Give It Your All

“…I will go … and if I perish, I perish” – Esther 4:16 NIV

Esther, a Jewish girl married to a pagan king, broke with long-standing tradition, marched into her husband’s throne room, spoke her mind, and rescued her people from annihilation. One girl saved a nation because she was willing to put everything on the line.

Are you feeling inadequate today? Are you thinking, ‘someone else should be doing this job instead of me?’ Then read these words written by clergy Edward Everett Hale: ‘I am only one; but still I am one. I can’t do everything; but still I can do something: and because I can’t do everything, I will not refuse to do the something I can do.’

How many people did it take to rescue the dying man on the Jericho Road? (Luke 10:25-37) One Good Samaritan. How many people did it take to confront Pharaoh and lead the exodus out of Egypt? One man, Moses. A respected leadership expert writes: ‘God has put a dream inside you. It’s yours and no one else’s. It declares your uniqueness. It holds your potential. Only you can give birth to it. Only you can live it. Not to discover it, take responsibility for it and act upon it is to negatively affect yourself as well as those who would benefit from your dreams.’

Poet John Greenleaf Whitter wrote, ‘For all sad words of tongue and pen; the saddest are these, “it might have been.”’ In your twilight years, will you look back and feel like you have spent your life struggling to fulfill other people’s expectations? Or know that you lived it to the fullest by striving to fulfill your God-given dream?

Think about it now, while there’s still time to change direction.

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Is The Word No Longer Interesting?

Twenty years ago, no one would have thought of a time where such an idea as ‘Internet’, better still, ‘social media’, would change our pattern of interactions, ways of life and how we do things.

Change is truly remarkable when it offers more good than harm to everyone. The world is now very much mobile, everything happens on-line with all sorts of smart phones and advanced gadgets produced every year in large figures. But to what extent has this helped people in appreciating, studying and promoting the Word of God more than ever before? To what extent has this influenced people in understanding and liking the true Gospel of Christ?

I had cause to think lately of how weird it is to have so much engagement on posts, pictures and videos of less value and little or no relevance, where hardly do you get up to five (5) comments, fifty (50) likes and ten (10) shares on posts that remind one of God and the core essence and teachings of His word.

I am not talking about posts from ‘motivational pastors’ (by their fruits you know them) and posts like these...

where people hear what they want to hear, see what they want to see and ask for amen as though you were demanding for tithe and offering. You tell people about salvation, repentance, holiness, righteousness, about Isaiah 55:6-7, Acts 2:38, 4:12, John 3:3-5, tell them about heaven and hell; and watch that post ignored like a plague, and you wonder what’s wrong?

Would you type amen?

What’s wrong? This is the same question I ask myself whenever I share posts established on the Word of God to encourage believers and persuade unbelievers to come taste the grace, goodness and love of God in Christ Jesus. Likes, comments and shares have become gold that no one wants to part with. Even Christians on-line barely do well in this regard except in cases like this...

Would you type amen?

I fully understand that the truth is bitter and very few people appreciate being told what they need to hear and not necessarily what they want to hear. I understand the handwriting on the wall that we are in a time “when men don't endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; and they turn away their ears (and eyes) from the truth, and turned unto fables (comedy, mockery, porn, etc)” (2 Timothy 4:3-4).

Is the Word no longer interesting? Has it gone so bad that even with the advent of the Internet and prevalence of virtual spaces and social media (that ought to be a boon for the Gospel), the Word of God could still be shown this much apathy?

Haaa! I already hear someone saying “this writer” has followers and likes issues; he is jealous because his posts aren't enticing incredible likes, comments and shares as desired. Quite frankly, I may want to accept this sentiment a little bit but these are not words from a frustrated or a discouraged young man, but words of a concerned and troubled believer. The essence of this article stands and this really troubles me to my marrow.

Would you type amen?

“Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you... (Luke 6:26); I believe these words of Jesus validates my supposition on this matter or not. However, it should be told as a reminder that the Living Word (The Bible) remains the power of God unto salvation, and identifying with it, letting it find expression in your words, deeds and actions; nothing delights the Lord more than this.

“For the preaching of the Cross is to them that perish foolishness, but unto us which are saved it is the power of God” (1 Corinthians 1:18). And whether likes, comments and shares are rendered or not – even to this very article – I will continue to preach Christ and Him crucified to the world, so that the faith of whosoever cares to listen or read will stand in the power of God and not in the wisdom of men.

“No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier. And if a man also strives for masteries, yet he is not crowned, except he strives lawfully. The husbandman that laboureth must be first partaker of the fruits. Consider these words of Apostle Paul; and may the Lord grant us understanding in all things” (2 Timothy 3:4-7) Amen.

