Echoes of Grace: 1986

It had been raining, and the soccer field was a soggy mess. In fact, as Brian stood in a mud puddle beneath the goal post, he wondered what he was doing there.

He loved hockey and enjoyed playing goalie for his team, but this was the first time he had ever played in a soccer match and he wasn't very excited about the playing conditions. It had been raining earlier in the day, and although the rain had stopped, the sky was beginning to look ominously black again.

Suddenly a vivid flash of lightning lit the darkening sky. Then something happened which will remain in Brian's memory as long as he lives.

"The St. Regis team was coming down on me," he reported, "and suddenly there was a flash. I felt the hum of electricity, like a current, all around me. My senses made me think something was behind me and I turned around. When I turned back, the ball was just rolling along by itself and everybody was down."

Twenty-one players plus the referee had dropped in their tracks. Only Brian remained standing. "I just stood there looking over the field at all the bodies," he said. "It was a weird feeling."

Gradually the stunned players began to stir and groggily get up on their feet. The referee, however, remained down. The paramedics were called and they rushed him to a nearby hospital, but nothing could be done for him and he was pronounced dead.

Brian's brush with death on the soccer field was not his first close call. Two years before, he had narrowly escaped death when he totaled his semi. Two such experiences in two years made him think that perhaps God was speaking to him, but he told the newspaper reporter who interviewed him, "If God is trying to tell me something, a letter would be nice."

Although Brian didn't seem to realize it, God has sent a letter to him, and to you too. In His letter to us, the Bible, His messages are clear and easy to understand: "All have sinned"; "The soul that sinneth, it shall die"; "After this [death] the judgment"; "The blood of Jesus Christ His [God's] Son cleanseth us from all sin"; "The wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." Rom. 3:23; Ezek. 18:4; Heb. 9:27; 1 John 1:7; Rom. 6:23.

Won't you believe His letter, and accept His offer of salvation today?

"Almost persuaded" now to believe;

"Almost persuaded" Christ to receive;

Seems now some soul to say,

"Go, Spirit. go Thy way,
Some more convenient day
On Thee I'll call."

What Do You Know?

On a big construction project some years ago a workman was buried, except for his head and one arm, beneath tons of gravel. No rescue was possible. He was conscious, but his life was fast ebbing away.

The men of the crew stood around aghast and helpless. The foreman told the victim that he was dying and asked if there were anything he could do for him.

"Yes!" he cried frantically. "Yes! I am about to face Almighty God. Tell me what to do! What do you know, man, what do you know?"

The foreman turned to the crowd that had gathered and said, "Which of you are Christians? Quickly, somebody come forward and tell this man what he needs to know."

The men looked at each other—looked away—shuffled their feet—edged backward a little. Finally one said hesitantly, "I could pray for him, I guess."

But the dying man cried, "Tell me, what do you know? What do you know?"

The foreman shouted, "Tell him, somebody, or God have mercy on our souls!"

Just then a young man pushed his way through the crowd and said, "I can tell him all he needs to know, Boss!"

"What do you know?" demanded the victim and foreman in unison.

"I know, man; I know what it took to save my soul, and mine was wicked."

He dropped on his knees beside the sufferer. Taking the one limp hand in both of his, he began doing what any other man there would have given much to be able to do.

"First," said the youth, "if you have to go before I can tell you the rest, just keep remembering that Jesus said, 'Him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out.' Do you get it?"

Suddenly the face that had been drawn with pain and terror changed and became deathly pale. The young man cried, "He is reaching out His arms that were stretched on the cross for you! Go into 'em, man!"

"Jesus!" gasped the dying man, "Jesus!" The terror faded into a sudden radiance:."Oh, thank you, Jesus— Jesus—Lord!"

What a mercy that he had those few minutes of life! What a mercy that there was one there who could tell him quickly what he so desperately needed to know! It is not always so. This week, here in this city, another man was crushed to death under falling slabs of concrete on a construction job. A witness said, "He didn't have a chance. He didn't even holler."

True, he didn't have even one minute at the last, but he had had over fifty years of life to prepare for that final catastrophe. It would be only common sense for us, the living, to ask ourselves, "Am I prepared for a sudden, fatal accident if it should occur right now? What do I know that would make it possible for me—the real me—to survive triumphantly no matter what happens?"

The question that should be in each of our minds is: Am I ready to meet God? What kind of insurance do I have for life and happiness a hundred or a thousand years from now? What will I have when the days come when gold and silver, stocks and bonds, automobiles and television sets, microwave ovens and deep freezers, warranty deeds and swimming pools, mink coats and round-the-world flights will not be worth a penny a dozen? What do I know?

Can I say honestly, "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"? Can you?

We can know. Do you?

"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." 1 John 5:13.

Something Better

They who know Christ as their Savior have something far better than anything you can find in this world. They are too rich to care for money, too happy to hunt up the world's pleasures, and have an inner satisfaction, a joy and peace that cannot be found here.

Drugs, alcohol and giving in to the lusts which come from within, all give only temporary relief; they destroy health, and often result in the destruction of the mind, and in death. They are not the answer.

Those who have the Lord Jesus Christ as their own precious Savior know what it is to really live! All those hard-to-be-understood longings and yearnings within us are fully satisfied, and we are truly happy.

"I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. I am the good shepherd." John 10:10, 11.

The Apostle Paul could say, "I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ

Jesus my Lord... that I may win Christ, and be found in Him... that I may know Him." Phil. 3:8, 9, 10.

We can know "Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think." Eph. 3:20. To know the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior gives a settled peace and joy that nothing on earth can rival.

Come to Him and be truly happy! Then you can say as the Apostle Paul did, "To me to live is Christ." Phil. 1:21.

A Faithful Friend

There was once a farmer who had a dog that had been very useful to him. But the dog was getting old, and his ungrateful master made up his mind to get rid of him by drowning him.

Taking the dog with him to a river near his farm, he got into a boat and rowed out to the deepest part. He had brought along a heavy stone which he had tied to a cord, and this he fastened around the dog's neck.

Then he threw him into the water. The poor dog sank, but the cord broke, and as he rose to the surface, he tried with a whine to get into the boat again. Unmoved, his pitiless master pushed him off a number of times with an oar.

At last the heartless man stood up in the boat with the oar in his hands, intending to strike the dog a blow that would send him to the bottom. However, in the attempt he lost his balance and fell into the water himself.

He could not swim and would have drowned, but when the faithful dog saw his master struggling in the water, in spite of the cruel treatment he had just received from him he swam up to him, caught hold of his clothes and brought him safely to land.

What an inhumane way to treat an animal whose only fault was old age! We only hope he had a change of heart and showered his faithful friend with kindness for the rest of his days.

But stop a moment, friend. Have you not been guilty of a far worse breach of the laws of kindness and uprightness? Let us go back nineteen hundred years to the time when Jesus the Son of God came into this world.

Though He was God Himself, the Truth and the Light, He brought nothing but love and blessing for poor ruined man. He went about doing good healing the sick, giving sight to the blind, raising the dead, feeding the hungry, and bringing joy to the weary and sad. And yet, what did men do with Him? They cried out, "Away with Him," and nailed Him to a cross. What terrible wretchedness and wickedness was found in man's heart!

