“My boy,” said the store owner to his new employee, “wisdom and integrity are essential to the retail business. By ‘integrity’I mean if you promise a customer something, you have got to keep that promise-even if it means we lose money.”

“And what,” asked the teenager, “is wisdom?”

“That,” answered the boss, “is not making any stupid promises.”

Ten Rules for Happier Living

1. Give something away (no strings attached).
2. Do a kindness (and forget it).
3. Spend a few minutes with the aged (their experience can be priceless guidance).
4. Look intently into the face of a baby (and marvel).
5. Laugh often (it is life’s lubricant).
6. Give thanks (a thousand times a day is not enough).
7. Pray (or you will lose the way).
8. Work (with vim and vigor).
9. Plan as though you will live forever (because you will).
10. Live as though you will die tomorrow (because you will die on some tomorrow).

Lessons From Teardrops

Two little teardrops were floating down the river of life. One said to the other, “Who are you?” It replied, “I am a teardrop from a girl who loved a man and lost him. Who are you?” The first responded, “Well, I am a teardrop from the girl who got him!”

Life is like that. We cry over things we cannot have. If we only knew it, we would probably cry more if we had received them. Paul had the right idea when he said, “I have learned in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content” (Phi_4:11).

Wise Advice from Abraham Lincoln

Abraham Lincoln once said, “You cannot bring about prosperity by discouraging thrift. You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong. You cannot help the wage earner by pulling down the wage payer. You cannot further the brotherhood of man by encouraging class hatred. You cannot keep out of trouble by spending more than you earn. You cannot build character and courage by taking away man’s initiative and independence. You cannot help men permanently by doing for them what they could and should do for themselves.

Seek Counsel from More Than One

Here is a caution about seeking experienced counsel: It’s dangerous to go on just one person’s experience. Mark Twain told about a cat who sat on a hot stove lid. That experience taught the cat never to sit on a hot stove lid again. But further, that cat never sat on a cold stove lid either. He took more from the experience than it had to offer. If we’re going to talk about experiences, we would be wise to talk to a number of people who have faced similar decisions and extract direction from their combined counsel.

Motivation behind Choices

There are a great many actions which, in and of themselves, are neither right nor wrong. They are made right when we act in love. They become wrong if we act in selfishness.

It’s like playing the piano. There are no right or wrong notes. There are only right or wrong notes in the context of the musical score. We many not like G or F, or be very favorable to middle C, but the note is only wrong in the context of what is being played. Likewise, choices become right or wrong based on the motivation behind them.

To just come right out and ask somebody what they think you smell like might be offensive to them (or to you-if they give you a candid answer). But most people care deeply about what others think of their particular odor. Americans spend zillions of dollars every year on perfumes (Obsession-$50 for 4 ounces) and cologne (quality gentlemen’s foo-foo sells for about $10 an ounce, too). But those products just fix you from the neck up. Deodorants, special soaps, body splashes and powders, breath mints and mouthwashes are also big ticket items for the socially conscious.

If you need a good excuse to buy products that make you smell pleasant, here it is. Now there is a new branch of scientific research called “odor engineering.” So far the researchers have tried odor engineering only in the work place.

According to the publication Communication Briefings, one Japanese firm reports that air scented with lavender cut keypunching errors by 21 percent. Jasmine-scented air dropped errors by 33 percent and lemon in the air was even better-this cut errors by 54 percent. They determined that lavender reduces stress, jasmine relaxes and lemon stimulates. Odors do make a difference.

This gives new significance to a Scripture that has always intrigued me. “For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To the one we are the smell of death; to the other, the fragrance of life” (2Co_2:15-16).

The odor engineers have not done any research as to what happens to people (or a community) when a true believer comes around and gives everybody a whiff of Christ. But Paul says this odor does make a difference. The believer, with the knowledge and life of Christ, emits (in a figurative way) the very smell of Christ’s sweet sacrifice (note Eph_5:2). We cannot buy it in a bottle. It does not ooze out of our pores. It comes out in our attitudes, actions and words.

That sweet smell affects everybody around us. So it might not be a bad idea to ask yourself, “What do I really smell like?” If you know Christ your life smells good. And you will naturally make a difference in all those around you.

Who Changed Tom Brown?

The book Tom Brown’s School Days contains a story about a boy who had the courage to stand up to ridicule.

Tom Brown was a student at Rugby Boys School when a new boy enrolled. On his first night in a room with 12 beds and 11 other boys, he knelt to say his evening prayers. Tom turned his head just in time to see a heavy slipper flying through the air toward the head of the new boy.

When the lights went out a little later, Tom Brown thought of his mother, and the prayers she had taught him to say, which he had never done since he came to Rugby. He decided that the next time he went to bed, he, too, would say his prayers.

The next night, the other boys in the room, ready to laugh and scoff at the newcomer who said his prayers, were amazed to see Tom Brown, whom they all respected and feared, kneel down at the side of his bed and pray.

That boy’s courageous prayer, in spite of the ridicule, won him the respect of all his companions. He later became one of the most distinguished men of the Church of England.

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God” (Phi_4:6).

The Real Proof of God

Keith Robinson, in The Encourager, writes:

“When God wanted to authenticate Himself to the ancient world, He called His nation Israel as witness. ‘You are my witnesses,’He said, testimony that ‘I am He. Before Me there was no God formed, and there will be none after Me. I, even I, am the Lord’ (Isa_48:10). The people of God served as the undeniable proof of God.

“God’s people still offer the most basic and best proof of God. A changed life is still the best testimony of God’s power. Divine love reflected in a Christian heart which accepts, forgives and loves the unlovable is still the best witness of the nature of God. Hope that will not die is still the best proof of eternal life. Faith which cannot be shaken even in the face of death is still the best demonstration of the immutability of God’s promises.

“We who have been granted the imponderable privilege of partaking in the divine nature (2Pe_1:4), are the witnesses, the demonstration, the proof of the divine presence in the world. Books and lessons and sermons and reason may have their place, but the real test is in the lives of God’s chosen people. If that proof is not clear and constant, everything else is just hearsay.”

Which Am I?

A strong horseshoe magnet may be held over an old rust-eaten, shapeless nail without meeting any response. A bright, ringing nail will leap to the magnet, attract another, and through it draw yet another, until several are attracted.

That is how Christians are. A really genuine, active, shining Christian has a tremendous attraction to Christ, is magnetized by His love and purity, attracted by His power. And through that Christian, Christ can draw others to Him to share the same power and attraction.

But a rusty, unpolished, corroded Christian, cranky, defiled and selfish, has very little attraction, and through him the power of Christ to win the world cannot flow.

God has enough power to wipe out every vice and every evil doctrine in this world, but first of all, there must be conductors. And rusty, untaught, unprepared, and unpracticed church members neither draw others near to God nor are drawn near themselves.

Our religion must be intensive before it can be extensive.

Every Christian Is a Missionary

One day, Mr. Wilfred Grenfell, medical missionary to Labrador, was guest at a dinner in London together with a number of socially prominent British men and women.

During the course of the dinner, the lady seated next to him turned and said, “Is it true, Dr. Grenfell, that you are a missionary?”

Dr. Grenfell looked at her for a moment before replying, “Is it true, madam, that you are not?”

Example and Teaching

What ingredients go into creating the environment of a truly Christian home? Some would say it is teaching our children right from wrong, belief in God, and respect for their fellowman. But can one truly “teach” such fundamental truths as these? Rather we must live these truths each and every day so that our children are irresistibly drawn to the right and the good life by our continual example.

The Wife’s Example Made the Difference

A young man finally came to Christ and was baptized after years of indiffernce. Many talked to him about the Lord, but were not able to sway him. It is not known what finally moved him, but for years his faithful wife went to every service of the churchl, Sunday morning and evening, Bible Study on Wednesday night. Sometimes he went with her. Sometimes he was working or out of town, but she went. They had one, then two and finally three children. She went on with her children rain or shine. On one instance, it was raining so hard that one could hardly see. The wind was blowing. This good Christian mother drove up, got out of her car and carried one baby into the church building and then started back for another one when a man came forward to help her out on that last trip. It was her husband who was baptized, and we all probably know the sermon that converted him.

Let It Shine

Benjamin Franklin wanted to interest the people in Philadelphia in street lighting. He did not call a town meeting nor try to persuade the people by talking about it. He acted upon what he considered a good idea. He hung a beautiful lantern on a long bracket in front of his house. He kept the glass polished and carefully trimmed and lit the wick every evening at the approach of dusk. The lamp helped the people see the pavement ahead; made them feel more secure at night. Others began placing lights in front of their houses. Soon Philadelphia recognized the need for street lights.

Be the one today to light up your neighborhood with the light of life. Let it shine. Let your light shine TODAY!

Salt Creates Thirst

At a missionary meeting some young people were discussing the text, “Ye are the salt of the earth.”

One suggestion after another was made as to the meaning of “salt” in this verse.

“Salt imparts a desirable flavor,” said one. “Salt preserves from decay,” another suggested.

Then at last a Chinese Christian girl spoke out of an experience none of the others had. “Salt creates thirst,” she said, and there was a sudden hush over the room.

Everyone was thinking, “Have I ever made anyone thirsty for the Lord Jesus Christ?”

Does Your Behavior Make Others Behave?

In a cemetery, a little white stone marked the grave of a dear little girl. On the stone were chiseled these words: A child of whom her playmates said, “It was easier to be good when she was with us.” It was one of the most beautiful epitaphs ever heard of.

Godly Influence

Around the turn of the century in rural Tennessee an old man crippled with arthritis was very faithful in his assembling with the saints. Twice on Sunday and on Wednesday nights a little girl watched from her window as the old man with his cane painfully made his way down to the little church on the corner. One Sunday morning following a snow storm, the little girl ran to her window and looking out exclaimed, “Surely the old man will not go to church this morning.” But there he was, right on schedule, plodding very cautiously through the snow.

The little girl could not contain herself any longer. She just had to visit the little church to see what possibly could be there that would bring the old man out on such an inclement morning. The rest is history. The little girl was impressed by the services there that morning and a short time later became a Christian. After high school she enrolled in a Christian college and while there she met a fine young Christian boy whom she later married. To this union a son was born who was to become one of the finest gospel preachers. This brother during his ministry has literally led thousands to Christ.

The old man went to his reward never realizing just what an impact he had made for the cause of Christ. Because of his godly influence many will go into heaven with him. There can be no greater joy than to reach heaven and to her someone say, “I am here because you have shown me the way.”

“Thou Shalt Not Steal”

A young man, employed by a Sunday school board, was invited at the last minute to preach at a church in Nashville. On a sudden impulse he used as his text, “Thou shalt not steal.”

The next morning he stepped on the bus and handed the driver a dollar bill. The driver handed him back his change. He stood in the rear of the bus and counted the change. There was a dime too much. His first thought was, “The bus company will never miss this dime.” Then quickly came the realization that he could not keep money that did not belong to him. He made his way to the front and said to the driver, “You gave me too much change.” Imagine his surprise when the driver replied, “Yes, a dime too much. I gave it to you on purpose. You see, I heard your sermon yesterday, and I watched in my mirror as you counted your change. Had you kept the dime, I would never again have had any confidence in preaching.”

The Power of a Smile

One day as a woman was crossing a street at London station, an old man stopped her and said, “Excuse me, Ma’am, but I want to thank you.”

“Thank me?” she exclaimed.

“Yes’m. I used to be a ticket collector, and whenever you went by, you always gave me a cheerful smile and a good morning. I knew that smile must have come from inside somewhere. Then one morning I saw a little Bible in your hand. So I bought one too, and I found Jesus.”

Let There Be Light

A young girl once consulted with her minister. “I cannot stick it out any longer. I am the only Christian in the factory where I work. I get nothing but taunts and sneers. It is more than I can stand. I am going to resign.”

“Will you tell me,” asked the minister, “where lights are placed?”

“What has that to do with it?” the young Christian asked him rather bluntly.

“Never mind,” the minister replied. “Answer my question: ‘Where are lights placed?’”

“I suppose in dark places,” she replied.

“Yes, and that is why you have been put in that factory where there is such spiritual darkness and where there is no other Christian to shine for the Lord.”

The young Christian realized for the first time the opportunity that was hers. She felt she could not fail God by allowing her light to go out. She went back to the factory with renewed determination to let her light shine in that dark corner. Before long, she was the means of leading nine other girls to the Light.

The Chameleon

Some of you have seen a lizard called the chameleon. Certain chameleons can quickly change color, and even develop spots and streaks that seem to be part of their background. They can turn green, gray or brown if they are standing on a green, gray or brown background.

Those of us who love the Lord Jesus should “show our colors”-let others know you belong to the Lord. Do not be like the chameleon who changes color with his surroundings. If you have to be with unsaved girls and boys at school and in other places, do not act as they do and do naughty things. Let others know you are different because you have a new life!

The Christian’s Gauge

If you visit any large foundry where the boilers are kept going at full force, you would never be able to look into a boiler to tell how much water there is in it, but you would be able to tell how much water the boiler contains by an instrument which is attached to the side of the boiler. Alongside is a small glass tube which has some fluid in it. If this glass tube is half full of liquid, then there is an indication that the boiler is half full of water; if the glass gauge indicated that there is no water in the glass, then we can depend that there is no water in the boiler. The little glass gauge is the indicator for the large boiler.

How can people tell whether we love God, our fellowman, or even ourselves? They can never look within our hearts and get the answer; it is only by our outward actions, the works that we do as Christians that people are able to tell how much or how little our religion amounts to. Our love for God is indicated by the works of love in which we engage. There are people who are constantly looking at the Christian’s gauge.

A Youth’s One-Time Visit

“I refused a date to the movies, choosing rather to go to the Wednesday night prayer meeting.

“When I arrived, I looked for several people who were important to me.

“I looked for my Sunday school teacher-but he was not there. I looked for the familiar faces of a couple of deacons whom I knew-but they were not there. I looked for several of the members who seemed to be spiritually real and who had greeted me warmly at the Sunday morning services-but they were not there.

“Perhaps, these Christian friends do not think the Wednesday night services are so very important. I guess next Wednesday night I will go to the movies.”

Was this young man from your church?

The Way Your Child Should Go

Abraham Lincoln’s comment, made when talking to a father who was chagrined and embarrassed because his 17-year-old son had begun to indulge in liquor, is most convincing: “Well, there is just one way to bring up a child in the way he should go, and that is to travel the way yourself.”

A Christian’s Reputation

The story is told of Gordon Maxwell, missionary to India, that when he asked a Hindu scholar to teach him the language, the Hindu replied: “No, Sahib, I will not teach you my language. You would make me a Christian.”

Gordon Maxwell replied, “You misunderstand me. I am simply asking you to teach me your language.”

Again the Hindu responded, “No, Sahib, I will not teach you. No man can live with you and not become a Christian.”

Gordon Maxwell’s reputation as a Christian preceded him. His very lifestyle attracted people to Christ. And so it was with the Apostle Paul and his two missionary companions, Silas and Timothy. Saint Francis of Assisi captured their philosophy of evangelism when he said, “It is no use walking anywhere to preach unless we preach as we walk!”

A Drunkard Speaks to a Drinking Christian

A young lady went to a rescue mission to help out with the inquirers who would respond to the Gospel. As she approached one derelict in order to help him make a decision for Christ, he said to her, “Do you play cards, or dance, or go to the theater, or drink socially?” “No, not now,” she replied. “Well, then you may talk to me; but I will not listen to one word from you fine Christian folks who are doing on a small scale the very things that brought me a poor wretch to where I am.” This young Christian woman later confessed that she had greater joy in leading that young man to Christ than the exercise of all the pleasures that many Christians hold on to simply because they have not yet been ruined by them.

