Echoes of Grace: 1981

January—the start of a new year. It is the un-trampled snow, the clean sheet of paper, the "new leaf", and—"This year will be better," we promise ourselves.

But what do we mean by better?

Materially? That new house at last—the raise so long over-due—the old car traded in for a new one?

Physically? To go for that postponed medical checkup? To get more rest—more exercise—to take a real vacation this year?

Or—spiritually? Have you thought of that? While busy working and planning for things to make life more comfortable or to live longer on the earth, have you taken time to care for your eternal future?

If God should say to you, "This year thou shalt die," have you seen to a home for your soul? Jesus said, "In My Father's house are many mansions... I go to prepare a place for you." Have you a place there? Have you listened to His voice saying, "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me"? And have you come to the Father by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ?

If you have not done this, remember that now is the only time you are sure of. Won't you make sure that if this should be your last year on earth, it will also be the beginning of a new life with Christ in glory?

"For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away: but the word of the Lord endureth forever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you." 1 Peter 1:24, 25.

Hurricane Allen

"O give thanks unto the LORD, for He is good: for His mercy endureth forever." Psalm 107:1.

Hurricane Allen was one of the most dangerous storms ever to threaten the Texas coast. With its swirling winds as high as 170 mph, it was predicted to be "the storm of the century." A number of tornadoes spun off from the main hurricane, accompanied by torrential rains. As he viewed the fury of the approaching storm, a weatherman in Brownsville was so awed that he ended his teletyped weather advisory with a prayer:

"May God help us!"

Did God help?

The director of the National Hurricane Center describes how "Allen" slowed its forward speed just enough before it hit land: "We had a very delicate race yesterday. If the storm had moved in to land sooner, it would have hit southern Texas with much more force, and if the landfall had come later, Allen could have raked northward along the entire Texas coast. It was like a hurricane with eyes. Every time it threatened a populated area, there was a little zig in the track."

What did the headlines say? "LUCK saved Texas!"

"The LORD... commandeth, and raiseth the stormy wind, which lifteth up the waves... Then they cry unto the LORD in their trouble, and He bringeth them out of their distresses. He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still. Then are they glad because they be quiet... Oh, that men would praise the LORD for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men!" Psalm 107:24, 25, 28-31.

In just the same way that Hurricane Allen threatened the Texas coastal cities, we are threatened by the storm of judgment against sin. God has warned us of this judgment, and He has provided a way that we can be saved from it. Will you trust in "LUCK" to save you? Or will you trust in the mercy of the Lord? Because "Christ died for our sins," God offers salvation to all who will believe on the Lord Jesus.

Saved Twice

On July 9, 1960, Robert Woodward had a unique experience. On that never-to-be-forgotten afternoon he was in a small boat with a friend, some distance above Niagara Falls. Their motor stopped, and when they attempted to row the boat against the swift current a wave capsized it. They were thrown into the fast-moving waters. His friend disappeared and drowned, but Roger was carried by the torrent over the 162 foot precipice.

Below the falls the "Maid of the Mist" was on her usual run taking tourists to see the awe-inspiring spectacle of the falls at close range. Suddenly the captain saw an object floating on the churning waters, and heard a voice crying for help. A life preserver was thrown toward him, he seized it, and was taken safely aboard.

This remarkable experience was published all over the world in newspapers and magazines. He is the only person known to have survived going over Niagara Falls without any other protection than a life jacket, and we can only believe that it was God's intervention which saved him from certain death.

About a year later, again in July, this young boy was saved again. This time it was not published abroad, because the world is not interested in the salvation of a soul from eternal wrath and ruin. On hearing the gospel of God's wonderful love and grace to mankind, young Roger Woodward received that word into his heart by faith—faith in Christ Jesus—and was saved. As he expressed it later, "I guess the Lord saved me the first time so that I could be saved the second time."

This story should speak forcibly to all of us. We all enjoy reading a thrilling account of a person saved from physical danger and death, but this is not nearly so important as it is to be saved from our sins and their terrible penalty.

Reader, if unsaved, you are surely drifting toward a worse place than Niagara Falls. But it is possible to know that you are saved once and for all-for time and eternity. This is the sure Word of God. Can words be plainer than these: "He that heareth My word, and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life." John 5:24. These are the words of the Lord Jesus Christ, and they mean exactly what they say.

None of us know how many times our lives have been spared, how many "close calls" we have had, or how many accidents have been averted, but we may be sure that God's reason for preserving our lives thus far has been that we might be saved eternally from our sins and their consequences.

Do not put off the most important thing in life. The Lord has come to "seek and to save that which was lost." Luke 19:10. If we but turn to Him, owning that we are sinners before God, and trust Christ as our Savior, we shall find what Roger Woodward and countless others have found: all our sins are forgiven, and we are saved for time and eternity.

Reading the Hand and the Heart

"You ought to have been here five minutes ago."

"Why, what happened?"

"We had a palmist in and she read my hand. It was great fun."

I listened to the conversation between the good-natured shop-keeper and her friend, and when my turn came to be served at the counter I remarked, "So you have had your hand read; was it a good reading?"

"Great!" she replied. "She said I had a good business hand and I should make a lot of money. But it was just a joke; how can they tell what's going to happen to you? Do you believe in it?"

"No, it does not appeal to me" I said. "I should think these people are mostly just good guessers. But did you ever have your heart read?"

She looked at me suspiciously and said: "My heart read—what do you mean?"

"Well, I mean that it does not matter much what sort of hand you've got. Everything depends on having your heart read correctly. Did you ever meet the great Heart-reader? Nobody but the Lord can look into your heart, and the Bible says, 'I the LORD search the heart... to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings."'

Now, that is the important thing for us all. A palmist might read our hands and promise us a great future, but he could not insure it to us. God reads the heart, tells the truth about it, and makes promises to those who listen to what He says—and He is able to fulfill every promise that He makes. But we must begin with the heart-reading. In this matter all are alike, and here is the reading: "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? I the LORD." Jer. 17:9, 10.

When the Lord Jesus came to earth He gave the same reading in terrible detail. He said: "Out of the heart of men proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: all these evil things come from within, and defile the man." Mark 7:21-23.

What must be done? "YE MUST BE BORN AGAIN!" Nothing else will do. And that comes about by the Word of God. Believe the word as to your own sinful heart, and then believe the word about God's heart.

His heart is full of love, for "God is love," and He "commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8. That was the only way by which we could be changed, converted, cleansed. "The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin." 1 John 1:7.

God’s X-Rays

God has His spiritual X-rays!

"The Lord looketh on the heart." 1 Samuel 16:7. "His eyes behold, His eyelids try, the children of men." Psalm 11:4.

"Thou understandest my thoughts afar off." Psalm 139:2.

"I the LORD search the heart." Jeremiah 17:10. God's X-rays reveal all. And if sin is not blotted out, the "plates" as it were will come up for judgment. No one can play with sin; it is a dreadful reality. God knows what we desire, think, or imagine. He will bring every work into judgment. As cancer is shown up by X rays, so your hidden sin will come to light at God's investigation. "Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him?" Jeremiah 23:24.

God's X rays cannot lie. Nothing escapes His notice. Nothing is too small for His piercing investigation. Neither you nor I can blur it out, or blot it out. But, "the blood of Jesus Christ, His Son cleanseth us from all sin." 1 John 1:7.

There is a hope, a sure hope; there is only one, all else fails. Confess your sin, and let the precious blood of Jesus Christ, God's Son, wash you whiter than snow. Then there is "peace with God," which abides forever.

The very One who knew all your guilt has provided complete salvation at infinite cost. It is grace triumphant. "Where sin abounded, grace did much more abound." Romans 5:20.

"There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus." Romans 8:1.

God Is Speaking to Me

A well-dressed man stood listening at an open-air meeting in Mexico City. At last he turned abruptly to a Christian near him.

"I cannot resist any longer. Some weeks ago I picked up a tract which had this message," and he quoted John 3:16.

"Last week I was given a Gospel of John, and these same words stood out as if they were in heavy type. And now this man," pointing to the open-air speaker, "is making me hear the same message. God is speaking to me!"

Then and there he accepted God's offer of salvation and rejoiced in knowing that he had "passed from death unto life."

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16.

The “Open Door”

We read in Genesis, chapter seven, that "the windows of heaven were opened" and for what? So that God might pour down on this earth a terrible flood of judgment because of the sin in the world. So great was that judgment that "All flesh died... and every man."

Was no man saved? Yes, Noah and seven others. Why were they saved? Because they went into the refuge God had provided—the ark, and He shut them in. But, do you know that our hearts are just as sinful today, as were the hearts of those people who lived in Noah's day? And God says that if we do not believe in the Refuge He has provided, His wrath abides on us. (John 3:36)

Now let us look at Acts 7:56 and read what Stephen said: "Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God." The Lord Jesus had laid aside His glory, and had come down to this earth. On the cross God laid on Jesus the sins of all who believe on Him, and there He bore the storm of God's wrath and judgment against sin. Then by receiving Him back into glory, God showed how fully satisfied He was that Christ had finished the work that put away our sins; for He could not be there in the presence of a holy God if one sin had remained upon Him.

One more scene. In Revelation, chapter four, we read, "A door was opened in heaven," and in chapter five John tells us he saw a company gathered round One who was as a Lamb "as it had been slain," and they sang, "Thou art worthy... for Thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God." Revelation 5:9.

And now can you say that though by nature a sinner, and among those on whom God's judgment must fall, yet you have trusted in the Refuge He has provided? If so, you will be in that company in the glory, who sing the praises of the Lamb of God who "loved me, and gave Himself for me."

"In the Refuge God provided
Though the world's destruction lowers,
We are safe, to Christ confided,
Everlasting life is ours.

And ere long when come to glory,
We shall sing the well-known strain,
This the never-tiring Story,
Worthy is the Lamb once slain."

Where to Rest

Nothing can be lasting that is not built on God alone. How can you have settled peace? You can only have it in God's way, by not resting on anything, even the Spirit's work, within yourselves, but on what Christ has done entirely without you. Then you will know peace. You will be conscious of your own unworthiness, but full of peace.

In Christ alone, God finds that in which He can rest, and so it is with believers. The more you see the extent of the evil that is within, as well as that without and around, the more you will find that what Jesus is, and what Jesus did, is the only ground at all on which you can rest.

Our Living Souls

Scientists tell us that we renew our bodies every seven years; old cells are thrown off and new cells are formed. Yet our individuality remains. Unlike the body, the soul is not composed of parts which dissolve or disintegrate, but it lives on—on into eternity.

Looking into scripture we find out how this came about. "And God said, Let us (God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit) make man in our image, after our likeness." Genesis 1:26. Then further in Genesis 2:7, "And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul."

How solemn then to think that the soul of each one of us will soon be in one of two places: either heaven or hell. Sin has come in, and "the soul that sinneth, it shall die." Ezekiel 18:4. God is a holy God, and cannot pass by sin. "And it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment." Hebrews 9:27.

Is there an escape then from this judgment? Yes, "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners." 1 Timothy 1:15. "Jesus... who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame." Hebrews 12:2. "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus." Romans 8:1.

Time is short, the day of grace will soon be over. If you are not saved when the Lord comes back, you will be lost forever.

"Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation."

2 Corinthians 6:2.

Profit or Loss?

What will it profit, when life here is o'er,
Though great worldly wisdom I gain,
If, seeking knowledge, I utterly fail
The wisdom of God to obtain?

What will it profit, when life here is o'er,
Though gathering riches and fame,
If, gaining the world, I lose my own soul,
And in heaven unknown is my name?

What will it profit, when life here is o'er,
Though earth's farthest corners I see,
If, going my way, and doing my will,
I miss what His love planned for me?

What will it profit, when life here is o'er,
Though earth's fleeting love has been mine,
If, seeking its gifts, I fail to secure
The riches of God's love divine?

What will it profit? My soul, stop and think
What balance that day will declare!
Life's record laid bare, will gain turn to loss,
And leave me at last to despair?

"What shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?" Mark 8:36.

A Bushman’s Prayer

A poor Bushman in South Africa worked for a God-fearing Hollander. He, with other workers, was daily present at the reading of God's Word and prayer. One day Luke 18 was the portion to be read—the parable of the Pharisee and the publican. The Hollander read: "Two men went up into the temple to pray."

The Bushman listened intently. "Perhaps," he whispered to himself, "perhaps I may now learn how to pray."

The Hollander did not hear him and read on: "God, I thank Thee, that I am not as other men."

Here the poor man whispered: "This is not me! I can't pray like that. I am worse than everybody else."

The reader went on: "I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess."

"I don't do that. I can't pray like that! Oh, what shall I do?", the unhappy man said to himself.

After this followed the description of the publican's attitude and prayer. He "standing afar off"—

"That's me," said the Bushman audibly, "that's where I stand!"—"would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven," continued the Hollander.

"That's me again," said the poor man.

The reader continued: "But smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner!"

Here the deeply touched Bushman could restrain himself no longer, but cried in a loud voice: "That is me, and that is my prayer!"

He smote his breast and cried in the anguish of his soul: "Yes, God be merciful to me, a sinner!"

His distress of soul, and his cry for mercy were not in vain. He soon found peace in believing. God gave him the knowledge of the forgiveness of sins, and he received eternal life—God's free gift to those who believe on His Son.

How is it with you who read this? You may say daily with your lips: "God be merciful to me a sinner," and find no relief. But have you said it from your heart? Have you seen yourself as God sees you? Do you feel unworthy even to lift up your eyes to heaven? Then your cry will be heard, and you will find the rest He has promised to all who truly come unto God by Him.

"For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." Romans 10:13.

By Grace

Grace offers to us "the grace of God that bringeth salvation... to all men." Titus 2:11. It does not ask man to bring works of righteousness to God. "For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost." Luke 19:10. But too often the awakened sinner seems to feel that the Savior must be brought to him by his own effort.

Who would tell the sick man to run for the doctor? What nurse would tell the weak infant to feed itself? And has not God shown His pity by bringing His salvation to us? And has not the Lord Jesus manifested His love to sinners by coming into this world to save them?

"God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8. "I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly." John 10:10.

Taking God at His Word

How wonderful is the story of salvation, if accepted just as it is in simple faith! I was preaching the gospel as simply and faithfully as I could in a little fishing village. One night, among the inquirers who remained after the close of the meeting was a young man about twenty years old. During the address I had noticed his earnest gaze fixed on my face as each word seemed to go straight to his heart. Going up to him, I said: "Do you know Jesus as your Savior?"

"I never heard the likes before," he exclaimed. He added eagerly, "Oh, tell me more about Him."

I talked to him about the Lord Jesus as simply as I would have spoken to a child. He was ignorant indeed; but the Holy Spirit had convinced his conscience of the true nature of sin and had touched his heart with a sense of the amazing love of God.

This young man was able to grasp at once the most blessed of all truths—that Christ, the Son of God, had died for him. The beauty and majesty of the Person of the One who died for him captivated his heart. "I'll take Him at His word," he said happily, as we rose to leave. He accompanied me far on my way home, and we still spoke of Him who is the chiefest among ten thousand, the altogether lovely One.

It was the first time this young fisherman had heard about Jesus, and he had never before been to a meeting where God's people met. He gladly accepted Christ as His Savior, and went on his way rejoicing in Him.

"God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8.

A Nurse's Story

As a Christian nurse I had been longing for some special message to carry for Jesus, when I was ordered to duty in a new ward.

Passing along later by the bedsides I observed a poor girl who had, along with other ailments, a very bad heart condition. She was reading a book; but seeing a new nurse approaching, she laid it down upon the bed. I picked it up and read: "Food for the Children of God." I expressed pleasure to see her reading such a book, and she said it was indeed very good.

"Are you one of God's children?" I asked.

"Oh, no!" she replied. "I am not able to say that; I wish I were."

I had time for only a few words, but I tried to encourage her to seek first to come to Christ as her Savior, for then she could fully enjoy the "food" as her own.

Later on I had to give her her medicine. When she had taken it I said: "If you could take Christ as easily as you have taken this medicine, would you not do it?"

"Oh, yes," she said, "I wish I could."

"You can," I said. 'The gift of God is eternal life.' He will give it to you; He longs to bless and save you."

I had no opportunity to visit that ward again until many days later. My sick friend was much weaker. I slipped in, and approached her bed. She at once recognized me, and putting her arms around my neck as I bent over her, she said: "Oh, nurse, I've got it! I am not afraid to die now!"

"What have you got?" I asked.

"Eternal life! And I shall never perish. No one can pluck me out of His hands." Then she added: "Nurse, I have you to thank."

I stopped her by saying: "Both you and I have to thank God, for it is He who loved us, and gave His only begotten and well-beloved Son, that we might have eternal life through Him."

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16.

Two Doors

There are two doors—one open, the other closed. The open door is the door of salvation which is thrown wide open for everyone to enter in—it cannot be more widely opened. It is for "whosoever will" to approach and enter. Christ says, "I am the door: by Me if any man enter in, he shall be saved." John 10:9. At present it has no bolt, no bar, no lock, and no hindrance. The road to it is clear, the way is plain. Everyone may come. Welcome awaits him. Mercy is now free to all.

But there is another door—a closed one. That is the sinner's heart—barred, bolted and locked. At this door Christ is knocking! "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock." Revelation 3:20. What a picture! The Savior of sinners is waiting outside, entreating to be let in!

Now, while Christ is knocking outside your heart, you are the one that must open the door and let Him in. Christ is willing to come in and save you; but on you rests the responsibility of receiving salvation for yourself. Christ does not force His way in. If you refuse to admit Him, the blame of your eternal punishment rests upon you. You have to open your door, or you must bear the future consequences.

