.

Robinson heard the clip-clop, clip-clop of a horse-drawn cab approaching behind him. Turning, he lifted his hand to hail the driver. But then, he saw that the cab was occupied by a young woman dressed in finery for the Lord’s Day, he waved the driver on; however, the woman in the carriage ordered the carriage to be stopped.

“Sir, I’d be happy to share this carriage with you,” she said to Robinson. “Are you going to church?”

Robinson was about to decline & then he paused. “Yes,” he said at last. “I am going to church.” He stepped into the carriage & sat down beside the young woman.

As the carriage rolled forward, Robert Robinson & the woman exchanged introductions. There was a flash of recognition in her eyes when he stated his name. “That’s an interesting coincidence,” she said, reaching into her purse. She withdrew a small book of inspirational verse, opened it to a ribbon bookmark & handed the book to him. “I was just reading a verse by a poet named Robert Robinson. Could it be…?”

He took the book, nodding. “Yes, I wrote these words years ago.”

“Oh, how wonderful!” she exclaimed. “Imagine! I’m sharing a carriage with the author of these very lines!”

But Robinson barely heard her. He was absorbed in the words he was reading. They were words that would one day be set to music & become a great hymn of the faith, familiar to generations of Christians:

Come, Thou Fount of every blessing,
Tune my heart to sing Thy grace’
Streams of mercy, never ceasing,
Call for songs of loudest praise.

His eyes slipped to the bottom of the page where he read:

Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it-
Prone to leave the God I love;
Here’s my heart, O take and seal it,
Seal it for Thy courts above.

He could barely read the last few lines through the tears that brimmed in his eyes. “I wrote these words - and I’ve lived these words. ‘Prone to wander…prone to leave the God I love.’”

The woman suddenly understood.

“You also wrote, ‘Here’s my heart, O take and seal it.’ You can offer your heart again to God, Mr. Robinson. It’s not too late.”

And it wasn’t too late for Robert Robinson. In that moment, he turned his heart back to God & walked with Him the rest of his days.

Source: 'Courage to Begin Again' by Ron Lee Davis (ministry127.com)

1 Cor 10:12 (KJV): “Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.”

Thursday, May 26, 2016

A LIE



The story is told of four high school boys who couldn’t resist the temptation to skip morning classes. After lunch they showed up at school & reported to the teacher that their car had a flat tire.

Much to their relief, she smiled & said, “Well, you missed a quiz this morning, so take your seats and get out a pencil & paper.”

Still smiling, she waited as they settled down and got ready for her questions. Then she said, “First question - which tire was flat?”

- (ministry127.com)

1 Cor 3:19 (KJ21): “For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written: “He taketh the wise in their own craftiness.”

“If I speak what is false, I must answer for it; if truth, it will answer for me.” - Thomas Fuller.

UNITY


(Mat 13:39: "The enemy ... is the devil... ")

If there is one thing more than another required in the Church of God today, it is that we present a united front to the enemy. There is a great need of aggressive unity.

Just before the battle of Trafalgar, Nelson inquired of Admiral Collingwood where his captain was & learned that he & Captain Rotherham were not on good terms with each other.

Sending a boat for the captain, he placed the hands of Collingwood & Rotherham together, pointed to the enemy's ships & earnestly looking them both in the face, he uttered the simple words: “Look, yonder is the enemy.”

It was enough; disagreements were forgotten & victory was gained.

- Hy Pickering (moreillustrations.com)

“God cares nothing about our man-made divisions and groups and is not interested in our self-righteous, hair-splitting, and religious, man-made formulas and organizations. He wants you to recognize the UNITY of the Body of Christ.” - M.R. DeHaan.

Tuesday, May 24, 2016

TRUTH VERSUS FOOD



At the battle of Bothwell Brig, the ammunition of the Covenanters ran out. They were waiting for a barrel of bullets, but instead, a barrel of raisins was sent to them. So they sat down in defeat.

Today, as then, the soldiers of Jesus Christ must have less confectionery and more of the Truth of God. So you must “stand strong, with the belt of truth tied around your waist….” (Eph. 6. 14)

- (moreillustrations.com)

1 Cor 6:13 (MSG): “You know the old saying, “First you eat to live, and then you live to eat”? Well, it may be true that the body is only a temporary thing, but that’s no excuse for stuffing your body with food,…”

Monday, May 23, 2016

NEVER GIVE UP




Two frogs fell into a tub of cream. One looked at the high sides of the tub which were too difficult to crawl over & said, “It is hopeless.” So he resigned himself to death, relaxed & sank to the bottom.

