THE GREATER HONOR

The story is told of Dean Stanley, who offered to take two soldiers around Westminster Abbey, seeing they had come too late for the official guide to conduct them through the historic shrine.

Dean Stanley explained all he knew about the noble people whose names were inscribed on the walls & tablets & in brass letters on the floor.

As the soldiers were about to pass out of the gates, the saintly Dean said, "Now, lads, you may never do anything great enough for your country to keep your names in remembrance carved here in Westminster, but I can tell you of a greater honor than that of having your name in this old Abbey, that is, of having it written in the Lamb's Book of Life."

- (moreillustrations.com)

Rev 20:15 (ISV): “Anyone whose name was not found written in the Book of Life was thrown into the lake of fire.”

“It is very remarkable, that in the book of life, we find some almost of all kinds of occupations, who notwithstanding served God in their respective generations, and shone as so many lights in the world.” - George Whitefield.

TOO ‘GOOD’ FOR SOUL WINNING

A man in one of D.L. Moody’s meetings once testified that he had lived ‘on the Mount of Transfiguration’ for five years.

“How many souls did you lead to Christ last year?” Moody bluntly asked him.

“Well,” the man hesitated, “I don’t know.”

“Have you saved any?” Moody persisted.

“I don’t know that I have,” the man admitted.

“Well,” said Moody, “We don’t want that kind of mountain-top experience. When a man gets up so high that he cannot reach down & save poor sinners, there is something wrong.”

- (ministry127.com)         

Mk 13:10 (NCV): “But before these things happen, the Good News must be told to all people.”

“Let us return to the basic things of the Word of God and prayer and soul winning and revival. Let us pray, "O God, send a revival. Let it begin in me." - Lee Roberson. 

THINGS UNCHANGED, BUT…

A young girl who was dissatisfied with her home life & was always talking of her grievances & showing her discontent in voice, look & manner surprised a friend one day by her quick step, bright smile & happy voice.

"How are things at home?" asked the friend, thinking that some good news had made the change.

"Oh, everything is just the same, but I am different," was the reply.

The grace of God will make us new creatures in Christ Jesus.

- Christian Witness (moreillustrations.com)          

2 Cor 5:17 (GW): “Whoever is a believer in Christ is a new creation. The old way of living has disappeared. A new way of living has come into existence.”

Ps 119:165 (NLV): “Those who love Your Law have great peace, and nothing will cause them to be hurt in their spirit.”

BEAUTY

A missionary teacher of Tokyo tells of a Japanese woman who asked her if only beautiful girls were received into her school to be educated.

"No," was the reply, "we take all the girls who come to us."

"But," continued the woman, "all your girls seem to be very beautiful."

"We teach them the value of their souls in God's sight," explained the teacher, "and this makes their faces lovely."

"Well," said the woman, "I don't want my daughter to become a Christian, but I would like to send her to your school to get that look in her face."

- Christian Herald (moreillustrations.com) 

             

1 Pet 3:3-4 (ERV): “It is not fancy hair, gold jewelry, or fine clothes that should make you beautiful.  No, your beauty should come from inside you - the beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit. That beauty will never disappear. It is worth very much to God.”

Pro 15:13 (JUB): “A joyful heart makes a beautiful countenance, but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is abated.”

SAVED? FROM WHAT?

"The inner question of men's hearts for centuries has been, 'What must I do to be saved?'

Some think by attainment; God says by atonement.

Some declare by character; God says by the Cross.

Some maintain by courage; God says by Christ.

Some assert by trying; God says by trusting.

Christ's answer is crystal clear: 'You must be born again’ (John 3:3).”

- (moreillustrations.com)              

“If I was to ask you tonight if you were saved.  Do you say 'Yes, I am saved'. When? 'Oh so and so preached, I got baptized and...' Are you saved? What are you saved from, hell? Are you saved from bitterness? Are you saved from lust? Are you saved from cheating? Are you saved from lying? Are you saved from bad manners? Are you saved from rebellion against your parents? Come on, what are you saved from?” - Leonard Ravenhill.