Soon the open door will be closed, the Master of the house having risen up and shut it. Then "Too late!" "Too late!" The days of free grace to you will then have expired.

Remember, you are either saved or lost. There is no middle ground. You should face that fact at once. Delays are dangerous. Have you accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior?

"He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him." John 3:36.

What Is Your Choice?

A great multitude of Jews were gathered and were called to make a choice.

"Therefore when they were gathered together, Pilate said unto them, Whom will ye that I release unto you? Barabbas, or Jesus which is called Christ?" Matthew 27:17.

It was Pilate's custom to release to them a prisoner yearly at their feast. He now presents to them a choice; which would it be: Barabbas, or Christ? One was a robber and a murderer; the other the spotless Son of God.

They themselves had borne witness of Jesus that "never man spake like this Man." But oh, the hatred of the human heart! They demanded Barabbas! They chose a man they feared and dreaded rather than Jesus, who had come to save them.

What is your choice? Is it nothing to you that Christ suffered and died upon that cruel cross? Do you not know that it was for you, that your sins might be forgiven if you believe on Him? Think of the love of God in giving His only Son to suffer in your stead.

"God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8.

By nature your heart is the same today as the heart of the Jews was when they chose Barabbas. It may be covered by a veneer of civilization, but it is not changed. If you were in such a crowd you too would cry, "Crucify Him!" You too would reject Him and choose Barabbas, unless He has won your love.

Dear one, will you not accept the Lord Jesus as your Savior now?

"Now is the day of salvation." 2 Corinthians 6:2. Tomorrow may be too late—the door of time may be shut. May God give you to see the immense importance of your choice, for on your choice depends your everlasting destiny.

If you believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, then life eternal will be yours. If you reject or neglect Him, then you must be forever banished from His presence.

We would again urge you to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and be saved; then you will be able to sing: "My heart is fixed, eternal God, Fixed on Thee; And my immortal choice is made; Christ for me!"

A Pardon Refused

Nearly a hundred and fifty years ago a man named George Wilson was sentenced to be hanged for robbing the United States mails and for murder. Andrew Jackson, who was then President, sent him a pardon. Wilson, however, refused it and insisted that it was not a pardon unless he accepted it.

The attorney general said that the law was silent on this point, and the matter was referred to the Supreme Court. Chief Justice Marshall gave the following decision: "A pardon is a paper, the value of which depends on its acceptance by the person implicated. It is hardly to be supposed that one under sentence of death would refuse to accept a pardon, but if it is refused it is no pardon. George Wilson must be hanged!" And he was.

What folly was it that could have induced Wilson to refuse the pardon that meant life and liberty to him? I do not know. But it was no greater folly than that which leads thousands to refuse, day after day, the pardon that is freely offered them by God. Men need to be pardoned because they are offenders against God. Sin is a dreadful offense in His sight; and all have sinned. ALL, therefore, need a pardon. None can earn it, for men are not only sinners, but "without strength."

"For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly." Romans 5:6.

But the Lord is "not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." God has not left us to perish without hope. On the ground of the atonement wrought by His own Son, He offers a free pardon to all. However, that pardon, if not accepted, will not avail. Do not, I beg you, let this priceless pardon slip from you through indifference or stubbornness of heart.

"He came unto His own, and His own received Him not. But as many as received Him, to them gave the power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His Name." John 1:11, 12.

After Death?

The end of man is not death, for after death is the judgment, but man seldom glances forward even to the first hour after his spirit has left his body. How few can say what that hour will be to them! A thick darkness hangs over the last moments of their lives; a darkness thicker still over eternity.

But the Christian's joy is to look onward and, in the words of the Bible, to say what eternity will be for him: "With Christ; which is far better." Phil. 1:23.

I Always Meant to Be Saved

"I am lost! I am lost! But I always meant to be saved!" These were the last words heard from one who had to meet death suddenly when his boat upset on one of the Great Lakes.

How many others will say the same? "I always meant to be saved" must be the final words of many a dying soul who has put off acceptance of God's mercy until too late.

God freely forgives the repentant sinner who comes to Him, but Satan's whisper too often prevails: "Time enough—death for you is a long way off." And, with the fullest intention of being saved sometime, it is put off for the present. Then days, weeks, months, and years pass quickly by, and at last death comes to claim its victim.

Oh, if only there had been the turning to God for His forgiveness before it was too late! Now there is only a lost eternity, the going "forth into a night of sorrow, a stranger ever to His saving grace."

"How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation?" Hebrews 2:3.

Now, NOW is the time to turn to God; you may never have a tomorrow. Oh, the terrible risk of "I always meant to be saved," resulting in "I am lost—it is too late!"

Trying to Enter the Wrong Door

A man who had for a long time been anxious about his soul obtained peace with God through hearing a gospel address by Robert M'Cheyne. At the close of the service he went to tell him the good news. The joy of the Lord so filled his soul and caused his face to glow, that Mr. M'Cheyne asked: "How did you get it?"

He replied, "All the time I have been trying to enter by the SAINT'S DOOR; but while you were speaking I saw my mistake and entered in at the SINNER'S DOOR."

This is what many are doing. They desire to enter by the saint's door, instead of the sinner's door. They try to give up this, that, and the other sin and bad habit. They vow and resolve that they will do differently in the future from what they have done in the past. In other words, they are seeking to better themselves and make themselves fit for God's presence. All the while they are turning their back on the door by which they are to enter.

The Lord Jesus did not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance. He came to seek and to save that which was lost (Luke 19:10). So long as you seek to do, or to bring some good thing of your own for salvation, you will find a closed door. Come as you are. Come to Jesus with your sins, and accept the sinner's Savior. YOUR NEED IS YOUR CLAIM. Come to Christ as a sinner—not as a saint.

"I am the door: by Me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture." John 10:9.

"And him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out." John 6:37.

What Must I Do to Be Saved?

Nothing, either great or small,
Nothing, sinner, no;."
Jesus did it, did it all;
Long, long ago.

When He from His lofty throne
Stooped to do and die,
Everything was fully done;
Hearken to His cry—

"IT IS FINISHED!" Yes, indeed!
Finished every jot.
Sinner, this is all you need;
Tell me, is it not?

Weary, working, burdened one,
Wherefore toil you so?
Cease your doing; all was done
Long, long ago.

Till to JESUS' WORK you cling,
By a simple. faith,
"Doing" is a deadly thing—
"Doing" ends in death.

Cast your deadly "doing" down—
Down at Jesus' feet
Stand “IN HIM," in Him alone,
Gloriously "COMPLETE!"

Is the Bible Out of Date?

A great many people seem to think that the Bible is a book that has become out of date; that it is of no use to us now because circumstances have changed since the days when it was written; that we do not need to pay any attention to its warnings because they are old-fashioned.

People say, "How can such an old book have any application to our modem difficulties and needs?" Read the following, and see for yourself how really up to date the Bible is. Consider whether any man-made book could have predicted with so much accuracy, all these things.

"Ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars." Matt. 24:6. This needs no comment.

"Great earthquakes... and famines, and pestilences." Luke 21:11. The great prevalence of these in recent years is certainly very significant.

"In the last days perilous times shall come." 2 Tim. 3:1-13. This gives a perfect picture of today. Read it for yourself.

"No hire for man..." Zech. 8:10. Is the employment situation getting better?

"Upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity." Luke 21:25. Big nations and little ones in commotion—all in "distress, with perplexity."

"Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth." Luke 21:26.

"False prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many." Matt. 24:11. New cults arise daily.

Spiritism and demon worship: "Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils." 1 Tim. 4:1. The growth of this dangerous cult has been unprecedented.

All true—all up to date—all NOW. But just as true—just as up to date—is "NOW" is the day of salvation." God's message to us has not changed: "If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." Romans 10:9.

My Hope for Eternity

"Because the sinless Savior died
My sinful soul is counted free;
For God the Just is satisfied
To look on Him and pardon me."

The moment anyone believes on Christ, he obtains eternal life and the forgiveness of all his sins. We are not saved through what we do for Christ, but through what He did for us. "All that believe are justified from all things." Acts 13:39. God justifies ungodly sinners who believe on the Lord Jesus. (Romans 4:5).

He Satisfieth the Longing Soul

A young immigrant from Yugoslavia, with skillfully dancing feet but heavy heart, entertained the pleasure-mad crowds in Hollywood, California. He could entertain the crowd, but could not satisfy his own heart. As he grew into manhood, he tried to find satisfaction in a round of gaiety, but in vain. All only proved the truth of the words of Solomon: "All is vanity and vexation of spirit." Eccles. 1:14.

An actor with whom he had worked had seen the young fellow's dissatisfied air and had given him a Bible. It was at once diligently read, and his memory went back to childhood days. He remembered his old grandmother in Yugoslavia secretly reading a Bible which had been given to her. She had taught him that it was God's Word and ought to be heeded. Day after day he read a portion, groping in spiritual darkness and longing for the light to stream in.

One day he saw in a paper, an announcement of evening Bible classes. He at once enrolled, but somehow was never questioned as to his own spiritual condition. No one knew or guessed the anguished longing of his soul.

He heard for the first time in his life the sweet gospel story, and it wonderfully soothed his troubled spirit. It was the dawning of a new day for the Hollywood dancer.

A few weeks later all the Bible class, the day students as well as the evening class, were invited to have dinner together. Someone then started a hymn in which all joined:

"What a friend we have in Jesus,
All our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry
Everything to God in prayer."

The arrow found its mark. The young Hollywood entertainer covered his face with his hands and silently and earnestly prayed: "Oh, my God, help me to find that friend."

Has He ever refused to hear such a cry? Never. "He satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness." Psalm 107:9.

That very night another young man asked him to go with him to some meetings where the gospel was preached. There, in simple faith, he believed and accepted the work which Christ had accomplished on the cross for him, and was wonderfully saved.

His joy in believing was overwhelming. He had danced for a Hollywood audience for the last time. No longer would he enjoy "the pleasures of sin for a season," nor contribute to such fleeting enjoyment for others. Why? He had found "something more than gold," and his heart was filled with love to Him whose favor is more to be desired than much fine gold.

Perhaps you who read this have tried the world only to find like this young man how unsatisfying its pleasures are. Will you not turn to that blessed Savior who said: "Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest"? Matthew 11:28.

"Him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out." John 6:37.

The Best Thing in the World

"My friend, can you tell me what is the best thing in this world?"

So spoke a servant of Christ, as he placed his hand lovingly on the shoulder of a young man. The man turned around; and looking into the face of the Christian, said: "Yes, sir, I can. I know what is the best thing in this world." Then slowly and feelingly, the man's answer came. "The best thing in this world, sir, is to be ready for the next."

Reader, is there a better thing than that? Are you ready? Ready for glory and eternal blessedness with Christ in heaven? Thank God, there is such a thing as being ready, and such a thing as knowing it, too.

But are you ready? If not, do you want to be ready? Do you long to be ready now? Then turn to God. Repent now. Now "confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus"; own that you are a guilty sinner; accept the blood of Jesus Christ shed for your sins, and you will be saved—now.

They Put It in Writing

Once Mr. Spurgeon, in the course of a sermon, suggested that every one of his hearers when they got home should write a truthful description of himself, in the fewest possible words—either, "Thomas Jones, lost," or, "Henry Williams, saved." "If you see it in writing, it may startle and impress you," he said.

A Christian woman, who was present, determined to act upon his advice. When she and her family were seated around the table in their home, she brought out a pen and notepaper, and said, "I want to tell you what Mr. Spurgeon said in his sermon today."

The father, who was reading his Sunday newspaper, looked up for a moment to watch the preparations, but when he heard Mr. Spurgeon's name mentioned, he went on reading.

"Mr. Spurgeon asked us all," continued his wife bravely, although with a beating heart, "to write our names on a sheet of paper, and to put 'saved' or `lost' after them, and to be quite truthful about it."

Mr. Mitchell took hold of the poker, and with a good deal of unnecessary noise, banged the coals about in the grate.

Meanwhile, his wife was writing. She wrote at the top of the page, "Sarah Mitchell, saved." Then she handed the paper to her eldest daughter, who had been with her to hear Mr. Spurgeon. She took the paper, and wrote under her mother's name, "Lucy Mitchell, saved." It was now Harry's turn.

Mother was anxious about Harry. She longed that he might be a Christian, but she did not know whether or not he had accepted Christ as his Savior. How her heart trembled when he took up the pen!

When with a steady hand, and without a moment's hesitation, he wrote, "Harry Mitchell, saved," her heart was filled with joy. The good woman wiped her eyes, and looked as only a mother can look at her eldest son, who had thus boldly taken his stand on the side of the Lord.

Baby, as they called the youngest, had learned to love Jesus at the Sunday School. She could make capital letters, and wanted to add her name. Some of the letters were large and some small, and she made a blot on the paper, but when it was handed to the mother, she read, "Alice Mitchell, saved." That was the whole family, except the father, who was reading the paper.

George Mitchell was at least an honest man, and a kind father. The children were not in the least afraid of him, even when he somewhat gruffly said, "Pass the paper to me."

"Hand me the pen, Harry," he added, a moment later. "It's all trash, but I might as well join in the game."

So he wrote under the other names, "George Mitchell, I—"

Before he could add another letter to that "I", his wife seized his arm, and cried out, "George! You shall never write that."

Then the children all joined in, shouting out, "No, no, dear father, you must not write that. You shall not write that!"

Father tried in a good-humored way to shake himself free. He tried to laugh, in a nervous, forced way, at the whole thing. But as they all stood and cried, and pleaded, he broke down and fell on his knees beside his wife and children, confessing his sins, and accepted the Lord Jesus as his Savior, and was able to write, "George Mitchell, saved."

What joy there was in the family that night-all loving the Savior, and on the way to heaven!

"But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through His name." John 20:31.

It's Only a Tract

"It's only a tract": you may tear it
And crumble it up in your hand;
The wind as it passes may rend it,
And scatter it over the land.

But tarry now just for a moment,
And read its life-giving story;
Its truths are to you most important,
It may be your guide to glory.

It points to your substitute, dying,
The Savior for sinners like you;
Repent and on Him then relying,
By faith prove He's loving and true.

It is but a tract, but its warnings
And truths are from Jesus' own voice;
And as you reject or accept Him
You'll make Hell or Heaven rejoice.

Did You Hear What Happened?

Time for mid-morning coffee! I joined my usual coffee pal in the cafeteria of the big corporation for which we worked. It was Monday morning, and the talk turned to a weekend drowning in a neighboring river.

"I can't understand how anyone can drown in that little old river!" exclaimed my friend.

He was well acquainted with this river, as he spent most of his weekends in its recreation area. He was a likeable chap; athletic, and a good swimmer. He should know whether it was safe or not.

A week later Monday rolled around again. My friend was missing when I went for coffee. Another worker joined me. "Did you hear what happened?"

My heart sank. Yes, my fears proved true. Our friend, who liked to swim in that "little old river," had drowned in it the day before!

It could not have been because the river was either deep or swift. It was not. Nor could anyone say our friend couldn't swim. He had won many swimming and diving contests. Then why had he drowned? An autopsy showed he had been stricken with sudden cramps while in the water. That "little old river" had claimed another victim.

In principle, the same thing could happen to you or to me! We may laugh at a hazard one day, only to have it claim us as a victim the next. And what about the long eternity into which our souls would be thrust so suddenly? Are we prepared?

God's Word tells us of only two places for the soul in eternity: heaven or hell. Heaven is a place of purity, and holiness, and light. "And there shall in no wise enter into it anything that defileth." Rev. 21:27. Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb? Or do you stand before God in your sins?

"Christ died for our sins." He stands offering you peace and pardon, if you will only receive it. He never turned away anyone in need who came to Him, but He could not heal those who refused to come, bringing their need. He stands with outstretched hands today saying: "Him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out." John 6:37.

Will You Be There?

"We know there's a bright and a glorious home
Away in the heavens high,
Where all the redeemed shall with Jesus dwell:
But will you be there—and I?

"If you know the loving Savior now
Who for sinners once did die,
When He gathers His own in that bright home,
Then you'll be there—and I!"

Written in Heaven

Some time ago, I spent an afternoon looking through old court records in a small New England township. The pages were yellow and faded, but here and there one could discern a name and the recording of a deed, a title, or a transaction. Some appeared to be important and others hardly worth mentioning. Some told of rich folk and others told of the common townspeople. But they were names of people who had once lived and loved and labored in the township.

As I leafed through the pages of these long-forgotten names "written on earth", my thoughts went back to this word of the Lord Jesus, "Rejoice, because your names are written in heaven." But how many of those old recorded names were written above?

I knew a scientist who spent all his life in the hope of reaching a line or two in "Who's Who", and who would have called that the crowning point of his life! Of the writing in heaven he neither knew nor cared at all. But the poor man has since passed into a Christless eternity, and he never did get his name in the desired record. "Written on earth" appears to be such a good thing to so many!

But after all, what is written and done on the earth will soon be over and finished, and the soul will leave the body to depart into eternity. The uncertainty of life is the only thing in life one can be certain of. "For what is your life? It is even a vapor, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away." James 4:14. All this striving for importance on earth adds nothing to the welfare of the soul, nor does it supply the answer to the questions which constantly arise and perplex us. The busiest men are not always the happiest, nor does rest come with riches. That which is "written on earth" may often be written with the acid of grief and despair.

I rejoice, because my name is written on the heavenly record. My name may not mean much to others on earth, but the fact that it is written in heaven means everything to me. It speaks of forgiven sins and a heavenly hope and a blissful eternity with the Lord Jesus Christ. It speaks of peace, and brings rest to my soul, and the value of that can never be computed by earthly measurements.

