HAPPY NEW YEAR!

As the New Year 2017 approaches us, I wish you and your family a blessed year ahead.

FORGET THE PAST

The LORD says, “Do not cling to events of the past or dwell on what happened long ago. Watch for the new thing I am going to do. It is happening already - you can see it now! I will make a road through the wilderness and give you streams of water there.” (Isa 43:18-19 GNT) 

LOOK FORWARD

“In the darkest of nights cling to the assurance that God loves you, that He always has advice for you, a path that you can tread and a solution to your problem - and you will experience that which you believe. God never disappoints anyone who places his trust in Him.” - Basilea Schlink.

FINALLY

“Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice.” – Steve Jobs.

THANKSGIVING STREET

Ps 95:2 (GNT): “Let us come before him with thanksgiving and sing joyful songs of praise.”

One night, at a prayer & praise meeting a good brother related a long, complaining strain of experiences about the trials & difficulties which are encountered on the way to Heaven.

At the end of his talk, another brother arose & said, "I see that our brother who has just sat down, lives in Grumbling Street. I lived there myself for some time, but I never enjoyed good health. The air there is bad; the houses are bad, the water is bad; the birds never came & sang in the street & I was gloomy & sad enough.

But finally I moved. 

I moved to Thanksgiving Street & ever since then I have had good health & so have my family. The air is pure, the water good, the houses are good; the sun shines in all day; the birds are always singing & I am happy as I can be.

Now, I would suggest to our brother, that he, too, move. There are plenty of houses `to let' in Thanksgiving Street."

Which street are you living on: Grumbling Street, or Thanksgiving Street?

Don't forget, there is plenty of room on Thanksgiving Street & your health would be better & your heart happier if you would move there.

- Gospel Herald. (moreillustrations.com)

"We would worry less if we praised more. Thanksgiving is the enemy of discontent and dissatisfaction.” -  Harry Ironside.

NEW YEAR! - RESOLVE TO BE A BLESSING

“While I was in Tibet I saw a monk, who had lived for 5 or 6 years in a cave. When he went into the cave, he had good eyesight. But because he stayed so long in the darkness, his eyes grew weaker & weaker, and at last he became quite blind.

It is just the same with us. If we do not use the blessings which we have received from God for His Glory, we are in danger of losing them forever." - Sadhu Sundar Singh.

“God saw in the cross of His Son the only door by which He could enter to give blessing to sinners.” -  G.V. Wigram.

1 Pet 4:10 (CEV): “Each of you has been blessed with one of God’s many wonderful gifts to be used in the service of others. So use your gift well.”

“When you focus on being a blessing, God makes sure that you are always blessed in abundance.” -  Joel Osteen.

ONE MORE YEAR

He came to my desk with quivering lip,

The lesson was done.

"Have you a new leaf for me, dear Teacher?

I have spoiled this one!"

I took his leaf, all soiled and blotted

And gave him a new one, all unspotted,

Then into his tired heart I smiled:

"Do better now, my Child!"

I went to the throne, with trembling heart.

The year was done.

"Have you a new year for me, dear Master?

I have spoiled this one!"

He took my year, all soiled and blotted

And gave me a new one, all unspotted,

Then, into my tired heart he smiled:

"Do better now, my Child!"

- Selected. (moreillustrations.com)

Lk 13:7-9 (CEB): “He said to his gardener, ‘Look, I’ve come looking for fruit on this fig tree for the past three years, and I’ve never found any. Cut it down! Why should it continue depleting the soil’s nutrients?’  The gardener responded, ‘Lord, give it one more year, and I will dig around it and give it fertilizer.  Maybe it will produce fruit next year; if not, then you can cut it down.’”

               

I AM THE NEW YEAR

I am the New Year. I am an unspoiled page in your book of time.

I am your next chance at the art of living. I am your opportunity to practice what you have learned about life during the last twelve months.

All that you sought and didn’t find is hidden in me, waiting for you to search it but with more determination.

All the good that you tried for and didn’t achieve is mine to grant when you have fewer conflicting desires.

