It Pays To Serve Jesus

It pays to serve Jesus, I speak from my heart

He’ll always be with us, if we do our part

There’s naught in this wide world can pleasure afford;

There’s peace and contentment in serving the Lord

I will love him far better than in days of yore

I’ll serve Him more truly than ever before,

I’ll do as He bids me, whatever the cost,

I’ll be a true soldier, I’ll die at my post.

And oft when I’m tempted to turn from the track

I think of my Saviour, my mind wanders back

To the place where they nailed Him on Calvary’s tree

I heard a voice saying, “I suffered for thee.”

A place I remember where I was set free

‘Twas where I found pardon, a heaven to me.

There Jesus spoke sweetly to my weary soul,

My sins were forgiven, He made my heart whole.

How rich is the blessing the world cannot give,

I’m satisfied fully for Jesus to live;

Though friends may forsake me and trials arise,

I am trusting Jesus, His love never dies.

There is no one like Jesus can cheer me today

His love and His kindness can ne’er fade away,

In winter and summer, in sunshine and rain,

His love and affection are always the same.

Will you have this blessing that Jesus bestows,

A free full salvation from sin’s bitter throes?

O come to the Saviour, to Calvary flee,

The fountain is opened, is flowing for thee.

The Decision Of The Wise

Text Matthew 25: 1-13

The plan of salvation as revealed in Christ’s death on the cross spans the whole race of man. It opens the door of salvation to whoever will repent of their sins: such a person will receive pardon. However, God in His Sovereignty will never force salvation on any man. Rather, every man has been charged with a personal responsibility to take a decision that will lead either to his salvation or damnation.

Consequently, every man is answerable to God on whatever decision he takes, either to believe and be saved or spurn God’s love and face the danger of unquenchable fire of hell.

Two classes of people are revealed to us in our text – the wise and the foolish virgins. The wise had extra oil and were ready for the bridegroom’s return. The foolish too had all the time to make adequate preparations, but they delayed till it was too late to make amends.

Likewise, as the world is running to a close, there are two notable classes of people today – the wise and the foolish. The wise are those who have responded to God’s call to repentance in utter abandonment of their idols and sinful pleasures. Like Noah and his family, they have come into God’s ark of safety and will be kept safe from God’s fiery judgment which is to come upon this world (2 Peter 3:10).

On the other hand are the foolish among whom are scoffers who deny the very existence of God, the fact of rapture and the judgment to come. The foolish are the presumptuous sinners who make mockery of sin, reject God’s plea and are holding on to the false believe that they will be saved by and by. Among the foolish are the people who hold on to a form of religion while denying the power that cleanses from all ungodliness and worldly lusts.

As God’s message of love comes to you today, be wise and repent. But if you reject Him, there will be no way of escape from the horror of hell. Don’t wait too late to be saved.

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Seek To Be Fair To All

TEXT: PROVERBS 21:1-15

KEY VERSE: “Whoso stoppeth his ears at the cry of the poor, he also shall cry himself, but shall not be heard” (Proverbs 21:13).

People often seek to enforce high standard of values for others than they are willing to do for themselves. To them, the golden rule, doing to others as you would wish them to do to you, is both a distraction and utterly unsuitable for our modern world driven by greed and avarice. But whatever man’s position, God’s standard remains unchanged, in time and eternity.

It is therefore not surprising that the Lord in our text, made sundry observations and contrasted moral values with vices. He wants us to draw vital lessons from them and allow the wisdom they bring to condition our lives.  He said that no matter how highly placed a king may be, God still has total control over his actions. And although many men would always justify their actions, God probes into the heart for hidden motives.

He appreciates justice more than mere sacrifice. And to Him, pride, whether shown openly or hidden in the heart, is sin. He says that the diligent usually prospers while the impatient often suffers from want. Those who amass wealth by lying or fraud thread the path of death, while robbers would eventually be destroyed by their wicked conducts. Men should eschew all evil, but possess purity in their actions. Men and women who perpetrate evil act would be overthrown by God, even as He expects the wise to learn from the judgment that comes to the wicked.

It is an act of wickedness to turn deaf ears to those who cry out for your assistance, especially when you are in a position to help. This is one reason the prayers of many people are not answered. Unknown to them, by shutting their ears to the pleas for help from others, they shut God’s ears to their own prayer for help. 

Therefore, if you desire good things from God, you must readily do good to others. God cares for you, but He also wants you to care for your fellow men. Therein lies happiness in life and a blessed reward in eternity.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: When you help others, you help yourself too!

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Go And Tell Them

Send the gospel of salvation,
To a world of dying men;
Tell it out to ev'ry nation,
'Till the Lord shall come again.

Go and tell them, go and tell them,

Jesus died for sinful men.

