The Ambassador of Christ

This is a true story about being a good ambassador of Christ in every situation and representing Him well wherever we find ourselves.

Several years ago, a preacher from out-of-state accepted a call to a church in Houston, Texas. Some weeks after he arrived, he had an occasion to ride the bus from his home to the downtown area.

When he sat down, he discovered that the driver had accidentally given him a quarter too much change. As he considered what to do, he thought to himself, “You’d better give the quarter back. It would be wrong to keep it.”

Then he thought, “Oh, forget it, it’s only a quarter. Who would worry about this little amount? Anyway, the bus company gets too much fare; they will never miss it. Accept it as a ‘gift from God’ and keep quiet.”

When his stop came, he paused momentarily at the door, then he handed the quarter to the driver and said, “Here, you gave me too much change…”

The driver, with a smile, replied, “Aren’t you the new preacher in town?”

“Yes,” he replied.

“Well, I have been thinking a lot lately about going somewhere to worship. I just wanted to see what you would do if I gave you too much change. I’ll see you at church on Sunday.”

When the preacher stepped off the bus, he literally grabbed the nearest light pole, held on, and groaned, “Oh God! I almost sold your Son for a quarter!”

Our lives are the only Bible some people will ever read. This is a really scary example of how much people watch us as Christians, and will put us to the test!  Always be on guard – and remember – you carry the name of Christ on your shoulders when you call yourself  ‘Christian.’

– Author Unknown

Meditation: So we have been sent to speak for Christ. It is like God is calling to people through us. – 2 Corinthians 5:20 (ERV)

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

How You’re Forgiven

Author Unknown

Come now, and let us reason together,” Says the Lord, “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool.

– Isaiah 1:18

One rainy afternoon, I was driving along one of the main streets of town, taking those extra precautions necessary when the roads are wet and slick.

Suddenly my daughter spoke up from her relaxed position in her seat. “Dad, I’m thinking of something.”

This announcement usually meant she had been pondering some fact for a while, and was now ready to expound all that her six-year-old mind had discovered. I was eager to hear.

“What are you thinking?” I asked.

“The rain!” she began, “is like sin, and the windshield wipers are like God wiping our sins away.”

After the chill bumps raced up my arms I was able to respond. “That’s really good.”

Then my curiosity broke in. How far would this little girl take this revelation? So I asked…

“Do you notice how the rain keeps on coming? What does that tell you?”

She didn’t hesitate one moment with her answer: “We keep on sinning, and God just keeps on forgiving us.”

I will always remember this whenever I turn my wipers on.

The truth is God is more interested in pardoning our sins than in keeping the record of our wrongdoings. He is not judgemental of our actions, neither does He set out to dog our steps until we commit a sin so that He can pounce on us. That is not God.

Even when we reject His counsel and do things our own way, in addition to the agony of our rejection, He is also more pained by the consequences of our sins than we can ever be. That is why He is ever eager to forgive anyone who comes to Him with a sincere and repentant heart.

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Where Do You Seek Help?

Challenges and trials are part of life, only the dead and inanimate don’t have them. We face various life situations that test our faith, maturity, endurance, skills, and expertise. But when the storms of life come billowing, do you fight or take a flight? When the vicissitudes of life become overwhelming, where do you turn for help?

Our answers to these questions are critical to how we fare in life: if you are the type that analyses a challenge and then tackles it headlong, rather than avoiding or running away from it, each encounter will certainly build up your maturity, spirituality, dignity, fortitude, and confidence; whereas, each time you take a flight and avoid a challenge constitutes a debit from your confidence and self-esteem. So, the best course to take is to fight it out. But, ensure you take the time to first analyse the situation, know how best to confront it, when to take it on, and what resources you need to realistically achieve your aim.

In the event where you are overwhelmed by the vicissitudes of life, such that you are feeling drowned, it is always good to look beyond yourself and reach out for help. While it is advisable to seek help from experts in the area of your challenge or from an enlightened significant other, you should not discountenance also seeking the help of God. In the case of humans, you can only be helped to the extent of the resources available to the person you run to. But God has unlimited resources and He has monopoly of solutions. He had solved innumerable challenges since humans started becoming conscious of them; and He hasn’t stopped. So you get the advantage of experience, expertise and formidability when you run to God. Nothing fazes Him; everything thaws in His presence. He is just a prayer away; why not tell Him about the issue now?

