The Word Will Change Your Circumstances



Text: Romans 1:16; Hebrews 4:12; Psalm 107:20-30

Key Verse: “He sent his word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions” (Psalm 107:20)

A pastor friend of mine once said to the Lord, “Lord, You know I believe in divine healing, but no one in my church is receiving. What’s the matter?”

The Lord said to him, “Why don’t you preach on it?”

So he started preaching on divine healing, and his whole church got healed.

Before, nearly all of them were sick. But they all got healed. That’s what happens when the Word of God is preached. The Word of God is what does the work.

We are affected by the words we hear – whether it’s truth or untruth. You could listen to someone who is worried and oppressed talk and when you left his presence, you’d feel oppressed yourself. Some people are so full of doubt and unbelief that the very atmosphere around them is charged with darkness. That kind of atmosphere is created by words.

Thank God for the Word of God! His Word is His will. Psalm 107:20 says, “He sent his word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions.” Let’s talk about the Word of God. Let’s talk about healing from the standpoint of God’s Word.

*** Written by Rev. Kenneth E. Hagin | www.hopefaithprayer.com ***



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Simply Trusting Everyday



Text: Proverbs 3:5-6; Jeremiah 17:7, 39:18; Psalm 9:10


Simply trusting everyday
Trusting through a stormy way;
Even when my faith is small,
Trusting Jesus, that is all.

Trusting as the moments fly,
Trusting as the days go by;
Trusting Him whatever befall,
Trusting Jesus, that is all

Brightly doth His Spirit shine
Into this poor heart of mine;
While He leads I cannot fall;
Trusting Jesus, that is all.

Singing if my way be clear;
Praying if the path be drear;
If in danger, for Him call;
Trusting Jesus, that is all.

Trusting Him while life shall last,
Trusting Him till earth be past;
Till within the jasper wall:
Trusting Jesus, that is all.



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Last But Not Least



Text: Matthew 20:25-28; Galatians 5:13; 2 Samuel 5:10

One day as Christ and His disciples were walking down the road He discerned that there was a rivalry among them. “Then He came to Capernaum. And when He was in the house He asked them, ‘What was it you disputed among yourselves on the road?’ But they kept silent, for on the road they had disputed among themselves who would be the greatest” (Matt. 9:33,34).

Deep within the hearts and minds of each of us is the desire to be great. Greatness is what champions are made of and everybody loves a champion. Therefore, we all want to be great at something. Anything. The recognition of being better, faster, stronger, or smarter than anybody else creates in us an emotional high not to be compared with anything else. What a delight it is to watch an Olympic champion stand on the platform in proud splendor as he or she prepares to receive the coveted gold medal. Many dream of being in the same position. To have the eyes of the entire world focused directly on them…oh, what a thrill!!

Ambitions of honor, superiority, and precedence cause those who desire to be great to aim high and nothing will serve them short of being the greatest at what they do. To do what nobody else has ever done before will drive a person to go to great lengths to accomplish their goal of greatness. The compulsion to be the best will cause a champion to train harder, work longer, and sacrifice more than the next person.

The desire for greatness compels an individual to reach deep inside themselves for that added burst of energy they never knew they had. Greatness means you give it everything you’ve got and then some. And the rewards are unspeakable. Praise, wealth, and admiration are but a few of the many benefits that accompany greatness, a quality many people would die for. This is greatness as the world sees it but in the kingdom of God greatness is seen in a different light.

In response to the disciple’s dispute about who was the greatest, Jesus “took a little child and set him by Him and said to them, ‘whoever receives this little child in My Name receives Me; and whoever receives Me receives Him Who sent Me. For he who is least among you shall be great. Therefore, whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of God’” (Luke 9:47,48; Matt. 18:4).

On another occasion the mother of Zebedee’s sons came to Jesus asking that her two sons be allowed to sit on either side of Him in His kingdom. The other disciples were angered by this request to which Jesus replied, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them. Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you let him be your servant. And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave” (Matt. 20:25-27).

Greatness, Humility, Servanthood. These are all synonymous terms because in the kingdom of God they all mean the same thing. Jesus went on to say, “just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many” (Matt. 20:28).

