True Liberty

Text: Galatians 5:1-13

“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.” – Galatians 1:1 (NIV)

Everyone that is in physical bondage desires to be free. The Bible speaks of the children of Israel who “sighed by reason of the bondage” (Exodus 2:23). To have liberty therefore is to be free from bondage or slavery, from servitude or from being under a yoke.

It is not only by reason of physical confinement that one can lose one’s liberty. The sinner is in spiritual bondage. “Whosoever committeth sin is the servant (slave) of sin” (John 8:34). He or she is under the dominion of sin, Satan, self and fear.

Consequently, he/she commits adultery and fornication; he/she steals and tells lies, smokes and drinks. He/she is covetous and malicious, engages in gossip and causes harm to others, etc.

In this state of sinfulness, the sinner may think that he/she is exercising his/her liberty to do what he/she likes. But when he/she comes to realize that these actions are not only antisocial but also displeasing unto God, he/she becomes weary and burdened with the guilt of his/her sins.

Yet, he/she finds that he/she still cannot free himself/herself neither is there any power on earth that can free him/her. No wonder the cry of his/her heart is: “O wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from the body of this death?” (Romans 7:24).

But only Jesus Christ can give true liberty: “If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed” for, “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved” (John 8:36, Acts 4:12).

Jesus Christ is our divine Liberator, Saviour and Redeemer who ransoms us from spiritual bondage and captivity.

Through Christ’s death and resurrection, we have freedom from the power of sin and its pollution, from self-will, guilt and condemnation, fear of God’s wrath and of future judgment.

Our liberty through Jesus Christ enables us now to obey God from our hearts, live unselfish life, love God and our fellowmen with all our hearts, to please God not by keeping the law but by grace through faith.

This liberty enables us to have fellowship with God and the children of God, consecrate our lives, energy, time and talents to the service of God and helps us to live a life of holiness and righteousness.

True liberty is in Jesus Christ alone. Won’t you come and be saved and set free? Won’t you whisper from your heart: I yield?

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You Are Running Out Of Time

“Are you this chicken-hearted, Dave? When did you start taking this thing serious? No Dave, no! I can’t let you lose your senses. You’re not going anywhere. In fact, I’ve had enough; I can’t bear no longer. Up! Let’s get out of here!”

These words burst from Susan in an angry rush. She rose from her seat, grabbed David’s right arm and pulled him towards the exit.

Ordinarily, David and Susan would have chosen a five-star hotel or an amusement park for some moments of sinful pleasures. But somehow, for reasons beyond them, they decided to attend an open-air Gospel meeting that was being held in the city by a renowned international evangelist.

Although they had heard so much about the miracles happening there, they didn’t believe in such things. So this fateful day, they agreed to go and see things for themselves. At least, this would add some new dimension to their fun, they thought.

When they arrived at the venue, they wriggled their way through the mammoth crowd to a vantage position from where they were sure to have a clear view of all the proceedings. But the story changed that evening when the evangelist made a call to salvation at the end of his sermon.

He preached about God and His love for humanity and about Jesus, His only begotten Son, who shed His precious blood to redeem man from eternal doom.

The sermon melted David’s heart; he was completely broken. In his brokenness, he rose to answer the preacher’s call but Susan would have none of it. She prevailed on him and prevented him from moving out for the call.

As she pulled him toward their car, parked across the road, she continued scolding him, “Dave, how could you be so pliable? How dare you! Have you easily forgotten the reason we came here? For fun! Nothing but fun! She spat out in disgust.

“We are leaving immediately! In fact, let me have the car key. I’m moving it!” Dave, who had been quiet all this while, handed over the key sheepishly; still unable to explain what was really happening to him. Susan, boiling with rage, got into the car, turned on the ignition and whisked her partner away from the meeting; away from the mercy and saving grace of God.

They hadn’t gone too far from the venue when they had a fatal accident. Unfortunately, David died on the spot. Susan was admitted to the ICU of a nearby hospital, having sustained some serious injuries to her head and spinal cord. While on the bed, the words of the evangelist came back to her faintly: “Now is the time to repent and turn to God; tomorrow may just be too late.”

Tears ran down her cheeks. She tried to mutter some words of prayer but just at that moment, her breath became too heavy. She breathed rapidly and then, she ran out of time. Death had come for her too.

Did you know that sooner or later everyone runs out of time? Death is certain for everyone and indeed, you will also run out of time someday, for “it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment” (Hebrews 9:27).