All that you dreamed but didn’t dare to do, all that you hoped but did not will, all the faith that you claimed but did not have - these slumber lightly, waiting to be awakened by the touch of a strong purpose.

I am your opportunity to renew your allegiance to Him who said, “Behold, I make all things new.” (Rev 21:5)

Author: Unknown (ministry127.com)

“This year, or this month, or, more likely, this very day, we have failed to practice ourselves the kind of behavior we expect from other people.” -  C.S. Lewis.

EXCUSES

If you are looking for an excuse, the devil has plenty of reasons for you to keep the offering:

•             In January because of Christmas bills due

•             In February because of fuel bills and car/bike upkeep

•             In March because of income taxes

•             In April because of clothes for Easter

•             In May because too much rain threatens the crops

•             In June because too little rain threatens the crops

•             In July because of vacation expenses coming up

•             In August because of vacation expenses to be paid

•             In September because of the children’s school needs

•             In October because of winter clothes and doctor bills

•             In November because of the unexpected expenses/Thanksgiving trip

•             In December because of the Christmas shopping

- (ministry127.com)         

Ps 96:8 (TLB): “Give him the glory he deserves! Bring your offering and come to worship him.”

“Gratitude is an offering precious in the sight of God, and it is one that the poorest of us can make and be not poorer but richer for having made it.” -  A.W. Tozer.

CHRIST CAME TO PEOPLE OF ALL CLASSES

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 and were invited to see the birth of the King of kings!

- (ministry127.com)                                                                 

Lk 2:20 (NCV): “Then the shepherds went back to their sheep, praising God and thanking him for everything they had seen and heard. It had been just as the angel had told them.”

“How MANY observe Christ’s birthday! How FEW His commands!” – Benjamin Franklin.

THE FIRST CHRISTMAS

“It is here, in the thing that happened at the first Christmas that the most profound unfathomable depths of the Christian revelation lie. God BECAME man; nothing in fiction is so fantastic as this truth of the incarnation.” - J.I. Packer.

“What shall I give Him, poor as I am?

If I were a shepherd, I would give a lamb;

If I were a wise man, I would do my part;

But such as I have I give Him,

Give Him my heart.” – (A Selection)

Ps 51:17 (GNT): “My sacrifice is a humble spirit, O God; you will not reject a humble and repentant heart.”

CHRISTMAS LOVE

The students were led into the room. Each class, accompanied by their teacher. Then, each group, one by one, rose to perform their song. Those in the front row - center stage - held up large letters, one by one, to spell out the title of the song.

As the class was to sing "C is for Christmas," a child would hold up the letter C. Then, "H is for Happy," and on and on, until each child holding up his portion had presented the complete message, "Christmas Love."

The performance was going smoothly, until suddenly, we noticed her; a small, quiet, girl in the front row holding the letter "M” upside down - totally unaware her letter "M" appeared as a "W".

A hush came over the audience & eyes began to widen.

For when the last letter was held high, the message read loud & clear:

"C H R I S T W A S L O V E”

 And I believe He still is.

- (aksermonillustrations.blogspot.in)

Rom 8:37 (NIRV): “No! In all these things we are more than winners! We owe it all to Christ, who has loved us.”

DONKEYS KNOW!

One year when Christmas Day fell on a Sunday, a farmer decided to go to church. (Like some people, he thought he was fulfilling his religious obligation by going to church twice a year - at Christmas and Easter!)

The sermon that day was preached from the text: “Oxen know their owners, and donkeys know where their masters feed them. But Israel doesn’t know its owner. My people don’t understand who feeds them.” (Isa 1:3 GW)

Isaiah is saying that man is dumber than the animals. After church the farmer returned home & stood among his cows. One of them began to lick his hand - a practical demonstration of the sermon he had just heard.

Strong man though he was, the farmer began to weep as he thought, “God did much for me & yet I never thanked Him. My cow is far more grateful than I am, even though all I give her is just grass & water.”