Meditation: Hear my cry, O God; attend to my prayer. From the end of the earth I will cry to You. When my heart is overwhelmed; lead me to the rock that is higher than I. –Psalm 61:1-2

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

How You’re Forgiven

Author Unknown

 “Come now, and let us reason together,” Says the Lord, “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool.

– Isaiah 1:18

One rainy afternoon, I was driving along one of the main streets of town, taking those extra precautions necessary when the roads are wet and slick.

Suddenly my daughter spoke up from her relaxed position in her seat. “Dad, I’m thinking of something.”

This announcement usually meant she had been pondering some fact for a while, and was now ready to expound all that her six-year-old mind had discovered. I was eager to hear.

“What are you thinking?” I asked.

“The rain!” she began, “is like sin, and the windshield wipers are like God wiping our sins away.”

After the chill bumps raced up my arms I was able to respond. “That’s really good.”

Then my curiosity broke in. How far would this little girl take this revelation? So I asked…

“Do you notice how the rain keeps on coming? What does that tell you?”

She didn’t hesitate one moment with her answer: “We keep on sinning, and God just keeps on forgiving us.”

I will always remember this whenever I turn my wipers on.

The truth is God is more interested in pardoning our sins than in keeping the record of our wrongdoings. He is not judgemental of our actions, neither does He set out to dog our steps until we commit a sin so that He can pounce on us. That is not God.

Even when we reject His counsel and do things our own way, in addition to the agony of our rejection, He is also more pained by the consequences of our sins than we can ever be. That is why He is ever eager to forgive anyone who comes to Him with a sincere and repentant heart.

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Who will Read You Today?

Several years ago, a preacher from a distant town accepted a call from a church in Leeds. Some weeks after his arrival, he had an appointment that made him board a bus to another part of the town. When he sat down, he discovered that the driver had mistakenly given him his balance in excess of 50 pence.

As he considered what to do, he thought within him, ‘You’d better give this money back. It would be wrong to keep it’. Then another thought came, “Oh, forget it, it’s only 50p; who would worry about this little amount, afterall the bus company makes so much money on fares; they will never miss it. Accept it as ‘a gift from God’ and keep quiet.

When he was getting down from the bus, he paused momentarily at the door, and then handed the 50p to the driver and said, ‘Take; the balance you gave me was in excess’. The driver, with a smile, replied, ‘Aren’t you the new preacher in town?’  ‘Yes I am’, he replied. ‘Well, I have been thinking a lot lately about where to go to worship. I just wanted to see what you would do if I gave you a balance in excess. I’ll worship with you at the church this Sunday.

When the preacher stepped off the bus, he grabbed a nearby electric pole, looked up and said, ‘Oh God, I almost sold your Son for 50 pence!’. Our lifestyles are the only Bible some people will ever read. This is just a subtle example of how much people watch us as Christians, and will put us to test!

Always be on guard — and remember — You carry the name of Christ on your forehead and shoulders, once you say you are a Christian. ‘Watch your thoughts; they become words. Watch your words; they become actions. Watch your actions; they become habits. Watch your habits; they become your character. Watch your character; it becomes your destiny’.

Let our lives model Jesus Christ as we journey through life.

Meditation: Be an example to all believers in what you say, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity. – 1 Tim 4:12b (NLT)

You will succeed because Jesus loves You!!!Always be on guard — and remember — You carry the name of Christ on your forehead and shoulders, once you say you are a Christian. ‘Watch your thoughts; they become words. Watch your words; they become actions. Watch your actions; they become habits. Watch your habits; they become your character. Watch your character; it becomes your destiny’.

Let our lives model Jesus Christ as we journey through life.

Meditation: Be an example to all believers in what you say, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity. – 1 Tim 4:12b (NLT)

You will succeed because Jesus loves You!!!

Have a Blessed, Squeaky Clean Day!