Little Things Mean a Lot

Dr. W. H. Lax was a Methodist minister in the East End of London for 38 years. He learned that an old man was gravely ill, and Dr. Lax called on him. However, he was an unwelcome visitor, for as soon as the sick man caught sight of Lax’s clerical collar, he turned his head and refused to utter a word.

While trying to sustain a conversation, Dr. Lax noted the dreariness of the room and the pitifully small fire; he suspected that provisions had run low. When he left the patient, Dr. Lax stopped at a butcher shop and had two lamb chops sent to the house.

He called again a few days later, and though the old man was still far from talkative, he was a little more friendly. On the way home another order was left with the butcher. By the third visit, there was a pronounced change in the patient. He was congenial and even outgoing, and before leaving, Dr. Lax was even able to pray with the man.

A preaching engagement took Dr. Lax out of London for a few days, and when he got back he was informed that the old gentleman had died. At the end when he was hardly able to speak, the patient had gasped, “Tell Dr. Lax it is all right now. I am going to God; but be sure to tell him that it was not his preaching that changed me. It was those lamb chops.”

Who Wants to Be a Square?

In Mark Twain’s day, “square” was one of the best words in the language. You gave a man a square deal if you were honest. You gave him a square meal when he was hungry. When you got out of debt, you were square with the world. And that was when you could look your fellow man square in the eye.

Then a lot of characters ran down the word. Result: A square today is a man who never learned to get away with it; a Joe who volunteers when he does not have to; a guy who gets his kick from trying to do something better than anyone else can; a boob who gets lost in his work.

This country was discovered, put together, fought for and saved by “squares”-Nathan Hale, Patrick Henry, Paul Revere, George Washington, Benjamin Franklin. We need to get back to this nation’s old beliefs in such things as ideas, pride, patriotism, loyalty, devotion-even hard work.

The Gift He Never Received

Billy Graham relates the story of a wealthy father who provided well for his only son.

One day, the boy came to his father and said he was dropping out of school and leaving home.

Asked why, the son said, “Well, Dad, the truth of it is, I hate you.”

The father was stunned and demanded, “Why, son, why? I have given you everything, have I not?”

“Well, that is just it. You have not. You may have thought you bought me everything, but you have not given me anything to believe in.”

I Saw God Today

I saw God today-

As a tearful child found comfort in your arms.

I saw God today-

As an old man’s face was lit with hope by the grasp of your hand.

I saw God today-

As a smile etched the lips of the stranger you greeted on the street.

I saw God today-

As you stopped in the midst of a busy schedule to listen to a burdened soul.

I saw God today-

As I spent the day with you, my friend, and

Though the hours have flown and night draws near,

Today will linger on, with memories so dear,

For as we shared each hour’s array,

I met God through you today.

If Christ Has Really Done Something for Us, We Should Tell Others

A little fellow in the hospital had had a piece of deformed bone removed from his arm. He got well, but before he left the place he sent for the doctor. “You wish to see me, Willie?” asked the doctor. The little fellow reached up his hand and laid it on the doctor’s shoulder and said, “My mama will never hear the last about you.” I think that if we fully realized what Christ has done for us, we would say to Him, “My friends will never hear the last about You.”

How One Life Affects Others

The unfilled spiritual tank is an invitation to disaster, and many of us have known that awful moment when, like a car out of gas, we seem to cough and sputter and pull over to the shoulder, out of service, not able to go any farther.

We have all seen the car out of gas in a long tunnel or on a narrow bridge at rush hour. Thousands of people are potentially affected by the clogged-up mess that follows. And it can happen in spiritual life also. One empty spiritual tank can affect a score of other people. It has happened more than once.

Reputation

What kind of reputation do you have? When people speak of you, are they saying kind things? Jesus honored that unselfish woman who anointed him with perfume by including mention of her good deed in the gospels. She was well thought of by her Lord. She had a good reputation.

How others perceive us is usually established by our consistent behavior. We need to live such honorable lives that even when someone speaks ill of us, others will not believe it of us. We also need to conduct our lives in such a manner that it will be easy for others to say kind words to us.

There are people who make life difficult for others. One such a person lives such a life that it will be hard for the speaker at his funeral to find something about his life worthy of mentioning. Sad.

Even Christians can live such distraught lives that they are looked on as trouble makers, boat rockers and negative knells. Though we study our Bibles, worship our God, and pray fervently, just how do neighbors and friends consider us? Are we known for being faithfully involved and supportive of the church’s work, or do we have the reputation of being hard to please and a terror to live with?

If someone were asked to deliver a eulogy for you, what could easily be told “in your memory”? “He (or she) was a warm, gracious, faithful, zealous, dedicated, caring, thoughtful Christian,” or “He (or she) was anxious, unhappy, critical, selfish, uninvolved, bitter, unloving, opinionated and socially obnoxious”? One cannot build a noble reputation on what he intends to do some day. One’s reputation is affirmed and established daily.

A faithful Christian soldier went to his chaplain for advice. “Last night,” he said, “when I knelt by my bed and prayed, the fellows began to ridicule me and throw shoes at me. What should I do?” “Well,” said the chaplain, “why don’t you stop kneeling down? Just lie down in bed and lift your heart to God in silence and He will hear you.” After a few days, the chaplain asked the soldier how he was faring with his evening prayers. “I’ll tell you, Reverend. I followed your advice for three nights, but my conscience began to bother me because I was betraying my Lord. So I began to kneel down as I did before.” “And what happened?” “I was really amazed. Not a single fellow ridiculed me. Now the fifteen men in my tent kneel down with me, and I pray aloud for all of them.”

Living As You Teach

A missionary who was speaking to a group of Hindu women was surprised to see one of them get up and walk away. Soon she returned and listened more intently than before. “Why did you leave in the middle of my message?” asked the missionary. “I was so interested in the wonderful things you were saying that I went to ask your servant if you live like you teach. He said you do. So I came back to hear more about Jesus,” said the woman.

The Missionary Lady

An English traveler in Jerusalem was trying to find someone who could speak both English and Arabic. He heard of an American missionary who lived near by. Stopping an Arab boy who knew little English, he asked him if he could direct him to the missionary’s home. The face of the boy lit up, and he said, “You mean the lady who lives next door to God?” If an uncouth street urchin could detect one who walked with God, why cannot we so live that the world can see Jesus in us?

Christianity Is Catching!

“What argument of mine led you to Christ?” asked a missionary in Egypt of an educated Mohammedan who was preaching Christ with great zeal and success. The missionary was surprised to receive this answer, “Every argument presented I could refute, at least to my satisfaction. It was your life that convinced me of salvation through Christ.”

A Good Marital Testimony

Not long ago a Hindu woman was converted chiefly by hearing the Word of God read. She suffered much persecution from her husband. One day a missionary asked her, “When your husband is angry and persecutes you, what do you do?” She replied, “Well, sir, I cook his food better; when he complains, I sweep the floor cleaner; and when he speaks unkindly, I answer him mildly. I try, sir, to show him that when I became a Christian I became a better wife and a better mother.”

Are You a Good Showcase?

Gutav Dore, the famous artist, once lost his passport while traveling in Europe. When he came to the boundary post between two countries and was asked for his passport, he fumbled about and finally announced, “I have lost it, but it is all right. I’m Dore, the artist. Please let me go in.” “Oh, no,” said the officer. “We have plenty of people representing themselves as this or that great person! Here is a pencil and paper. Now, if you are Dore the artist, prove it by drawing me a picture.” He took the pencil and drew some pictures of a scene in the immediate area. “Now I am perfectly sure you are Dore. No one else could draw like that!” said the officer as he allowed Dore to enter the country. So it is with us. People follow what we do on the stage of life. They look to see if our conduct squares with our profession. Are we drawing the picture of Christ, as it were, or of a different person? What the world wants to see is reality in our actions. It has been said that God has great and wonderful things to display if He finds suitable showcases. Are you a good showcase for Jesus Christ?

A Rich Conversion

A certain titled gentleman was converted. He loved the Lord a great deal, but he was not well taught in the Scriptures. He thought that he could continue in some of his worldly engagements and still bear a good testimony. On one occasion some weeks after he gave his heart to the Lord, this man accepted an invitation to a rather worldly party. Upon his arrival, one of the guests greeted him with these words: “I’m so glad to see you and to know that it isn’t true.” “I beg your pardon,” he replied, “but I don’t think I quite understand you.” “Why, ” said the other guest, “rumors were around that you had been converted a few weeks ago; I’m so glad you’re here and to know the rumor was unfounded.” “But it is true!” the man exclaimed. Hesitating a moment, he added, “I see that you think this party is no place for a Christian to be, and you are right. You will never again see me at such an affair, nor will anyone else.”

Not Words But Deeds

A young man had gone as a missionary to China. He was filled with love for the people but was unable to master the language. At last, having done his best for two years without success, he felt it his duty to take his resignation to the mission house. When this became known, a delegation of natives, composed of heathen as well as Christians, went to the mission house with the pleas that this man remain. Their argument was this: “He has done us all more good than anyone else in the mission, although he does not understand our language and cannot preach to us.”

Ability to Carry

There was a man who was saved by grace from strong drink. He was seen one day by the tavern keeper, whom he knew only too well, carrying a sewing machine to his wife. “Come and have a drink,” cried the tavern keeper. “It will strengthen you.” “No, no,” replied the former customer. “I’ve seen the day when I could not carry a dollar past your door; but since God saved me I can carry a whole sewing machine.”

What the World Needs

Belonging to Christ should create in us a sense of responsibility. His glory should be our concern. We are His image in the world. An American chaplain in the Civil War asked a wounded soldier, “Would you like me to read you something from the Bible?” The soldier said, “I’m so thirsty, I’d rather have a drink of water.” After he had drunk it he said, “Could you put something under my head?” The chaplain took off his overcoat, rolled it up, and placed it under the man’s head as a pillow. “Now,” said the soldier, “if I had something over me. I’m so cold.” The chaplain took off his jacket and covered the man. Then the wounded man said, “For God’s sake, man, if there’s anything in that Book that makes a man do for another what you’ve done for me, let me hear it!” Isn’t that what the world needs today-Christians who exemplify Christ?

I Will Be a Christian

A Chinese boy in Singapore found Christ as his Savior and arranged to be baptized shortly after his graduation. But to his surprise he won a scholarship of $500 a year for four years in the Hong Kong University. One of the conditions was, “The winner must be a Confucianist.” To a poor student the temptation to defer baptism was great, but he resisted and presented himself for baptism at the appointed time. A friend, a Confucianist, stood next in line for the scholarship, but was so impressed that he refused it, saying, “If Christianity is worth so much to my classmate, it can be worth no less to me. I will be a Christian.” He trusted Christ as his Savior and was baptized.

Missionaries-Walking Bibles

A good example rings louder than any bell to toll people to church. An African prince, after interpreting the missionary’s message, said, “I can’t read this Book myself,” referring to the Bible, “but I believe the words of it because I have watched the missionaries for two years. They have told me no lies about anything else; so when they tell me this Book is God’s Word, I believe it. I believe that Jesus died for me, and I am going to follow this Jesus.”

Not Easily Provoked

Some sailors who were working on a ship in harbor noticed an elderly man engaged in his business on the pier. One sailor laughingly said to another, “You can’t make that old man angry no matter what you do to him.” The sailor who was addressed immediately took this as a challenge, and snatching up a bucket of dirty salt water ran up to the old man and dashed its contents all over him. The old man backed away at this surprise attack and said in a mild voice, “Young man, the Savior says, ‘Whoso shall offend one of these … that believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were cast into the depths of the sea.’ Now, since I am one of these who do believe in Him, will He not consider that you have very much offended me?” The sailor turned away quite ashamed and perplexed at the spirit that the injured Christian exhibited. The picture of the old man wet and miserable looking at him with mingled pity and displeasure stayed with him and led him to go back and ask him to forgive him and pray for him. The elderly Christian was very ready to do both, and not long afterward the sailor became a Christian. There is reason to believe that many sinners might be converted from the error of their ways if they were to meet such a spirit, as the sailor did, in every professed Christian whom they might insult or abuse.

An Effective Ministry

A girl of another faith than Christianity worked in a store during the holiday season. She met with an accident and was taken to a hospital. There she made the acquaintance of a Christian nurse whose loving ministry and gentle goodness soon won her friendship. One day the girl asked the nurse, “Is it true that you are a Christian?” Upon being answered in the affirmative she replied, “You are so kind and polite and gentle, I didn’t think you could be a Christian; but then the only Christians I’ve met are the Christmas shoppers.”

The Living Testimony

There was once a merchant who had been a very worldly, godless man. He was finally gloriously converted. On being asked what had been especially the means of his conversion, he replied, “The example of one of my clerks.” He went on to say, “This young man was one whose religion was in his life rather than in his tongue. He did not bless God and speak evil of his fellowmen. When I uttered an oath, he never reproved me; but I could see it deeply pained him. When I fell into a fit of anger and behaved in a violent manner, though he spoke no word to that effect, I could see how painful the scene was to him. My respect for him led me to restrain myself in his presence and gradually to break off both these habits. In fact, this man, though he never spoke a word to me on the subject of religion, exercised an influence for good over me wielded by no other human being. To him, under God, I am indebted more than to any other for the hope of eternal life through our Lord Jesus Christ in which I now rejoice.”

Mind Little Things

I remember at one time I received an invitation from a young preacher to speak in his church. He said, “I remember when you preached at my father’s church many years ago. My mother had worked all night, and after dinner, you did the dishes. I’ll never forget that. I forgot your sermon, but I haven’t forgotten your doing dishes at my mother’s home.”

Goodwill Displayed

A Christian family moving into a new community wanted to keep their lawn well mowed so they might be a good testimony in the neighborhood. However, they mowed the lawn so early in the day they disturbed the neighbors. When this was called to their attention, instead of feeling hurt and offended, they made their apologies and promised to cut the grass at a more reasonable hour. What might have developed into a neighborhood feud became instead an evidence of their good will.

Candidate Accepted

An official of a mission board, who knew it takes more than desire to make a missionary, was appointed to examine a candidate. He told the young man to come to his house at six o’clock in the morning. The young man went at six in the morning to be examined, and the examiner kept him sitting in the room until ten. Then he went down to him and said abruptly, “Can you write your name? Do you know what your name is?” “Yes, sir.” He put him through a series of questions of that kind, and then went to the mission board and said, “He will do. I tried his patience for four hours, and he did not break down; I then insulted him, and he did not lose his temper. He will do.” If a man answers all abuses with magnanimity, patience, fortitude, and gentleness, you can depend upon it, Christ’s love has conquered his heart. His Christianity is vindicated by the very quality of his character.

Prove Yourself

In Aesop’s fables a traveler was entertaining some men in a tavern with an account of the wonders he had done abroad. “I was once at Rhodes,” said he, “and the people of Rhodes, you know, are famous for jumping. Well, I completed a jump there that no other man could equal within a yard. That’s a fact, and if we were there I could bring you ten men who would prove it.” “What need is there to go to Rhodes for witnesses?” asked one of his hearers. “Just imagine you are there now and show us your leap.” Thus Paul intimated to the Corinthians, “I don’t have to come to listen to your words. You can prove the quality of your life by what you do, and I’ll know it from where I am.”