I invite you here and now to share in the blessedness of this, to know the pure joy of a name written above, and to experience to the full all that the Lord Jesus Christ has in store for those who believe. Your own name may be written free and clear in heaven through the blood shed on Calvary, each letter "pressed deep" by the infinite love of the Savior and sealed by the Holy Spirit—there is nothing in all this world that can compare with the blessing of that!

A Shadow on the World

There's a shadow on the world, and it deepens;
The hearts of men begin to fail for fear:
Beneath apparent confidence and boasting
Perplexity is growing year by year.

There's a shadow on the world, and its rulers
See lawlessness abound and tumults rife,
And prove that all their deeply thought-out measures
Are powerless to quell the rising strife.

There's a shadow on the world—Christ rejected—
How can the creature man see ought aright
In the darkness which must always be before him,
When he has turned his back upon the light?

There's a shadow on the world: it betokens
The longsuffering of God is well-nigh o'er,
And the blest atoning work of Christ the Savior
Shall be held out to sinful men no more.

There's a shadow on the world! The cross of Jesus
Stands black and grim against the dark'ning sky.
O world, poor world, ere God shall loose His fury,
Repent! Believe! To Christ for refuge fly.

The Gambler

One of the worst bits of luck that ever happened to him, thought the gambler, was when his wife turned "religious." She had found the Lord Jesus Christ to be her Savior and her Friend, but he could not understand it at all. Everything was changed. He had had a big room built in his new house for dancing and parties, and she would no longer join in. What could a man such as he was do with a wife like that?

Then, too, he was a gambler; the race track drew him like a magnet. His wife had not minded going with him and having a flutter on her own account in former days, but she had given that up, too. He was so angry that he told his friends that he would like to turn her out of the house.

His house was close to the track, and the races were on. He hurried home from the office at noon, gulped down his lunch, and dashed off to the track in his usual way. And his wife went to her room and, kneeling before God, prayed for her husband and asked that he might lose his money, for she thought that that was the only way in which he could be cured of the gambling fever.

When he got to the track, he found his friends already crowding around the bookmakers. They seemed to be backing every horse in the field. Instead of joining them, he stood back and watched them and almost involuntarily said to himself, "What a pack of fools!" Then he added after a moment's thought, "And I'm one of them!"

God was answering his wife's prayer on the spot, for he there and then lost all interest in the horses and wandered off the track without making a bet, a thoroughly miserable man.

He became a mystery to himself. Why couldn't he sleep at night? He blamed his wife, and would get up and drink and rage around the house, swearing, and then return to bed ashamed of himself and yet angry.

The Christian wife had some new friends who loved the Savior and believed in prayer. She invited them to her house one afternoon to offer up definite and earnest prayer to God that He would break down her husband's rebellious will and save his soul.

The praying was to continue from three to four o'clock. At that same time her husband was going over his books in his office in the city, completely ignorant of what was going on at home. When he had finished, it was 3:55. He pushed the books away and exclaimed, "I'm done! I've reached my limit! Something's got to happen!"

Suddenly in that quiet office a voice that seemed to him to be perfectly audible said in his ear and heart, "Are you stronger than God?"

That was the point. He was fighting against God, wrestling hard against God's determination to bless him. He was flinging God's mercy in His face, thinking that he was stronger than God, and that was the cause of all his misery. Filled with awe, he buried his head in his hands and said, "God forbid that I should pretend to be stronger than He."

He had reached his limit in a different way from what he thought. He was done with the fight he had been waging, and something did happen—the greatest and best thing of all. He saw the way of blessing, bowed his knees before God, and then and there confessed himself to be a sinner indeed. He put his whole confidence in the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation.

I have heard him, in the very room in his house that was built for dancing, telling the story of his conversion to nearly fifty people. With a face radiant with joy he told them of Christ as the living Savior whose blood had cleansed him and whose love had satisfied him. That one-time gambler is a happy man now.

I pass on the story for the sake of those who are looking for satisfaction in the excitement of a life of pleasure. The end of these things is death. "The wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." Romans 6:23. And, "God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8.

A Great Way Off

"Granny, hearing of your great age, I have come to see you."

Granny grunted. She was evidently in no genial mood. Though the old lady was notorious in the neighborhood for her great age and her hard, almost ferocious heart, the newcomer had ventured to visit her for the sake of Him "who cutteth out rivers in the rocks" and whose "eye seeth every precious thing."

Granny sat still on her chair by the fire, offering no seat to her visitor. The old shack itself was not inviting, and the visitor received only silence for her few remarks. Finally, after saying she would come again, she heard the surly, "You can if you like!" From this unfriendly atmosphere the visitor departed.

"Granny, I have such good news for you!"

There was her visitor again! Granny looked surprised. It was not often "good news" came to her. She offered her visitor a chair this time. Her caller sat down and without comment read the 15th chapter of Luke's gospel. She read on, and by-and-by she saw tears streaming down the dark, wrinkled old cheeks. Still she read on: "But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him."

Granny's hard fist came down upon her knee with a heavy thud. "I never heard the likes of that before!"

Have you? Have you ever heard of such love? "While he was yet a great way off."

(That watching father knew at once, in spite of the rags and the lagging step, who it was.)

"And had compassion and ran."

(His heart overflows and he cannot wait to welcome his loved one.)

"And fell on his neck."

(He did not give him time to finish his speech. Love shut his mouth.)

"And kissed him."

(No matter the rags and the plight; it was the returning heart the father wanted.)

When the soul has no plea but "I have sinned," then God's love freely flows out. No matter what or who you are, it is yourself God wants, just as you are.

Granny was saved and changed. She saw Christ in His beauty revealing the love of God. She had the joy of sitting at His feet, and then went in her great old age to be with Him whom she had kept out of her life so long.

"There is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth." Luke 15:10.

The Mark

Rows of large mud bricks belonging to a mighty Eastern monarch were baking in the scorching midday sun. There could be no mistake as to whom the bricks belonged. Each one was marked with the seal of the king's name.

One day while the brick-makers were away eating their noon meal, a dog silently stole into the brickyard and put one of his paws on an unbaked brick right over the king's name.

When the men returned and examined the bricks, then dry and hard, they found one brick which bore, instead of the clear imprint of the king's name, the unmistakable mark of this dog. Now the dogs of the East are dirty and diseased, and a brick bearing such a mark could never be used for the king.

When God created man, He made him in His own image (Genesis 1:27). He placed him in a garden where everything grew that was good for food and pleasant to the eye. Like the filthy dog of our story, into the garden crept the serpent and left his mark upon man. Sinful and unclean, he was now unfit for the presence of a holy God.

In that garden was one tree that God had seen fit to withhold from Adam, saying, "In the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die." Genesis 2:17.

But Satan in the form of the serpent said, "Ye shall not surely die." Genesis 3:4. Man believed Satan, disobeyed God, and brought sin and death, not only upon himself, but upon the whole race of man. (Romans 5:12-19.)

What became of the spoiled brick? It lay useless for many years beneath the walls of Babylon. Hundreds of years later it was unearthed. It may now be seen in the British Museum. But it still has the same despised brand upon it, the mark of a dog.

And what of guilty man? Although God knew that man under sin and death could never make himself fit for His presence, yet for many years He in His wisdom tested man in various ways—in innocence, without law, under law, under judges, under kings and under prophets. The mark of the serpent still remained. Mankind was proved to be lost, ruined, and under sin. (Romans 3:9.)

Then God said, "I will send My beloved Son." (Luke 20:13; Galatians 4:4.) That holy One came down and was made in the likeness of men. He became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross (Philippians 2:7, 8). Even as by Adam's disobedience sin and death came upon man, so by Christ's obedience in going into death all who now receive Him may be set free from sin and death, and have eternal life in Christ. Rom. 5:21.

Dear reader, whose mark do you bear, the serpent's with the scars of sins unforgiven, or the blessed sign of the cross of Christ? Can you say with the Apostle Paul: "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who, loved me, and gave Himself for me." Gal. 2:20.,

Bandits Use Pepper

When two men robbed Charles of $5,000, he just stood and cried. He couldn't help it, because the robbers threw pepper into his eyes. They threw pepper in his eyes, grabbed his money, jumped into a waiting car, and fled.

In like manner, Satan throws the "pepper" of blinding sin into the eyes of his victims as he robs them of their most valuable possession—their precious soul. We are told in the Bible that "the god of this world (Satan) hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them." 2 Cor. 4:4.

Sin blinds people to the value of their souls, to their own sinfulness and to their need of the Savior. It also blinds them to the fact that Christ has died in order to purchase them "with His own blood" (Acts 20:28), paying the complete price of their redemption.

All you have to do is to believe it, to accept it as an accomplished fact, and then to trust and rely on His sacrifice to be eternally saved. Have you put your trust in Him, my friend? If not—why not now?

God Answers Your Questions

Shouldn't we work for our salvation?

God says, "To him that worketh not, but believeth on Him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness." Romans 4:5.

To be saved just by believing seems too simple.

"If the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, wouldest thou not have done it? how much rather then, when he saith to thee, Wash, and be clean?" 2 Kings 5:13.

Does God really love me?

"God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8.

I often think I am too great a sinner to be saved.

"Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool." Isaiah 1:18.

But I should have to make so many sacrifices if I became a Christian.

"What is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?" Matthew 16:26.

The Way of Salvation and Peace

Whatever man's nature produces within,
Can never remove from the conscience a sin;
'Tis the blood of the cross that has put sin away,
And God in His mercy has written to say,
That all who believe and confide in His Son
(By whom the great work of redemption was done)
Are saved everlastingly—saved by His grace;
Have a title to glory which none can efface—
Are brought into liberty, blessing and joy,
Which time cannot alter, nor Satan destroy.

Fifty Years Looking Down

"A young man once found a five dollar bill on the street," says William Feather, a well-known writer. "From that time on he never lifted his eyes when walking. In the course of years, he accumulated 29,516 buttons, 54,172 pins, 12 cents, a bent back and a miserly disposition.

"He lost the glory of the sunlight, the sheen of the stars, the smiles of friends, tree blossoms in the spring, the blue skies and the entire joy of living."

This man is not the only one, however, who has suffered loss because of looking down. How many have looked to this earth for satisfaction, pleasure, wealth and happiness and have never in their lifetime looked up to God for the good things He will bestow! How many have laid up treasure on earth and have neglected the salvation of their precious soul! How many have meant to be saved tomorrow or on their death-bed and have gone into eternity without knowing the Savior!

The Bible says: "For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?" Mark 8:36.

A Blessed Hope

"The coming of the Lord draweth nigh." James 5:8.

Every writer of the New Testament speaks of the return of the Lord Jesus Christ. Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Paul, James, Peter and Jude, all proclaim this glorious event.

The Lord is coming for His own first, and then the Lord is coming with them.

"When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with Him in glory." Colossians 3:4.

Who is this coming One?

"The Lord Himself." 1 Thessalonians 4:16. "This same Jesus." Acts 1:11. "If I go... I will come again." John 14:3.

When is He coming?

"Behold, I come quickly." "Surely I come quickly." Revelation 22:7, 20. "In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye." 1 Corinthians 15:52.

Why is He coming?

To receive His own to Himself, that where He is, there they may be also (John 14). To catch up His loved ones, "they that are Christ's," that they may "ever be with the Lord." 1 Corinthians 15:23 and 1 Thessalonians 4:17.

This, not death, is the Christian's blessed hope. How about you, who have not accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior? Will you be left behind? He may come today! Are you ready?

"And that, knowing the time, that NOW it is high time to awake out of sleep: for NOW is our salvation nearer than when we believed." Romans 13:11.

Day of GraceNight of Despair

The Word of God uses language the world does not always understand. It uses signs and symbols. It speaks of darkness and light, of the day and the night; of the day now as a day of grace and opportunity; of the night as moral darkness.

It also tells of a coming night of despair, and of the day of glory that will come to the children of God. Only in God's holy Word do we learn the way "out of darkness into His marvelous light." There is only one way out of that night, out of that darkness, and that is by Christ Jesus: "In Him was life; and the life was the light of men." John 1:4.

But—the "light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not." John 1:5. If you are unsaved, you are a child of the darkness and you belong to the night.

If you are ignoring the price that the Lord Jesus paid to redeem you from the night, if you are neglecting the claims of the One who died for you, there is only one place for you, only one end to your road. You may travel many ways through this world, but there is only one end: "the end thereof are the ways of death." Proverbs 14:12.

You, dear lost one, are going out into the night! One of these moments you are going to gaze on light for the last time. There is no light where you are going—IT IS NIGHT! Keen despair, weeping, wailing—darkness! Do you really want that? Why not take the way—the one Way—out of darkness? Jesus is "the way, the truth, and the life." Why not receive Him and turn from darkness to light?

"As many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name." John 1:12.

Consider Him!

"The twelve were with Him, and certain women... which ministered unto Him of their substance." Luke 8:1-3.

Thy blest Redeemer—view Him
Accompanied by few;
"The twelve," and lowly "women"—
Thy Savior's retinue.
"Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to My
Father and He shall presently give me more than
twelve, legions of angels?" Matthew 26:53
Behold. THEM in the garden;
No legions summoned there;
Nor loyal hearts resentful
Of insults He must bear.
“My God, My God why past Thou forsaken Me?":Matthew 27:46.
And e'en by God forsaken,
behold Him on the tree;
Alone He bled and suffered,
Laid down His life for thee.
"Behold I and the children which God hath given Me." Hebrews 2:13.
And now in resurrection,
"Behold," His Word declares,
The blessed place of Sonship
With His redeemed He shares.

What More Can I Do?

A young Hindu man of high caste stood for a few moments on a street in Calcutta, listening to a gospel preacher. He heard the servant of God make plain the question of sin. The preacher said: "All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." Romans 3.23 He walked away with the knowledge of his sins on his conscience, and he could not shake it off. However, at that time he did not receive God's way of salvation.

He was prosperous in business, and for a time his convictions were crowded out of his thoughts. However, when adversity came, again the sense of sin bore heavily on his conscience. He tried to find relief by living a religious life. So for several years he wandered over India and prayed at many shrines; but he found no rest or peace.

Later he joined a society of persons dissatisfied with Hinduism. They were a modernistic group who did not receive the Lord Jesus Christ. Their belief was: "Do what is right and just, and all will be well."

While this sounded good, it brought him no peace. To use his own words: "The remembrance of past sins kept rushing into my mind. Something seemed to say: 'Without an atonement for past sins you will perish."'

But this modernistic society rejected the teaching of atonement, while Hinduism acknowledges the need of some sort of expiation. So our friend returned to Ills old religion, and again wandered from holy spot to holy spot seeking peace. At Benares with its two thousand shrines he fairly gave way to despair, exclaiming: "What more can I do other than that which I have already done? Yet there is no peace!"

Finally, he returned to Calcutta to visit a sick nephew who had recently been converted to Christianity. The young man read portions from his Bible to his troubled uncle, and begged him to go and hear the preaching of a missionary who had helped him. There he again heard God's way of salvation, and this time he received it. With joy he exclaimed: "This is what I have been longing for for many years."

After obtaining a Bible in the Bengali language, he learned from the Word itself that "The wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." Romans 6:23.

Though he well knew that if he became a Christian he would become an outcast among his own people, he gladly became a humble follower of Jesus. With the peace of God in his heart he could now say with Paul: "I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ." Philippians 3:8.

One More Chance

The old man looked up quickly as the visitor entered his hospital room. Fully dressed, suitcase packed, he was waiting impatiently for his family to come to take him home. The visitor offered him a little booklet to "show him the way to heaven," but he shook his head. "No, no! I don't want it. I want to be with my friends!"

Think of it! Eighty-five years old, standing on the doorstep of eternity, and choosing, deliberately choosing, to go "with his friends" to HELL!

The visitor appealed to the old man not to throw his everlasting soul away, but still the only answer was, "I want to be with my friends." Sick at heart, the visitor went on to the other patients. As he left the hospital, a nurse came running after him. "Weren't you talking to the old man who was going home today?"

"Yes, I was."

"He's dead! He just lay down on his bed and was gone before anybody could get to him! You were the last person to speak to him."

What an example of the patience and grace of God! After eighty-five years of refusing God's offer, still at the last moment before the door of the day of grace could close behind him forever, God sent one last message of mercy, one more chance to be saved. And he rejected it.

"The Lord... is long-suffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." 2 Peter 3:9.

But there came the last time, and the door was shut forever. Now there is nothing left for the stubborn old man but the "blackness of darkness forever," in the place of "weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth." What comfort then will his friends be?

"Turn ye, turn ye... for why will ye die?"

What Must I Do to Be Lost?

We shall see from Scripture that there is only one thing to do to insure being lost, forever. It is a very simple, but a very solemn and dreadful thing.

Do you ask, What can it be? It is wrapped up in one single word: NEGLECT. "How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation"? Hebrews 2:3.

So then, to be lost forever, simply close your ear to the glorious gospel, and continue to neglect this great salvation and your doom is certain.

”What Must I Do to Be Saved?

Note the simplicity of the answer. "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved." Acts 16:31.

The object of faith is a Person, the Lord Jesus Christ. God pledges salvation to the person who believes on His Son so that the moment you believe on Him, you may know that you are saved. It is such a simple act of faith, but so marvelously rewarding for time and for eternity.

Fit Only for the Fire

Mary was outwardly religious and inwardly self-righteous. She often boasted of her own goodness. Whenever Mr. Parks, an earnest Christian preacher, told her of her need of Christ, she clung to her own imagined goodness and would not let it go.

