Tuesday, December 19, 2017

BE CLOTHED WITH HUMILITY



The highest lesson a believer has to learn is humility.

Oh, that every Christian who seeks to advance in a holy life may remember this well!

There may be intense consecration & fervent zeal & heavenly experience, and yet, if it is not prevented by very special dealings of the Lord, there may be an unconscious self-exaltation with it all.

Let us learn the lesson - the highest lesson in the holy life is the deepest humility; and let us remember that it comes not of itself, but only as it is made a matter of special dealing on the part of our faithful Lord & His faithful servant.

Humility isn't thinking meanly of one­self - it isn't thinking of self at all.

The truly humble man does not know he is humble: Moses knew not that the skin of his face shone.

- Andrew Murray.  (moreillustrations.com)

Js 4:6 (KJV): "But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble."

Sunday, December 17, 2017

HANDLING RICHES



As a man was passing out of a church he met an old acquaintance whom he had not seen for several years.

In their brief conversation, he said to his acquaintance: "I understand you are in great danger."

It was said seriously & was heard with surprise. The friend addressed was not aware of any danger & eagerly inquired what was meant.

The answer was: "I have been informed that you are getting rich."

- Sunday School Tunes. (moreillustrations.com)

1 Tim 6:17 (NLT): “Teach those who are rich in this world not to be proud and not to trust in their money, which is so unreliable. Their trust should be in God, who richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment.”

“Riches and the things that are necessary in life are not evil in themselves. And all of us face cares and troubles in this life. The sin comes in the time and energy we spend in pursuing these things, at the expense of neglecting Christ.” -  David Wilkerson.

Friday, December 15, 2017

FENCE-SITTERS!



There was a large group of people gathered.

On one side of the group stood Lord Jesus. On the other side stood Satan. Seperating them was a fence running through the group.

The scene set, both Lord Jesus & Satan began calling to people in the group. One by one, each having made up his or her own mind, went to either Lord Jesus or Satan.

This kept going for a time. Soon enough, Lord Jesus had gathered around Him a group of people from the larger crowd, as did Satan.

One man joined neither group. He climbed the fence that was there & sat on it. Lord Jesus & His people left and so too did Satan & his people.

The man on the fence sat alone.

As this man sat, Satan came back, looking for something which he appeared to have lost. The man said, "Have you lost something?"

Satan looked straight at him & replied, "No, there you are. Come with me."

The man said, "But I sat on the fence. I chose neither you nor Him."

Satan said, "That's okay; I own the fence."

"Whoever is not with me is against me." – Lord Jesus Christ (Mat 12:30 KJV)

- (varietyreading.carlsguides.com)

Thursday, December 14, 2017

SHAKE IT OFF & TAKE A STEP UP




One day, a farmer's donkey fell down into a dry well. The animal cried piteously for hours as the farmer tried to figure out what to do.

Finally, he decided the animal was old & the well needed to be covered up anyway. It just wasn't worth to retrieve the donkey, he thought.

He invited all his neighbors to come over & help him. They all grabbed a shovel & began to shovel dirt into the well. At first, the donkey realized what was happening & cried horribly. Then, to everyone's amazement, he quieted down.

A few shovel loads later, the farmer finally looked down the well. He was astonished at what he saw. With each shovel of dirt that hit his back, the donkey was doing something amazing. He would shake it off & take a step up.

As the farmer's neighbors continued to shovel dirt on top of the animal, he would shake it off & take a step up. Pretty soon, everyone was amazed as the donkey stepped up over the edge of the well & happily ran away!

Life is going to shovel dirt on you, all kinds of dirt. The trick to getting out of the well is to shake it off & take a step up. Each of our troubles is a steppingstone. We can get out of the deepest wells just by not stopping, never giving up! Shake it off & take a step up.

- (varietyreading.carlsguides.com)

1 John 5:5 (NLT): “And who can win this battle against the world? Only those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God.”

Wednesday, December 13, 2017

MORAL TRAINING



In the 1950s, a psychologist, Stanton Samenow & a psychiatrist, Samuel Yochelson, sharing the conventional wisdom that crime is caused by environment, set out to prove their point.

They began a 17-year study involving thousands of hours of clinical testing of 250 inmates here in the District of Columbia. 

