MAKING A DREAM COME TRUE

A Scotch boy by the name of Alexander Duff had a dream in which, in a chariot of great glory, God drew near to him where he lay meditating on a hillside & calling to him said:

"Come up, hither; I have work for thee to do."

That vision never faded from his memory. He went to Grammar school & to St. Andrews University, where a missionary society was formed among the students, Duff becoming its first librarian.

In 1829, he went out to India as the first missionary from the Scottish church. He was a real pioneer. He opened a school in Calcutta & later helped to establish a medical college there.

If you have a dream of doing great service for God, try to make it come true as Alexander Duff made his dream come true.

- (moreillustrations.com)

Job 33:15 (GNT): “At night when people are asleep, God speaks in dreams and visions.”

“The vision of the Divine Presence ever takes the form which our circumstances most require.” -  Alexander MacLaren.

FENCES!

On June 28, 2008, Asia LeeShawn Ferguson went over two fences & entered a restricted area in Six Flags Over Georgia. The 17 yr-old was hit & killed by the Batman roller coaster.

It is not known why Ferguson climbed the fences & his father said, “Nobody knows but my son & the Lord.”

Many people try to climb the fences their authority has placed around them, and they enter forbidden territory. It should not be a surprise to them when they get hurt.

Source: Chicago Tribune (ministry127.com)

Job 1:10 (GW): “Haven’t you put a protective fence around him, his home, and everything he has?”

Ecc 10:8 (TLV): “whoever breaks through a fence may be bitten by a snake.”

“These days its not just that the line between right and wrong has been made unclear, today Christians are being asked by our culture today to erase the lines and move the fences, and if that were not bad enough, we are being asked to join in the celebration cry by those who have thrown off the restraints religion had imposed upon them. It is not just that they ask we accept, but they now demand of us to celebrate it too.” -  Ravi Zacharias.

HEAVENLY VISION

In his book The Wilson Era, Josephus Daniels, secretary of the navy under Wilson, relates how he once asked Andrew Carnegie what was the secret of his remarkable success.

Carnegie replied, "I owe it all to my flashes."

Mystified, Daniels said, "What do you mean by 'flashes'?"

"All my life," replied Carnegie, "I woke up early in the morning & always there came into my mind with the waking a flash telling me what to do that day & if I followed those flashes, I always succeeded."

"You mean," said Daniels, "that you have heavenly visions & like the man in the Scriptures you were not disobedient to your visions?"

"Call it that if you like," answered Carnegie, "or call it flashes; but it was the following of those silent directions which brought me the success you say I have achieved."

Whatever may be said about the flashes, when they come, happy is the man who, like Paul, is obedient to the heavenly vision.

- (moreillustrations.com)

Pro 29:1 (MEV): “Where there is no vision, the people perish;”

ARE YOU A LEADER OR A BOSS?

The boss drives his men; the leader coaches them.

The boss depends upon authority; the leader on good will.

The boss inspires fear; the leader inspires enthusiasm.

The boss says “I;” the leader, “We.”

The boss fixes the blame for the breakdown; the leader fixes the breakdown.

The boss knows how it is done; the leader shows how.

The boss says “Go;” the leader says “Let’s go!”

- H. Gordon Selfridge (ministry127.com)

“A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way.” - John C. Maxwell.

“The chief occupational hazard of leadership is pride.” -  John Stott.

Tit 1:7 (GNT): “For since a church leader is in charge of God's work, he should be without fault. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered, or a drunkard or violent or greedy for money.”

CROSS OF CHRIST

Winston Churchill paid a great tribute to the young men of the Royal Air Force, who mounted up with wings as eagles and with their sheltering wings guarded the land they love.

He said, "Never in the history of mankind have so many owed so much to so few."

But when we think of the cross of Christ, and Him who died on it, what we say is this: "Never in the history of the universe has mankind owed so much to one."

- (moreillustrations.com)

Col 2: 14 (ICB):  “We owed a debt because we broke God’s laws. That debt listed all the rules we failed to follow. But God forgave us that debt. He took away that debt and nailed it to the cross.”

“He came to pay a debt He did not owe, because we owed a debt we could not pay.” – Author Unknown.

ATTITUDE TOWARDS MONEY

A man once came to visit Robert Hall, the famous English preacher, to take some exception to a statement the preacher had made in his sermon. Hall saw that the man was in the bondage of love of money.

Hall took a half sovereign (coin) out of his pocket & opening the Bible, pointed to the word "God."

"Can you see that word?" he said to the man.

"Certainly, I can see it."

Then Hall laid the half sovereign over the word. "Can you see it now?" he asked.

There was no need for the man to answer. It was an unforgettable sermon:

Money, the love of it, can hide from the soul of man even the face of God.

- (moreillustrations.com)

“To be clever enough to get all that money, one must be stupid enough to want it.” -  G.K. Chesterton.