Author Unknown

There are five sponges laying on your kitchen counter top. Each member of your family has been cleaning up different areas of your home, but all the sponges look the same. You are curious as to what was cleaned in your home, but you can’t tell by looking…they all look the same….so what do you do?

You squeeze each sponge to see what comes out. As you squeeze the first sponge, you see that cola comes out, and so you decide that someone cleaned the kitchen with that one. Upon squeezing the second sponge, you find tub and tile cleaner – that one was used to clean the bathroom.

Next, in the third sponge, you find motor oil — hubby was cleaning the garage!

In the fourth sponge, baby powder puffs out when it is squeezed – yep the baby’s nursery was done with that one!

And finally, in the last one, is floor wax — that was the one you used on the hall floor!

As you lay the last one down, you look again at their similarity – and they all look the same until they’re squeezed.

Christians are the same way. As life squeezes us, different things come out – anger from one, a need for revenge from another, tears from one, remorse from yet another – also greed, untruth, lust – and finally, from one saint, pours forth the love of Christ.

Just like the sponge, we can only squeeze out what is put in – stay in the Word daily, and be in continuous prayer, so that when life puts the squeeze on you (and it WILL), Jesus, and Jesus ALONE will shine forth from you!

Have a blessed, squeaky clean day!

Meditation: As in water face reflects face, So a man’s heart reveals the man. – Proverbs 27:19

You will succeed because Jesus loves You!

How To Sustain Success

Success means different things to different people; the same way the mode of approaching it is different from one individual to another, not minding the myriads of literature in the public domain on how to achieve it.

There are two angles to success; the first is exploring how to accomplish it and, the second, how to sustain it. Achieving success in life might seem a very arduous feat that places a lot of demand on one. That is rightly so, as not everyone can lay claim to being successful. However, sustaining success at whatever level is more demanding than the process of achieving it.

The passage above gives us an insight on how to sustain success so it doesn’t slip out of grasp or dim out with greater speed than it came. It takes discipline to retain success, that is what the writer of the proverb describes as “ruthless” in the passage above. A measure of ruthlessness is needed to sustain or scale up any kind of success. You have to be ruthless on yourself in terms of how you use time, manage resources, what you tell yourself, as well as how you interact with yourself and others.

Discipline must be your watchword if you want to sustain success; you cannot afford to do what everyone else is doing if such will not further your cause. You cannot live the way your friends live, think the way they think, say what they say and indulge in what they indulge. Successful people are usually hard on themselves and that transfers to the way they relate with others. They are not afraid to break out of the mould and be different. They are strict and disciplined because that is what it takes to sustain success.

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

How Do You Respond to Discouragement?

This is a story that teaches us some lessons about how to deal with discouragement at moments in our lives.

A man got dressed in the evening and set out on his way to God’s house. On his way to Church, the man fell and his clothes got dirty. He got up, brushed himself up and headed home.

At home, he changed his clothes and was again on his way to Church. Again, he fell at the same spot! He, again, got up, brushed off the dirt and headed home. At home, he once again changed his clothes and walked out heading to God’s house.

On his way, he met a man holding a lamp. He asked to know his identity and the man replied, “I saw you fall twice on your way, so I brought a lamp so I can light your way.”

The first man thanked him profusely and the two went on their way to the Church. Once at the Church, the first man asked the man with the lamp to come in, but he refused. He asked him a couple more times and, again, the answer was negative. The first man then asked him why he did not wish to come in and pray.

The man replied, “I am Satan.” The man was shocked at this reply.

Satan went on to explain,”I saw you on your way to the Church and it was I who made you fall. When you went home, cleaned yourself and went back on your way to the Church, God forgave all of your sins.

I made you fall a second time, and even that did not discourage you; rather, you went back on your way to Church. Because of that, God forgave all the sins of the people of your household.

I was afraid if I made you fall one more time, then God will forgive the sins of your nation, so I have to make sure you get to the Church safely.”

Do not put off the good you intended to do as you never know how much reward you might receive from the hardships you encounter while trying to achieve that good. Your righteousness can save your family and a whole nation.