Nearly two thousand years ago the Son of God left the splendor and majesty of heaven and came to earth to live as a man. Instead of the praise justly due Him He received ridicule and rejection. Instead of being honored as the King of kings and Lord of lords many sought to kill Him and His own twelve companions all ran away and fled at the time of His greatest need.

One of them betrayed Him into the hands of those who hated Him most while another openly denied three times that he even knew Him. Soon thereafter, this humble Servant was hanging on a cross between two thieves. Naked, bruised, pierced and bloodied, this Champion, Jesus Christ, hung His head and willfully gave up His life as a ransom for you and me.

This great Man, this great King, the Son of God Himself came to earth to be a servant for all people everywhere. Shortly before His death He set the example by kneeling down in front of His disciples and washed their feet. In love He even washed the feet of the one He knew would betray Him. Afterward, He sat back down and explained the meaning of what had just taken place.

“Do you know what I have done to you? You call Me Teacher and Lord, and you say well, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you. Most assuredly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him. If you know these things, happy are you if you do them” (John 13:12-17).

The happiest people in the world are those who serve. The willingness to lay down one’s life for the benefit of another is the mark of spiritual greatness. To be a servant Jesus said we must humble ourselves as a little child. To be humble means to be submissive to the wants and needs of someone else besides ourselves. 1 Cor. 10:24 says, “Let no one seek his own, but each one the other’s well being.” Heb. 10:24 tells us, “And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works.” To be humble implies becoming totally obedient to a higher authority.

Many people love to hear and speak of privileges and glory and are willing to pass by the thoughts of work and servant hood to others. They look so much at the crown that they forget the yoke and the cross. 1 Peter 5:5,6 says, “Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble. Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God that He may exalt you in due time.”


We read in Prov. 16:19, “Better to be of a humble spirit with the lowly than to divide the spoil with the proud.” A stern warning is given in the verse before this one. “Pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall” (vs. 18). Pride is the direct opposite of humility. Pride is the act of being self-centered and puffed up with one’s own greatness. Humility, however, is believing that you are “strong in the Lord” (Eph. 6:10) and not in yourself and having an attitude of giving God all the glory.

A prideful man has a conceited belief in his superiority over others whereas one who is humble will “esteem others better than himself” (Phil. 2:3). Through pride a person will exalt their plans, purposes, and desires above the will of God but a humble person adopts with all his heart the plans and goals of the one to whom he is submitted. A humble person will faithfully follow the instructions of Phil. 2:4, “Let each of you look out not only for his own interests but also for the interests of others.”

Humility, like love, always puts others first, especially their beloved Savior. Paul says in Rom. 14:8, “For if we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s.” For sure, humility is a lesson so hardly learned that we have need by all ways and means to be taught it. Greatness comes no other way.

*** Written by Randall Brewer ***



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Is It Better To Die?



Text: Job 3; James 1:2-3; Hebrews 12:7

Key Verse: "After this, Job opened his mouth and cursed the day of his birth" (Job 3:1).

In this chapter we find that Job asks three very poignant questions. The first one is, Why was I ever born? Job hopes his birthday will be forgotten. He is looking back to the day of his birth, and, although he cannot change it, he is saying, May its anniversary be ignored. Let it be a day that is darkened; let no one rejoice in it. Let it be a day of cursing instead of blessing. The reason for Job's outcry is this was the day he was born, the day that produced him. You can see at this point how his life has become so miserable that he longs for death. Even all that he has enjoyed in the past seems of no value in the face of this tremendous anguish that he must endure.

Although Job comes very close to cursing God, he never does. He does curse the day of his birth, and he curses what God has allowed to happen. You can see how the pressure is increasing, and Job is beginning to break and crumble under it, as this unceasing, unexplained anguish goes on.

I do not think anything is harder for us to bear than unexplained trouble. If we could see some reason for what we have to go through, we could endure it much more easily. But when trouble seems to be pointless, it is a terrible strain on the soul. This is what Job is experiencing, so he cries out, Why was I ever born?

His second question is, Having been born, why didn't I die at birth? He says, My life has been totally meaningless. It would have been better to have died when I was born. Job views death as a time of rest, a period of solitude and quiet after the tumult and trouble of life. I think many people see death that way. These verses indicate that Job's understanding of life after death needs to be enlightened a great deal, and that is one of the reasons this suffering came into his life. At the end of the book, Job's view of death is quite different than it was at the beginning.

