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.

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.

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.

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.”

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.

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.

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)