Pastoral Resources

“The undersigned (hereinafter called ‘Guarantor’) for and in consideration of the sum of Ten Dollars ($10.00) and other good and valuable considerations in hand paid to the Guarantor, the receipt and sufficiency of which is hereby acknowledged, and to induce (bank name) a national banking association with offices and banking quarters at (address), (hereinafter called ‘Bank’), at its option, at any time or from time to time to loan monies, with or without security to or for the account of (customer’s name) (hereinafter called ‘Borrower’), and at the special insistence and request of Bank, Guarantor hereby unconditionally guarantees the prompt payment at maturity of the following (hereinafter called the ‘Indebtedness’):”

What does it mean? If you sign this, you’re the fall guy if the borrower defaults.

"Look, Mommy, this potato is so big and nice, isn't it?" Then the mother peeled it and cut it in half. How surprised was the little girl when she saw it all black and hollow in the middle. "Oh, Mommy," she said, "this potato is not a real Christian, is it?"

As the astronomer Mitchell was one day observing the setting sun through a large telescope and gradually lowering the instrument to keep in view the great body of light slowly sinking in the western sky, there came within his line of vision the top of a distant hill, upon which grew a number of apple trees.

In one of these trees were two boys, apparently stealing the apples. One was getting the fruit, while the other appeared to be keeping watch, to make sure that they were not seen. However, seven miles away, Professor Mitchell had his telescope trained on them and was watching their every movement as though he were on the hilltop.

"All things are naked and opened unto the eyes of Him with whom we have to do" (Heb 4:13).

Writer Charles Swindoll once found himself with too many commitments in too few days. He got nervous and tense about it.

“I was snapping at my wife and our children, choking down my food at mealtimes, and feeling irritated at those unexpected interruptions through the day,” he recalled in his book Stress Fractures. “Before long, things around our home started reflecting the patter of my hurry-up style. It was becoming unbearable.

“I distinctly remember after supper one evening, the words of our younger daughter, Colleen. She wanted to tell me something important that had happened to her at school that day. She began hurriedly, ‘Daddy, I wanna tell you somethin, and I’ll tell you really fast.’

“Suddenly realizing her frustration, I answered, ‘Honey, you can tell me—and you don’t have to tell me really fast. Say it slowly.”

“I’ll never forget her answer: ‘Then listen slowly.’”

Frances Ridley Havergal wrote one of her most famous poems while she was in Dusseldorf, Germany. She had gone to Germany to do some specialized study. While there, she saw a copy of Sternburg's great painting: The Crucifixion. The title above the picture was, "All this I did for thee; what hast thou done for Me?"

Inspired by the probing question, she wrote her famous poem, "I Gave My Life for Thee." But she was not happy with the poem at the time, so she threw it into the fire. But there came a strong downdraft which blew the paper out of the fire and onto the hearth. Feeling that this might have been providential, Miss Havergal took the slightly scorched paper, folded it, and sent it to her father in England. He composed a tune to match the words and had it published. However, the tune we now use with this superb poem was written years later by P. P. Bliss, an associate of D. L. Moody. The tune he wrote is now the one we use with this great song: "I Gave My Life for Thee, What Hast Thou Done for Me?"

Our Father knows what’s best for us

so why should we complain

We always want the sunshine

But He knows there must be rain.

We love the sound of laughter

And the merriment of cheer

But our hears would lose their tenderness

If we never shed a tear...

Our Father tests us often

With suffering and with sorrow

He tests us, not to punish us,

But to help us meet tomorrow...

For growing trees are strengthened

when they withstand the storm

And the sharp cut of the chisel

Gives the diamond grace and form...

God never hurts us needlessly,

and He never wastes our pain,

For every loss He sends us

is followed by rich gain...

And when we count the blessings

that God so freely sent,

We’ll find no cause for murmuring

And no time to lament...

For our Father loves His children,

And to Him all things are plain,

So He never sends us pleasure

When the soul’s deep need is pain...

So whenever we are troubled,

And when everything goes wrong,

It’s just God working in us,

To make our Spirit strong...

Dwight L. Moody gives us a fine illustration of the fact that the commandment of Christ to follow Him is given to His children and not to strangers "I was standing with a friend at his garden gate one evening when two little children came by. As they approached us, he said to me, 'Watch the difference in these two boys.' Taking one of them in his arms he stood him on the gatepost and, stepping back a few feet, he folded his arms and called to the little fellow to jump. In an instant the boy sprang toward him and was caught in his arms. Then turning to the second boy he tried the same experiment. But in the second case it was different. The child trembled and refused to move. My friend held out his arms and tried to induce the child to trust to his strength but nothing could move him. At last my friend had to lift him down from the post and let him go. 'What makes the difference in the two?' I asked. My friend smiled and said, 'The first is my own boy and knows me; but the other is a stranger's child whom I have never seen before.' And there was all the difference. My friend was equally able to prevent both from falling. The difference was in the boys themselves. The first had assurance in his father's ability and acted upon it, while the second boy, although he might have believed in the ability to save him from harm, would not put his belief into action." So it is with many today who give credit to the gospel story but are unwilling to cast themselves into the arms of the Savior.

Dwight L. Moody gives us a fine illustration of the fact that the commandment of Christ to follow Him is given to His children and not to strangers "I was standing with a friend at his garden gate one evening when two little children came by. As they approached us, he said to me, 'Watch the difference in these two boys.' Taking one of them in his arms he stood him on the gatepost and, stepping back a few feet, he folded his arms and called to the little fellow to jump. In an instant the boy sprang toward him and was caught in his arms. Then turning to the second boy he tried the same experiment. But in the second case it was different. The child trembled and refused to move. My friend held out his arms and tried to induce the child to trust to his strength but nothing could move him. At last my friend had to lift him down from the post and let him go. 'What makes the difference in the two?' I asked. My friend smiled and said, 'The first is my own boy and knows me; but the other is a stranger's child whom I have never seen before.' And there was all the difference. My friend was equally able to prevent both from falling. The difference was in the boys themselves. The first had assurance in his father's ability and acted upon it, while the second boy, although he might have believed in the ability to save him from harm, would not put his belief into action." So it is with many today who give credit to the gospel story but are unwilling to cast themselves into the arms of the Savior.