- (ministry127.com)

“When we were children we were grateful to those who filled our stockings at Christmas time. Why are we not grateful to God for filling our stockings with legs?” - G.K. Chesterton.

CONFESSING PUBLICLY

Jim was leaving church after Christmas services when the pastor greeted him & said, “Jim, it’s time you joined the Army of the Lord. We need to see you every Sunday.”

“I’m already in the Army of the Lord, Pastor,” Jim replied.

“Then why do we only see you on Christmas & Easter?”               

Jim looked to the right & to the left & then leaned over to whisper, “I’m in the Secret Service.”

- (ministry127.com)

But the Lord Jesus said: “Every man who publicly acknowledges me I shall acknowledge in the presence of my Father in Heaven, but the man who disowns me before men I shall disown before my Father in Heaven.” (Mat 10:32-33 PHILLIPS)

“I was asked three times directly in the hearing before the board of the judiciary whether or not I would continue to acknowledge God if I were to resume my position as chief justice. And I said I would.” -  Judge Roy Moore.

THE BEST CHRISTMAS EVER

The story is told of a father who decided that Christmas was going to be different this year. He called a family conference & challenged his family to be more disciplined in the management of their time during the busy Christmas season.

They had to curtail excessive spending on gifts. He talked about better relations between visiting relatives & a more congenial atmosphere around their home.

He brought his speech to a crescendo with his final rally cry, “Let’s make this the BEST Christmas EVER!”

His second grade son countered the big motivational speech by noting, “But dad, I don't see how we could ever improve on the first Christmas.”

- (ministry127.com)         

“Who can add to Christmas? The perfect motive is that God so loved the world. The perfect gift is that He gave His only Son. The only requirement is to believe in Him. The reward of faith is that you shall have everlasting life.” -  Corrie Ten Boom.

Jn 3:16 (NIV): “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

QUARRELSOME

The applicant for the position of cook explained to the lady why she had left her last place:

"To tell the truth, mam, I just couldn't stand the way the master and the mistress were always quarreling."

"That must have been unpleasant," the lady agreed.

"Yes, mam," the cook declared, "they were at it all the time. When it wasn't me and him, it was me and her."

- (moreillustrations.com)

Rom 12:18 (BBE): "As far as it is possible for you be at peace with all men."

"Until he extends his circle of compassion to include all living things, man will not himself find peace." - Albert Schweitzer.

PROMISE

Abraham Lincoln was well known for total abstinence from alcohol. According to one well known story, he was once offered a drink by a colonel in the military.

Lincoln responded by telling the man that when his mother was on her deathbed, she had summoned him as a nine year old boy & asked for his promise that he would never take a drink.

He then said, “I promised my mother that I never would & up to this hour, I’ve kept this promise! Would you advise me to break that promise?”

The colonel replied, “No, Mr. Lincoln, I wouldn’t have you do it for the world. It was one of the best promises you ever made. I would give a thousand dollars today if I had made my mother a promise like that & had kept it, as you have done.”

(Source: Abraham Lincoln: The Man and His Faith, George Owen)

Ps 15: 1 & 4 (GNT): “LORD, who may enter your Temple? Who may worship on Zion, your sacred hill? … Those who always do what they promise, no matter how much it may cost.”

“God’s promises are all on condition of humble obedience.” – Ellen G White.

HE IS ABLE TO KEEP

The Sunday School Times told, not long ago, about a drunkard, very conscious of his weakness & helplessness, who was urged to "Sign the Pledge and keep it."

"But," cried the distressed man, "I do not want something to keep; I need something to keep me!"

Soon after that, thank God, he found the Lord Jesus as his Saviour, of whom it is written, "He is able to keep."

- Gospel Herald. (moreillustrations.com)

2 Tim 1:12 (DRA): “… For I know whom I have believed, and I am certain that HE IS ABLE TO KEEP that which I have committed unto him...”

