Ye Who Are Troubled And Burdened By Sin

Text: John 3:16, 6:37; Matthew 11:28

Ye who are troubled and burdened by sin,

Come just as you are;

Come to the Savior, a new life begin,

Oh, come just as you are.

           

Come just as you are,

Oh, come just as you are;

Give up your sin, let the Savior come in,

And come just as you are.

Deep in your heart sin has written its scar,

Come just as you are;

Though from the Father you’ve wandered afar,

Oh, come just as you are.

Sinful and guilty, heartbroken and lost,

Come just as you are;

Think what your ransom on Calvary cost!

Oh, come just as you are.

Naught of your goodness God’s favor can win,

Come just as you are;

Trust in the blood which was shed for your sin,

And come just as you are.

Come with your heartache, your sorrow and pain,

Come just as you are;

No one has come to the Savior in vain,

Oh, come just as you are.

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Spread Some Cheers!

Text: Proverbs 12:17-28

Key verse: “Heaviness in the heart of man maketh it stoop; but a good word maketh it glad” (Proverbs 12:25)

There is increasing number of problems in the world today. With the collapse of many economies, jobs are falling fast, businesses are collapsing and homes are crumbling. Our newsstands are daily filled with stories of gloom- terrorists’ attacks, kidnappings, outbreaks of strange diseases with no known medical cure, uprisings, natural disasters and daily forecast and predictions of future woes. Coupled with these are the innumerable personal and family problems that many face. All these seem to leave one with no desire to want to continue to live, hence the increasing rate of suicide and attempted suicides everywhere.

The sad reactions to these are the antagonisms, bitterness, brutality and violence being experienced everywhere. To survive, many have devised false methods. Nobody seems to be telling the truth. Many live on false identities and lying has become the new form of diplomacy. But these do not seem to be solving the problems as lies, falsehoods and deceit result in disappointments and heartbreaks bringing about more bitterness and hatred. This is a very vicious cycle!

The above text provides us the way out – speaking the truth! Honest words are very potent. Truth heals and cures are all forms of ailment. As Christians, it is our responsibility and calling to always speak the truth. However, as we speak the truth it must be with love. If the truth is spoken with the wrong intention, it could be more damaging. This is why the Bible admonishes us to speak the truth with love.

There is already so much trouble in the world. We must not add to it. Rather, we should seek ways of relieving the world of the pains it is groaning under. Let’s spread some cheers. Seek out people who are hurting and burdened, and speak some words of hope and cheer to them. In Christ, the hopeless finds hope. Speak of Christ to them today!

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Russian Roulette

Text: 1 Thessalonians 5:22

A rich man wanted a driver to convey his only daughter to school every day. Three men were outstanding during the verbal interview but the gentleman would test their competence at wheels. So he took them on separate days to the winding road just outside town, the route to his daughter's school.

At the most dangerous bend overlooking a deep plunge into the valley below the road, he asked each driver to take the wheels. Two would-be drivers, wanting to impress, maneuvered the car as close to the ravine as possible and then drove skillfully to the other side. The other man simply stayed as far off from the edge as possible. He got the job.

Some people want to toy with objects of temptation. They are so confident of their "ability" to pull away just before sin is committed. They often end up in a great transgression. The Russian roulette is a deadly game in which the chances of blowing off their own heads are one in six. There is no virtue in playing the Russian roulette with heaven and hell. Stay away from every appearance of sin and stay safe. Only a fool treads carelessly where angels fear to tread.

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Welcome To October: O Brethren, Life's Journey Beginning

Text: Romans 6:12; 1 Corinthians 10:13

From The Truth Media family,

Happy New Month!!!

O brethren, life's journey beginning,

With courage and firmness arise!

Look well to the course thou art choosing;

Be earnest, be watchful, and wise!

Remember, two paths are before thee,

And both thy attention invite;

But one leadeth on to destruction,

The other to joy and delight.

God help you to follow His banner,

And serve Him wherever you go;

And when you are tempted, my brethren,

God give you the grace to say "No!"