I Belong to Christ

“Oh,” said a woman to a minister, “do you belong to us?” “Well,” said the minister, “who are ‘us’? I belong to Christ.” Then, seeing that this explanation still did not satisfy her, he continued, “I like the Augustinian creed: ‘A whole Christ for my salvation, the whole Bible for my study, the whole Church for my fellowship, and the whole world for my parish, that I may be a true Christian and not a sectarian.’ ”

A Generous Concession

A man bought a field next to a farmer who had been engaged in a long-standing dispute with the former owner about the exact boundary line between this field and his own property. When the new owner saw the farmer near the fence one day, he greeted him with the words, “I’m your new neighbor; and I would like to talk to you about the boundary line between our properties.” The farmer assumed a belligerent attitude and said, “What about it?” “How much of this field do you claim as belonging to you?” asked the new owner who was a Christian. “I claim that your fence is a good two feet over on my property,” replied the farmer. “Well, then, I want you to reset the fence four feet back on my side,” said the Christian. This completely took the fight out of the farmer and was the beginning of a new spirit of concession on his part also.

Like Jesus

A little girl in a Chinese village watched a missionary as he went about the Master’s work. She saw him go to the homes where there were sickness, death, and sorrow, and she watched him as he moved about the village, though she never heard him speak in public. One day she went to another village and followed some girls into a mission school. There she heard a lady talking to them, in Chinese, about someone to whom little children came. One of the little girls asked the visitor, “Do you know who it was?” “Yes,” she replied, “she was talking about the missionary who lives in our village.” She had never heard about Jesus Christ, and when the teacher described the beautiful life of Jesus Christ, she thought she was describing the missionary.

A Real Conversion

Two little children, a boy and a girl, who played together a great deal, received Christ and were converted. One day the boy came to his mother and said, “Mother, I know that Emma is a Christian.” “What makes you think so, dear?” “Because she plays like a Christian. If you take everything she’s got, she doesn’t get mad. Before, she was selfish, and if she didn’t have everything her own way she would say, ‘I won’t play with you; you are a mean little boy.’ ” That’s what the world sees, the result of our possessing part of the fullness of God. If we have God, then we must act like Him.

Something in Our Faces

Be like the Christian policeman who prayed at prayer meeting, “O Lord, put something in our faces as we walk about, that people in trouble may see and so be led to seek our help.” How does your face and mine look to those who may be seeking help?

Effective Testimony

The famous English deist, Anthony Collins of the 17th century, met a plain countryman one day while out walking. He asked him where he was going. “To church, sir.” “What are you going to do there?” “Worship God.” “Is your God a great or a little God?” “He is both, sir.” “How can He be both?” “He is so great, sir, that the heaven of heavens cannot contain Him; and so little that He can dwell in my heart.” The unbeliever Collins later declared that this simple answer from the countryman had more effect upon his mind than all the volumes which learned doctors had written against him. This simple countryman had indeed the right concept of God, the God of the Bible, who as a spirit is the Creator of all things and yet indwells the heart of His believing creatures in the person of Jesus Christ.

An Irresistible Argument

A famous atheist once said, “I can stand all the arguing of Christian apologists, but I have a little servant who is a disciple of Jesus Christ, and her good, pure, honest, truthful life staggers me sometimes.” The one irresistible argument for the gospel’s power is a regenerated, consecrated life which is a demonstration of the life of Christ. The world may miss seeing the life of God in nature, but they cannot miss seeing it in the lives of those men and women who have the life of Christ. What a wonderful thought to know that we as human beings can become the carriers of the life of God and our lives can become the reflectors of His life.

Love Triumphant

It is said that Claude, a man of great piety, was unjustly imprisoned in the Bastille. At the same time a man was imprisoned who was so brutal and ferocious that no one dared approach him. The jailer, recognizing Claude’s Christian character, begged him to undertake to humanize this monster. Accordingly, the humble Christian was shut up with this inhuman brute who subjected him to the most barbarous treatment. Through it all Claude’s only reply was to exhibit silence, patience, and mildness under attack. His prayers achieved the rest. The monster at length looked into the face of his companion, suddenly threw himself at his feet, and burst into a flood of penitent tears. He became a new creature in Christ, and even when set at liberty he could scarcely be prevailed upon to leave his Christian friend.

The Show Window

A country merchant once visited New York. The thing that impressed him most was the magnificent and spotless show windows. On his return home he immediately cleaned up his unused show window and made it so attractive that he was soon doing nearly all the business in his town. Instead of failing in business, as he had at one time feared, he became the richest merchant of his county. The show window of the Christian is most important. It has to be attractive, but it must represent the truth; it must show that which can be produced in the storehouse. One of the hardest things for the Christian to do is to be truthful and honest in his showmanship, to let his tongue represent what is in his heart. Thus the argument of James runs: Now you have stated to the world that you are wise, that you possess wisdom, namely, Jesus Christ and His Spirit. Then show it by your good conduct.

Come Clear Out

A converted Chinese gentleman, when in America on a visit, was unfavorably impressed with the little difference he saw between the style of living of many professing Christians and the men and women of the world. Referring to the matter on one occasion he said, making at the same time a large sweep with his arm, “When the disciples of my country come out from the world, they come clear out.”

A Child’s Testimony

A little child asked his father, “Daddy, is Satan bigger than I am?” “Yes, he is,” answered the father. “Is he bigger than you, Daddy?” The father replied, “Yes, son, he is bigger than I am.” Surprised, the boy blurted out, “Is the devil bigger than Jesus?” “No, not by a long shot, David. Jesus is bigger and stronger.” The child thought for a while and said, “Then I’m not afraid of him because I have Jesus in me.”

The Correct Reading

An atheist, who was also an invalid, sent his little daughter to live with friends who taught her to read. She proudly told her father when she came home, “I have learned to read.” “Well,” said he, “Let me hear you read that,” pointing to a board at the foot of the bed on which he had printed in large letters, “God is nowhere.” Carefully she spelled out the words in the way that seemed right to her, “God is now here.” The unbelieving father was startled and perplexed, but God blessed that new reading to the salvation of his soul.

Proof of Pedigree

Murray McCheyne, that great preacher, said, “The Christian is just a person who makes it easy for others to believe in God.” Is it easy for others to believe in God because of your presence among them? And that great scientist Pascal said. “I saw that everything that came to pass in the life of Christ must be repeated in the lives of His followers.” And another author said, “Say not that you have royal blood in your veins, say not that you are born of God, if you cannot prove your pedigree by daring to be holy.”

Class Consciousness

A preacher, one Sunday morning, noticed a man in the congregation in his Sunday best. In the evening that same man was there in working clothes. The preacher afterward spoke to him. “Are you going to work?” “No,” was the reply, “but this morning something was said that stirred me to go and seek my brother. I knew he had no Sunday clothes, and I knew he would not come if I put on my Sunday clothes. So I put on my working clothes for him, and here he is.”

Running from, Not After Sin

A little girl, in the days when the conversion of children was not the subject of as much prayer as now, applied for membership in a Baptist church. “Were you a sinner,” asked an old deacon, “before this change of which you now speak?” “Yes, sir,” she replied. “Well, are you now a sinner?” “Yes, sir, I feel I am a greater sinner than ever.” “Then what change is there in you?” “I don’t quite know how to explain it,” she said, “but I used to be a sinner running after sin, and now I hope I am a sinner running from sin.”

Testimony of Long-Suffering

A mean, worldly army sergeant was saved, and this was his testimony to his fellow soldiers: “There is a private in our company who was converted. We gave that fellow an awful time. One night he came in from sentry duty, very tired and wet, and before going to bed he got down to pray. I struck him on the side of the head with my boots, and he just went on with his prayers. Next morning I found my boots beautifully polished by the side of my bed. That was his reply to me. It just broke my heart, and I was saved that day.” That is really a testimony of Christian long-suffering.

Joy Here and Now

A stranger in St. Louis stopped a policeman one Sunday morning and asked him to recommend a church. He directed him to one at a little distance. “What’s the matter with these other churches that I see along the way?” asked the stranger. “Why don’t you recommend them?” “To tell the truth,” replied the policeman, “I am an unbeliever myself, but people coming out of that church are always happy. They are different. If I ever decided to go to church, that’s where I’d go. They’ve got something there that makes them happy.” That something was the gospel of Jesus Christ. You may not be able to fully understand it, but it has the power to give you the joy, peace, and satisfaction of heart that the whole world cannot give.

Once a clergyman knelt down by a young woman bowed in prayer who was seeking Christ at a time of revival. Something seemed to worry her. “What is it?” asked the minister kindly. “Have you surrendered your all?” “I have tried,” the woman sobbed. “What is the matter, then?” “It’s the way Christian people have treated me. I am afraid I shall have to give up my place in the family where I work as a servant. The man is so cross and impatient with me.” “Give it up then. God will supply something better,” said the minister. “For whom do you work?” The woman raised her bowed head. “For you, sir.” “It’s our June!” gasped the minister, not having realized who she was until that moment.Not Preserved but Pickled

There was a disagreeable man who always liked to be the first to get up in prayer meeting and repeat his stereotyped testimony, “I praise the Lord for saving me and preserving me.” Finally, a brother who knew him a little better than the others indignantly got up and said, “Brother, He didn’t preserve you, He pickled you.”

Two Dogs in Us

As someone has said, “There are two dogs within us; one is white and one is black, and they both try to bark through the same mouth, and the result is confusion.” Our blessing of God is consequently not clear-cut and it offends those who hear it rather than attracting them to the God whom we seem to bless.

A Poor Representative

When Dr. Will H. Houghton was pastor of Calvary Baptist Church in New York City, a glib-tongued salesman came into his study and offered him some oil stocks that he said would make him a fortune. Dr. Houghton looked at the man and said in substance, “If this stock is as good as you say, why aren’t you rich? You come in here in a shabby suit, with shoes run down at the heels, and expect me to believe you represent a going concern? I suggest you get into some line of work that produces representatives who inspire more confidence in their product.”

Setting an Example

A mother said to her child, “Johnny, you take those marbles back to Willie Jones. You know I have told you about playing marbles for keeps; you think you won them, but that is wrong; you go right back and give them to the boy from whom you took them.” “Yes, Mama,” said Johnny dutifully, “and shall I take back the painted vase you won at Mrs. Jones’ bridge party?”

Poor Testimony

A group of teenage girls was discussing a new leader for their Bible class. Their frank comments on the woman in question were enlightening and amusing. One girl said, “If you kids pick Mrs. L- to be our teacher, I’m quitting.” “Why, what’s wrong with her?” asked several of the group. “Plenty,” was the reply. “Remember how I used to go to help her with her housework on Saturdays? Well, she still owes me money and she won’t pay. Also, she talks a lot about being a good Christian, and boy, you should hear her say nasty things about some of her neighbors. Honest, kids, I know I shouldn’t talk about her, but, please, let’s wait until we find a teacher who lives what she teaches us on Sunday.”

The Unworthy Daughter

There is a tradition that Jonathan Edwards, third president of Princeton and one of America’s greatest thinkers, had a daughter with an uncontrollable temper. But, as is often the case, this weakness was not known to the outside world. A worthy young man fell in love with her and sought her hand in marriage. “You can’t have her,” was the abrupt answer of Jonathan Edwards. “But I love her,” the young man replied. “You can’t have her,” said Edwards. “But she loves me,” continued the young man. Again Edwards said, “You can’t have her.” “Why?” asked the young man. “Because she is not worthy of you.” “But,” he asked, “she is a Christian, is she not?” “Yes, she is a Christian, but the grace of God can live with some people with whom no one else could ever live.”

Words Are Cheap

A non-Christian lawyer attended a church service and listened incredulously to the testimonies of some who were known to him for their shady deals and failure to meet their honest obligations. “How did you like the testimonies?” a man asked him at the close of the service. He replied, “To a lawyer there is a vast difference between testimony and evidence.” Words are cheap, and it is perilously easy to give a fine-sounding testimony for Christ, but quite another matter to demonstrate evidences of God’s purifying power in our lives through Christ. “This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me” (Mar_7:6).

Citizen or Archbishop?

Let us not be like that archbishop who one day was overhead swearing. A peasant who stood by seemed to wonder greatly at his conduct. “I swear,” said the archbishop, “not as an archbishop, but as a citizen.” “But sir,” said the peasant, “when the citizen goes to perdition, what will become of the archbishop?” How will God judge us when we appear before His throne? Will it be for what we said in church while praying or preaching, or what we said to our fellow human beings?

Ain’t Up to Sample

A Salvation Army captain was preaching in Hyde Park in London when a man in the crowd interrupted him. “We haven’t anything against Jesus of Nazareth,” he said, “but we have something against you Christians because you ain’t up to sample.” Living examples of Christ is what the world wants to see in Christians.

Christian Soldier on Furlough

Once a professing Christian sold a bale of poor hay to a certain colonel who rebuked him, and the church member whined, “I am a soldier too.” “You!” exclaimed the colonel in disgust. “What kind of soldier are you?” “I am a soldier of the cross,” said the skinflint with a detestable flourish of the hand. “That may be,” said the colonel, “but you’ve been on a furlough ever since I knew you.”

Religion of Words

One thing God detests is the religion of words. It was Robert E. Speer who said: “After thirty years of leadership in Christian work, it is my conclusion and conviction that the greatest missionary problem is just the failure of Christian people to live up to their profession.”

Fewer but Better

Once a soldier was reported to Alexander the Great as having shown great cowardice on a particular occasion. When the soldier appeared before Alexander the Great, he asked him his name. On hearing that it was Alexander, he upbraided him with the dishonor that he had brought on such a name and entreated him either to change his name or act differently. It would be better for the cause of Christ to have fewer Christians, but better ones.

God’s Honor Needs No Defense

King Olaf of Norway was the bloody foe of heathenism. He reigned twenty five years, the scourge and terror of his own people, and never made a friend. Their maimed bodies, burned homes, and plundered property were a perpetual memorial to his merciless zeal. He called to his aid robbers and vagabonds and enrolled them in his army, requiring only one condition, that they should be baptized in the name of Christ. He had white crosses painted on the shields and helmets of all his soldiers. He gave a battle cry, “Forward, Christian men! Crossmen!” With all this, his last battle was a sad defeat in which he was slain in a.d. 1030. He justified himself and his horrible barbarities by saying, “I had God’s honor to defend.” The question is, does God’s honor really need our defense, a defense that harms others? We can be sure any zeal that harms others is evil, no matter how we try to justify it.

A highwayman once stopped John Wesley and demanded his money or his life. Wesley, after giving him the money, said, “Let me speak one word to you; the time may come when you will regret the course of life in which you are now engaged. Remember this, ‘The blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth from all sin.’” No more was said, and they parted. Many years after, as Wesley was going out of a church in which he had been preaching, a stranger introduced himself, and asked Wesley if he remembered being waylaid at such a time. He said he recollected it. “I was that man,” said the stranger, “and that single verse you quoted on that occasion was the means of a total change in my life and habits. I have long since been in the practice of attending the house of God and of giving attention to His Word, and trust that I am a Christian.”