Lord Jesus said: “I am the vine, and you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will bear much fruit; for you can do NOTHING without me.” (Jn 15:5 GNT)

PURPOSE OF LIVING

“Today, some Christians are content to merely exist until they die. They don't want to risk anything, to believe God, to grow or mature. They refuse to believe his Word, and have become hardened in their unbelief. Now they're living just to die.” -  David Wilkerson.

But the Bible says: “Our only goal is to always please the Lord, whether we are living here in this body or there with him. We must all stand before Christ to be judged. Everyone will get what they should. They will be paid for whatever they did - good or bad - when they lived in this earthly body.” (2 Cor 5:9-10 ERV)

“Had I cared for the comments of people, I should never have been a missionary.” - C.T. Studd.

HAPPY HOME

“Patience, forbearance, kindness, forgiveness - these are essentials in every household; and they can come only through much prayer & supplication at the throne of grace.” - Judge C. C. Featherstone.

"Home is where the heart is, In dwellings great or small; And a home lighted by love, Is the dearest home of all." - Mabel Beals.

- (moreillustrations.com)

Pro 27:8 (TLB): “A man who strays from home is like a bird that wanders from its nest.”

LISTENING

Good listening has been described as an art; now it is a rapidly growing profession.

The busy offices of social workers, our school counselors, personnel managers, and marriage consultants are filled with troubled people, in desperate need of listeners, talking out their problems.

- (moreillustrations.com)

“Our love to God is measured by our everyday fellowship with others and the love it displays.” -  Andrew Murray.

1 Cor 13:4-5 (PHILLIPS): “This love of which I speak is slow to lose patience - it looks for a way of being constructive… Love has good manners and does not pursue selfish advantage…”

A SOLID FOUNDATION

Mormons say that the angel Moroni ‘visited’ Joseph Smith & completed the compilation & writing of the Book of Mormon.

He told Joseph Smith where to find golden plates buried near his family home. He then translated what was written on those plates (the Book of Mormon).

Eleven men are said to have seen the plates & three of them were relatives of Joseph Smith.

In contrast, Christianity is not built on a faulty foundation. It was built on a solid foundation, not from superstition.

Jesus Christ was seen of hundreds & lived among us. The Apostles were eyewitnesses of His life!

- (ministry127.com)

“But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let them be under God’s curse!” – Paul (Gal 1:8 NIV)

“There are two freedoms - the false, where a man is free to do what he likes; the true, where he is free to do what he ought.” - Charles Kingsley.

REFUGE

Ps 9:9 (GNT): “The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed, a place of safety in times of trouble.”

Charles Wesley (1707-1788), shortly after being saved in 1738, sat one summer day in his study.

A little bird, pursued by a hawk, flew in through the open window and sought refuge in his bosom, where the baffled hawk dare not follow.

This incident led to the writing of the familiar hymn, “Jesus, Lover of my soul”.

- (moreillustrations.com)

First two stanzas of the hymn …

“Jesus, lover of my soul,

Let me to Thy bosom fly,

While the nearer waters roll,

While the tempest still is high.

Hide me, O my Savior, hide,

Till the storm of life is past;

Safe into the haven guide;

Oh, receive my soul at last.

Other refuge have I none,

Hangs my helpless soul on Thee;

Leave, ah! leave me not alone,

Still support and comfort me.

All my trust on Thee is stayed,

All my help from Thee I bring;

Cover my defenseless head

With the shadow of Thy wing.”

GIFTS

When Lawrence Barrett's daughter was married, Stuart Robson sent a check for $5000 to the bridegroom. 
The comedian's daughter, Felicia Robson, who attended the wedding, conveyed the gift.

"Felicia," said her father upon her return, "did you give him the check?"

"Yes, Father," answered the daughter.

"What did he say?" asked Robson.

"He didn't say anything," replied Miss Felicia, "but he shed tears."

"How long did he cry?"

"Why Father, I didn't time him. I should say, however, that he wept fully a minute."

"Fully a minute," mused Robson. "Why, Daughter, I cried an hour after I signed it."