But that is your heart, and mine, too. The Bible says, "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?" Jer. 17:9. We will take His blessing from His hands one moment, but will get rid of Him the next if His will crosses the path of our will.

Now let us look at that blessed man on the center cross, and see the heart of God told out. There is not a word of scorn or resentment, not a finger raised in opposition; "He is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb." Isa. 53:7. It is all love going out to a world of guilty sinners.

Then we hear Him pray, "Father, forgive them for they know not what they do."

Though the cross was the place where men sought to get rid of Him, in His death it became the place where His saving grace flows out to all who come in repentance, confessing their sins, and own Him as their Savior and Lord.

The farmer's faithful dog turned around and saved his master's life, but Jesus saves not for time only, but for all eternity; He gives eternal life. "Whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely."

If you do not yet know this blessed Savior, we urge you to come to Him now, while it is the day of His grace. Soon He will come in judgment on this world, and what will happen to the ungodly and the sinner in that terrible day?

"In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. 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 4:9, 10.

Halley's Comet

Did you see the comet? Halley's Comet has come and gone again, gone on its 75-year journey in space. Will you have a second chance to see it?

Not unless you are pretty young now!

We have heard a lot of talk by the "old timers" about the previous appearing: "It was 'most as big as the moon"—"you could hear it hissing as it passed—you could even smell the gas!" Memory does exaggerate!

The appearance of the comet was not so spectacular this time. In fact, unless you knew exactly where to look and when to look, you probably missed it altogether. It didn't seem so large, either. One viewer thought it was like a "dirty, fuzzy golf ball"—and he was viewing it through a telescope. There was not much for the naked eye to see.

But there is going to be an event which will require neither binoculars nor telescope. The Lord Jesus Christ is going to return to this earth, and the Bible tells us that "as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be." Matt. 24:27.

He came to the earth almost 2000 years ago in love and mercy. But He was scorned and rejected and at last was taken out to Calvary and crucified. Ever since then the world has been saying, "We will not have this man to rule over us."

Has the world that refused the Lord Jesus then grown any better now? Has human nature improved over the years? Are people and nations kinder, less greedy, less violent?

No!

Only in one way can everything be straightened out, and that is for the Lord to return to "judge the earth in righteousness." But before that great day of judgment, all those who have believed and received Him as their Savior will have been "caught up, to meet the Lord in the air."

Those who have rejected Christ as their Savior—or even just neglected His "so great salvation"—will be left to face that righteous judgment.

Oh, come to Him now while it is still the "day of salvation." "Now is the accepted time... now is the day of salvation." 2 Cor. 6:2.

Now. Today. Can you be sure of tomorrow?

"Behold, He cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see Him, and they also which pierced Him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of Him. Even so, Amen." Rev. 1:7.

Peace: False and True

A mind at "perfect peace" with God —

Oh, what a word is this!

A sinner reconciled through blood:

This, this indeed is peace.

Peace with God is a priceless gift. It is true peace because it is divine in its nature and source. It is the blessed portion of every believer in Jesus. The reason is simple: on the cross, Jesus, our blessed substitute, bore all the judgment of God against our sins. He "who knew no sin" was "made sin for us." God's claims were all met in righteousness. The result is that He has "made peace through the blood of His cross." Col. 1:20.

The first moment the risen Savior came among His own He said: "Peace be unto you." John 20:19. He is ascended now to the right hand of God, and Scripture positively declares, "He is our peace." Eph. 2:14.

The Holy Spirit, sent from heaven, is now "preaching peace by Jesus Christ," and the believing sinner can now know in truth, "Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." Rom. 5:1.

But peace apart from God is a Satanic delusion. You forget the sins of the past and pay no attention to the calls of the gospel to repent and turn to God in the present; you forget the certainty of eternal judgment in the future, and so you pass carelessly along!

You move along "in peace," but this peace is false. It has no link with God. Satan will do his best to prevent this false peace from being disturbed.

If you long to have God's peace, open your heart to this very blessed portion of the Scriptures, "Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost." Rom. 15:13.

Oh! the peace forever flowing

From God's thoughts of His own Son,

Oh, the peace of simply knowing

On the cross that all was done.

Peace with God; the blood in heaven

Speaks of pardon now to me:

Peace with God! the Lord is risen!

Righteousness now counts me free.

Peace with God—is Christ in glory,

God is just and God is love;

Jesus died to tell the story,

Foes to bring to God above.

Danger Ahead

A man said the other day, "If you were more like Jesus, you would preach more about heaven and less about hell."

You would think by the way some people talk that they had more love for their fellowmen than God has! He who was love itself, for God is love, so loved that He gave His Son for man's salvation. Is it love to hide the truth from men because it is awful?

Suppose an excursion train was going out from this town and that I was on the track. As I walked I came to a bridge and found it broken. I knew the train with its hundreds on board was about due; in fact, I could hear it coming. I think for a moment that I will warn them of their danger and stop them.

But then I think again; it would be a pity to spoil their holiday by such terrible news. Some people might get scared, and perhaps some of them would faint. I love them very much and want them to have a good time, so I wave them farewell with best wishes.

The train roars on and all on board are killed or wounded. The whole town is deluged in sorrow. I come among them and tell them I knew the bridge was down, but I loved the people so much that I could not think of warning them and spoiling their pleasure. And besides that, I feared that some of them might not believe me and would laugh at me.

Would you call that love?

How long would they let me live in that town—or even live at all?

What are we to say then of men who stand before their fellowmen whom they know are rushing down to hell—lost, without Christ—and yet never warn them of their danger?

Would I be faithful to you if, knowing of the awful hell that awaits every lost soul, I neglected or refused to warn you? Listen to what God says to such: "When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand." Ezek. 3:18.

It is love that warns you that there is no way to get out of hell, and only one way to keep out. Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me." John 14:6.

"Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." Acts 4:12.

You MUST be born again!

Passing onward, quickly passing,

Yes, but whither, whither bound?

Is it to the many mansions

Where eternal rest is found?

Passing onward, quickly passing,

Many on the downward road;

Careless of their souls immortal,

Heeding not the call of God.

Only God Could Do It!

On the morning of Sunday, December 7, 1941, the United States military bases in Hawaii were attacked without warning by two waves of Japanese bombers, fighters, and torpedo bombers, totaling 355 aircraft. For two hours the attackers roared and shot their way over the island of Oahu, destroying ships, planes and buildings.

One ship, the 32,000-ton battleship Arizona, blew up and sank, taking over 1000 men with her to the bottom of Pearl Harbor. Three other battleships were sunk, many other ships were heavily damaged, and most of the airplanes were destroyed before the American crews could get them into the air.

The surprise attack resulted in an almost total crippling of the American Pacific fleet, but as the last Japanese plane turned away from the scene of burning wreckage, the most tragic statistics of that fateful Sunday were the grim casualty figures: 2403 Americans dead and 1179 wounded.

The Japanese attack was led by Commander Mitsuo Fuchida, a navel aviator of many years' experience. Fuchida remained above Pearl Harbor for the duration of the attack, directing his planes from his torpedo bomber.