Now Is All the Time We Have

1. Remember that this may be the day the Lord returns. The thought of Psa_118:24 surely includes our rejoicing in the return of the Lord. If I really believe Christ may return today, I’ll live differently than I ever have, seeking to affect others for Christ. Nobody knows when He will return, so we ought to live each day as though He will come back today.
2. Use time wisely, make the most of every opportunity (Col_4:5). Don’t make excuses-be involved in the lives of those outside the Lord. Pray daily that God will keep alive in your heart a picture of those who are outside Christ as being lost. Ask God to revive your loving concern that all men be taught of Him, and to help you be involved in every effort to teach them.
3. Treat everyone as if you’ll never see them again (Act_10:37-38). If we don’t take for granted that we’ll have time in the future, surely our treatment of each other will greatly improve. Use the time NOW to share a little about Jesus, for you may not have another opportunity.

If we truly believe NOW is all the time we have, what a difference that will make in our lives. It’s great to be part of the family of God.

Forgive Me God, I Had No Time

The year slipped by and time was spent,

And all the good things that I meant

To do were left undone because…

I had no time to stop and pause;

But rushed about, went here and there,

Did this and that, was everywhere.

I had no time to meditate

On things worthwhile. No time to wait

Upon the Lord and hear Him say,

“Well done, My child, you have shown the way.”

And so I wonder, after all,

When life is o’er and I am called

To meet my Savior in the sky,

Where saints live on and never die,

If I can find one soul I have won

To Christ by some small deed I have done.

Or will I hang my head and whine,

“Forgive me, God, I had no time”?

“Man Overboard!”

There is a story of an Atlantic passenger lying in his bunk in a storm, deathly sick-seasick. A cry of “Man overboard!” was heard. The passenger thought, “God help the poor fellow. There is nothing I can do.” Then he thought at least he could put his lantern in the porthole, which he did. The man was rescued, and recounting the story the next day, he said, “I was going down in the darkness for the last time when someone put a light in a porthole. It shone on my hand, and a sailor in a lifeboat grabbed my hand and pulled me in.” Weakness is no excuse for our not putting forth all the little strength we have, and who can tell how God will use it?

Exalting Christ

A young man entered training as an art student in London. During those years he thought he would draw a portrait of Christ. He was disappointed. In trying to reveal tenderness and sympathy, he portrayed only weakness, and he tore up the portrait. He tried again later but failed to satisfy himself.

War broke out, and his work came to an end. He went to camp and was finally sent to France and to the front. He was billeted in a French chateau in a room with nine other men. When he went to bed the first night he was distressed to see over the beds of the other fellows horrible drawings from some of the vulgar papers that were circulated in France in those days. He was tempted impetuously to pull them down, but remembered that everyone had a perfect right to put on his wall space anything he liked, so instead he planned what he should do with his space.

The only spare time he had was in the night, and his drawing material was a plain postcard and a pencil. He determined to try again to draw a head of Christ. He worked upon his drawing for several nights with only a candle to give him light; and when it was finished, he nervously pinned it on his wall. He did not know what the men would say or do when they saw it in the morning. They simply looked at it, said nothing and went out.

In a few days all the other pictures were pulled down and only his drawing remained. He had exalted the risen Christ in testimony to those around him.

Invite a Golfer to Church

One man came out of his house on his way to church on Sunday morning, just as his neighbor came out of his with his golf clubs. The golfer said, “Henry, come play golf with me today.” Henry, with an expression of horror on his face, replied, “This is the Lord’s day, and I go to church. Certainly I would not play golf with you.” After a moment’s silence, the golfer quietly said, “You know, Henry, I have often wondered about your church, and I have admired your fidelity. You know also that this is the seventh time I have invited you to play golf with me, and you have never invited me to go to church with you.”

The Power of Multiplication

On a wall in the Museum of Natural Science in Chicago there is a checkerboard with 64 squares. In the lower lefthand corner is a grain of wheat. The display includes this question: “If you doubled the amount of wheat as you move from square to square, how much would you have when you reached the 64th square? A carload? A trainload? You would have enough wheat to cover the country of India six feet deep.”

That is the power of multiplication. Suppose you go out and reach one person for Jesus. Stick with that person for six months. Help, encourage and strengthen him. At the end of six months there are only two. At the end of the year there are four of you. At the end of 18 months there are eight; two years, 16. Do you know how many people there would be at the end of 17 years? More than the entire population of the world-more than six billion. Stop and think about what you can do!

One Red Rosebud

There it was-a tiny rosebud thrown in a heap with other uprooted and discarded rosebushes. Out of the tangled mass, one long stem pushed its way upward, thrusting forth its one tiny bud.

The rosebushes had been thrown away by a disgruntled homeowner who couldn’t seem to get them to grow well. As the man passed by the heap, he noticed the little rosebud, but he went on his way. The next day he noticed that the bud still seemed to have life and was trying to bloom.

Donning gloves, he retrieved the bush on which that one bud clung tenaciously to life. He planted the bush and was rewarded several days later when a beautiful rose bloomed. Before long the whole bush came alive. In fact that one bush outbloomed and outgrew other rosebushes the man planted later. Each year the bush seemed to have one especially long stem with an exquisite red rose on it.

Because one tiny rosebud was unwilling to die, the whole bush was saved. In the same way, whole families have been won to the Savior because one child came to know Him first.

May we never lose hope for the children who need to know about Jesus and His love for them!

A Lesson From the Palm Tree

One can readily recall the words of Exo_15:27 which reads, “And they came to Elim, where were twelve wells of water, and threescore and ten palm trees: and they encamped there by the waters.” Think what a wonderful sight a grove of palms must be to the wary and thirsty traveler on the desert! These trees not only mean shelter from the blistering sun, but water to slake the thirst. Palms grow where there is water, and they send down their trap roots to water. Thus this tree is never without its testimony.

Those familiar with this most famous of all Bible trees know that it Bears Fruit in Old Age. The palm never stops bearing fruit, even though it grows to a very old age. Psa_92:14 states, “They shall still bring forth fruit in old age.” The tree is never on the retired list. Too many of us are retired Christians. We get to the place where we imagine we have done our share, so someone else can take over and carry on the work. Recall the spirit of the old pioneers of Tombstone, who were willing to die with their boots on, working and toiling to the very last. Just as the palm grows for the ages, so should it be with all the children of God. We are not shrubs, but trees. “He shall be like a tree”-that which abides.

Who among us is not familiar with the fact that the Branches Are Symbols of Victory. In Rev_7:9, the Apostle John caught the vision of the mighty multitude which no man could number, standing “before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands.” There were they who had come out of great tribulation, and victory was theirs in the presence of their Lord. It was a time of rejoicing. Are we symbols of victory? Do men look at us and see some blessed evidence of the power of God operative in our lives? Or must they behold evidences of defeat? God forbid!

I exhort you, be a palm-tree Christian, the praise and glory of His grace. What a blessing we can be to others by living the upright palm tree life!

Blossoming in Spite of Adversity

In her book, North to the Orient, Anne Morrow Lindberg, tells about the oriental symbolism of trees:

The bamboo stands for prosperity.

The pine tree means long life.

The plum tree suggests courage.

Mrs. Lindberg asked a friend why the plum tree stood for courage. The answer: “Because it puts out its blossom while the snow is still on the ground.”

The Christian should adopt the plum tree as our example. We should show our Christian attitudes at times when they are needed the most.

Be kind and forgiving to those who mistreat you.

Be understanding and open-minded to those who are prejudiced toward you.

Stand for moral ideals when it is contrary to popular custom.

Have the courage and strength to do the difficult thing by “putting out your blossoms” when it is difficult.

“Was That Somebody You?”

Tom Carter, the evangelist, told this in one of his messages: While he was holding meetings in a Pennsylvania town, a young man who had formerly lived next door to the parsonage committed a murder. The whole community was stirred. Mr. Carter and the pastor obtained permission to visit the young man in his cell. After telling him his own story of conversion in a prison, Mr. Carter and the pastor succeeded in leading him to Christ. Then the newly-saved man addressed the pastor and sadly said, “To think I lived next door to you for months and you never told me anything about Jesus until I came here! If you only had, I probably never would have become a murderer.”

Are we overlooking any close-by opportunities?

No One Ever Asked Me

In St. Louis years ago, a Christian was transacting business with a lawyer. As the Christian businessman turned to go, he said, “I have often wanted to ask you a question, but I have been a coward.”

“Why,” replied the lawyer, “I did not think you were afraid of anything. What is the question?”

The businessman then asked the lawyer pointblank, “Sir, why are you not a Christian?”

The lawyer hung his head. “Is there not something in the Bible that says no drunkard shall have any part in the Kingdom of God. You know my weakness.”

“You have not answered my question,” answered the Christian. “I am asking why are you not a Christian.”

“Well,” answered the lawyer, “I cannot recall that anyone ever asked me such a question before. Of this I am sure-nobody ever told me how to become one.” The Christian businessman then read passages from the Bible and suggested simply, “Let’s get down and pray.”

Kneeling, the lawyer prayed first: “O Lord, you know that I am a slave to drink. This morning this businessman, your servant, has shown me the way to Thee. Oh, God, break the power of this evil habit in my life.” Later, the lawyer with the “besetting sin” testified that “God broke that power of drink instantly.”

Do you know who that lawyer was? Dr. C. L. Scofield, famous editor of the Scofield Reference Bible!

How the Gospel Came to Korea

Robert J. Thomas, a Welshman, was a colporteur working in China for the Scottish Bible Society. In the course of his work, he learned that the Korean language is based on Chinese and that, as a result, the Korean intellectuals could read Chinese. His main responsibility was toward the millions in China, of course. But the love of Christ for the Koreans constrained him, and he determined to push on to that country. An American ship called the General Sherman was sailing to Pyongyang, a large city in the north. He boarded it. As the ship drew near to Pyongyang, however, a sharp fight broke out between the officers of the American ship and the Korean coast guard. The ship was burned in the conflict, and all the passengers were killed. The death of Thomas was unusual, however. As the ship and the passengers were sinking, he struggled to reach the shore and staggered up out of the water his arms filled with books. They were Bibles. He thrust these into the hands of the Koreans who clubbed him to death. It was through such love that the gospel first came to Korea in the year 1886.

Gentle but Persistent Influence

Paul gave this admonition in Gal_6:9, “And let us not be weary in well-doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.”

A scientist once conducted an interesting experiment in his laboratory. From the ceiling he suspended an iron ball weighing a ton, attaching it to a cable strong enough to sustain its weight. Beside the huge iron ball, he hung a small sphere made of cork attached to a thread fastened to the ceiling. An electrical mechanism kept the little cork ball swinging slowly, pendulum-like, against the iron weight.

At length, after days of unceasing swinging back and forth on the part of the cork, the iron ball weighing a ton began to swing very gently to and fro in harmony with the little cork ball. Gradually, its motion increased until it was prescribing a wide arc, all because a tiny cork ball had kept persistently knocking against its massive side, day in and day out.

Our effort to influence people to love God, accept Christ as Savior, and live under the direction of the Holy Spirit should be as gentle as the tapping of the cork ball, but also we should be persistent and faithful. May we be so.

He Died for Them, Too!

Christopher D. Green recalls this incident:

“It was my gut reaction to become tense as the dark figure approached. Walking down the street late in the evening, I assumed the worst. I figured it would be at any moment that I would have a knife or a gun plunged into my side. I had to keep walking because stopping would mean certain death!

“Walking toward each other, my heart raced as I took a deep breath. He had shoulder-length hair, a ruddy beard, and wore dark clothes. Within six feet of one another, I looked into his eyes. I had vowed not to speak. It was he who spoke first. ‘Good evening, how are you?’he said. After a startled pause, I managed to squeak, ‘Fine, and you?’We walked on without incident, my shame growing more intense with each passing step. One hundred yards later, I began to pray. I remembered that Christ died for that man!

“Anger swelled within me as I watched the newscast. Gay rights activists had marched into a city council meeting demanding to be heard. They demanded attention and charged the city with discrimination. Charges were made that physical abuse at a recent rally had gone unprosecuted. At this point, an individual stood and shouted, ‘If they hurt us again, they will have to pay. We will fight back!’My gut reaction was to think, ‘Go ahead, and see who gets the beating!’Moments later, I began to pray. I realized that Christ had died for that man, too.

“When I see individuals I am afraid of or individuals I disagree with so severely I feel like ‘punching them out,’I have to realize that what they need is not a poke in the nose or judgment from me. They need Jesus. They need me to tell them about Jesus! Lord, help me remember that you died for them, too!”

They Never Heard of Christmas!

Why have we not heard of Christmas?

Why have you denied us light;

We who long have groped in darkness

Chained by sorrow, sin, and night?

Why have you refused to tell us

Of this Son born from above?

Why have you withheld such tidings

Of God’s condescending love?

When was it you learned of Christmas?

Has this story just been heard?

Can it be that God would send Him

Just for you who hold His Word?

Will you still deny us Christmas?

Will we reach out in vain?

Can it be that we must perish

Never having heard that name?

All our fathers died in torment,

Racked with anguish, fear and pain;

Never knowing of a Savior,

Never breathing Jesus’ Name!

Hear the words of hopeless millions,

Dying where no light has been:

“Won’t you share this Christ of Christmas,

Let Him save us from our sin?”

Good News Provides Opportunities

All news is not beautiful. Or had you noticed? But bad news is good news for Christians, in a sense, because we see in it opportunities to turn things around. Or, as Jesus said, to be lights in a dark world. Christians can do more than curse the darkness. We can light a candle. We can change the world.

Reading Your Own Obituary

It is possible to live under a delusion. You think you are kind, considerate and gracious, when you are really not. You think you are building positive values into your children, but, if you could check with them 20 years later, you really did not. What if you could read your own obituary? How do people really see you? Here is the story of a man who did.

One morning in 1888, Alfred Nobel, inventor of dynamite, awoke to read his own obituary. The obituary was printed as result of a simple journalistic error. You see, it was Alfred’s brother that had died and the reporter carelessly reported the death of the wrong brother.

Any man would be disturbed under the circumstances, but to Alfred the shock was overwhelming because he saw himself as the world saw him. The “Dynamite King,” the great industrialist who had made an immense fortune from explosives. This, as far as the general public was concerned, was the entire purpose of Alfred’s life. None of his true intentions to break down the barriers that separated men and ideas for peace were recognized or given serious consideration. He was simply a merchant of death. And for that alone he would be remembered.

As he read the obituary with horror, he resolved to make clear to the world the true meaning and purpose of his life. This could be done through the final disposition of his fortune. His last will and testament would be the expression of his life’s ideals and ultimately would be why we would remember him. The result was the most valuable of prizes given to those who had done the most for the cause of world peace. It is called today the “Nobel Peace Prize.”

You may think you are a kind, thoughtful, gracious person. But what if today you read your own obituary? You are a businessman, what would your employees write? You are a professional person, what would your clients say? You are a parent, what would your children write? You are a preacher, teacher, whatever, what would those who listen to you say? Since we cannot read our obituary, let us rewrite it. Starting today.

Upsetting the World

During New Testament times those who were actively sharing the gospel met opposition. A case in point is Paul and Silas in Thessalonica. According to Act_17:1-9, these two personal workers were persuading and converting several people. There were, however, those who were unconvinced, and they complained that the preaching was disruptive and upsetting. They took their views to the authorities and ultimately the two missionaries had to flee by night.

It might be hard for us to imagine such a thing happening today. We may believe that our beloved Bill of Rights would protect us from such outlawing of evangelism. The reality, though, is that the local newspaper recently reported on the front page an instance of religious freedoms in jeopardy. The article is about an 11-year-old in the Norm school system who was told not to discuss the Bible or pray during recess because “a parent had complained that it was disruptive.” The school district further states that the girl had “infringed on the rights of other students.”

