The Dangers Of Hypocrisy

Text: Mark 7:5-15

Christians are a chosen generation and a peculiar people. Our lives should attract and draw out those in darkness into the marvelous light of the gospel. But when our lives contradict what we profess and preach, we become hypocrites and the hearts of sinners we are to win for the Lord become more hardened to the gospel.

It is not sufficient to cast out devils and do miracles in the Lord’s name and preach fiery sermons to sinners. Many who do these will be denied by the Lord on the last day because of the secret sins they indulge in and the evils they harbor in their hearts.

Our public and private lives when brought into examination at any time should receive the approval of God. We must not honour God with our lips and distant our hearts from Him. A double life is a life of hypocrisy and God disapproves it.

Hypocrites, no matter how much respect they command because of their eloquence or oratory, hospitality and charity and regular observance of Christian ordinances, will not receive any commendation from the Lord.

Some so called believers are hypocrites because they are ashamed to be identified with the Lord; they wrap their Bibles when going to church to avoid being ‘embarrassed’ by people around them.

Though they have received many blessings from the Lord, they cannot tell others about Christ with confidence and boldness. The Lord says, “But whosoever shall deny me before men, him or her will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 10:33).

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We Must Be Examples

Key Verse: “And ye became followers of us, and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Ghost: so that ye were examples to all that believe in Macedonia and Achaia” (1 Thessalonians 1:6-7)

Now that we have become believers in Christ there are few things that are now required of us, one of those things is to be an example to others; those who believe and to those who do not believe.

We are under a microscope; people are trying to see if we live the life that we proclaim. They are looking to see if we ‘walk the walk’ as well as we ‘talk the talk’. Those in the world are looking at us waiting for us to make a mistake so that they can accuse us of being a hypocrite, but those in the church are looking to us to be an example that they can look up to.

As we begin to mature in Christ those who are babes look to us as an example of how they should live their lives. We must live our lives in holiness and teach those who are young in the faith to do the same. There are several ways in which we must show ourselves as an example to those who believe.

In 1 Timothy 4:12, the Bible teaches us, “Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.” These were the instructions Paul gave to Timothy because he was a young man. Paul instructed Timothy to be an example to those in the church.

We must be as Paul and begin to teach those who are young in the faith how they should live Christ-like. It is during this time we are best able to teach them how to live and to instruct them in the ways of holiness. We must teach them to be an example in word: the things we say will very often show what is in the content of our heart.

We must teach those who are young in Christ that they must allow the Holy Spirit to change their hearts so that their conversation will begin to change. Jesus tells us in Luke 6:45 “A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.”

Paul then tells Timothy that he must be an example in charity or love. This is important because Jesus said this is the first commandment. In Mark 12:30-31 Jesus tells us, “And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.”

We must show them love! We must show that we love the Lord, and we do this by obeying His commandments. We must love our neighbors as we love ourselves; we show this by giving to those who are in need and not being selfish. When God blesses us, we must in turn bless others.

The story of the Good Samaritan is an example of loving thy neighbor (Luke 10:26-37). We must be an example in spirit; this is to say we must be of a humble spirit and to be forgiving. We must also exhibit a spiritual walk with God. Romans 8:14 tells us, “Those who are led by God's Spirit are God's children.” We don’t have to walk around speaking in tongues all the time to show them this; we must show them that we have the faith that God is in control and that we are doing things according to His will.

We must also be an example in faith. People are looking for us to show them that we have the faith to believe God for everything that we need. It is by our actions that they will know that we have faith. If we are looking to get a job, then we should go out and put in applications to get a job and not expect God to give us a job while we just sit around and eat Twinkies all day. God is able to do that if He wishes, but we have to do something to show God that we trust Him to provide for us.

We must show them our faith through our works. James tells us “Show me how anyone can have faith without actions. I will show you my faith by my actions” (James 2:18b). How will those around us know that we have faith unless they see us do something? And we must be an example in purity of heart and in living a holy life.

They will see what we do when we are not at church. Are we just a Sunday morning saint or is that how we live our lives daily? Those who are young in the faith are looking to us to be an example. They are like our children who do what we do so therefore we must take on Christ so that they will know how to live a life in holiness.

Let’s be an example of righteousness and holiness for all to see so that God will be glorified through us! May the God of peace, and the peace and love of Christ be with you always! Amen.

*** Written by Edwin D. Kerns ***

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Welcome To June!

From The Truth Media family,

Happy New Month!!!

Not of your prudence or your strength,

Nor of how brave you think you are,

Not of your wealth and tactfulness

Have you lived to come this far

But for the mercies of the Lord,

His ‘YES’ to prayers when we call;

And should you seek to brag of self

That you’ve had and seen it all,

Remember, swift it is to drown

For one who choose to wear the crown:

The crown of pride and vanity;

It only brings calamity.