When the news of the attack on Pearl Harbor was broken to him, the wrath of revenge started to burn with intensity in the heart of one young American airman whose name was Jacob DeShazer.

The United States responded in April of 1942 with a surprise of its own. Sixteen B-25 medium bombers, led by Major James H. Doolittle, were launched from the aircraft carrier Hornet about 600 miles from the Japanese coast; their target Tokyo. One of the planes, number sixteen, had not originally been scheduled to fly in the attack, but Doolittle noticed space on the Hornet's deck for one more bomber and ordered number sixteen to be hoisted aboard. Jacob DeShazer was in that crew.

After DeShazer's plane had dropped its bombs on Tokyo, it ran out of fuel. The crew bailed out and was captured by the Japanese. DeShazer and his buddies were to spend 40 months in a Japanese prison camp. DeShazer remembers that his hatred for the Japanese nearly drove him crazy.

Somehow, however, God was working in his heart; he kept remembering that someone had once told him that Christ could turn hatred into love. He pleaded with his captors, and he finally was allowed to have a Bible. As Jacob DeShazer read the Word of God, he realized that he, too, was a sinner in the eyes of God. He found that he was no better than the Japanese guards. He read of how the Lord Jesus Christ died on the cross, shedding His blood for the sins of men. So there in a Japanese prison camp Jacob DeShazer accepted Christ as his personal Savior and found his hatred swallowed up in the love of Christ.

On August 20, 1945, the prisoners were rescued by American troops. After the war, Jacob DeShazer returned to Japan as a Christian missionary, preaching the gospel of God's love to the people whom he had once hated. One day, Mr. DeShazer gave a tract to a Japanese man who was coming out of the building in Tokyo where the war crimes trials were being held. The man read about how DeShazer's hatred had been turned around by the love of Christ, and he knew that he needed the same thing. The man purchased a Bible, read it, and found the same Savior that Jacob DeShazer had found. The man's name? Commander Mitsuo Fuchida, leader of the Pearl Harbor raid.

In Psa. 76:10, the Bible says this about God: "Surely the wrath of man shall praise Thee." Who else but God could take a man burning with hatred and revenge and turn him into a man filled with love, a man who would eventually be the instrument of salvation for the very man upon whom he had sought revenge? Dear friend, the Lord Jesus Christ died on the cross for the sins of all who will believe in Him (1 Peter 2:24). 2 Cor. 5:17 says, "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."

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

The Greatest Question in the World

“What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ?" This question was asked by Pilate in the Bible. Do you know that this question must be answered by every individual, high or low, or of whatever race?

We must answer it as individuals, because God has proved the whole world guilty—both Jew and Gentile (Rom. 3:9). "That every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God." Rom. 3:19.

We must answer this question as individuals, because God the Father has provided in His Son a Savior for those whom He has proved guilty. "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 Lord Jesus Christ at the cross met every just and holy claim God had against sin and the sinner. "He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities.... 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." Isa. 53:5, 6.

The work of redemption was finished at the cross. The great sin question was settled then; now is the SON question: What will you do with Jesus who is called Christ?

There is no getting away from this. You had better plead guilty to the charges that are against you and have this matter settled.

There is pardon for the guilty. You can meet Christ now as your Savior, or face Him after death as your Judge. "It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment." Heb. 9:27.

What will you do then with Jesus? It is a divine, living Person, the SON OF GOD, who is before you. He is the One who said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me." John 14:6.

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

What Is Saving Faith

A question was asked in Acts 16:30, "What must I do to be saved?" The answer was: "Believe on the

Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved." But what is it to believe? It is to put your whole faith and trust in Him. But what is faith?

Faith, saving faith, consists in your believing that Jesus Christ came to seek and to save the lost. Acknowledging yourself as a lost creature, you appropriate, or take hold of Him, as your own personal Savior. In your helplessness, your dependence is entirely upon the faithfulness of God not to disappoint you.

It is believing in the good news of a complete salvation in Him, and a firm trust in God that He will fulfill all His promises. "For he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him." Heb. 11:6.

It is not just believing with the head. Hear God's own Word on the subject: "But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith... that 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." Rom. 10:8, 9, 10.

This is saving faith. It is not trusting to services, ceremonies, or sacraments, but it is coming to the Lord Jesus Christ Himself who said: "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me." John 14:6.

In other words, saving faith believes what God has said. For "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.

"He that believeth not God hath made Him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of His Son." 1 John 5:10.

Three Inscriptions

Over the triple doorway of the Cathedral of Milan there are three inscriptions spanning the splendid arches. Over the outer arch is carved a beautiful wreath of roses, under which is the legend' "All that pleases is but for a moment."

Over another is sculptured a cross, and there are the words beneath:"All that troubles is but for a moment."

But over the great central entrance to the main aisle is the inscription: "That only is important which is eternal."

Although unknown among the many artists who spent their time and talents upon this vast edifice during the five centuries it was in building, there yet was one who has left behind the shortest, but most powerful sermon ever preached from its walls.

"All that pleases is but for a moment." That is certainly true. The pleasures of childhood and the keen pursuits of later years, whether physical or intellectual, pass quickly away, and what little satisfaction they afford!

How often there remains a prick in the conscience, or sorrow in the heart, because of "something" —that ceaseless something—that led astray, or caused pain!

While all that pleases here upon the earth is "but for a moment," the pleasures of having our sins forgiven because of Christ's all-atoning work upon the cross, and of having our hearts made glad with the sense of His deep love, are eternal. These are the joys that will abide with us forever. And then, in the words of the central inscription, we shall realize, "That only is important which is eternal."

But—happier than that long-ago artist—living as we do now in the full sunshine of the gospel of the grace of God, we can tell abroad the good news that He gives "pleasures for evermore" through the Lord Jesus Christ, who is at the right hand of God.

How very truly Christians can say, "All that troubles us is but for a moment." We are going to leave them all behind!

The Apostle Paul took up his cross and followed in the footsteps of Jesus. Listen to his cheering words which come down through the years: "For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory." 2 Cor. 4:17.

"I Need Life First"

"If I could resist the devil and his temptations and take a decided stand as a Christian where I work and among my friends, I think it would be better with me. I could be a true Christian then as well as others, and I believe I would soon be sure that I was saved."

So the young man said, and no doubt he sincerely meant it. He had been urged again and again to "take his stand" as a believer and his only idea of conversion to God seemed to be "taking a stand for Christ," "showing his colors," and so on.

Sitting down beside him I asked, "But have you been converted? Do you have spiritual life in your soul? It is important that you should first be clear on that."

To this there was no response. The question seemed beyond the circle of his thoughts, so I went on to say, "You know, the first thing you need is life. There can be no 'taking a stand' and no `resisting' of temptation until then. You must go down the stream, carried like a dead fish with the current, unless you have life. You know a living fish can go against the stream, but a dead one cannot; neither can you resist temptation until you have spiritual life."

"Then that's where I'm wrong!" he exclaimed. "I never thought of that before. I need life first. I can do nothing till I get life. And that's where I've missed the mark."

Others have missed the mark there, too. The sinner needs life before he can stand or walk or work. He cannot live the Christian life if he does not have it; the life must be in him first.

