FAITH AND SUCCESS
By faith the walls of Jericho fell down, after they were compassed about seven days (Hebrews 11:30).
Joshua was one of the greatest leaders in Bible history. He succeeded Moses and led the Israelites to the Promised Land. Just like our leaders today, Joshua too wasn't perfect all the time. He had his own faults and failures but he was always ready to humble himself to acknowledge his sins and ask God for forgiveness.

Another wonderful character that he possessed was that He never lost his faith and trust in God. He allowed God to do great things for him. He was also a man of prayer. Through his life, we learn that "The secret of success is the union of divine power with human effort. Those who achieve the greatest results are those who rely most implicitly upon the Almighty Arm. The man who commanded, "Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon; and thou, Moon, in the valley of Ajalon," is the man who for hours lay prostrate upon the earth in prayer in the camp of Gilgal. The men of prayer are the men of power" (PP 509.1) The fall of Jericho is just but one example of how great Joshua's faith in God was. If Joshua didn't have faith, he would not have circled the city seven times. But because he believed in God's command and acted upon it, he and the people of Israel achieved great success. The Lord accompanied them and was always with them in all their battles.

Beloved, if only we could also put our trust in God and not rely on our own strength and efforts; if only we would always obey God's command and learn to pray fervently as Joshua prayed, the Lord will also be with us and help us in all our undertakings. He will make us overcomers and successful in all that we do. "God will do great things for those who trust in Him. The reason why His professed people have no greater strength is that they trust so much to their own wisdom, and do not give the Lord an opportunity to reveal His power in their behalf. He will help His believing children in every emergency if they will place their entire confidence in Him and faithfully obey Him" (PP 493.2) It is my fervent prayer that the Lord will help us to keep our faith in Him so He can accomplish great things through us. Amen

YOU MUST OVERCOME
"To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne" (Revelation 3:21).
We all have to love peace. War is a great evil. Battles are bloody and distressing events. All men ought to love peace. All of us have to pray for a peaceful life. All this is very true, and yet there is one particular war which must not come to an end. There is one battle which we ought to be always fighting. The battle I speak of is the battle against the WORLD, the FLESH, and the DEVIL. With these enemies we do not have to be at peace; from this warfare, no Christian must exempt himself or herself while he or she is alive.

My dearest Reader, kindly give me your attention for a few minutes, and I will tell you something about this great battle for eternal life. Every man who calls himself a Christian becomes a soldier of Christ. He is bound by his baptism to fight Christ's battles against SIN, the WORLD, and the DEVIL. The Christian man that does not do this, breaks his vow - he is a spiritual traitor; he does not fulfill the terms of engagement he accepted at his baptism. The man that does not constantly engage in warfare against the enemy of souls is practically renouncing his faith in Christ. The very fact that he belongs to a Church and attends church service every Sabbath, and calls himself a Christian, is a public declaration that he desires to be called a soldier of Jesus Christ.

Armor is provided for every Christian man or woman to overcome. "Take unto you," says Paul to the Ephesians, "the whole armor of God." "Stand, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breast-plate of righteousness." "Take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God." "Above all, take the shield of faith" (Ephesians 6:13-17). Moreover, every Christian man or woman has been given the best incentive to overcome in Christ; the best of provisions such as the bread and water of life; and an eternal weight of glory is promised every soldier of Christ. My dear Brother or Sister in Christ, there are several things that can be said about these things that I have just mentioned but the only point I want to impress on your soul now is that if you want to be saved, you must not only be a soldier, but a VICTORIOUS soldier. You must not only profess to fight on Christ's side against sin, the world, and the devil, but you must actually fight and OVERCOME. This is one grand distinguishing mark of true Christians. Other men perhaps like to be numbered in the ranks of Christ's army; other men may have lazy wishes, and no desire after the crown of glory - but it is the true Christian alone, who does the work of a soldier. He alone fairly meets the enemies of his soul, really fights with them, and in that fight overcomes them.