Finally, a friend of Mr. Parks offered to visit Mary to see if he could help her. When she answered his knock, he told her he had come from Mr. Parks, who had said that she was glad to receive anyone who would talk on religious subjects. Mary began to relate her long history of church attendance, prayers, and upright living.

The visitor sat still and let her tell her story. It showed him how very self-satisfied she was, and how unaware of her true condition.

At last she finished talking about herself. The visitor got up and stood pointing to an old three-legged stool on the floor in front of the fireplace. At once Mary, the self-righteous, exclaimed: "Yes, indeed! It's an old worthless thing, fit only for the fire. It should have been burned long ago."

The visitor now looked her full in the face, and in a serious manner he said: "You are just like that three-legged stool, fit only for the fire." Then, taking his hat, he left the house without saying another word.

Dumbfounded, Mary was left alone with her thoughts. At first she questioned, "What could the man mean?"

Her temper rose high, and to relieve her feelings, she went to her next door neighbor to tell her how she had been insulted and to seek her sympathy.

Mary told her all, indignantly saying as she closed: "And he had the impudence to tell me that I was no better than my old three-legged stool, fit only for the fire."

Her neighbor, a humble Christian, listened quietly, while praying that God would use the visitor's words to show Mary her need of Christ.

Returning home, Mary kept repeating to herself: "Fit only for the fire. Fit only for the fire."

She was deeply distressed and soon went to bed. But she could not sleep. She thought about her life. Little by little she realized that her religiousness was only an outward show. She realized that though she had drawn near to God with her lips, her heart was far from Him. She was convicted of her sinfulness and knew that she was not right with God. While her life might have appeared correct in the sight of those around her, God knew that her heart was not right.

Seeing herself in the light of God's holiness, Mary began to cry aloud in her distress. Her neighbor heard her cries, dressed at once, and went in to find out what was the matter.

"Is there any mercy for me?" cried Mary as she entered. "Oh, tell me! Will God save a sinner like me?"

The Christian neighbor pointed her to the Lord Jesus Christ, the Savior, who came not to "call the righteous, but sinners to repentance," and to His precious blood which "cleanseth us from all sin."

Mary believed. She gave up all hope in herself and trusted on Christ for her salvation. Peace came and filled her heart; for He who heard the cry of the publican, "God be merciful to me a sinner," had heard her cry and answered it. Thereafter, Mary's boast was no longer in her own goodness. She could now say: "God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ." Galatians 6:14.

True Faith

The first lesson a poor sinner has to learn is to trust in the Lord with all his heart, and not in his own understanding; to trust God not only for what he does understand and for what is explained, but also for what he does not understand and for what is not explained.

This is faith. Such faith honors God and saves the soul. This is receiving the kingdom of God as a little child, who always believes that things must be right if one he loves and trusts says them.

"Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven." Matthew 18:3.

Christ Died for the Ungodly

I knew an Irishman who, on discovering his lost condition, took his Bible and went into a quiet corner of a field. As he searched God's holy Word, longing to know how he could receive forgiveness, he read the scripture: "For when we were yet without strength, in due time CHRIST DIED FOR THE UNGODLY." Romans 5:6.

On seeing it he leaped into the air, and clapping his hands exclaimed, "Christ died for the ungodly! Christ died for the ungodly!" adding, "That's me! Do you hear that? Christ died for the ungodly!" And there and then he rejoiced in Christ as his Savior.

And now, you who read this, why should you not also rejoice? "God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8.

You are a sinner; Christ died for sinners; therefore Christ died for you. Believing that Christ died for others won't do your soul any good. You must believe that He died for you, before you can have eternal life.

Take your place then among the "ungodly," and believe on that blessed One who died for all your sins, and be saved for all eternity.

"I seek no other argument,
I want no other plea;
It is enough that Jesus died,
And that He died for me."

We Know

Sir Ambrose Fleming, a renowned British scientist, said: "We must not build on the sands of an uncertain and ever-changing science, but upon the rock of the inspired Scriptures, which do not comprise the guesses of fallible minds, but the utterances of holy men of God who spoke by the Holy Ghost."

Friends, listen to the witness of some of these "holy men of God." They speak with delightful certainty.

SOLOMON, who was wiser than all men, said: "Have not I written to thee excellent things in counsels and knowledge, that I might make thee KNOW THE CERTAINTY of the words of truth: that thou mightest answer the words of truth to them that send unto thee?" Proverbs 22:20, 21.

LUKE, the Evangelist, wrote: "It seemed good to me... to write... that thou mightest KNOW THE CERTAINTY of those things, wherein thou hast been instructed." Luke 1:3, 4.

JOB, the Patriarch, said: "I KNOW that my Redeemer liveth, and that He shall stand at the latter day upon the earth." Job 19:25.

PAUL, the Apostle, said: "I KNOW whom I have believed, and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him against that day." 2 Timothy 1:12.

JOHN, the beloved Disciple, said, "We have KNOWN and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love." 1 John 4:16.

Again, the Apostle Paul, who had suffered the loss of all things, that he might know Christ, pleads that the gospel in the following verses might be accepted and believed: "Be it KNOWN unto you... that through this man (Christ Jesus) is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins: and by Him all that believe are justified from all things." Acts 13:38, 39.

What Are You Seeking?

"Seekest thou great things for thyself? Seek them not." Jeremiah 45:5.

"But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." Matthew 6:33.

It Is Finished

These three wonderful words, "It is finished," contain the essence of the gospel. No unsaved person can properly understand their meaning. The gospel of the grace of God tells what Christ has done for sinners, not what they are to do for Him. It is, when believed, the power of God unto salvation. (Romans 1:16).

"It is finished" were the dying words of our truest, best, and dearest Friend. Christ poured out His soul as an offering for sin and uttered this triumphant cry. On account of our sins He suffered, and bled, and died!

WHAT WAS FINISHED? The work of redemption. The ransom has been paid, and the penalty has been met. The types and shadows of a past dispensation are completed. We do not need the "shadow", for we have the Person.

His life of shame, of suffering, and of sorrow was also ended. He had been "despised and rejected of men," as He still is by the world. Many times He had been faint, weary, hungry, and thirsty, but that is all over. "For your sakes He became poor, that ye through His poverty might be rich." 2 Corinthians 8:9.

He, the Lord Jesus, "bare our sins in His own body on the tree." 1 Peter 2:24. When He died at Calvary a full and perfect atonement for sin was accomplished. "Now once in the end of the world hath He appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself." Hebrews 9:26.

God is fully satisfied with Christ's finished work, and He desires that you should be satisfied too. If that work is complete, what is left unfinished for you to do? Can you add to a "finished" work? Salvation has been purchased at an infinite cost, and now is offered to you as a free gift.

"Then said they unto Him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye BELIEVE on Him whom He hath sent." John 6:28, 29.

Wrong Thoughts about God

What wrong thoughts some people have of God! Like the man with the one talent in the parable in Luke 19, they only know Him as an austere man, demanding every jot and tittle, a hard exacter of every penny, a demander of His rights and every letter of the law. They think of Him as one seeking to crush everyone into the dust, having a stern frown and a hidden face.

Now this is not the way that those who have come to Him have found Him, or is it the aspect in which He presents Himself in the scriptures, the Word of God. No! it is: "God is love." "God so loved the world." "God gave."

We find that God is full of grace, mercy, pity and compassion. He has an eye of love, a heart of tenderness, a hand open to give, and He is one who does not desire the death of the sinner. "Not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." 2 Peter 3:9.

He wants to be our Savior and Friend, and the way is always open for access to Him! There is no mediator but Christ, no advocate but Christ, whose yearning heart of love longs and seeks for every lost one.

Come to Him now, the One who died for you. "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved." Acts 16:31. "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16.

Lord, I Come to Thee

O Lord, I bring to Thee
This sinful life of mine;
There is no rest for me,
Save in Thy love divine.
WEARY I come to Thee,
For, Lord, Thou callest me.

I own to Thee my guilt,
No merit can I plead;
But, Lord, Thou canst, Thou wilt
meet e'en my deepest need.
SINFUL I come to Thee.
Have mercy, Lord, on me!

Take Thou this ruined life;
I yield it up to Thee,
And change sin's bitter strife
For peace and liberty.
HELPLESS I come to Thee,
For Thou hast died for me.

Sinful and weak I fear
To make my way alone;
Savior, I look to Thee,
Exalted on the throne.
I'd draw my strength from Thee,
For, Lord, Thou lowest me!

Who Cares?

Who cares? Nobody cares! He couldn't care less!

Over and over we hear it, like a refrain that runs through all our daily lives. The despairing cry goes up continually from the old, the poor, the ill, the forgotten, in nursing homes and hospitals and prisons and tenements and refugee camps. Nobody cares!

But no one is immune. A loving family, friends, money, health—all fail to protect us from sometimes feeling, "Nobody understands me. Nobody cares!"

Is it really true?

Who cares? God cares!

"God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16.

Who cares? Jesus cares!

"While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8.

Who cares? The Holy Spirit!

"Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities... the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered." Romans 8:26.

So much love and care are freely offered to you! Why go on alone or lonely any longer? Why not accept this salvation that Jesus died to give you, that cost God His only beloved Son, and know His comforting presence all the days of your life? He promises never to leave nor forsake those who are His; He will be with you always, "even unto the end of the world."

"He careth for you." 1 Peter 5:7.

Have You Heard?

THAT "God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life"? John 3:16.

THAT "The Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all"? Isaiah 53:6.

THAT "Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures"? 1 Corinthians 15:3.

THAT "God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us"? Romans 5:8.

"Hear, and your soul shall live." Isaiah 55:3.

Too Cheap

An anxious woman, worried about her sins, came to the home of a well-known preacher of the gospel one day to ask for help in finding peace of mind. "I have prayed and read my Bible, and gone to church regularly, yet I do not seem to be any nearer to God than I was before I began. What else can I do to get this salvation?"

Quietly the man of God replied, "Nothing."

The woman was at first astonished, then disappointed, at the strange answer. She sat in silence for a few moments, unable to speak, for she thought all hope was now gone for her.

The Lord's servant, seeing her hopeless look, said: "Jesus did it all. And God is so well pleased with what He did that He sends you a title to eternal glory, for nothing."

"It seems far too cheap," said the woman.

"It cost God His Son, and Christ His blood," was his reply.

That word was the means of showing the anxious woman how God's salvation is not earned by any effort of our own, but that we are bought with a great price, "Redeemed... with the precious blood of Christ." 1 Peter 1:18, 19.

We are saved by our simply believing and accepting the work which Christ has done for us on the cross. "What must I do to be saved?... Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved." Acts 16:30, 31.

My Ground of Confidence

"The Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me." Galatians 2:20.

Upon a life I did not live;
Upon a death I did not die;
Another's life, Another's death,
I stake my whole eternity!

What is the ground of your confidence? Do you expect to get to heaven through your works, prayers, feelings, or religious observances? Salvation is not to be had through what we do for Christ; it can only be secured through what He did for us and suffered for us on Calvary's cross.

Get down to the foundation, and make sure you are building for eternity on Christ, the Rock of Ages, and not on the shifting sands of your own experiences and feelings.

"Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved." Acts 16:31. "Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." Romans 5:1.

The Old Chief Knew!

There must have been hundreds of people in the railroad station when I entered the waiting room, but among them all my attention was drawn to a distinctive figure seated on the front row of benches.

He was an old Indian chief dressed in a feathered headdress, beaded buckskin tunic ornamented with fur and dyed porcupine quills, and deerskin moccasins. Two braids of hair hung down over his shoulders, and his weather-beaten face was wrinkled with age. A station attendant told me that the chief was almost a hundred years old.

The longer I watched, the more fascinated I became and when I saw the seat beside him was empty, I slipped over to have a chat with the old man. He seemed pleased that I took an interest in him and told me many interesting stories about his long and eventful life. However, I wondered whether the old man had any hopes for eternity, and finally I gathered the courage to ask him.

"Chief," I said in his ear, "Has anyone ever spoken to you about the Lord Jesus Christ?"

"Jesus!" he exclaimed. "Jesus! Yes, I know Him! He is the Door. Jesus said, 'I am the Door,' and 'No man cometh unto the Father but by Me."'

Then to my amazement the old Indian began to tell me of God's wonderful plan of salvation and how a sinner must repent of his sins and be born again before he can ever enter heaven. At the mention of the words "born again" I ventured another question, this time with more confidence. "Chief, when were YOU born again?"

His face lit up and he replied with enthusiasm, "Over fifty years ago, and Jesus did it!"

In the past, Indians were often regarded as heathens who knew little of Christianity and looked forward only to reaching their "Happy Hunting Grounds" at death. Yet here was an old chief who knew more about God's great plan of salvation than many people who consider themselves good Christians and who would be offended if called a "heathen." He knew that he was BORN AGAIN. Can you say the same?

"YE MUST BE BORN AGAIN." John 3:7.

If you have a desire to be saved from your sins and made fit to dwell in God's presence, why not come to the Savior now, trust Him and receive -Him as your own? In doing so you will become a child of God and your heart can rejoice in the assurance of the forgiveness of all your sins.

Jesus the Messiah

A series of gospel meetings was being held, and on several occasions a Jewess was seen in attendance. The husband of the Jewess, a man of the world, was in the habit of spending his evenings with his friends, while his wife, who was more serious-minded, remained at home.

To relieve the monotony of an evening alone, she had slipped out and, led by curiosity, came to one of the services. The first evening's message left no particular impression. However, in a casual way, a question simply arose in her mind, "Suppose that Jesus was the Messiah!"

The next night Jesus again was preached. Before the gospel meeting was over, the question became more than a casual question. She said to herself, "Perhaps Jesus was the Messiah," and the thought greatly distressed her.

On the third night the thought, "Jesus was the Messiah," seized her soul and shook it through and through.

Of course there came with it—inevitable to a Jewess—the conviction, "I am lost forever, for my people killed Him!"

That night her husband returned at midnight. She met him in tears and said at once, "Go to some Christian neighbor and borrow a New Testament for me."

He tried to laugh her out of her depression, then to argue her out of it, but it was of no use. So, because of his love for her, he went out at half past twelve in the morning and knocked on a Christian neighbor's door. When he came to the door, the caller said, "I beg your pardon for disturbing you, but will you be so kind as to lend me a New Testament?"

The request was cheerfully granted. The neighbor thought, "There is a work to do for Jesus in that house tonight." As soon as he could get dressed, he hurried to the home of a Christian brother and together they went to the Jewish home.

The door was instantly opened, and the mistress of the house met them with a welcoming smile. Her greeting was, "I have found Jesus!"

She said that when her husband gave her the New Testament, she could not speak. But she went into her room, and kneeling, lifted up her face toward heaven, crying, "O LORD GOD of my fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, give me light! Give me light!"

Keeping her eyes closed, she opened the Testament. When she opened her eyes, the Scripture before her was the beginning of the Epistle to the Romans.

She read slowly, and the verses went tearing through her soul like hot thunderbolts, until she came to the sixteenth verse: "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first"—there she stopped. Her flowing tears blinded her. She looked again.

"To the Jew first, and also to the Greek."

As she read these words, she believed them and she knew her Messiah must be Christ Jesus, the Lord.

When the Christians came to her door, she was rejoicing in her new-found hope, and ready to confess Him before men.

"For there is no difference between the Jew and Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon Him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." Romans 10:12, 13.

One Sin

Next to me sat a young girl. The company around us was in animated conversation while we two were silent.

Turning to her, I said, "Can you tell me how many sins it would take to shut one out of heaven?"

She replied thoughtfully, "Could God allow one sin in heaven any more than a thousand?"

"No," I said, "one sin in the Garden of Eden brought ruin to man and to all the earth beside. All the misery in all the world started with that one sin in Eden. If God allowed one sin in heaven, it would ruin that too."

Why, then, did you ask me that question?" she said.

"Because, my dear, I want to ask you another. Have you ever committed one sin?"

Instantly her eyelids drooped, and she remained silent. In a moment, however, I saw a large tear running down her cheek, and she softly said, "Yes, more than one."

"Could you," I said, "put your finger on one that you remember?"

Another time of silence followed. Then, with evident pain, she said, "Yes, not long ago I denied what I knew to be true. I wanted to avoid difficulty."

"Well then," I said, "by your own confession you have committed at least one sin, and you correctly said that one sin would shut us out of heaven as well as a thousand. You then are shut out already. What are you going to do?"

Immediately a change came over her. Her eyes, though still full of tears, looked straight in my face as she said with reverence, "The Lord Jesus died for me. He is my only hope."

As she believed and accepted Him in her heart, "the peace of God, which passeth all understanding" (Philippians 4:7) flooded her soul.

The Way to God

We say we must weigh and understand. No! We must bow and believe. With God all is the reverse of our human thoughts. We must receive, not wait to understand.

Love of Life

We know that love of life is inborn in all of us. Men do not willingly endanger their lives. We normally flee from danger if it threatens us. All our instincts work for our protection. We have eyes to see danger, our ears hear it, and our hearts beat the drum of alarm when we sense its approach. Then our feet help us to flee from it even before our minds grasp its full importance.

If we were in a house and heard the cry of "Fire!", we would rush from the flames. If we were aboard a sinking ship, we would spring into the lifeboat. God has armed us to seek to protect our natural lives.

But another and more terrible danger threatens us. Every soul born into this world is a sinner, and in desperate need of a Savior. (Romans 3:10.) God's wrath is soon to fall upon this world on all who refuse the Savior He provided—His own dear Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. (2 Peter 3:10-12.)

Every soul who rejects God's salvation—the death of Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary—faces the awful danger of eternal loss. For him is reserved the blackness of darkness forever, and the dread certainty of spending eternity in the lake of fire.