Do you have life? "He that hath the Son hath life." "The gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." Rom. 6:23. And "whosoever will" may have it.

Have You Believed the Gospel?

Many people think that the gospel is good advice. Let us never forget that the gospel is not good advice but good news.

The gospel does not tell us what we ought to do for God; it tells us what God has done for us. It does not only offer us lessons from the life of Christ; it offers us life by the death of Christ.

It is popular to attach the word "gospel" to all sorts of activity and work and rules of health and methods of efficiency and success, all of which depend upon our faithful doing of certain things. There is no gospel of salvation in what people do for Christ, but only in what He has done for us by His death and resurrection.

"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works." Eph. 2:8, 9.

When we have believed this good news for ourselves and have passed from death unto life, then we can work as we never could before, in fellowship now with the Lord Jesus Christ, the great Worker, and empowered by Him in a way that would never have been possible by our own works.

"Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel... how that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures; and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures." 1 Cor. 15:1-4.

Have you believed the gospel? Do you know your sins are forgiven through trusting in the death and resurrection of the Son of God? Today you can be saved and be a possessor of eternal life, by receiving Christ, for "as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God." John 1:12.

No Time

While still in high school in Clifton, New Jersey, I worked pumping gas at a station on a six-lane highway. That highway was notorious. Route 3 was a fifteen-mile stretch of concrete with more deaths per mile than any other in the state.

One night I was working alone, as usual. Business was dead; I couldn't figure it out. My view through the large windows allowed me to see the slightest movement in the station, but this night all was quiet.

Suddenly, without any warning, the noise of the highway filled the room, indicating that the door had opened. I had seen no one. My eyes flashed fearfully to the door, armed robbery always in the back of my mind. Highway stations are known for holdups.

My eyes met a figure at the door that sent a chill of death through me such as I had never known before. A man dressed totally in black entered. Black overcoat, black pants, black shoes, black hat all black. But his face and hair were the whitest white I had ever seen. For an instant I thought Death had come to get me!

The man explained that he needed a flat tire changed. His car was safely off the highway in a parking lot ramp, but all the while. I talked to him I couldn't get the feeling of death out of my mind.

A small car came in for gas. I told the old man to wait in the office, and when I finished pumping gas I would drive him around to his car and change the tire. I warned him of the danger of returning to his car on foot. Frankly, I didn't think anyone would risk Route 3's heavy traffic, specially when dressed in black and impossible to see.

I went out to fill the MG Midget Convertible—tiny car, tiny tank. After only six or seven gallons, I looked toward the office... he was gone. Glancing around, I didn't see him anywhere. Then, carefully scanning, I saw him at the edge of the highway right under the exit sign identifying that exit. I yelled to him, but the noise of the cars was too great for him to hear me.

Now the thought of death was more real than before. Looking back up the road I could see steady, solid traffic. Foot-crossing was impossible for anyone. This thought comforted me, as I was sure no one would think to try. An old man in black would have no hope.

As I finished pumping the gas, I heard tires screeching, a loud thud, and the girl in the MG burst into hysterical, uncontrolled screaming.

I looked just in time to see the limp, lifeless body, without the hat, spinning end-over-end 60 feet in the air. A large station wagon had sent this man into eternity.

That was years ago, but the memory of that tragedy is still very clear. Today is a hard day for me; I feel guilty for having waited so long to finish this writing. I hope this reaches you IN TIME.

Think of that man old, white—haired. He couldn't have lived as long as he did and learned nothing. It had taken 80 or so years to get to that Sunoco gas station, but that night he was in a hurry to get to a car he couldn't drive.

Now, think of four points in this story:

1. He was warned of the dangers of the road and offered a ride across in safety. But he had NO TIME to hear.

2. He stood under the sign that told him a safe passage was at hand. Walking slowly, he could have gone down the ramp, under the highway and he would have been on the other side in five minutes maximum. But he had NO TIME to read.

3. He could see the heavy flow of traffic which spelled death. An Olympic sprinter would have turned away from that race. But he had NO TIME to weigh the facts and make a reasonable choice.

4. Like so many today, he was in a big hurry to go nowhere. And when he stepped off that curb, he stepped right into eternity. NOW HE HAS NO TIME AT ALL.

Are you trying to go through to the other side of the highway of death like this man? Are you too busy to listen to warnings? Are you too busy to take the offer of deliverance? Are you too busy to read what your Bible says about Jesus being the ONLY WAY? HAVE YOU NO TIME FOR JESUS?

Don't just take a spare minute and read a verse or two of God's Word without really understanding it. Stop. Take time to see what God is trying to tell you.

"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.

Do you realize the significance of the words, "HE GAVE HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON"? Take time to think—Why? Why? Why did God give His only Son?

"God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that WHOSOEVER BELIEVETH IN HIM SHOULD NOT PERISH"... get that? God doesn't want the "whosoever’s" reading this to perish!

"Should not perish, but HAVE EVERLASTING LIFE." How? By believing He is God's Son and the only acceptable sacrifice for your sins. Receive Him now as your Lord and Savior and you, too, will be able to sing these words:

I do believe, I will believe

That Jesus died for me,

That on the cross He shed His blood

From sin to set ME free!

The Great Divide - Luke 23

Luk. 23:33. And when they were come to the place, which is called Calvary, there they crucified Him, and the malefactors, one on the right hand, and the other on the left.

And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on Him, saying, If Thou be Christ, save Thyself and us.

But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation?

And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss.

Luk. 23:42. And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when Thou comest into Thy kingdom.

Luk. 23:43. And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To-day shalt thou be with Me in paradise.

The story above was taken from the Bible. It is a story that teaches us many important lessons.

Both of the men who were crucified at the side of Jesus Christ, were sinners. Both were helpless to save themselves from the physical death and eternal judgment that their sins deserved. Both had the same opportunity to repent and believe on Christ.

One of the men acknowledged Jesus as Lord, and believed on Him. He was told by Christ that he would be with Him in paradise that very day because, of his faith. He went straight to heaven without keeping the ten commandments—without payment of money—without works of any kind. He did not pass into purgatory or punishment for his sins. He was saved forever by faith in Christ alone because of the value of the blood of the Lamb of God shed for him on Calvary's cross.

The other man died in his sins and is lost forever!

God has given us this solemn story in His Word to both warn us and encourage us. Here we see a soul saved at "the eleventh hour," that no one may despair. But He has given us only one such case so that none of us may count upon having an opportunity to be saved at the last minute.

NOW is the only time you really have to accept Christ. Please don't miss your opportunity! "WHOSOEVER SHALL CALL UPON THE NAME OF THE LORD SHALL BE SAVED." Rom. 10:13.

Conflicting Advice

In recent months several major disasters have attracted worldwide attention. The disastrous chemical leak in Bhopal, India, the catastrophic earthquake which devastated Mexico City, and the recent nuclear accident in Chernobyl in the Ukraine have all produced global concern and dismay. But perhaps the most tragic of recent disasters was the volcanic eruption of Nevada del Ruiz in Colombia.

The tragedy of this terrible event lay in the fact that most of the twenty-five thousand who lost their lives perished in spite of repeated warnings of impending disaster.