Greg Clark comments, “I have seen several things take place during recesses, both while a student and later as a substitute teacher. Amongst other things I saw boys fighting, girls arguing, hair being pulled, kids being picked on, and heard all kinds of foul language. I am wondering if a girl with ‘six of her friends’ reading and praying could be any more ‘disruptive’or could be any more infringing on personal rights?

“I can remember school days with Bibles on the bookshelf and lively religious discussions. We certainly did not consider ourselves religious fanatics and prospects for lawsuits. What has happened? Why are things like flag burning, Satan worship, and obscene materials “forms of expression” protected by the Bill of Rights, and yet an 11-year-old praying is questionable?

“What would Paul and Silas do in a similar situation? Would they agree with the idea that religion should be confined to the church building? A quick look at the text shows that in their case they merely moved on to Berea and agitated (and converted) a few more.

“It is true that there are people who purposefully set out to cause disorder. On the other hand, I have personally been threatened by a local man simply for doorknocking in his neighborhood. The thing we need to remember in both cases is that Christians have never gone through a period when everyone was encouraging them to proclaim Jesus. There have always been those who give ‘strict orders not to continue teaching.’It is in response to such charges that first century proclaimers stood and said, “we must obey God rather than men” (Act_5:28-29). They knew that if they waited around on the majority vote they would only end up talking to each other. Such a lifestyle for a disciple was and is unsatisfactory. The command of our Lord is still: ‘Go into ALL the world,’even if the world gets a little upset.”

The Lost Boy

Once a little boy was lost in the woods. The alarm was sounded; a church meeting broke up; the whole congregation and neighborhood responded. Fishermen abandoned their nets and merchants closed their shops. Plows were left in the field and washing in the tub. Everyone turned out to hunt for the little fellow. There was a feverish haste. The night was dark and harm might befall the little fellow. After hours of search, he was found, and oh, the joy that was felt because of the rescue!

Today that boy is grown. He is lost again! But none seem to care. Mom and Dad are busy with other things. The church does not seem to care. No alarm is sent out. Yet, a far worse fate awaits him now. You see, he is now lost in sin! Do we really care? Enough to do something?

Better Previews Needed

In the movies and on television, previews show coming attractions. Designed to create interest, the previews always show the most dynamic and dramatic parts, such as the chase scenes, love scenes, and fight scenes in the show. The whole point of the previews is to whet our appetites for the upcoming programs.

Someday a big show will come to town, and Jesus will be the star. It will be a worldwide performance, and the cast will be sensational. But until then, He has left previews of coming attractions in the world. He has left His church to provide clips of the major production that is to come.

Unfortunately, some of the clips are so bad that people have little interest in attending the major performance. The church has been so weak in demonstrating the power and wonder of the main feature that fewer and fewer people have interest in it.

It is time for God’s people-the church-to start showing previews that are worth watching: previews to the world that will prompt the questions, “Where can I buy a ticket for the show?” Then we can respond, “No purchase is necessary. We are giving the tickets away. The price has already been paid.”

Results of Tract Ministry

A man was giving out gospel tracts on a steamer. One gentleman whom he approached accepted a tract graciously but said, “I haven’t much faith in that kind of work.” The Christian worker replied, “It was through a gospel tract given to me twenty years ago that I was converted.” Asking for particulars, the gentleman discovered that it was he who had given him the tract! He had ceased to do this because he saw so few results from his efforts. He added, “But by the grace of God I shall start again.”

A Fisherman

During the first and second centuries, the symbol of Christianity was the fish. A present-day Christian decided that a fishhook would be the proper emblem for a soul-winner to use for winning people to Christ, so he had a little golden fishhook made to be worn on the lapel of his coat. When people asked him what it meant, he told them that he was a fisher of men. A little newsboy from whom he bought a paper one day said to him, “Mister, do you belong to a fishing club?” “Yes, I do,” said the Christian, “and I think fishing is pretty nice, don’t you?” “Oh yes,” the little fellow replied, “Do you ever catch any big ones?” “I have caught 250 pounders,” replied the man. “Go on!” said the lad incredulously. “Yes,” said the Christian, “I have caught a 250-pound fish.” “Those sure are big,” marveled the boy. Then leaning over, the Christian said, “Sonny, to tell you the truth, I would rather catch small fish than big ones.” He exclaimed. “No!” “Yes, about your size.” The little boy looked down at himself as if he were thinking, “I am not so small.” Then the Christian told him that he was a fisher of men, seeking to win souls, and that if he would believe on the Lord Jesus Christ he would be saved. The newsboy took him at his word and came to Christ. Here was a fisherman for Christ who used a gold fishhook on his lapel to catch souls with. You may have some other kind of hook. It makes no difference as long as you catch fish.

The Convincing Witness

A man traveling along a dark road one stormy night met a man coming from the opposite direction who said to him in a hesitant manner, “I think maybe the bridge is out. At least I heard something to that effect.” The traveler was not impressed and decided to proceed. A little farther on a man came rushing out of the dark to him and said, “Stop! Don’t go any farther. The bridge is out!” So passionately convincing were his tones that the traveler turned back, and his life was saved. That is how we are to witness, with passion and conviction.

Thank You, John

When John Broadus was sixteen he accepted Christ as his Savior and at once began to introduce others to his new-found Friend. His first convert was a school friend. These two lived most of their lives in the same city, Broadus a professor in the university, the other a truck-driver. Broadus said that whenever they met during all those years his friend touched his cap as they passed and said, “Thank you, John, thank you.” “I know just what he will say when I meet him coming down the golden street of heaven,” said Broadus. “It will be just what he said this morning, ‘Thank you, John, thank you.’ ”

A Witness Who Came Too Late

Far up the Amazon River, a Baptist missionary was using a flannelgraph to aid her in telling a group of school children about Jesus. As she talked, an elderly man with stooped shoulders and gray hair joined the children. He listened with rapt attention as the missionary told the story of God’s grace as it is revealed in Christ. After the children were dismissed, the old man came up to the missionary with this question: “May I ask, Madam, if this interesting and intriguing story is true?” “Of course,” the missionary said, “it is in the Word of God.” With countenance and voice revealing his doubt, the old gentleman said, “This is the first time in my life that I have ever heard that one must give his life to Jesus to have forgiveness from sin and to have life with God forever.” Then with a note of finality he concluded, “This story cannot be true or else someone would have come before now to tell it. I am an old man. My parents lived their lives and died without ever having heard this message. It cannot be true or someone would have come sooner.” Although she tried hard, the missionary could not convince the old gentleman of this truth from God’s Word. Turning to make his way back into the darkness of the jungle and the darkness of sin, he kept repeating the words, “It cannot be true; it cannot be true, or someone would have come sooner.”

The Christian’s Walk

St. Francis said one day to one of the young monks, “Let us go down into the town and preach.” They passed through the streets and returned to the monastery without having said a word. “You have forgotten, father,” said the young man, “that we went down to the town to preach.” “My son,” Francis replied, “we have preached. We were preaching as we walked. We have been seen by many: our behavior has been noticed; it was thus that we preached. It is no use, my son, to walk anywhere to preach unless we preach everywhere as we walk.” “Wherefore, seeing we are compassed about by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us play our part nobly, looking unto Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith” (Heb_12:1).

Not Ashamed of Christ

A young man got up to give his testimony for Christ in an open air meeting. Not being accustomed to speaking in public, he stammered a good deal at first. An atheist who came by shouted at him, “You ought to be ashamed of yourself standing and talking like that!” “You’re right,” the young man replied. “I am ashamed of myself, but I’m not ashamed of Christ.”

Dedicated Soul-Winner

Melvin Harper is manager of an eight-thousand-acre buckeye ranch and rice farm near Bay City, Texas. “Lord, send me cowboys who aren’t Christians,” is his daily prayer. Why? Because encouraging cowboys and youngsters to live for Christ is a kind of divine calling for the man who was the nation’s top bronco buster and steer rider for more than ten years. Through the personal interest of a pastor who began visiting Harper at the ranch so he could learn to ride and handle cattle, the veteran rodeo performer started attending church regularly and finally made his decision for Christ. Soon he began teaching a class of boys, but he doubts that he was doing much witnessing for Christ.

A new pastor came to the church, so one day the rugged ranch manager went by to see him. Their conversation soon turned to religion. Melvin asked his new pastor, “Do you believe in the Lord?” After receiving a quick and affirmative answer, Melvin continued, “Then if me and you prayed to God, believed in Christ, and asked for something, would we get it?” The prayer that followed is one which Pastor Eaves will never forget. Melvin and his pastor prayed that God would let him become a soul-winner.

Melvin didn’t sleep much that night. At four o’clock in the morning he was fully dressed and on his way to the home of a lost friend. He arrived before daylight and prayed as he waited in a pick-up truck for the lights to come on in the house. The friend was won to Christ; that was only the beginning. Melvin’s pastor estimates that he has already won more than fifty people to the Lord. Five cowboys at the ranch have become Christians, and in his Sunday school class of thirteen-year-old boys, twenty-four have accepted Christ in one year.

When asked about the greatest thrill of his life, Melvin told about the year when he was the only rider to stay mounted on the nation’s wildest and best bucking rodeo horse in Madison Square Garden and in Houston. “But,” said Melvin, “this kind of thrill doesn’t compare with winning a boy, his parents, and a cowhand to Christ.”

A Responsible Position

A young man, a skilled mechanic, was driving a visiting clergyman from his home town, fifty miles across the country, to another city. En route, they passed a huge factory consisting of perhaps twenty buildings scattered over several hundred acres. “Do you see that red brick building over there behind this gray stone one?” the mechanic asked. “I work on the second floor on the south side. There are seventy-four of us in that department, and as far as I know, I am the only one in all that crowd who ever goes to church or tries to live a Christian life. Sometimes I have to remind myself that, as far as that department is concerned, I am all there is of the Christian Church. If I don’t do good work, then the Church has failed as far as those men are concerned. If I can’t be relied upon, then the Church is undependable. If I am careless, then some poor unfortunate soul may have to pay for the Church’s carelessness. It is pretty serious business being the Church in the midst of seventy-four other people.”

Win Them One by One

When Paul went to Rome, every morning a new soldier of the Praetorian guard was chained to him, until each Praetorian guardsman had Paul under his custody. People might have said, “What a pity that a powerful preacher like Paul should have an audience of only one man a day, and a different one every day at that.” But Paul could say, “God has enabled me to preach the gospel to the whole Praetorian guard.” Who knows how much the conversion of pagans in Rome may be attributed to Paul’s being chained to the soldiers of the Praetorian guard?

Joy of a Soul-Winner

Charles H. Spurgeon said, “Even if I were utterly selfish and had no care for anything but my own happiness, I would choose if I might, under God, to be a soul winner; for never did I know perfect, overflowing, unutterable happiness of the purest and most ennobling order till I first heard of one who had sought and found the Savior through my means.

Fishing for Men

In the business of fishing for men, it is not one’s skill or fine equipment that produces results; it is the power of the Holy Spirit. A fisherman who had all the equipment that the best sporting goods store could sell him was having no success. Seeing a country lad with a stick and a bent pin for a hook, he smiled condescendingly, then did a double take. On the bank beside the boy lay a fine string of trout. “How is it that I can’t catch any?” the man inquired. “Because you don’t keep yourself out of sight,” the boy replied. That’s the secret of fishing for men as well as trout. Preach Christ and Him crucified, and send the people away talking about Him instead of praising you.

Common Sense in Witnessing

The man who charges up to a perfect stranger and demands, “Are you saved?” may indeed be zealous for the Lord, but he shows very little understanding or love for his fellowman. His tactless approach indicates that he has no real interest in the man as a person, but only as a potential candidate for conversion, an object to witness to. Common sense is essential even in witnessing. Remember this. You should witness not for the sake of witnessing but for the purpose of winning souls to Christ. As a fisher of men you must exercise judgment in casting the net. Or, to change the simile, you must hold your fire until you see the target. Firing your rifle into the air will not accomplish anything. Let this be the judgment you exercise as a steward of the higher truths of life.

Two Lights Are Shining Now

A woman who came to know Christ as her Savior returned home full of joy-the unique gladness that overflows the heart of a repentant sinner. After a few weeks, she expressed a desire to leave the community in which she lived because it was so sinful. When her pastor heard this, he said with some severity, “How would you like it if the city removed all the lights from the dirty, dangerous streets and left lights only in the good neighborhoods where no crimes are committed? Didn’t Christ say, ‘Ye are the light of the world’?” (Mat_5:14). The woman accepted the rebuke, and some time later said to her pastor, “Now there are two lights that shine in our street.” She had led a soul to Christ.

The Reason for Happiness

In one of his books, Archdeacon Wilson tells a significant story. Some of the best and ablest of the students at a women’s Christian college started a class to teach the poorest men in a neglected suburb. They were fired by the noblest impulse-to give themselves to work for their unfortunate brothers. After some months of teaching elementary subjects, they asked the men whether there was anything in particular they wanted to hear more about. There was silence, and then a low whisper was heard from among them. One of the women went up to find out who had spoken. “What was it you wished especially to hear about?” she asked. “Could you tell us something about the Lord Jesus Christ?” asked one of the men. These men, as they looked upon these college students, did not covet their money, their education or their social position, but longed for that which made them what they were, Jesus Christ. This is what the world should be impelled to crave as they look upon us-not the things about us, or the lack of them, as the cause of our happiness-but rather the Lord Jesus Christ.

What Will Hell Be Like?

There was an old Scotch preacher who was passing a glass factory just before going to church to preach. As a door was ajar, and it was some time till the service, he stepped inside. One of the large furnaces had just been opened. He gazed into the white, blue, and purple mass of liquid flame until it nearly seared his face. As he turned away unaware of anyone being present, he exclaimed, “Oh, man, what will hell be like!” A stoker standing in the shadow heard him. Several nights later at the church a man came up to him. “You don’t know me, but the other night when you stepped into the furnace room I heard what you said. Every time I have opened that furnace since then, the words have rung in my mind, ‘What will hell be like!’ I have come tonight to find out the way of salvation so that I will not have to find out what hell is like.” God grant that our witness may lead many others to do the same.

Luminous Christians

The best argument for Christianity is a consistent Christian life. There is no argument against the silent eloquence of holiness. Actually, a lighthouse building would be dangerous but for the light it sheds abroad, and so it is with us. We may be lighthouses without light. Ships can break themselves on the rock. It is not merely what we say, or what we do, but what we are that matters. That is the witness that is convincing. The greatest thing about us is often our unconscious influence. 2Co_4:11 says, “that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh.” “Manifest” is a word meaning “brilliantly seen.” We accomplish more by our radiations than by our exhortations. May God make us luminous Christians. That’s what the light of Christ does for us. Have you ever put a candle within an alabaster or onyx vase? This is commonly done in Egypt. When a light is put inside, the whole thing becomes luminous. That’s exactly what happens when Jesus Christ comes into our hearts. We become bright, luminous. Other people can find their way to God through the light we shed abroad.

Outspoken Witness

Dwight L. Moody once saw a man freezing to death on the street in Chicago. Moody could not just talk this man into warmth. He pounded him with his fist and got him really angry. The man began to pound back and then got up and ran after Moody. That got his blood circulating and saved his life. Our loud and outspoken witnessing may make people angry, but at least it may awaken them from their spiritual stupor.