So take this time to praise the Lord,

Worship and praise His holy name;

Remember, June is half the mile,

Don’t stop to make Jesus your aim.

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

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Randall Brewer On 'Taking Control'

Text: Proverbs 16:32; 25:28; James 1:19-21; 2 Peter 1:5-9

Control is a big deal to me. I love being a Christian and the freedom it gives me to take control of my own life and destiny. I believe that life is what you make it and the road on which I have chosen to travel was determined by a surrender of my will to that of the Heavenly Father.

I struggle when things beyond my control close in around me in an effort to shape and form my life. It seems like a roadblock has been put in front of me on my journey down the highway of like and I don’t like it. So often this is what happens in this arena called “life” and circumstances which we have no control over bombard us from every direction on a daily basis.

Cars break down, layoffs happen at work, the children get sick, taxes go up, the dreaded in-laws call and say they’re coming for a summer visit. The list of things we have to deal with that are beyond our control is endless. There is, however, one thing in life that the Bible says we are to always have control of. Jesus said in Luke 21:19, “In your patience, possess your soul.”

Who we are and what we become in life is determined by us and us alone. We cannot control our neighbours or the boss at work but we are instructed to take control of the way we respond to the everyday circumstances of life. This, of course, is a lot easier said than done. To do this will take a lifetime of determination, endurance, and oftentimes intense struggle and hardship.

You see, our emotions are real. So often in the Christian camp we are told to ignore our feelings and live “in the realm of the spirit.” It is true, in the makeup of every believer our feelings and emotions can rightfully be called “the weakest link” but how can you ignore something that is so real and relevant in our lives? After all, Jesus Himself was a very emotional man. He wept, He got angry, at times He got very frustrated, and in the Garden of Gethsemane He struggled so fiercely with His emotions that His sweat became as drops of blood.

No, we cannot ignore our feelings and, in truth, we’re not supposed to. The Bible does not teach us to ignore our feelings but rather to control them. It was this same Jesus Who at times displayed His emotions so openly said, “In your patience, possess your soul.” Why did He say that? Because He knew that if you do not take control of your emotions, for sure they will take control of you.

How important is self-control? In Galatians 5:22-23, it is listed as one of the fruits of the Spirit and John the apostle writes, “Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers” (3 John 2:1). Financial success and physical health is in direct proportion to how well one takes control of wayward emotions.

In Acts 24 Paul had an audience with Felix the governor and verse 25 says “he reasoned about righteousness, self-control, and the judgment to come.” A person becomes righteous in the sight of God when they get born-again and in the end when all is said and done, we must all stand before the throne of God where we will all be held accountable for what we’ve done with the life we’ve been given. Paul tells us that between conversion and the judgment to come, one’s life should be lived with the trademark of self-control and the diligence that goes with it.

The word “self-control” is a translation of the Greek word ‘egkrateia’. This word is derived from ‘kratos’ which means “strength and power”. The fruit of self-control brings with it the same strength and power that raised Jesus from the dead (Ephesians 1:19-20).

A believer must have so much control over his emotions that his feelings become his slave. Since a slave has no legal rights of his own and is bound by law to his master, all emotions that are brought into subjection must be obedient to its owner. Do not ask yourself how you feel, tell yourself how you feel. When you take control of your emotions you take control of your life.

According to Paul, the result of not having self-control is to become a “castaway” (1 Corinthians 9:27) and in Greek this word is defined as “unapproved, rejected, worthless…” Because of a lack of self-control many believers have become worthless castaways and have dropped out of the race for the incorruptible crown. Clearly, living a life of self-control should be a top priority for every believer.

Let’s look again at what Jesus said and see the time frame for when the best opportunity is for us to take control of our feelings and emotions. He said, “In your patience, possess your soul.” Having patience indicates that you are standing in faith as you wait for some prayer request to be manifested.

Something in your life is not right. You are in a struggle and feelings of doubt and frustration are knocking on the door of your soul. You have feelings that are real and they’re causing you much pain. Your emotions are under constant attack as days go by and your struggle is still there and no relief seems in sight. You obey the Word to the best of your ability but still, the situation gets worse and worse. You are ready to pull every hair out of your head as you continually try to do something about that which you can do nothing about.

A feeling of helplessness swarms over you and at times you feel like a puppet on a string being controlled by some diabolical force. You cry out, “God, where are You?” and it takes every ounce of spiritual energy you’ve got just to keep from giving up. It is in times like this, when you are on the brink of what seems like a hopeless situation that God says to “possess your soul.” He does not say to do this when all is going well. No, we are told to take control of our emotions when they are most under attack.