Advance notice of the eruption occurred as early as 1984 when earthquakes shook the area. Next, minor expulsions of gas and ash were evident throughout the first few months of 1985. Then on November 8, 1985, the Colombian Institute of Geological Mining Research issued a warning indicating that there was a strong possibility of an eruption which would cause a mudflow that would threaten the nearby town of Armero.

Two days later volcanic tremors began, and at 3 p.m. on November 13 a technical emergency committee recommended the evacuation of Armero. There was still time. Disaster was still eight hours away.

In the face of all these warnings why was there such a devastating loss of life? The problem was that on one hand the emergency committee was urging evacuation, while on the other hand the public address system at the church, and Radio Armero, the local radio station, were counseling the people to remain calm. In fact, Radio Armero continued to urge calm and was still playing cheerful music shortly after 11 p.m. when power failed and mud engulfed the station.

What a terrible tragedy! And yet many men and women today are doing just as the citizens of Armero did. They are listening to two opposing forms of advice and deciding which one to believe.

On one side are the warnings which God Himself has given in His Word concerning judgment to come. "It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment." "Because there is wrath, beware lest He take thee away with His stroke: then a great ransom cannot deliver thee." "God... hath appointed a day, in the which He will judge the world in righteousness by that man [Jesus Christ] whom He hath ordained," Heb. 9:27; Job 36:18; Acts 17:30, 31.

On the other side are your friends, perhaps your relatives and sometimes even your religious leaders who tell you, "Calm down," "Cool it," "Don't get so excited." They try to reassure you that there is no real urgency, no need for immediate concern. They tell you that tomorrow, next month or four years from now will be soon enough to think about your soul's destiny.

To whom are you going to pay attention? God knows what is coming; man does not.

God has not only warned of judgment to come, He has also provided a way of escape. In John 5:24 the Lord Jesus tells us: "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 [judgment]; but is passed from death unto life."

Won't you believe God's warning and accept His way of escape today?

What Can You Give to God?

So much has been said about giving to the Lord that some people have gotten a false impression as to God's wonderful plan of salvation.

Of course, we would all like to bring God something which would atone for our many sins and shortcomings, but this is impossible. "They that are in the flesh cannot please God" (Rom. 8:8), no matter how much they try. We are nothing but spiritual paupers in His sight. As bankrupt sinners, there is nothing we can do which is of any value at all to Him. The best we can do, our very "righteousnesses," amount to nothing more than "filthy rags" in His sight. (Isa. 64:6.)

Because we can do nothing to please Him in our natural state, God does not require us to do anything or to bring Him anything. Salvation is not a matter of GIVING to Him, but rather of RECEIVING something from Him. "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God." Eph. 2:8.

All you can possibly bring to Him is just your poor, sinful, bankrupt self. Your first and greatest need is to have your sins forgiven. What peace and joy it will bring to know those sins are all put away forever, never to be remembered anymore.

God has everything good for you, both for this life and that which is to come. You can never understand what it means to have the constant companionship and guidance of the Lord Jesus until you experience it for yourself. In this life, troubles may come and troubles may go, but your joy in Him will go on forever, for "in Thy presence is fullness of joy; at Thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore." Psa. 16:11.

Then why not look to Him and let Him save you today? You know that He "once suffered for sins, the Just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God." 1 Peter 3:18. Now if you will receive Him and really trust Him as your own Savior, you can know that He died in your place and for your sins. You can know that He put them away forever "by the sacrifice of Himself." Heb. 9:26. And you can know that under no circumstances will He turn you down, since you have His promise that "him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out." John 6:37.

It is not a case of "giving to God" at all; it is just receiving all that He has for you.

Following the Plan

I am a carpenter in the building trade and work with a crew on different types of commercial buildings.

We work with the interior walls and ceiling construction.

Now, the buildings we work on have been engineered and designed by an architect. When we go out to a job site we are given a set of plans which the architect has drawn to tell us where to locate the walls and ceilings.

What if we were to disregard those plans altogether and go about it the way we thought would be best? What if we decided to move a wall a few feet to one side, or to raise or lower the height of the ceilings? How long do you think we would keep our jobs?

Not very long, I can tell you! And how very disrespectful it would be to the architect who drew the plans.

This reminds me of the way people are trying to get to heaven. They have their own plans, and are trying to get there in their own way, disregarding God's plan. One man told me that getting to heaven is "just like driving to Chicago; there are a hundred different ways to get there!"

What does the Lord Jesus, the Son of God, say to that? "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by ME." John 14:6.

God's plan of salvation is made very clear: it is through Jesus alone we come to the Father.

Jesus said, "I am the WAY." It is not our prayers, our tears, our sincerity, or anything we can do for ourselves. Jesus alone can save. An architect can make mistakes and the plans he draws up may have to be changed at times, but God makes no mistakes. His plan of salvation will not be changed. "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." Acts 4:12.

Now, for a carpenter to choose his own way in the layout of those walls will probably cost him his job, but for you to seek your own way to heaven and not God's way will cost you much more. "What shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?" 1 Peter 4:17. Also in Prov. 16:25 we read, "There is a way that seemeth right unto a man; but the end thereof are the ways of death."

Why not follow God's plan? "Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and He will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon. For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, saith the Lord." Isa. 55:7, 8.

Divine Certainty or My Thoughts

I don't think there is a hell. Neither do I think there is a real devil, or that any creature is bad and wicked. I don't think any of the dead will ever rise again. I don't think there is anything after death.

I used to think about these things. Sometimes I would think there might be a resurrection, a heaven, a hell. Then again I would think that there was no hereafter, and this would give me a measure of relief, but there was no certainty.

Now I have gotten rid of this miserable reasoning and thinking altogether. I don't think and worry and puzzle over a thing when I know that all my labor can never get to the bottom of it. I find that my thoughts are mere speculations of the human mind, so they only lead me astray.

The Son of God has come, and He has told us the truth. I can now say, I know. I no longer think the things are true. What then? I know they are. What gave me the certainty? God has spoken. "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but My words shall not pass away." Matt. 24:35.

I now know there is a God of infinite holiness, truth and goodness. I know the devil is real. I know that man is at enmity against God, and that he is not awake to his condition. I know that God has displayed what was in His heart to man by sending His Son as the Savior into this world.

I say again, I do not think this. I know it. Before I believed His Word, it was all vain thoughts; since then it has been divine certainty. I know the Lord is coming for us very soon. If you put off your soul's salvation until that hour it will be too late. "He that believeth not God hath made Him a liar."

"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.

"Shut Up! Shut Up! I Am Busy"

Phillips had been working 14 hours a day, and as he neared the end of his Sunday shift he was feeling tired and harassed. All day long he had sat hunched over his radio, receiving and transmitting messages. Constant interruptions had left him with his in-basket still full of untransmitted messages.

The passengers on board the huge luxury liner were enjoying themselves. Since ship-to-shore radio communication was still in its infancy, the passengers were fascinated with it and amused themselves by sending and receiving personal messages.

All day long messages had poured in—many of them frivolous, but a few vitally important. Six times during the day other ships in the area had radioed news of icebergs in the shipping lanes. Phillips had acknowledged receipt of these messages "with thanks" and had passed the messages on to the captain.