Facing Death with Courage

Even today, in this so-called advanced state of civilization, we hear of brave soldiers of the cross who lay their lives on the line when they bear a fearless testimony for Christ. Dear personal friends of mine, Costas Makris and his wife Alki, were Greek missionaries to Indonesia. As Costas labored in the jungles, more and more natives were converted and then baptized. The chief became so disturbed about his people turning to Christ, especially the young people, that he decided to do away with Costas. He lined up his spearmen in front of this dedicated young missionary. In the distance Costas’ wife and three small sons stood watching their husband and father about to be executed for the cause of Christ. How would you feel in their place? But the face of this missionary shone with a heavenly glory that puzzled these savage people. How could a man face death with a smile? Of course, his wife and many others must have been praying. As the men lifted their spears for the kill, the chief called out “Stop!” He walked up to Costas, embraced him, and told him that a man who could face death with such courage and with such a smile on his face had something that they themselves needed.

The World Needs Light

Exactly what does the Lord mean by “mourning,” as we find it in the second Beatitude? (Mat_5:4) It is not just shedding tears or inflicting physical harm on ourselves. Church history tells us of a group of men called the Anchorites who lived in the fourth century. They dwelt in solitude, fasted, and injured their bodies. The nearer they could bring themselves to the level of the animals the better pleased they were. One sect of Anchorites actually grazed with the common herds in the fields of Mesopotamia, and they were hence called boskoi, or “shepherds.” They acquired a great reputation for holiness because of their mournful attitude toward life. One of the most famous of these monks was Simeon Stylites (395-451a.d.), so called from his standing for years on the top of a column sixty feet high until his muscles became rigid. Some of these hermits hung weights on their bodies; others kept themselves in cages; all endeavored to make themselves holy through being miserable. The motive of many of these men may have been truly honorable, a desire to escape from the vices of the great cities. But the greater the corruption of society, the more need for holy men and women to live in that society. The world can only become darker by the withdrawing of its lights and more corrupt through the removing of the salt scattered over it.

Opportunities

A businessman on his way to prayer meeting saw a stranger looking in the door of the church. He invited him to come inside with him. “All right,” said the stranger. That was the beginning of a Christian life for him and his family. He afterward told the man who invited him, “I lived in the city for seven years before I met you. No one had ever asked me to go to church. I wasn’t here three days before the grocer, the dairy man, the insurance man, and the politician called on me. You are the first one to invite me to church.” And it took seven years! Don’t wait to pick and choose among the souls of men, but consider anybody you meet as God’s field for you to work in.

There Is More!

A young man on a visit to Washington went into the National Museum. On one of the cabinets was a label with these words: “The body of a man weighing 154 pounds.” “Where is the man?” asked the young man. No one answered him. In the cabinet were two jars of water, along with other jars containing phosphate of lime, carbonate of lime, potassium, sodium, and other chemicals. Another section held a row of clear glass jars filled with gases-hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen. The materials in those cabinets were shown in the exact proportions combined in an ordinary man. After looking at the assortment for some time in silence, the young man said, “And that is what I am made of? That is all that goes to make me?” “That is all,” said a bystander smiling, and walked on. But the young man did not smile. “If that is all that is needed,” said he, “so much lime, so much gas, so much water, we should be exactly alike.” There is something more which they cannot put into cabinets. God made us body, soul, and spirit. The soul and spirit cannot be put into bottles.

It Takes Only One

There is an inscription on a highway plaque in a small Minnesota town which reads, “On September 1, 1894, a forest fire swept over this area and 450 people lost their lives.” As a person reads this sign, he cannot help asking himself, “What do you suppose started that fire?” Along the highways throughout our national forests we see signs urging tourists to be careful with fires. Each has a stern warning that a single match carelessly thrown away can start a conflagration. One match seems insignificant, but think of its tremendous potential. One Christian can be a radiant witness for his Master if he will only resolve to do so and dedicate his life to soul-winning.

God’s “Helper”

Let us remember that wisdom never imposes itself, but it woos the hearts of others. It is true that we are anxious to help God accomplish His work in the hearts of people, but sometimes we are like the little girl who, after being out for a while, was asked by her mother where she had been. She said, “In the garden, Mother.” “What were you doing in the garden?” “I was helping God,” the child replied. She explained that she had found a rose almost blossomed and had “blossomed” it. She had only ruined the rose.

Keep your shoulder to the wheel

Your hand to the helm

Your eye on the ball!

Your nose to the grindstone

Your ear to the ground

And you will not have time to

Put your foot in your mouth.

Missed Opportunity

During the first three days of July, 1863, in the midst of America’s great Civil War, the armies of the North and South clashed decisively at Gettysburg. For the first three days of the battle, the fighting was inconclusive, but then the tide began to turn against General Lee and the Confederate forces. The northern troops under General G. G. Meade were winning. Lee began to retreat southward on the night of July 4, while storm clouds drenched the East Coast with rain. When Lee reached the Potomac, he found that the river was swollen with rain. He could not cross it. Behind him was the victorious Union army. Before him was the river. He was trapped.

Here was the great, golden opportunity for General Meade to end the battle. Meade could have attacked immediately, destroying Lee’s army and, in effect, ending the Civil War. President Lincoln actually ordered him to attack. However, instead of attacking, Meade delayed. He held a council, then delayed again. Eventually the water of the river receded, and Lee escaped over the Potomac. The war was extended two more years. Meade never regained his lost opportunity, and it was to General Grant that Lee eventually surrendered on April 9, 1865.

This story shows us the tragedy of having missed a great opportunity. But if this principle is true in the physical realm, as we realize, it is certainly more true spiritually. The Bible recognizes this when it says, “For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” (Mat_16:26). Or again, “If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss; but he himself shall be saved, yet as by fire” (1Co_3:15).

The Yoke of God Does Not Fit Stiff Necks

Remember when farmers used a collar to harness a team of horses or mules to pull a plow or wagon? This collar was made of leather with padding to protect the animal’s neck and forequarters so he would not become disabled. The collar was made with a leather strap and buckle at the top, and the bottom was rounded to provide comfort to the animal. When the harness was put on the collar, it was designed to get the most even pull and least pressure on the horse. If the equipment shifted, the horse would develop a sore. Then the animal would become so stiff-necked that you could not turn him at all. He would go one way only.

Brethren sometimes get the same way. Some will not adjust to situations when they know they should but will not because of custom or tradition and become stiff-necked, instead of doing what God wants done.

Pro_19:20 says, “Hear counsel and receive instruction that thou mayest be wise in thy latter end.” Let us wear the yoke of God with pleasure and breach not against the harness that guides us in His way. “The discretion of a man deferreth his anger, and it is his glory to pass over a transgression” (Pro_19:11). Think long before you rebel.

The Second Symbol

The cross is the great symbol of Christianity. On steeples atop churches, covers of hymnals, lids for communion ware and lapel pins on Sunday jackets, it stands an awesome reminder of all that Jesus suffered. Jesus spoke of the cross as a symbol of Christian dedication. “Whosoever will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me” (Mar_8:34).

But Jesus also used another symbol for Christian commitment.“Take My yoke upon you and learn of Me…My yoke is easy and My burden is light” (Mat_11:29-30). The yoke is a wooden harness tying two animals together to pull a load. Yokes are not usually painted on church buildings, or printed on the covers of Bibles, or worn as ornaments on neckchains. Maybe they should be. The yoke as much as the cross is a symbol of commitment to Jesus Christ.

Paul W. Powell, in The Complete Disciple elaborates:

“The cross and the yoke symbolize for us the two different aspects of commitment. The cross is an instrument of death; the yoke is an implement of toil. The cross is the symbol of sacrifice; the yoke is the symbol of service. The cross suggests blood; the yoke suggests sweat …to be committed to Jesus Christ means that we are ready for either the yoke or the cross.”

Let me suggest four lessons from the yoke:

SUBMISSION. “Take My yoke upon you.” The Christian willingly submits to Jesus Christ as Lord and Master. “It is not in man that walketh to direct his steps.” “Not my will but Thine be done.”

OBEDIENCE: “And learn of me.” The yoke suggests submission to a master who must be obeyed. Blessed is the man who “heareth these sayings of mine and doeth them.”

SERVICE: “My burden is light.” Compared to the burden of sin, the yoke of the Lord is easy. But the very idea of a yoke is that of pulling a load, of work, of service. Christians are to be ministers-servants. “Work for the night is coming.”

FELLOWSHIP: “All ye that labor.” We are not alone in Christ, but serving alongside those of like precious faith. Paul spoke of his “loyal yokefellow.” A yoke harnesses two animals together so as to pull a load neither one could pull alone. “Bear ye one another’s burdens.”

As we follow Christ, let us take up our yoke as well as our cross, “serving the Lord.”

My Turn in the Nursery

Last Sunday was my turn in the nursery to work.

My heart wasn’t in it; my feelings were hurt.

A child from its mother did not want to part

And it cried a lot with its broken heart.

I prayed that soon the hour would end,

That I would relax-no more children to tend.

Soon the hour was over; it felt good to be free.

I said, “Once a month was too much for me!”

The very next Sunday as I sat in the pew

Heard a very good sermon, but visitors were few.

But down came a woman and her soul was saved.

She was the mother of that crying babe!

Then it dawned on me that I had been a part

Of one being saved-giving God her heart.

From that day on I would never dread

Working in the nursery while souls are fed.

A Volunteer’s Prayer

I thank Thee, Lord, as a volunteer

For the chance to serve another year.

And to give of myself in some small way,

To those not blessed as I each day.

My thanks for health and mind and soul,

To aid me ever toward my goal.

For eyes to see the good in all,

A hand to extend before a fall.

For legs to go where the need is great,

Learning to love-forgetting to hate.

For ears to hear and heart to care,

When someone’s cross is hard to bear.

A smile to show my affection true,

With energy aplenty-the task to do.

And all I ask, dear Lord, if I may,

Is to serve you better day by day.

Little Things

I thought to be an actress great

The toast of lords and kings.

The good Lord said, “I have need of you

To do My little things.”

I thought I would be a dancer rare

To fly on gossamer wings.

The Lord smiled and said, “Stay here on earth

And do My little things.”

Now I am content to be right here.

My heart with rapture sings

‘Cause I know how important it is to God

To do “His little things.”

When People Work

“So we rebuilt the wall till all of it reached half its height, for the people worked with all their heart” (Neh_4:6).

Few tragedies scar as does a raging fire. The devastation is complete. The desolation is mournful. Such was the disaster of the city of Jerusalem when God judged His holy hill with the torch of Nebuchadnezzar. On the day Jerusalem fell, the Edomites cried, “Tear it down…tear it down to its foundations!” (Psa_137:7).

In God’s mercy, at last a remnant returned to rebuild their beloved city. And the city began to rise from its ashes. Yet, when some later visited Nehemiah, yet in Persia, they told of Jerusalem’s continuing anguish: “Those who survived the exile and are back in the province are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire” (Neh_1:3). Hearing this, Nehemiah “…sat down and wept” (Neh_1:4).

The Persian monarch, Artaxerxes, moved by Nehemiah’s sorrow, commissioned him to return to rebuild the city. After a quiet tour “by night” with some of the local leaders to evaluate the ruins, Nehemiah urged: “‘You see the trouble we are in. Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have been burned with fire. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, and we will no longer be in disgrace.’I also told them about the gracious hand of my God upon me. They replied, ‘Let us start rebuilding.’So they began this good work” (Neh_2:17-18).

The task was formidable-after 70 years of abandonment. Enemies “mocked and ridiculed” them, demanding, “What is this you are doing …Are you rebelling against the king?…What are those feeble Jews doing? Will they restore their wall?…Will they finish in a day? Can they bring the stones back to life from those heaps of rubble-burned as they are” (Neh_2:19; Neh_4:2).

The story of the wall’s restoration from rubble is a thrilling one. Each family had its own segment of the wall to rebuild. As enemies threatened, some would “serve as guards by night and workmen by day” (Neh_4:22). And finally, “the wall was completed on the 25th of Elul, in 52 days. When all the enemies heard about this…(they) lost their self-confidence, because they realized that this work had been done with the help of our God” (Neh_6:15).

When our people today, together “work with all their heart,” amazing achievements will likewise be celebrated-to the glory of our God.

How Our Heavenly Father Feels about Our Uncompleted Task

It is said of one of the famous composers that he had a rebellious son who used to come in late at night after his father and mother had gone to bed. And before going to his own room, he would go to his father’s piano and slowly, as well as loudly, play a simple scale, all but the final note. Then leaving the scale uncompleted, he would retire to his room. Meanwhile the father, hearing the scale minus the final note, would writhe on his bed, his mind unable to relax because the scale was unresolved. Finally, in consternation, he would stumble down the stairs and hit the previously unstruck note. Only then would his mind surrender to sleep once again.

God’s labor seems never to be complete until the final note on the scale, the concluding, still time, a pause that looks backward and pronounces completion and value.

Avoiding the R

Jimmy had trouble pronouncing the letter “R” so his teacher gave him this sentence to practice at home: “Robert gave Richard a rap in the rib for roasting the rabbit so rare.”

Some days later the teacher asked him to say the sentence for her. Jimmy rattled it off like this: “Bob gave Dick a poke in the side for not cooking the bunny enough.”

He evaded the letter R.

There are many useful, committed Christians at church, but it is sad that so many others are evading the R meaning R-eady: ready to serve, sing, visit, teach and be truly committed.

These friends are saved, we believe, they are good people, accommodating, and are religious, but are just not committed.

It is possible to be so religious that we cannot be Christian.

Are you handling the letter “R” right?

To Need and Be Needed

“I appeal to you for my son Onesimus, who became my son while I was in chains. Formerly he was useless to you, but now he has become useful both to you and to me” Phm_1:10-11).

Keith Robinson asks (for all of us):

“What use am I in the world? Has my life really made a difference in anything? Would anything be appreciably different if I were not here? What is the old saying about putting your hand in a pail of water and withdrawing it: the hole that remains is how much you will be missed when you are gone! I am not pessimistic, depressed, or tired of living, but in reality, I have to recognize that my life has not made much of an impact on the world, certainly nothing like I had intended when I was 18 years old. But I am encouraged by the fact that human worth is not measured only in terms of fame, fortune, and sociopolitical influence. Perhaps the greatest measure of our value is how much we are needed by some other human being. John Mark was important because Paul needed him in a time of extreme anxiety and distress. The once useless Onesimus became ‘useful’to Paul and to Philemon.

“When the final books are balanced and closed, the greatest tribute anyone could receive would be: They were useful! Someone needed them! And what greater ambition could a person entertain than to be needed, to be useful. My input is not desired or needed for the Mid-East peace talks. It is doubtful that those involved are indispensable. But I fill a need in the lives of a few people that cannot be filled by anyone else. If there is someone who needs my love, if there is someone who looks forward to my presence, even if I can be nothing much more than just the object to someone’s love, then I am not worthless. My life is not in vain. My existence is not futile. I may not be much, but I can love someone and make them feel needed. I can be the object of someone else’s love and thus fill their needs and mine. No one is useless unless they give up on life and love.

“‘Onesimus’means ‘useful.’”

Being a Servant

Jesus was the greatest servant who ever lived. “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many” (Mar_10:45).

Christ came to serve and to give, and God desires the same for us. “And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant: Even as the Son of Man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister” (Mat_20:27-28).