My beloved Reader, one great lesson I wish you to learn this day after reading this article is that if you would prove you are born again and and heaven bound, you must be a victorious soldier of Christ. If you would make it clear that you have any title to Christ's precious promises, then you must fight the good fight in Christ's cause, and in that fight you must conquer. Victory over sin is the only satisfactory evidence that your you are growing in Christ. Probably you like good sermons, perhaps; you respect the Bible, and read it on regular basis; probably you pray every morning and every evening; probably you have morning and evening devotions with your family members, and probably you donate to support God's work. If indeed you do any of these things, I thank God that you do them. They are all very good. But the questions I want to ask you are these: are you overcoming the love of the world and the fear of man? Are you overcoming the passions, tempers, and lusts of your own heart? Are you resisting the devil, and making him flee from you? How is it in this matter? My dearest Brother or Sister, you must either rule over sin, and the devil, and the world or serve them. There is NO middle ground. You must either CONQUER or be lost. I know very well it is a hard battle that you have to fight, and I want you to know it too. You must fight the good fight of faith, and endure hardships, if only you would lay hold of eternal life; you must make up your mind to a daily struggle, if you would reach heaven. There may be shortcuts to heaven invented by man; but ancient Christianity — the good old way — is the way of the Cross - the way of conflict. Sin, the world, and the devil must actually be resisted, and overcome.

My beloved Brother or Sister in the Lord, this is the road that saints of old have trodden on, and left their record on high. When Moses refused the pleasures of sin in Egypt, and chose affliction with the people of God — this was overcoming: he overcame the love of pleasure. When Micaiah refused to prophesy smooth things to king Ahab, though he knew he would be persecuted if he spoke the truth — this was overcoming: He overcame the love of ease. When Daniel refused to give up praying, though he knew the den of lions was prepared for him — this was overcoming: he overcame the fear of death. When Matthew the tax collector rose from the receipt of custom at our Lord's bidding, left all and followed Him — this was overcoming: he overcame the love of money. When Peter and John stood up boldly before the Council and said, "We cannot but speak the things we have seen and heard" — this was overcoming: they overcame the fear of man. When Saul the Pharisee gave up all his prospects of worldly greatness among the Jews, and preached that Jesus whom he had once persecuted — this was overcoming: he overcame the love of man's praise.

My beloved Reader in Christ, the same kind of thing which these men did you MUST also do, if you would be saved. They were men of like passions like yourself, and yet they overcame; they had as many trials as any person can possibly have, and yet they overcame. They fought, they wrestled, they struggled: and overcame. So MUST we also overcome. My beloved Brother or Sister in the Lord, are you asking yourself about the secret of their victory? The answer is very simple. The secret of their victory was their FAITH! They believed on Jesus, and believing were made strong. They believed on Jesus, and believing were held up. In all their battles they kept their eyes on Jesus, and He never left them nor forsook them. They overcame the devil by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony (Revelation 12:11).

My dear Brother or Sister, as I bring this article to an end, I want us to contemplate on the message that has been set before us. I pray that we lay them to heart and make up our minds that by the grace of God, we are going to be OVERCOMERS in Christ Jesus. Amen!

"So Mephibosheth dwelt in Jerusalem: for he did eat continually at the king’s table; and was lame on both his feet" (2 Samuel 9:13).