To their astonishment, they discovered that the cause of crime cannot be traced to environment, poverty, or oppression. Instead, crime is the result of individuals making, as they put it, wrong moral choices.

In 1987, Harvard professors James Q. Wilson & Richard J. Herrnstein came to similar conclusions in their book ‘Crime and Human Nature’. 

They determined that the cause of crime is a lack of proper moral training among young people during the morally formative years, particularly ages one to six.

- Christianity Today (ministry127.com)

Pro 22:6 (KJV): “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.”

“Train up a child in the way he should go - but be sure you go that way yourself.” -  Charles Spurgeon.

Tuesday, December 12, 2017

VIEWS REFLECTED ON A PIT



A man fell into a pit and couldn’t get himself out:

A Pharisee said, “Only bad people fall into pits.”

A Calvinist said, “If you had been saved, you never would have fallen into that pit.”

A charismatic said, “Just confess that you’re not in that pit.”

A geologist told him to appreciate the rock strata in his pit.

The county inspector asked if he had a permit to dig the pit.

A self-pitying person said, “You haven’t seen anything until you’ve seen my pit.”

An optimist said, “Things could be worse.”

A pessimist, said, “Things will get worse.”

A realist came along and said, “Now that’s a pit!”

An evasive person came along and avoided the subject all together.      

Jesus seeing the man reached down, took him by the hand and lifted him out of the pit.

- (ministry127.com)

Ps 40:2 (GNT): “He pulled me out of a dangerous pit, out of the deadly quicksand. He set me safely on a rock and made me secure.”

Monday, December 11, 2017

HYPOCRISY



Teacher: "Tommy, who is a hypocrite?"

Tommy: "A boy that comes to school with a smile on his face."

- Graham Charteris. (moreillustrations.com)

“You may readily judge whether you are a child of God or a hypocrite by seeing in what direction your soul turns in seasons of severe trial. The hypocrite flies to the world and finds a sort of comfort there. But the child of God runs to his Father and expects consolation only from the Lord's hand.” -  Charles Spurgeon.

“The conflict will always be beyond your strength. The enemy always pushes us beyond our personal, preset limits concerning how far we will go for God. The test kills the limits, until we are like Christ in everything. We are left with a choice: Become Christ like or gradually shrink into superficial hypocrites: angry people who have stopped walking with God, who blame others for our bitterness.” -  Francis Frangipane.

Mark 7:6 (NLT): Jesus replied, “You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you, for he wrote, ‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.’”

Sunday, December 10, 2017

AN EVANGELIST



William Franklin Graham Jr (born 7 Nov 1918), better known as Billy Graham, is an Evangelist & an Evangelical Christian. He is a Southern Baptist.

He has been a spiritual adviser to multiple U.S. Presidents & was number seven on ‘Gallup's list of most widely admired people of the 20th century’.

He has preached in person to more people around the world than anyone who have ever lived.

As of 1993, more than 2.5 million people had stepped forward at his crusades to "accept Jesus Christ as their personal savior."

As of 2002, his lifetime audience, including radio & television broadcasts, topped two billion.

He was close with every American President from Dwight D. Eisenhower to George W. Bush, who said it was a conversation with Graham that led them to become a committed Christian.

For many years he wrote a daily advice column ‘à la Dear Abby’, where every reader's dilemma was answered with the same ultimate advice: ‘Come to Christ’.

His many books include ‘How to be Born Again’.

In 1953, he started World Wide Pictures, a Christian studio that has been cranking out Christian films ever since.

Graham is retired & his son Franklin Graham is now CEO of Billy Graham Evangelistic Association.

- (aksermonillustrations.blogspot.in)

2 Tim 4:5 (HCSB): “But as for you, be serious about everything, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.”

“The Christian life is not a constant high. I have my moments of deep discouragement. I have to go to God in prayer with tears in my eyes, and say, 'O God, forgive me,' or 'Help me.'” - Billy Graham.

“My home is in Heaven. I'm just traveling through this world.” – Billy Graham.

Friday, December 8, 2017

NOTHING TO CONCEAL



A sweet little 6 year-old girl looked up suddenly at her mother & said:

"Mother, I think Jesus was the only one who ever dared to live his inside out!"

