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 ***

THE TRUTH MEDIA

...building the body of Christ

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

THE TRUTH MEDIA

…building the body of Christ

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 ***

THE TRUTH MEDIA

...building the body of Christ

Come Over

Text: Psalm 15; Acts 3:19; James 4:8

There’s a land of peace and plenty,

and its gates are open wide;

And the pure in heart and

holy in its shelter may abide,

It is not through gates of glory

that a soul must enter in;

But all who would find entrance

there must leave the ways of sin.

Come over, come over,

to the land of corn and wine,

There is nothing can compare with the many

holy pleasures there,

Come over, come over, leave the

desert plain below and come away,

Away, come o…ver.

There is bread of heaven growing,

in its fair and fertile fields,

And the wine of love its

vineyard to the thirsting mortal yields;

There are mountain heights of

glory that awaits the traveler’s rod,

And blest retreats where

empty souls draw nearer unto God.

Who would stay without its borders,

in the desert dark and drear,

When the luscious grapes of

eschol are so very, very, near?

Enter in then with rejoicing,

for the Lord is on your side,

And in His glorious presence

ever more you shall abide.

THE TRUTH MEDIA

…building the body of Christ

On The Other Side

Text: John 14:1-4; Rev. 22:12; Titus 2:13

A sick man turned to his doctor, as he was preparing to leave the examination room and said, "Doctor, I am afraid to die. Tell me what lies on the other side."

Very quietly, the doctor said, "I don't know."

"You don't know? You, a Christian man, do not know what is on the other side?"

The doctor was holding the handle of the door; on the other side of which came a sound of scratching and whining, and as he opened the door, a dog sprang into the room and leaped on him with an eager show of gladness.

Turning to the patient, the doctor said, "Did you notice my dog? He's never been in this room before. He didn't know what was inside. He knew nothing except that his master was here, and when the door opened, he sprang in without fear. I know little of what is on the other side of death, but I do know one thing...I know my Master is there and that is enough."

*** Author unknown | culled from www.sunnyskyz.com ***

THE TRUTH MEDIA

...building the body of Christ

Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus

Text: Hebrews 12:2; Acts 4:12, 16:31; Matthew 11:28-30

O soul, are you weary and troubled?

No light in the darkness you say?

There’s light for a look at the Saviour,

And life more abundant and free!

Turn your eyes upon Jesus,

Look full in His wonderful face,

And the things of earth will grow strangely dim

In the light of His glory and grace

Through death into life everlasting

He passed, and we follow Him there;

Over us sin no more has dominion –

For more than conquerors we are!

His word shall not fail you – He promised;

Believe Him and all will be well;

Then go to a world that is dying,

His perfect salvation to tell!

THE TRUTH MEDIA

…building the body of Christ

Recipe For Happiness

Text: 1 Timothy 6:6-8; Hebrews 13:5; Luke 12:15

I learned a long time ago that life is not always fair. One child gets born in a poverty stricken nation while another gets born to Hollywood millionaires. I have seen God-fearing believers struggle to make ends meet while the leaders of organized crime and casino owners make millions of dollars each and every week. Whenever God is approached about this seemingly unfairness His answer is always the same. “Be content,” He says, “with such things as you have” (Heb. 13:5).

To be content means to have an uncomplaining acceptance of one’s position in life and if you are content you will not worry, murmur, envy, or be overcome with greed. Contentment is necessary because your happiness is based on how content you are. The Message Bible records in Phil. 4:11, 12 these words of the apostle Paul, “I’ve learned by now to be quite content whatever my circumstances. I’m just as happy with little as with much, with much as with little. I’ve found the recipe for being happy whether full or hungry, hands full or hands empty.” The only cause of sadness in one’s life is the lack of contentment; therefore, we must strive to be content at all times.

Contentment is a vital necessity that needs to be in full bloom in order for faith to work. If you’re not content then you’ll gripe and complain about your current circumstances and negative words of doubt and unbelief will flow out of your mouth. This, of course, will hinder your faith from bringing the blessings of God into manifestation in your life. People who complain are not content, thus they are never happy.

Remember, Paul calls contentment the “recipe for happiness.” When was the last time you heard a happy person speak negatively? A joyful Christian knows that their suffering is the stepping stone to better things to come and this is why all you’ll hear out of them are positive faith-filled words. To be happy you must be content and this comes by accepting your position in life without complaining about it. There is no other way. Besides, complaining never changed anything anyway.

