The Devil’s Strategy

Millions today profess to hate, abhor, shun and reject the devil because they know he is their enemy. They say, “I don’t worship him, I don’t obey him.” But alas! They are directly being controlled by this arch-enemy of the Light. Friend, if you discover that you are under him, please don’t wait to think. Flee for refuge!

I need not tell you he is wicked. He makes you serve him and later kills you. Jesus said of him in John 10:10, “The thief (the devil) cometh not, but for to steal, to kill and to destroy…”

Text: 2 Corinthians 2:11; John 3:3-5; Isaiah 55:1-8

He comes gently to you to do his evil business either in your room when you are alone, in your place of work when you are signing the attendance register, on the street when you see a lady, in the bus with the conductor, in the class during examination, in the office when he tells you to say that you are married (when you are not) so as to receive double leave grant, or in the hospital with the doctor as you plan to abort a pregnancy. Whichever method he uses, he has his aim – to capture you and get you to that other end – HELL.

His chief method is deceit. He doesn't want you to know that there is a dangerous pit at the end of the sinner’s life’s journey. Remember, he is a lot older than 6000 years; he is a lot older than man. So he is wiser and has more experience than you. Do you care about your soul? Then read on.

If you were the President of a country at war with a neighboring country, and during one of your visits to the war-front, you were deceived into the enemy’s camp, what would you do at the least chance of escape? Linger on for a chat or escape? Escape, or course! The devil’s business in your life is to deceive you into a false hope of heaven. He makes you walk confidently on mats spread over a deep, dangerous pit, and blinds your eyes to the fact that underneath lies a raging, angry and unquenchable lake of fire, burning with brimstone.

Are you a business man, private or public? Or do you work in an organization somewhere? And you are totally given over to the progress of your office? You just want money? Isn't that? Listen! You have a soul that cannot die. When that soul departs from your body, then you become a dead person. But where does your soul go?

“As it is appointed unto men ONCE to die, but after this the judgment” (Hebrews 9:27). Everyone involved in stealing, lying, murder (including abortion), fornication, adultery, idolatry, pride, wickedness, hatred, covetousness, envy, drinking of alcohol, gossiping and so on will be judged! To escape then will be utterly impossible.

You think that your regular attendance of church services, confirmation, baptism, fasting, giving of alms and offerings, and probably buying some equipment for the church or mosque puts you on a safe ground because your righteousness outweighs your unrighteousness? That’s deceit! You are heading to the other side – HELL, because nothing that defiles shall enter into heaven (Revelation 21:27). Do you care about your soul? Stop and think!

Be startled! You are in the devil’s net. You are fast sliding into horrible hell on a church pew. But do you know that God loves you more than you love Him? That is why He is revealing to you that your good moral life and the very best you can do can never and will never please God, for all our righteousness are like filthy rags in His sight (Isaiah 64:6).

You might have stopped attending church services because you discovered that your pastor or priest is a hypocrite, he drinks and commits sin with women secretly. In fact, he has children born to him outside wedlock. Now, you have concluded that as long as you love God and you love your neighbor as yourself (the golden rule), you’ll surely make heaven. Sorry, you are yet in his net, because you also bound in your sins. Or perhaps you have stopped because you are bored with the things done in the church. You only believe in God, heaven and hell.

Nevertheless, you are presently bound by the chains of alcohol, firmly gripped by the destructive power of smoking and really wallowing in the mire of fornication and adultery. You cannot but attend parties and visit film houses and your way out of trouble is to tell lies. But your hope is “I will be saved someday.” Your condition is greatly to be pitied. You are yet in his net! Read on.

There is only ONE way of escape for you, and this only way of escape from false and muddled beliefs into which the devil has successfully deceived you is JESUS CHRIST (John 14:6). And He (JESUS) was manifested to destroy all the works of the devil (1 John 3:8).

You must be BORN AGAIN (John 3:3). You must have the salvation experience. It does not mean baptism, confirmation or taking of sacraments. It is TRANSFORMATION – a sudden and definite change of your life in JESUS. You become a new creature, old things pass away, and all things become new (2 Corinthians 5:17).