The other one determined to keep swimming as long as he could. “Something might happen,” he said. He kept kicking & churning & finally he found himself on a solid platform of butter & jumped to safety.

Source: Nelson’s Complete Book of Stories, Illustrations & Quotes - Robert Morgan. (ministry127.com)

“No one is to be despaired of as long as he breathes. While there is life there is hope.” - Desiderius Erasmus.

“Do not look to your hope, but to Christ, the source of your hope.” -  Charles Spurgeon.

Lam 3:25 (ICB): “The Lord is good to those who put their hope in him. He is good to those who look to him for help.”

Sunday, May 22, 2016

CHURCH ATTENDANCE



Have you ever heard the story about the man who became president of the United States for a day?

President James Polk spent his last day as president on March 3, 1849, and at midnight, Polk was out of office. But his successor, Gen. Zachary Taylor, a staunch church goer, refused to be sworn in on March 4, 1849 because it was a Sunday.

He said, “Going to church was a higher priority than becoming president of the United States.”

He postponed his inauguration until Monday, March 5. So for one day, US Senator David Atchison of Missouri was president pro tempore of the US.

Can you think of anything more important than becoming president of the US?

Zachary Taylor could – it was going to church.

Source: Paul Harvey News & Wikipedia (ministry127.com)

Heb 10:25 (CEV): “Some people have gotten out of the habit of meeting for worship, but we must not do that. We should keep on encouraging each other, especially since you know that the day of the Lord’s coming is getting closer.”

“Church attendance is as vital to a disciple as a transfusion of rich, healthy blood to a sick man.” -  D.L. Moody.

Friday, May 20, 2016

HYPOCRISY



The disgruntled fisherman at the club lifted his voice & complained loudly. He protested against the trickery of his two companions on the trip.

"It was agreed," He explained, "before we started, that the one who caught the first fish must stand treat to a supper. Now, you'd hardly believe it, but it's a fact that when we got to fishing, both those fellows deliberately refused to pull in their lines when they had bites, just so I'd be stuck."

"That was a mean trick," one of the auditors asserted sympathetically. "How much did the supper cost you?"

The fisherman relaxed slightly. "Oh," he explained, "it wasn't as bad as that. You see, I didn't have any bait on my hook."

-(moreillustrations.com)

“Do not be deceived; happiness and enjoyment do not lie in wicked ways.” -  Isaac Watts.

Ps 15:1&4 (GNT): “Lord, who may enter your Temple?…. those who always do what they promise, no matter how much it may cost.”


Thursday, May 19, 2016

HUMILITY



A man can counterfeit love, he can counterfeit faith, he can counterfeit hope & all the other graces, but it is very difficult to counterfeit humility.

You soon detect mock humility. They have a saying among the Arabs that as the tares & the wheat grow they show which God has blessed.

The ears that God has blessed bow their heads & acknowledge every grain & the more fruitful they are the lower their heads are bowed.

The tares lift up their heads erect, high above the wheat, but they are only fruitful of evil.

If we only get down low enough, God will use us to His glory.

- D. L. Moody (moreillustrations.com)

Pro 18:12 (ERV): “A proud person will soon be ruined, but a humble person will be honored.”

“The only humility that is really ours is not that which we try to show before God in prayer, but that which we carry with us in our daily conduct. - Andrew Murray.

 “The best definition of humility I ever heard was this - to think rightly of ourselves.” - Charles Spurgeon. 
            

Wednesday, May 18, 2016

CHEATING OURSELVES



Dr. J. Wilbur Chapman tells the story of a philanthropist who bade a contractor, who had been very unfortunate, build him a dwelling & gave him authority to choose the material & to govern every part of its construction.

At last the house was finished, but the contractor had felt that this was an opportunity for him to recover some of his lost fortune & had put into it the poorest material & the faultiest of work.

When the house was finished the philanthropist said, "This house is for you & your family & you can live in it as long as you please. It is yours forever," and then the poor man realized that he had built a house in which he himself must live.

He thought he was cheating the other man, but he had really been cheating himself.

- R. Cameron. (moreillustrations.com)

Lev 19:11(GNT): “Do not steal or cheat or lie.”

“He that is cheated twice by the same man is an accomplice with the cheater.” -  Thomas Fuller.

Tuesday, May 17, 2016

THE OBEDIENCE OF A DOG



Archibald Rutledge tells about a man who worked in one of the great forests of the South. His faithful dog burned to death in a great fire that had swept through the forest.