The pursuit of a better life always begins with contentment but it doesn’t end there. Consider what Paul says in Phil. 3:12, “Brethren, I do not count myself to have already perfected; but I press on that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me.” Paul is telling us to always be content but never be satisfied. To be content we must always be growing and pressing on.

The word “grow” means to ‘increase’ and 1 Tim. 6:6 says “godliness with contentment is great gain.” Growth is what keeps your contentment alive and it is easy to be content if you know increase is on the way. At a new job, for instance, a worker should be content and thankful for the starting wage (Luke 3:14) but nobody wants to work at the same company for several years and get paid the same amount as the day they started. No, for the worker to be content then increase must take place. Likewise, the employer expects from the new hire increase in effort and productivity. When enough companies do not grow they close their doors and often times this lead the nation into an economic tailspin. The same will happen to us mentally, physically, and spiritually if growth is not a major factor in our lives.

The greatest hindrance to growth is satisfaction. This causes you to accept things as they are and creates in you a “whatever will be will be” mentality. In truth, satisfaction is the birthmark of laziness. Those who are lazy will not work at all nor do those things that are required for growth to happen because they simply do not care about the important things in life. They are willing to sit back and watch the world pass them by yet they’ll be the first ones to complain when hardships prevent them from enjoying the finer things in life.

The secret to overcoming the spirit of laziness and to enter into a state of contentment is to grow hungry for the things of God. Hunger is the result of not being satisfied and it makes a demand on growth.

If you’re satisfied with where you’re in life then you won’t push yourself to climb to the next level of spiritual development and maturity. This attitude prevents growth from happening. 2 Peter 3:18a says, “but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” Growth is a command from God and is what contentment feeds on. The very first command given to Adam and Eve was “be fruitful and multiply” (Gen. 1:22).

In the parable of the talents (Matt. 25:14-30) the unfruitful servant was condemned and sent away into eternal torment. As you can see, growth is very important to God. He is the God of increase and He wants and expects you to grow. Therefore, if your life is not yet filled to capacity with the things of God, then allow dissatisfaction to create in you a craving for more of the benefits that come as a result of being a follower of Christ. In other words, become a seeker of God.

It stands to reason that the quality of one’s life is in direct proportion to the quality of their search for God. Jer. 29:12, 13 says, “Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.” We cannot seek God and pursue Him half-heartedly and expect to find Him. He deserves greater honor than that. We are in a season where God is telling us to turn our eyes back upon Him.

Today graven images are taking the place in the lives of many believers. A graven image does not have to be a statue like the golden calf built while Moses was on the mountaintop meeting with God. No, a graven image is anything we have our eyes on that takes the place of God. Do you play golf with your friends on Sunday instead of taking your family to church? If so, then your golf game has become a graven image. Is the TV set on when you should be having a family Bible study? More times than not there is no greater damaging idol than the television set and the video store.

Do you live for the “almighty dollar”? Does money consume your thoughts? Do you work overtime and spend time away from your family and church when it really isn’t necessary? Is the accumulation of “things” the only motive you have for living? If so, then you are an idol worshipper. We are told in Matt. 6:33 to “seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be added unto you.”

The problem today is that too many believers are seeking the “things” and hoping that God will be added to their lives. This ought not to be. Anything in your life that you prioritize before God is a graven image no matter how good the “thing” may be in and of itself.

The quest for a better life will always lead to the throne room of God and we must not let “things” take the place of God in our lives. Besides, when you seek God and find Him you’ll have everything you’ll ever need. When Jesus becomes your “all in all” contentment will flood over you like a mighty river. In His presence is “fullness of joy” (Ps. 16:11). Truly, that is the recipe for happiness.

*** Written by Randall Brewer ***

THE TRUTH MEDIA

…building the body of Christ

The Continuing Struggle

Text: Romans 7:7-25

Key Verse: “For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do — this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it” (Romans 7:18-20)

Paul says that as a Christian, redeemed by the grace of God, there is now something within him that wants to do good, that agrees with the Law (because the Law describes God's holy nature), that says that the Law is right. There is something within that says what the Law tells me to do is right, and I want to do it. But also, there is something else in me that rises up and says No! Even though I determine not to do what is bad, I suddenly find myself in such circumstances that my determination melts away, my resolve is gone, and I end up doing what I had sworn I would not do.