O brethren, yield not to the tempter,

No matter what others may do;

Stand firm in the strength of the Master,

Be loyal, be faithful, and true!

Each trial will make you the stronger,

If you, in the name of the Lord,

Fight manfully under your leader,

Obeying the voice of His word.

O brethren, the Saviour is calling!

Beware of the danger of sin;

Resist not the voice of the Spirit,

That whispers so gently within.

God calls you to enter His service -

To live for Him here, day by day;

And share by and by in the glory

That never shall vanish away.

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A Hole In The Wall

Text: 2 Chronicles 16:9; Proverbs 5:21; Hebrew 4:13

Prophet Ezekiel was directed by God to enter a room in the temple through a hole in the wall. He obeyed and was met with a surprise. There were the elders of Israel engaged in idol worship right inside God's temple! Their conclusion was, "The LORD seeth us not; the LORD hath forsaken the earth." Really?

Many people hide under cover of darkness to engage in unspeakable evil. Darkness does not hide you from God because light and darkness are alike unto Him.

A young Christian almost yielded to temptation. He got his fiancée behind closed doors and proposed sex. The godly lady calmly replied, "No problem". Then pulling out a handkerchief from her bag she said, "Before we proceed please take this and cover the face of our Father in heaven because I don't want Him to see what we are about to do."

The message was powerfully driven home and the young man broke down in tears. "The Lord is in His holy temple, The Lord's throne is in heaven: His eyes behold, his eyelids try the children of men" (Psalm 11:4). God sees us from His throne and nothing escapes His attention.

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The Midnight Dance

Text: Psalm 23; 139:7-12

For quite some time now the Lord has been dealing with me to “enter into His rest.” In the Old Testament, the high priest was not allowed to sweat when he entered the Holy of Holies. Sweat is a sign of work and God wants us to enter into His rest. What does this mean? In simple terms, it means to never worry about anything! This is the rest of God.

You can reach a point where you trust Him so much that you know that you know everything in your life is going to be okay. Yes, hardships will come but what does Psalm 23 say? “Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil for Thou art with me.” That verse describes the rest of God. Even though we are all in circumstances we’d rather not be in, we can still have peace and joy and enter into the rest of God.

This place of rest has become my dwelling place. I trust God and I have entered into His rest. We must all reach a point where we realize we can’t make it on our own. An old saying goes like this: “God helps those who help themselves.” Wrong! If you can help yourself then what do you need God for? The truth is, God helps those who can’t help themselves. This is why Jesus is called “Savior.” He is here to save us when we can’t save ourselves. Once we realize that, we are free to enter His rest.

Too often we want to help ourselves or get help from our spouse, our friends, the church, or the government. But what does the Bible say? “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; though it’s waters roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with it’s swelling” (Ps. 46:1-3).

Where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord. When we trust Him completely we have entered into the rest of God. We no longer worry about anything. And then, in the midst of our darkest hour, God will reach down and bless us with a blessing that I call the “Midnight Dance.” Just what is the “Midnight Dance”? Glad you asked. Read on…

My wife is one remarkable woman. Anne Marie is the type of individual that only comes around once in a lifetime. You can never tell by looking at her all that she’s been through. She is so full of life and the joy of the Lord radiates out of her. She makes all those who come in contact with her believe that life isn’t so bad. You just feel better about yourself by being with her but for a few moments. There are times when Anne gets so outgoing happy that it flows out of her like a rushing river. There’s a bounce in her step and the sound of her voice is a merry melody. She can be super exuberant even during the darkest of times and this blesses me so much.

Last Friday she was like this and when I called her on my break at work she talked my head off. She was so outgoing I couldn’t get a word in edgewise. Later that night as I was leaving work at a little after 11PM my cell phone rang and Anne informed me that she was going to walk and meet me at the highway which is about a mile and a half from our house. She stayed on the line and I talked to her - or should I say I listened to her? - all during the half hour ride home. I would interrupt her from time to time to let her know where I was and she’d do the same. It was turning out to be a fun filled ride. Better than I ever imagined.