Maybe sooner than you expect, you will be the silent guest at your own funeral. You friends will fade as your time on earth ends, and all the benefits you spent your lifetime working for will be gone forever.

The Bible admonishes, “Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation…harden not your heart” (2 Corinthians 6:2; Hebrews 3:8).

Don’t delay any longer, tomorrow may be too late. Give your life to Jesus; do it now! Kneel before God in prayer of repentance; confess your sins to Him; plead with Him to forgive you those sins; believe He has forgiven you; sincerely forsake those sins; and henceforth, live your life according to all that is written in the Bible.

Remember, “You can’t repent too soon because you don’t know how soon it may be too late.”

*** Culled from DCLM Gospel leaflet ***

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The Turning Point

Steve lived for pleasure all his youth,

Those days he spent for girls and beers,

He knew all clubs but not the truth

That such a life brings bitter tears.

He called it fun – all he could see,

He knew not life could turn out mean;

Soon, cash ran out, so was his glee,

Then did he see where he had been.

For once he felt the pangs of life;

Alone, aggrieved, he was hopeless

And thought it best to end his life

Than live with doubts yet penniless.

Poison in hand, about to die,

Knocks at the door delayed his plan,

He raised his gaze and asked, ‘God why?’

Only to see it was a man.

‘What do you want? And who are you?’

Were what Steve asked the unknown man.

‘I do not mean to bother you,

‘Good evening Sir, my name is Dan,

‘I live close in the neighborhood;

‘I’ve come to share good news with you.’

The strange man preached how God is good

And what His Son had to go through

That all may have eternal life,

Freedom from guilt, sorrow, and sin.

Steve met Jesus and gave his life,

That day he found relief within.

Being born-again he gave it all

To follow Christ and be like Him.

His past was gone; Steve became Paul

His sinful days were behind Him

And now he lives by faith in Christ;

The Devil has no hold on Him.

You too can have this joy in Christ;

He calls for you, come unto Him

All ye that labour and in pain

And you’ll find succour for your soul.

The glitz of life is all but vain,

To have it all and lose your soul

What shall it profit in the end?

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

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Lies Of The Devil

One day, a young woman raised in a Christian home was asked by her pastor if she was born-again. “Of course, I am born-again. I am a true child of God,” she responded confidently.

The pastor smiled warmly and asked further, “how do you know you are born-again?”

“Well, it’s obvious as everyone can see. I am good, decent, disciplined, kind and loving person. Besides, I go to church regularly. These make me a good Christian,” she replied with excitement.

***** ***** ***** ***** *****

Feeling guilty for lying to her boss, a woman went to her pastor for counselling. “I had lied to my boss to avoid being fired, and now I feel guilty before God,” she admitted in tears after telling him what had happened in the office. “Please pastor, what do I do?”

“Is that why you are crying?” the pastor queried with a soothing smile. “You should understand that no human can live without sin. Besides, lying to your boss is just a little sin. You only said that to protect yourself from any misfortune. It doesn’t matter; God understands.”

The foregoing interactions reveal how the devil, the old evil genius, the master of deception and all evil machinations, the brilliant mastermind of revolts and rebellion against God, and a professional trickster, tricks people with his lies, giving them a false hope of eternal life. You must understand that he has nothing to offer you.

Being the archenemy of man, his major goal is to destroy lives, and he does this through his subtle, skillful but destructive lies (John 10:10). Jesus says, “There is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar and the father of it” (John 8:44).

Imagine the damnable lie he told the woman who had lied to her boss through the pastor that no human can live in this world without committing sin, and that “a little sin” doesn’t matter, justifying the woman’s action. To say a person can’t do without sinning is simply underestimating the power of God’s grace.

The Bible tells us that the moment you are born-again, you are free from sin because you are regenerated and quickened by the grace of God, you have Christ formed in you, and you are made a partaker of God’s nature. You don’t live, walk, give yourself or continue in sin because you are under the influence of the Spirit, power and grace of God which preserve you from the temptations of the devil, pollution of the world and corruptions of your own heart (1 John 3:9).

Moreover, there’s no big or little sin. Sin is sin! So what you call a little alcohol, a little lust, or a little lie will damn your soul because “They which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God” (Galatians 5:21). God never takes any “little sin” lightly, even if it is committed to protect one’s self or to get out of trouble.

It’s also strange to believe that being kind, generous, disciplined and regular in church without assurance of salvation qualify you as a Christian. Being nice or religious is not the same thing as being born-again. Substituting salvation with a good religious and moral lifestyle is another lie of the devil.