Heb 13:5 (NIV): Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”

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

HELPING OTHERS

A man was making his way over the mountains through a terrible snow storm. He gradually got weaker & weaker, until at last he stumbled & fell.

He said to himself, "This is the end. I shall never be found!" He was too weak to rise, but as he fell, his hand struck the body of another man who had fallen in the same place.

This first man was unconscious & the man who had just fallen rose to his knees & bending over began to rub his hands & face, until by & by the man's eyes opened.

He had saved another's life, but he had also saved himself, for the exercise had kept the life in his own body.

Thus, when you have a passion for souls, when you go seeking the lost, when you lift the burdens of others, your own vision of Jesus is clearer, your own hope of eternity is stronger, your own assurance of salvation is greater.

- J. Wilbur Chapman. (moreillustrations.com)

“In helping others, we help ourselves.” -  Woodrow Kroll.

Pro 11:25 (GNT): “Be generous, and you will be prosperous. Help others, and you will be helped.”

Do You Believe the Gospel?

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

Dear Church Members:
 
Last Sunday I attended your church & I heard the preacher. In the sermon the preacher said that all men have sinned & rebelled against God. Because of their rebellion & disobedience they all face eternal damnation & separation from God.
 
But then he also said God loves man & sent his Son, Jesus Christ, into the world to redeem men from their sins & that all those who believe in Him would go to Heaven & live with God eternally.
 
My parents recently died in rapid succession. I know they did not believe in Jesus Christ, whom you call the Savior of the world. If what you believe is true, they are damned.
 
You compel me to believe that either the message is true, that you yourself don't believe this message, or that you don't care. You see, we live only three blocks from your church & no one ever told us.
 
- (ministry127.com)
 
Lord Jesus said: “He who puts his trust in Me and is baptized will be saved from the punishment of sin. But he who does not put his trust in Me is guilty and will be punished forever.” (Mk 16:16 NLV)
 
“Have you no wish for others to be saved? Then you are not saved yourself. Be sure of that.” -  Charles Spurgeon.

8 Contributors to Peace of Mind

Duke University did a study on “peace of mind.” Factors found to contribute greatly to emotional & mental stability are:

1. The absence of suspicion & resentment. Nursing a grudge was a major factor in unhappiness.

2. Not living in the past. An unwholesome preoccupation with old mistakes & failures leads to depression.

3. Not wasting time & energy fighting conditions you cannot change. Cooperate with life, instead of trying to run away from it.

4. Force yourself to stay involved with the living world. Resist the temptation to withdraw & become reclusive during periods of emotional stress.

5. Refuse to indulge in self-pity when life hands you a raw deal. Accept the fact that nobody gets through life without some sorrow & misfortune.

6. Cultivate the old-fashioned virtues - love, humor, compassion & loyalty.

7. Do not expect too much of yourself. When there is too wide a gap between self-expectation & your ability to meet the goals you have set, feelings of inadequacy are inevitable.

8. Find something bigger than yourself to believe in. Self-centered egotistical people score lowest on any test for measuring happiness.

- (ministry127.com)

Ps 119:165 (CEV): “You give peace of mind to all who love your Law. Nothing can make them fall.”

“Is the peace of God in the soul disturbed by things down here? No, never! If waters break in stormy currents against a rock, the rock is unmoved; it is only the waters that are disturbed.” - G.V. Wigram.

BEARING THE NAME OF SOMEONE GREAT

Alexander the Great, one of the greatest military generals who ever lived, conquered almost the entire known world with his vast army.

One night during a campaign, he couldn't sleep & left his tent to walk around the campgrounds. As he was walking he came across a soldier asleep on guard duty - a serious offense.

The penalty for falling asleep on guard duty was, in some cases, instant death; the commanding officer sometimes poured kerosene on the sleeping soldier & lit it.

The soldier began to wake up as Alexander the Great approached him. Recognizing who was standing in front of him, the young man feared for his life.

"Do you know what the penalty is for falling asleep on guard duty?" Alexander the Great asked the soldier.

"Yes sir," the soldier responded in a quivering voice.

"Soldier, what's your name?" demanded Alexander the Great.

"Alexander, sir."

Alexander the Great repeated the question: "What is your name?"

"My name is Alexander, sir," the soldier repeated.

A third time & more loudly Alexander the Great asked, "What is your name?"

A third time the soldier meekly said, "My name is Alexander, sir."

Alexander the Great then looked the young soldier straight in the eye."Soldier," he said with intensity, "either change your name or change your conduct."

We who carry the name of Christ & call ourselves Christian must live up to the name. We are ambassadors for Christ, reconciling the world with God. Let's represent Him!

- Dr. Guy & Ilke Peh (aksermonillustrations.blogspot.com)

2 Cor 5:20 (CEB): So we are ambassadors who represent Christ. God is negotiating with you through us. We beg you as Christ’s representatives, “Be reconciled to God!”