Henry Fairlie of the Washington Post, writing in the Tulsa World, states that the "fear of risk is killing the American Spirit." He points out our over-reaction to Three Mile Island and the engine on one DC-10. He believes that the nation that won't build a dam because of a small snail darter, or that will delay a carriage to the stars because it might fall like Skylab is in deep trouble. He asked, "Was the Mayflower seaworthy?" He contends that a group of Americans today would not have the heart to cross the Rockies as our forefathers did years ago. It would be too risky!

There is a lesson here for the church of our Lord. Many good works go wanting for fear of the risk involved. Some Christians will not become soul winners because of the risk of being hurt. Others have never given liberally to God because of fear of poverty. Elders refuse to become involved in domestic and world evangelism because they might not succeed. Another won't defend truth for the same reason. No doubt but what the "fear of risk" has killed many good programs in the church.

There is no "fear of risk" for Christ. He knew that He came into the world to die for all. He asked his followers to deny themselves daily and take up their crosses and walk! There will always be some perils, but think of the risk if we don't!

In 1893, engineer George Ferris built a machine that bears his name—the Ferris wheel. When it was finished, he invited a newspaper reporter to accompany him and his wife for the inaugural ride. It was a windy July day, so a stiff breeze struck the wheel with great force as it slowly began its rotation. Despite the wind, the wheel turned flawlessly. After one revolution, Ferris called for the machine to be stopped so that he, his wife, and the reporter could step out. In braving that one revolution on the windblown Ferris wheel, each occupant demonstrated genuine faith. Mr. Ferris began with the scientific knowledge that the machine would work and that it would be safe. Mrs. Ferris and the reporter believed the machine would work on the basis of what the inventor had said. But only after the ride could it be said of all three that they had personal, experiential faith.

A few years ago I was in a town down in our state, the guest of a family that had a little boy about thirteen years, who did not bear the family name, yet was treated like the rest. Every night when he retired, the lady of the home kissed him and treated him in every respect like all the other children. I said to the lady of the house, "I don't understand it." I think he was the finest looking boy I have ever seen. I said to her, "I don't understand it." She says, "I want to tell you about that boy. That boy is the son of a missionary. His father and mother were missionaries in India, but they found they had got to bring their children back to this country to educate them. So they gave up their mission field and came back to educate their children and to find some missionary work to do in this country. But they were not prospered here as they had been in India, and the father said, "I will go back to India;" and the mother said, "If God has called you to go I am sure it will be my duty to go and my privilege to go, and I will go with you." The father said, "you have never been separated from the children, and it will be hard for you to be separated from them; perhaps you had better stay and take care of them."

But after prayer they decided to leave their children to be educated, and they left for India. This lady heard of it and sent a letter to the parents, in which she stated if they left one child at her house she would treat it like one of her own children. She said the mother came and spent a few days at her house, and being satisfied that her boy would receive proper care, consented to leave him, and the night before she was to leave him, the missionary said to the Western lady: "I want to leave my boy tomorrow morning without a tear;" said she, "I may never see him again." But she didn't want him to think she was weeping for anything she was doing for the Master. The lady said to herself, "She won't leave that boy without a tear." But the next day when the carriage drove up to the door, the lady went up stairs and she heard the mother in prayer, crying, "Oh God, give me strength for this hour. Help me to go away from my boy without a tear." When she came down there was a smile upon her face. She hugged him and she kissed him, but she smiled as she did it. She gave up all her five or six children without shedding a tear, went back to India and in about a year there came a voice, "Come up hither." Do you think she would be a stranger in the Lord's world? Don't you think she will be known there as a mother that loved her child?

A great many people find it extremely difficult to accept Christ's death on the cross as sufficient ransom for their sins. They want to do something themselves. "But I can't see it," said a certain cabinetmaker to a friend who was trying to show him how the death of Christ completed the work of atonement. At last an inspiration struck his friend, who, lifting the plane, moved as if to plane the top of a beautifully polished table that stood near. "Stop!" cried the cabinetmaker. "Don't you see that's finished? You'll simply ruin it if you use that plane on it," "Why," replied his friend, "that's just what I have been trying to show you about Christ's work of redemption. It was finished when He gave His life for you, and if you try to add to that finished work you can only spoil it. Just accept it as it stands-His life for yours-and you go free."

The Danish philosopher, Kierkegaard, tells a parable of a theater where a variety show is proceeding. Each show is more fantastic than the last, and is applauded by the audience. Suddenly the manager comes forward. He apologizes for the interruption, but the theater is on fire, and he begs his patrons to leave in an orderly fashion. The audience thinks this is the most amusing turn of the evening, and cheer thunderously. The manager again implores them to leave the burning building, and he is again applauded vigorously. At last he can do no more. The fire raced through the whole building and the fun-loving audience with it.

“And so,” concluded Kierkegaard, “will our age, I sometimes think, go down in fiery destruction to the applause of a crowded house of cheering spectators.”

"All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten," says Robert Fulgham's popular essay and book. In truth, one of life's most important and hardest lessons comes to us long before kindergarten.

This lesson is painful and upsetting to learn, and it goes against what we want to think is true. But it is vital that we learn it.

Many people never do.

The lesson is this: you are not the center of your universe.

You might as well face it.

Once, a long time ago, Nicolaus Copernicus studied the sky and declared, "If man is to know the truth, he must change his thinking! Despite what we have said for years, our earth is not the center of the cosmos-but just one celestial body among many. The sun does not move around us; we move around the sun."

That was a radical adjustment-a revolution in thought.

Years later, Jean Piaget studied children and declared, "Each child must experience his or her own 'Copernican revolution.'They must learn that they are not the center of their world."

This is a private, radical adjustment for every one. "After all," each infant thinks, "My wants have always been met. Let life continue that way!"

"Walls should move out of the way before I run into them. The floor should become soft just as I fall. Everyone should give me their toys if I want them. The rules of games should change so I can always win. And big things like cars should never drive where I might want to run or play."

Sooner or later, life does not cooperate and the child is shocked.

What about us adults? Have we learned the lesson?

Most of us learn it. But Satan urges us to put ourselves back in the center. And we often do, even when we know better.

Jesus Christ studied His audience and declared, "If you want to enter the kingdom of heaven, you must change your thinking! Despite what your sinful nature tells you, you are not the center of your world. To find life, you must know the truth. Accommodate yourself to that; it will set you free!"

That is the most radical adjustment of all. A hard lesson.

The illusion is easier. It justifies selfishness. And we all like being selfish.

Too bad that the selfish way is not true.

Too bad that it does not bring satisfaction or life.

A hard lesson. But an important one. Life goes much better once you have got it.