"What is thy servant, that thou shouldest look upon such a dead dog as I am?" (2 Samuel 9:8).
Mephibosheth was no great ornament to a royal table, yet he had a continual place at David’s board, because the king could see in his face the features of the beloved Jonathan. Like Mephibosheth, we may cry unto the King of Glory, "What is thy servant, that thou shouldst look upon such a dead dog as I am?" but still the Lord indulges us with most familiar intercourse with himself, because he sees in our countenances the remembrance of his dearly-beloved Jesus. The Lord’s people are dear for another’s sake. Such is the love which the Father bears to his only begotten, that for his sake he raises his lowly brethren from poverty and banishment, to courtly companionship, noble rank, and royal provision. Their deformity shall not rob them of their privileges. Lameness is no bar to sonship; the cripple is as much the heir as if he could run like Asahel. Our right does not limp, though our might may. A king’s table is a noble hiding-place for lame legs, and at the gospel feast we learn to glory in infirmities, because the power of Christ resteth upon us. Yet grievous disability may mar the persons of the best-loved saints. Here is one feasted by David, and yet so lame in both his feet that he could not go up with the king when he fled from the city, and was therefore maligned and injured by his servant Ziba. Saints whose faith is weak, and whose knowledge is slender, are great losers; they are exposed to many enemies, and cannot follow the king whithersoever he goeth. This disease frequently arises from falls. Bad nursing in their spiritual infancy often causes converts to fall into a despondency from which they never recover, and sin in other cases brings broken bones.

If Mephibosheth was thus humbled by David’s kindness, what shall we be in the presence of our gracious Lord? The more grace we have, the less we shall think of ourselves, for grace, like light, reveals our impurity. Eminent saints have scarcely known to what to compare themselves, their sense of unworthiness has been so clear and keen. "I am," says Rutherford, "a dry and withered branch, a piece of dead carcass, dry bones, and not able to step over a straw". In another place he writes, "Except as to open outbreakings, I want nothing of what Judas and Cain had". The meanest objects in nature appear to the humbled mind to have a preference above itself, because they have never contracted sin: a dog may be greedy, fierce, or filthy, but it has no conscience to violate, no Holy Spirit to resist. A dog may be a worthless animal, and yet by a little kindness it is soon won to love its master, and is faithful unto death; but we forget the goodness of the Lord, and follow not at his call. The term "dead dog" is the most expressive of all terms of contempt, but it is none too strong to express the self- abhorrence of instructed believers. They do not affect mock modesty, they mean what they say, they have weighed themselves in the balances of the sanctuary, and found out the vanity of their nature. At best, we are but clay, animated dust, mere walking hillocks; but viewed as sinners, we are monsters indeed. Let it be published in heaven as a wonder, that the Lord Jesus should set his heart’s love upon such as we are. Dust and ashes though we be, we must and will "magnify the exceeding greatness of his grace" Could not his heart find rest in heaven? Must he needs come to these tents of Kedar for a spouse, and choose a bride upon whom the sun had looked? O heavens and earth, break forth into a song, and give all glory to our sweet Lord Jesus.

Lord, help the lame to leap like an hart, and satisfy all thy people with the bread of thy table!

Stay blessed

GIVE, AND IT SHALL BE GIVEN UNTO YOU
"He that hideth his eyes shall have many a curse;" but "he that giveth unto the poor shall not lack" (Proverbs 28:27).
Living a life of Christ is living a selfless life. Jesus sets an example for all His followers to practice. He gave all that He had, that is His life for the world without seeking anything in return. "Do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for He is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil" (Luke 6:35).

God pours His blessings upon all. "He maketh His sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust." He is "kind unto the unthankful and to the evil." He bids us to be like Him. "Bless them that curse you," said Jesus; "do good to them that hate you, . . . that ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven." These are the principles of the law, and they are the wellsprings of life" {DA 311.1}.

We need not to have much or wait till all our visions and aspirations are fulfilled before we give. We ought to value what we have and share with others believing that all good and perfect gifts come from God. As we give, let’s claim the promises in the Scripture and by faith believe that it is so. If we deprive others of what God has blessed us with, then we cannot claim God’s promise.

The Lord bids us to be merciful as He is merciful. Great blessings await all who give out. Just as God increased the food in the store house of the widow who gave all that she had to the prophet, so will He do it abundantly for all who believe in His word and give out to help others. Only if we believe in the word of God will this promise be ours: "Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom" (Luke 6:38).