Is the Word no longer interesting? What do you think is wrong? Please feel free to share your opinions, views and insights. Thanks.

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

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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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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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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 ***

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The Practicality Of Love

Text: 1 Corinthians 13; John 15:13; Isaiah 53:1-12

Mr. James Dillingham ("Young Jim") and his wife, Della, are a couple living in a modest apartment. They have only two possessions between them in which they take pride: Della's beautiful long, flowing hair, almost to her knees, and Jim's shiny gold watch, which had belonged to his father and grandfather.

On Christmas Eve, with only $1.87 in hand, and desperate to find a gift for Jim, Della sells her hair for $20 to a nearby hairdresser named Madame Sofronie, and eventually finds a platinum pocket watch fob chain for Jim's watch for $21. Satisfied with the perfect gift for Jim, Della runs home and begins to prepare pork chops for dinner.

At 7 o'clock, Della sits at a table near the door, waiting for Jim to come home. Unusually late, Jim walks in and immediately stops short at the sight of Della, who had previously prayed that she was still pretty to Jim.

Della then admits to Jim that she sold her hair to buy him his present. Jim gives Della her present – an assortment of expensive hair accessories (referred to as “The Combs”), useless now that her hair is short. Della then shows Jim the chain she bought for him, to which Jim says he sold his watch to get the money to buy her combs.

Although Jim and Della are now left with gifts that neither one can use, they realize how far they are willing to go to show their love for each other, and how priceless their love really is.

This evergreen story by William Sydney Porter in “The Gift of the Magi” holds the fact that nothing beats the practicality and power of love. Love that’s genuine, unprejudiced and undiluted is beautiful and knows no bound. Such did our Lord Jesus evinced at the Cross of Calvary.

Though, Jim and Della displayed love that “bears all things and seeks not her own”, the love of Christ surpasses it all. He gave His life that we might be saved while we were yet sinners (Romans 5:8). “He was bruised for our iniquities; He carried our sorrows, He was despised and we esteemed Him not” (Isaiah 53:3).

Love is only meaningful when not in words but in deed and truth (1 John 3:18). “And now abideth faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love” (1 Corinthians 13:13).

*** Story from “The Gift of the Magi” by William Sydney Porter ***

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The Window

Text: 1 Thessalonians 5:14-15; Romans 14:19; Philippians 4:8

Two men, both seriously ill, occupied the same hospital room. One man was allowed to sit up in his bed for an hour each afternoon to help drain the fluid from his lungs. His bed was next to the room's only window. The other man had to spend all his time flat on his back. The men talked for hours on end. They spoke of their wives and families, their homes, their jobs, their involvement in the military service, where they had been on vacation.

And every afternoon when the man in the bed by the window could sit up, he would pass the time by describing to his roommate all the things he could see outside the window. The man in the other bed began to live for those one-hour periods where his world would be broadened and enlivened by all the activity and color of the world outside.

The window overlooked a park with a lovely lake. Ducks and swans played on the water while children sailed their model boats. Young lovers walked arm in arm amidst flowers of every color of the rainbow. Grand old trees graced the landscape, and a fine view of the city skyline could be seen in the distance.

As the man by the window described all this in exquisite detail, the man on the other side of the room would close his eyes and imagine the picturesque scene. One warm afternoon the man by the window described a parade passing by. Although the other man couldn't hear the band - he could see it in his mind's eye as the gentleman by the window portrayed it with descriptive words.

Days and weeks passed.

One morning, the day nurse arrived to bring water for their baths only to find the lifeless body of the man by the window, who had died peacefully in his sleep. She was saddened and called the hospital attendants to take the body away. As soon as it seemed appropriate, the other man asked if he could be moved next to the window. The nurse was happy to make the switch, and after making sure he was comfortable, she left him alone.

Slowly, painfully, he propped himself up on one elbow to take his first look at the world outside. Finally, he would have the joy of seeing it for himself. He strained to slowly turn to look out the window beside the bed. It faced a blank wall.

The man asked the nurse what could have compelled his deceased roommate who had described such wonderful things outside this window. The nurse responded that the man was blind and could not even see the wall. She said, "Perhaps he just wanted to encourage you."

Epilogue ... There is tremendous happiness in making others happy, despite our own situations. Shared grief is half the sorrow, but happiness when shared, is doubled. If you want to feel rich, just count all of the things you have that money can't buy. "Today is a gift, that's why it is called the PRESENT".

*** Written by Sue Richardson | www.transcendinlove.blogspot.ca ***

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