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.”

BE FAITHFUL




It costs to be faithful.

It cost Abraham the yielding up of his only son.

It cost Esther the risk of her life.

It cost Daniel being cast into the den of lions.

It cost Shadrach, Meshach & Abednego being put in a fiery furnace.

It cost Stephen death by stoning.

It cost Peter a martyr's death.

It cost Paul his life.

Does it cost you anything to be faithful to your Lord and King?

Rev 2:10 (GNT): “Don't be afraid of anything you are about to suffer. Listen! The Devil will put you to the test by having some of you thrown into prison, and your troubles will last ten days. Be faithful to me, even if it means death, and I will give you life as your prize of victory.”

- (moreillustrations.com)

“In all things seek to know God's Will and when known obey at any cost.” -  Jonathan Goforth.
 

Wednesday, November 8, 2017

BACK TO THE BIBLE



When Henry Drummond, the great scientist & lecturer of Glasgow University, Scotland, was 46 years of age, he was found to be dying of a mysterious disease.

Weary of the jungle philosophy of evolution & tired of rattling the dried bones of dead monkeys as a means of finding the origin of life, he said to Sir William Dawson, a scientist & a devoted Christian:
"I am going back to the Bible to believe it as I once did. I can no longer live in uncertainty."

He did go back & his intellectual wandering & weariness were over.

- Gospel Herald. (moreillustrations.com)

Heb 6:4 & 6: (NCV): “Some people cannot be brought back again to a changed life. They were once in God’s light … But they fell away from Christ. It is impossible to bring them back to a changed life again, because they are nailing the Son of God to a cross again and are shaming him in front of others.”

“Wait for the Lord. Behave yourself manfully, and be of good courage. Do not be faithless, but stay in your place and do not turn back.” -  Thomas a Kempis.

Tuesday, November 7, 2017

US President Grant's Message



(President Grant sent this message for The Sunday School Times in 1876)

Your favor of yesterday, asking a message from me to the children and youth of the United States is this moment received. My advice to Sunday Schools, no matter what their denomination is:

“Hold fast to the Bible as the sheet anchor of your liberties. Write its precepts in your hearts, and practice them in your lives. To the influence of this Book are we indebted for all the progress made in true civilization, and to this we must look as our guide in the future. ‘Righteousness lifts up a nation, but sin is a disgrace in any society.’” (Pro 14:34)

Yours respectfully,

Ulysses S. Grant.

-Sunday School Times. (moreillustrations.com)

“An honest heart is open to the Word.” -  A.W. Pink.

“The Bible was not given to increase our knowledge but to change our lives.” -  D.L. Moody.

Monday, November 6, 2017

REAL VALUE OF OFFERINGS



Someone dreamed that she went to church & after the service was over, a plate was held at the door for the contribution of the people.

This plate had the power of changing each person's gift into its real value in the sight of God.
A gentleman put in a gold coin, which immediately turned into brass! He had given it in order to be thought well-off by others.

A lady put in a quarter, which turned into a penny. She could have given far more, but only gave because it was the custom.

A little girl, coming up with her Sunday School teacher, dropped in a penny, which turned into a speck. She had given it only to please her teacher.

The dreamer felt sad to think that these gifts were not accepted by God. Just then a poor girl came up & dropped in her penny. It changed into gold! She was very poor & had denied herself to give it, because she loved the Lord Jesus Christ. This gift was well pleasing to God.

- (moreillustrations.com)

Mk 12:43-44 (ERV):  Jesus called his followers to him and said, “This poor widow put in only two small coins. But the truth is, she gave more than all those rich people.  They have plenty, and they gave only what they did not need. This woman is very poor, but she gave all she had. It was money she needed to live on.”

“If a person gets his attitude toward money straight, it will help straighten out almost every other area in his life.” -  Billy Graham.

Sunday, November 5, 2017

DRINKING



“First the man takes a drink,
Then the drink takes a drink,
Then the drink takes the man.” - Japanese Proverb

A prominent English clergyman recently made this observation: 
"My experience as a prison chaplain makes me look upon crime simply as condensed alcohol."

- (moreillustrations.com)

“If a man gets drunk and goes out and breaks his leg so that it must be amputated, God will forgive him if he asks it, but he will have to hop around on one leg all his life.” -  D.L. Moody.

Isa 5:22 (NCV): “How terrible it will be for people who are famous for drinking wine and are champions at mixing drinks.”

Friday, November 3, 2017

TRUST



A consecrated Christian worker writes in a personal letter to a friend:

"The truth is, I have been pretty much worried by the financial situation & yesterday the Lord sent peace into my heart, so that now I have that sweet assurance that He will provide in His own time... I have been learning that the kind of trust that God wants is to trust Him when everything is gone & only God remains.”

- Sunday School Times. (moreillustrations.com) 

Ps 34:8 (ISV): “Taste and see that the Lord is good! How blessed is the person who trusts in him!”

"True faith, by a mighty effort of the will, fixes its gaze on our Divine Helper, and there finds it possible and wise to lose its fears. It is madness to say, 'I will not be afraid;' it is wisdom and peace to say: 'I will trust and not be afraid.'" -  Alexander MacLaren.


Thursday, November 2, 2017

WHEN THE CHEQUE IS PAID IN FULL?



Only the one who went all the way received the blessing.

Says Russell Sewall: "I carried a cheque halfway to the bank. Did the bank therefore pay me half the value of the cheque?

No; the bank didn't pay me a cent till I went all the way to the paying teller's window. And then the cheque was paid in full.

Half-trust in God is no trust at all & gets no reward & that is why so many Christians lead ineffective lives.

- Christian Union Herald. (moreillustrations.com)

“This attitude of complete submission and complete trust is of course the key to working out our own salvation in fear and trembling and is the mark of a truly spiritual Christian.”  John F. Walvoord.

Ps 78: 19-22 (GNT): They spoke against God and said, “Can God supply food in the desert? It is true that he struck the rock, and water flowed out in a torrent; but can he also provide us with bread and give his people meat?” And so the LORD was angry when he heard them; he attacked his people with fire, and his anger against them grew, because they had no faith in him and did not believe that he would save them.

Wednesday, November 1, 2017

A FOOL



The late W. Kelly, preacher & Bible expositor who has written many commentaries on the Scriptures, was a distinguished Hebrew & Greek scholar.

His nephew took the Classics course at the University & the Greek Professor was so impressed with the accuracy, beauty & perfection of his Greek prose that he called him & asked who helped him in his translations. The young man confessed that he had the help of his uncle, W. Kelly.

“I should like to meet your uncle,” said the Greek professor.

“That can, I think, be arranged & I am sure it will give him pleasure to meet you,” replied the student.
So he brought his uncle along at a time convenient to his Professor, introduced him & left them together. 

As they conversed on the Greek language, the Professor's eyes opened wider & wider at Mr. Kelly's profound erudition & extraordinary knowledge of the Greek language & usage.

Then he said, “And may I enquire what your vocation is, Mr. Kelly?”  

“Certainly,” replied the expositor, “I am a preacher & travel here & there all over the country ministering the Word of God to groups of Christians.”

Taking a deep breath of surprise, the Professor said abruptly, “Man, you're a fool.”

Immediately came W. Kelly's reply, “For which world, Professor?”

Mark 8:34-35 (NET):  Then Jesus called the crowd, along with his disciples, and said to them, “If anyone wants to become my follower, he must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.  For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and for the gospel will save it.”

- (moreillustrations.com)