By 11 p.m. there were still many messages waiting to be sent out when the radio crackled to life with still another incoming message. This time the ship sending the message was so close that Phillips reported that the signal almost "blew his ears off." He had had enough, and in total frustration he replied, "Shut up! Shut up! I am busy."

The pace of life in 1986 is rushed and frantic, and perhaps when someone tries to interrupt you with an urgent message concerning the need of your soul, you feel irritated. Still you respond politely, perhaps even "with thanks." Then, as pressure to consider your position as a sinner before God and your need of a Savior continues, you tend to respond as Phillips did, "Shut up! Shut up! I am busy." The consequences of such an attitude can be terrible.

Ordinarily, the frustrated refusal to accept a message would have caused no problem. But the date was April 14, 1912, and Jack Phillips was the First Radio Operator on the Titanic. At 11 p.m. that evening a nearby ship, the Californian, sent a radio message to the Titanic indicating that there were icebergs in the area. Phillips refused to acknowledge the message, and the Titanic proceeded full speed ahead.

Forty minutes later Frederick Fleet who was posted as lookout, sighted an iceberg dead ahead. He notified the officer on the bridge, but it was too late to avoid a collision. The Titanic struck the iceberg and sank, taking more than 1500 passengers and crew members to the bottom with her.

What a tragedy! And yet, every day men and women are brushing off warnings of danger ahead with results that are just as tragic.

God has warned us in His Word, the Bible, that "all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." Rom. 3:23. He warns that "the wages of sin is death" (Rom. 6:23), and that "after this [death] the judgment." Heb. 9:27.

What are you doing with those warnings? Are you impatiently replying, "Shut up! Shut up! I am busy later, when I have more time, I'll think about those things"? For you, as for the Titanic's passengers, there may be no "later."

When the Titanic went down, 651 of her passengers and crew were able to find safety in the ship's lifeboats, but there was not room enough for everyone. Many who could have found safety in the lifeboats, refused to trust themselves to such frail-looking craft.

The refuge, however, that God has provided for sinners who will trust Him is great enough to include everyone. "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 blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin." 1 John 1:7. And God's refuge is secure: "I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish." John 10:28.

For the more than 1500 who went down with the Titanic there is no chance of rescue now. But for you, there is still opportunity. "Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation." 2 Cor. 6:2. Won't you accept Him right now?

The Wrong Way

The hot Florida sun beat down on the expressway, and the hitchhiker trudging along with his backpack looked hopefully at each car that passed. Turning to face the oncoming car, he would hold up a hand-lettered destination sign: "PENSACOLA."

No one stopped. As each car whizzed past him he would give his pack a hitch and start on down the road, a hot and weary man.

Why did no passing motorist take pity on him and stop to give him a ride? He was certainly hoping to reach Pensacola—all his efforts were directed to getting to Pensacola—but he was going the wrong way. Pensacola lay 450 miles to the north, and he was walking down the southbound lane. Every step he took, the longer he traveled, the more energy he put into his efforts to reach Pensacola, the farther he was from getting there.

No doubt he thought he was going the right way, but we can only think of the verse in Proverbs: "There is a way which seemeth right unto a man; but the end thereof are the ways of death." Prov. 14:12. Travelers journeying on through life as we all are must make sure that theirs is not just "the way that seemeth right." When we ask, "How can we know the way?" the Lord Jesus Himself answers: "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me." John 14:6.

"The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into His hand. 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 3:35, 36.

That is the way. We come to God by believing on His Son. The promise is absolutely sure: "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. Could the way be plainer than that?

Not the Righteous

It is a serious thing for a man, whether he be young, middle-aged or old, to have a good opinion of himself to think that his conduct and character are good in the sight of God, and deserving of His approval. For if a man thinks well of himself, and considers himself a righteous person, he can lay no claim to Christ as his Savior, for Christ did not come to call the righteous.

Christ did not come to call those who think well of themselves, and who trust that God will accept them for their good works. He came to call those who are broken down under a sense of their sins—who feel they cannot make themselves better—who know that their case is so bad, that no one can give them relief, and who, therefore, in the anguish of their souls, cry to the Lord to have mercy on them.

It is right to pay one's debts, to be polite to one's neighbors, and kind to the—poor to avoid evil-speaking and evil-doing, and to acknowledge God as the author of good. All this is right in its place. But many flatter themselves that by such a course they have a good chance of acceptance with God in the day of judgment.

Now this notion, however popular it may be, is the great delusion of the enemy for man's eternal ruin. Those who cherish this notion are altogether deceived. A person may be blameless in his ways before men and amiable and devout in his disposition and not have Christ in his heart.

Morality and the keeping of the outward decencies of religion give no title to heaven. There is not one in heaven who is there on the ground of what he is in himself or of what he has done.

All those who are there are there as sinners saved by the sovereign grace of God—washed from their sins by the precious blood of Christ.

Come to the Savior then as a sinner and claim Him for your own. Admit that He came to save sinners, and that you are a sinner. Realize that you are lost, and that He came to save the lost. Then accept Him as your Savior and you will be His forever.

"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." Eph. 2:8, 9.

The Worst Way to Die

Some of us were sitting around at lunch break one day talking about this and that. Somehow the talk got around to the subject of death. The question was asked, "What is the worst possible way one might die?" One suggested drowning would be the worst way, one thought of death by fire; and another even suggested crucifixion would be the worst way to die.

When I heard "crucifixion" I thought immediately of the blessed Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, the One "who gave Himself for our sins," as we read in Gal. 1:4. So I expressed the thought that the very worst way anyone could possibly die would be to die without Christ! To die in your sins and spend a lost eternity in hell there couldn't possibly be a worse way to die.

That thought ended any further discussion on the subject of dying! But it is a reality, and something you must deal with. People say that death is so final, but it does not all end at the death of the body. The Word of God tells us that "it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment." Heb. 9:27.

Yes, after death the JUDGMENT. What a searching thought that is. For all those who die in their sins who die without Christ must face Him for judgment. For those who through grace know Him as Savior, that judgment is past. They can by faith look back to Calvary and say with Peter, "Christ... suffered for us... who His own self bare our sins in His own body on the tree." 1 Peter 2:21, 24. Yes, the Lord Jesus Christ went to Calvary and died a criminal's death, but it was my sins that led Him there. "For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the Just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God." 1 Peter 3:18.

Have you been brought to God? Or is the thought of death to you like a leap into the dark unknown? It need not be! As the Apostle Paul could say, "We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord."

2 Cor. 5:8. No, we do not need to be uncertain or unsure or fearful, but we can be confident because God's Word has declared it: "The GIFT of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." Rom. 6:23.

A Child’s Faith

"I thank Jesus that He was punished for me." Such was a child's confession of faith in Christ. It was simple, yet expressive, brief, but full of truth and meaning. It contained the sum and substance of the glad tidings of salvation through a crucified Christ.

The little one knew herself to be a sinner, and knew that she deserved punishment; she saw a Savior who bore that punishment instead of herself; she believed God's Word, and accepted God's substitute.