The finest model of serving, except Christ Himself, was the Apostle Paul. Almost without exception he begins every one of his epistles with words to this effect: “Paul, a servant….” or “Paul, a bond slave….” He was indeed an apostle, but he conducted himself as a servant.

Very few of us want to be known exclusively as a servant. We want to be known as a servant and a great preacher, or a famous missionary, or an outstanding elder, or a well-known business man. What we fail to realize is that true servanthood does not have hidden aspirations to be great in the eyes of men.

When we think of our relationship to Christ, can it be said of us that we want only to serve Him?

Although his religious philosophy was questionable, Albert Schweitzer was a man willing to abandon a great career in order to serve his fellow man. In 1913, he sailed for Africa, having turned his back on fame, money and prestige. His first hospital was an old abandoned hen house and his first operating table an old campboard.

On a trip to the United States, a reporter asked, “Dr. Schweitzer, have you found happiness in Africa?”

“I have found a place of service,” he replied, “And that is enough for anyone.”

This does not represent the feelings of many of us who are members of the church. It is not sufficient to simply have a place of service. Many of us want a place of recognition and a road to fame.

All of us need to do some serious thinking and praying about this matter of being a servant.

We need to make this prayer ours: “O God, help me to be the master of myself, that I may be a servant of others.”

Servants Do Not Choose Tasks

Throughout the ages, God has referred to His faithful people as His servants. The Bible even calls Jesus “His holy servant.”

Unlike the religious leaders who exercised unquestioned authority over the people, Jesus came not as a ruler, but as a servant. From the example of His own life He teaches, “But so shall it not be among you: but whosoever will be great among you shall be your minister and whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant of all. For even the Son of man came not to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many” (Mar_10:43-45).

Christ ransomed us that we, too, might serve God and man. In our zeal to serve, we often overlook a critical truth: The servant does not choose his tasks. Our concept of serving God may be doing what we would like to do-for God. We tell God what we will do for Him, and what we will not do; where we will go for Him, and where we will not. We even tell Him what must not interfere with our plans. In doing this we forget He is the Master, and that the Master assigns the task. Our part is to give ourselves to Him, accepting the assignment He bestows.

A servant is not free to serve on his own terms. Jesus said, “You have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you to go and bring forth fruit” (Joh_15:16). So, we have been chosen to “run with patience the race that is set before us” (Heb_12:1). The race set before us may not be on the track we would choose. Perhaps we would not choose the people God has placed around us, or the location or circumstances we find ourselves in, but a servant is not above his Master. “A disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his lord. It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master, and the servant as his lord” (Mat_10:24-25).

Christ’s life was one of sacrifice and doing the Father’s will. Though He was rich, for our sakes He became poor (2Co_8:9). He counted equality with God a thing not to be grasped but emptied Himself and became a servant (Phi_2:6-7). He came to do God’s will (Heb_10:5-7).

As servants following in the footsteps of Christ, we must present our bodies as “living sacrifices” and say, “Here I am-I have come to do Your will,” regardless of what the task may be.

“I Can’t Get No Satisfaction”

John Gipson shares this lesson:

“As I turned the key in the ignition my car radio sprang to life. Some popular singer was belting out the lyrics, ‘I can’t get no satisfaction.’I didn’t care for the song and turned the dial. But the memory lingered. I wonder how many people there are in the world who cannot find satisfaction? Do they even know where to look?

“Countless people are on record to testify that satisfaction does not come in gathering up things for ourselves. As Horace said, ‘Those who seek for much are left in want of much. Happy is he to whom God has given, with sparing hand, as much as is enough.’

“And satisfaction does not come in showing off a Gold Card, or bragging about one’s possessions. In fact, ‘If the crow had been satisfied to eat his prey in silence, he would have had more meat and less quarreling and envy.’

“I learned something last week from a commercial. Normally, I do not care for commercials. They carry about as much weight with me as a political jingle. But this one caught my attention. The man was explaining that when he was growing up he tried everything in the world to make his sister cry. Nothing worked. Then last week he decided to send her a bouquet of flowers. And you know what? She cried.

“Sometimes we get the desired results in the most unexpected ways.

“Take the young woman with a busy schedule and small children who went out of her way to minister to a family in need. After her mission was complete she said, ‘I just have to do more of that. It really makes me feel good inside.’

“David knew people who were saying, ‘Oh, that we might see some good!’But he confessed to God, ‘Thou hast put more joy in my heart than they have when their grain and wine abound’ (Psa_4:7). Only by drawing near to God would he ever find complete satisfaction. Thus he says, ‘As for me, I shall behold thy face in righteousness; when I awake, I shall be satisfied with beholding thy form’ (Psa_17:15).

“It is sad that a lot of people cannot find any satisfaction because they do not know where to look. Take out your Bible and read Joh_10:10.”

I’ll Take the Job

On a Friday morning an eager young man from Stanford University stood before Louis Janin seeking part-time employment. “All I need right now,” said Janin, “is a typist.” “I’ll take the job,” said the young man, “but I can’t come back until next Tuesday.” On Tuesday he reported for duty. “Why couldn’t you come back before today?” Janin wanted to know. “Because I had to rent a typewriter and learn to use it,” was the unexpected answer. That quickly-prepared typist was Herbert Hoover. Do you know of a place where there is almost no witness for Christ at all? Learn the job that will take you there.

No Idler

King Antigonus, when he had not seen Cleanthes, the philosopher, for a long time, said to him, “Do you continue to grind (referring to the occupation by which he supported himself)?” “Yes, sir,” replied the philosopher, “I still grind; that I do to gain my living, and not to depart from philosophy.”

Joy in Being Useful

A discouraged young doctor in one of our large cities was visited by his father who came from a rural district. “Well, son,” he asked, “How are you getting along?” “I’m not getting along at all,” was the reply. The old man’s countenance fell, but he spoke courage and patience and hope. Later in the day he went with his son to the free dispensary. He sat in silence while twenty-five poor unfortunates received help. When the door had closed upon the last one, the old man burst out, “I thought you told me you were doing nothing. Why, if I had helped out twenty-five people in a month, I would thank God that my life counted for something.” “There isn’t any money in it, though,” objected the son. “Money!” the old man shouted. “What is money compared with being useful to your fellow men?” How true! Mercifulness carries within it its own reward and joy.

The Sympathetic Jewel

A man visited Tiffany’s jewelry store in New York City. He was shown a magnificent diamond with its gleaming yellow light and many other splendid stones. But he observed one stone that was perfectly lusterless and said, “That has no beauty about it at all.” The friend who was with him put the stone in the hollow of his hand and held it there for a few minutes. When he opened it, the man said, “What a surprise! There is not a place on it the size of a pinhead that does not gleam with the splendor of the rainbow. What did you do with it?” His friend answered, “This is an opal. It is what we call the sympathetic jewel. It only needs contact with the human hand to bring out its wonderful beauty.” How many lives there are that need only the warm touch of human sympathy to make them gleam with opalescent splendor.

Raising the Bell

The story is told of a heavy bronze bell that had sunk into a river in China. The efforts of various engineers to raise it had been of no avail. At last a clever native priest asked permission to make the attempt on the condition that the bell should be given to his temple. He then had his assistants gather an immense number of bamboo rods. These are hollow, light, and practically unsinkable. They were taken down by divers, one by one, and fastened to the bell. After many thousands of them had been thus fastened, it was noticed that the bell began to move, and, when the last one had been added, the buoyancy of the accumulated rods was so great that they actually lifted the enormous mass of bronze to the surface. You may think your bamboo rod is too small and light to make any difference, but it is necessary in God’s sight to help in lifting souls to God and to lend strength to the others.

Seeing through God’s Eyes

On one occasion a prime minister of France summoned an eminent surgeon to perform a very serious operation upon him. “You must not expect to treat me in the same rough manner that you treat the poor miserable wretches at your hospital,” said the prime minister. “Sir,” replied the surgeon with great dignity, “every one of those miserable wretches, as you are pleased to call them, is a prime minister in my eyes.” How important it is for us to realize that the soul of a rich, famous, or highly educated person is not more precious in the sight of God than that of an ignorant beggar. We are all God’s field. There isn’t a soul on earth to whom we ought to give nothing but our best in cultivating it and making it what God originally meant it to be. Let us look upon the whole of humanity as God’s own field deserving our best service.

Help Dispel the Darkness

An Australian native preacher went to a little church in the bush to preach. It was dusk when he arrived, the place was without light, and he wondered what to do about it. Presently, he saw twinkling lights moving about through the bush. His congregation was arriving. Each person carried a hurricane lamp, and as they came in they placed their lamps upon a shelf around the chapel wall. Soon the whole place was flooded with light. Each had contributed light that had dispelled the darkness. Your share is needed in a world which desperately needs the illumination of the gospel.

A Higher Honor

When an important building was about to be erected, a certain artist begged to be permitted to make one of the doors. If this could not be permitted, he asked that he might make one little panel of one of the doors. Or if this, too, were denied him, he craved that he might at least be permitted to hold the brushes for the artist to whom the honor of doing work should be awarded. If so small a part in a work of earth were esteemed so high a privilege, it is a far higher honor to have even the least share with Christ in His great work of human redemption.

Living for Others

If you were to visit Paris, you could see the statues of two men, both named Louis. The first is of Louis XIV, France’s absolute monarch, who is remembered today chiefly for his exclamation, “I am the State.” He represents one of the supreme achievements of greatness through power. His philosophy of life was that the whole nation and the world, insofar as he could compel it, should serve him. A few blocks away is a less pretentious statue. There is no uniform on this figure carved in stone, no badge of office, no sword, no crown. It is a memorial to Louis Pasteur, the servant of humanity and servant of God. His life of unselfish, devoted research conferred immeasurable benefits upon all humanity in the years to come through overcoming disease and suffering. The statue of the monarch is nothing more than a piece of sculpture; the statue of Pasteur is a shrine where pilgrims from all over the world pay grateful homage. It is the uncrowned servant of mankind who wears the real crown of men’s love and honor. As you look back, would you rather be remembered as Louis XIV who became supreme ruler of France and now has just a statue to commemorate him or Louis Pasteur who is now crowned as an apostle of mercy? God’s Word enjoins us not to be affected by the glamor of the moment but rather by the judgment of eternity.

Good Service Required

A boy who applied for work was told by the manager he did not think they had enough work to keep another boy employed. The boy said, “But I am sure, sir, that you must have enough work to hire me. You don’t know what a little amount of work it takes to keep me busy.” Many so-called disciples are like this boy. They want to follow Jesus, not to see how much they can do for Him, but how little. To such the Lord never says, “Follow me.” Any who enter Christian service for the sake of having an easy time will be disappointed. Christ is a busy Commander of busy soldiers.

Not for Money, for Christ

Is our first interest in life the accumulation of wealth, or are we like that Burmese boatman who, when asked by a missionary whether he was willing to preach the Gospel to his fellow countrymen at only one-fourth of the salary he was now getting, said to the missionary, “I will not go for that small pay, but I will go for Christ.”

A Life of Service

A certain family had two sons. The older said he must make a name for his family, so turned his face toward Parliament and fame. The younger decided to give his life to the service of Christ and turned his face toward China and duty. He was Hudson Taylor, the missionary, who died beloved and known on every continent. “But,” someone wrote, “when I looked in the encyclopedia to see what the other son had done, I found these words, ‘the brother of Hudson Taylor.’ ” It may be that some were inclined to ridicule him when he went to the mission field, but in the end, he was respected and admired. His mercifulness had not been in vain, even as far as the world was concerned. But the merciful also receive recognition and reward from God Himself. This takes place both in this world and, in its full measure, in the world to come.

Mansion or Cottage

A rich woman dreamed that she went to heaven and saw there a mansion being built. “Who is that for?” she asked of the guide. “For your gardener.” “But he lives in the tiniest cottage on earth with barely room enough for his family. He might live better if he did not give so much to the miserable, poor folk.” Farther on she saw a tiny cottage being built. “And who is that for?” she asked. “That is for you.” “But I have lived in a mansion on earth. I would not know how to live in a cottage.” The words she heard in reply were full of meaning: “The Master Builder is doing His best with the material that is being sent up.”

The Master and the Violin

A wealthy Englishman had in his valuable collection a rare violin which Fritz Kreisler, the celebrated virtuoso, greatly longed to possess. When the owner persisted in refusing to part with it, Kreisler begged permission to play it just once. That was granted. With trembling hands the artist tuned the instrument and then played. He played as only genius can play. He poured his heart into his music. The Englishman stood as one transfixed until the playing had ceased, and he did not speak until Kreisler had tenderly returned the instrument to the antique box, as gently a mother puts her baby to bed. “Take the violin,” he burst out. “It is yours. I have no right to keep it. It ought to belong to the man who can play it as you did.” That was odd reasoning, and yet it has something compellingly illustrative of the attitude that Paul wanted to arouse in the Corinthians who were made rich in Christ (1Co_1:5). In a sense, ought not an instrument belong to the master who can draw the finest music from it? Ought not your life and mine belong to the Master who can draw the noblest harmonies from them?

Tried by Fire

Pompeii in Italy and St. Pierre in Martinique can both teach us a lesson. On both of these, fire caused by a volcano brought unprecedented destruction. The museums that contain relics of these catastrophes display nothing that was made of wood. All that survived the fire were metallic objects. In Pompeii, pitchers, bowls, jewelry, and other ornaments survived the fire because they were composed of gold, silver, and precious stones. But no remains of wood, hay, and stubble have ever been discovered, for these things were completely destroyed in the heat of the catastrophe.

A True Servant

Someone asked an elderly Scotswoman what she thought of Robert Murray McCheyne’s preaching. She hesitated for a moment, then replied, “He preaches as if he was a-dying to have you saved.” Is that our spirit? Those who watch us will know. How appropriate was Spurgeon’s advice to a young minister who complained of the smallness of his congregation: “It is as large a one as you will want to give account for in the Day of Judgment.” The first thing others should discern in us, Paul says, is that we are servants of Christ-subservient, obedient to Him; that He is Master and we listen to what He says and do what He commands.

Losing the Bonus

Suppose a wealthy merchant were to charter a ship to go to some distant country and bring back a valuable cargo. To encourage speed and faithfulness, the merchant offers a bonus to officers and crew if they bring the ship home by a certain date with the cargo intact. The ship arrives at the foreign port, and the cargo is placed on board. But unfortunately a quantity of whiskey is also taken on board, and on the way the back the officers and men indulge in it too freely. They drive the ship upon the rocks, with the result that the cargo is lost. They send out an SOS, and men with life-saving equipment put out from a nearby port and save them. They are thus saved from death, but they have lost the bonus they might have earned. Unrewarded, and with the loss of all their possessions, they return to their home port at the expense of others. Likewise, some souls escape hell by the skin of their teeth, but they have lost their reward.

Poor Service

A preacher went to see a dying old man who was very anxious about his soul. After a few visits by the preacher, the truth dawned upon him, and through repentance and faith he experienced the joy of forgiveness and the assurance of eternal life. Just before he died, he said to the preacher with obvious regrets, “I feel such a sneak because I’ve served Satan all my life and only now at the end have I yielded my heart to God.” His conscience told him it was a mean, despicable way to accept and serve his Master and Redeemer.