Sometimes I go to the store to buy cheese. Almost invariably I ask for a taste before I make my purchase, and the grocer very cheerfully gives it to me. Why is he willing to do this? Because he knows that his cheese is of superior quality. God does not hesitate to have us taste His grace. He is sure we shall want more once we have had a sampling of it. Now would it not be stupid of me to stand before the grocer's counter and, without sampling his cheese say to him, "No, I don't think I'll take any of your cheese. It is not good." I would have no right to pronounce an opinion about something of which I have no personal knowledge. The valid challenge of the grocer is "Taste and see." We have often done that. We did not want to eat, but we finally decided to take a taste, and then we wanted to keep on eating. Oh, that initial step, that initial experience is so important! The first step is most of the way to heaven.

At their school carnival, our kids won four free goldfish (lucky us!), so out I went Saturday morning to find an aquarium. The first few I priced ranged from $40 to $70. Then I spotted it—right in the aisle: a discarded 10-gallon display tank, complete with gravel and filter—for a mere five bucks. Sold! Of course, it was nasty dirty, but the savings made the two hours of clean-up a breeze. Those four new fish looked great in their new home, at least for the first day. But by Sunday one had died. Too bad, but three remained. Monday morning revealed a second casualty, and by Monday night a third goldfish had gone belly up. We called in an expert, a member of our church who has a 30-gallon tank. It didn’t take him long to discover the problem: I had washed the tank with soap, an absolute no-no. My uninformed efforts had destroyed the very lives I was trying to protect.

Sometimes in our zeal to clean up our own lives or the lives of others, we unfortunately use “killer soaps”—condemnation, criticism, nagging, fits of temper. We think we’re doing right, but our harsh, self-righteous treatment is more than they can bear.

- Richard L. Dunagin

Criticizing, comparing, complaining, competing, correcting.

Replace them with complimenting.

1. Words of Affirmation

2. Quality Time

3. Receiving Gifts

4. Acts of Service

5. Physical Touch

Do you know how cranberries are harvested? When the fruit is ripe, the cranberry bog is flooded with water. As the water covers the bush, the ruby red berries separate from the bush and float to the surface where they are gathered and distributed to cranberry lovers around the country.

When the flood waters of trouble and trials sweep over your soul, what is the result? Is fruit "meet for the Master's use" released to bless and meet the needs of the hungry world around you?

“What kind of flower is that in your buttonhole?” a fellow asked his friend.

“Why, that’s a chrysanthemum,” answered the friend.

“It looks like a rose to me.”

“No, you’re wrong. It’s a chrysanthemum,” insisted the friend.

“Spell it,” the fellow said.

“K-r-i-s-, no it’s K-h-r-y-, no it must be C-r-i-s- .By golly, you’re right. It is a rose.”

A little boy drove his mother to distraction with questions one day. Finally she sent him packing off upstairs to bed. Later feeling troubled, she tiptoed into his room, knelt beside his bed, and told him she was sorry she had been cross with him, adding, "Now, dear, if you want to ask one more question before you go to sleep, I'll try to answer it." Quick as a wink the youngster blurted out, "Mommy, how high is up?" Some theological questioning is just about as foolish. That's exactly what Paul calls the man who asks these questions about the resurrection body, "Thou fool." The Greek word here is aphron, which comes from the negative prefix a, "without," and the noun phren, "mind." You are a man without sense, without reason, Paul says, if you think there can be an explanation in detail of all observable facts and the conclusions to be drawn from them.

How easy it is to tear a piece of paper along the line in which it has originally been folded! How easy it is for a second temptation to overcome when the first has been yielded to! A sin that has once gained the victory over our moral nature has put a fold, as it were, in that nature, and destroyed its straightness and smoothness, so that when the same temptation comes a second time, it seeks the weak point which it had formerly made, and along that line of least resistance we are turned from our righteous principles and strong resolution.

One day when Stan Mooneyham was walking along a trail in East Africa with some friends, he became aware of a delightful odor that filled the air. He looked up in the trees and around at the bushes in an effort to discover where it was coming from. Then his friends told him to look down at the small blue flower growing along the path. Each time they crushed the tiny blossoms under their feet, more of its sweet perfume was released into the air. Then his friends said, "We call it the forgiveness flower."

This forgiveness flower does not wait until we ask forgiveness for crushing it. It does not release its fragrance in measured doses or hold us to a reciprocal arrangement. It does not ask for an apology; it merely lives up to its name and forgives-freely, fully, richly. What a touching example of outrageous forgiveness!

The Spirit came in childhood and pleaded, “Let me in,”

But oh! the door was bolted by thoughtlessness and sin;

“I am too young,” the child replied, “I will not yield today;

There’s time enough tomorrow.” The Spirit went away.

Again He came and pleaded in youth’s bright happy hour;

He came but heard no answer, for lured by Satan’s power

The youth lay dreaming then and saying, “Not today,

Not till I’ve tried earth’s pleasures.” The Spirit went away.

Again He called in mercy in manhood’s vigorous prime,

But still He found no welcome, the merchant had no time;

No time for true repentance, no time to think or pray,

And so, repulsed and saddened, the Spirit went away.

Once more He called and waited, the man was old and ill,

And scarcely heard the whisper, his heart was cold and still;

“Go leave me; when I need thee, I’ll call for thee,” he cried;

Then sinking on his pillow, without a hope, he died!

During the late 1800s English evangelist Henry Moorhouse made several trips to America to preach. On one of these occasions, he was taking a walk through a poor section of the city when he noticed a small boy coming out of a store with a pitcher of milk. Just then, the boy slipped and fell, breaking the pitcher and spilling the milk all over the sidewalk. Moorhouse rushed to the youngster’s side and found him unhurt but terrified. “My mamma’ll whip me!” he cried. The preacher suggested that they try to put the pitcher back together, but the pieces of glass would not stay together. The boy kept crying. Finally Moorhouse picked up the youngster and carried him to a nearby store where the preacher purchased a new pitcher. Then he returned to the dairy store and had the pitcher washed and filled with milk. With that done, he carried both the boy and the pitcher home. Putting the youngster down on his front porch, Moorhouse handed him the pitcher and asked, “Now will your mama whip you?”

A wide smile spread upon his tear-stained face, “Aw, no sir, ‘cause it’s lot better pitcher than we had before.”