Job's third question is, Why can't I die now? Job's argument is, What's the purpose of my life? Of what use is a life that is so filled with misery that you can do nothing but suffer and feel anguish? My life produces only fear and trouble, so it would be better to end it now. Many people feel that way. I do not think Job is thinking of suicide – he is asking God to take him home. There is no purpose to life, he says, when it is not enjoyable. That is a very common argument, and one of the reasons we have been given this book is to help us understand that life can still have a great deal of meaning, even when it looks absolutely useless.

*** Written by Ray Stedman Ministries | www.raystedman.org ***


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Hide God's Word In Your Heart



Text: Colossians 3:16; Psalm 119:11


Hide God’s Word in your heart,
Its precious truth believe;
At His command take from His hand,
The Bread of Life receive.

Hide God’s Word in your heart,
Hide God’s Word in your heart –
His Word of love sent from above,
Hide God’s Word in your heart.

Hide God’s Word in your heart
If you would grow in grace,
And like Him be until you see
Your Master face to face.

Hide God’s Word in your heart,
And seek the Spirit’s power
To understand each blest command
He gives from hour to hour.

Hide God’s Word in your heart,
And, having hidden well,
Seek out the lost, the tempest tossed,
Go forth His love to tell.

Hide God’s Word in your heart,
Each day a verse repeat;
Though sin allure, success is sure,
You cannot have defeat.



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The Most Worthwhile Work In The World



Text: John 1:35-51

Key Verse: “The harvest is plentiful but the labourers are few…” (Matthew 9:37-38)

In this articles, we will see how Philip brought Nathanael to Jesus, and how we, as followers of Christ, are to engage in the task of soul-winning. There is a very significant sequence in John 1:35-45.

First we read that John and Andrew found the Lord through John the Baptist (verses 35-37); second, Andrew found Peter (verses 40-42); third, Jesus found Philip (verse 43); and fourth, Philip found Nathanael (verse 45).  Each of these individuals was found by someone. What do we learn as we look at Philip who found Nathanael?

1.         THE MOST IMPORTANT AND WORTHWHILE WORK IN THE WORLD IS TO SEEK THE SALVATION OF OTHER PEOPLE.

There are three tremendous words in verse 45:  “Philip found Nathanael”.  Have you ever done the equivalent of that?  If so, you have never done anything greater, for the greatest work is that of seeking the salvation of a soul. Think what it meant for Nathanael when Philip found him:  it meant he was saved, brought into fellowship with the Lord, transformed and thrust out into His service. Think what this work means in the light of James 5:19-20 and Daniel 12:3.

An evangelist once asked himself, “What shall I, in thousands of years’ time, wish I had done?”  Spurgeon once said, “Even if I were utterly selfish and had no care for anything but my own happiness, I would choose, if I might, to be a soul-winner.” Brainerd said, “I cared not where or how I lived, or what hardships I went through, so long as I could but win souls for Christ.”  We may judge the importance and greatness of this work when we remember that Jesus left Heaven and went to Calvary – to win souls.

2.         THE MOST RECENTLY-CONVERTED PERSON CAN AND SHOULD ENGAGE IN THE WORK OF SOUL-WINNING.

Philip had only just found the Lord himself, and at once he set out to seek Nathanael (verses 44-46). He certainly lost no time, but why should he lose any time?  He had made a tremendous discovery. How long should he have waited before sharing his discovery with someone else?

Philip had the prime qualification for being a soul-winner – he knew the Lord personally; and if you know the Lord as your own personal Saviour you are at once qualified to begin this work of soul-winning. The best preparation for this is a heart full of love for the Lord Himself, so do not imagine that you are too young a Christian or do not have the necessary gifts to tell someone what you know of the Lord and to commend Him to them – and the best time to start is now!

3.         THE MOST POWERFUL MEDIUM THAT GOD BLESSES IN THE SALVATION OF SINNERS IS THE PERSONAL TESTIMONY OF BELIEVERS.

The Lord always uses His Word to produce the miracle of conversation – look up Psalm 19:7, and compare 1 Corinthians 1:21; but very often the first contact or impression is made upon a soul by the personal testimony of a Christian.  It was so here, and verse 45 tells us about the kind of testimony we should give:-

(a)        Our testimony should be INFORMAL, as Philip’s was. There was nothing sophisticated or clever about it; it was given in simple, heart-to-heart language.