ANGER

A great man injured by anger was Moses. When the people murmured & asked for water, Moses was commanded to strike the rock at Horeb.

Out of all patience with the people & their waywardness, Moses struck the rock twice, crying out as he did so, "Hear, ye rebels!"

This burst of rage cost Moses the Promised Land, because it was for this transgression that Moses  - in spite of his grand service & his pathetic pleading at the end of Israel's long wandering -  was not permitted to go into the land of Canaan.

That was not the first nor the last time that a land of promise & of happiness was lost through anger.

- (moreillustrations.com)

Js 1:20 (ICB): “Anger will not help you live a good life as God wants.”

“No matter how just your words may be, you ruin everything when you speak with anger.” -  John Chrysostom.

 “Is it any merit to abstain from wine if one is intoxicated with anger?” -  Augustine.

APPLAUSE

Dr. Ernest Mellor wrote how he & his wife: "Sat charmed at an outdoor performance by young Suzuki violin students. After the concert, an instructor spoke briefly on how children as young as 2, 3 & 4 years old are taught to play violin.

The first thing the children learn, he said, is a proper standing posture. And the second thing the children learn - even before they pick up the violin - is how to take a bow.

'If the children just play the violin & stop, people may forget to show their appreciation,' the instructor said. 'But when the children bow, the audience invariably applauds. And applause is the best motivator we've found to make children feel good about performing & want to do it well.'”

Adults love applause too. Being affirmed makes us feel wonderful.

Meaningful applause - whether by hand clapping or with our words - is one the most effective & easiest ways to encourage one another.

1 Thess 5:11 (TLB): “So encourage each other to build each other up, just as you are already doing.”

- Ps Dick Innes (aksermonillustrations.blogspot.com)

“Let the lips of the poor be the trumpet of thy gift, lest in seeking applause, thou lose thy reward.” -  Francis Quarles.

JEALOUSY

Hawthorne, in his tale "The Bosom Serpent" illustrates the power of jealousy to destroy a soul.

The man, who had been separated from his wife because of jealous suspicions, would sometimes hold his hand to his chest & exclaim:

"It nibbling! It’s chewing!"

For this reason he was known to the people in the town as the man with the snake in his breast.

Sometimes he would create great alarm when he stopped other men on the street & asked them how their serpent was.

At length, after all kinds of remedies had been tried, his wife appeared & pleaded with him to forget himself & show his love for her. At that the man fell on the ground & there was the sound like the passing of a serpent through the grass.

Thus the man was cured of the bosom serpent of jealousy.

What about the serpent in thy breast? Oh, beware of the bosom serpent of jealousy!

- (moreillustrations.com)

“You are still not spiritual. You have jealousy and arguing among you. This shows that you are not spiritual. You are acting like people of the world.” 1 Cor 3:3 (ICB)

“Too often we think of being tempted as being enticed to do big things like stealing, murdering or committing adultery. But most often we're tempted to be impatient, stingy, jealous, greedy or any number of other things that we consider lesser sins.” -  Joyce Meyer.

THE STAR

The great astronomer Kepler discovered that in Christ's birth year there was an unusual occurrence among the planets.

He found that in that year Jupiter & Saturn, which are generally in remote parts of the sky, came three times so near together that to the unassisted eye the rays of one were absorbed by the other, & their combination gave an extraordinary brilliant light, which continued for some months.

- F. B. Meyer. (moreillustrations.com)

Mat 2:1-2 (GNV): “When Jesus then was born at Bethlehem in Judea, in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came Wise men from the East to Jerusalem, Saying, Where is the King of the Jews that is born? for we have seen his star in the East, and are come to worship him.”

“The Bible is to us what the star was to the wise men; but if we spend all our time in gazing upon it, observing its motions, and admiring its splendor, without being led to Christ by it, the use of it will be lost to us.” -  Thomas Adams.

THE GOOD SHEPHERD

In a survey, nearly a third of those questioned stated, that of all the persons mentioned in the Christmas story, they identified the most with the shepherds. The shepherds were average, ordinary people & were invited to see the birth of the King of kings!

- (ministry127.com)

“If sheep do not have the constant care of a shepherd, they will go the wrong way, unaware of the dangers at hand. They have been known to chew themselves right off the side of a mountain. And so, because sheep are sheep, they need shepherds to care for them. The welfare of sheep depends solely upon the care they get from their shepherd. Therefore, the better the shepherd, the healthier the sheep.” -  Kay Arthur.

“I am the good shepherd,” Jesus continued. “The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” (Jn 10:11, NTE).

“Our Good Shepherd has become the model for under-shepherds. His great concern is the good of the sheep. A good shepherd gives himself to the sheep. A thief comes to get something form the flock - wool or mutton. Jesus, our Lord, made every personal claim committed to the blessing of His flock; even to giving His life that they might live.” -  Walter J. Chantry.