When their son left for his freshman year at Duke University, his parents gave him a Bible, assuring him it would be a great help. Later, as he began sending them letters asking for money, they would write back telling him to read his Bible, citing chapter and verse. He would reply that he was reading the Bible—but he still needed money. When he came home for a semester break, his parents told him they knew he had not been reading his Bible. How? They had tucked $10 and $20 bills by the verses they had cited in their letters.

Throughout his administration, Abraham Lincoln was a president under fire, especially during the scarring years of the Civil War. And though he knew he would make errors of office, he resolved never to compromise his integrity. So strong was this resolve that he once said, “I desire so to conduct the affairs of this administration that if at the end, when I come to lay down the reins of power, I have lost every other friend on earth, I shall at least have one friend left, and that friend shall be down inside of me.”

Fortuneteller, gazing into crystal ball, to frog: You are going to meet a beautiful young woman. From the moment she sets eyes on you she will have an insatiable desire to know all about you. She will be compelled to get close to you—you’ll fascinate her.”

Frog: “Where am I? At a singles club?”

Fortuneteller: “Biology class.”

A man completely dejected by life's afflictions was walking one day in the botanical gardens of Oxford when his attention was arrested by a fine pomegranate tree with a stem which was cut almost through. On asking the gardener the reason, he received an answer which explained the wounds of his troubled spirit. "Sir," said he, "this tree used to shoot so strongly that it bore nothing but leaves. I was therefore obliged to cut it in this manner, and when it was almost cut through then it began to bear plenty of fruit."

A Brahmin compared the Christian missionary to the mango tree. All its branches hang with fruit. It is then assailed with stones and clubs by passersby. How does it respond-by dropping fruit at every blow at the feet of those who assail it. At the close of the season, it stands scarred and battered, its leaves torn off, its branches broken. But the next year it bears more fruit than the previous year. That is what our meekness should do in the world-not try to conserve its self-esteem but bear fruit, fruit that descends low at the attack of cruel words and actions. Christian meekness cannot be exercised in isolation. It must be manifested within the framework of society, a society that hates the Lord Jesus Christ, openly or subtly, and all who stand for Him.

"When pride cometh, then cometh shame: But with the lowly is wisdom" (Pro_11:2). "Only by pride cometh contentions" (Pro_13:10). In the book of Proverbs, pride is used in two senses. (1) The good sense. In this sense, it is admirable and necessary. It is associated with self-respect and personal dignity. However, we must always avoid self-contempt. "I am a nobody" is not a way to gain respect from others. Act_2:47 shows us that it is alright to have respect from other people. This kind of pride is acceptable. (2) The bad sense is associated with arrogance, self-esteem, self-importance, and all such similar vices. Webster defines it this way: The quality or state of being proud: as inordinate self-esteem: conceit. Let us keep pride as God wants it. The chin and head up, not our nose. The pride of life is a channel by which Satan tempts man to sin (1Jo_2:15-17).

In John 13 we find the disciples would not wash one another's feet because it would show they were inferior and forfeit their position in the kingdom. Christ deflated their egos and pride by washing their feet, showing that He was the greatest of all and serves all. We see a lot of people in the church today fighting for the top, but very few reach for towels. There are many today that pride destroys. It kept Felix from obeying the gospel (Act_24:25). It also cost Ananias and Sapphira their lives. Mat_5:3 says, "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." We must be willing to assume the role of beggar to enter the kingdom of heaven. Pride will cause us not to admit wrong or have compassion on our fellow man. It will cause us to live beyond our means (Rom_13:8). Pride leads to rebellion (Psa_10:4); also apostasy (1Ti_3:6). "He who stands on a pedestal has no place but to step off"-a Chinese proverb.

A programmer and an engineer are sitting next to each other on a long flight from LA to NY. The Programmer leans over to the Engineer and asks if he would like to play a fun game. The Engineer just want to take a nap, so he politely declines and rolls over to the window to catch a few winks.

The Programmer persists and explains that the game is really easy and a lot of fun. He explains “I ask you a question, and if you don’t know the answer, you pay me $5.” Again, the Engineer politely declines and tries to get some sleep.

The Programmer, now somewhat agitated, says “OK, if you don’t know the answer you pay me $5, and if I don’t know the answer, I will pay you $50!” This catches the Engineer’s complete attention, and he sees no end to this torment unless he plays, so he agrees to the game.

The Programmer asks the first question. “What’s the distance from the earth to the moon?” The Engineer doesn’t say a word, reaches into his wallet, pulls out a five-dollar bill and hands it to the Programmer. Now, it’s the Engineer’s turn. He asks the Programmer: “What goes up a hill with three legs, and comes down with four?” The Programmer looks at him with a puzzled look, he takes out his laptop computer and searches all his references. He taps into the Airphone with his modem and searches the Net and the Library of Congress. Frustrated, he sends e-mails to all his co-workers and friends he knows. All to no avail.

After over an hour, he wakes the Engineer and hands him $50. The Engineer politely takes the $50 and turns away to get back to sleep. The Programmer, more than a little miffed, shakes the Engineer and asks, “Well, so what IS the answer?” Without a word, the Engineer reaches into his wallet, hands the Programmer $5 and goes back to sleep.

I’m not much of a gardener. Once I took a seed catalog and started out the door.

“Where are you going with that?” my wife asked.

“I’m going to show it to my tomatoes,” I explained.

I am the way into the city of woe.

I am the way to a forsaken people.

I am the way to eternal sorrow.

Sacred justice moved my architect.

I was raised here by divine omnipotence,

Primordial love and ultimate intelligence.

Only those elements time cannot wear

Were made before me, and beyond time I stand.

Abandon all hope ye who enter here.

A professional carpet-layer stepped back to survey a newly installed carpet. Reaching into his shirt pocket for a cigarette, he realized the pack was missing. At the same time he noticed a lump under the carpet in the middle of the room, about the size of the missing cigarette pack.

There was no way to retrieve his cigarette pack from under the attached carpet without ripping everything up and starting over. Finally, he decided to beat the object flat, thereby destroying any evidence of his mistake.

Gathering his tools, the carpet layer walked out to his truck. There on the seat of his truck was the mislaid pack of cigarette. As he lit one up, the homeowner hurried out of the house and asked, “Hey, have you seen my son’s gerbil?”

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."

In his book The Life of God in the Soul of Man, Henry Scougal, the seventeenth-century Scottish minister, said, “God hath long contended with a stubborn world, and thrown down many a blessing upon them; and when all his other gifts could not prevail, he at last made a gift of himself.”