The mother was fairly dazed by the little one's thought. Well she might be. It carried one of the profoundest thoughts suggested by lifelong study of that divine character.

But here it was out of the mouth of almost a babe. She had heard His story. She had seen that He was so pure in all His soul that there was nothing there that He needed to conceal from anybody.

Was not He the only one in all the history of mankind of whom that could be truly said?

- Onward.(moreillustrations.com)

“That the sinless Son of God must die upon the Cross to redeem us shouldn't make us feel good about ourselves but ashamed, for it was our sins that nailed Him there.” -  Dave Hunt.

1 Pet 1:16 (ERV): In the Scriptures God says, “Be holy, because I am holy.”

Thursday, December 7, 2017

PRE-WRITTEN HISTORY



In all ages God has pre-announced certain things which He purposed to do. These announcements are termed prophecies.

Prophecy is history pre-written. It is as credible as any Word that God hath spoken. The Bible is filled with prophecies.

Almost all the 66 Books contain some prophecy; but 16 Books of the Old Testament & one of the New Testament are wholly prophetic in character.

In all, nearly one-fourth of the Bible was predictive when it was written. It is most reasonable to conclude, since every Bible prediction concerning the past has been fulfilled, in minutest detail, that we may expect all the remaining prophecies to be just as literally fulfilled.

- (moreillustrations.com)

Isa 44:7-8 (GNT): “Could anyone else have done what I did? Who could have predicted all that would happen from the very beginning to the end of time? Do not be afraid, my people! You know that from ancient times until now I have predicted all that would happen, and you are my witnesses. Is there any other god?”

“God didn’t give us the Scripture to scare us. He gave us the Scripture to prepare us.” – Unknown Author.

Wednesday, December 6, 2017

THE BODY OF CHRIST



As you drive your car on a daily basis, you may be aware of only a few of its many parts.

You turn the steering wheel, look into the rear-view mirror, adjust your radio station, press the gas and brake pedals, and move the turn signal up or down.
 
 You probably notice only a few of your vehicle's parts. But do you know how many parts the average automobile has? According to the Encyclopedia Britannica, 14,000!

Though only a few of those parts may be noticed on any particular trip, all of them together make up the automobile that gets you around.
  
It's the same way in church life. Though only a few members may get much notice, it takes all the parts to make up the body of Christ.

1 Cor 12:27 (TPT): “You are the body of the Anointed One, and each of you is a unique and vital part of it.”

- (aksermonillustrations.blogspot.in)

“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.

“The only way the corporate Body of Christ will fulfill the mission Christ has given it is for individual Christians to have a vision for fulfilling that mission personally.” -  David Jeremiah.


Tuesday, December 5, 2017

FULLNESS OF CHRIST



A man met with a severe accident & was taken to the hospital.

When the doctor was examining his injuries, he noticed that the name of Jesus was beautifully tattooed across the man's breast.

A nurse, standing by, said: "I wonder if it is deeper than the skin."

Our religion, if it is to be fruitful, must be sincere - deeper than the skin; it must reach the heart.

- Christian Herald. (moreillustrations.com)

“Jesus did not die on the cross just so we could live comfortable, well adjusted lives. His purpose is far deeper: He wants to make us like Himself before He takes us to heaven. This is our greatest privilege, our immediate responsibility, and our ultimate destiny.” -  Rick Warren.

Ep 4:13 (GNT): “And so we shall all come together to that oneness in our faith and in our knowledge of the Son of God; we shall become mature people, reaching to the very height of Christ's full stature.”

Monday, December 4, 2017

BEST USE OF TIME



The services in the chapel of a certain western university are from time to time conducted by eminent clergymen of many denominations & from many cities.

On one occasion, when one of these visiting divines asked the president how long he should speak, that witty officer replied:

"There is no limit, Doctor, upon the time you may preach; but I may tell you that there is a tradition here that the most souls are saved during the first 25 minutes."

- (moreillustrations.com)

“I venture to say that the bulk of Christians spend more time in reading the newspaper than they do reading the Word of God.” -  Charles Spurgeon.

Ep 5:16 (ESV): “Making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.”

Sunday, December 3, 2017

PREACHING THE GOSPEL



A young preacher went to David Swing, the poet-preacher of Chicago, many years ago and asked him what he should do to get a congregation on Sunday.