Rutledge said the little dog had been left under a tree to guard his master’s dinner pail and wouldn’t leave it even when the flames roared around him. The worker was brokenhearted when he found the charred remains of his little friend.

With tears streaming down his face, he said: “I always had to be careful what I told him to do, because I knew he would do it.”

This and more, is the kind of obedience to which Christ has called us.

From ‘Basic Bible Sermons on Philippians’ - J. B. Fowler (ministry127.com)           

Isa 1:3 (TLB): “Even the animals - the donkey and the ox - know their owner and appreciate his care for them, but not my people Israel. No matter what I do for them, they still don’t care.”

“Your faith level is determined by your obedience level.” - Jack Hyles.

WHAT ARE YOU?



A wise man of the Orient once remarked, "There are 3 kinds of people in all types of organizations - rowboat people, sailboat people & steamboat people.

Rowboat people need to be pushed along.

Sailboat people move when a favorable wind is blowing.

Steamboat people move continuously, through calm or storm. They usually are masters of themselves, their surroundings & their fate.

- Dr. Charles L. Lapp & Dr. John W. Bowyer (moreillustrations.com)

“Occasions do not make a man either strong or weak, but they show what he is.” - Thomas a Kempis.

Pro 24:10 (GNT): “If you are weak in a crisis, you are weak indeed.”

2 Tim 1:7 (NIRV): “God gave us his Spirit. And the Spirit doesn’t make us weak and fearful. Instead, the Spirit gives us power and love. He helps us control ourselves.”

Sunday, May 15, 2016

BACKSLIDING - NOT SUDDEN




The Bible says: “The person who has God’s approval will live by faith. But if he turns back, I will not be pleased with him.” (Heb 10:38 NOG)

There is really no such thing as a sudden fall. Oh! The last step is only the last of a series of steps. I believe there are always many steps before a child of God reaches the verge of the precipice.

I believe, further, that even when the edge of the precipice is reached, very few jump over. Most of them slide down, slowly at first & it is so easy, so gentle, so effortless, so natural, so pleasant, that, alas! Alas! They seem to enjoy the sensation.

 It is only when the pace begins to accelerate terribly, it is only when control is slipping away, that this pleasant enjoyment gives way to anxiety & alarm.

- (moreillustrations.com)

“The Christian life is very much like climbing a hill of ice. You cannot slide up. You have to cut every step with an ice axe. Only with incessant labor in cutting and chipping can you make any progress. If you want to know how to backslide, leave off going forward. Cease going upward and you will go downward of necessity. You can never stand still.” -  Charles Spurgeon.

Friday, May 13, 2016

OBEDIENCE



Roger Staubach, who led the Dallas Cowboys to the Super Bowl victory in 1971, admitted that his position as a quarterback who didn’t call his own signals was a source of trial for him.

Coach Landry sent in every play. He told Roger when to pass, when to run & only in emergency situations could he change the play. Even though Roger considered Coach Landry to have a “genius mind” when it came to football strategy, pride said that he should be able to run his own team.

Roger had a decision to make. Would he allow pride to rule his life & ignore his coach, making himself the star? Or would he listen to the coach & do what he wanted?

Roger later said, “I faced up to the issue of obedience. Once I learned to obey there was harmony, fulfillment & victory.”

- (ministry127.com)

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

“Our Lord told His disciples that love and obedience were organically united. The final test of love is obedience.” - A.W. Tozer.

“Obedience to God must never be delayed.” - Zac Poonen.

Thursday, May 12, 2016

A FORGIVING WIFE OUTSHINES HER ARTIST HUSBAND



The English artist George Romney fell in love & married a young lady, but then left her so that he could pursue his career wholeheartedly; although he did support her financially.

His paintings brought him much income, but he eventually became too old to work & went back to his wife who took care of him until he passed away.

The spirit that his wife showed in caring for him was worth more than all the paintings he ever produced.

From ‘Heartwarming Bible Illustrations’ - Richard A. Steele Jr. & Evelyn Stoner (ministry127.com)

“God's mercy to us is the motivation for showing mercy to others. Remember, you will never be asked to forgive someone else more than God has forgiven you.” - Rick Warren.

Mat 6:15 (NIV): “But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.”

“I firmly believe a great many prayers are not answered because we are not willing to forgive someone.” - D.L. Moody.

THE MERCIFUL



Mat 5:7 (WEB): "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy."

When William Ewart Gladstone (former British Prime Minister) was Chancellor of the Exchequer, he sent down to the Treasury for certain statistics upon which to base his budget proposals.