She just applied the prophetic words in Isa. 53:6 to herself, "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."

The possessor of the mightiest intellect that ever existed has just to take the place of this little child before peace in believing can be enjoyed.

His Pain - My Gain

"But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed." Isa. 53:5.

Jane had memorized this verse when she was a young girl and it became increasingly precious when she was confined to a sick bed. A friend said to her, "You suffer a lot, don't you?"

"Yes," she said, "but (pointing to her hand) there is no nail-print there. He had the nails; I have the peace."

Laying her hand on her forehead, she said "There are no thorns there. He had the thorns; I have peace."

Touching her side, she said, "There is no spear there. He had the spear; I have peace."

Through my hand no nail is driven,

On my brow no thorns are worn;

In my side there is no spear wound—

Jesus all my sins hath borne.

His the nails, relentless driven,

Mine the peace by Him procured;

For this soul with sin so burdened,

Freed in mercy—love allured.

Who Is on God's Side?

"Here is an invitation to the Officer's Ball which is to be held on Saturday, Mrs. Estcourt." The young bride of Captain Estcourt hesitated to accept the card, while her forehead showed the troubled state of her mind.

"What is the matter?" asked her husband, who was entering the room, seeing his wife so disturbed. Still thinking, she did not answer. "Well, what is it?"

They had recently been married, and this was the first invitation she had received. Now she realized for the first time her mistake in disobeying God's commandment and marrying a man who was not a Christian, and who was not with her in heart and mind as to eternal matters.

"Well, James," she said to her husband, "you know I am a Christian and gave up dancing before I married. I just can't accept this invitation."

"What! Are you going to rob the party of its best and fairest dancer?" he said, laughing. "You will not do such a thing. Do you know that old Hebich will be present?"

"James!—that is impossible!" exclaimed Mrs. Estcourt, springing to her feet. "What! Mr. Hebich, that dear old missionary, that faithful man of God? Impossible!"

"That's who it is," replied the Captain. "It was a great idea of Major Jackson to invite him."

"And Mr. Hebich accepted?" asked Mrs. Estcourt.

"He did! I was there when the answer came. You should have seen Jackson; how glad he was to have a chance to see the old man at the ball."

"Well, I will go too, then," said the Captain's wife briefly, knowing something of the zeal and courage of Mr. Hebich.

The ballroom was all decorated with flags and flowers. The orchestra of the regiment began playing, and the dancing began. During the second waltz a tall, broad-shouldered man entered the hall, almost unnoticed. Standing still, he looked earnestly at the glittering scene until the music was ended.

Then the dancers led their ladies to their respective places. The central part of the room was now vacant, and during the pause which followed, the tall form of the missionary made for the open space.

There was a sudden hush, and all eyes were directed toward him. "There he is; there he is!" whispered many. But no one dared to say a word of reproach to the earnest, well-known man of God.

Hebich now stretched out his right arm above his head, and at the same time called with a loud voice to the audience:

"WHO IS ON GOD'S SIDE?"

Deep stillness prevailed! A second and a third time he called out the question:

"WHO IS ON GOD'S SIDE?"

"WHO?"

The bright eyes under the bushy brows fixed themselves upon those present. A mysterious power from above seemed to have fallen on the dancers, for no one moved or raised a voice against the speaker—the bold witness of the Lord.

After the last call, a stirring began among a group of dancers, and to the astonishment of Captain Estcourt, he noticed the delicate figure of his wife who, with a deadly pale face, walked slowly through the space, placing herself alongside Mr. Hebich.

The young lady, before so timid, now stood with her head raised, confessing her Savior to those in the ballroom. There the two stood, the only ones on God's side—the strong, daring man, and the weak and delicate figure of the lady in white.

Once more Mr. Hebich addressed the rest in a few earnest words, testifying to the reality of eternity, and preaching repentance toward God. Then he left the hall. A few minutes later Mrs. Estcourt left also, accompanied by her husband.

All the company will remember through all eternity God's testimony to them through His faithful servant. For a few it was a momentous evening and a time of decision for Christ. Do you think Mrs. Estcourt was ever sorry for taking such a bold stand for God and her Savior Jesus Christ? She certainly was not. Having come to know Him, she now purposed to serve God with a true and joyful heart.

If Jesus Christ is not your personal Savior, turn to Him in true repentance and faith before it is forever too late! "Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation." 2 Cor. 6:2.

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

"Daisy"

Daisy was, to be honest, a "mutt." She had no home and no pedigree. Even her name didn't really belong to her; it was just what the children called her as she roamed about the trailer park where she scavenged for food.

Worst of all, Daisy had no license. When the men from the animal control office discovered her they immediately decided to haul her off to the pound. Poor Daisy! Her short life had been a miserable one, but even that was to be ended. Five days to the gas chamber seemed to be her fate.

But Sherrie Lennon, who lived at the park, told the officers from animal control that she would take care of Daisy and find her a home. The men didn't thank Sherrie for her kindness; they charged her with having an unrestrained pet and gave her a ticket to appear in court.

Not understanding all the legal terms on the paper, Sherrie thought it was "just a warning" and forgot about it. What a mistake! A court order is a court order, and instead of officers coming to the park for Daisy, police officers came for Sherrie!

Taken to jail for failure to appear in court, Sherrie spent that night and all the next day in prison. At last a friend paid to bail her out, and Sherrie was free.

And Daisy? Poor hungry Daisy was still roaming the trailer park and looking for food. Once again the officers had orders to "bring that dog in" and impound her. This time Sherrie would not be able to help.

Sherrie couldn't, but someone else could and would. Sally drove sixty miles to the trailer park, one day ahead of the officers, and loaded Daisy into her big station wagon. Bony, flea-bitten Daisy was whisked away to a new life: to a hath and a flea dip, to veterinary care and good food, to a warm bed and a loving owner, to a license and a right to live. Happy, happy Daisy! What a change for her!

And what a change for us, when we receive the Lord Jesus as our Savior and are rescued by Him from the destruction that is as certain for us as it was for Daisy. For her, Sherrie went to prison, a friend paid the fine, and Sally came all the way to get her and take her to safety. But for us poor, lost human beings straying around in the world He made, the Lord Jesus came where we were; He went into death and the grave; He paid all the penalty, and He wants to take us to live with Him in the Father's house—heaven.

If we were only like Daisy, He could just take us there, but we were created with minds—and wills—of our own. We can say "NO," to God. We can choose the way that leads to hell. We can refuse God's great salvation. It is hard to understand why!

God's offer of salvation is free. There are "no strings attached." All the price has been paid, all the work has been done, and the promise is sure: "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life." The reverse is equally true: "He that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him." John 3:36.

The Pleasure Poll

What is your greatest pleasure? What do you enjoy the very most? Over 1500 adult Americans answered that question recently in a poll conducted by an advertising agency, and how do you think they responded?

More people reported that they enjoyed watching TV than anything else on the list. Watching TV was, checked by 68% of those responding—more than family, food or travel or sport or (at the bottom of the list!) religion.

But it is such a temporary pleasure. Yesterday's programs—where are they today? Truly, they are "pleasures... for a season," a very brief season.