(b)        Our testimony must be INFORMED. Verse 45 indicates this. Philip knew his man, but he also knew the scriptures and he was therefore able to draw upon his knowledge of the Word of God when seeking to make a point of contact with Nathanael.

(c)        Our testimony must be INFECTIOUS. It is obvious from verse 45 that Philip was passionate in his appeal to Nathanael; he meant business, and doubtless when he spoke his eyes flashed, his face lit up and his words were warm and moving.

If all God’s people had a testimony like this and gave it like this there would soon be a very wonderful movement of the Spirit of God upon the hearts and lives of many who are now dead in their trespasses and sins.

4.         THE MOST EFFECTIVE WAY OF MEETING OBJECTIONS IS FOR THE ONE WE ARE TRYING TO WIN TO COME AND SEE FOR HIMSELF.

See what it says in verse 46. Nathanael was a sincere thinker, what might be called “an honest doubter”, and Philip knew this. He knew that argument would not win him, but he also knew that if Nathanael could meet with Jesus that would do it!

Most people whom we seek to win to the Lord have problems, but the important thing is never to argue with them! Do what the man born blind did – look up John 9:25; say to the soul you are seeking to win, “Come and see for yourself!”

5.         THE MOST GLORIOUS ASSURANCE WE HAVE AS WE TRY TO WIN SOMEONE TO THE LORD IS THE CONFIDENCE THAT HE KNOWS ALL ABOUT THEM ALREADY.

This is brought before us in verses 47 and 48. Long before Philip thought of Nathanael the Lord knew all about him and longed for his salvation – look up and study Mark 16:19-20 carefully.  Soul-winning work is not primarily man’s work but the Lord’s, and He does that through us, His servants.

6.         THE MOST THRILLING MOMENT THAT CAN COME TO US IS WHEN THE PERSON WE ARE DEALING WITH CONFESSES THE LORD.

Read verse 49, and try to picture the joy that must have filled Philip’s heart at this moment. It is important to remember, however, that even if we have been faithful in our witness for the Lord it may not be our privilege to lead that one to Christ. Sometimes He uses us just as a link in the chain before He finally brings that soul to Himself.

7.         THE MOST ENCOURAGING INCENTIVE TO WIN OTHERS IS THAT THE LORD HAS A GLORIOUS PURPOSE FOR THAT PERSON.

Read verses 50 and 51. When we set out to win anyone we never know what the Lord will make of that one. Nathanael became a disciple of Jesus, one of the Twelve. We may be winning a Wesley, a Hudson Taylor or a David Livingstone – but what matters most is that we should be trying to win one more soul for whom the Saviour died.

*** Written by Francis Dixon | www.wordsoflife.co.uk ***



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God's Love Never Quits



Text: Lamentations 3:22-23; 1 Peter 5:7; Hebrews 4;16

“But You, O Lord, are a God full of compassion, and gracious, Longsuffering and abundant in mercy and truth” (Psalm 86:15)

Have you ever just felt like giving up?  Just saying, “Forget it!  It’s not worth it anymore!” Maybe you said it about a promotion you were working towards.  Maybe you said it about college classes.  Maybe you said it about a difficult project you were working on.  Life sure brings challenges, and sometimes we are just ready to give up and quit.

Quitting is a part of our human nature. Make no mistake about it. However, quitting will never be part of God’s nature. I’m so glad of that!  I have given God plenty of opportunities to say, “Forget it! Scott’s not worth my trouble anymore! He doesn’t deserve my love!” But God could never say that, praise His name! God’s love never quits!

I’m not the only person who gave God a good reason to give up on them. The bible is full of people who failed God.  Here’s a few that you know about:  Adam and Eve – violated God’s one restriction, Noah – became drunk and lay naked before his family, Abraham – lied about his wife and didn’t believe God’s word that He would give him a son, Moses – murdered and lost his temper, David – committed adultery, Jonah – refused to take God’s message to Nineveh, Peter – denied Jesus three times!

Despite our failures and faults, despite the fact that we so often make mistakes, and despite the fact that we have, at times, quit on God…God has never and will never quit loving you and I! He is committed and compassionate about His love for us. Rest in that my friends! And while we’re at it, let’s do a better job of continuously serving and living for the One who loves us unconditionally!