The statistician made a mistake. But Gladstone was so sure of this man's accuracy that he did not take time to verify his figures.

He went before the House of Commons and made his speech, basing his appeal on the incorrect figures that had been given him.

His speech was no sooner published than the newspapers exposed its glaring inaccuracies.

Mr. Gladstone was naturally overwhelmed with embarrassment. He went to his office and sent at once for the statistician who was responsible for his humiliating situation.

The man came full of fear and shame, certain that he was going to lose his position.

But instead, Gladstone said: "I know how much you must be disturbed over what has happened, and I have sent for you to put you at your ease. For a long time you have been engaged in handling the intricacies of the national accounts, and this is the first mistake that you have made. I want to congratulate you, and express to you my keen appreciation."

It took a big man to do that, big with the bigness of the truly merciful.

- Henry Durbanville (moreillustrations.com)

Eph 4:32 (NET): "Instead, be kind to one another, compassionate, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ also forgave you."

Tuesday, May 10, 2016

BE ON GOD’S SIDE



During the civil war Abraham Lincoln met with a group of ministers for a prayer breakfast. One of the ministers said, “Mr. President, let us pray that God is on our side”.

Lincoln’s response showed far greater insight, “No, gentlemen, let us pray that we are on God’s side.”

- (ministry127.com)

Jos 5:13-14 (GNT): While Joshua was near Jericho, he suddenly saw a man standing in front of him, holding a sword. Joshua went up to him and asked, “Are you one of our soldiers, or an enemy?”  “Neither,” the man answered. “I am here as the commander of the LORD's army.” Joshua threw himself on the ground in worship and said, “I am your servant, sir. What do you want me to do?”

2 Chro 16:9 (AMPC): “For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth to show Himself strong in behalf of those whose hearts are blameless toward Him…”

“We must learn to live on the heavenly side and look at things from above. To contemplate all things as God sees them, as Christ beholds them, overcomes sin, defies Satan, dissolves perplexities, lifts us above trials, separates us from the world and conquers fear of death.” - A.B. Simpson.

Monday, May 9, 2016

PROPER COMMUNICATION



Long ago, a woman who traveled abroad without her husband got to Paris & found a fabulous bracelet she’d been looking for. So she sent a wire back home saying,

“I have found this beautiful bracelet, one I’ve been looking for all my life. It only costs $7,500. Do you think I can buy it?”

Her husband wired back a short but firm reply, “No, price too high!” And he signed his name.

But in the transmission, the comma was left out & the message read, “No price too high.”

Oh, she was thrilled! Omitting that comma almost put that guy in a coma.

From ‘If I Should Die Before I Live’ - Joe LoMusio. (ministry127.com)

Col 4:6 (TLB):”Let your conversation be gracious as well as sensible, for then you will have the right answer for everyone.”

“Genuine good taste consists in saying much in few words, in choosing among our thoughts, in having order and arrangement in what we say, and in speaking with composure.” - Francois Fenelon.

Sunday, May 8, 2016

HATRED



There are two ways of dealing with your enemies - the wrong way, the way that Haman took toward Mordecai; and the right way, the way that Joseph took toward his brethren who had sold him into slavery.

Let us consider the wrong way, or how not to get the best of our enemies.

Haman built a gallows 50 cubits high on which to hang his enemy, Mordecai. In the early morning light, passersby in the city of Shushan saw a body dangling from a gallows 50 cubits high & the vultures already circling around it.

But it was not the body of Mordecai, for whom Haman had built the gallows, but the body of Haman himself. He was a victim of hate & revenge - not another's, but his own.

Yet it is not without profit that you pause to look upon this sight; for since every soul can hate, every man has in him the making of a Haman.

- (moreillustrations.com)

“Hatred paralyzes life; love releases it. Hatred confuses life; love harmonizes it. Hatred darkens life; love illumines it.” - Martin Luther King, Jr.

1 John 2:9 (CEV): “If we claim to be in the light and hate someone, we are still in the dark.”

Saturday, May 7, 2016

WATER OF LIFE



Water is man's great necessity. Without it no child can thrive, no nation can exist.

What is the word that you hear from the lips of the traveler lost on the face of the scorched desert?
"Water!"


What is the word that you hear on the lips of the sick and feverish man as he tosses on his bed?
"Water!"


What is the piteous appeal and murmur that you hear on the lips of the wounded in battle as they lie on the field of carnage?
"Water."


How beautiful, then, is this metaphor, "the water of life"! As the body must have water, so the soul must have the water of life.