– Author Unknown

Meditation: For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls. – Hebrews 12:3

The Island of Feelings

Author Unknown

Once upon a time, there was an island where all the feelings lived; Happiness, Sadness, Knowledge, and all the others, including Love. One day it was announced to the feelings that the island would sink, so all repaired their boats and left.

Love decided to persevere until the last possible moment to ensure that everyone else was safe. When the island was almost sinking, Love decided to ask for help. Richness was passing by Love in a grand boat. Love said, “Richness, can you take me with you?”

Richness answered, “No, I can’t. There is a lot of silver in my boat. There is no place here for you.”

Love decided to ask Vanity who was also passing by in a beautiful vessel. “Vanity, please help me!”

“I can’t help you Love. You are all wet and might damage my boat,” Vanity answered.

Sadness was close by, so Love asked for help, “Sadness, let me go with you.”

“Oh…. Love, I am so sad that I need to be by myself.”

Happiness passed by Love too, but she was so happy that she did not even hear when Love called her!

Suddenly there was a voice, “Come Love, I will take you.” It was an elder.

Love was overjoyed that he even forgot to ask the elder his name. When they arrived at dry land, the elder went his own way.

Love realizing how much he owed the elder, asked Knowledge, another elder. “Who was that man helped me?”

“It was Time,” Knowledge answered.

“Time?” asked Love. “But why did Time help me?”

Knowledge smiled with deep wisdom and answered, “Because, only Time is capable of understanding how great Love is.”

Meditation: But time and chance happen to them all. – Ecclesiastes 9:11

You will succeed because Jesus loves You!

Why God Loves You

Author Unknown

As I gazed up at the mountains, I was awed by their majesty;

I bowed my head and asked myself, “Why should He care for me?

I am not great like the mountains that tower so high above,

What is there about me that God can find to love?”

“Father, I am not strong like the wind that makes your tall trees sway,

I cannot sing sweetly like your birds; will you love me anyway?

But most of all, I am simply me, and often have cause to fear,

In spite of all my weaknesses, do you promise to be near?”

With eyes closed tight against my tears, I wished He could hear me pray.

Then I felt His Spirit tell me, “Child, look up, I have something to say.

“You are simply you, the spirit I love, a part of my great plan.

I put you here to learn of life and to return to me again.”

“You are more beautiful to me than the loveliest mountain I made,

And your strength exceeds that of the winds, so do not be afraid.

I love you not for what you are, but for what I know you will be.

I am always beside you watching you grow, you are very special to me.”

A smile touched my lips – I knew it was true, my Father had always been there

Giving me comfort and blessings and love and my own special talents to share.

So I do my best to make Him proud. I am not afraid, for you see,

He loves me not for what I am, but for what He knows I will be.

Meditation: The Lord has appeared of old to me, saying: “Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you.” – Jeremiah 31:3

You will succeed because Jesus loves You!

The Reason You are Going Through Times

Author Unknown

There was a group of women in a Bible Study on the book of Malachi. As they were studying chapter three, they came across verse three, which says: “He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver.” This verse puzzled the women and they wondered what this statement meant about the character and nature of God.

One of them offered to find out the process of refining silver and get back to the group at their next Bible Study. That week, this woman called up a silversmith and made an appointment to watch him at work. She didn’t mention anything about the reason for her interest beyond her curiosity about the process of refining silver.

As she watched the silversmith, he held a piece of silver over the fire and let it heat up. He explained that in refining silver, one needed to hold the silver in the middle of the fire where the flames were hottest as to burn away all the impurities.

The woman thought about God holding us in such a hot spot. Then she thought again about the verse that says, “He sits as a refiner and purifier of silver.”

She asked the silversmith if it was true that he had to sit there in front of the fire the whole time the silver was being refined. The man answered that yes, he not only had to sit there holding the silver, but he had to keep his eyes on the silver the entire time it was in the fire. If the silver was left a moment too long in the flames, it would be destroyed.

The woman was silent for a moment. Then she asked the silversmith, “How do you know when the silver is fully refined?”

He smiled at her and answered, “Oh, that’s easy – when I see my image in it.”

If today you are feeling the heat of the fire, remember that God has His eye on you and will keep watching you until He sees His image in you.