This is the only way of escape from eternal damnation for the businessman, doctor, accountant, student, church-enthusiast, Muslim and the free-thinker. Allow Christ to destroy all the works (deceit and sin) of the devil in your life. He will wash you in His blood, the devil will take his hands off you and you will no more be under his dominion.

Run into the arms of Jesus now! It is not too late for you, Jesus loves you. Today is the day of your deliverance. Will you pray? If not, why not? Confess your sins, forsake them, and ask for pardon. Remember that God is faithful and just to forgive and to cleanse you from all your sins. Believe now and thank Him!

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Tested By Fire

Has your faith ever been tested by the fire of afflictions and trials? This test of trial occurs when something in our lives goes contrary to the way things are supposed to be. Since we have against us an enemy who is a thief that comes to kill, steal, and destroy, almost daily are we faced with the task of confronting the evil hosts of darkness.

Text: 1 Peter 1:6-7; James 1:2-4,12; Psalm 34:19-22

Certainly a test or trial will create a need in our lives and God has chosen faith as the avenue to which Christians get those needs met. Our faith in God and our willingness and ability to believe the Holy Scriptures will be tested with each and every trial we face. 1 Peter 1:6,7 says, “In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”

Faith needs a challenge and will get its greatest opportunity for use through the tests and trials that come our way in everyday living. God’s Word builds your faith up but only tests and trials will allow your faith to go into action and operation.

In his second letter to the Thessalonian church, Paul commends his fellow believers for having a faith that “grows exceedingly” (2 Thessalonians 1:3). The Bible teaches that faith “comes” by getting into and hearing the Word of God but how does faith “grow”? The answer is found in the following verse, “And this is a cause of our mentioning you with pride among the churches of God for your steadfastness - your unflinching endurance and patience - and your firm faith in the midst of all your persecutions and crushing distresses and afflictions under which you are holding up” (2 Thessalonians 1:4 AMP).

When faith comes it must always be tested by fire because God wants a pure and glorious church without spot or wrinkle (Ephesians 5:27). Is your faith like pure gold or is it cheap gold plating? Faith is exercised and grows in the midst of persecutions and afflictions. This is why it is so important to stay in the Word and pass through the fire when tests and trials come. Psalm 12:6 says, “The words of the Lord are pure words, like silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.”

Many times, it is in the midst of the fire and the furnace of affliction that the grace and mercy of God is recognized the most. There is only one thing the devil wants from you and that is your faith. Without faith you are no threat to him. Satan’s goal is to keep you distracted and ignorant of the truth that will set you free. He knows that he is no threat to you by himself and has never won the battle yet. He is a total failure and cannot successfully attack and defeat you without first getting your permission. Permission is granted to him each time we run away from our tests and trials and when we refuse to do anything about them.

2 Thessalonians 1:5, 11, says that our worthiness to God is proven by our passing through the fire. Don’t try to get out of all your troubles by taking the easy way out. You must pass through the fire! How? By using your faith! Your faith will not fail if you continue hearing and hearing and hearing the Word of God. Don’t fall into the devil’s trap by allowing distractions to keep you from reading and confessing God’s Word daily. Know for certain that God will honor your faith at the point it’s developed.

Since faith can grow, continue to build on the faith you now have so that your next walk through the fire won’t take so long and the victory will be greater. Believe Philippians 4:13 which says, “I can do all things through Christ Who strengthens me.” Say out loud, “Yet in all these things I am more than a conqueror through Him Who loves us” (Romans 8:37). Be convinced in your heart that God is on your side and He is bigger than any problem you have.

Let the peace of God rule in your inner man during your times of trial. Peace is not the absence of conflict but the presence of God. The book of Isaiah 59:1 (AMP) says, “When the enemy shall come in, like a flood the Spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard against him and put him to flight - for He will come like a rushing stream which the breath of the Lord drives.”

In Paul’s final letter before his death, he tells Timothy, “Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution” (2 Tim. 3:12). When tests and trials come, Jesus tells us to “Rejoice in that day and leap for joy! For indeed your reward is great in heaven…” (Luke 6:23a). Satan cannot stand the sound of praise for it reminds him of the ministry he once had as the top angel in heaven.