Oh, use your eyes! See your danger! "Flee from the wrath to come." Matthew 3:7. Listen with your ears to God's message now going forth: "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved." Acts 16:31.

"If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." Romans 10:9, 10.

Now I See

The soul whose eyes close in death loses sight of earthly things and awakens to eternal realities. Knowledge is definite and clear.

For one who dies an unbeliever, there can be nothing but misery. God as Savior, the source of all mercy, is unknown, unloved. There is nothing now to help this unbeliever to forget or to blind his eyes. "Now I see"—the awful reality of the judgment of God.

Oh, unbeliever, while life and health are yet yours, we beseech you to put your trust in Him. "He that BELIEVETH on the Son HATH everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him." John 3:36.

But for the believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, to depart to be in His presence is perfect joy. He who opens the eyes both of the body and of the soul gives the enlightened one to say, "Whereas I was blind, NOW I SEE." John 9:25.

Choose Now

"Some day," you say, "I will seek the Lord;
Some day I will make my choice;
Some day, some day I will heed His Word,
And answer the Spirit's voice."

God's time is now, for the days fly fast,
And swiftly the seasons roll;
Today is yours! It may be your last;
Choose life for your precious soul.

Choose now, just now! Your soul is at stake!
Oh, what will your answer be?
'Tis life or death; and the choice you make
Is made for eternity.

Choose now, just now, for the Lord is here;
Must He for your answer wait?
Choose now, just now, while the call is clear;
Tomorrow may be too late!

A Miraculous Escape

Cliff Anderson, a student pilot, had an experience that he is not anxious to repeat. It happened during a routine training flight when he was compelled to make a forced landing at about nine o'clock one night.

"I was too far away from a landing field to glide in without power," he said, "and I was too low to use my parachute. If it had been daylight, it would have been much simpler, but the visibility was very poor. It was like being on the inside of an ink bottle, looking out.

"Gliding down at ninety miles per hour, I did not have the slightest idea what was under me. I could see the ground and that was all.

"Somehow, I made a nice three-point landing, and got out of the plane to look around. A farmer came running up to tell me that I had missed his house by only a few feet. He also pointed out a windmill which I had cleared by about three feet. But the thing I was looking at was the power line I had landed parallel to, only twenty feet away. Directly in front of the plane was a fence and another power line.

"It was a nice little cornfield, but I would never have attempted a landing there in daylight, because it just couldn't be done. It wasn't humanly possible. We had to move the plane over into another field the next morning for the take-off, because the cornfield was much too small.

"I have been asked how I did it, and there is only one answer. The Lord did it for me. I wish more people could realize that we are not self-sufficient. We must all put our lives into the hands of Jesus Christ that we may be saved."

Note the concluding words of this young pilot: "We must put our lives into the hands of the Lord Jesus Christ, that we may be saved." This is a faithful testimony, and when, by faith, we come in all our need to the Lord Jesus, trusting Him as the only Savior, we can safely leave our ALL, both for time and for eternity, to Him. He died that we might live. "This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners." 1 Timothy 1:15.

Have you taken the sinner's place, and trusted the sinner's Savior? As the flyer reminded us, "We must put our lives into the hands of the Lord Jesus Christ that we may be saved."

God Speaking

Think how solemnly God speaks in Hebrews 12:25: "See that ye refuse not Him that speaketh: for if they escaped not who refused Him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from Him that speaketh from heaven."

God is speaking to you. What answer are you going to make? Are you going to tell Him that you will enjoy the world for a little while yet, and when eternity is drawing near, you will think about being converted?

If this is your answer, beware. "God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap." Galatians 6:7.

You may go very suddenly into a lost eternity. "He, that being often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy." Proverbs 29:1.

Come then, now, before it is forever too late! "Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation." 2 Corinthians 6:2.

Three Weeks to Live

"The doctor says I have only three weeks to live," said a tall, pale young woman about twenty years of age.

"I suppose you are thinking a great deal of where you are going after death?" said her visitor.

"Oh, no! I try to banish that thought from my mind. I have enjoyed my pleasures, and it's no use my thinking of anything else now. Besides, no less than five ministers have been here to see me.

"Every one of them has told me that I must make myself good to be fit for heaven. I can't do that, and I don't even want to try! Anyway, I have only three weeks to live, and that is far too short a time to do what they tell me is necessary to fit me for heaven. So why should I make myself unhappy with the thought of it now?"

"My dear young lady, I have only fifteen minutes before I must leave. But I assure you that in that fifteen minutes you can be made fit for the presence of God."

"Pardon me! I do not mean to be disrespectful, but I cannot help laughing at the idea of me—me—being made fit for God's presence in fifteen minutes!"

"Let me show you what God says in His book, the Bible. Listen: 'But God, who is rich in mercy, for His great love wherewith He loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved).' Are you not 'dead in sins'?"

"Yes, I am."

"Then hear God speak: 'For His great love wherewith He loved us, even when we were dead in sins.' You say that is you. Don't you see that God loves you just as you are? It is true you cannot make yourself good—not in thirty years, much less in three weeks. 'BUT GOD'—He meets you with His great love just where you are."

As the knowledge of God's love reached her heart, this young woman, apparently so careless as to eternal things, burst into tears.

"Oh, why did the others not tell me this?" she exclaimed. "To think of God loving me!"

Have you, dear reader, believed this great love of God?

"God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16.

"Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins." 1 John 4:10.

The Hunter's Surprise

The man in the elevator was dressed in hunting clothes.

"Going hunting?" asked another passenger in the elevator.

"Yep," said the hunter proudly.

"Got a dog?" asked the other passenger.

"Yeah," said the hunter, and then in a confidential whisper he added, "Getting my dog into this hotel was the slickest trick I ever pulled. Nobody saw us, and the dog is up there in my room right now! Are you a hunter, too?"

"Oh, no," answered the other fellow, with his best smile. "I'm the manager of this hotel!" The hunter was speechless with surprise and embarrassment.

Dogs were not allowed in the hotel, but the hunter had managed to sneak his dog in anyway, regardless of the rules.

Many people today ignore God and break His laws and think they are getting away with something. They do not understand that God sees and knows everything they do and say, and even knows their secret thoughts.

What a surprise they have coming some day! For God will certainly bring them into judgment; they are not getting away with anything at all. The reason God does not do anything about it right now is because He is "long-suffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." 2 Peter 3:9.

"He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy." Proverbs 28:13.

Three Pointed Questions

A young Scotsman, not long out from the old country, attended some meetings in an area near the Rocky Mountains. Far away from home, friends and relations, a stranger in a strange land, he was a lonely young man.

God had been dealing with him, and he was ready to hear God's message. He knew he was not saved. He needed no one to tell him that he was lost. Conscious of the fact that he was a sinner, unprepared to meet a sin-hating God, he was not only willing, but anxious to be saved.

(1) “A friend of young men observed the young stranger, and at the close of the service shook hands with him. He spoke to him about his soul, asking him three questions: "Are you saved?" With tears in his eyes, he confessed he was not.

(2) "Are you willing to be saved?" "Yes," was the quick response.

(3) "Are you willing to be saved now?" "Yes, I am."

How good when a soul sees himself guilty and lost. He is then willing to accept salvation on God's terms. That night this lad accepted Christ as his Savior, and left the hall rejoicing in the assurance of sins forgiven.

"Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28.

"But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons (children) of God, even to them that believe on His name." John 1:12.

The Big Question

Two soldiers were having a heart-to-heart talk about eternal things when an earnest Christian officer came on the scene and asked the subject of their conversation. They answered, "We are counting the cost of accepting Christ."

The officer replied: "Have you counted the cost of NOT accepting Christ?"

That is the question! Have you counted the cost of NOT accepting Christ? The cost is eternal loss. No, it is more—it is eternal damnation.

"For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?" Mark 8:36.

True Freedom

"If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed." John 8:36.

The above words were spoken by Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Only He can deliver you from your burden of sin. Only He can set you free from the power of Satan.

You Need Christ

Dear reader, are you rich in this world? Oh, how poor you are, if you do not have Christ! Are you educated? Only in Christ are found all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

Are you trying to accumulate material possessions? Be careful that it may not be said of you: "Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?" Luke 12:20.

Are you trying to drown the thought of judgment to come in the giddy world of pleasure and frivolity? You cannot do it. Beneath a carefree exterior, you carry a burdened heart!

You are an immortal being! You have cravings that none but Christ can satisfy! I say to you, dear unsaved one, You need Christ! You have been beguiled by Satan into believing a lie. Come to Christ, for He is "the way, the truth, and the life." John 14:6.

Remember, "It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment." Hebrews 9:27.

Are you prepared to face this stern reality? You're not, if your soul is unsaved, your sins unforgiven. You need Christ! Lay hold on eternal life; anchor your tempest-tossed soul on the Rock of Ages.

"Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved." Acts 16:31.

"If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." Romans 10:9.

We Know" Not “We Hope”

"We know that, if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of. God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens." 2 Corinthians 5:1.

It is a matter of the deepest importance for all of us to be quite sure as to the future. No doubt some will say: "It is impossible; no one can be sure as to the future."

You will be more correct if you say: "No one can be sure of the present."

You and I do not know what tomorrow will bring. But, thank God, what is unseen and eternal is explained to us in the Word of God with the utmost clearness. The simplest believer knows without a shadow of a doubt what the future holds.

Please notice how this chapter opens—"We know." What a comfort in a day of doubt! What does the Christian know? He knows that if he passes from this scene, he goes to be with the Lord. On the other hand, what is the future of the unconverted man? It is a leap in the dark. A man must be a fool to leap into the dark, when believing in Jesus, he need not die in his sins.

Look at the thief on the cross. Although he is in the agony of death, he is at peace. What gives him this peace? He says, I know I am going to be with Christ; He told me Himself:

"To-day shalt thou be with Me in paradise." Luke 23:43.

"We know... we have a building of God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens." This is a beautiful possession—the privilege of the youngest believer in Christ—"we know," not "we hope."

Do you know that, dear unsaved one? Is it presumption to believe Christ? No! Presumption lies with the one who says he cannot know, when God's Word says "We know."

The basis and ground on which this knowledge rests is the work of Christ on the cross. He was made sin; He knew no sin, so that sinners, believing in Him, might be forever with Him without their sins.

"What must I do to be saved?... Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved." Acts 16:30, 31.

"These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God." 1 John 5:13.

”You Have the Best of It

"If there is anything in Christianity, if there is a hereafter—a heaven and a hell as you say, then no doubt you'll have the best of it."

These were the last words of a long conversation I had with one who prides himself in being an agnostic—a man who knows nothing and desires to know nothing of a future life.

"Yes," I said, "but that is not all. I have the best of it NOW, for I have Christ to save, and Christ to satisfy. I have peace with God, not a fear of future condemnation, but a sure and certain hope of eternal glory."

The unbeliever had no answer to that, and quietly moved away. The believer in Christ, who is a sinner saved by grace and a child of God, has the best of it already. What comparison is there between him and the man who is a stranger to grace and to God, whose heart is an aching void which all that earth can give will never fill? He has no peace, no real satisfaction here; and in the future there looms the hopeless despair of the lost.

Can it be said that such a one has "the best of it," even though his wealth may be counted in the millions? No, indeed; he who lacks Christ is a poor man with an empty heart.

To which of the two classes do you belong? You may easily find out. Are you satisfied? Are you at peace with God? Do you look forward with joy to the hour when you will pass from earth to be forever "with the Lord?" If these are your present possessions, you have indeed "the best of it."

But, if you are still a sinner unsaved, un-forgiven, and ready at any moment to be launched into a lost eternity, STOP AND THINK! Heaven and hell, salvation and damnation, are realities, and he is a fool who shuts his eyes and closes his ears to what God says about them.

"Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth My word, and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life." John 5:24.

What Think Ye of Christ?

YOUTH
Too happy to think—there's time enough sure:
MANHOOD
Too busy to think—of wealth I want more;
PRIME
Too anxious to think—toil, worry and fret;
OLD AGE
Too aged to think—old hearts harder get;
DEATH BED
Too ill now to think—weak, suffering and lone;
DEATH
'Tis too late to think—the spirit has flown.
ETERNITY
Forever to think. God's mercy is past,
And I into hell am righteously cast
To weep for my doom, which ever must last.

The Text on the Rock

It was a beautiful summer day when a party of tourists set out to climb Mount Snowdon, one of the highest mountains in the British Isles. On the way, one of their number, Alan, left the party to try a new way of ascent around the northern ridge. He was an experienced mountaineer and had no difficulty for a time. Then, after a long and hard climb along the almost sheer face of the rocks, he found himself in a spot where he could neither advance nor retreat. To add to his danger, a dense fog rose up from the valley, and closed in around him. He shouted for help in vain. His voice was muffled by the fog, and only silence answered his cries.

He clung to the sheer face of the rock till his hands and feet were numb and his muscles ached with the terrible strain of maintaining his precarious foothold. Death stared him in the face. He might fall at any moment, and be dashed to pieces on the rocks below.

Would help never come! The minutes were leaden and seemed like hours, while his strength was fast ebbing away.

The mist began to clear away, and to his great relief he heard above him the voice of a companion, who cautiously lowered a rope until it was within his grasp. How carefully he slipped the noose over his shoulders and under his arms! With the help of the men above, he was drawn to the top of the ridge, completely exhausted. After a long rest, the party descended to the warmth and comfort of the hotel.

As they came down the mountain, Alan saw, painted in bold letters on the face of a rock, John Reaching the hotel, he found a Bible and turned to John 3:16. He read these words: "God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." He was struck by the words, "should not perish," for had he not nearly perished on the mountainside?

The message went home to his conscience. Alan's heart was touched and he opened it to the wonderful message of God's love. "God so loved the world"—that includes every man, woman and child in it; it takes in every race, color and condition. Tens of thousands have been blessed by that verse. Why not you?

That word, "whosoever," opens the door wide to you. Will you enter? The issue lies plainly before you—to perish, or to be the happy possessor of eternal life.

The blessing may be yours now as you read these lines. May you believe on the Savior and find that eternal life is a wonderful reality now and forever.

An Agnostics Admissions

"I may as well be frank with you, I am not in the least interested in these things."

The speaker was a man nearing middle age, who had just been handed a gospel booklet, "A Preacher of the Old School."

"I am an agnostic," he boasted. "You can understand why it does not appeal to me at all," he continued.

"I very much appreciate your frankness," said the man who was distributing the tracts. "It is so much better than false profession. Now since you have been good enough to declare your stand, will you allow me to ask you one question?" "Certainly," he replied, "ask what you will." "Are you really happy?"

"Well," he replied, hesitatingly, "tolerably." "Which means, to be frank again, that you are NOT!"

"That is so," he admitted.

"May I ask another question? Have you any hope of future happiness?"

"None whatever," he replied. "The only thing I am certain about is that sooner or later all must die."

"Then I would like you to consider that in a few words you have admitted three sad facts about yourself: you have NO GOD, NO JOY, and NO HOPE. It certainly does not commend agnosticism!"

The agnostic now seemed inclined to listen, and his questioner continued: "Let me tell you what, through the grace of God, I have received through the gospel. First, I have a knowledge of God—God Himself revealed to me in Christ, His beloved Son—as the living and true God. Then, in this knowledge, I have a true and deep JOY which increases as the years go by. This joy will last forever! Beyond this, I have a sure and certain HOPE through the atoning work of Christ on Calvary."

"Believing that His precious blood was shed for me, and has cleansed me, and made me fit for heaven itself, I am assured of a blissful eternity with Himself. That is what Christianity is to me! And all this is offered as a free gift to you, if you will receive Christ as your Savior."

He winced and tried to evade the issue, but after a few minutes' silence he said: "I will read your book. I think you Christians ought to speak to people. Indeed, you are responsible to do so!"

He walked away, leaving the Christian to continue his happy work. Surely the encounter was ordered by God and one day the results will be made known.

"In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not thine hand: for thou knowest not whether shall prosper, either this or that, or whether they both shall be alike good." Ecclesiastes 11:6.

Dear unbelieving friend, may God grant that the scales of darkness, doubt, and unbelief will fall from your eyes. May you be brought to know Him as your GOD, to possess present and eternal JOY, and to have that HOPE "both sure and steadfast" as the stay of your soul in life or in death.

From Darkness to Light

A young man was persuaded by a friend to go to a Bible reading. It had been many years since he had gone to such a gathering. This time the precious Word that he heard went like an arrow to his heart, but, stifling the rising conviction of his sinful condition, he went out without making a decision.

Troubled, but resisting the Spirit of God who was speaking to him, he made his way to where his friends usually met for an evening of fun. They were waiting impatiently for him, for he had a great voice, and his singing made him doubly welcome there.

But in the midst of a popular song, the words vanished from his memory. Every effort to recall them failed. Instead, he could only remember the words of a hymn which had been sung at that quiet little meeting where he had been such a short time before.

Hurriedly, he left his friends and went homeward. In the cool night air and beneath the quiet sky, he poured out his heart to God. He confessed his sinfulness and his longing for peace. God heard the cry of that poor, distressed soul, and turned his heart to Calvary. Alone under the stars, he received the Savior.

A mind at perfect peace with God:
Oh, what a word is this!
A sinner reconciled through blood:
This, this indeed is peace!

From that night on, this young man rejoiced in the Lord Jesus Christ, and had the joy of telling his worldly friends of Christ and His love. Happy in knowing now that his many sins were all washed away in the Savior's blood, he, through grace, could tell them: "The things which I once enjoyed seem as nothing now, compared to the joy of knowing that the Lord Jesus is my Savior. He has pardoned me, and I will enjoy His love now forever."