Just how does one take possession of their soul? By following the example of Jesus, of course. He surrendered His will to the Heavenly Father and said in John 12:49, “For I have not spoken on My own authority; but the Father Who sent Me gave Me a command, what I should say and what I should speak.”

Words are the most powerful force in the entire universe. What you say can make you or break you. Proverbs 21:23 says, “Whoever guards his mouth and tongue keeps his soul from troubles.” Do not give birth to negative feelings by speaking them out of your mouth. Heed the words of James 1:19b which tells us to be “swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath.” Proverbs 17:27 says, “He who has knowledge spares his words, and a man of understanding is of a calm spirit.”

It is a sure thing that the trial that plagues you the most will almost never go away until you get your emotions under control. Molehill problems turn into mountains when like a runaway train your emotions go unrestrained. Silence is the key to gaining self-control. After all, “Even a fool is counted wise when he holds his peace; when he shuts his lips he is considered perceptive” (Proverbs 17:28).

*** Written by Randall J. Brewer ***

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Speak A Word

Speak a word, a loving word for Jesus,

Everywhere you go;

Tell poor sinners how He died to save them

From eternal woe.

Speak a word for Jesus, speak it quickly,

Swiftly glides the time away,…

Daily tell the wondrous story of the Master’s glory,

Speak a loving word today.

Speak a word, a tender word for Jesus,

To the sin-sick soul;

Tell him Christ, who came to save the vilest,

Waits to make him whole.

Speak a word, a warning word for Jesus,

Speak it day by day,

Strive to lead some weak and wandering brother

In the narrow way.

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Discover The Leader In You Through Femi Joshua Global: 'The Phenomenal Young Leader' Seminar

** Sponsored **

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There is a hidden leader in everyone waiting to be discovered, and which requires consistent nurturing for full expression. The absence of this has caused most leadership failure as a result of twisted realities and inadequate leadership grooming.

The Femi Joshua (F.J.) Global Leadership and Youth Development platform emerged to remedy this leadership setback and has been producing countless young and successful leaders in all spheres of life.

Come this Friday, 2nd of June, 2017 to “The Phenomenal Young Leader” program organized by F.J Global and discover the leader in you.

Guest speaker: Dr. Nuhu Atta and the venue is at: Grand Ibro Hotel Annex, Plot 2359, Sokode Crescent, Wuse Zone 5, Abuja, Nigeria.

The time is: 5pm prompt.

“A true leader never misses an opportunity to learn and grow.” Don’t miss this great opportunity; be there and be transformed to impact your world.

My House Is Full But My Field Is Empty

There is peace and contentment in my Father’s house today,

Lots of food on His table and no one is turned away,

There is singing and laughter as the hours pass by

But a hush calms the singing as the Father sadly cries:

My house is full, but my field is empty,

Who shall go and work for me today?

It seems my children all want to stay around my table

But no one wants to work in my field,

No one wants to work in my field

Push away from the table, look out through the windowpane,

Just beyond this house of plenty lies a field of golden grain

And it’s ripened unto harvest but the reapers, where are they?

In the house, oh, can't the children hear the Father sadly say:

My house is full, but my field is empty,

Who shall go and work for me today?

It seems my children all want to stay around my table

But no one wants to work in my field,

No one wants to work in my field

Souls are crying,

Men are dying,

Won’t you lead them to the cross?

Go and find them,

Help to win them,

Win the lost at any cost

But no one wants to work in my field,

No one wants to work in my field.

*** Christian Song Lyrics by Lanny Wolfe ***

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The Benefits Of Christian Fellowship

Text: Acts 2:42-47; Hebrews 10:23-25

In every generation, God always have a faithful remnant among His children tasked with evangelizing the world with the gospel so that people can be converted to Christ and be brought into a living fellowship with Him and with one another. These responsible believers, in time, become fruitful and reproductive Christians.

As born again Christians, we are part of the body of Christ, but we must be members of a local assembly where there are opportunities for personal growth, carrying on the Great Commission, strengthening our faith and fellowshipping with one another.

Christian fellowship is an absolute necessity in the life of every believer. Whenever and wherever a Christian is isolated from others who have similar relationship with Jesus Christ, something would be missing from his or her life.

Though a person may have fellowship with Christ through prayer and study of the Word, mutual encouragement and strengthening that come from association with other believers will be absent.

Christian fellowship challenges us to grow in grace, pray for one another and reach those outside the fold of Christ. Through fellowship, we receive needed encouragement in time of weariness, failure and discouragement. Fellowship provides correction necessary for our spiritual growth.

We cannot become the men and women God wants us to be if we are out of fellowship of the brethren. “He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed” (Proverbs 13:20).

When we are in the company of others who know the Saviour and are committed to Him, we will grow in grace and in the knowledge of the Lord.