He said: "I have tried history, biography, literature, poetry, book reviews, politics - but the people won't come. What shall I do?"

Swing responded: "Suppose now you try the gospel!"

- (moreillustrations.com)

“I have complete confidence in the gospel; it is God's power to save all who believe, first the Jews and also the Gentiles.” – Paul (Rom 1:16 GNT)

“If I preach to please men, I am not the servant of Christ; and woe unto me, if I preach not the gospel!” -  William Tiptaft.

“Other men may preach the gospel better than I, but no man can preach a better gospel.” -  George Whitefield.

Friday, December 1, 2017

MAKE UP YOUR MINDS!



Aesop speaks in one of his fables about a time when the beasts & the fowl were engaged in war. The bat tried to belong to both parties.

When the birds were victorious, he would wing around telling that he was a bird; when the beasts won a fight, he would walk around them assuring that he was a beast.

But soon his hypocrisy was discovered and he was rejected by both the beasts & the birds. He had to hide himself & now only by night can he appear openly.

- Sunday School Times. (moreillustrations.com)

“A divided heart loses both worlds.” -  A.B. Simpson.

1 Kings 18:21 (MSG): Elijah challenged the people: “How long are you going to sit on the fence? If God is the real God, follow him; if it’s Baal, follow him. Make up your minds!”

Thursday, November 30, 2017

HAVE YOU COUNTED THE COST?



Two young soldiers were talking about the service of Christ.

One of them said:
 "I cannot tell you all that the Lord Jesus is to me, or what He has done for me. I do wish you would enlist in His army!"

"I am thinking about it," answered the other young man, "but it means giving up several things - in fact, I am counting the cost."

A Christian officer, just passing, heard the last remark & laying his hand on the shoulder of the young soldier, said:

"Young man, you talk of counting the cost of following Christ, but have you ever counted the cost of not following Him?"

For days that question exercised the mind of that young man & he found no rest till he trusted the Lord Jesus Christ, the Savior of sinners, whose faithful soldier he has been for 27 years.

-T., in Scattered Seed (moreillustrations.com)

Mark 16:16 (NLT): “Anyone who believes and is baptized will be saved. But anyone who refuses to believe will be condemned.”

Wednesday, November 29, 2017

FAITHFULNESS PERSONIFIED



A crowded gathering of distinguished scientists had been listening spellbound to the masterly expositions of Michael Faraday. For an hour he had held his brilliant audience enthralled as he demonstrated the nature & properties of the magnet. 

He had brought his lecture to a close with an experiment so triumphant that for some time after he resumed his seat, the house rocked with enthusiastic applause.

And then the Prince of Wales... afterwards King Edward VII rose to propose a motion of congratulation. The resolution, having been duly seconded, was carried with renewed applause. 

Suddenly the uproar ceased & a strange silence settled over the audience.

The assembly waited for Faraday's reply. But he did not appear. Only his most intimate friends knew what had become of him. He was an elder in a little Sandemanian church - a church that never boasted more than 20 members.

The hour at which Faraday concluded his lecture was the hour of the weeknight prayer meeting.

(Michael Faraday was a British physicist & chemist. His biggest breakthrough was his invention of the electric motor.)

- (aksermonillustrations.blogspot.in)

Pro 3:3 (GNT): “Never let go of loyalty and faithfulness…”

“Spiritual advancement is measured by faithful obedience.” -  Watchman Nee.

Tuesday, November 28, 2017

WISE USE OF TIME



A stranger entered the church in the middle of the sermon & seated himself in the back pew. After a while he began to fidget.

Leaning over to the white-haired man at his side, evidently an old member of the congregation, he whispered:

"How long has he been preaching?"

"Thirty or forty years, I think," the old man answered.

"I'll stay then," decided the stranger. "He must be nearly done."

- (moreillustrations.com)

“People nowadays take time far more seriously than eternity.” - Thomas Kelly.

2 Tim 4:3 (TLB): “For there is going to come a time when people won’t listen to the truth but will go around looking for teachers who will tell them just what they want to hear.”

Monday, November 27, 2017

BEING CHEERFUL



A preacher was completing a serious sermon: with great expression he said: "If I had all the beer in the world, I'd take it and throw it into the river."