The Bible closes with an invitation to drink of that water. The invitation takes in everyone! "Whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely" (Rev. 22:17).

- (moreillustrations.com)

John 4:14 (ISV): "But whoever drinks the water that I will give him will never become thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become a well of water for him, springing up to eternal life.”

"The only lasting and fully satisfying joys for any man lie on the other side of the cross." - Walter J. Chantry.

Thursday, May 5, 2016

PERFECT LOVE CASTETH OUT FEAR



One day Bramwell Booth went to his aged father, William Booth (a British Methodist preacher who founded ‘The Salvation Army’ and became its first General) then groping for sight & told the old General that the doctors said they could do no more for his eyes.

"Do you mean that I am blind & must remain blind?"

"I fear it is so," said Bramwell.

"Shall I never see your face again?" asked the old man.

"No, probably not in this world."

The General moved out his hand until he felt & clasped the hand of his son. He said, "God must know best, Bramwell. I have done what I could for God and the people with my eyes. Now I shall do what I can for God and the people without my eyes."

- R. H. W. Shepherd. (moreillustrations.com)

“Do what you can and pray for what you cannot yet do.” - Augustine.

1 Cor 15:58 (NCV): “So my dear brothers and sisters, stand strong. Do not let anything move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your work in the Lord is never wasted.”

Wednesday, May 4, 2016

THE FAMILY



The evidence is convincing that the better our relationships are at home, the more effective we are in our careers.

If we’re having difficulty with a loved one, that difficulty will be translated into reduced performance on the job.

In studying the millionaires in America (U.S. News & World Report), a typical millionaire is an individual who has worked 8 to 10 hrs a day for 30 years & is still married to their one & only spouse.

A New York executive search firm, in a study of 1365 corporate vice presidents, discovered that 87% were still married to their one & only spouse & that 92% were raised in two-parent families.

Strengthen your family ties & you’ll enhance your opportunity to succeed.

- Zig Ziglar in ‘Homemade’ (ministry127.com)

Pro 14:26 (GNT): “Reverence for the LORD gives confidence and security to a man and his family.”

“The same Jesus who turned water into wine can transform your home, your life, your family, and your future. He is still in the miracle-working business, and His business is the business of transformation.” - Adrian Rogers.

Tuesday, May 3, 2016

TRAINING ARABIAN HORSES



Arabian horses are trained rigorously in the middle of eastern deserts. The horses must learn to fully obey their master.

This obedience is tested by depriving the horses of water for many days & then turning them loose near water. As the horses get to the edge of the water & just before they drink of the much needed water.

The trainer blows his whistle. If the horses have learned to obey they turn around & come back to the trainer who then gives them as much water as they need.

The trainer knows what his horses need & will not allow them to die of thirst, but they must trust him. God knows what His children need & wants to supply it, but we must trust & obey Him.

From ‘The One Year Men of the Bible’ - James Stuart Bell (ministry127.com)       

2 Kings 18:5 (TLB): “He (King Hezekiah) trusted very strongly in the Lord God of Israel. In fact, none of the kings before or after him were as close to God as he was.”

“My God will use his glorious riches to give you everything you need. He will do this through Christ Jesus.” – Paul (Phil 4:19 ERV)

Monday, May 2, 2016

GOOD LIFE



When the Master of Abbotsford, Sir Walter Scott, lay dying, he called for his son-in-law and biographer, Lockhart, and said to him,

"Lockhart, my dear son, be a good man. Be virtuous, be religious, be a good man. Nothing else will give you any comfort when you come to lie here."

- (moreillustrations.com)

Pro 14:32 (CJB):  “The wicked are brought down by their wrongdoing, but the righteous can be confident even at death.”

“Take care of your life and the Lord will take care of your death.” - George Whitefield.

THERE IS GRACE IN YIELDING



The boys of a junior high school were going to organize their basket ball team. All wanted to be the captain.

The argument became heated, only one boy, Robert, was willing to give up to someone else. He took the ball & entered the gym & practiced throwing for the goal, while the other boys argued in the hall.

After a half hour their coach appeared upon the scene & saw the situation. He said, "Well, we will settle it this way, each boy take ten throws for the basket & the one who makes it the greater number of times is captain."

"O. K.," they all had to agree.                                            

Robert came out on top & was appointed captain.

- Sunday School Times (moreillustrations.com)

Deu 28 :2 (NHEB): “And all these blessings shall come on you, and overtake you, if you shall listen to the voice of the LORD your God.”

“Conscience is the voice of God in the soul.” – James H Aughey.