- (moreillustrations.com)

2 Cor 9:7 (NIV): “… God loves a cheerful giver.”

Mat 6:3 (TLB): “But when you do a kindness to someone, do it secretly - don’t tell your left hand what your right hand is doing.”

PROGRESS

Emergencies have always been necessary to progress.

It was the darkness which produced the lamp.

It was the fog that produced the compass.

It was hunger that drove us to exploration.

- Highways of Happiness.(moreillustrations.com)

1 Tim 4:14-15 (ICB): “Remember to use the gift that you have….  Continue to do those things. Give your life to doing them. Then everyone can see that your work is progressing.”

“Being satisfied with things the way they are is the quickest way to stop progress.” – Unknown Author.

THE TRANSFORMATION

When the impotent man & the healing pool & the Master came together, there was health & hope.

When the little lad & the few loaves & fishes & the Master came together, there was sufficiency & even abundance.

A thirsty woman, an ancient well & the Master & there were streams of living water flowing into human hearts.

A rugged fisherman, a broken net & the Master & there was discipleship & a story to tell.

Wherever a human need & a sincere faith & the Master meet, there is transformation & consecration. If we bring our lives, weak & insufficient, to the Master, He will remake us.

- The Upper Room. (moreillustrations.com)

Acts 4:13 (GW): “After they found out that Peter and John had no education or special training, they were surprised to see how boldly they spoke. They realized that these men had been with Jesus.”

“The same Jesus who turned water into wine can transform your home, your life, your family, and your future. He is still in the miracle-working business, and His business is the business of transformation.” - Adrian Rogers.

PRICELESS MESSAGE

When a Duxbury, Massachusetts, man refused to pay one-cent postage due on a letter, it was returned to the Plymouth dead-letter office.

Postmaster Wm. Goodwin disclosed that when the letter was opened, it contained a $450 check. It will be returned to the sender in Boston.

Kindly reserve your criticism of the man who refused to pay one cent for a check-laden letter until you have answered this question: "Have I received the message on which nothing is due and which offers me that which money cannot buy and works cannot secure: Eternal Life?"

Here is the message: "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life" (John 3:16).

Is that priceless message but a dead letter to you, to be sent back to the sender, the Lord Jesus Christ?

- (moreillustrations.com)

“When a person refuses to come to Christ it is never just because of lack of evidence or because of intellectual difficulties: at root, he refuses to come because he willingly ignores and rejects the drawing of God's Spirit on his heart.” - William Lane Craig.

Heb 12:25 (NLT): “Be careful that you do not refuse to listen to the One who is speaking. For if the people of Israel did not escape when they refused to listen to Moses, the earthly messenger, we will certainly not escape if we reject the One who speaks to us from heaven!”

RECONCILIATION

Years ago in a Western city, a husband and wife became estranged & finally separated. They left the city & resided in different parts of the country. The husband one day chanced to return to this city on a matter of business.

He went out to the cemetery to the grave of their only son. He was standing by the grave in fond reminiscence when he heard a step behind him. Turning, he saw his estranged wife.

The first inclination of both was to turn away. But they had a common, binding interest in that grave; and instead of turning away they clasped hands over that grave of their son & were reconciled one to another.

It took nothing less than death to reconcile them! It takes nothing less than death, the precious blood of Christ, to reconcile man to God.

- (moreillustrations.com)

“In Christ alone, and His payment of the penalty for our sins upon the Cross, we find reconciliation to God and ultimate meaning and purpose.” - Dave Hunt.

2 Cor 5:18 (ESV): “All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation.”

RECONSTRUCTION

On a hill outside Florence, in a park overlooking that famous city & the river Po flowing through it, stands the great statue by Michelangelo, David slaying Goliath.

A marvelous figure of beauty & grace & strength, the young shepherd lifts his arm to hurl the stone from his sling. That statue was cut out of a block of marble which another artist had worked upon & then thrown away as useless.

So out of our sins, out of our mistakes, out of our failures, God's love & power, aided by our repentance, is able to reconstruct that which is forever fair & good & true.