With even greater emphasis, he said: "And if I had all the wine in the world, I'd take it and throw it into the river."

And then, finally, he said: "And if I had all the whiskey in the world, I'd take it and throw it into the river." He sat down.

The song leader then stood very cautiously and announced with a pleasant smile: "For our closing song, let us sing Hymn #365: 'Shall We Gather At the River.'"

- (aksermonillustrations.blogspot.in)

Pro 17:22 (NOG): “A joyful heart is good medicine, but depression drains one’s strength.”

“No man should desire to be happy who is not at the same time holy. He should spend his efforts in seeking to know and do the will of God, leaving to Christ the matter of how happy he should be.” -  A.W. Tozer.


Sunday, November 26, 2017

PREACHING CHRIST



The center of the preacher's message is always Christ.


St. Bernard said that one Sabbath he preached himself, and all the scholars came forward to praise him.

The next Sabbath he preached Christ, and all the sinners came up to thank him.

To be worthy of the thanks of sinners, not the praise of men, is the ambition of the true minister.

- (moreillustrations.com)

“What you have heard me teach publicly you should teach to others. Share these teachings with people you can trust. Then they will be able to teach others these same things.” – Paul (2 Tim 2:2 ERV)
 
“The best learning I had came from teaching.” - Corrie Ten Boom.
      

Friday, November 24, 2017

WHAT TO DO WITH THIS TALENT?



There are men who pride themselves on their straightforwardness and it deteriorates into brutality.

One such man said to John Wesley once: "Mr. Wesley, I pride myself in speaking my mind; that is my talent."

"Well," said John Wesley, "the Lord wouldn't mind if you buried that!"

- Dr. Griffith Thomas   (moreillustrations.com)

Mat 12:36-37 (GNT):  “You can be sure that on the Judgment Day you will have to give account of every useless word you have ever spoken.  Your words will be used to judge you - to declare you either innocent or guilty.”

"Give not thy tongue too great liberty, lest it take thee prisoner." - Francis Quarles.    

Thursday, November 23, 2017

PREACHING



A schoolteacher, applying for a job, was asked:

“Do you teach that the earth is round or flat?”

“Which way do you want it taught?” was the reply, “I can teach it either way.”

Something like that is the attitude in many a pulpit today.

- Vance Havner.

“If Jesus preached the same message minister's preach today, He would have never been crucified.” -  Leonard Ravenhill.

Lam 2:14 (GNT): “Your prophets had nothing to tell you but lies; their preaching deceived you by never exposing your sin. They made you think you did not need to repent.”

“I preached that people should repent, and turn to God, and do the works that demonstrate repentance.” - Paul (Acts 26:20 NTE)

Wednesday, November 22, 2017

THE LOVE OF MONEY



According to the Guinness Book of World Records, Hetty Green may have been the biggest miser who ever lived.

Her father died when she was 30 leaving her an inheritance of more than $100 million in today’s money. Though it was unusual for a woman to be involved with banking & investments at the time, she concentrated all of her efforts & attention on growing the family fortune.

Her focus on money drove a wedge between her husband & their two children. And the family was scattered. Known for eating cold oatmeal to save money for heating & washing only the hem of her dress to save money on soap, she was sometimes called the “Witch of Wall Street.”

When her son, Ned, broke his leg as a boy, she tried to have him treated in a free clinic for the poor, before treating him at home. His leg would later have to be amputated.

When she died, Hetty Green was worth the equivalent of some 4 billion dollars today, but she was alone & miserable.

1 Tim 6:10 (TLB): “For the love of money is the first step toward all kinds of sin. Some people have even turned away from God because of their love for it, and as a result have pierced themselves with many sorrows.”

- (ministry127.com)

“Never was a miser a brave soul.” -  George Herbert.

Tuesday, November 21, 2017

LOVING THE UNSEEN



"Papa, do you love Jesus?" asked little Emily of her father, who did not care for anything religious.

"Jesus is dead, my dear, long, long ago. He was crucified & that was the end of Him."

"But Jesus rose again & did what no other man could do. And if Jesus was not living now, we could not be living either, as He gives us life & everything else, Papa."