*** Written by Scott Helton | www.bethelbaptistmorristown.org ***



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Welcome To December: It's End Of Year



Text: 1 John 3:17; Hebrews 13:16; Proverbs 21:13

“Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others” (Philippians 2:4)


From The Truth Media family,
Happy New Month!!!

If the dead had known their end
Would cave in fast, unexpected;
If they had known the things they dread
Would quash their fate unsuspected

The strive to have it all at once,
To rule the world and amass wealth
Would they abhor and left for dunce
To hound around against their health.

To care and share with warmth in heart
Prolongs the soul that holds not back;
The ones who reach out to impart,
They never beg; they never lack.

If the sun had lost its virtue
Who would help the lilies bloom?
If life only was meant for you,
Not a flower will greet your tomb.

So, spread some cheer,
It’s not a crime;
It’s end of year,
It’s Christmas time.

*** Written by Michael Olajubu (aka Jacobs Adewale) ***


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Why I Hate Religion



Text: Matthew 23; 2 Timothy 3:1-5; Luke 10:25-37

One evening a wealthy man was riding in his limousine when he saw two men along the road eating grass. Disturbed, he yelled at his driver to stop and got out to investigate. He asked one man "Why are you eating the grass?" "Well, we don't have any money for food" the poor man replied. "So we have to eat grass." "Well then, come with me to my house and I'll feed you" the wealthy man said. "But sir, I also have a wife and two children with me. They are over there, under that tree." "Ok, bring them along too" the he replied.

Turning to the other poor man he stated, "You come with us, also." The second man, in a pitiful voice, then said, "But sir, I also have a wife and seven children with me!" "Very well then, bring them all" the wealthy man answered. They all piled into the limousine, which was no easy task. Once under way, one of the poor fellows turned to the wealthy man and said, "Sir, you are truly too kind…Thank you for taking all of us with you. The wealthy man replied, "No problem, glad to do it. You'll really love my place. The grass is almost a foot high."

Now it seemed like this guy had a great big heart at first didn’t it? He appeared to be filled with compassion for these needy families but then, we saw his true heart; he wasn’t really helping at all. He might have been mistaken for a religious compassionate guy, but he was not truly righteous.

What’s the difference between being religious and being righteous? Well, that’s what this short video on spoken word poetry is about. It tells of the differences between religion and true Christianity in Jesus. Check below for excerpts.



Here are excerpts from the video:
Just because you call some people blind doesn’t automatically give you vision.
If Religion is so great
Why does it start so many wars?
Why does it build huge churches
But fails to feed the poor?

Religion might preach grace but another thing they practice.
Religion is like spraying perfume on a casket.
There is a problem if people only know
You are a Christian by your Facebook.

If grace is water, then the church should be an ocean.
It’s not a museum for good people,
It’s a hospital for the broken.
Jesus and religion are on opposite spectrum:
One is the work of God
But one is a man made invention;
One is the cure,
The other is the infection.

Religion says do,
Jesus says done.
Religion says slave,
Jesus says son.
 Religion puts you in bondage
But Jesus sets you free.
Religion makes you blind
But Jesus makes you see.

Religion is man searching for God
Christianity is God searching for man.

*** Above article culled from http://www.bethelbaptistmorristown.org ***


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Didn't Jesus Turn Water Into Wine?



Text John 2:1-11; 1 Corinthians 10:23

Are you of the school of thought promoting this notion of wine being a proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy? Well, I beg to differ.

Of course He did turn water to wine but it's no basis for wine to enslave you. Alas, it rips my heart to know that even Christendom today misses it in this regard but I do not claim to know it all.

So many professing Christians give the John 2:1-11 account as a justification to gratify their alcoholic gluttony, failing to realize that God is not an author of confusion and doesn't contradict Himself. Though He created wine for a purpose, He knows the effects of it and that is why He warned us before hand in His Word (Bible) to desist from it.

Have this in mind that every miracle Jesus did was symbolic and shouldn't be examined on the surface. The water to wine miracle elucidates the gracious power of God to rescue from shame and disgrace in dire times of need and trial.