- (moreillustrations.com)

Ps 51:17 (ICB): “The sacrifice God wants is a willing spirit. God, you will not reject a heart that is broken and sorry for it's sin.”

“Being in Christ, it is safe to forget the past; it is possible to be sure of the future; it is possible to be diligent in the present.” -  Alexander MacLaren.

ADMITTING MISTAKES

A minister was passing a certain farm one day, when he noticed a fine rick of hay, just finished & ready for thatching.

He said to the farmer who was standing by, "That's a very fine rick of hay. Who made it?"

"I did," said the farmer. "I made it."

A few weeks later the minister had occasion to pass the farm again. To his astonishment he saw that the rick, through a heavy gale, had capsized & fallen to the ground. He went to the farmer & condoled with him on his misfortune & again asked, "Who made the rick?"

"There were several of us," was the reply.

That's it! When things go well, we are apt to say, "I did it"; but when they go wrong, we say, "There were several of us."

-Christian Herald. (moreillustrations.com)

“A man must be big enough to admit his mistakes, smart enough to profit from them, and strong enough to correct them.” - John C. Maxwell.

Pro 28:13 (TLB): “A man who refuses to admit his mistakes can never be successful. But if he confesses and forsakes them, he gets another chance.”

“God, send me a friend that will tell me of my faults.” - Thomas Fuller.

VALUE OF CHRIST

In one of the cathedrals of England there is a beautiful window through which the sunlight streams. It displays the facts & personalities of the Old & New Testament & the glorious truths & doctrines of the Christian revelation.

This window was fabricated by the artist out of broken bits of glass which another artist had discarded

- (moreillustrations.com)              

Mark 12:10 - 11(GNT): “The stone which the builders rejected as worthless turned out to be the most important of all. This was done by the Lord; what a wonderful sight it is!”

“We do not know the value of Christ, if we will not cleave to Him unto death!” -  Robert Murray McCheyne.

From the Diary of CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS…

(An Italian explorer, known as 'the man who discovered America', who realized that the world was round*, was in fact trying to find a westward sea passage when he landed in the New World in 1492. This unintentional discovery was to change the course of world history.)

"It was the Lord who put it into my mind, (I could feel His hand upon me), the fact that it would be possible to sail from here to the Indies. All who heard of my project rejected it with laughter, ridiculing me. There is no question that the inspiration was from the Holy Spirit, because He comforted me with rays of marvelous inspiration from the Holy Scriptures.

I am a most noteworthy sinner, but I have cried out to the Lord for grace & mercy, and they have covered me completely. I have found the sweetest consolation since I made it my whole purpose to enjoy His marvelous Presence.

For the execution of the voyage to the Indies, I did not make use of intelligence, mathematics or maps.

It is simply the fulfillment of what Isaiah had prophesied.*

No one should fear to undertake any task in the name of our Savior, if it is just and if the intention is purely for His holy service. The working out of all things has been assigned to each person by our Lord, but it all happens according to His sovereign will, even though He gives advice.

Oh, what a gracious Lord, who desires that people should perform for Him those things for which He holds Himself responsible! Day & night, moment by moment, everyone should express their most devoted gratitude to Him."

(Isa 40:22: "It is He who sits above the circle* of the earth…")

- (endtimepilgrim.org)

NUTS

CURIOUS CHARLEY—"Do nuts grow on trees, father?"

FATHER—"They do, my son."

CURIOUS CHARLEY—"Then what tree does the doughnut grow on?"

FATHER—"The pantry, my son."

Pro 26:5 (GNT): “Give a silly answer to a silly question, and the one who asked it will realize that he's not as smart as he thinks.”

“There is a difference between happiness and wisdom: he that thinks himself the happiest man is really so; but he that thinks himself the wisest is generally the greatest fool. -  Francis Bacon.

“A fool's paradise is a wise man's hell!” -  Thomas Fuller.

ARE YOU LIVING IN THE PAST?