For sure, giving glory to God in the midst of the fire is the quickest way to make the devil shut up. Giving praise to God during a test or trial will be the last thing many of you will want to do but we must do it anyway. This is what is called a “sacrifice of praise” (Heb. 13:15). Continually making a sacrifice of praise will touch the heart of God more than anything we know. This is faith in action. When you do this you are not focusing on the circumstances around you but rather on your Heavenly Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

From a dungeon cell, Paul wrote, “Rejoice in the Lord always - delight, gladden yourselves in Him; again I say, rejoice!” (Philippians 4:4 AMP). The Greek word for “rejoice” means to ‘brighten up, leap, and spin around.’ When trials come, don’t look sad and gloomy. Instead, put a smile on your face and brighten up! Stand in your living room and begin to jump up and down. Leap for joy! Spin around as you’re leaping and make a joyful noise unto the Lord. “But this isn't normal,” you might say. Of course it’s not. That’s why we’re called a “peculiar people” (1 Peter 2:9). The bottom line is that it works.

As you praise God in this fashion and continue to confess what the Word says about your situation, all of a sudden God will get bigger and bigger in your heart and the obstacle will get smaller and smaller. Before you know it, you will exit from the other end of the furnace of affliction having successfully passed through the fire. Rejoice during the times of struggle because “the joy of the Lord is your strength” (Nehemiah 8:10).

Tested by Fire

Every Christian should view their tests and trials as stepping stones on their journey to becoming Christ-like. Satan will contest everything God wants to do for you and tests and trials are sure to come. Understand, however, that you are not Satan’s punching bag. When God sees an arrow coming at you, He won’t stop the arrow but He will put up a shield (Ephesians 6:16).

Tests and trials are an open invitation for believers to use their faith as a shield against whatever Satan brings their way. 2 Corinthians 5:7 says, “For we walk by faith and not by sight.” The prophet Isaiah wrote, “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you, and through the rivers, they will not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned, nor shall the flame scorch you” (Is. 43:2).

A test is nothing to fear if you are able to pass it with flying colors. With Jesus on your side, you can do just that.

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

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20 Vance Havner Quotes - Part 1

May you be blessed by these Vance Havner Quotes to live victoriously for the Lord and be encouraged to seek only the kingdom of God and His righteousness with faith and perseverance.

Vance Havner Quotes

• We may never be martyrs but we can die to self, to sin, to the world, to our plans and ambitions. That is the significance of baptism; we died with Christ and rose to new life.

• Plenty of church members are shaky about what they believe, while not many are shaken by what they believe.

• God uses broken things. It takes broken soil to produce a crop, broken clouds to give rain, broken grain to give bread, broken bread to give strength. It is the broken alabaster box that gives forth perfume. It is Peter, weeping bitterly, who returns to greater power than ever.

• Salt seasons, purifies, preserves. But somebody ought to remind us that salt also irritates. Real living Christianity rubs this world the wrong way.

• A soft and sheltered Christianity, afraid to be lean and lone, unwilling to face the storms and brave the heights, will end up fat and foul in the cages of conformity.

• We are suffering today from a species of Christianity as dry as dust, as cold as ice, as pale as a corpse, and as dead as King Tut. We are suffering not from a lack of correct heads but of consumed hearts.

• We are the salt of the earth, mind you, not the sugar. Our ministry is to truly cleanse and not just to change the taste.

• If you are a Christian, you are not a citizen of this world trying to get to heaven; you are a citizen of heaven making your way through this world. We must always remember this at all times.

• Sometimes your medicine bottle has on it, "Shake well before using." That is what God has to do with some of His people. He has to shake them well before they are ever usable.

• We are not bearing our crosses every time we have a headache; an aspirin tablet will take care of that. What is meant is the trouble we would not have if we were not Christians.

• Too many church services start at eight sharp and end at twelve dull.

• I'm tired of hearing sin called sickness and alcoholism a disease. It is the only disease I know of that we're spending hundreds of millions of dollars a year to spread.

Vance Havner Quotes

• Our Lord said, "Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men." It is evident, then, that a true disciple is a soul-winner. It is possible to sit on the shore discussing the signs of the times when we ought to be driven by the signs of the times to launch out into the deep and let down our nets for a draught.

• Faith doesn't wait until it understands; in that case it wouldn't be faith.

• We have suffered from the preaching of cheap grace. Grace is free, but it is not cheap. People will take anything that is free, but they are not interested in discipleship. They will take Christ as Savior but not as Lord.