Imagine it's your wedding or your daughter's or someone close to you and you are in charge of the organizing and all. Dignitaries, friends, well-wishers, relatives and even foes have been invited to the occasion. Suddenly, you run out of stock of food and drinks and the reception had barely started, having no other avenues to refill the stock. You can imagine the scenario.

There was the Saviour, Jesus Christ, saving the day by providing what was needed at its best quality. This is what we should hold on to in this account and not to justify wine drinking. You may want to make reference to 2 Timothy 5:23 where Apostle Paul urged Timothy to take a little wine? But is that the end of the story? Of course not; Timothy had to use it as cure for his frequent illness. If indeed you too are sick as Timothy was, should wine now take the place of praying for healing or seeing a doctor when necessary?

"Harlotry and wine and new wine take away the heart and the mind and the spiritual understanding" (Hosea 4:11). This is a profound wisdom God wanted us to get that He made this known in His Word. In Isaiah 28:7, it was wine that led the priest and the prophets astray from the path of righteousness. And for God so love the world that He gave us this warning so as not to err and miss His promises for us.

For Lot's daughters to have their father fulfill their heinous intents, they had to fetter him with wine (Genesis 19:31-33). King Ahasuerus misbehaved and sent his wife away under the influence of wine (Esther 1:1-18). These are incidents God doesn't want to occur in the lives of any of His children and has given a clear path to follow.

"Wine is a mocker, strong drink a riotous brawler; and whoever errs or reels because of it is not wise" (Proverbs 20:1).  Enslaving yourself to wine brings sorrow, woe, wounds without cause and dimness of eyes that precedes a fall and embarrassment. "It bites like a serpent and strings like an adder" (Proverbs 23:29-35). If anyone claims to be wise but bows to the supremacy of wine, he is but a liar and dead to reality.

Apostle Paul said, "All things are legitimate (permissible – and we are free to do anything we please), but not all things are helpful. All things are legitimate, but not all things are constructive (to character) and edifying (to spiritual life)" (1 Corinthians 10:23; 6-12). Wine intake may be lawful but not profitable for the spirit man. And "if we live by the (Holy) Spirit, let us also walk by the (Holy) Spirit…" doing away with the things of the flesh.

Don't be misguided and misled on this issue of wine and drinking. The Bible frowns at it, God forbids it and Jesus Christ, our Master, didn't do it. Why then must you engage in it? False prophets have risen among us, spreading erroneous messages and misconstruing the Bible and those with feeble minds fall for it.

Now more than ever, we as believers of Christ have to get closer to our Master to know Him more and know all of His instructions on varied issues of life. We have to grow from "milk taking for the unskilled in the doctrine of righteousness and start eating solid food (meat of the Word) (Hebrews 5:12-14).

Don't be deceived! So many have erred from the faith by being unskilled and ignorant of the ordinances of God. You shouldn't be the next victim of the devil. "Don't perish for lack of knowledge". The Bible is not a novel to keep and read at convenience. It is the Word of Life that can save, sanctify and transform. Read it, study it, meditate on it, spend time with it, and understand 'THE TRUTH'.

With these few points, I believe I have been able to debunk the notion of the first picture above. And for those who are already enslaved by wine and need to quit drinking entirely, Jesus remains the only answer. His blood will miraculously deliver you from alcohol addiction more than any rehabilitation center can do.

*** Written by Jacobs Adewale (Admin) ***

Feel free to share, leave your comments, reactions and suggestions. We would love to hear from you.


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No Scar




Hast thou no scar?
No hidden scar on foot, or side, or hand?
I hear thee sung as mighty in the land,
I hear them hail thy bright ascendant star,
Hast thou no scar?

Hast thou no wound?
Yet I was wounded by the archers, spent,
Leaned Me against a tree to die; and rent
By ravening beasts that compassed Me, I swooned:
Hast thou no wound?

No wound, no scar?
Yet, as the Master shall the servant be,
And, pierced are the feet that follow Me;
But thine are whole: can he have followed far
Who has no wound nor scar?

*** Written by: Amy Carmichael ***


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Life, Not Religion



Text: Jeremiah 9:1-11

Key Verse: “Thine habitation is in the midst of deceit; through deceit they refuse to know me, saith the Lord” (Jeremiah 9:6)

Israel had been a backslidden nation. Several years back, a righteous king, Josiah, had arrived the stage with sweeping reforms to restore righteousness in the land. He enthroned true worship by removing the idolatrous priest who had been burning incense in high places at the instance of the past kings of Judah.