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Turning The Other Cheek

Text: Matthew 5:38-39, 18:21-35; Ephesians 4:20-32; Philippians 4:8

Key Verse: “…And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.” (Ephesians 4:32)

If for every time someone offends us we retaliate, the world would be in utter chaos by now. Forgiveness, as difficult as it is to yield to, is a significant virtue that must never leave our hearts.

Humans have a tendency to do evil and hence, we err. We step on others’ toes, speak ill of our neighbors, betray our friends, disappoint our siblings, dishonor our parents, embarrass our families, and the list goes on. But as Christians, our disposition ought to be different.

Psalms 130:3 says, “If thou, Lord shouldst mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand?” For a fact, the answer is none. “For all have sinned and come short the glory of God” (Romans 3:23) and “if we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” (1 John 1:8).

However, the Bible records something wonderful for everyone to rejoice in. Next to John 3:16; and John 1:12, among other verses, Romans 5:6-8 remains one of my favorites that give me so much joy whenever I meditate on it:

“For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die.

“But God commendeth His love towards us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”

If God Almighty, the Righteous King of glory could look pass our debasement, filth and faults, and chose to forgive us all our sins by sending His only begotten Son to redeem us through His blood (Ephesians 1:7), why can’t we do same to others? It’s difficult, right? This is the very reason we must forgive because the world’s peaceful coexistence depends on it.

“Ye have heard that it hath been said, an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth” (Matthew 5:38). Ye must also understand that an eye for an eye leaves everyone blind, and a tooth for a tooth leaves everyone with toothache and deprives of the full satisfaction of eating meat.

Hence, our Lord Jesus Christ, himself being an embodiment of love and forgiveness, commands us to forgive. He says in Matthew 5:39 that, “But I say unto you, that ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.”

How easy has it been in turning the other cheek? Turning the other cheek implies bearing and overlooking whatever wrong others might have done to us. It implies forgetting faults and giving others the benefit of a new start, a new relationship opportunity.

Moreover, turning the other cheek, I don’t believe, means you mustn’t get angry when someone hurts you (unless you have the grace not to). Let’s be honest with ourselves, who wouldn’t be angry? I get angry and feel bad when someone hurts and insults me but I am careful not to sin and allow the ill feelings linger in my heart.

Ever since I came to know the Lord my heart has been weak in harboring grudges. In fact, it detests them that is why I always do my best by God’s grace not to offend anyone (follow peace with all men – Hebrews 12:14; Romans 12:18) and wouldn’t do or say anything to make others be inclined to act badly towards me.

We all should know the place of forgiveness in our Christian life and how it affects our prayers. “Therefore if thou bring thy gift (prayers, petition, sacrifice or praise, tithes, offerings, etc) to the altar, and rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift” (Matthew 5:23-24).

Whenever our thoughts, feelings and interactions aren’t right toward others, we are hindered from boldly approaching the throne of grace to obtain mercy and finding grace to help in time of need (Hebrews 4:16).

God is as much concerned about our relationship with one another as He is our relationship with Him. This is why we see in Matthew 6:14-15 that, “if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: but if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”

The bottom line is this: forgive and keep on forgiving. Forgive today, forgive tomorrow, forgive always, even more than seventy times seven (Matthew 18:21-22).

Finally brethren, if anyone at all has wronged you so badly that it hurts to your marrow, go and tell him or her his or her faults between you and him or her alone: “if he or she shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother or sister or friend…” (Matthew 18:15-17).

Everyone deserves forgiveness, even you and even me. Turn the other cheek today; let love thrive, let peace reign. And in all, ‘my beloved brethren, do not err.’

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

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The Worth Of A Soul

Text: Luke 16:19-31

Once a person is born, his existence is as eternal as God’s. After this world has passed away and everything is dissolved, a soul will still be in existence.

When all the super structures, cars and other possessions in the world are burnt up with fervent heat, a soul will still be alive in everlasting consciousness either in heaven or hell. It never dies.

A soul is very precious to God. A single soul is worth more than all the wealth in the world put together. Our Lord Jesus Christ says, “For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul” (Mark 8:36-37).

No wonder angels in heaven rejoice when a sinner turns to the Saviour. “I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance” (Luke 15:7).

What a great privilege and honour therefore, to make the Father happy by winning souls for Him. There is no trouble too great, no humiliation too inhumane, no suffering too severe, no labour too hard and no expense too large in an effort to save one soul.

In order to save sinners from impending doom, we must launch out and witness to all men. We must warn them that although God is merciful, He is a consuming fire (Hebrews 12:29).

God loves every soul and has done everything to save it. We should therefore be willing to suffer, sacrifice, spend and be spent in order to save souls. Remember, a soul will never die!

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