Are you worried about expiry dates?

I watched a lady in a supermarket buying her groceries. She lifted a packet from the front of the display and examined it. She replaced it but then began moving other similar packets so that she had access to those at the back of the shelf. One of these was selected and similarly examined and then placed in her shopping trolley. Being inquisitive I went to that shelf and examined two packets, one from the front and the other from the rear of the shelf and I discovered what she was doing. She wanted a packet that had the longest retention period according to the expiry date. Those at the back of the shelf could be kept for a longer time than those at the front.

The expiry date printed on goods has become most important. In a former generation this was unheard of and people used their common sense to decide if a product was fit for consumption or not. It seems that today we need to have everything pointed out to us, even though much appears to be very obvious.

The most precious commodity that a person possesses is his or her eternal soul. This is the real person that dwells in the body of clay. That body may die and be buried but the soul goes on to eternity and exists in either heaven or hell for evermore. At the dawn of human history sin entered into the world and has affected everyone. "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God" Romans 3.23. To have one’s soul saved from God’s judgment is the greatest blessing and comfort any person can know. King Hezekiah said of God, "Thou hast in love to my soul delivered it from the pit of corruption: for Thou hast cast all my sins behind Thy back" Isaiah 38.17.

To permit God to forgive our sins and thus save our souls on a righteous basis, God Himself had to work. "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved" John 3.16,17. The Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, suffered for sins upon the cross of Calvary and all who accept Him as Lord and Saviour will be saved and ready for His return. However, God has put an expiry date on this offer of salvation, a date that is known only to Himself, but we do know the offer will be withdrawn when the Lord Jesus comes again and takes every saved person to heaven. To ensure that we get salvation before the expiry date we need to take heed to the message and prepare for His coming. We do not know when that will take place but we do know that "now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation" 2Corinthians 6.2. Dear reader, do not delay and leave the salvation of your soul until it is too late, but "believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved" Acts 16.31.

Reproduced with permission from the Editors of Assemble Testimony

'God is faithful' (1 Corinthians 1.9 -the Bible)

"TRUTH TO TRUST"

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CHRISTmas TRADING

During the Christmas season, vast amounts of money pass through the high street banks. This world is all about money. Making it, keeping it and spending it. And in order to get it, you usually have to work.

Shortly before His sacrificial death and triumphant resurrection, the Lord Jesus talked to His disciples about trading in the kingdom of heaven (Matt. 25.14-30). He compared Himself to a businessman who gave varying amounts of money to people to look after while He was away. He wanted them to use the money to do business i.e. to trade. The word trade actually means to 'work or toil'. The Lord gave His servants resources to work with and He expected a 100% growth rate! The servant given five talents made five more, and the servant given two talents made two more. The Lord commended them for their faithfulness and gave them proportionate responsibility in His heavenly kingdom.

But there was a third servant who the Lord draws our attention to. He dug a hole and put his talent into the ground and on the Lord's return, presented it back to Him, untouched. His excuse was that the Lord was hard, austere and oppressive. That lazy servant got a stern rebuke and was cast out into outer darkness. At the very least he should have put the money in the bank to gain interest, let alone worked with it to make it multiply to full advantage. So, the Lord took the money given to the lazy servant and gave it instead, to the servant who had worked the hardest. He knew that it would then be used to full effect.

Serving the Lord begins when a person gets saved, when a person is born again and is filled with His Spirit (Eph. 1.13). An account is instantly opened in the ‘Bank of Heaven’ and the Christian starts the work of investing in heaven’s currency. It is hard work and the rewards are not measured in the currency of this world - money and material things. Instead the Lord Jesus expects us to make full use of the gifts and resources He gives us to show to others His love, like He showed God's love to us. That involves getting to know God as your Father, and behaving in this world like the Lord Jesus did. He did not seek high status even though He is the King of Kings (Rev. 19.6). Instead, in humility and godly fear, He served others, ministering to their needs and in purity of thought and action, demonstrating the principles of God's heavenly Kingdom. It is not possible to be made redundant from that job, or to be underpaid. And the rewards far surpass anything that can be accumulated in this world and are eternal (not left behind at the gates of death as the treasures of this world are). God promises to call all those who are born again His Sons (Rom. 8.15), not just his servants. He gives them eternal life immediately and promises the splendour of heaven in the future. In addition He rewards their faithful service with 'crowns of righteousness' (2 Tim. 4.8) and positions of authority in His future worldwide administration.  It is not possible to serve two masters; it is either the true God or the god of this world i.e. the devil (Matthew 6.24).

Why not make 2014 the time when you choose to serve the Lord and invest in wealth that lasts forever?

Written for FTMP by a guest blogger. 

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