He broke in pieces the images of idol and drove away the workers with familiar spirits and wizards to enable the people return to the true God and His worship. Sadly, at the death of King Josiah, the people returned to their old ways.

In the text above, Prophet Jeremiah itemized the abominations prevalent in Israel for which God was not pleased. The prophet said that the people were “all adulterers, an assembly of treacherous men” (Verse 2).

Today, our society is in the same lamentable situation Israel was at that time. There is corruption in high and low places, idolatry of all kinds, and immorality is at its peak. The values that were held sacrosanct years ago have been thrown overboard. Even in unlikely places, worship centers, evil abound. These things that made Jeremiah shed tears are also the concern of genuine men of God today who labour day and night to draw men from the scourge of sin.

The redeemed of the Lord must warn sinners of the imminent judgment of God as did Jeremiah. The purity of one’s Christian faith should be seen by doing what is right; loving others and ceasing from sin. So, the practice of the Christian faith must not be limited to a mere church attendance. Our changed lives must be righteous and holy, as sure signpost for others to take after.

Thought For You: The reality of man’s religion is evident in his character


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Greed - The Cause For A Miserable Life



Text: Proverbs 15:27; Luke 12:15; 1 Timothy 6:10-11

"Greed is the root cause for all sorrows" said Gouthama Buddha. All humans have desires, physical and emotional. But any desire overwhelms or overrates beyond the acceptable levels, it becomes 'greed'. Now the following is an ancient moral story how the greed makes man's life miserable.

Once there were two neighbors, one was rich and another poor. The poor was a farmer with very meager farmland of 1 hectare and the rich had all the properties and wealth with many servants. The rich could not be Happy or content as he was always in the worry of improving his wealth and protecting the exist.

On the contrary the farmer toils throughout the day in his farm and get yields which give sustenance to his family. At the end of the day the farmer comes to home, play with his children, share the things with the wife and sleeps with peace. The rich was so amazed about his fellow neighbor's happy life and inquired with his counsel accountant what was the secret behind this.

The counsel said the rich, it is the contentment of the individual with whatever comes out of our hard work and performance would give rise to pleasant and peaceful life. The rich could not be convinced. The counsel requested his boss to allow some experiment to be done with the farmer to prove his argument.

The counsel the next day buried one gold coin in the place where farmer usually digs for his luggage to be tied up, without any one notice. So the farmer got surprised and he took away gold coin and kept in a hidden compartment of his house. He did not reveal the surprise to any of his family members lest they spread the news all over the village.

The counsel continued the same with another gold coin for second day in another prominent place of farm land where the farmer digs. Again surprise for the farmer. The second was also kept in safe custody in the compartment. This process continued for 99 days and the farmer got 99 gold coins in his possession. The farmer was about to get 100th gold coin for his dream to be fulfilled because he could buy another nearby farm land with 100 gold coins. But to his astonishment the counsel stopped burying gold coins with 99.

Afterward the farmer became mad to get hundredth gold coin, he kept on digging fanatic all over his farm land and he ignored totally the usual farming which give sustenance to his family with food grains. He kept on counting the 99 gold coins in the hidden compartment through out night without sleep and he was in a deep state of distress for not getting the hundredth. He left his children without looking after their well being. He got the habit of frowning at his wife when come to ask what happened to him.

The whole episode was being watched by the rich and his counsel amusingly and finally they came to the farmer and revealed the experiment they made with him. The rich later extended the hundredth gold coin and other farm land which the farmer desired to buy as a compensation to the farmer for the mental agony he has undergone due to this experiment. At Last both lived happily.

The inference of the above story can be derived as "the human life would become miserable when we aspire for the materials or wealth income which do not match to our hard work and performance". If we become content with our possession be it money or property, we can lead a very peaceful life. We can rejoice whatever comes in our way naturally and we can appreciate all the natural boons bestowed upon us by the Almighty.

In fact we can be very happy and peaceful as long as when we don't compare our wealth or life styles with others who are at higher range.

We can have desires those can be fulfilled with easy efforts, but greed which could not be satiated within our capacity leads to miserable life.


*** Culled from www.changeinnerself.com ***



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