May this joy be yours, too. Do not delay another day to come to Him. You may never have another opportunity of hearing of a Savior's love.

"I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on Me should not abide in darkness." John 12:46.

A Broken and Contrite Heart

While visiting the General Hospital, a nurse said to me, "There is a patient here who is very ill. Will you speak to him?" I told her I would, and as we were walking down the passage to "No. 15", she told me that the case was a strange one. The doctor had not been able to figure it out.

The patient was a man about thirty-five years old. He was overcome with emotion, and his face was wet with tears. His voice, when he tried to answer my question as to his health, was so broken and incoherent that it was almost impossible to gather any meaning from his disconnected words. I finally succeeded in quieting him somewhat, and learned that he was making very strong and sweeping charges against someone, and that the "someone" was himself.

God was working, by His Spirit, to convince this soul "of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment" (John 16:8). So instead of telling him that there was no occasion for so much anxiety, I attempted to put before him the remedy which God had so freely and so fully provided.

"Oh, but," said the distressed man, "I have been such a hypocrite."

"Granted," I replied, "but 'the blood of Jesus Christ His Son, cleanseth us from all sin." 1 John 1:7.

"There never has been such a sinner as I am."

"There never has been such a Savior as the Lord Jesus." But he could not see Jesus; he could only see himself as a moral leper, and he could only cry "unclean, unclean."

I went out of town on business for several weeks, but I wrote to my friend and sent him a New Testament with many passages marked for him. During my absence, I was very much before the Lord about him, and on my return, I was anxious to know of his state.

As soon as possible, I went again to the hospital. On entering "No. 15", my heart sank when I saw only a vacant bed where I had seen so wonderful an exhibition of the Spirit's power a few weeks before. However, he had been removed to another ward, and I found him in a distant corner, sitting up and reading his Testament. His face was shining with an unspeakable joy.

"Well," I said, "you are rejoicing in the finished work of Christ! But if the Lord were to call you at this moment, what would be the result?"

"Oh, I would go to be with Him!"

"Then," I said, "let us thank God for the salvation of your precious soul," and, on our knees, we praised Him for all His love and grace.

"The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit." Psalm 34:18.

When a sinner feels his need of the Savior, and is ready to say "I will" to Him—to the Lord Jesus Christ—the great transaction is forever done. "Whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely." Revelation 22:17.

Almost or Saved?

The ship failed to make it to the harbor. In the raging storm, it was driven by the wind's fury away from the entrance to the place of safety, and was wrecked on a rocky shore. There the remains of that once-fine ship lie. It is a warning to sailors to beware of the rock-bound coast.

Many are the warnings to all of us who are sailing on the sea of life. The great storm of "the wrath to come" is at hand. In view of these warnings, may I ask: "Have you made the harbor? Are you safe for eternity?" The Lord Jesus Christ is the only refuge. Oh, before the storm breaks, flee to Him.

Many a ship has been just too late to make the harbor and has been wrecked just outside. Many a soul has heard the warnings of the Spirit of God and has put off answering the greatest of all questions until it was too late.

The world, with its enticing voice, has called; its attractions have allured; and the promptings of the conscience have been unheeded. Part of the world may have been gained for a time, but the soul has been lost for eternity. Almost saved—TOTALLY LOST!

"Almost!" Oh, the agony for those who were so near the glory and yet were lost!

Under which heading do you belong—"Almost" or "Saved"?

ALMOST SAVED
So near the door—and Savior, I come! I
the door stood wide! cried to Thee;
Close to the refuge— And now this word is
but not inside! true of me.
Near to the fold—but Thou hast brought me
not within! to Thee today:
Almost persuaded to Thou would'st not
flee from sin; have me turned away;
Almost persuaded to I could not rest till I
bear the cost; should be
Almost a Christian— Within the refuge—
yet finally lost. safe in Thee.

"Now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation." 2 Corinthians 6:2.

God’s Salvation: A Free Gift

People seem to expect to receive salvation in exchange for something they can offer. One brings an earnest prayer; a second brings a vow or a promise to turn over a new leaf; a third brings an inwardly-made resolution to live a better and purer life; a fourth thinks that before he can receive salvation, he must produce some evidence of his sincerity; a fifth imagines that he can obtain it by adherence to an orthodox creed.

Now, the truth is that God's salvation can only be had as a free gift. Why should there be any difficulty in understanding this? The words of Scripture are very plain: "I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely." Revelation 21:6.

"The gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." Romans 6:23.

Pride rebels against such terms. It would rather pay, however small the price. But God is too great to sell His blessing, and however long he might try, man cannot earn salvation by his own efforts.

God meets the sinner with His hands full of the richest blessings, if only the sinner will come with empty hands to receive it as a free gift. Will you?

"By grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast. " Ephesians 2:8, 9.

"Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us." Titus 3:5.

"God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16.

All Sin!

A woman in the city of Dayton had been very wicked, but through faith in Christ had been wonderfully saved, and happily confessed it.

She was answered by a sneer, on one occasion, from a self-righteous woman when she sought to testify of God's grace to her. This woman said: "Do you remember what you used to be when I knew you years ago?"

"Yes," was the new convert's answer. "And you do not know the half of it; I was worse than you or anybody else knows. But my God says: 'The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin.' How many sins are left after that?"

This silenced her accuser, as it does Satan. He cannot stand before the all-cleansing blood.

"The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin." 1 John 1:7.

"If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." 2 Corinthians 5:17.

Why Delay?

We speak of the mercy of God;
So boundless, so rich, and so free;
But what will it profit my soul
Unless 'tis relied on by me?

We speak of salvation and love,
By the Father in Jesus made known;
But if I would live unto God,
By faith I must make it my own.

We speak of the Savior's dear name,
By which God can sinners receive;
Yet still I am lost and undone
Unless in that name I believe.

We speak of the blood of the Lamb,
Which frees from pollution and sin;
But its virtues by me must be proved,
Or 'I shall be ever unclean.

We speak of the glory to come,
Of the heavens so, bright and so fair;
But unless I in Jesus believe,
I shall not, I cannot, be there!

The Sky Patrol

The wail of the siren died as the fire engine stopped and the firemen jumped down, tugging at their hoses as they ran.

The owner of the building met them at the door: "What is it? What's the matter? Where's the fire?"

"Here's the fire!" they shouted. "Get everybody out!"

All the tenants of the building were roused and rushed to safety, and the fire was put out almost before they had time to realize the terrible danger they had been in.

Who had turned in the alarm? Overhead, the Sky Patrol was circling, and the watchful eye of the officer saw the fire in time to radio the fire department and to get the people out of the burning building.

What a picture for us! There was One above who looked down at mankind going on with its daily affairs and heedless of the destruction that threatened. Before they knew their danger, He "sent from above" and provided the way of escape.

The people in the burning building all escaped, and the next week a warm and heart-felt "thank you!" went to the Sky Patrol. Not one was so foolish as to say, "tell me again" or "some other time," not even "just a little longer." No, they escaped with the knowledge that their lives depended on it.

But with the danger far greater, with the peril of everlasting destruction before them, how many today are postponing the most important decision they will ever make. How many are saying, "Some more convenient day"—I'll think of these things, I'll turn to God, I will accept Christ—and I'll be saved at last. But NOT NOW!

God's Word is, "Now is the day of salvation." Life is too uncertain to risk delay: "Escape for thy life... escape... lest thou be consumed." Genesis 19:17.

Salvation Is of the Lord

Salvation is:

By the will of God: Hebrews 10:7-10; also 2 Peter 3:9.

Through the work of Christ: Hebrews 10:10; Romans 5:8; 1 Corinthians 15:3.

By the witness of the Holy Ghost: Hebrews 10:15, 17.

How simple is the gospel of God's love and grace! God wants us to be saved. Christ died to save us. The Holy Ghost comes and tells us we are saved. The whole thing is of God. Man's only part is to believe and receive and enjoy this wondrous outflow of divine love.

Survival

Much has been said lately about survival.

People everywhere are afraid that "something is going to happen"—a nuclear holocaust—a break-down of the government, lawlessness and anarchy—a great earthquake or other natural disaster—even something as simple as a cut-off of oil supplies—anything that may disrupt the orderly on-going of the world as we have known it.

What can be done? Food is a necessity, so people buy "survival packs" of canned and dried food and store them, hidden even from their neighbors.

Neighbors? Hungry neighbors? There would be another danger. Maybe it would be better not to have neighbors! Better to buy a bit of land as far from everyone else as possible, and there build a miniature fortress to protect those vital supplies.

Finally, in case someone should come demanding food and shelter, there must be a weapon for defense. A gun is added, with a supply of shells, and there one sits, a full-fledged survivalist. Let the earth shake, let nations fall, let come what will, he will survive.

BUT—for how long? His provisions are all for the earth, all for time, and if he has made no provision for eternity, what will the end be? Everything he has done has been to protect his body, but in Luke 12:4 the Lord Jesus tells us to "be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do... But... Fear Him, which after He hath killed hath power to cast into hell."

The life of a man, no matter how carefully protected or (if possible) prolonged, is still only "a vapor, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away." James 4:14. How much better if our survivalist had been "laying up in store... a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life." 1 Timothy 6:19.

How could he have done that? The Lord Jesus said, "He that heareth My word, and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life." John 5:24. It's as simple as that!

Now, being really prepared for the future—the unending future of eternity—he can say with confidence, "In Thy presence is fullness of joy; at Thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore." Psalm 16:11. Fullness of joy! Pleasures for evermore! What are a few short years of survival on this earth compared with that?

”I Never Did Any Harm in My Life”

Such an excuse has often been given. Is this your excuse? Do you really mean that you have never done anything bad? Have you never had an unkind or wicked thought? Have you never told a lie or attempted to mislead anyone?

Also, have you loved God with all your heart, soul, strength, and mind? Have you loved your neighbor as yourself?

"Oh, no," you reply: "no one has."

Then, never mind others just now. You admit YOU have sinned. If one were found guilty of breaking the laws of his country, who would believe that he had done no harm? There is no use concealing the fact that you have not been what you ought to have been: you have not done what you should have done—in other words, you are a sinner, and the Word of God declares, "The soul that sinneth, it shall die." Ezekiel 18:4.

Also, we read, "The wages of sin is death." Romans 6:23. Take your place then as lost and ruined in God's sight, and give up all attempts to excuse or cover up your sins. They cannot be hid from God. "All things are naked and opened unto the eyes of Him with whom we have to do." Hebrews 4:13. And, "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God," Romans 3:23.

Take God's way of salvation then, and come to Him just as you are. "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved." Acts 16:31. For Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me." John 14:6.

What about Him?

You know how you treat your relatives and your friends, but how do you treat your best Friend?—

"The Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me." Galatians 2:20.

WHAT ABOUT HIM?

You can speak about religion, church, or creed of some kind, but it is a Person who saves—for "as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name." John 1:12.

The great question, then, is: Have you received HIM?

I Am the Door

As the sun was setting in the western sky, it filled the neighboring rugged valley with a golden radiance. A well-known man stood near the summit of one of his native hills, watching a shepherd placing some sheep in a fold. Sorrow had entered the man's life and darkened his joy for the present and hopes for the future. His learning had failed to bring him the comfort he needed for the hour of trial. He was truly "without God and without hope."

At his side stood his eldest daughter. A few years before this, she had come under the convicting power of the Holy Spirit and by faith had accepted Christ as her Savior and Lord. She longed to see her father really happy.

As they stood together, one last sheep, after a good deal of coaxing and vain efforts to escape, at last walked through the door into the fold. The scene brought to the young woman's mind the familiar picture in John 10:9. "I am the door: by Me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture."

Turning to her father she laid her hand on his shoulder and said, "That's all you need to do, Father! Only enter in."

The Spirit of God used the simple message. There on that hillside the father saw that the work of salvation was complete in Christ Jesus. Entering in by faith, he was saved.

What his learning and efforts had failed to secure for him, he received the moment he, a lost sheep, entered through the door, Christ Jesus. Unspeakable joy was brought to his sin-sick soul.

"I am the good Shepherd: the good Shepherd giveth His life for the sheep." John 10:11.

Opportunities

A botanist in Scotland used to go out on fine days among the heather, and taking out his microscope, he would lie among the purple blooms and examine them for hours at a time. A shepherd who tended his sheep close by watched him, wondering what was so interesting among the common heather and heather-bell.

Finally, he came to the botanist and asked what he found so interesting. Without replying, the botanist handed him the bloom and glass. The shepherd gazed intently at the perfection and beauty revealed by the microscope, and presently tears trickled down his brown cheeks.

"Why those tears?" asked the botanist.

"Oh," replied the shepherd, "they are se bonnie, and to think I hae trampled sae mony of them under ma feet!"

Like the shepherd, many people are now trampling beautiful opportunities under their feet! You may be one of them, but you still have an opportunity, a golden NOW. Do not despise it, or neglect it, or you will look back with longing desire that can never be realized: "If I only had another opportunity, how I would make good use of it!"

Opportunities neglected, and gone forever, will only be a torment to remember. "To think I could have been saved—I would have been saved—if only I had not wasted all my opportunities."

Thank God that you still have time to decide for Christ; still time to turn to Him who "will in no wise cast out." This opportunity, now, is yours. Use it wisely, for it is the most precious possession you have. Who knows if you will ever have another? Make Christ and His salvation your choice now, lest you awake in a lost eternity to find opportunities gone forever, leaving only the tormenting memory, never to be erased, that you carelessly let them slip by.

"I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succored thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation." 2 Corinthians 6:2.

Consider Him

Happily consider
That your Savior died,
Lovingly to draw you
To His wounded side.

As His dear companion
He, Himself, to know,
And by such blest knowledge
In His likeness grow.

A Lost Opportunity!

A bereaved Christian sister was telling a friend who was visiting her about the death of her brother. She had been very faithful in nursing him in his illness.

"And was he saved?" anxiously inquired her friend. The sister shook her head sadly in the negative.

"But did you not put the way of salvation before him?"

"Well, you see," said the grieving sister, "I did not like to disturb his last days!"

And so the brother passed "undisturbed" into a lost eternity! His sister, devoted to him in life, had thought it better that he should die a lost soul than that his last days on earth should be "disturbed" by his being urged to accept Christ. How sad that the Lord Jesus who had shed His blood and died in order to bring salvation to the dying man, and save him from an endless eternity of woe, should have been ignored in this way!

"Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?" Hebrews 10:29.

Saved by Grace Alone

I want to call your special attention to the fact that we are saved by grace alone, not by works and grace. A great many people think that they can be saved by works. Others think that salvation may be attained by works and grace together. They need to have their eyes opened to see that the gift of God is free and apart from works. "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast." Ephesians 2:8, 9.

Many people would put it thus: "For by your works are ye saved—or by your tears, or your prayers, or your fasting, or your trials, or your good resolutions, or your money!" But Paul tells us plainly that it is "not of works, lest any man should boast." If we could be saved by works, then of course Christ's mission to the world was a mistake. There was no need for Him to come.

Do you think that Christ would have come down from heaven, would have gone to Gethsemane and to Golgotha, would have suffered as He did, if man could have worked his way up to heaven? if he could have merited salvation by his own efforts? If man could have saved himself, Christ did not need to have suffered at all.

But God has put the offer of salvation in such a way that the whole world may lay hold of it. All men may believe. A lame man might not be able to visit the sick; but he can believe. A blind man, by reason of his infirmity, cannot do many things; but he can believe. A deaf man can believe. A dying man can believe. God has put salvation so simply that the young and the old, the wise and the foolish, the rich and the poor, can all believe if they will.

"Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us." Titus 3:5.

Saved by grace alone!
This is all my plea:
Jesus died for all mankind,
And Jesus died for me!

?Kept by the Power of God?

1 Peter 1:5

"The LORD will go before you."

Isaiah 52:12.

"The glory of the LORD shall be thy rearward."

Isaiah 58:8.

"The LORD is round about His people from henceforth."

Psalm 125:2.

"Underneath are the everlasting arms."

Deuteronomy 33:27.

"His banner over me was love."

Song of Solomon 2:4.

Jesus of Nazareth Passeth by

What means this eager, anxious throng,
Which moves with busy haste along—
These wondrous gatherings day by day?
What means this strange commotion, pray?
In accents hushed the throng reply:
"Jesus of Nazareth passeth by."

Jesus! 'Tis He who once below
Man's pathway trod, 'mid pain and woe;
And burdened ones, where'er He came,
Brought out their sick, and deaf, and lame.
The blind rejoiced to hear the cry:
"Jesus of Nazareth passeth by."

Ho! All ye heavy laden, come!
Here's pardon, comfort, rest, and home.
Ye wanderers from a Father's face,
Return! Accept His proffered grace.
Ye tempted ones, there's refuge nigh:
"Jesus of Nazareth passeth by."

But if you still His call refuse,
And all His wondrous love abuse,
Soon will He sadly from you turn,
Your bitter prayer for pardon spurn;
"Too late, too late," will be the cry—
"Jesus of Nazareth HAS PASSED BY."

Security

Security! How men value it! How they strive to achieve it with bolts and locks and bars, with watch dogs, guns and body guards. Can security be guaranteed by such means?

With all the resources of a great country at his command, surrounded by secret service men whose sole mission in life is to protect him, President Reagan was struck down by an assassin's bullet.

In New York City a well-known musician was shot to death, with his guard right by him.

Pope John Paul was shot and seriously wounded in the presence of 10,000 devoted followers.

In spite of all precautions, every time a public figure steps out of doors "he is at the mercy of any madman with a gun." Is this security?

And not only the great and famous lack security. Every day brings news of sudden death or injury in all walks of life. Where is security to be found? Must all people today live out their lives in fear and trembling, huddled behind locked and barred doors? Is there any security?