• Our Lord sent His disciples out as sheep among wolves; now the wolves are being invited into the sheepfold.

• We are not going to move this world by criticism of it nor conformity to it, but by the combustion within it of lives ignited by the Spirit of God.

• If you lack knowledge, go to school. If you lack wisdom, get on your knees! Knowledge is not wisdom. Wisdom is the proper use of knowledge.

• There is a trend today that would put a new robe on the prodigal son while he is still feeding hogs. Some would put the ring on his finger while he still in the pigsty. Others would paint the pigsty and advocate bigger and better hogpens.

• Some missionaries bound for Africa were laughed at by the boat captain. "You'll only die over there," he said. But a missionary replied, "Captain, we died before we started."

*** Quotes from Vance Havner ***

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Humility - Key To Being Lifted Up

On a recent adventure, a rock climber saw something that taught him a valuable lesson on the subject of humility. Two mountain goats stood facing each other on a narrow ledge, one going up the mountain, the other coming down. There was not enough room for both of them to pass each other at the same time so there they stood facing each other in a silent confrontational showdown. Moments later the lesson was learned.

Text: James 4:6-10; Proverbs 11:2; 22:4; Psalm 138:6

Humility

The climber watched in utter amazement as the goat going up the mountain lowered itself down onto its knees and then laid down further on its stomach and became perfectly still as it allowed the other goat to walk over him on its way down the mountain. Once passed over, the goat got to its feet and continued its journey up the mountain. The lesson here is that when you humble yourself in the sight of the Lord, you may sometimes be walked over and downtrodden but ultimately the Lord will lift you up to success and victory.

On the other hand, prideful people who walk over others are all heading downhill on the path to defeat and destruction. The book of 1 Samuel tells the story of a humble young man who personified the story of the one mountain goat who made it to the top of the mountain.

The people of Israel wanted a king. The sons of the prophet Samuel did not rule uprightly as their father had. They were greedy and instead of judging honestly they took bribes from the people. At the same time, the surrounding countries were ready to harass and oppress them on all sides, so the people went to the elder Samuel and demanded that he anoint them a king who would lead them in victory over their enemies.

They were turning from faith in the invisible God in order to put their confidence in a visible king. When approached by Samuel about this, God told the prophet to “heed their voice and make them a king.” He also told the prophet to forewarn the people and show them the ungodly behavior of the king who would rule over them. Still, the people persisted and was therefore given a king whose name was Saul.

Saul was a tall man, head and shoulders above every person under his rule. By outward appearances he seemed to be the perfect man for the job but inwardly, Saul considered himself unworthy and was ruled by low self-esteem. When told that he was chosen by God to be king and that he was the desire of all Israel he replied, “Am I not a Benjamite, of the smallest of the tribes of Israel, and my family the least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin?” (1 Sam. 9:21).

Saul lacked confidence in himself and in the Godly heritage of his family. When the time came for him to become king he ran away and hid. Saul was a deceitful, jealous, moody, and faithless man who as king turned his back on God in willful disobedience.

The day soon came when God told Samuel that He wanted a new king for His people. He told Samuel to go to Jesse’s house and one of his sons would be the new king. When the prophet arrived, a great feast was given and a sacrifice was prepared. All were invited to the celebration. All, that is, except one. A humble shepherd boy named David, Jesse’s youngest son, was left in the fields keeping sheep in submissive obedience to his father. He was left in obscurity and contempt but God often exalts those whom men despise and look down upon.

Be humble and nothing will touch you

One by one, the sons of Jesse stood before the prophet and each time God revealed to Samuel that they were not the one to be chosen king. When told of a younger son out in the fields tending sheep, the prophet refused to let any-body sit down to eat until David was brought in. He who was designed not to sit at the table is now waited upon as the principle guest. David was the last one called but he definitely was not the least of his brethren.

David had an honest look on his face, sweet and lovely. He had a clean complexion, a good eye, and a lovely face. His name means “beloved” for he was a type of the beloved Son of God. The Lord told Samuel when David arrived, “Arise, anoint him; for this is the one!” (1 Sam. 16:12). In the midst of his brothers, David was anointed to one day be king. 1 Sam. 16:33 says, “And the Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward.”