Go and tell them, go and tell them,

He is coming. He is coming,

He is coming back again.

'Tis the church's great commission,
'Tis the Master's last command;
Christ has died for every creature,
Tell it out in every land.

Christ is gathering out a people,
To His name from every race;
Haste to give the invitation,
Ere shall end the day of grace.

Give the gospel as a witness,
To a world of sinful men;
Till the Bride shall be completed,
And the Lord shall come again.

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He Suits Your Need

TEXT: JOSHUA 19:10-16

Key verse: “And the third lot came up for the children of Zebulun according to their families: and the border of their inheritance was unto Sarid” (Joshua 19:10).

Greed, envy and lack of contentment are behind most of the feuds and crises we have in many families, communities, nations and countries of the world. The desire to get what belongs to others and the lack of satisfaction with one’s lot and possession find expression in struggles, rivalries and wars that have engulfed many lands.

The church too, seems not to be totally free from these vices. We have struggle and clamour for power and position in many churches today. Envy, distrust and other forms of rancor are tearing the Church apart and weakening her influence on the world. All these are due to the fact that we fail to realize that our lots are given to us by God and He has done this according to our needs.

Our passage this morning spells out the portion given to the tribe of Zebulun as their inheritance in the Promised Land. Worthy of note is the fact that God gave them their portion “…according to their families …” that is, in proportion to their needs. In His wisdom and Omniscience, God apportioned to every tribe just what they need and just what suits them. No wonder there was no report of strife or feeling of dissatisfaction among the tribes of Israel over the lots given them. They had confidence in the wisdom of God who had chosen for them a worthy portion.

 There will be less strife in the world and there will be no feeling of envy and jealousy in the families and churches if we recognize and accept God’s wisdom in the portions we have in life. God is a good God and whatever He gives is for our good. If we sense a need for more, let’s ask Him in faith and trust His final judgment. This is the secret of peace and contentment.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: Nothing betters what God gives.

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Overcome Fear

Text: Matthew 24: 22-30; 2 Timothy 1:7

Fear is an unpleasant feeling of anxiety or apprehension caused by the presence or anticipation of danger. It could come in form of frightening thoughts or unsettled mind. Fear is the opposite of faith or courage. Most times, it comes as a result of ignorance of God's power, lack of constant fellowship with God and listening to negative stories from others' experiences.

In the text of Timothy above, Paul, the apostle encouraged Timothy to be bold and courageous. Timothy, a young minister, was experiencing great opposition to his messages and to himself as a leader. Paul, therefore, urged him not to allow intimidation, or else, his effectiveness in the work of God will be neutralized. Any Christian who desires to serve God as Timothy did, must not allow fear of any kind to occupy his heart. No wonder , the Bible admonishes us to "fear not".

Fear is not of God. Scripture references abound that discourages fear. Such references include: Joshua 1:9; Isaiah 41:10; Genesis 26:24; Isaiah 43:1; Matthew 10:31; and Revelation 1:17. Some Christians today are afraid because of the uncertainty of the future. Some fear men - their parents, bosses, co-workers, neighbours, etc. Others fear enemies, evil spirits, and even death. Some are afraid of failure. Whatever the nature of fear in the life of any Christian, the consequences are always fatal. For this reason, we must endeavor to deal with it.

Fear either paralyses action or leads to irrational decisions. Saul, the first king of Israel, disobeyed God for fear of failure in battle. Esau sold his birthright for fear of death. Orpah went back from following her mother-in-law, Naomi, for fear of the future. Peter, the outspoken apostle, denied his Master for fear of what the people might do to him.

The result of fear cold be terrible. It must, therefore, not be found in the life of any Christian. Many Bible characters experienced it, but eventually overcame. A Christian who experiences fear must first examine his or her life to ensure that there is no sin. They will need to develop their faith through constant reading, hearing and meditation on God's Word.

Constant prayer and fellowship with God will build up courage in any Christian. Listening to testimonies of what God had done in the past will also help develop faith and courage to live for God. May the Lord make you bold as a lion.

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A Voice From Hell

Oh, why am I here in this place of unrest

When others have entered the land of the blest?

God's way of salvation was preached unto men;

I heard it and heard it, again and again.

Why did I not listen and turn from my sin

And open my heart and let Jesus come in?

For vain earthly pleasures my soul did I sell

The way I had chosen has brought me to hell.

I wish I were dreaming, but ah, it is true.

The way to be saved I had heard and I knew;

My time on the earth, oh, so quickly fled by,

How little I thought of the day I would die.

When God's Holy Spirit was pleading with me,

I hardened my heart and I turned from His plea.

The way that was sinful, the path that was wide,

I chose and I walked till the time that I died.

Eternally now, I must dwell in this place.

