OPEN THE DOOR

A Christian worker once visited a poor woman in order to bring her a sum of money which she badly needed. He knocked at her door, not once or twice only, but got no response & he had to go away disappointed with the money still in his pocket.

Meeting her a few days later, he told her of his fruitless visit. She replied, with tears in her eyes, that she had heard him knocking, but thought he was the rent collector & she dare not open the door, for she had not the money to pay the rent.

C. H. Spurgeon used this as an illustration of the Gospel. He who stands at the door & knocks has come with a gift; the knock is the Savior's knock, not that of a taskmaster. The Gospel is good news; news of a debt paid, not of rent required. It is not a demand but a free gift, which no one has deserved or could win by merit, but which is offered to all.

- (moreillustrations.com)

Rev 3:20 (CEV): "Listen! I am standing and knocking at your door. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in and we will eat together."

Rom 3:24 (KJV): "Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus."

KNOWING THE SHEPHERD

Some years ago at a drawing-room function, one of England's leading actors was asked to recite for the pleasure of his fellow guests. He consented & asked if there was anything special that his audience would like to hear.

After a moment's pause, an old clergyman present said: "Could you, sir, recite to us the 23rd Psalm?"

A strange look passed over the actor's face; he paused for a moment & then said: "I can & I will, upon one condition; and that is that after I have recited it, you, my friend, will do the same."

"I?" said the clergyman, in surprise. "But I am not an elocutionist. However, if you wish it, I will do so."

Impressively, the great actor began the psalm. His voice & his intonation were perfect. He held his audience spellbound & as he finished, a great burst of applause broke from the guests.

Then, as it died away, the old clergyman arose & began the psalm. His voice was not remarkable; his intonation was not faultless. When he had finished, no sound of applause broke the silence - but there was not a dry eye in the room & many heads were bowed.

Then the actor rose to his feet again. His voice shook as he laid his hand upon the shoulder of the old clergyman & said: "I reached your eyes & ears, my friends; he reached your hearts. The difference is just this - I know the 23rd Psalm, but he knows the Shepherd."

- The War Cry. (moreillustrations.com)

"And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power." – Paul (1Co 2:4 KJV)

The "Blues" or the Gospel?

In "Today in My Vineyard," the Annual Report of the Open Air Mission, an evangelist describes his part in a social evening at the Y.M.C.A. hut at Carnarvon Camp during the Great War.

The man before him sang, "The Wibbly-Wobbly Blues." Then the evangelist went on the platform and said, "Boys, this morning I visited a poor fellow who lay with pneumonia. It wouldn't have been of much comfort to him if I had sung 'The Wibbly-Wobbly Blues,' would it? I gave him `The Old, Old Story' - and now I'm going to give it to you."

When they closed that night there were twenty men on their knees, seeking Christ.

- Sunday School Times. (moreillustrations.com)

"For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is God's power for the salvation of everyone who believes, of the Jew first and of the Greek as well." – Paul (Rom 1:16 ISV)

"The gospel is not speculation but fact. It is truth, because it is the record of a Person who is the Truth."  - Alexander MacLaren.

PERFECT PEACE

In 1555, Dr. Nicholas Ridley was sentenced to be burned at the stake in England because of his witness for Christ.

On the night before Ridley’s execution, his brother offered to remain with him in the prison chamber to be of assistance & comfort.

Nicholas Ridley declined the offer saying, “I intend to go to bed & sleep as quietly tonight, as ever I did.”

Because he knew the peace of God, he could rest in the strength of the everlasting arms of his Lord to meet his need.

Most of us will never face a trial of our faith that is quite that severe, yet all of us go through difficult times.  During those times, we have the opportunity to fix our minds on God & receive His peace.

Isa 26:3 (CEV): "The LORD gives perfect peace to those whose faith is firm."

- ('Foxe’s Book of Martyrs' by John Foxe)

"When our lives are filled with peace, faith and joy, people will want to know what we have." - David Jeremiah.

THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST

The American agent for General Motors in Shanghai asked a Christian leader in China if he had much competition, in his missionary work, from the sages and philosophers of Confucianism (philosophy taught by an ancient Chinese philosopher, Confucius).

The Chinese Christian answered by asking the motor dealer a question, "When you try to sell a Cadillac or a LaSalle car, do you have much competition with the Chinese merchant who sells wheelbarrows?"

- Good News. (moreillustrations.com)

The Bible says: Jesus is the one of whom the scripture says, 'The stone that you the builders despised turned out to be the most important of all.' Salvation is to be found through him alone; in all the world there is no one else whom God has given who can save us. Act 4:11-12 (GNB).

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"In contradistinction to the Gospel of Christ, the gospel of Satan teaches salvation by works."  -  A.W. Pink.

WEIGHT LOSS

The army of Alexander the Great was advancing on Persia. At one critical point, it appeared that his troops might be defeated. The soldiers had taken so much plunder from their previous campaigns that they had become weighted down & were losing their effectiveness in combat.

Alexander commanded that all the spoils be thrown into a heap & burned. The men complained bitterly but soon saw the wisdom of the order.

Someone wrote, "It was as if wings had been given to them - they walked lightly again." Victory was assured.

The Bible likens Christians to runners. To win the race, we must "lay aside every weight" that would drag us down and rob us of our strength and endurance (Hebrews 12:1).

This weight may be an excessive desire for possessions, the captivating love of money, an endless pursuit of pleasure, slavery to sinful passions, or a burdensome legalism.

- Richard De Haan

"If your Christian life is a drag, worldly weights may be holding you back."

(preceptaustin.org)

FRIENDSHIP

One cannot always choose his vocation or surroundings in the world. But one can choose his friends.

The philosopher Antisthenes used to wonder that men would examine carefully an earthen vessel which they were about to buy, worth just a few cents, to see if there were any cracks or flaws in it, and yet the same men would exercise no thought or care in the choice of friends.

When John Wesley was a student at Christ Church, Oxford, he made the resolution that he would have only those friends that would help him on the road to heaven.

- (moreillustrations.com)

"He is your friend who pushes you nearer to God."  -  Abraham Kuyper.

Jas 4:4 (KJV): "Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God."

"The dearest friend on earth is a mere shadow compared to Jesus Christ." - Oswald Chambers.