OVERCOMING SELFISHNESS
"12:16 And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully: 12:17 And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits? 12:18 And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. 12:19 And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. 12:20 But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? 12:21 So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God." (Luke 12:16 - 21)
My beloved Brother or Sister, I want you to notice in this devotion that SELFISHNESS is a dangerous and a soul-ruining sin. Probably there is nothing obviously sinful about the outward life of many rich men at this end of the world than the sin of selfishness. Many rich men are not murderers. They are not thieves. They are not adulterers or liars. Yet they will end up losing their salvation at the end of time as a result of their selfish heart. In this devotion, it is not only to the rich I appeal but also to the ordinary.

My dear Brother or Sister, we must beware of living only for ourselves as many rich men do. It is not enough for any of us to say, "I live correctly; I do my duty in every area of my life." The question is, Are you living for yourself or for Christ? What is your purpose and motivation in life? Do you no longer live for yourself but for him who died for you? (see 2 Corinthians 5:15). If you are like the rich man in the key passage of this devotion, living for yourself, then you will be LOST.

My beloved Brother or Sister in Christ, we must learn the danger of not doing what we ought. Many rich men will not lose their salvation because of what they did, but because of what they did NOT do. They simply refused to help the poor with what they had. We should remember that on the Judgment Day Christ will say to MANY: "I was hungry and you gave me no food; I was thirsty and you gave me no drink; I was a stranger and you did not take me in..." (Matthew 25:42, 43).

Lastly, my dear reader, we must learn that riches bring special dangers with them. Many people at this end time of the end spend their lives seeking riches, even though the Bible makes it clear that riches bring great spiritual danger. Riches can easily harden the soul and lead us to forget God. No wonder Jesus says: "How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!" (Mark 10:23). We need to learn to be especially careful about selfishness in these last days because we are told that "In the last days, perilous times will come: for men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money" (2 Timothy 3:1, 2). Many of us give away nothing at all, or very little in proportion to our wealth, even though the Bible warns us against selfishness and the love of money.

My dear Brother or Sister, do you have money? Then "Take heed and beware of covetousness" (Luke 12:15). Certainly it is possible for you to be saved, because Abraham, Job and David were all rich men. But think about the danger of riches and daily seek help from above. Always remember that money is a good servant, but a bad master. My dear Brother or Sister, it is possible that you do have very little or no money at all? If this is your case, then do not envy people who are richer than you? Rather pray for them, and do not be quick to judge them. Beware of thinking that being poor will save you. At the Second Coming of Christ, many poor people will be saved not because they were poor, but because they had Christ. Do you want to know the cure for selfishness? The cure is a real knowledge and experience of Christ's love. You must know your own sinful condition; you must experience the power of Christ's blood to heal you. Then, knowing how much you owe the Lord, you will feel that NOTHING is too great to give to Him, and help the poor.

IT TAKES PATIENCE
One may be called Patience but may not possess patience, and a patient at the hospital may not be patient. Patience is not just a noun or an adjective, it is an inbuilt character. It displays itself in the midst of anger, failure, and temptation.

When provoked beyond endurance, patience does not allow the "sun to set on [your] anger". In the midst of failure, patience whispers hope to its victim for him to carry on. When tempted to sin, patience holds one back and points him to the right path. It is the backbone of every good action, and the mother of every good decision.

"Patience is power. Patience is not an absence of action; rather it is "timing", it waits on the right time to act, for the right principles and in the right way" (Fulton J. Sheen). Trees that have patience bear the best fruits—they study the soil and extend their roots to where there are nutrients. Crocodiles that lives long are those that have patience—they keep calm beneath water surfaces to catch their prey. Lions are kings of the jungle because of their patience.

Even a snail with patience will eventually reach its destination. There is one more piece of advice I have for you; "It is through a cultivation of patience that we become better parents, powerful teachers, great businessmen, good friends, and live a happier life" (Steve Maraboli). Patience ensures victory (Proverbs 16:32; cf. Isaiah 40:31; Romans12:12). God loves you!