YES! There is security—security beyond anything the world can offer or even imagine. The Lord Jesus said, "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me: and I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of My hand." John 10:27, 28.

Who are these "sheep"? In verse 9 of the same chapter He says, "I am the door: by Me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture."

Any man—or woman—or child—who comes to God through the Lord Jesus, "the Door," and in simple faith accepts His gift of eternal life, becomes one of His sheep, one of His own who shall never perish.

God's Word tells us that "neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8:38, 39.

Now that is real security!

Ye Must Be Born Again

Don't mistake it, that means you; these are the words of Jesus, excluding none, including all.

"Verily, verily, (truly, truly) I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” John 3:3.

”Progress”

How strange to see the world making so much progress in science and industry and making none at all in righteousness and morality! SOME MEN persuade themselves that the world is growing better; but when brought face to face with the actual facts, they are forced to admit that "evil men and seducers are waxing worse and worse." 2 Timothy 3:13.

The records of jails, prisons, courts, and the plain proofs of increasing crime in spite of all man's learning and education fully confirm the truth of the Word of God. Sad to say, the world's progress is not in or toward goodness. The wonderful advances through discoveries and all the scientific attainments and triumphs of this day cannot bring a soul nearer to God or blot out a single sin.

The world's only progress is to sink lower in pride and lust, in casting off the fear of God and in rejecting His precious Word. In these things men are making swift and sure progress. The world is converting the church to its own infidel views of worship of nature and scoffing at Scripture. God and His grace in Christ are being thrown aside by the fables of progressive theology, liberal views, and the teachings of the so-called modern school.

Where do you find yourself today? Are you going on to eternity with the great multitude, through the wide gate and down the broad road?

"Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it." Matthew 7:13, 14.

The Lord Jesus Christ warns us about the end of this broad, easy way, in which the world is traveling. It's the easiest road in the world to find. You need only to follow the crowd, take the easy way, be "broad-minded" and liberal in your views! The unerring Word of the Son of God tells you where it will end—"destruction."

The narrow path, entered through the strait gate, leads to life. Eternal life is the portion of those who follow it, for Jesus is the way. "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me." John 14:6.

In this path there is a life of joy, peace, love, hope, and daily blessing. In this path is found real progress—not the downward progress of the world, but progress in love, in faith, and in the knowledge of God and of His grace. It is not the progress that ends in destruction, but progress that ends in the blessed presence of the Son of God in glory.

All this rests on the work of redemption finished on the cross.

"In whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace." Ephesians 1:7.

It is offered to you now, "without money and without price."

He That Loveth His Life Shall Lose It

Betty was lighthearted and thoughtless, fond of dress and amusements. Daily contact with the world of style kept her mind occupied with the thing of earth.

But God had His eye on Betty, and through a Christian friend she was invited to attend a Bible class specially arranged for young business girls. Betty came only occasionally. After a long absence, the teacher of the class heard that she was ill and went to see her.

Betty listened quietly while a few verses were read from God's Word. There was no evidence that her heart or conscience were being reached. Those who watched over her became doubly anxious, for soon it became evident that a fatal disease was bringing her daily closer to eternity.

Her first sign of interest came one day when her visitor slowly read: "Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness."

Earnestly, Betty asked, "Where is that?"

"Romans, chapter 4, verse 3," her caller replied.

A ray of light from God's Word had finally reached her. As she lay with closed eyes, two great tears forced themselves from beneath the tightly compressed lids. The reserve which Betty had maintained gave way. Now she was happy to hear the Scriptures read, and was soon rejoicing in Jesus, her Savior.

Only once afterward did her joy seem to be interrupted. Lifting up her eyes one day, she said with a never-to-be-forgotten look and a tone of deepest sadness: "Oh, Miss Gray, I have lost my life!"

At once, her friend understood what she meant. It was not that she was dying; it was not that she was being cut down in her youth. No; it was that the brief life with which she had been entrusted had been spent for her own pleasure, and now it was nearly over. It was A LOST LIFE.

There was silence. No word was spoken between those two—one about to be called away just as she had entered the path to glory; the other with the path of life still before her.

It was a solemn moment. God was exercising each heart, and she who seemed likely to have many years still before her thought—"If one only lately converted, when dying, feels like this, how must it be with those who have known the Lord as their Savior, but have lived for themselves, and not for Him who laid down His life to save them!"

"Ye are not your own, for ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's." 1 Corinthians 6:19, 20.

"He died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto Him which died for them, and rose again." 2 Cor. 5:15.

The cloud passed and the sunny smile returned, but it may be that the God of all grace permitted that cloud for the accomplishment of His own will. If her short life exercised others to follow the Lord, then Betty's life was not altogether a lost life.

"If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me." Luke 9:23.

Remember!

To Youth—

"Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them." Ecclesiastes 12:1.

To the Professor of Christianity—

"Remember Lot's wife," Luke 17:32; and "flee from the wrath to come." Luke 3:7.

To Pleasure Lovers—

"Remember (know thou), that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment." Ecclesiastes 11:9.

To the Believer in Christ—

"Remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised from the dead." 2 Timothy 2:8; and He says, "Because I live, ye shall live also." John 14:19.

To Unbelievers—

"Abraham said, Son, remember... between us and you there is a great gulf fixed." Luke 16:25, 26.

Dear Aged One—

"Remember how short my time is." Psalm 89:47.

Remember! REMEMBER!! REMEMBER!!!

Whose "Giving" Saves?

On his bedside table lay his pipe and his bottle, and old Ralph looked at his visitor defiantly. "I know what you've come for," he grumbled.

"What is that?"

"You've come to say, Give up your drink, and you're all right for time and eternity."

"You are quite wrong!"

"Well, then, it's Out with your pipe, and open goes heaven's gate for you."

"You are wrong again."

"Oh, well, you folks have never got but three things to tell a man; if it ain't those two, why, it's the other."

"Well, what is that?" asked the visitor.

"Why," he replied, half lifting himself on the bed and raising his voice, "it's Will you give your heart to God?"

"Wrong—all wrong! It's Do you know that God gave His Son for you?"

A silence followed. Then the visitor told Ralph of God's exceeding grace in providing for our deep need by sending His own Son into the world to die for us; that anyone, no matter what they may have been, who believes on the Son of God should not perish, but have eternal life. Therefore it was not a question of our giving up, but of God's giving. He gave His Son to die, that the sinner who believes should receive eternal life.

Nearly an hour passed; then Ralph said, "I don't say I haven't been an awful sinner, for I have, but if there's to be a Savior for such as I, it must be such an one as you've told me about, for never another would do!"

Never again was he heard to grumble about "giving up." Next time the visitor came, he was greeted with a radiant smile and thanksgiving for the wonderful gift that God gave.

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16.

The Unchanging Word

Feelings come and feelings go,
And feelings are deceiving;
My warrant is the Word of God—
Naught else is worth believing!
Though all my heart should feel condemned
For want of some sweet token,
There is ONE greater than my heart
Whose word can not be broken.
I'll trust in God's unchanging Word
'Till soul and body sever;
For though all things shall pass away,
His Word shall stand forever.

"The word of the Lord endureth forever."

1 Peter 1:25.

Saved, or Not Saved

The last load of corn had left the field on its way to the crib. The two men in charge of it were resting by the gate before proceeding to add their load to the crib's contents.

"Well, your field is cleared at last," said one.

"Yes, we are just taking home the rakings."

"Have you got all in now?"

"Yes, all but this load."

"Ah! Then the harvest is over?"

"Yes, for us."

"The harvest is past, the summer is ended," quoted the man, without completing that well-known passage in Jeremiah 8.

"The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not—." How would you complete the sentence?

"The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved." What! The golden harvest of heavenly blessing is past, the summer of abundant opportunity is ended, and we are not saved!

"Not saved." In spite of the long summer and the golden harvest.

"Not saved." When grace has been flowing and mercy calling—and conscience accusing.

"Not saved." When innumerable opportunities were yours!

Take care! Oh, take care or tomorrow you may have to quote it differently. You may have to say, "The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are"—LOST.

If you are "not saved" today, you may be lost tomorrow. That fatal step is very short; once taken, it is irreversible. As you enter eternity, so will you spend it. "He that is unjust, let him be unjust still." When you leave this world, your eternal destiny is "fixed" forever.

"Son, remember—." Remember all your good things—harvest, summer, favor, mercy, many a call, many an invitation, many a golden opportunity—all gone now, and gone forever.

Shall it be so with you? Another step is short—oh, take it!—from being unsaved to being saved. Christ waits to welcome you; He died to save you. Believe in Him, and live. Then, though the harvest is past, the summer ended, yet, thank God, you can say: I am saved."

The Essence of Christianity

The great truth and essence of Christianity is that it takes one's heart out of this world and fixes it on Christ. It makes one live by Christ, in Christ, and for Christ.

Going With the Crowd

"Don't worry about me! I'll slip into heaven with the crowd some day!" So a poor, careless sinner said to me one day.

I replied: "Friend, you have mistaken the place—the crowd is on the way to hell. If you 'slip in with the crowd', you will slip into hell." Scripture says: "For wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it." Matthew 7:13, 14.

He had not thought of that; have you?

Salvation is an individual thing. Each soul must receive it for himself alone. Before your soul can enter the gates of heaven, you must pass through the strait gate of conversion.

Yes, it must be conversion, not reformation. You must turn to God and trust in Christ to save your soul.

Beware of the crowd! Single yourself out, and take the "gift of God," which is "eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." Romans 6:23.

Out of, and Into

Out of the distance and darkness so deep,
Out of the settled and perilous sleep,
Out of the region and shadow of death,
Out of the hold of Satan's foul breath,
Out of the bondage and wearing of chains,
Out of companionship ever with stains.

Into the light of the glory of God,
Into the holiest, cleansed by His blood,
Into His arms, the embrace and the kiss,
Into the scene of ineffable bliss,
Into the quiet and infinite calm,
Into the place of the Son and the psalm.

Wonderful love that has done all for me,
Wonderful work that has thus set me free,
Wonderful ground upon which I can come,
Wonderful tenderness welcoming home.

"Then That's Me!"

"Jamie T.," as he was called by the fishermen around the Bay of Fundy, was a careless, godless, yet kind-hearted fellow. He was ever ready to give a helping hand on land or sea in the hour of need and was admired for his thorough honesty by all who knew him. But Jamie was "without Christ" and without peace with God.

It was customary among the Christian fishermen to have a meeting for prayer in one of their houses before the boats were to sail for the season's fishing. There they would commend themselves to the God who rules on sea and land, and in whose hand is the "deep sea." Then they would entrust their loved ones to His tender care during their absence.

On the day before the fleet was to sail, an elderly fisherman met Jamie early in the evening and said to him: "Won't you come to the prayer meeting, Jamie? You should let folks know that you are not an atheist, but believe there is a God."

The young fisherman hung his head in silence; but, not to disappoint his old friend, he said as he turned to go home: "Maybe I will, Sandy."

That was all. Jamie kept his word and was there, much to everyone's great surprise. And God spoke to his soul in the fisherman's cottage that night.

"What if I never come back?" he thought. "What will it be for me? Where will I be then?" And the thought of meeting God unsaved, unpardoned and unprepared gripped him as a vise.

While earnest prayer was ascending to God in heaven—and these fishermen can and do pray fervently—the young fisherman was seized with conviction of sin before God, and in such measure that he could not hold back his cry. So he called out loud: "Pray for me! I am a lost sinner and need a Savior."

No sound is more welcome to a true Christian than such a cry. So the fishermen, in earnest prayer, called on God for Jamie's conversion. A verse of Scripture quoted by one in his prayer pierced the young fisherman's soul. It was to him the word of deliverance: "While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8

Jamie gripped it like a sinking man grabbing a rope and made it his own. "Sinners! It was for them He died?"

"Yes," said a chorus of voices.

'Then that's me! He died for ME." And then and there he rested his soul on Christ and was born of God. "Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God." 1 John 5:1.

When the boats sailed the next day, Jamie's song was heard above all the others across the waters: "We have an anchor that keeps the soul Steadfast and sure while the billows roll; Fastened to the Rock which cannot move, Grounded firm and deep in the Savior's love."

All

"This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief." 1 Timothy 1:15.

From the monarch on his throne to the pauper in a hut, to all is offered, freely and fully, God's good news of salvation. All should receive, all should accept the blessed message. The rich, the poor, the old, the young—all alike may find comfort and blessing in these soul-cheering words: "CHRIST JESUS CAME INTO THE WORLD TO SAVE SINNERS." 1 Timothy 1:15.

All are declared guilty. "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." Romans 3:23.

All are commanded to repent. "God... commandeth all men every where to repent." Acts 17:30.

Confess to the first ALL, and go out free on the last ALL of the verse which follows: "All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all." Isaiah 53:6.

"With God All Things Are Possible"

"It can't be done, impossible," man says; And so it is to feeble sight: But when by faith we get in touch with God, It can, for He's a God of might!

The Carnival

The carnival was in full swing. Rides and games and music and shows were offering fun for all, and John Summers had been "raking in" the money at the crooked game he ran. His game was "rigged... so there was no way the suckers could win" and he had just won a man's whole paycheck.

Suddenly the man's wife pushed her way through the noisy crowd and lifted her two small children onto his counter. "Here... you take care of them," she cried, and ran out into the night.

Two tired, hungry little faces were lifted to John, and he stared back in dismay. The money he had "won" from their father grew heavy in his pocket and, hastily closing his booth, he rushed out in search of their parents. Soon the money was restored to them, they gathered up their children and left the carnival, and John sighed with relief.

He felt he was well out of that situation. He had given the money back, and for a short time he felt better. But his conscience had been awakened, and he couldn't forget all the people he had cheated in the past. It had seemed smart to take their money with crooked games, and he had been successful at it, making $20,000 to $30,000 a year. Now he could only feel that it had all been stolen money, and that he was just a thief.

One man's paycheck had been returned but it was impossible to restore the rest, taken as it was over many years and from so many different people. The burden grew heavier and heavier. A debt that he could never pay seemed to be dragging him down to destruction. Was there no hope for a thief?

At last he could only see himself as he was, a sinner, and how welcome the news that Jesus came to save sinners! Even sinners such as the thief on the cross and the "chief of sinners," the Apostle Paul, had received forgiveness of their sins. Jesus said, "I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." Luke 5:32.

Gladly he accepted God's offer of salvation; gladly he took his place as a sinner; gladly he could join in saying, "While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8.

"This Man (Christ Jesus) receiveth sinners." Luke 15:2.

"Joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth!" Luke 15:7.

Hell’s Heritage

A bad conscience, but a good memory—These will be the possession of every lost soul in hell. What a terrible prospect! All the details of this life fresh in the memory, every opportunity to get saved remembered; but never—no, never—a good conscience before God!

Suddenly, in Eternity! Luke 16

He was a rich man. One moment he was clothed in purple and fine linen, faring sumptuously every day, enjoying all that life could give. But suddenly, in one moment, all was changed!

Death came, and afterward, what then? Suddenly the royal robes and kingly fare were gone. His portion was changed from heights of luxury to the depths of misery in hell, where worlds could not purchase one drop of cold water.

"The rich man... died, and was buried." His funeral, as his life, may have been a display, but, "in hell he lifted up his eyes, being in torments." Luke 16:22, 23.

Long before the ceremony even began, the rich man's eyes were opened to his awful doom. His state was fixed now for eternity, and he knew it. He had closed his eyes and heart against the truth in time; but he can close them no more forever in eternity.

Suddenly, another change, and what a change for poor Lazarus! A poor beggar, loathsome, in poverty, in suffering, and friendless. "The dogs came and licked his sores." Yet God took note of him.

A change came; suddenly, the beggar died. There is nothing about his funeral. But, glorious portion, he "was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom" into the place of blessing.

May we ask, where will your place be? your future? your eternity? Is Christ your happy choice now? your loved portion? your rest? your confidence? He died for sinners such as the rich man and Lazarus—such as you and me—but only those who put their trust in Him are saved.

"Blessed are all they that put their trust in Him." Psalm 2:12.

"Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved." Acts 16:31.

He Is Happy!

"There is a man who works in the same shop with me, and he says the same thing you say. He says he has eternal life; and, mind you, he not only says so, but everything he does bears him out. He has no fear of death at all, and if he has any sorrow or trouble, this having 'eternal life' gives him such quiet and peace that I cannot help feeling that he has something that I lack.

"Do you see? And no matter how we razz him about it in the shop, we can't rile him. He is happy in claiming he has eternal life. He tells us he found eternal life by reading what God says about it in the Bible."

Yes, it is all there in the Word of God. "These are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through His name." John 20:31. "I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly." John 10:10.

Do you have desires and longings that cannot be satisfied here on earth? "For He satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness." Psalm 107:9.

Are you burdened under a heavy load, with no relief in sight? Take it all to Him. "Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light." Matthew 11:28, 29, 30.

But what about our sins? Are we worthy to stand in His presence, or to have His help? "The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin." 1 John 1:7. He came into this world in order to put them away, and to reveal His heart of love to us all. Turn then to Him immediately!

The Work of God

Some of those who heard the Lord Jesus Christ, asked: "What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?"

He answered: "This is the work of God, that ye believe on Him whom He hath sent." John 6:28, 29.

"To him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on Him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness." Romans 4:4, 5.

Interference

Oh, how we hate interference! Everyone enjoys having his own way without any check or hindrance. But nobody goes very far without being pulled up and checked in this present era of huge populations and much legislation. We do not like it, but we have to endure it.

Then, some people seem to feel that God should interfere on the things they favor. They would like for Him to interfere in their way.