"But how can I love whom I have never seen, Emily? Tell me that, my dear."
Emily at first did not know what to reply & her father looked pleased to know that he had puzzled her. At length she said, "Papa, how old was I when Mama died?"

"Only 6 months, my child."

"Then I can't say that I ever saw her for I don't remember her at all. But you have always tried to make me love her by telling me how good & kind she was & I do love her, although I have never seen her that I can remember."

By this time the tears were running down the father's cheeks & kissing Emily, he said, "God has spoken to me by you, my dear & now you must pray for me & ask God to give me a new heart, with which I shall love Jesus."

And the prayer was soon answered.

- Sent of God.(moreillustrations.com)

Jesus said, “Because you have seen me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe.” (John 20:29 CSB)

Monday, November 20, 2017

A HAPPY REPLY



After a ruthless process of rejection, 5 applicants for the post of errand boy remained to be interviewed.
The interviewer sought to amuse himself by asking the boys puzzling questions to test their real knowledge.

"How far away from the Earth is the North Star?" was the question fired at one shiny-faced youngster.

"I'm sorry I cannot give you the exact figure offhand, sir," was the reply. "But on a rough estimate I should say that it is far enough away not to interfere with my running errands."

He got the job.

- (moreillustrations.com)

Pro 15:23 (NLT): “Everyone enjoys a fitting reply; it is wonderful to say the right thing at the right time!”

“Now just think a moment and answer the question, ‘what shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?’” -  D.L. Moody. (Mat 27:22).

Sunday, November 19, 2017

YOUTH



The belief that youth is the happiest time of life is an illusion, declares Carl Holmes, the literary wizard of New York.

Every age has its silver lining & its golden glow. When we are young in spirit, we cannot help but enjoy life, no matter how old we are. Youth lies not in years but in feeling.

I was once told by a friend: "In the central place of your heart there is a wireless station. So long as it receives messages of beauty, cheer, courage & strength from fellow men & from the Infinite, so long are we young."

- Friendly Chat (moreillustrations.com)

Pro 15:4 (VOICE): “A word of encouragement heals the one who receives it, but a deceitful word breaks the spirit.”

Mat 4:4 (MSG): Jesus answered by quoting Deuteronomy: “It takes more than bread to stay alive. It takes a steady stream of words from God’s mouth.”

Friday, November 17, 2017

DISCIPLINE YOUR CHILDREN



For 5 years Mayor E. H. Couch, of Guntersville, Alabama, has been sending minor offenders of all ages to Sunday School instead of levying fines or jail sentences.

Only recently did the plan become known. Then it was found that not one over 100 so sentenced reappeared before Mayor Couch charged with any crime.

About half of the culprits became regular attendants at Sunday School after their sentences expired.

Most of them, before their sentences, had never been to Sunday School.

When the plan was divulged, Mayor Couch made the following statement:

"I thought it was better to send offenders to a place where they would be in company with our best citizens rather than to the one place where in Guntersville they are sure to be thrown with our worst. For success of the idea I did not make public that they were being made to go to Sunday School. Then they would have been embarrassed."

- The Watchman-Examiner. (moreillustrations.com)

Pro 19:18 (GNT): “Discipline your children while they are young enough to learn. If you don't, you are helping them destroy themselves."

“A child of five, if properly instructed, can as truly believe and be revived as an adult.” -  Charles Spurgeon.

Thursday, November 16, 2017

MAKING CHANGES



A man dialed a number and got the following recording:

“I am not available right now, but I thank you for caring enough to call. I am making some changes in my life. Please leave a message after the beep. If I do not return your call, you are one of the changes.”

- (ministry127.com)

“People pay attention when they see that God actually changes people and sets them free. When a new Christian stands up and tells how God has revolutionized his or her life, no one dozes off. When someone is healed or released from a life-controlling bondage, everyone takes notice.” -  Jim Cymbala.

Mat 18:3 (NIRV): Jesus said, “What I’m about to tell you is true. You need to change and become like little children. If you don’t, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”

“It was pride that changed angels into devils; it is humility that makes men as angels.” - Augustine.

Wednesday, November 15, 2017

THE SOULWINNER’S REWARD



General Booth told of a man leaving Australia who had been working in the gold fields & had acquired a fortune. He was on a ship, when a leak was sprung. The life-boats were lost & the people were without hope.