A divine power went along with the sign of being anointed with oil. Due to his humility and obedience, David soon found himself inwardly advanced in wisdom, courage, and all the necessary qualifications of being a king. David was a first-rate type of individual. He was good looking, knew music, and was a skilled warrior. He had a genuine concern for God’s people and was quick to learn and comprehend. He was humble, obedient, submissive, and the Lord was with him. Everything that a king needed for success David had. He humbled himself and God lifted him up (Matt. 23:12). And humble as he was, David did not forget his obligations to his father and before long he was back in the fields watching over his father’s sheep.

Throughout Saul’s reign, the Israelites were continually at war with the Philistine army. On one occasion, the two opposing armies were drawn up on facing mountains with a valley between them. These armies had fought before but this time it was different. The Philistine army brought with them a giant from the city of Gath. Gath was well known as being the residence of a remnant of the Anakim, men of great stature. All their confidence was placed in the prideful Goliath.

This fearsome giant was nearly ten feet tall and had six fingers on his hands and six toes on his feet. He had been a warrior since his youth and had the finest armor and the best weapons a soldier could have. Daily, Goliath would go out into the valley and jeer at the Israelite army. With arrogance and pride, he proposed a challenge for one man to come out and fight him and the winner would determine the outcome of the war. As king, Saul should have been the one to rise up to the challenge and fight Goliath but like the rest of his army, he also cowered in fear and low self-esteem. There was no person alive who could defeat this giant. Or so they thought.

Three of Jesse’s oldest sons were in the Israelite army and one day, David was asked to bring some provisions to his brothers. David rose early in the morning, left the sheep with a keeper, and went as Jesse had commanded him. While there, the Philistine champion, Goliath, once again came out into the valley and challenged the Israelite army. All the men of Israel fled from him and were dreadfully afraid. David saw this and spoke to the men who stood by him, “For who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?” (1 Sam. 17:26).

David was then brought to Saul to whom he said, “Let no man’s heart fail because of him; your servant will go and fight with the Philistine” (1 Samuel 17:32). A little shepherd boy who just came in from the field had more faith and courage than all the men of Israel. Notice also the humility of David. Three times during this conversation with Saul he refers to himself as “your servant.” Next, David tells the cowardly king why he should be allowed to go out and face the giant Goliath. He tells of facing down and killing a lion and a bear that came and attacked his father’s sheep. And, most important of all, David gave God the glory for these two victories. That’s humility!

1 Samuel 17:37 says, “Moreover David said, ‘The Lord Who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of the Philistine.’ And Saul said to David, ‘Go, and the Lord be with you!’”

God lifts up the humble

As the humble young shepherd left the presence of the king to face the giant, he was in between a man of low self-esteem and a man of pride. That’s precisely where humility should be. Unworthiness is wrong and so is ignorance. When Goliath saw David coming out to meet him, he disdained the youngster and began to curse him by his gods. “Then David said to the Philistine, ‘You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin. But I come to you in the Name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel Whom you have defied. This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand’” (1 Sam. 17:45,46a).

With bold confidence, David ran towards the towering giant and with skilled precision slung a smooth stone at his adversary and struck him in the forehead. In an instant moment of time the pride of the Philistine army lay motionless on the ground. “Therefore David ran and stood over the Philistine, took his sword and drew it out of its sheath and killed him, and cut off his head with it. And when the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they fled’’ (1 Sam. 17:51).

Humility had once again prevailed over low self-esteem and pride. David humbled himself and was lifted up to become the greatest king in the history of Israel. Lifting you up is what humility is all about. It worked for David and a mountain goat on a rocky ledge. Surely it will work for you as well.

*** Written by Randall Brewer ***

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Hymn: Ye Must Be Born Again!

“All the religion in the world will not get you one hour in heaven; ye must be born again!”

Ye must be born again!

Text: John 3:3-5; Acts 17:30; 2 Chronicles 7:14

A ruler once came to Jesus by night,

To ask Him the way of salvation and light;

The Master made answer in words true and plain,

“Ye must be born again!”

“Ye must be born again!”

“Ye must be born again!”

I verily, verily say unto thee –

“Ye must be born again!”

Ye children of men attend to the word

So solemnly uttered by Jesus the Lord,

And let not this message to you be in vain,

“Ye must be born again!”