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George Truett once assured the wife of a Texas judge that when death came she should not be afraid. When the day finally arrived the nurse and doctor were there. She said, "Tell me frankly, doctor, is this death?" He said, "Yes, it is death." She turned to her husband and said: "Oh, dear husband, you know this is the hour for 30 years I have dreaded. This is the hour of all hours I have shrunk from." Yet later she said, "Husband, don't you see that face? Don't you hear that music? Christ is here. I have never known such rapture of light and peace and joy." In that glory she went to be with the Lord. She found that God's grace was sufficient. God's love was not limited.

"You teach," said the Emperor Trajan to Rabbi Joshua, "that your God is everywhere, and boast that He resides among your nation; I should like to see Him." "God's presence is indeed everywhere," replied Joshua, "but He cannot be seen. No mortal eye can behold His glory." The Emperor insisted. "Well," said Joshua "suppose we try to look first at one of His ambassadors." The Emperor consented. The Rabbi took him into the open air at noonday and bade him look at the sun in its blazing splendor. "I cannot," said Trajan. "The light dazzles me." "You are unable," said Joshua, "to endure the light of one of His creatures, and can you expect to behold the resplendent glory of the Creator? Would not the brightness of His glory annihilate you?" This same thought is expressed in the Bible in 1Ti 6:16, "Who only hath immortality, dwelling in light unapproachable; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honor and power eternal. Amen." (Author's translation.)

When our Lord said "go," He did not ask us to sit down and evaluate what the chances were that we would return. Two Coast Guardsmen were preparing to engage in a rescue attempt of two fishermen lost in a storm. Someone shouted out to them: "Don't go out there. You may never get back." One of the guardsmen replied, "We don't have to get back, but we have to go."

When Pablo Casals reached 95, a young reported threw him a question: “Mr. Casals, you are 95 and the greatest cellist that ever lived. Why do you still practice six hours a day?” And Mr. Casals answered, “Because I think I’m making progress.”

Your goal is to make progress every day of your life.

The ultimate goal of the Holy Spirit’s work in the believer’s life is to produce spiritual maturity reflected in consistent Christlike behavior and attitudes Gal. 5:22-23; Luke 14:25-33; Col. 1:23-29). Therefore, obedience to the Word of God, while not necessary for obtaining eternal salvation from hell, is the essential responsibility of each Christian (Rom. 6:23-23; Heb. 5:13,14; I Cor. 2:14-3:4). However, the Bible does not teach that this obedience will be manifested in all believers. If a believer does not yield to the ministry of the Holy Spirit in his experience, failure will result, evidenced by sinful acts or even prolonged disobedience (I Cor. 10:1-13; Gal. 5:16-21).

A man named Peter stumbled bad

Lost all the love he ever had

Fouled his own soul’s spring

Cursed and swore and all that sort of thing.

He got another chance and then

He reached the goal of God—like me.

A boy goes wrong the same as he

Who fed swine in a far country

He seems beyond the utmost reach

Of hearts that pray, of lips that preach.

Give him another chance and see

How beautiful his life may be.

Paul cast the young man Mark aside

But Barnabas his metal tried

Called out his courage, roused his vim

And made a splendid man of him

Then Paul, near death, longed for a glance

Of Mark who’d had another chance.

King David one dark day, fell down

Lost every jewel from his crown

He had another chance and found

His kingly self, redeemed, recrowned

Now lonely souls and countless throngs

Are lifted by his deathless songs.

For fallen souls—arise, advance

Ours is the God of one more chance.

It has been said a child is not likely to find a Father in God unless he finds something of God in his father.

A Bible school teacher asked her class to draw a picture of God for her. A little boy finished first and said, "I drew a picture of my daddy because I don't know what God looks like, but I know what my dad looks like." (What a great responsibility we fathers have).

It is so important for us to be the kind of parents that will make our children want to honor their father and mother (Eph 6:1-4).

Alila stood on the beach holding her tiny infant son close to her heart. Tears welled in her eyes as she began slowly walking toward the river’s edge. She stepped into the water, silently making her way out until she was waist deep, the water gently lapping at the sleeping baby’s feet. She stood there for a long time holding the child tightly as she stared out across the river. Then all of a sudden in one quick movement she threw the six month old baby to his watery death.

Native missionary M.V. Varghese often witnesses among the crowds who gather at the Ganges. It was he who came upon Alila that day kneeling in the sand crying uncontrollably and beating her breast. With compassion he knelt down next to her and asked her what was wrong.

Through her sobs she told him, “The problems in my home are too many and my sins are heavy on my heart, so I offered the best I have to the goddess Ganges, my first born son.”

Brother Varghese’s heart ached for the desperate woman. As she wept he gently began to tell her about the love of Jesus and that through Him her sins could be forgiven.

She looked at him strangely. “I have never heard that before,” she replied through her tears. “Why couldn’t you have come thirty minutes earlier? If you did, my child would not have had to die.”

Each year millions of people come to the holy Indian city of Hardwar to bathe in the River Ganges. These multitudes come believing this Hindu ritual will wash their sins away. For many people like Alila, missionaries are arriving too late, simply because there aren’t enough of these faithful brothers and sisters on the mission field.

There is ample evidence in the Scriptures that the Godhead is a unity made up of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. We should not feel that it is an insult to our intelligence to expect us to accept this revealed truth of Scripture. Let us be as open to the truth as that converted Indian who gave the following illustration, imperfect though it is, for his belief in the Trinity: "We go down to the river in winter and we see it covered with snow; we chop through the ice and we come to the water. Snow is water, ice is water, water is water; therefore the three are one." In this way, God demonstrates his triune nature through the natural world.

Mrs. Martha Montgomery in her series on “The Godly Woman” gives us a helpful comparison of three related terms.

When the woman was in her unfallen state God appointed her to be subordinate to the man (Gen. 2:18). This was a matter of rank and did not imply any inferiority. It was an honorable position.

So we see, first, a woman is a subordinate.

This is a matter of rank.

It is by God’s appointment.

After the woman had sinned, in her fallen state, God imposed subjection on her (Gen. 3:16).

So second, a woman is in subjection.

This is the matter of her husband’s rule.

It is imposed by God.

In the New Testament the wife is enjoined to come into submission (Eph. 5:22-24) to her husband.

Third, a woman is to be submissive.

This is a matter of inner attitude.

It is to be voluntarily assumed.

The inner attitude is toward the subordination appointed and the subjection imposed in Genesis.

