Ministry127

A lady once took her children to a restaurant. Her six-year-old son asked if he could say grace. As he bowed his head he said, “God is good, God is great. Thank you for the food, and I would even thank you more if Mom gets us ice cream for dessert. And Liberty and justice for all! Amen!”

Along with the laughter from the other customers nearby, a woman remarked, “That's what's wrong with this country. Kids today don't even know how to pray. Asking God for ice cream! Why, I never!”

If we look through a piece of red glass, everything is red; through blue glass, everything is blue; through yellow glass, everything is yellow, and so on.

The glorious truth is that when we believe in the Lord Jesus Christ as our Saviour, God looks at us through the Lord Jesus Christ. He sees us in all the white holiness of His Son. That is the great New Testament doctrine of the imputation of our sin to the account of Christ and His righteousness to our account.

A Japanese soldier by the name of Shoichi Yokoi lived in a cave on the island of Guam to which he fled in 1944 when the tides of war began to change. Fearing for his life, this man stayed hidden for twenty-eight years in the jungle cave, coming out only at night. During this long period of time, this self-imposed hermit lived on frogs, rats, snails, shrimp, nuts, and mangoes. He had carried a pair of trousers and a jacket from a burlap-like cloth made from tree bark.

“It may be hard on some fathers not to have a son, but it is so much harder on a boy not to have a father.”-S.D. Gilbert

Source: King Me, Steve Farrar

Submitted by the homiletics class of West Coast Baptist College

You can fool the hapless public,
You can be a subtle fraud,
You can hide your little meanness,
But you can’t fool God!

You can advertise your virtues,
You can self-achievement laud,
You can load yourself with riches,
But you can’t fool God!

You can criticize the Bible,
You can be a selfish clod,
You can lie, swear, drink, and gamble,
But you can’t fool God!

You can magnify your talent,
You can hear the world applaud,
You can boast yourself somebody,
But you can’t fool God!

A young fellow who worked in an investment house was impressed and very appreciative at the interest his business associates took in the news that his wife was going to have a baby. Every day one or more of them would drop around to his desk to inquire: “How’s the wife doing?” “What does the doc say?” “Any news, old man?” “Many more days?” He did not know that every man in the office had a bet upon when the baby would arrive. The interest in his affairs really concerned a greedy desire to win the office bet.

When Billy Sunday was converted and joined the church, a Christian man put his arm on the young man’s shoulder and said, “William, there are three simple rules I can give to you, and if you will hold to them you will never write “backslider” after your name.

“Take 15 minutes each day to listen to God talking to you; take 15 minutes each day to talk to God; take 15 minutes each day to talk to others about God.”

A businessman well known for his ruthlessness once announced to writer Mark Twain, “Before I die I mean to make a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. I will climb Mount Sinai and read the Ten Commandments aloud at the top.”

”I have a better idea,” replied Twain. “You could stay in Boston and keep them.”

Source: Today in the Word, September 1991, Moody Bible Institute

Submitted by the homiletics class of West Coast Baptist College

David Livingstone was the pioneer missionary to Africa, who walked over 29,000 miles in his ministry. His wife died early in their ministry and he faced stiff opposition from his Scottish brethren. He wrote the following words in his diary: “Send me anywhere, only go with me. Lay any burden on me, only sustain me. Sever me from any tie but the tie that binds me to Your service and to Your heart.”

Source: Through the Fire, Joseph Stowell

Submitted by the homiletics class of West Coast Baptist College

Suppose you had a thousand-acre farm and someone offered to buy it. You agree to sell the land except for one acre right in the center which you want to keep for yourself. Did you know that in some areas the law would allow you to have access to that one lone spot? And that you would have the right to build a road across the surrounding property in order to get to it?

At one time Mr P.T. Barnum, head of the great Barnum & Bailey Circus, invited Charles Haddon Spurgeon of London to speak in the large tent at his traveling circus. He made every concession to make the offer attractive to Spurgeon. Barnum would provide the musical talent, unless Spurgeon wished to provide his own. He would provide any equipment or manpower Spurgeon desired. Spurgeon could speak as long or as short as he wished. There was only one basic stipulation! Barnum Circus Association would take the gate receipts and pay Spurgeon one thousand dollars per lecture.

It was 1898 and Ben had left the East 8 years ago to head out West in hopes of making his fortune. Well he wasn't rich, but he had accumulated over 300 acres of good land and built a comfortable farm house on it. He raised wheat, corn, and all of his vegetables. He had managed to build his herd of cattle to over 200 head. Having accomplished all of this in only 8 years, he decided that it was now time. 

The ad that he placed in the New York newspaper said, “Wanted: A good woman willing to be a pen pal. Marriage is a possibility for the right woman.”

A certain missionary society, in order to gain access for a missionary to work in some of the African tribes, sent down trinkets to be bartered with the natives. Among them was a package of little hand mirrors, such as ladies use.

The natives had never seen their own faces except in the waters of some lake or stream. So the news of this wonderful instrument by which people could see their features was spread abroad. The missionary was invited by the tribe after tribe to visit them with his hand glass.

Come with me to an underpass outside of the freight yards of one of our great railroad centers. Here are two or three men – hobos, vagabonds, tramps. One says, “I hope that I will have a million dollars.” Another says, “I hope that I will have two million dollars.” A third says, “I hope that I will have ten million dollars!” The total assets of the three amount to forty-three cents!

In 1934, a British magazine told the story of young Prince Edward and a visit he made to a small hospital where thirty-six hopelessly injured and disfigured veterans of the First World War were tended. He stopped at each cot, shook hands with each veteran, and spoke words of encouragement. He was conducted to the exit but observed that he had only met twenty-nine men. At that point he questioned those present, “I understood you had thirty-six patients here. I have only seen twenty-nine.”