But God says: "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts." Isaiah 55:8, 9.

A communist leader once declared: "The Communist party cannot tolerate interference by God in these critical moments! For candidates who hesitate to renounce God we have no room." He resented interference and even dared to defy God.

Are God and His ways, His interference, things to be always dreaded? Oh, no. Many of us bear witness that His interventions in our lives have brought great blessing. God loves to interfere in grace, for it is only by His grace that He can show mercy to a God-hating world.

That is how it was with George Mason. At the early age of eight years George lost his mother, the only tender influence in his life. His father brought him up as an atheist.

When George entered the army, he resented violently any interference with his own way; and in a black mood of rebellion against authority, he shot and killed an army sergeant. George was sentenced to death for this murder, and when his life was about to end, and a lost eternity seemed to be before him, GOD INTERFERED.

God used the prison chaplain to turn the young man's heart. George was soundly converted to the God whom he had hated. He said: "I never knew what happiness or kindness was until I came here and heard of the great love of God to poor, lost sinners. Please use the story of my life to help others."

This was an extreme case, but GOD INTERFERED AND SAVED HIS SOUL!

More than nineteen hundred years ago, one Saul, who became Paul the apostle, was born at Tarsus in Asia Minor. He was not atheist! Rather, he was fanatically religious. Yet no greater opponent of Christ ever lived, and his hatred was vented on His humble followers. As the leader of a whirlwind crusade against Christians, Saul was riding to Damascus to seek to capture believers in Jesus. BUT GOD INTERFERED!

While he was on the way, Saul saw the very Christ whom he hated in a blaze of heavenly glory. The effect was instantaneous and revolutionary. He who had been "a blasphemer and a persecutor, and injurious," obtained divine mercy and could now say: "This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief." 1 Timothy 1:15.

Friend, has God interfered thus in your life? Do not resent it, but welcome it. It is the hand of love that interferes. Let that love reach your heart, and your life will be transformed.

"Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins." 1 John 4:10.

An hour of divine interference rapidly approaches everyone of us. Those who are true believers will go to be with Him, their sins forgiven. Accept Him now while it is still "the acceptable year of the Lord."

Take Heed

TAKE HEED

"what ye hear." Mark 4:24.

"I am the LORD, and there is none else. I have not spoken in secret... Look unto Me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else." Isaiah 45:18, 19, 22.

TAKE HEED

"therefore how ye hear." Luke 8:18.

"Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool." Isaiah 1:18.

TAKE HEED

“.... lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God."

Hebrews 3:12.

"Vengeance belongeth unto Me, I will recompense, saith the LORD... It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God." Hebrews 10:30, 31.

Able to Save

"Behold, the LORD's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save." Isaiah 59:1.

When six-year-old Alfredo Rampi fell into an abandoned well, it called forth the sympathy of the whole Italian nation. All available rescue apparatus was rushed to the scene; men worked round the clock to reach him; two volunteers even crawled 200 feet down the narrow well-crawled far enough to touch him, but could not get a firm grip. He slipped from their grasp.

All efforts failed, and the little boy died alone in the dark well. They would have saved him, even at the risk of their own lives, but their hands were too short.

How good to turn to the One whose hand is not shortened, that it cannot save! To know the One who is "able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him." Hebrews 7:25.

All the efforts of man can never lift one soul from the dark depths of sin, but no pit is too deep for His hand to reach, no darkness too great for His light to shine.

Only look up to Him from whatever depths you may be in, only trust Him, only say, "Lord, I believe!" and it will be true for you as it has been for so many: "He brought me up also out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings. And He hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God... blessed is that man that maketh the LORD his trust." Psalm 40:2-4.

John 5 and 24

"Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth My word, and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into, condemnation; but is passed from death unto life."

John 5:24

When I was lost and dead in sin
And judgment lay before,
God breathed a precious word to me:
John 5 and 24.

I trusted in His finished work;
What could I ask for more
Than His unchanging Word of truth?
John 5 and 24!

No condemnation NOW, my soul!
My fear of God is o'er;
That precious verse speaks peace to me—
John 5 and 24.

I KNOW eternal life IS mine
Since Christ my judgment bore;
My hope is founded on that verse:
John 5 and 24.

I soon shall see Him face to face,
And then I'll praise Him more
For pardon through His faithful Word:
John 5 and 24!

Jack's New Year

Just before Jack's watch on the last night or the year, one of his fellow sailors said to him kindly: "Jack, some of us meet tonight to see the old year out. Shall we pray for you?"

Turning around in a rage, Jack shouted: "Make me your subject, if you dare, and I'll knock your brains out."

Though the stars shone overhead and the lights of the city gleamed in the distance, Jack at his post that night was not occupied with them. The parting words of his comrade were still ringing in his ears.

"I wonder what they'll say," he thought at length after his anger had died away. "Well, if they mention all my sins they'll have enough to keep them busy!"

One after another, many sins of the past came up before him, scenes from which many of his friends had been called away to judgment. Rousing himself he tried to shake off these memories, but in vain.

"We'll pray for you," rang in his ears. All at once brief scriptures learned as a child from his mother's Bible came up before him. Vainly he whistled and sang, and tried to think of everything else.

"The soul that sinneth, it shall die," said his memory. "The wrath of God abideth on him." "Shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy," came before him. At last he saw himself a sinner before an avenging, slighted God. Despairing and trembling, he realized his hopelessness.

"Oh, what a list of sins I've got scored against me! he groaned. "I can't ever get them rubbed out."

He saw himself lost and helpless, fast sinking in the waves of sin and shame. But as Jesus appeared to Peter walking on the sea, so across the cold waves of doubt and despair came the heavenly Comforter into the heart of this poor sailor. To his memory came the gentle words of the Savior: "Be not afraid; only believe."

Alone at his post, Jack fell upon his knees. He believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, received Him into his heart, and was saved.

"Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved." Acts 16:31.

The far-off city bells tolled out the dying of the old year, and merry chimes announced the advent of the new, as Jack, a "new creature" in Christ, arose from his knees. Grasping the hand of a comrade who came to relieve him, he said with tears of joy, "Ned, I'm a new man in Christ Jesus."

His conversion was indeed sincere, and as he thought of the abyss from which he had been snatched, he could not sufficiently praise God's goodness.

After that, Jack was untiring in his efforts to show his former companions the folly of their ways; and more than one had reason to be grateful for Jack's new year.

Will you also believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and be made new?

"Him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out." John 6:37.

Gone!

Another year has gone. Gone—with so many dead hopes—so many withered dreams—so many wasted efforts and ruined plans. Gone, too, with loved, familiar faces—with loved ones and friends we will see no more on earth. What a sense of loss and loneliness remains!

Is that all that remains? Will every passing year bring only more disappointments, more changes, more losses? Can nothing stay the same? No one?

Yes, One. "Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and forever." Hebrews 13:8. Nearly two thousand years have come and gone since He came to earth to seek and to save the lost, and still His arms are stretched out in love to all who will come.

The world changes, faster and faster it seems, with every year that comes. Still He changes not. Still He offers salvation-not for a month or a year, but forever. Why not look beyond the ever-darkening years to the eternity ahead, and accept His offer of life, and peace, and everlasting love?

Destined to Crash

The new condominium looked good-on paper. The architect's drawings, the plans, the blueprints-how sound and solid it appeared!

As the building rose, tall and white against the blue sky, many looked forward to its completion and to the luxurious life it promised.

BUT—the engineers cut construction costs by designing the poured concrete floors too thin. Support columns were left out, solid walls to stiffen the building against high winds were omitted, and when the actual work began, the concrete was poured even thinner.

Floors sagged, support beams buckled and cracked, inspections were skipped! but the workers struggled on until the day it was to be "topped off."

Suddenly there was a quiver, a tremor, a rattle and with a roar of collapsing concrete, walls, floors, pillars and men fell. Eleven workers were killed in the crash; twenty-three others injured.

A state consulting engineer said the "workers... were building a structure destined to crash down on them!" From the foundation up, it could not support even its own weight.

Like those workers, many, many people are spending their lives building on a foundation "destined to crash." They did not begin on the right foundation: "For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ." 1 Corinthians 3:11. No matter how skillfully they build on another foundation, or how many props they put in, it is only a matter of time till all comes crashing down.

As the world rushes on toward the end of another year, stop and check the foundation upon which you are building your life. There is only one safe foundation, the Lord Jesus Christ. To believe and accept His Word is to be "founded upon a rock." Matthew 7:25.

"The righteous is an everlasting foundation." Proverbs 10:25.

"Come and See"

"O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in Him." Psalm 34:8.

A Fixing Solution Needed

"Have you been born again? Are you a Christian?" So asked a preacher of a photographer who had come time after time to the meetings.

"Well, yes, I am, but I don't always live like one. I need a fixing solution," was his reply.

He needed decision. And there are others in a similar condition.

They are disciples, but secretly. They do not like to be thought "strange," and so they do not take their place definitely on Christ's side. They do not confess Him openly as their Lord, and thus it is that they lose the joy and blessedness which belongs to those who are out and out for Christ.

Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim
In the light of His glory and grace.

"He is altogether lovely!" Song of Solomon 5:16.

Empty Bottles

Mr. Tibbs was out walking one day when he remembered that he wanted some large empty bottles. So he went to a dealer and ordered a case of empty bottles to be sent to his house.

In due course they were delivered and Mrs. Tibbs and her daughter, thinking that they had been sent by mistake, laughed at the thought of what Mr. Tibbs would say when he found that a case of empty bottles had arrived. They placed one on the dinner table, as if they had not noticed that it was empty.

"But," said Mr. Tibbs as he told the story, "it was not such a joke on me as they thought. It was no surprise to me to find the bottle empty. I had ordered empty bottles, and did not expect them to be otherwise!"

Now, many people are like empty bottles, but they do not laugh about it. They are greatly upset because they do not find that goodness in themselves which they expected. They know very well that they ought to be different, and they have tried to be, but in vain. They have struggled and prayed, only to meet with repeated disappointments. At last they feel they can struggle no longer and must give up all hope of being what they ought to be.

Perhaps you know something of this. You have tried to "be good," but you have not succeeded. You are terribly disappointed and do not know what to do. The story of the empty bottles is just for you. It illustrates the very truth you need to know.

God has declared His willingness to receive and bless empty sinners, sinners who have no goodness and no strength. "For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly." Romans 5:6.

God knows that in you there is neither goodness, nor strength, nor merit of any kind. Your emptiness is no surprise to Him. But it is empty vessels that He seeks, in order to fill them with His blessing. It is empty sinners that He invites, that He may shower upon them all the riches of His grace.

It is in turning from self to Christ that we are saved. Salvation results from our giving up all hope of self-improvement and in placing our whole confidence in the Savior.

"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast." Ephesians 2:8, 9.

Our Daily Influence

Everyone is touching the life of somebody for blessing or for sorrow every day of our lives.

Do not live a lost life. Let Christ save your life as well as your soul.

Yourself or Himself?

A young girl, in the house of a friend, glanced at an open Bible on a table. These words attracted her attention: "Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? or who shall stand in His holy place? He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully. He shall receive the blessing from the Lord."

"Oh," she thought, "that shuts me out from blessing, for my heart is not pure. It has been full of vanity all my life." She sorrowfully mourned over her condition as a guilty sinner before a holy God.

"I could not get away from that scripture," she said later, "and for seven weeks I was so miserable." But God, who had made His voice heard in her soul, did not leave her in that condition. "For God speaketh once, yea twice." Job 33:14.

In due time, God spoke to her again. This time He directed her eyes away from herself to Himself. The verse that brought peace to her heart is in Isaiah 55:3. "Incline your ear, and come unto Me: hear, and your soul shall live." She did listen to His voice; she rested in His Word; and she went on her way singing for gladness of heart.

Her own vanity and sinfulness were no longer before her, but the love of the Savior who had borne them away, and whose love had drawn her to Himself.

"Wonderful love in the heart of my God,
Wonderful care, too, for me on the road;
Wonderful love in my Savior I see—
Accepting sin's judgment, He bore it for me."

Is your heart in the enjoyment of this "wonderful love" or is your life still full of vanity? I press upon you the fact that everything "under the sun" is vanity, and that by your devotion to the things of time you are shutting yourself out from His blessing.

There is hope for you—not in yourself, but in Himself. Oh, look off unto Him! Rest your soul in simple faith on His unfailing Word, and rejoice in His everlasting love.

"Hear, and your soul shall live." Isaiah 55:3.

No Condemnation!

Christ took my place on the cross. How grand! How wonderful! There He bore all the judgment that my sins deserved! He who knew no sin was made sin for me! He was forsaken of God that I might never be forsaken!

So now it is said of those who believe: "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus." Romans 8:1.

Offered and Taken

She was an old lady, unsaved and puzzled by the very simplicity of God's way of salvation. To her it seemed incredible that the Lord means exactly what He says in John 5:24: "Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that heareth My word, and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life." Salvation simply through hearing and believing, without good works of any kind, was just too easy, too good to be true. When I first met her, I gave her a little gospel book, and then asked if she knew the Lord as her Savior. She answered that she was most anxious to be saved, and was praying for salvation.

"But," I said, "salvation is all ready for you; you have only to take it. Jesus said, 'It is finished.' He did it all!"

I asked her to give me back the little book I had given her. Holding it in my hand, I said: "Now I am going to give the book back to you. But remember, when I offer the book to you, God is offering salvation to you in just the same way. The question is, Will you TAKE salvation?"

I then held out the little book to her, saying: "God is offering salvation to you. Will you take it?" At once the old woman put out her hand and took the book.

"Well," I asked, "what are you going to say?" To my joy she began to thank God for having saved her. "Are you saved?" I asked her in surprise. At once I got a decided "Yes." Her happy face told me it was true, but she had so simply and readily received Christ that it seemed too good to be true.

"Whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely." Revelation 22:17.

"As many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name." John 1:12.

Are You Afraid to Trust?

Have you heard of the man who lost his way one dark night? In the darkness he fell over what he thought was the edge of a cliff. Reaching out he clutched at an old tree limb and hung there, clinging to this frail support with all his might.

He was desperately afraid that he would be dashed in pieces if he let go, but at last his hands could hold up his body no longer and they gradually slipped until he fell—fell about a foot onto a smooth, mossy bank.

Now, there are many who think that sure destruction must await them if they confess sin and resign all into the hands of God. It is an idle fear. Give up your hold upon everything but Christ, and drop down. Soft and mossy will be the bank which receives you.

Jesus Christ, by His love and by the value of His precious blood, will give you rest and peace. Only drop now. Drop down at once. This is the major part of faith—the giving up of every other hold and simply falling upon Christ. That dropping down—that faith in Christ and Christ alone—will bring you salvation.

Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." Romans 5:1.

And Jesus Said

What power there is in the written Word of God! The New Testament portion of the Bible had been torn up and the pages thrown to the four winds. A man who found several pieces of the pages picked them up and read:

"And Jesus said,"

"And Jesus answered and said,"

"And Jesus said."

He was amazed.

"What? Has the blessed Lord said so many things, and I did not know them?"

Struck by these simple but solemn words, "Jesus said," he went to a nearby town and bought a Bible. Reading the New Testament to find what "Jesus said," he was converted. He believed what "Jesus said," and was happy in knowing the Savior.

"Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path." Psalm 119:105.

In Jesus

I've tried in vain a thousand ways
My fears to quell, my hopes to raise;
But what I need, the Bible says,
Is ever, only, JESUS.

My soul is night, my heart is steel—
I cannot see, I cannot feel:
For light, for life, I must appeal
In simple faith to JESUS.

He died, He lives, He reigns, He pleads;
There's love in all His words and deeds;
There's all a guilty sinner needs
For evermore in JESUS.

Though some may sneer, and some may blame
I'll go with all my guilt and shame;
I'll go to HIM because His name,
Above all names, is JESUS.

Echoes of Grace: 1981

Table of Contents

This Year!

Hurricane Allen

Saved Twice

Reading the Hand and the Heart

God’s X-Rays

God Is Speaking to Me

The “Open Door”

Where to Rest

Our Living Souls

Profit or Loss?

A Bushman’s Prayer

By Grace

Taking God at His Word

A Nurse's Story

Two Doors

What Is Your Choice?

A Pardon Refused

After Death?

I Always Meant to Be Saved

Trying to Enter the Wrong Door

What Must I Do to Be Saved?

Is the Bible Out of Date?

My Hope for Eternity

He Satisfieth the Longing Soul

The Best Thing in the World

They Put It in Writing

It's Only a Tract

Did You Hear What Happened?

Will You Be There?

Written in Heaven

A Shadow on the World

The Gambler

A Great Way Off

The Mark

Bandits Use Pepper

God Answers Your Questions

The Way of Salvation and Peace

Fifty Years Looking Down

A Blessed Hope

Day of GraceNight of Despair

Consider Him!

What More Can I Do?

One More Chance

What Must I Do to Be Lost?

”What Must I Do to Be Saved?

Fit Only for the Fire

True Faith

Christ Died for the Ungodly

We Know

What Are You Seeking?

It Is Finished

Wrong Thoughts about God

Lord, I Come to Thee

Who Cares?

Have You Heard?

Too Cheap

My Ground of Confidence

The Old Chief Knew!

Jesus the Messiah

One Sin

The Way to God

Love of Life

Now I See

Choose Now

A Miraculous Escape

God Speaking

Three Weeks to Live

The Hunter's Surprise

Three Pointed Questions

The Big Question

True Freedom

You Need Christ

We Know" Not “We Hope”

”You Have the Best of It

What Think Ye of Christ?

The Text on the Rock

An Agnostics Admissions

From Darkness to Light