O ye who would enter that glorious rest,

And sing with the ransomed the song of the blest;

The life everlasting if ye would obtain,

“Ye must be born again!”

A dear one in heaven thy heart yearns to see,

At the beautiful gates may be watching for thee;

Then listen to the note of this solemn refrain,

“Ye must be born again!”

Be born again

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Justification To Judge and Condemn

Do not judge or condemn others because you never know what’s going on in their lives. Counting other people’s sin doesn't make you a saint either. “He that is without sin, let him first cast a stone” (John 8:7).

Text: John 8:1-11; 1 John 3:18-24

Don't judge and condemn

The Lord Jesus Christ came to the world not to judge and condemn anyone but to save mankind (John 3:16-17). He came that we may have abundant life and be totally free from sin and death. Jesus truly is love and mercy personified, and there is no greater love than what He did for us on that old rugged Cross at Calvary.

The life of Christ and being like Him is the essence of Christianity. His character, conducts, attitude and behaviours are what heaven-bound pilgrims should emulate everyday of their lives. The story of John chapter 8 teaches mercy, forgiveness and what God expects from every one of us in action and deed toward others.

A woman was caught in the very act of adultery. Her accusers had wanted to stone her to death and brought her before Jesus to tempt Him and hear His verdict on her case. It is typical of humans to be quick in judgment and cast aspersions on someone for no just reason. “Our hearts are deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know them but the Lord? (Jeremiah 17:9-10). However, it takes only a saved and sanctified heart to act differently as to love and forgive.

God’s hatred for adultery is undoubtedly very clear (Exodus 20:14; Leviticus 20:10; Deuteronomy 5:18; Jeremiah 5:7, 7:9, 23:14; Matthew 19:18, 5:27-28). You may want to say who wouldn't be tempted to condemn and ridicule a woman caught in such a despicable act as adultery? The people of the world could and sadly to say, that some Christians could be found wanting in this regard as well. But Christ teaches us here what we ought to do and how best we should react to the shortcoming of others, whether an unbeliever or a backslidden brethren.

We must always be willing and ready to show mercy and forgive others for their shortcomings and weaknesses. We all err even as God continues to lead us towards perfection by His grace (Matthew 5:48). “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us” (1 John 1:8). We all, at one point in time, have done terrible things that we are not proud of but imagine if we had been condemned and made to face instant judgment from God for all we have done, who would have survived it?

Don't judge

Psalm 130:3 says, “If the Lord should mark all our iniquities, who shall stand?” “For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly” which is you and I. He commandeth His love towards us and sent His only Son to ransom us, even when we were yet sinners (Romans 5:6-12) like the adulterous woman in the book of John. He showed us love, compassion and mercy and wants us to show same to others.

There is no room to brag about being a Christian. In fact, it’s a privilege being one in the first place as the only thing that differentiates anyone in Christ from an unbeliever in the world is “grace”. Nothing but God’s grace!

We were dead in trespasses and sins; fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. But God, who is rich in mercy…quickened us together with Christ and saved us by grace through faith; and that not of ourselves: it is the gift of God (Ephesians 2:1-9).

For this reason should we not become haughty to the point we start thinking we are holier than others just because we are Christians. Jesus has given us an example to follow, that we should follow His footsteps (1 Peter 2:21). If He couldn't condemn the adulterous woman in John 8:11, why should we condemn someone who steals, the prostitutes at night, ignorant rapists, drunkards, among others? Instead, we should share our testimonies of faith with them, pray for and with them, and share with them the love of God through His word; encouraging them to surrender to the Saviour and be saved.

The world is in dire need of genuine and practical Christianity. It is not enough to have increased number of churches mounted in every street and thousands of church goers with the Word in their heads and not in their hearts. The world craves after practical faith, pragmatic beliefs, unwavering convictions and unquestionable evidence of salvation (the newness of life in Christ).

Now is the time to stop playing church and start being the Church that Christ prepares to meet at His coming – a perfect church unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ (Ephesians 4:13); a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish (Ephesians 5:25-27).

Let’s not be like the Scribes and Pharisees who seek justification to judge and condemn others. “For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged; and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measure to you again… (Matthew 7:1-5).