If I from my memory could but erase

The thoughts of my past which are haunting me so.

Oh, where is a refuge to which I can go?

This torture and suff'ring, how long can I stand?

For Satan and demons this only was planned.

God's refuge is Jesus, the One that I spurned;

He offered salvation, but from Him I turned.

My brothers and sisters I wish I could warn.

Far better 'twould be if I had not been born.

The price I must pay is too horrid to tell

My life without God led directly to Hell.

Oh, soul without Christ, will these words be your cry?

God's Word so declares it that all men must die.

From hell and its terrors, Oh, flee while you may!

So, come to the Saviour; He'll save you today!

***Written by: Oscar C. Eliason ***



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A Well Deserved Reward

TEXT:  JOSHUA 19:40-51

KEY VERSE: “When they had made an end of dividing the land for inheritance by their coasts, the children of Israel gave an inheritance to Joshua the son of Nun among them” (Joshua 19:49).

When God appoints a man and gives him an assignment, the responsibility is on the individual to reciprocate God’s good gesture by being faithful in carrying out the assignment and discharging his or her duty very well. It is only then that the individual becomes a beneficiary of the reward of faithful service.

In the narrative today, the Bible recounts the story of how the land of promise was divided after it was possessed under the leadership of Joshua. It shows how the tribe of Dan fought to increase their own portion and how Joshua, their faithful commander was rewarded according to the word of the Lord (verse 49,50).

As believers of today, we are not to be satisfied or complacent with the little portion of grace we have, service we are rendering, or in  fact, the little success we have. The Lord has promised to increase our greatness and reward us if we faithfully and valiantly fight the good fight of faith and dispossess the enemies of the inheritance that rightfully belongs to us.

Like Joshua, what God has spoken concerning your life will be fulfilled only if you faithfully fight and follow Him to the end. Joshua’s example is particularly instructive, worthy of emulation by all believers. He was single-minded in His devotion to Jehovah and in His loyalty to His leader Moses, throughout His years of services to him. At long last, Joshua triumphed through the wilderness and entered the Promised Land, led the people valiantly and got his deserved portion in the Promised Land. Faithfulness indeed counts and is rewardable.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: Your good deeds do not go unnoticed.
- See more at: http://dailymanna.dclmhq.org/2014/07/topic-well-deserved-reward.html#.U7_u7_ldVEQ <<or click the daily manna at the top>>

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In Church For What?

Text: Jeremiah 26:1-11

Key verse: “Thus saith the LORD; Stand in the court of the LORD's house, and speak unto all the cities of Judah, which come to worship in the LORD's house, all the words that I command thee to speak unto them; diminish not a word” (Jeremiah 26:2). 

Why do you go to church?

The majority of the churches and worship centres in our cities are usually packed full of worshipers each worship day. This gives a picture of people who seem to be very religious and have great delight in God and His words. There may appear to be no need to ask if these people really delight in God and are really committed to obeying His word. But a further probe reveals a startling truth!

Many of these worshipers are not truly interested in what God has to say. Rather, they determine what they want to hear and what the preachers should say! And once the preachers deviate from preaching what suits them, they rebel. Sadly, many of the pastors and preachers play along with them, giving to the people what they want to hear and not what God commands them to preach. No wonder, we have so much shallowness and lack of righteousness in the lives and conducts of these worshipers. They are in the church but are not in touch with God.

God’s instruction to Jeremiah in our text was clear. He was to speak to the people who came to the house of the Lord to worship what He commanded him. One is surprised to observe the reactions of these professing worshipers. They turned down the word of God and turned in rage against Jeremiah.

We need to closely examine our motives for going to the house of the Lord. Do we really have delight in hearing the word of the Lord?  Or, do we tune off once the preacher announces a subject that seems not to go down well with us? Do we select what messages we want  to hear and dictate to  our preachers by our actions what messages they must preach to us? If we do, then we are in no way  different from the people in Jeremiah’s days. God expects every worshiper to obey His word and submit to His will without questioning. The only way to be happy in Jesus is to trust and obey.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: Are you in church but out of touch with God?

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Gently Lead Us

Gently, Lord, oh, gently lead us
Through vale of tears,
Though thou'st decreed us,
Till our last great change appears.

As temptation's darts assail us,
Or in devious paths we stray
Let thy goodness never fail us,
Lead us in thy perfect way.

In the hour of pain and anguish,
In the hour when death draws near
Suffer not our hearts to languish,
Suffer not our souls to fear.

As this mortal life is ended,
Bid us in thine arms to rest,
Till, by angel bands attended,
We awake among the blest.

Then, oh, crown us with thy blessing,
Through the triumphs of thy grace;
Then shall praises never ceasing
Echo through thy dwelling-place.

== Written by: Octavius Winslow ==


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