In extrabiblical Greek it was primarily a military term that denoted a rank under another. Literally the verb means to arrange or to rank under.” The word implies a rank subordinate to one who is in authority, to whom obedience and respect are due.

It does not imply an inferiority of person but only subordination in rank. As a person you will be no more inferior to your husband, than the citizen is to his government or Christ is to God. Yet the citizen is subordinate in rank to the governor. Christ in His humanity was subordinate to God the Father. You are to assume volitionally and voluntarily a rank or office under your husband in the administration of your home and family.

It does not justify suppression by your husband but does imply obedience to your husband. Submission does not stifle your leadership, creativity, and initiative as a wife. You may well wonder if it implies that you will make no decisions, offer no argument, participate in no discussions. Absolutely not. What a vanilla wife you would be! What kind of a helper is this? It is not only your right but also your responsibility to function as a partner in this partnership. Every Christian husband should consult his wife as his closest advisor and make decisions with her interests in view. Often responsibilities will be delegated to you requiring important decisions that must be made by you. And yet, when your husband makes decisions, you are responsible to obey. That is submission.

Some of us know wives who do obey but are not truly submissive. A third implication in our New Testament word is that of respect for your husband in his position and for his decisions. A wife who obeys without respect is not in submission. You are to “reverence” (“fear,” Eph. 5:33, same word as in v. 21) your husband. The church’s reverence for Christ is your pattern. You may not agree with the decision in his position as head. The mother who enforces her husband’s rules or disciplines, but lets her children know she does not agree, is not respecting her husband before her children. Such lack of respect is most often seen the use of the tongue. Beware!

A number of years ago there was a popular program called The Goldbergs. In one episode, Jake Goldberg came home for supper and excitedly told his wife, Molly, about a great idea he had. He wanted to go into business. Molly had some money put away, anticipating just such a thing, and she gave it to him. As they sat at the dinner table, enthusiastically discussing the future, Jake said, “Molly, some day we’ll be eating off of golden plates!” Molly looked at him and replied, “Jake, darling, will it taste any better?”

A business man, who had a thousand workers in his employ, was once asked by a preacher, "How are you getting on with your men?" "Oh," he said, "I have no trouble." And that was at a time when there was great trouble in the labor market. "But haven't you had any strikes?" "Oh, no," he said, "I never had any trouble." "What plan do you pursue?" "All my men," he said, "know every year how matters stand. Every little while I call them together and say, 'Now, boys, last year I made so much-this year I made less; so you see I can't pay you as much as I did last year. Now, I want to know what you think I ought to have as a percentage out of this establishment, and what wages I ought to give you. You know I put all my energy into this business, risked everything and put all my fortune into it. What do you really think I ought to have and you ought to have?' By the time we come out of that consultation, we are unanimous; there has never been an exception. When we prosper, we all prosper together; when we suffer, we all suffer together; my men and I share all our problems together."

Remember the story of the Little Red Hen? Here is a church equivalent!

Once upon a time there was a church. One day the Lord found a lost and dying world, enslaved in sin and destined for hell.

"Who will share the gospel with those who know not the way of life eternal?" said He.

"Not I," said the elder.

"Not I," said the deacon.

"Not I," said the Sunday School worker.

"Not I," said the choir member.

"Not I," said the member.

"Very well, then," said the Lord. "I will find someone else." And He did!

After some time the gospel seed sprouted and grew. "Who will teach these young in faith the way of righteousness and truth?" asked the Lord.

"Not I," said the elder. "I have other things to do."

"Not I," said the deacon. "That is not my job."

"Not I," said the choir member. "I do not like the deacon."

"Not I," said the member. "Let the Sunday school worker do it."

"Very well, then," said the Lord. "I will find someone else to teach my Word." And He did!

"Now," said the Lord, "the church has children and teenagers. Who will shepherd and direct them in My ways?"

"Not I," said the elder. "That is not my job."

"Not I," said the deacon. "I do not like the choir member."

"Not I," said the Sunday school worker. "I have other things to do."

"Very well, then," said the Lord. "I will find another." And He did!

Again the Lord said, "The meeting house needs some work. Who will help clean it, mend its roof, paint its walls so that it may bring honor to my name and joy to those who gather there?"

"Not I," said the deacon. "I have other things to do."

"Not I," said the Sunday School worker. "That is not my job."

"Not I," said the member. "Let the deacon do it."

"Very well," said the Lord. "I will find someone else." And He did!

Later the Lord said, "Some of my children are in need. Who will share what is theirs so that others may have?"

"Not I," said the elder. "Let the deacon do it."

"Not I," said the deacon. "Let the Sunday school worker do it."

"Not I," said the Sunday school worker. "Let the choir member do it."

"Not I," said the choir member. "Let the member do it."

"Not I," said the member. "Let the elder do it."

"Very well, then," said the Lord. "I will find someone else." And He did!

Eventually, after the gospel was preached, the weak taught, the young guided, the meeting house repaired, and those in need helped, the Lord said, "Who will share in the joys of Christian service? Who will come taste the blessings of faithfulness? Who will know the fruit of spiritual growth?"

"I will!" said the elder.

"I will!" said the deacon.

"I will!" said the Sunday school worker.

"I will!" said the choir member.

"I will!" said the member.

"No, you will not," replied the Lord. "My rewards will go to those who do My will, not their own."

The Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John

Are read by more than a few,

But the one that is most read and commented on

Is the gospel according to you.

You are writing a gospel, a chapter each day

By the things that you do and the words that you say,

Men read what you write, whether faithless or true,

Say, what is the gospel according to you?

Do men read His truth and His love in your life,

Or has yours been too full of malice and strife?

Does your life speak of evil, or does it ring true?

Say, what is the gospel according to you?

Many years ago the Moody Church News carried a humorous story about a woman in a small town who was know for being a gossip. One day on vacation she visited the offices of The Chicago Daily News. She was wearing a white dress and inadvertently leaned against a wall where a freshly printed copy of the front page was hanging. It was a hot, humid day, and some of the print came off on the back of her white dress.

Later, as she walked down the street to meet her husband, she noticed that people walking behind her were snickering. When she reached the place where her husband was waiting, she asked him if there was anything on her back that shouldn’t be there. As she turned around, he read the large black reversed letters: sweN ylaiD. Realizing the appropriateness of the words, he said, “No, dear, nothing’s on your back that doesn’t belong there.”

When Christian Herter was governor of Massachusetts, he was running hard for a second term in office. One day, after a busy morning chasing votes (and no lunch) he arrived at a church barbecue. It was late afternoon and Herter was famished.