BEWARE OF FLATTERY
[22:15] Then went the Pharisees, and took counsel HOW THEY MIGHT ENTANGLE HIM IN HIS TALK.

[22:16] And they sent out unto him their disciples with the Herodians, saying, Master, we know that thou art true, and teachest the way of God in truth, neither carest thou for any man: for thou regardest not the person of men.

[22:17] Tell us therefore, What thinkest thou? Is it lawful to give tribute unto Caesar, or not?

[22:18] But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, Why tempt ye me, ye hypocrites?

[22:19] Shew me the tribute money. And they brought unto him a penny.

[22:20] And he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription?

[22:21] They say unto him, Caesar's. Then saith he unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's; and unto God the things that are God's.

[22:22] When they had heard these words, they marvelled, and left him, and went their way.

(Matthew 22:15 - 22)
My dear Brother or Sister in Christ, consider the flattering language with which our Lord was accosted by His enemies. "Teacher," they said, "we know that you are honest, and teach the way of God in truth, no matter who you teach, for you aren't partial to anyone." How well these Pharisees and Herodians talked! What smooth and sugarcoated words these were! They thought, no doubt, that by good words and fair speeches they would throw our Lord off His guard.

Be on your guard against FLATTERY at this end of the world. Consider the many examples which God has given you in Scripture for your learning. What brought about the ruin of Samson? It was not the armies of the Philistines, but the pretended love of a Philistine woman (Judges 16:4 - 21). What led to Solomon's backsliding? It was not the strength of his outward enemies, but the flattery of his numerous wives (1 Kings 11:1 - 10). What was the cause of king Hezekiah's greatest mistake? It was not the sword of Sennacherib, or the threats of Rabshakeh, but the flattery of the Babylonian ambassadors (Isaiah 39:1 - 6). Continually remember these things. BEWARE OF THE FLATTERER. Satan is never so dangerous as when he appears as an angel of light at this end of the world.

A NEW MINDSET
(A Chameleon Becomes What It Thinks)

A tasty meal, a lucrative job, and a perfect day with a negative mindset is equal to an unhappy life. Our greatest concern should be more of what we feed our minds with than what we feed our stomachs. Thus, we are not only what we eat, but more also what we think. Your mindset is like a glass through which you see the world, if it's dirty (filled with negative thoughts), it will only reflect dirt (negative side of life) to you, and you will miss the beauty in the world.

What the camera focuses on is what it captures, what the mind focuses on is what determine our statures in life and what writes the chapters of our lives—by beholding we become changed (2 Corinthians 3:18). A chameleon becomes what it thinks. Have you convinced yourself that you are unworthy of a better life? Are you trying to draw back from attaining your dreams because all the odds are against you? Focus your mind on the brighter side of life, be positive. If the body grows with age, then the mind grows with experiences. The human mindset can be likened to a muscle that can be worked on in the gym of experiences to improve upon. Take lessons from the past, and let the past be past.

A new mindset is a renewed mind; it does not allow negative thoughts to creep in, and it filters out all negative thoughts. It is a healthy mind which leads to a healthy body, and eventually to a healthy life. A new mindset is disciplined to see things in a new light even in the night, and when things are difficult. Moreover, a new mindset is the mind of Christ (Philippians 2:5) which sets the affections on things above, and not things on the earth (Colossians 3:2). Let God transform you into a new person by renewing your mind. Then you will learn to know God's will for your life, which is good and pleasing and perfect" (Colossians 3:2; Romans 12:2). God loves you!

YOU NEED THE BOOK
A ‘need’ denotes a requirement for something. Someone’s needs are the necessities that become the pre-requisites for his or her existence. Basic essential needs of human kind ranges from food, water, clothing, shelter and the like. These are indispensable requirements of life, and they have value by satisfying the physical needs of man. Their absence makes human life uncomfortable, miserable, worthless and inconsequential. To remedy this, human beings work tirelessly to have their needs provided. All the toils of life and the overloads we embrace are basically for the provision of human needs.