As I approached the turn-off to our little village, a car in front of me turned down the same road and Anne said she could see me. I said, “No! That’s not me! I’m the next car!” I could only imagine what awaited the driver of that car had I not warned Anne that it was not me. I laughed at the thought. Anne was on a stretch of road with no lights or houses nearby and it was pitch black outside. I told her, “Get ready. Here I come. I’m about to make the turn.” When I did she confirmed that she saw me.

Out in front of me was total darkness and I asked, “Where are you?” She said, “I’m right in front of you! Can’t you see me?” Just then my headlights caught sight of her and there she was in the center of the road at midnight waving her arms in the air dancing just for me!! Here she was, in the darkest hour of the night, dancing in the middle of the road without a care in the world. All I could do was stop the car and laugh.

As she approached the car the sound of laughter broke through the stillness of the dark night. This is how it is with God. You may not always see Him in your circumstances but He is always there. During your darkest hour He can give you joy unspeakable. When you trust Jesus you can enter His rest and dance the “Midnight Dance.” Jesus is not the light at the end of the tunnel. No, He’s the light “in” the tunnel. No matter how dark your circumstances may be, you can still rejoice in the Lord and dance the “Midnight Dance.” For sure, this is the rest of God.

*** Written by Randall Brewer ***

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A Little Scratch

Text: Romans 8:37; Isaiah 41: 10

The Lord spoke a word to me about you today and He told me to stop what I was doing and share it with you. So, here I am.

We're in a war! You know that, don't you? The good news is that only strong warriors get to enlist in the army of the Lord. That's you, my friend.

I once saw a movie where a handful of Spartan warriors stood up to the entire Persian army. When one of the good guys got sliced up real bad with an enemy sword the captain said to him, "You're not going to let that little scratch stop you, are ya?"

Ha! Ha! I like that. My friend, when the devil attacks you that's all it is...a little scratch. I ask you, "You're not going to let a little scratch stop you, are ya?" Of course not because you are more than a conqueror in Christ Jesus!

The Lord would have me tell you to stand strong and to assure you that you are not alone. I am by your side, and most important, Jesus is by your side. Yes, the victory is yours.

On a more personal note, there is nothing more important to me than the fulfillment of the call of God that is on my life. My dream is to encourage and exhort my fellow brothers and sisters in the Lord with anointed messages that come straight from the throne room of God.

I've worked long and hard on this assignment from God and I've got the scars to prove it. For sure, I have shed gallons and gallons of blood, sweat, and tears. The fact that you are reading this letter today is the result of years and years of hard work and toil. However, I didn't let a "little scratch" stop me.

As I was meditating on all the Lord and I have been through together He brought to my attention the verse that says, "Your gift will make room for you and bring you before great men." He then said to me, "Randall, the people who read your messages are the 'great men' this verse is talking about. Your gift has come before them, thus they are great."

I'm telling you, thousands of people, Christians mind you, have rejected these messages. They've written me cruel and nasty letters and one person even called me "Satan in email clothing" (that's a new one). Why do they do this?  Apparently they are not great.

But you are different and that is the message the Lord wanted me to share with you today. The great God of the universe thinks you're great. So do I. And it's the great men of God who are in the league of the "chosen few", those born again believers who are willing to pick up their sword and march headfirst into battle, those who won't be stopped by a "little scratch." That's you, my friend. That's what being a "great warrior" is all about.

The Lord loves you and so do I. We both think you're great. God bless.

*** Written by Randall Brewer ***

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Jesus Is Coming Again

Text: Matthew 24:44; Revelations 22:12

Marvelous message we bring,

Glorious carol we sing,

Wonderful word of the King:

Jesus is coming again!...

Coming again, coming again;

May be morning, may be noon,

May be evening and may be soon!

Coming again, coming again;

O what a wonderful day it will be!

Jesus is coming again!

Forest and flower exclaim,

Mountain and meadow the same,

All earth and heaven proclaim:

Jesus is coming again!...

Standing before Him at last,

Trail and trouble all past,

Crowns at His feet we will cast:

Jesus is coming again!...