Don't condemn others

“This I say therefore, brethren, that ye henceforth walk and live not as unbelievers in the vanity of their minds, having their understanding darkened and alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their hearts…for ye have not so learned Christ…

“If so be that ye have heard Him and have been taught by Christ through His word, put off the old man, which is corrupt according to deceitful lusts; and be renewed in the spirit of your mind; and that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness, love and true holiness…” (Ephesians 4:17-31).

The only justification there is, is to love and not to judge. And since we are the ambassadors for Christ (2 Corinthians 5:20), let’s act like it in word, deed and truth (1 John 3:18) that the name of the Lord may be glorified through us and among us.

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

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The Fear Of The Lord

The fear of the Lord

Text: Proverbs 19:23; 9:10

My fear of Thee, O Lord, exults
Like life within my veins,
A fear which tightly claims to be
One of love's sacred pains.

There is no joy the soul can meet
Upon life's various road
Like the sweet fear that sits and shrinks
Under the eye of God.

Oh, Thou art greatly to be feared,
Thou art so prompt to bless!
The dread to miss such love as Thine
Makes fear but love's excess.

But fear is love, and love is fear,
And in and out they move;
But fear is an intenser joy
Than mere unfrightened love.

They love Thee little, if at all,
Who do not fear Thee much;
If love is Thine attraction, Lord!
Fear is Thy very touch.

*** Written by F. W. Faber ***


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...building the body of Christ

A Fanatical Passion

Nobody has more faith than another. We all have the same amount of faith the same way we all have the same amount of muscles. Faith has no limits but like the body builder with his muscles, it too must be exercised and developed.

Great faith is developed faith and what you do with the measure of faith you receive at the new birth (Romans 12:3) will determine its ability and activity in your life. We are given in 2 Peter 1:5 a divine order in which to pursue and develop great faith, “But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge.”

Fanatical Passion

Virtue, or moral excellence, must be added to your measure of faith in order for it to grow and develop. This means that when you get born-again, you must with all diligence make a conscious effort to get rid of all habitual sin from your life. At the same time and with the same diligence you must also strive to obtain a thorough knowledge of God’s Word. This is so vitally important and necessary because we need knowledge of the Word so our faith will know what to believe and confess. For example, how will we know that we can believe for physical healing and divine health unless we first know that “by His stripes you were healed” (1 Peter 2:24)?

It is a sad but undeniable truth that the majority of believers in the body of Christ are not living in the fullness of all that God has for them because of a lack of knowledge pertaining to His Word. God said through the prophet Hosea, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge” (Hos. 4:6). Notice this verse does not say that a lack of knowledge will cause you to have a little inconvenience in life. No, it says you will be destroyed! Period!

A lack of knowledge is more than simply the result of neglect but in the eyes of God, it is considered to be a criminal action. This is true because when you reject the knowledge of the Word you are in fact rejecting God because they are both one and the same (John 1:1). We need to seriously think about these words from the book of Isaiah, “Therefore My people have gone into captivity because they have no knowledge; their honorable men are famished and their multitude dried up with thirst. Therefore Sheol has enlarged itself and opened its mouth beyond measure” (Is. 5:13,14a).

This is what it means to be destroyed for a lack of knowledge. This only happens because most people are not willing to make the same sacrifices to increase their knowledge of God’s Word as the body builder makes to develop and increase the size of his muscles.

Jesus once told a parable about a man who had a fanatical passion for the Word of God and was willing to make the ultimate sacrifice. He said “the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for the joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys the field” (Matt. 13:44). This verse reveals the diligence it takes to get the Word planted within you. Because the Word and the joy it brings was first place in this man’s life, he went and sold all that he had in order to obtain it. Nothing should come between you and the time you spend in the Word.

Notice also that the treasure is buried in the field. People who do not study the Word but only skim over it maybe once in a week are only looking at the surface of the field. The richest mines are often in grounds that appear most barren. Proverbs 15:28a says, “The heart of the righteous studies how to answer…” The word “study” means ‘to apply the mind in acquiring knowledge, to examine and search into, to memorize, to follow a regular course of instruction.’