This strong man thought he could fight through the waves to the island & he was about to spring into the water when a little girl, whose mother had been lost in the storm, asked him, “Sir, can you save me?”

He looked at his belt of gold & then at the child & then at the belt & then at the child again. He threw the belt of gold away, took her on his back & threw himself into the sea. He struggled through the waves & with life almost gone he reached the land.

The next day, when he regained consciousness the little girl put her arms around his neck & her lips to his cheek & said, “I am so glad you saved me.” That was worth more than all the gold in Australia.

That is the soul-winner’s reward. It is for some man whom you have won for Christ to meet you on the streets of gold & say, “I am so glad you preached that sermon, or sang that song; it saved me.”

-‘Present Day Parables’, J. Wilbur Chapman (ministry127.com)

Rev 22:12 (GW): “I’m coming soon! I will bring my reward with me to pay all people based on what they have done.”

THE REWARD



Garibaldi, the great Italian reformer of a past generation, in a fiery speech, urged some thousands of Italy's young men to fight for the freedom of their homeland.

One timid young fellow approached him, asking:
"If I fight, Sir, what will be my reward?"


Swift as a lightning flash came the uncompromising answer:
"Wounds, scars and perhaps death. But remember, that through your bruises Italy will be free."


"Then," said the young man, "I will follow to the death."

Are you not willing to endure the scars in order to liberate souls?

- The C. U. Herald. (moreillustrations.com)

Rom 8:17 (EE): "And because we are God’s children, we will also receive good things from him. We will receive the things that God has prepared for his children. Also, together with Christ, we will receive the things that God has kept for him. We will receive these things if we agree to have troubles and pain, as Christ did. So then, as a result, we will also live always with God, who is so great and so good."

Monday, November 13, 2017

KNOWING IS NOT DOING



Through United Press comes the report that termites have eaten through a large stack of pamphlets entitled: ‘Control of Termites’, in the mailing room of the University of California at Berkeley. Maintenance men made the discovery.

One would naturally expect that university buildings would be free of termites, because at such a center of higher education so much is known of termites & the destruction they cause.

But it is one thing to have in a pamphlet the information concerning the control of termites & quite another thing to make a practical application of that information!

On speaking to His disciples on one occasion, the Lord Jesus said regarding the things He taught them: “Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.” (John 13:17 NIV).

- Now (moreillustrations.com)

“It is not talking but walking that will bring us to heaven.” -  Matthew Henry.

Sunday, November 12, 2017

SAVING FAITH



I believe in a physician when I put my case into that physician’s hands & trust him to cure me.

I believe in a lawyer when I leave my case in his hands & trust him to plead for me.

I believe in a banker when I put money into his hands & allow him to keep it on my behalf.

I believe in my Savior when I take Him to be my Savior, when I put my helpless case into His hands & trust Him to do what I cannot do for myself - save me from my sin.

Have you done so?

You believe there is such a person as Jesus & that He is the sinner’s Savior!

Do you take Him by faith to be what He reveals Himself to be?

- W.  T. Aitken (ministry127.com)

2 Cor 6:2 (GNT): Hear what God says: “When the time came for me to show you favor, I heard you; when the day arrived for me to save you, I helped you.” Listen! This is the hour to receive God's favor; today is the day to be saved!

“I came all this way for a reason. Today is the day of salvation. Trust Jesus to save you. Then be sincere as God knows a pretender.” -  Kirk Cameron.

Friday, November 10, 2017

RECEIVING CHRIST’S RICHES



D. L. Moody told the story of a shop girl in Chicago; one day she could not have bought a dollar’s worth of anything; the next day she could buy a thousand dollars worth of anything she wanted.

What made the difference?

She married a rich man. She had accepted him and, of course, all he had became hers.

All that Christ has becomes ours when we receive Him.

-‘The Speaker's Quote Book’, Roy B. Zuck (ministry127.com)

John 1:12 (NLT): “But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God.”

“If you are a child of God, know that every promise in the Bible is yours. The Bible is a gold mine, waiting for someone to take out its riches.” -  Lee Roberson.

Ps 34:10 (CEV): “Young lions may go hungry or even starve, but if you trust the Lord, you will never miss out on anything good.”