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Hurt By Friend

Text: Genesis 4:7; Galatians 5:16

When the eight plotters surrounded Julius Caesar and began to attack him with their daggers, the stab of Brutus was the most brutal and the most painful. "Et Tu, Brute?" ("Even you, Brutus?"), lamented Caesar. He was heart-broken. Brutus was his closest and trusted friend.

Have you ever been hurt or betrayed by a close friend? It is painful. King David suffered the same fate at the hands of his trusted friend and counsellor, Ahitophel, who sided with Absalom, David's son to wage war against his father; so did our Lord Jesus Christ at the hands of Judas Iscariot.

Do you know that any sin by a Christian is like a stab in the heart of Jesus? It is like crucifying afresh the son of God and putting him to an open shame. When Peter openly denied Jesus, He gave him a knowing look in pain and pity. The secret sin of a Christian is an open scandal in heaven. Always live holy to give Christ joy, and strive to be a trustworthy friend.

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You Don't Need God?

Text: Ruth 1:1-5; Isaiah 40:31; Proverbs 16:9, 19:16

Key Verse: There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death” (Proverbs 14:12)

The times were tough. Famine dawned on the land and the people had very little to survive on. They were perturbed by their present circumstance and saw no rays of hope in sight, but hardly could they forget that “they that know their God shall be strong and do exploits” (Daniel 11:32).

The people of Bethlehemjudah waited on the Lord for succor but among them was one so unfortunate who took not counsel from the Lord and felt he didn’t need God to tell him what to do with his life. He chose the path that pleased him only that it led to his death and destruction.

The story of Elimelech often reminds me of man’s weakness, naivety and folly to think we can live our lives without God (Proverbs 19:3a). We feel we own our lives and can do whatever pleases us forgetting that “many are the plans in a man’s heart but it is the will and counsel of the Lord that shall prevail.”

Elimelech and his family chose the way of pride by leaving the tabernacle of the Lord in Bethlehemjudah to seek refuge in a foreign land of Moab where its people neither revered nor obeyed the commandments of God. This teaches a lesson that no matter how awful our predicaments in life may be, forsaking the Lord and choosing our own path will always turn out to be a grave mistake.

Our resolve to stick with God should be on the basis of “for better or worse”, “in good times and bad times”, till thy kingdom come and His will done on earth as it is in heaven. We must put God first in everything we do, trusting Him with all of our hearts and leaning not on our own understanding (Proverbs 3:5-6).

If only had Elimelech sought the face of the Lord before making the move to Moab, his death and that of his two sons, Mahlon and Chilion, would have been averted. Naomi, his wife and mother of his sons, wouldn’t have turned out a helpless widow.

I believe God wants us to learn and understand that decisions made without His acknowledgement doesn’t end well. He wants us to have at the back of our minds that without Him we can do nothing on our own.

We shouldn’t be overwhelmed by the gains of pride and get to the point we feel we do not need God in our lives (Proverbs 16:18a). Elimelech thought he had escaped the burdens of famine and delighted is soul with the fleeting abundance of an ungodly city as Moab. Sadly, he never for once thought of going back to where he came from.

Folly is what makes a man think he can find happiness and fulfillment on his own terms without God. But hear the words of wisdom: “Man’s going are of the Lord; how can a man then understand his own way? The fear of the Lord tendeth to life: and he that hath it shall abide satisfied; he shall not be visited with evil (Proverbs 19:23; 20:24).”

When Naomi realized her mistakes with tears and sorrow in her heart (Ruth 1:19-22), she returned to the Lord and look what happened to her in the succeeding chapters of the book of Ruth. She found favour and grace from God. Even Ruth, her daughter in law wasn’t exempted from this favour because she decided to worship and service the living God of Israel (Ruth 1:14-18).

Haven’t you suffered enough to still think you do not need God in your life? Now is the acceptable time to return to the Lord. “Seek Him while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near…return unto the Lord, and He will have mercy upon you; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon” (Isaiah 55:6-7).

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

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