In Partnership with God

A gardener expressed his idea of a co-worker: “As I work in the garden with the flowers and vegetables I feel that I am having a share in creation.” And when a mother says to a little child who carries some small item into another room for her, “You are helping me,” what stature it gives to that child and what a sense of dignity and place in life’s affairs. This ought to take away any sense of the worthlessness of the countless small tasks you perform day by day. Look beyond the temporal and limited as you work in partnership with God. Your attitude will determine your sense of satisfaction with your task.

Singing in the Bishop’s Choir

One day at Perth, England, Bishop Wilkinson noticed a thin-faced boy looking at him intently. He went up to him and asked if the boy wished to speak to him. “No, sir,” said the lad, “only I sing in the same choir as you are in.” The Bishop’s friends laughed at the boy’s idea of his association with the Bishop in the church, but the Bishop didn’t laugh. It was precisely that spirit of partnership in God’s work that he wished to encourage. Similarly what a wonderful sense of satisfaction a Christian has when he can look at an infinite and eternal God and say, “Lord, I am your co-worker.” That is the most rewarding and unique privilege we can have.

Fellow Laborers

Visit a factory where thousands of persons are employed. There is the manager sitting in his central office where he directs all the operations of the factory. Everyone is doing his or her separate job. But they are all fellow laborers with the manager; they are all necessary. Not one could do without the other. If one does his work badly the whole organization suffers. If one does his work well they all benefit. Some feel they have important work, some less important. But there isn’t one who is unimportant in the eyes of that man who is sitting in the general manager’s office.

The Wealthy Partner

A famous journalist abandoned a lucrative position for reasons of conscience. A friend asked, “Can you afford to do this?” “Well,” said the journalist, “you see, I have a very wealthy partner.” “Who is he?” asked the friend in surprise. “God Almighty,” was the reply. A man who is in partnership with God can afford to lose his own independence, to surrender it to the interests of the Kingdom of God, to accept the Divine dictates, because the wisdom and spiritual resources of the heavenly Father are at his disposal.

Jewels

The Koh-I-Noor diamond, when it came into the Queen of England’s possession, was a misshapen lump. It was necessary to have its corners cut off and its sides reduced to symmetry. No unskillful hand was permitted to touch it. Men of science were summoned to consider its nature and capacities. They examined the form of its crystals and the consistency of its parts. They considered the direction of the grain and the side on which it would bear pressure. With their instructions, the jewel was placed in the hands of an experienced lapidary, and by long, patient, careful labor its sides were ground down to the desired proportions. The gem was hard and needed a heavy pressure. It was precious and needed every precaution that science and skill could suggest to get it cut and polished into shape without cracking it in the process. The effort was successful. The hard diamond was fashioned into forms of beauty and yet sustained no damage by the greatness of the pressure to which it was subjected. “Jewels, bright jewels,” in the form of spiritual children were the heritage God gave to Paul, as a spiritual father. God may permit us to play the same role as spiritual parents to our children, or to the children of God in the Church. Let us recognize in either case that children are unshapely and need to be polished; they are hard and cannot be reduced to symmetry without firm handling; they are brittle, and so liable to be permanently damaged by the wrong kind of pressure; but they are stones of peculiar preciousness and, if they are successfully polished, they will shine as stars for ever and ever, giving off the glory they reflect from the Son of Righteousness.

Seek God’s Blessing Daily

When Sir James Thornhill painted the cupola of that world-famous structure, St. Paul’s Cathedral, in London, he was obliged to work while standing on a swinging scaffold far above the pavement. One day, when he had finished a detail on which he had spent days of painstaking effort, he paused to evaluate his work. So well had he succeeded in his task that he was lost in wonder and admiration. As he stood there gazing at the structure, he began to move backward to get a better view, forgetting where he was. Another artist, becoming suddenly aware that one more backward step would mean a fatal fall, made a sweeping stroke across the picture with his brush. The shocked artist rushed forward, crying out in anger and dismay; but when his companion explained his strange action, Thornhill burst into expressions of gratitude.

This is an excellent illustration of how God blesses the material things in our lives and why we should ask Him to bless them. There are two possible outcomes: Either our plans will turn out as we hoped or they will fail. Having asked God to bless, we ask Him to be a partner. Only if that is our attitude shall we have the grace to praise God whatever the outcome may be. If we succeed, we shall give Him all the credit. If we fail, we shall take it that He has something different in mind for us.

The Wise Pastor

A man who was greatly troubled came to his pastor because he said in all his good deeds he detected a mixture of selfish motives. “Should I stop doing these things,” he asked in perplexity, “since I find some self-gratification in all of them?” The wise pastor assured him while we are in the flesh we shall always suffer the humiliation of knowing that nothing about us is perfect, even our motives. It is a matter of committing ourselves to God to love and serve Him in all that we do; and if the by-product of our actions is joy and satisfaction, there is nothing wrong in that.

The Two Builders

Paul envisions two builders on the one foundation, Jesus Christ. The one builds a palace, the other a shack. No doubt in Corinth, as in other ancient cities, side by side with the temples shining in marble and brass were the huts of the poor and the slaves, built of flimsy materials such as Paul mentions. He envisions a sudden flame playing around these buildings, the fire of the Lord coming to judgment. The marble gleams whiter, the silver, gold and jewels more resplendently, while the tongues of light leap about the palace. But the straw hut goes up in a flare. The two builders stand before God, the ultimate Paymaster. The one man gets wages for work that lasts; the other gets no pay for what perishes.

A Cup of Cold Water

Have you understood what is really involved in the “cup of cold water,” as Mat_10:42 calls it? There is more to it than appears on the surface. In Eastern lands the water is drawn up from a well in the court or fetched from a distance. The housewife brings in a supply in the morning and lets it stand ready for use. As the day goes on the water gets warm. It would be easy for her to give a cup of this water to a thirsty friend or stranger, but a “cup of cold water” implies the kindly thought that would lead her to take the trouble to draw it or fetch it straight from the well, perhaps in the heat of the day. So often we give what amounts to tepid water to save ourselves extra work. But I believe it is the “cup of cold water” that shall in no wise lose its reward. The principle would seem to be that going out of our way, making sacrifices to help the poor, will have a sure reward.

Someone Forgot

A hungry, scantily clothed little boy was crying pathetically. “I’m cold, I’m hungry!” he whimpered. A stranger approached him and asked, “Do you believe that God can take care of you?” “Yes,” replied the starving little boy with assurance. “Why, then does He not send someone to bring you warm clothing and some food?” “I know, sir, that He asked someone to do it, but I guess this somebody has forgotten it.”

Motive for Work

An Egyptian architect was commissioned by one of the Pharaohs to build a lighthouse at the mouth of the Nile. On a piece of rock that was duly selected, Cnidus, the architect, erected a fine edifice. Engraved upon the cement covering the outside of the lighthouse was the name Pharaoh. In a few years the effect of wind and rain had worn the cement away and Pharaoh’s name had vanished. Then it was discovered that the wily Cnidus had engraved his own name in the masonry beneath. Even Christian work may be done outwardly for the glory of God; but, when the underlying motive is laid bare, our own glory often turns out to be the real aim.

Works That Bear Fruit

A farmer was showing his fine orchard to a friend who admired its neat and regular appearance. “But,” said the friend, pointing to a peculiarly shaped tree, “if that were my tree I’d root it up in order to preserve the uniformity of the orchard.” The farmer smiled and said that he was more interested in the fruit than in the form. “This tree,” he said, “has yielded me more fruit than any of those trees that conform to a more regular pattern.” Sometimes Christian workers may become so accustomed to doing things in what they consider the traditional or time-honored way that they forget to evaluate its productiveness.

Compassion or Convenience

“Aunt Mary was very kind to stay with you this afternoon,” said a mother to the small convalescent whom she had left in care of a relative, and whose wearied little face an hour later did not speak well for the success of the experiment. “I hope you are not overly tired when she was trying so hard to amuse you.” “She wasn’t; she just wanted to amuse herself reading a book of hers to me when I wanted to play puzzles,” was the truthful reply.

Big Salary-Small Job

A brilliant young man with a magnetic personality went out to the mission field. His salary was just a pittance. A large commercial firm was so eager to obtain his services that they offered him ten times his salary, but he refused. They offered to make it even larger if he would accept. “Oh, the salary is big enough,” he told them, “but the job isn’t!”

Doing Versus Talking

A converted cowboy put it very well when he said, “Lots of folks that would really like to do right think that serving the Lord only means shouting themselves hoarse praising His name. Now I’ll tell you how I look at that. I am working for Jim here. Now if I would do nothing but sit around the house telling what a good fellow Jim is and singing songs to him, I would not suit Jim. But when I buckle on my straps and hustle among the hills and see that Jim’s herd is all right, not suffering for water and feed, or being driven off the range and branded by cow thieves, then I am serving Jim as he wants to be served.” Let that be our philosophy, too, when the temptation is to talk instead of serving the Lord.

Earthly Body Expendable

We thrill to Nathan Hale’s patriotic declaration, “I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country,” yet all too often we make some slight infirmity of the body our excuse for not serving the Lord. We contemplate with awe the inspiring poems of Martha Snell Nicholson, so crippled by arthritis that she was bedridden for years and seldom drew a pain-free breath. Yet her writings are fragrant with praise of her Savior. Her secret? She “endured, as seeing him who is invisible” (Heb_11:27). Through her poems and example she brought encouragement to thousands.

Loyalty Reciprocated

Queen Elizabeth once sent an ambassador far away on important and difficult business. He objected, saying to the queen, “But what will become of my business and my family?” The queen replied, “You take care of my business and I will take care of yours.” He went. In this he showed more faith than Christians who are unwilling to trust God’s care for business and family. How many vacancies on the mission field exist because of such a lack of faith or unwillingness to serve the Lord.

First Be Reconciled to Your Brother

There were two brothers who had a quarrel and thereafter refused to speak to each other. The mother did all she could to reconcile them but to no avail. It greatly distressed her and robbed her of peace and happiness. One of the brothers saw how badly his mother felt. Hoping to please her, he brought her a fine gift. She refused it. “I don’t want any gift,” she said, “until you have become reconciled to your brother.”

Something to Think About

A shipwrecke…

According to research conducted by the National Geographic Society, the 40-ton creation of God-the humpback whale-has a fascinating singing ability. Recordings have been made of the humpback whale singing in various pitches in solos, duets, trios, and choruses of dozens of interweaving voices lasting from six to thirty minutes. What an experience it is to hear, over one’s own stereo system, songs from the ocean depths-sung by 40-ton whales! The passage of Psa_148:7 comes to mind: “Praise Him down here on earth you creatures of the ocean depths.”

The Worship Service

A small boy asked an aged sailor, “What is the wind?” The old man replied, “I don’t know, son; I can’t tell you what the wind is, but I can tell you how to hoist a sail.”

It is not really necessary to know all about the wind if we know how to set our sails. We simply make them ready, and let the wind come.

This is what we are doing in a worship service-setting our sails for whatever gale the tomorrows may bring. Here, as it were, we adjust the wind-catching paraphernalia of our lives. Then we will be ready for life’s gentle zephyrs or its howling storms. Here we align ourselves, set ourselves right with reality, and then, whatever winds may blow, we can receive their forward-thrusting force and sail on.

Greeting the King

Noblem en were gathered together in London waiting for the King of Great Britain. They all knew him personally, yet they all honored him as their king. When he entered, they stood solemnly to their feet. “Take your seats, gentlemen,” he said, “I count you as my personal friends.” And then joking he added, “I am not the Lord, you know!” Immediately one of the noblemen, a Christian, said, “No, sir, if you were our Lord, we would not have stood to our feet; we would have fallen to our knees.”

Get in Tune

A sheep rancher in the remote mountains of Idaho found that his violin was out of tune, and, try as he would, he was unable to make the instrument sound the way it should. A frequent listener to a radio station in California, he wrote the station concerning his problem, asking these good people at a certain hour and minute on a certain day to strike the right note for him. This they did: stopping everything else, silencing all other sounds for a moment, they struck that note. In his shepherd’s hut in the distant mountains, the shepherd heard that sound, and from that single note he put his instrument into tune again.

Thus is the hour of worship, a special time of being in touch with God. Here we listen for the signal-tone He strikes for our lives, for the pitch He gives by which our hearts may be put in tune.

Sincerity in Singing

The late Dr. Peter Marshall once selected for use in a church service the familiar hymn of consecration, “Take My Life and Let It Be.” He requested the congregation to give particular thought to the words:

“Take my silver and my gold,

Not a mite would I withhold.”

Exacting the practical sense of the words “not a mite would I withhold,” he asked that all who could not sing this line with literal sincerity, refrain from singing it at all.

The effect was a dramatic commentary on the glib, thoughtless manner in which, all too often, we sing our hymns. Hundreds of voices, with organ accompaniment, sang vigorously up to the designated point. Then, suddenly, there was only the sound of the organ music. Not a single voice ventured to so challenging a height!

Worshiping the Preacher

Henry Ward Beecher, the famous pulpit orator, once had to be absent and his brother was invited to speak for him. The church house was crowded, but when it became evident the eloquent Henry Beecher was not going to appear, many started to leave. Beecher’s brother was not disturbed. He stood up before the murmuring crowd, called for silence and said, “All who came this morning to worship Henry W. Beecher may now leave. The rest will remain and worship God.”

What are we doing in our assemblies? Some, like the Athenians, come only to hear the preacher say “something” (Act_17:20-21). “Is it relevant?” “Is it positive?” Are mental guidelines used in judging sermons? Some attend to judge the singing, the prayers, or the friendliness of the congregation. These go away with a host of criticisms, perhaps, or even pride, but worship has been forgotten.

Why do we gather for worship? Some come to “get it over with for a week”; to get their tickets validated once more. But those who come because they need strength in carrying their crosses know the value of true worship.

Worship has nothing to do with the song leader or the talent of the preacher. It has to do with you and your God. Let people do what they will to please themselves. “The rest will remain and worship God.”

Take Our Bearings

In the old days of ocean sailing, a small boy was traveling on shipboard with his father. About once a day the boy saw the captain stand on deck with sextant in hand, and, as they used to say, “shoot the stars.” The boy said to his father, “Daddy, what is the captain doing?” His father replied, “The captain is taking our bearings, seeing where we are, finding out if we are going in the right direction.”

As a matter of fact, it is something of this kind that each of us is doing as we are in worship on Sunday morning. We are checking in with God; we are seeing where we are; we are finding out about our directions in relation to His will concerning our journey of life.

We can so easily become confused or lose our way out there in the weekday world of days, and we need this checkpoint. Here we touch base with the Lord of our life, and from Him we take our bearings for going on. We can deviate from the course and by winds and currents be carried far astray, unless from time to time we check in with God to set our course again.

The Meaning of Worship

Worship that is accepted by God is a privilege unique to the Christian (1Pe_2:5). It is not a right. I am permitted to offer acceptable worship only by the grace of God.

Therefore it is disheartening when children of God deliberately reject this privilege and wantonly absent themselves from the public assembly God has ordained for His glory and our good.

Consider briefly the significance of worship:

It is obedience to a divine command.

It is a means of nourishing the spirit.

It assists in achieving spiritual growth.

It encourages others in their spiritual development.

It shows the world where my priorities are.

It is one means of expressing my love for God.

It is an avenue God has provided by which I can praise His name.

It is the offering of spiritual sacrifices.

It is a way of showing my thanksgiving to God for all He has done for me.

It is a period of communion with God with the world shut out entirely.

It is an experience that should make the heart of every Christian glad!

Will you join your fellow Christians this Lord’s day as they assemble to honor His name? Your Father will be looking for you.