Though this is a universal routine and a worldwide exercise, many people fail to fulfil some aspects of their needs. As we try to provide the needs of the physical body, the spiritual food that is able to nourish and satisfy the spirit is left unprovided. This spiritual need is a heavenly provision perfectly wrapped for us as the word of God - the BIBLE. When one’s soul gets afflicted, wounded and weak, the word of God comforts and quickens. As the fear of tomorrow overshadow the minds of the unbeliever, to the believer, the word of God gives hope for the future. When unforgiveness afflicts the soul of the unconverted, the believer’s heart is soothed and allay with the word of God which provides principles for forgiveness. As worldliness and love for the world makes one feel good in the solitary place of sin, this word becomes a honeycomb in the mouth of the believer and trains his or her taste for righteousness. The word of God is packaged for the world as the BIBLE. It is the Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth. Do you have a Bible? How often do you read it? You really need this book.

This book (the Bible), like no other book, has Divine authorship and is a book of books. The Bible deals with matters of universal interest: history, philosophy, science, health, architecture, religion, prophecies, etc. It speaks to the needs of every generation, offers solutions to life’s perplexities, and even reveals the origin and future of our world. It has brought peace to troubled consciences, comfort to the sorrowful, hope to the despairing, courage to the despondent, and the assurance of reunion to the bereaved.

No wonder the apostle Paul, even on the death roll requested for this book (the parchment). He knew the very use of the Bible that; it is quick and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit and of the joints and marrow, and it is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. To the righteous, it is a lamp unto their feet and a light unto their path. It is the only truth that sanctifies us. It makes pure the way of the young and strengthens the aged. No matter your age, your class, your religion, your beliefs, your ethnicity, your aspirations and credentials; you need the book - the word of God - the Bible, for it will lead you to the Saviour of your soul - Jesus Christ our Lord.

(2 Timothy 4:9-13; Psalm 119; John 17:17; Hebrews 4:12; 2 Timothy 2:15)

MADE FOR SOMETHING BETTER
Whatever has been invented by man was fashioned out for a special purpose. Man produces things to solve a problem or to improve or complement an already existing item. Anything that is made and do not perform its very task is seen to be useless and sub-standard.

This principle holds in relation to the creation of our world. The origin of our world as set forth in divine records is plainly stated, so that there is no occasion for erroneous conclusions on evolution or whatsoever. God created our world and it is not subject to debate. All things visible and invisible, both in heaven and the earth were made by the word of the LORD, and all the host of them were made by the breath of his mouth, He spoke, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast.

In everything that God created, He infected the principle of purpose into it, and that nothing was made in vain; to the earth, He made it to be inhabited, the firmament was made to separate the waters above from the waters below; the sea was created to host the sea beasts; the sun, moon and stars were to give light to the earth and aid in detecting seasons, and the herbs to feed man and other creatures.

Just like all the other creation of God, man was created with a purpose. God created mankind to be a steward of the world. What makes you think sometimes that you are of no use or not worthy to live because of your current situation. You may have likely compared yourself with others and devalued your own self because of your low grades, poor home, or even your physical make-up. It is important to remember that you were not made as a sub-standard material but for something better that is supposed to glorify the Lord. Why not look to God and inflame the purpose of your existence.

Have you considered the fact that you were not created to live for yourself alone? God expects that you utilize the capabilities, wealth, talents, position etc. that you have been blessed with to contribute to the happiness of other creatures. Why do you imbibe the worldly ideology that says; "God for us all but each one for himself". NO! None of the creatures of God live for themselves. The master plan for our existence is to reveal the nature of God, to glorify Him and be a blessing to others. Don’t yield your body to lust and worldliness, don’t sell your conscience or integrity for material gain. Rather, let someone smile, be comforted, be uplifted, be spiritually blessed because of your existence. SHALOM. (Psalm 33:6, 9; Genesis 1; Romans 14:7, 8; 1 Corinthians 10:31).