As Herter moved down the serving line, he held out his plate to the woman serving chicken. She put a piece on his plate and turned to the next person in line.

“Excuse me,” Governor Herter said, “do you mind if I have another piece of chicken?”

“Sorry,” the woman told him. “I’m supposed to give one piece of chicken to each person.”

“But I’m starved,” the governor said.

“Sorry,” the woman said again. “Only one to a customer.”

Governor Herter was a modest and unassuming man, but he decided that this time he would throw a little weight around. “Do you know who I am?” he said. “I am the governor of this state.”

“Do you know who I am?” the woman said. “I’m the lady in charge of the chicken. Move along, mister.”

Bishop Beveridge gave a wonderful illustration of one of the names by which God has chosen to call Himself, "I AM": "He does not say, I am their light, their guide, their strength, or tower, but only 'I AM.' He sets, as it were, His hands to a blank, that His people may write under it what they pleased that is good for them. As if He should say: Are they weak? I am strength. Are they poor? I am riches. Are they in trouble? I am comfort. Are they sick? I am health. Are they dying? I am life. Have they nothing? I am all things. I am wisdom and power. I am justice and mercy. I am grace and goodness. I am glory, beauty, holiness, eminency, super-eminency, perfection, all-sufficiency, eternity. Jehovah, I am. Whatever is amiable in itself, or desirable unto them, that I am. Whatsoever is pure and holy, whatsoever is great or pleasant, whatsoever is good or needful to make men happy, that I am."

High in the Canadian Rockies is a rushing stream called Divide Creek. At one point in its course, the waters reach a large boulder.

The water which travels to the left of the boulder rushes down into the Kicking Horse River and finally into the Pacific Ocean.

The water which travels to the right of the large rock makes it down into the Bow River which empties into two more rivers and then into the Atlantic Ocean.

Once the water divides at that boulder, its ultimate destiny is decided. Downstream from that great rock the course cannot be altered. The left side goes to the Pacific and the right side goes to the Atlantic.

Every person meets his divide point. It comes when one decides to accept Christ or to reject Him. This Great Divide determines one's eternal destination and whether that one can have abundant life here on earth.

"He who believes in the Son has eternal life; he who does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God rests upon him" (Joh 3:36 RSV).

We have discovered new worlds in the splitting of the atom. Democritus, the ancient Greek physical philosopher who coined the word "atom," would never have believed it. With our telescopes we find a system in every star, but with our microscopes we find a world in every atom. There surely must be more things that we don't know than those things we do. It is logical, then, to concede that we cannot know the God of the universe in His full essence.

Parker says: "There is a mystery about religion, but there is ten thousand times more mystery without it. There is mystery with the Bible, but there is nothing but mystery without it. There is a mystery of grace; yes, and there is the mystery of sin. Life is a mystery. All that is great touches the mysterious. In proportion as a thing rises from vulgarity and the commonplace, it rises into wondrousness-and the wondrousness is but the first round in the ladder whose head rests upon the infinite mysteries."

The Great Wall of China is a gigantic structure which cost an immense amount of money and labor. When it was finished, it appeared impregnable. But the enemy breached it. Not by breaking it down or going around it. They did it by bribing the gatekeepers.

Why does Paul call all that God bestows upon us "mysteries"? Not because they are myths, but because they are facts that we can neither understand nor explain. As Joseph Parker points out: "We know how easy it is to reduce everything to the mystery of darkness and to suppose that, because we can't see, therefore all things that are declared to be in existence cannot possibly be where they are said to be. When night comes down upon us, and the sea is covered, and the great rocks around our coast are all hidden, what would you think of a man who said, 'There is no sea; there are no rocks; there are no mountains. I deny it; I swear there is no sea!... Why, if there was an ocean, should I not see it? If there were rocks, would I not behold them?' He forgets that he is surrounded by conditions that have obscured from his vision the facts which he so emphatically denies. It should not surprise us that God's actions and providences are mysteries to us. It is natural; it could not be otherwise." "The great must always be a mystery to the little," continues Parker. "The arch must always be a mystery to the column; God must always be a mystery to His creatures. If I could understand all, I should be all. Only the whole can comprehend the whole. Only God can understand God."

There are great abilities that people acquire, cultivate and demonstrate. In the service of God there is one ability that is the greatest ability of all. What is it? Is it sociability, compatibility, accountability, adaptability, or reliability?

The greatest ability is availability. If we are not available to God, no matter what other kind of ability we have, it is no good. Ability without availability is a liability.

What does availability mean? It means to place one's self totally, absolutely, completely at God's disposal for Him to do anything and everything He wants to do in us, through us, with us, for us, when He chooses. Anything less than that is putting restrictions on God and writing fine print in your commitment contract to Jesus Christ.

Ilion Jones writes that “On the great biographer Ida M. Tarbell’s 80th birthday, someone asked her to name the greatest persons she had ever met. She responded, ‘The greatest persons I have ever met are those nobody knows anything about.’

“Once the New York Times was asked to help a group of club women decide on the twelve greatest women in the United States. After due consideration, the editors replied, ‘The twelve greatest women in the United States are women who have never been heard of outside of their own homes.’”

Jones concludes, “I ask you, who was greater, Thomas A. Edison or his mother? When he was a young lad his teacher sent him home with a note which said, ‘Your child is dumb. We can’t do anything for him.’ Mrs. Edison wrote back, ‘You do not understand my boy. I will teach him myself’. And she did, with results that are well known.

For our light affliction...worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. - 2 Corinthians 4:17

If we could ask the apostle Paul what he saw as life’s greatest blessing, I suspect he would answer something like this: “Personal salvation with its provision of the present and the future.” For him, nothing else really mattered. He constantly looked beyond his trials and adversities, sensing the presence of Jesus Christ and rejoicing in the prospect of happiness in heaven with Him.

Romanian pastor Richard Wurmbrand spent 14 years in prison for preaching the gospel. Although his captors smashed four of his vertebrae and either cut or burned 18 holes in his body, they could not defeat him. He testified, “Alone in my cell, cold, hungry, and in rags, I danced for joy every night.” During this time he turned to a fellow prisoner, a man he had led to the Lord before they were arrested, and asked, “Have you any resentment against me that I brought you to Christ?” His response: “I have no words to express my thankfulness that you brought me to the wonderful Savior. I would never have it another way.” These two men exemplify the supernatural joy that can be experienced by believers who live on the edge of death as the result of being severely persecuted.