The Bible teaches that everyone needs salvation because we were all born in sin; we were all sinners by nature (Romans 3:23), and to be born-again simply means to repent of or turn away from all your sins.

Six (6) steps are involved in true repentance:

1 Recognizing you are a sinner (Psalm 38:18)

2 Confessing your sins to God in prayer, asking for His forgiveness (1 John 1:9)

3 Forsaking those sins (Proverbs 28:13)

4 Believing you have been forgiven (Romans 8:1-2)

5 Accepting Jesus as your Saviour and Lord, and living a righteous life (1 John 4:14-15)

6 Reconciling with those you have wronged by righting your wrongs (Numbers 5:6-7; Matthew 5:24; Luke 19:8).

If you haven’t taken these steps, you are not born-again and no amount of good deeds, religious activities or moral uprightness can cancel out the debts of your sins.

Finally, the Word of God never teaches eternal security – once you are born-again, you are forever born-again – even if you sin at will or occasionally after you professed to be born-again. If you believe you are secured eternally and lead a sinful life, then you have been brainwashed by agents of the devil. Anyone who had repented of his or her sins and believed in Jesus at one time or the other can backslide.

The Bible uses expressions such as “left thy first love” (Revelation 2:4); “depart from the faith” (1 Timothy 4:1); “put hand to the plough and looking back” (Luke 9:62); and “the dog is turned to his own vomit again…" (2 Peter 2:22) to tell us that you can lose your salvation or any other Christian experience you have. Luke 9:62 categorically says that when this happens, you are unfit for God’s kingdom – heaven.

So friend, don’t allow yourself to be deceived by the lies of the devil. If you are not born-again, repent of your sins now and accept Jesus as your Saviour and Lord. And if you are born-again already, don’t fall into sin and damn your soul. Be wise!

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The Christian’s Obligation To The Lord

Text: Matthew 25:14-30

All believers have a responsibility to fulfill the purpose of God for the Church in the world. Having accepted the gospel and becoming children, they must accept the obligation of passing the message of salvation to other people.

God expects every believer to join in the urgent task of rescuing those on the path of destruction.

The Lord has endowed every one of His children with certain gifts, abilities and talents to enable them serve Him. These talents, which include ability to preach, teach, evangelize, help, provide succor, etc., are to be deployed for the benefit of other people. Also, the blessings of God are not to be selfishly kept to ourselves, but to be used to expand His kingdom; we receive to give.

As love prompted God’s great gift of His Son, so His love in our hearts should prompt us to give, minister and engage in loving services in the church for the welfare and happiness of other people. Our commitment should constrain us to evangelize, invite people into the church, warmly receive and care for new church comers and cultivate their friendship.

We must also not default in paying our tithes and offerings for the support of the local church and mission work.

As committed members of the body of Christ, we must be true and faithful ambassadors of Christ by upholding the teachings of the Bible. If we are faithful and the Lord meets us so, we shall be greatly rewarded when He comes to take home His own.

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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 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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The Cross

Text: John 3:15-16; Isaiah 53; Romans 4:24-25; 1 Peter 3:18

In evil long I took delight,

Unawed by shame or fear,

Till a new object struck my sight,

And stopped my wild career.

I saw One hanging on a tree,

In agonies and blood;

He fixed His languid eyes on me,

As near His cross I stood.

Sure never till my latest breath,

 Shall I forget that look!

It seemed to charge me with His death,

Though not a word He spoke.

A second look He gave, which said,

 "I freely all forgive;

This blood is for thy ransom paid;

I die that thou mayest live."

Thus while His death my sin displays

 In all its blackest hue,

Such is the mystery of grace,

It seals my pardon too!

*** Written by John Newton ***

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Must I Go And Empty-Handed?

Text: Proverbs 11:30, Daniel 12:3

Must I go, and empty-handed,

Thus my dear Redeemer meet?

Not one day of service give Him,

Lay no trophy at His feet?

Must I go, and empty-handed?

Must I meet my Saviour so?

Not one soul with which to greet Him;

Must I empty-handed go?

Not at death I shrink nor falter,

For my Saviour saves me now;

But to meet Him empty-handed,

Thoughts of that now cloud my brow.

O the years in sinning wasted,

Could I but recall them now,

I would give them to my Saviour,

To His will I'll gladly bow.

O ye saints, arouse, be earnest,

Up and work while yet 'tis day;

Ere the night of death o'er take thee,

Strive for souls while still you may.