THE SPIRIT OF CHRISTMAS

In January of 1956, Jim Elliot & 4 other missionaries gave their lives in Ecuador in their effort to reach the Waodani (Auca) Indians.

This fierce group was known to attack any outsiders, but the vision for reaching them with the gospel compelled these young men to take the risk.

Not long after they set up camp near the Waodani village they were attacked by warriors. Refusing to defend their lives with force, the missionaries were killed.

The news flashed around the world & the story of courage & sacrifice challenged many to take up the missionary cause.

Even today Elliot’s words live on: “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.”

In a very real sense, Jim Elliot & his missionary friends were living the spirit of Christmas.

They were willing to give up the comforts of home & promising careers & to ultimately lay down their lives to take the gospel to those who had never heard. They could have fought back to defend themselves, but they chose not to.

This is what Jesus did for us in coming to Earth. Paul wrote:

“For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.” (2 Cor 8:9 NIV).

Nothing of lasting significance & importance for God is ever accomplished without great sacrifice. Whether it is our time, our talent, our treasure, or even our lives, we must be willing to give up what is temporary for the sake of what is eternal. When we do, we are following the example & pattern of Christ & walking in His steps.

Source: Jim Elliot, Kathleen White (ministry127.com)

WHAT STOPPED THE FIRING?

A day was dawning on a battlefield in Northern France, through a fog so thick that no one could see more than a few yards from the trenches.

In the night the Germans had drawn back their lines a little & the French had gone forward, but between the two positions a lonely farmhouse was still standing.

As the sun rose, heavy guns began to boom. But suddenly on both sides the firing ceased & there fell a strange, dead silence.

For there in the green meadow, crawling on hands & knees was a little baby who appeared perfectly happy & contented, and the baby's laugh was heard.

Not a shot was fired.

- Sunday School Times. (moreillustrations.com)

The birth of Christ brought about PEACE - peace between God & man and man & man - for all who accept Him.

Isa 9:6 (CEB): “A child is born to us, a son is given to us, and authority will be on his shoulders. He will be named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.”

“The Christmas message is that there is hope for a ruined humanity - hope of pardon, hope of peace with God, hope of glory - because at the Father's will Jesus became poor, and was born in a stable so that thirty years later He might hang on a cross.” - J.I. Packer.

FIRST THANKSGIVING PROCLAMATION

By George Washington, 1789

“WHEREAS it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection, aid and favors…

Now, THEREFORE, I do recommend and assign Thursday, the 26th day of November next, to be devoted by the people of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being, who is the Beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be; that we may then all unite in rendering unto Him our sincere and humble thanks for His kind care and protection of the people of this country, and for all the great and various favors which He has been pleased to confer upon us.”

(Americans observe Thanksgiving Day on the fourth Thursday of November every year.)

- (moreillustrations.com)

1 Thess 5:18 (CEB): “Give thanks in every situation because this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

“Pride slays thanksgiving, but an humble mind is the soil out of which thanks naturally grow.” -  Henry Ward Beecher.

MISTAKES

There are about 3 things a person can do when he makes a mistake:
 
A.He can resolve that he will never make another, which is fine, but impracticable.
 
B.He may let that mistake make a coward of him, which is foolish.
 
C.He can make up his mind that he will let it be his teacher, and so profit by the experience, that if the situation comes his way again, he will know just how to meet it.
 
- Sunshine Magazine (moreillustrations.com)
 
Js 3:2 (ISV): “For all of us make many mistakes. If someone does not make any mistakes when he speaks, he is perfect and able to control his whole body.
 
“To err is human, but when you wear out the eraser before the pencil, you're overdoing it.” - Rotary Club News.

TRIUMPH REQUIRES SACRIFICE

During World War II a young soldier named David Webster of Easy Company of the 101st Airborne wrote to his mother:

"Stop worrying about me. I joined the parachutists to fight. I intend to fight. If necessary, I shall die fighting, but don’t worry about this because no war can be won without young men dying. Those things which are precious are saved only by sacrifice."

Scripture often refers to the Christian life as a war - a spiritual battlefield. To answer the question of hymn writer Isaac Watts:

Must I be carried to the skies

On flowery beds of ease,

While others fought to win the prize

 And sailed through bloody seas?

There is no victory apart from sacrifice. Just as our salvation was purchased at great cost, overcoming the enemy & walking in the Spirit require that we be willing to give up some things in order to triumph.

- ‘Band of Brothers’, Stephen E. Ambros. (ministry127.com)

“And so, dear brothers, I plead with you to give your bodies to God. Let them be a living sacrifice, holy - the kind he can accept. When you think of what he has done for you, is this too much to ask?” – Paul (Rom 12:1 TLB).