Interestingly, the Greek word for “study” means ‘to make an effort, to labor.’ Know for certain that time and effort will be required in order to obtain the true riches that are buried in God’s Word. You’ll get out of it what you put into it. God and His blessings must be sought after in order to be found. Therefore don’t just read the Word, study it! (2 Timothy 2:15).

Proverbs 4:20-22 says, “My son, give attention to my words; incline your ear to my sayings. Do not let them depart from your eyes; keep them in the midst of your heart; for they are life to those who find them and health to all their flesh.” Notice that the Words of God are life to those who “find” them. You find the Words of God by seeking them out in a consistent and diligent study of the Holy Scriptures.

Psalm 119:2 tells us, “Blessed are those who keep His testimonies, who seek Him with the whole heart!” God gave His all to us in the Person of Jesus Christ and it is now our responsibility, our obligation, and our privilege to give our all to Him. We cannot seek God half-heartedly and expect to receive in return all the blessings that He has prepared for us. No, the verse says to seek Him with our “whole” heart and when we diligently do that, we will develop within ourselves a deep, fanatical passion for God and His Word.

Proverbs 2:1,4,5 says, “My son, if you receive my words, and treasure my command within you, if you seek her as silver and search for her as hidden treasure; then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God.” You will never experience an increase to your faith until you develop a strong passion for God’s Word.

Lack of Knowledge

The word “passion” is defined as ‘intense, extreme, ardent, affection for, strong desire, fanaticism.’ The reason so many Christians are not enjoying God’s best is simply because they have not become fanatical for the 'uncompromised' Word of God. This is so vital because “faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God” (Romans 10:17).

Luke 10:28-42 tells the story about a young woman who had a fanatical passion for God’s Word. These verses tell about a time of refreshing Jesus spent in Bethany at the home of Lazarus and his two sisters, Mary and Martha. This was not a home where Jesus was treated as a stranger but rather as a member of the family. It seems that Martha was the owner of the house and being the older sister, she was the dominant figure as well. While Martha busied herself with the distracting details of serving her guests, Mary instead chose to sit at the feet of Jesus in the recognized posture of a disciple and listened to every precious word that her Lord had to say.

She had a passion for the Word and her actions depicted the attitude of an eager learner not wanting one morsel of truth spoken from the mouth of Jesus to slip past her. Troubled by her sister’s reluctance to help with the serving, Martha was filled with an inward anxiety, thus creating an outward response. Without thinking she boldly and bluntly confronted Jesus and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore, tell her to help me.” And Jesus answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things.”

Notice that worry and trouble always go together and that you can never worry about just one thing. It was not Martha’s service that Jesus rebuked. Her preoccupation with the preparation of an elaborate meal for Jesus and His disciples was a praise worthy desire born out of a deep regard for her honored guest. What Jesus rebuked was her over-occupation with the material side of her duties which caused her to have anxiety and a nervous distraction which eventually led to her jealous outburst of temper.

Jesus continued, “But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part which will not be taken from her.” The lesson that is being taught here is that to be occupied “with” Jesus is more important than being occupied “for” Jesus. To devote oneself to the Word of God is more important than to be busy for Him. Jesus said that one good thing was needed. Not two, one! And that good thing is to receive His words and to treasure them in the deepest caverns of your heart.

To be led by the Word of God is the only guarantee we’ll ever have for a prosperous and victorious life. The writer of Psalms 119 got hold of this message when he penned these words, “Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (vs. 105). The pursuit of faith is a result of having a hunger and thirst for the Word of God. Proverbs 4:5,6 says, “Get wisdom! Get understanding! Do not forget, nor turn away from the words of my mouth. Do not forsake her and she will preserve you; love her and she will keep you.”

The Bible

Psalm 63:1 describes a thirst David had for God when he was in the wilderness of Judah, “Oh God, You are my God; early will I seek You; my soul thirsts for You; My flesh longs for You in a dry and thirsty land where there is no water.” He goes on to say, “When I remember You on my bed, I meditate on You in the night watches” (vs. 6).

Psalm 119:97 reveals the attitude of the heart which we should all strive to obtain, “Oh, how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day.” How often should we study and meditate on God’s Word? Early in the day! Late in the evening! In the middle of the night! All day long! What else would you expect from a person who had a fanatical passion for God and His Word?

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

THE TRUTH MEDIA

...building the body of Christ