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A New Master

Text: Romans 6:8-14

Key Verse: “For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace.” Romans 6:14

Why does Paul bring in the Law? He brings in the Law because he is dealing with one of the most basic problems of the Christian struggle, the thing that often depresses and discourages us more than anything else — the sense of condemnation we feel when we sin. The Law produces condemnation. The Law says that unless you live up to this standard, God will not have anything to do with you. We have been so engrained with this that when we sin, even as believers, we think God is angry and upset with us and he doesn't care about us. We think that way about ourselves, and we become discouraged and defeated and depressed. We want to give up.

But Paul says that is not true. Believers are not under Law, and God does not respond that way toward us. We are under grace. God understands our struggle. He is not upset by it; he is not angry with us. He understands our failure. He knows that there will be a struggle and there will be failures. He also knows that he has made full provision in Christ for us to recover immediately, to pick ourselves up, and go right on climbing up the mountain. Therefore, as his beloved child, you and I don't need to be discouraged, and we won't be.

Sin will not be your master because you are not under law and condemnation, but under grace. And even though you struggle, if, every time you fail, you come back to God and ask his forgiveness, and accept it from him, and remember how he loves you, and that he is not angry or upset with you, and go on from there, you will win.

I will never forget how, as a young man in the service during World War II, I was on a watch one night, reading the book of Romans. This verse leaped out of the pages at me. I remember how the Spirit made it come alive, and I saw the great promise that all the things I was struggling with as a young man would ultimately be mastered — not because I was so smart, but because God was teaching me and leading me into victory. I remember walking the floor, my heart just boiling over with praise and thanksgiving to God. I walked in a cloud of glory, rejoicing in this great promise: Sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace.

Looking back across the years since that night, I can see that God has broken the grip of the things that mastered me then. Other problems have come in, with which I still struggle. But the promise remains: Sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace.

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

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Have You Any Room For Jesus?

Have you any room for Jesus,

He who bore your load of sin?

As He knocks and asks admission,

Sinners, will you let Him in?

Room for Jesus, King of glory,

Hasten now, His word obey,

Swing the heart’s door widely open,

Bid Him enter while you may.

Room for pleasure, room for business,

But for Christ the crucified;

Not a place that He can enter,

In your heart for which He died?

Have you any time for Jesus,

As in grace He calls again?

O today is time accepted,

Tomorrow you may call in vain.

Room and time now give to Jesus,

Soon will pass God’s day of grace;

Soon thy heart left cold and silent,

And thy Saviour’s pleading cease.

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Don't Tell Them Jesus Loves Them

Oh suffering soul, crying out for love

In a world that seldom cares;

See the hungry heart longing to be filled

Much more than our prayers,

And a young girl sells herself on Seventh Avenue

And you hear her crying out for help,

"My God, what will we do?"

Don't tell them Jesus loves them

Till you're ready to love them too,

Till your heart breaks from the sorrow

And the pain they're going through

With a life full of compassion

May we do what we must do,

Don't tell them Jesus loves them

Till you're ready to love them too

Oh, the desperate man

Are we reaching for the souls

That are sinking down in sin?

Oh, cry for the child

We've lost our passion for the lost

And there are billions left to win

And another forty thousand children starve to death today,

Would we risk all we have to see which of them say:

Why have we waited so long to show them Jesus lives

To share salvation's song?

Why have our hearts become so proud that we fail to see

To love them is to love God?

And a young girl sells herself on Seventh Avenue

Hear her crying out for help,

"What will we do?"

*** Song Lyrics by Steve Camp ***

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Made To Last Forever

“God has ... planted eternity in the human heart” (Ecclesiastes 3:11 (NLT)).

“Surely, God would not have created such a being as man to exist only for a day! No, no, man was made for immortality”, Abraham Lincoln said.

This life is not all there is

Life on earth is just the dress rehearsal before the real production. You will spend far more time on the other side of death-in eternity-than you will here. Earth is the staging area, the preschool, the try-out for your life in eternity. It is the practice workout before the actual game; the warm-up lap before the race begins. This life is preparation for the next.

At most, you will live a hundred years on earth, but you will spend forever in eternity. Your time on earth is, as Sir Thomas Browne said, "but a small parenthesis in eternity." You were made to last forever.

The Bible says, "God has ... planted eternity in the human heart." You have an inborn instinct that longs for immortality. This is because God designed you, in his image, to live for eternity. Even though we know everyone eventually dies, death always seems unnatural and unfair. The reason we feel we should live forever is that God wired our brains with that desire!