DISHONESTY ALWAYS CATCHES UP WITH YOU

Just 5 days after accepting the position as head coach of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team in December of 2001, George O’Leary resigned in disgrace.

An investigation had revealed that more than 20 yrs before he had included false claims on his resume, including saying that he had lettered in football when he was not even on the team & that he had a master’s degree which he had not earned.

The lies had not been discovered at any of his previous coaching jobs, but the high profile accorded the position of coach at Notre Dame led to his exposure.

In a statement O’Leary said: “Due to a selfish & thoughtless act many years ago, I have personally embarrassed Notre Dame, its alumni & fans. With that in mind, I will resign my position as head football coach.”

Though a considerable amount of time passed between O’Leary’s deception & its discovery, it did come to light with devastating results. He had seemingly reached the heights of his profession, only to wake up & find it all taken away.

- (ministry127.com)

Bible says: “Sin and shame go together…” (Pro 18:3 GNT)

Pro 28:13 (KJV): “He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.”

PREACHING THE TRUTH

There is a tale told of the great English actor, Macready.

An eminent preacher once said to him: “I wish you would explain to me something.”

“Well, what is it? I don’t know that I can explain anything to a preacher.”

“What is the difference between you & me? You are appearing before crowds night after night with fiction & the crowds come wherever you go. I am preaching the essential & unchangeable truth & I am not getting any crowd at all.”

Macready replied: “This is quite simple. I can tell you the difference between us. I present my fiction as though it were truth; you present your truth as though it were fiction.”

From ‘Preaching’ - G. Campbell Morgan (ministry127.com)

 “The sermon which does not lead to Christ, or of which Jesus Christ is not the top and the bottom, is a sort of sermon that will make the devils in hell laugh, but make the angels of God weep.” - Charles Spurgeon.

2 Tim 4:2 (NCV): “Preach the Good News. Be ready at all times, and tell people what they need to do. Tell them when they are wrong. Encourage them with great patience and careful teaching.”

“Lord, help me to preach today as if it were the last sermon I would ever preach.” - Jack Hyles.

TOO BUSY NOT TO PRAY

George Mueller said: “I look upon it as a lost day when I have not had a good time over the Word of God.

Friends often say, ‘I have so much to do, so many people to see, I cannot find time for Scripture study.’

Perhaps there are not many who have more to do than I. For more than half a century I have never known one day when I had not more business than I could get through. For 4 years, I have had annually about 30,000 letters & most of these have passed through my own hands.

Then, as pastor of a Church with 1,200 believers, great has been my care. Besides, I have had charge of 5  orphanages; also, at my publishing depot, the printing & circulating of millions of tracts, books & Bibles; but I have always made it a rule never to begin work until I have had a good season with God & His Word.

The blessing I have received has been wonderful.”

From ‘A Journey to Victorious Praying’ - Bill Thrasher (ministry127.com)

“Our God has boundless resources. The only limit is in us. Our asking, our thinking, our praying are too small. Our expectations are too limited.” - A.B. Simpson.

Jude 1:20 (TLB): “But you, dear friends, must build up your lives ever more strongly upon the foundation of our holy faith, learning to pray in the power and strength of the Holy Spirit.”

DEFINITION OF A FRIEND

A British publication once offered a prize for the best definition of a friend. Among the thousands of answers received were the following:

“One who multiplies joys, divides grief, and whose honesty is inviolable.”

“One who understands our silence.”

“A volume of sympathy bound in cloth.”

“A watch that beats true for all time and never runs down.”

The winning definition read: “A friend is the one who comes in when the whole world has gone out.”

- ‘Bits and Pieces’, by B Henry Durbanville (ministry127.com)

Jesus said: “You are My friends if you do whatever I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you.” (Jn 15:14-15 NKJV)

“A true friend never gets in your way unless you happen to be going down.” - Assorted Authors.

SPIRITUAL FOOD

In a family it is always a red-letter day in the life of the youngest when the older children are able to exclaim delightedly, “Look, baby's feeding himself.”

A sister in Chagallu, Godavari District, India, was illiterate when she was saved, but learnt to read at the age of 50 so that she might be able to 'feed herself' with spiritual food from God's Word.