But the LORD says: “Do not cling to events of the past or dwell on what happened long ago. Watch for the new thing I am going to do. It is happening already - you can see it now! I will make a road through the wilderness and give you streams of water there.” (Isa 43:18-19 GNT)

“A revival is nothing else than a new beginning of obedience to God.” -  Charles Finney.

“My attitude was and still is like that of David, who was ashamed that the armies of Israel would tremble before Goliath. Without hesitation he stepped forward with complete confidence in the God who had proven Himself to be faithful. For David, the size of the giant was irrelevant.” -  Dave Hunt.

Charles Spurgeon on JOY

“There is a marvelous medicinal power in joy. Most medicines are distasteful; but this, which is the best of all medicines, is sweet to the taste & comforting to the heart.

One sorrowful spirit brings a kind of plague into the house; one person who is sad seems to stop all the birds from singing wherever he goes.

But the grace of joy is contagious. Holy joy will oil the wheels of your life’s machinery. Holy joy will strengthen you for your daily labor. Holy joy will beautify you and give you an influence over the lives of others.”

- (ministry127.com)

“The Lord gives His people continuous joy when they walk in obedience to Him.” -  D.L. Moody.

Neh 8:10 (GW): “Don’t be sad because the joy you have in the Lord is your strength.”

THE REAL PURPOSE

The distinguished actor had a large photograph of Wordsworth prominently displayed in his dressing-room. A friend regarded the picture with some surprise & remarked:

"I see you are an admirer of Wordsworth."

"Who's Wordsworth?" demanded the actor.

"Why, that's his picture," was the answer, as the friend pointed. "That's Wordsworth, the poet."

The actor regarded the photograph with a new interest. "Is that old file a poet?" he exclaimed in astonishment. "I got him for a study in wrinkles."

- (moreillustrations.com)              

Pro 20:5 (NIRV): “The purposes of a person’s heart are like deep water. But one who has understanding brings them out.”

“Life is about letting God use you for His purposes, not using Him for your own purpose.” -  Rick Warren.

PUNISHMENT

A lawyer was defending a man accused of housebreaking & said to the court:

"Your Honor, I submit that my client did not break into the house at all. He found the parlor window open & merely inserted his right arm & removed a few trifling articles. Now, my client's arm is not himself & I fail to see how you can punish the whole individual for an offense committed by only one of his limbs."

"That argument," said the judge "is very well put. Following it logically, I sentence the defendant's arm to one year's imprisonment. He can accompany it or not, as he chooses."

The defendant smiled & with his lawyer's assistance unscrewed his cork arm & leaving it in the dock, walked out.

- (moreillustrations.com)

Mat 18:8 (ERV): “If your hand or your foot makes you sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose part of your body and have eternal life than to have two hands and two feet and be thrown into the fire that burns forever.”

Barnes’ commentary on the above verse: “It is not meant, by this, that when the body shall be raised it will be maimed and disfigured in this manner. It will be perfect. The meaning is, it is better to go to heaven without enjoying the things that caused us to sin, than to enjoy them here and then be lost.”

THE CHARACTER OF A CHILD

After school one day, a first-grade boy said, “Mom, the teacher asked me today if I have any brothers or sisters who will be coming to school.”

The boy’s mother replied, “That’s nice of her to take such an interest, Dear. What did she say when you told her you are an only child?”

“She just said, ‘What a relief!’”

- (ministry127.com)

Pro 20:11 (TLB): “The character of even a child can be known by the way he acts - whether what he does is pure and right.”

“A well-mannered child is the parent’s best achievement.” – Meridith Nicholson.

PATRICK HENRY’S DESIRE

The last paragraph of Patrick Henry’s will says, “I have now disposed of all my property for my family; there is one thing more I wish I could give them & that is the Christian religion.

If they had this & I had not given them one shilling, they would be rich. If they have not that & I had given them the entire world, they would be poor.”

It is better to die a pauper & have Christ than to die wealthy without Him.

Mat 16:26 (NKJV): “For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?”

- The British Flag. (ministry127.com)        

“The framers of our Constitution meant we were to have freedom of religion, not freedom from religion.” -  Billy Graham.