Salvation, which brings strength for today and hope for tomorrow, lasts forever. Therefore, we don’t have to be defeated by troublesome circumstances. When we know we are saved, we have the assurance that God is at work in our lives, preparing us for the eternal realities of the better world. Yes, salvation is life’s greatest blessing. - H.V.L.

For our light affliction...worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. 2 Corinthians 4:17

If we could ask the apostle Paul what he saw as life’s greatest blessing, I suspect he would answer something like this: “Personal salvation with its provision of the present and the future.” For him, nothing else really mattered. He constantly looked beyond his trials and adversities, sensing the presence of Jesus Christ and rejoicing in the prospect of happiness in heaven with Him.

Romanian pastor Richard Wurmbrand spent 14 years in prison for preaching the gospel. Although his captors smashed four of his vertebrae and either cut or burned 18 holes in his body, they could not defeat him. He testified, “Alone in my cell, cold, hungry, and in rags, I danced for joy every night.” During this time he turned to a fellow prisoner, a man he had led to the Lord before they were arrested, and asked, “Have you any resentment against me that I brought you to Christ?” His response: “I have no words to express my thankfulness that you brought me to the wonderful Savior. I would never have it another way.” These two men exemplify the supernatural joy that can be experienced by believers who live on the edge of death as the result of being severely persecuted.

Salvation, which brings strength for today and hope for tomorrow, lasts forever. Therefore, we don’t have to be defeated by troublesome circumstances. When we know we are saved, we have the assurance that God is at work in our lives, preparing us for the eternal realities of the better world. Yes, salvation is life’s greatest blessing. - H.V.L.

One wet, foggy day a little girl was standing on a street corner in a large city waiting for an opportunity to cross the street. She walked up and down and looked into the faces of those who passed by. Some looked careless, some harsh, some in a hurry; she did not see anyone who made her feel confident. At length an elderly man, tall and erect, yet with a kindly expression, came walking down the street. Looking up into his face she seemed to see the one for whom she had been waiting. She went up to him and asked timidly, "Please, sir, will you help me over?" The old man saw the little girl safely across the street, and when he afterward told the story he said, "That little child's trust was the greatest compliment I ever had in my life."

Dr. G. Campbell Morgan had 4 sons and they were all preachers. Someone once came into the drawing room when all the family was there. They thought they would see what Howard, one of the sons, was made of so they asked him this question: “Howard, who is the greatest preacher in your family?” Howard had a great admiration for his father and he looked straight across at him and then without a moments hesitation he answered, “Mother.”

If the only tool you have is a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail.

I have a glove here in my hand. The glove cannot do anything by itself, but when my hand is in it, the glove can do many things. True, it is not the glove, but my hand in the glove that acts. The Christian is a glove. It is the Holy Spirit in us, the hand, who does the work. We have to make room for the hand so that every finger in the glove is filled.

When our Lord was here on earth, He frequently ministered to man's needs with His hands. He broke the loaves and the fishes to feed a hungry multitude. He made clay and rubbed it on the eyes of a blind man to give him sight. He touched an unclean leper in the act of cleansing him. He said to Thomas, "Behold My hands." One day we, too, shall behold them.

The story is told of a young girl whose mother was very beautiful-all except her hands, which were shriveled and scarred and hideous. Although the child was long reluctant to speak about them, the time came when she asked her mother how her hands became so marred.

The mother told her how their house caught fire when the girl was very little. The mother rushed upstairs to the room where the girl was sleeping in her crib, and with the help of the Lord was able to carry the babe downstairs and outside without being harmed. But in doing so, the mother's hands were terribly burned.

This brought sobs to the child as she said, "O Mother, you know I've always loved you-especially your face, your smile, your eyes. But better than all, now I love your hands."

The One who left heaven's glory and became flesh for us bears in His compassionate hands the scars of His sacrifice on our behalf. His hands will be an eternal reminder of His love.

How bless'd Thy creature is, O God,

When with a single eye,

He views the lustre of Thy Word,

The dayspring from on high!

Through all the storms that veil the skies

And frown on earthly things,

The Sun of Righteousness he eyes,

With healing on His wings.

Struck by that light, the human heart,

A barren soil no more,

Sends the sweet smell of grace abroad,

Where serpents lurk'd before.

The soul, a dreary province once

Of Satan's dark domain,

Feels a new empire form'd within,

And owns a heavenly reign.

The glorious orb whose golden beams

The fruitful year control,

Since first obedient to Thy Word,

He started from the goal,

Has cheer'd the nations with the joys

His orient rays impart;

But, Jesus, 'tis Thy light alone

Can shine upon the heart.

What our Savior wanted to teach by the analogy of the eye and the lamp is that everything we see depends on the condition of the lamp. If the lamp is dim, we won't see very clearly. If our eye is dim, diseased, the whole body will be darkened. Similarly, if the lamp is burning brightly, we see things as they are. We recognize the books upon the table and the photographs upon the wall. But if the lamp is flickering or smoky, everything is distorted or obscured; so it is with the eye. If we are color-blind, we cannot see the glorious redness of the rose. If we are nearsighted, we cannot see the friend who is signaling to us from a little distance. If we suffer from impending cataracts, we cannot clearly distinguish a friend sitting next to us. Still, the rose is red, though we cannot see it in our color blindness. Still, the friend is waving to us or seated by our side. There is nothing the matter with reality. The trouble is that we are seeing badly. Now the Lord tells us that the eye can be either single (healthy), or it can be evil. As the eye brings good or evil impressions to the body so the heart of man is that organ by which the spiritual self is enlightened. The heart can be single or evil.

If only there were evil people somewhere insidiously committing evil deeds, and it were necessary only to separate them from the rest of us and destroy them. But the line dividing good and evil cuts through the heart of every human being. And who is willing to destroy a piece of his own heart?

That great English preacher, Joseph Parker, once said, "The divinity of the Son of God is not proved merely in proportions. I think that he who believes in the divinity of Christ has all history, etymology, and philosophy on his side. My dependence is not founded upon the construction of a phrase or the mood and tense of a verb, and yet we have nothing to fear from that side. I rely upon His moral reach and spiritual compass. When He touched my soul into life, I did not call for a Greek grammar, Hebrew lexicon, or volumes of encyclopedias, to find how the thing stood. I believe because 'once I was blind, and now I see.' The heart is sometimes a better interpreter than the understanding. What better proof do I want? 'He has redeemed my life from destruction.' "