With so many Christians content to remain spoon-fed, that woman is an outstanding example of hunger for the Bread of life and determination to obtain it first-hand. Not only is she able to feed herself, but she is in a position to pass on much to others.

Hebrews 5:12-14 (GW): “By now you should be teachers. Instead, you still need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word. You need milk, not solid food.  All those who live on milk lack the experience to talk about what is right. They are still babies.  However, solid food is for mature people, whose minds are trained by practice to know the difference between good and evil.”

- (moreillustrations.com)

“Put your nose into the Bible every day. It is your spiritual food. And then share it. Make a vow not to be a lukewarm Christian.” - Kirk Cameron.

HEALING POWER

 
A doctor is someone qualified to practice medicine.  Doctors identify health problems & by using different techniques (from a prescription to surgery) realign or remove a blockage to allow the body’s natural healing processes to begin. We mistakenly think that doctors heal the sick – in fact, doctors rely on the human body’s marvelous ability to heal itself. 

Ministers of God’s Word are like doctors.  They help the spiritually sick by identifying problems & administering Biblical solutions.  If the patient accepts the treatment, then God can begin the process of healing.

We should always be thankful to our ministers; but remember, if we have received spiritual healing caused from their insightful prescriptions (sermons) all they have done is remove a blockage or realign our spiritual life so that God’s amazing grace can flow back in & accomplish the actual healing.

- (freechristianillustrations.com)

Pro 3:6-8 (GNT): “Remember the LORD in everything you do, and he will show you the right way. Never let yourself think that you are wiser than you are; simply obey the LORD and refuse to do wrong. If you do, it will be like good medicine, healing your wounds and easing your pains.” 

PUTTING SACRIFICES IN PERSPECTIVE

David Livingstone was a Scottish missionary & explorer who spent 33 yrs in the heart of Africa. He endured much suffering as he labored to spread the Gospel & open the continent to missionaries. This godly missionary once remarked:

“People talk of the sacrifice I have made in spending so much of my life in Africa. Can that be called a sacrifice which is simply paid back as a small part of a great debt owing to our God, which we can never repay?

It is emphatically no sacrifice. Say rather it is a privilege. Anxiety, sickness, suffering, or danger now & then with a foregoing of the common conveniences & charities of this life, may make us pause & cause the spirit to waver & the soul to sink, but let this only be for a moment.

All these are nothing when compared with the glory which shall hereafter be revealed in & for us. I never made a sacrifice. Of this we ought not to talk, when we remember the great sacrifice which HE made who left His Father’s throne on high to give Himself for us.”

From: ‘The Life and Labors of David Livingstone’ - J. E. Chambliss. (ministry127.com)

 “God has been kind to you. So I ask you, brothers, give your bodies to him like a living sacrifice. That is, a holy sacrifice. It will please God. And it is what you should do for him.” (Rom 12:1 WE)

The name of JESUS

When Bishop Beveridge was dying, one of his closest friends said to him, "Bishop Beveridge, do you know me?"

The bishop asked, "Who are you?" And when the name was mentioned he said, "No."

Then they said to him, "Don't you know your wife?"

"What is her name?" he again asked.     

His wife came forward & said, "I am your wife, do you not know me?"

"No, I did not know I had a wife."

The old man's mental machinery was breaking down. Then one knelt by him & whispered in his ear, "Do you know the Lord Jesus Christ?"

At that the dying man's face lighted up & he answered, "Yes, I have known Him for the last forty years & I can never forget Him."

Ah, yes; when memory's cords are all snapping, and the mind wanders in a maze, still the name of this Friend, the name of Jesus, will sound with sweet meaning in the believer's ear.

The cord of memory that binds to Christ will still hold, and along it will flash messages of cheer and strength which shall establish your soul in the last darkness.

- (moreillustrations.com)                           

 “It is marvelous how memory will hold the place with Jesus, when it will with no one else.” - C. H. Spurgeon (commenting on the above incident in his Sunday sermon on March 8, 1857)

Ps 113:2 (KJV): “Blessed be the name of the LORD from this time forth and for evermore.”