Meditation: My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. – James 1:2-4

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

A Greater Power Watching

There was a nature show on television about a black bear that gave birth to two cubs. One cub died right away. Three weeks later the mother died and the remaining cub was left to fend for itself. An orphaned cub in that condition is like a walking buffet for predators. And, of course, the camera immediately showed a hungry-looking mountain lion.

One day the orphan cub encountered a giant male black bear. The little cub cowered at the bear’s sheer mass. The larger bear peered around and seemed to realize that the mother bear wasn’t anywhere to be found. He gave the little cub a friendly nudge. The camera then showed the little bear happily trailing along after the larger one. The adoption papers were signed, sealed and registered at the county seat in that nudge. Papa bear proceeded to show the cub how to grub for insects and how to catch fish and how to scratch his back against a tree.

One day, the two bears became separated. The cub began to cry and looked frantically for his new father, but couldn’t find him anywhere. The cub approached a stream where he’d learned to fish and something caught his attention. He looked up to see a mountain lion ready to pounce. That same mountain lion had stalked the cub for the entire show. There was no way that mountain lion would’ve gone for that cub with Papa bear around, but now….

The camera zoomed in on the cub. He automatically mimicked the posture of his adopted father when threatened. He stood on his hind legs and bared his teeth. Then, in the exactly the same way his new father would have done, this cub let loose a mighty growl that should have reverberated throughout the forest. But, only a tiny bear cub’s squeak came out.

Well, you know what was coming. But, to everybody’s astonishment, the mountain lion lowered his head and ran off in the opposite direction.

The camera panned back to the proud little cub still standing tall on his hind legs. And then all the viewers saw what that little cub could not: a few yards behind him, at full, ferocious height, his sharp, white teeth bared in a snarl, stood Daddy bear. He may not have made a sound, but he was there.

And even though the cub couldn’t see his father, his father stood guard, protecting his young. The little cub had power available greater than anything he could produce on his own. There was a greater power watching over him.

It is the same thing for us children of God. Even though we may not see Him or feel Him; God is nevertheless jealously watching over us and is ever up to the task whenever there is a threat to our lives or wellbeing from any corner; signalling at the enemies to stay away from us.

— Author Unknown 

Meditation: You are of God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world. – 1 John 4:4

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

What Killed the King?

Now Ahaziah fell through the lattice of his upper room in Samaria, and was injured; so he sent messengers and said to them, “Go, inquire of Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron, whether I shall recover from this injury…” Then he said to him, “Thus says the Lord: ‘Because you have sent messengers to inquire of Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron, is it because there is no God in Israel to inquire of His word? Therefore you shall not come down from the bed to which you have gone up, but you shall surely die.’” So Ahaziah died according to the word of the Lord which Elijah had spoken. – 2 Kings 1:2,16-17

Not everybody dies from the disease that apparently kills them. Some die from the places they go to seeking relief from that disease.

What killed King Ahaziah? Was it the fall from his upper balcony and the complications arising therefrom? Or was it because he went consulting after the god of Ekron? According to our passage, he died from where he went seeking a solution to what he thought was about to kill him. He died from a where, not a what.

Of course, everybody would say that the king died from his accidental fall, but our passage tells us that his death was actually a divine sentence for seeking help in the places he sent to consult from.

Not everybody dies from their deadly disease. Some die from the deadly places they go to, seeking help. Mind the places you go to when trouble comes. God may pardon ignorant Ekronites who visit their Baalzebub, who might even come out with fantastic lies of Baalzebub’s miraculous powers; but Israelites who should know better, risk death when they play the same game.

Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help… (Isaiah 31:1).

Thus says the Lord: “Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart departs from the Lord. (Jeremiah 17:5).

Beelzebub might be allowed to lie to his Ekronites, who often come away with fantastic tales of his miraculous feats, but Israelites who walk that path risk disaster.

Not everybody dies from the deadly disease that apparently kills them. Some die from the places they visit, seeking help. Mind the places you go to seek help in the days of your troubles. When some king crashes to death from his high places, let ignorant newspapers say what they may. The prophet knows why.

— The Preacher’s Diary

You will succeed in Jesus Name!