So, what has gone wrong? Paul's explanation is, It is no longer I who do it; it is sin living in me. Isn't that strange? There is a division within our humanity. There is the I that wants to do what God wants, but there is also the sin which dwells in me. Human beings are complicated creatures. We have within us a spirit, a soul, and a body. These are distinct. Paul is suggesting here that the redeemed spirit never wants to do what God has prohibited. It agrees with the Law that it is good. And yet there is an alien power, a force that he calls sin, a great beast that is lying still within us until touched by the commandment of the Law. Then it springs to life, and we do what we do not want to do.

This is what we all struggle with. The cry of the heart at that moment is: What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? (Romans 7:24) Right here you arrive at where the Lord Jesus began the Sermon on the Mount: Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 5:3). Blessed is the man who comes to the end of himself. Blessed is the man who understands his own spiritual bankruptcy. Because this is the point — the only point — where God's help is given.

This is what we need to learn. If we think that we have got something in ourselves that we can work out our problems with, if we think that our wills are strong enough, that we can control evil in our lives by simply determining to do so, then we have not come to the end of ourselves yet. The Spirit of God simply folds his arms to wait and lets us go ahead and try it on that basis. And we fail, and fail miserably — until, at last, out of our failures, we cry, O wretched man that I am! Sin has deceived us, and the Law, as our friend, has come in and exposed sin for what it is. When we see how wretched it makes us, then we are ready for the answer, which comes immediately in verse 25: Thanks be to God — through Jesus Christ our Lord!

Who will deliver me from this body of death? The Lord Jesus has already done it. We are to respond to the feelings of wretchedness and failure, to which the Law has brought us because of sin in us, by reminding ourselves immediately of the facts that are true of us in Jesus Christ. We are no longer bound to our sinful flesh by the Law. We are married to Christ, Christ risen from the dead. We must no longer think, I am a poor, struggling, bewildered disciple, left alone to wrestle against these powerful urges. We must now think, I am a free son of God. I am dead to sin, and dead to the Law, because I am married to Christ. His power is mine, right at this moment. Though I may not feel a thing, I have the power to say, No! and walk away and be free, in Jesus Christ.

*** From Ray Stedman Ministries | www.raystedman.org ***

THE TRUTH MEDIA

…building the body of Christ

He Meets All Needs

Text: Mark 8:5-9

Key Verse: “So they did eat, and were filled: and they took up of the broken meat that was left seven baskets” (Mark 8:8)

A global increase in population, especially in developing nations with rising prices of goods, is a serious threat to survival. Severe drought in numerous nations of Africa has made many families to go hungry or at least compromised their diets. In the midst of hunger and scarcity, God has always provided for those who trust His ability to change difficult situations and provide their needs.

The text above focuses on the compassionate nature of Christ to always find enduring solution to the plight of those who come to Him. The preceding chapter captures different categories of people with diverse ailment and challenges who were healed and delivered. They were astonished beyond measure “saying, He hath done all things well: He maketh both the deaf to hear and the dumb to speak” (Mark 7:37). Christ provided food for the hungry and fainting people, to support them and to sustain the spiritual blessings they had received.

Sometimes, we ignore the physical needs of others in pursuit of the spiritual alone. Yet, the two are necessary. Although the multitude did not complain or tell Jesus of their hunger, He nevertheless, recognized the need and supplied food. Sometimes, we are too slow to recognize people’s needs, and even when we do, nothing is done about it.

Are there hungry people in your local church? You may not be able to heal the sick but you can provide something for somebody in your local assembly. Identify a needy person today and allow the compassion of God to move you to meet their needs and lighten their burden. On that score, you will be a true follower of Christ.

God cares for every minute detail of our lives. He is not too busy with important matters alone; He is also interested in every minor or major area of our lives. “Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you” (1 Peter 5:7).

Though for You: Christ will supply all your needs, if you trust Him.

THE TRUTH MEDIA

…building the body of Christ

Go, Labour On

Text: John 13:15; 1 Peter 2:21; Matthew 12:50

Go, labour on, spend and be spent.

Thy joy to do the Father's will;

It is the way the Master went,

Should not the servant tread it still?

Go, labour on; it's not for nought,

Thy earthly loss is heavenly gain.

Men heed thee, love thee, praise thee not,

The Master praises, what are men?

Men die in darkness at your side,

Without a hope to cheer the tomb:

Take up the torch, and wave it wide,

The torch that lights time's thickest gloom

Toil on, and in thy toil rejoice,

For toil comes rest, for exile home;

Soon shall thou hear the Bridegroom's voice,

The midnight peal, "Behold, I come!"

THE TRUTH MEDIA

...building the body of Christ