Almost half got "pleasure and satisfaction" from the food they ate; less than a third spoke for "religion." Evidently they consider their bodies more important than their souls! When the Lord Jesus Christ was on earth He said, "Labor not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life." John 6:27.

Then they asked Him, "What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?" John 6:28.

Jesus answered, "This is the work of God, that ye believe on Him whom He hath sent." John 6:29. More than that, He said, "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life." John 3:36.

Everlasting life. Not "pleasures... for a season," but everlasting joy. "Thou wilt show me the path of life: in Thy presence is fullness of joy; at Thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore." Psa. 16:11.

What are the things listed in the "pleasure poll" to compare with that? Are you content to spend your life—your one short life on earth—in such temporary pleasures, when pleasures for evermore are offered you?

Real Love

I once put the question, "Do you love Jesus?" to a little blind boy I knew. Turning his sightless eyes towards heaven, he said fervently, "You don't know how I love Him, or you'd never ask! They have not made the right word yet to tell of half my love, but I'm just waiting-waiting till I have the 'new song' put into my mouth, and then I'll tell it to Him."

The same little boy was one day at the house of a friend, and a little girl with whom he was playing said very sadly to him, "I am so sorry you cannot see me!"

"Ha!" said Ritchie, "that's no loss. I can see Jesus the 'altogether lovely,' and you can't beat that."

Yes, "He is altogether lovely. This is my Beloved, and this is my Friend." Sos. 5:16. Turn to Him today, and "know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge." Eph. 3:19.

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.

"I Think"

"Can you tell me the way to Elm Street?"

"Well, I think you must take the first turn to the left, and then -."

"But are you sure?"

"No, I'm not sure."

"Oh, then, that won't do for me; I must ask some one else!"

"I see, friend, you're too wise to waste five minutes for want of being sure of being on the right road. Are you equally wise about your soul? What is your hope for eternity?"

"Well, I think if a man does his best, and

"Wait a minute! If 'I THINK' is not enough to depend on for time, surely it will never do for eternity."

The Bible says in 1 John 5:13, that "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."

Man's religion, man's trying, man's best efforts all end in "I THINK," but when once man drops his thoughts and simply believes God's Word, then a blessed "I KNOW" casts out forever the "I THINK" of unbelief.

A Jew's Faith

I was brought up a Jew and taught to observe the ceremonies and rites of Judaism. When I grew up, I became friendly with some atheists and began to believe that they were right in claiming that there is no God.

While I was still outwardly conforming to the ritual of the synagogue worship, skepticism was undermining my belief, and I was beginning to lose faith in God's revelation.

At this time God began to work with me in a special way. Even then His unseen hand was guiding, and He caused me to be brought into contact with a godly Christian man.

I soon knew that this man had something about which I knew nothing. It was not so much what he said as his reality and his godly walk that impressed me. What surprised me most of all was to see a man delighting in the One whose name I despised and blasphemed.

Seeking to follow in this Christian's footsteps, I began to pray and read my Bible. I became a teacher in a Sabbath school, and very devoutly followed the Jew's religion.

I vainly imagined that what faith in the despised Nazarene could procure for a Gentile, Judaism could surely give to a member of Jehovah's chosen race. I did not know the scripture which thunders out in unmistakable language: "ALL OUR RIGHTEOUSNESSES ARE AS FILTHY RAGS." Isa. 64:6.

One Sunday afternoon I took a walk into the city. There I saw and joined a crowd surrounding three men who were singing on the street corner. They were just singing the words, "Whosoever will may come." That word "whosoever" stuck to me.

When the singing was over, the three friends asked the bystanders to follow them to a meeting room. Among others, I was invited by one of the preachers, but declined. Thereupon he looked me in the face and asked me, "Are you saved?"

I replied, "Yes, but not in your way."

This answer of mine drew from him the Scriptural fact that there was only one way of salvation, and he quoted God's Word: "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other Name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." Acts 4:12.

I began to argue with him, but he quietly answered, "Friend, in a little while I will be praying for you."

Not long afterward, his prayer was answered. God showed me my real condition before Him. I learned that I was a sinner against God who is "of purer eyes than to behold iniquity."

I was stripped of my self-righteousness, leaving behind a dismal void and an accusing conscience. Sin, my sin, was making life a burden and existence a misery.

"The pains of hell got hold upon me; I found trouble and sorrow."

The thought came to me with awful intensity, "Where shall I flee for refuge?" Everything in which I had trusted proved insufficient to bear the weight of my guilty soul. My friend, whose life had so impressed me, began to tell me at this time of the Lord Jesus, though he was utterly unaware that I was anxious about my soul. I did not argue this time, and soon learned that "salvation is of the Lord." I learned that, if I were ever to be saved, it must be by faith in the Lord Jesus, and by Him alone.

At last, one afternoon I came to Jesus as I was. I rested my weary soul on Him who died for me on Calvary's cross. From that moment I knew that I was one of the WHOSOEVERS. I believed in Him and my sins were forgiven for His name's sake.

Now my heart rejoices in His Word, knowing, as I could not before, that my "transgression is forgiven" and my "sin is covered" in His precious blood. (Psa. 32:1.)

The Fire Extinguisher

Curve after curve the road wound up the mountain, on and on, up and up, and every bend only revealed a further ascent. Motors labored, overheated, stopped to cool off. At last, the top. At the top stood a motor home a big, heavy, luxurious motor home. What a long, hard pull it must have had to get there!

But something was wrong. From the motor issued a wisp of smoke. Another! Then another! Did this signal something worse going on inside?

Another car with a vacationing family reached the top. An experienced driver was at the wheel. He took one as he passed the motor home, and pulling quickly past it, he stopped. Grabbing the fire extinguisher from his own car, he ran back to the motor home.

The smoke was thicker now, and there was beginning to be an ominous flickering in the engine compartment. Quickly the driver tried to activate his extinguisher.

The helpful driver tried; he did his best, but nothing happened. The extinguisher was empty; it had not been charged.

Helplessly, hopelessly, there was nothing to be done but to watch that beautiful motor home burn. And burn it did. Totally.

A fully charged fire extinguisher in the right place and in time could have stopped that disastrous fire. But once on top of the mountain they were five miles from help, five miles from even a telephone where they could call for help. Long before help could come, the fire had consumed everything combustible.

This story reminds us of a story told many, many years ago. The girls set out to go to a wedding. There was little street lighting in those days, and each girl carried a little lamp as we might take a flashlight. Five girls were wise, and took oil with their lamps. Five were foolish, and did not make sure that they had enough.

Soon five little lamps began to flicker and go out, and the five "foolish" turned to the five "wise" to beg for oil. But the wise had only enough for their own lamps; they had none to share. Five foolish girls had to hurry away to buy oil for themselves, and while they were going, the wedding began—"and the door was shut."

It was too late when the emergency arose to have the fire extinguisher recharged. It was too late to buy oil when the wedding began. And it will be too late to seek the Lord Jesus when He comes for His people, for all who are His, and takes them back with Him to His home in heaven.

There will be no time then to cry, "What must I do to be saved?" No time to say, "Lord, Lord, open to us!" It will be forever too late.

The fire extinguisher could have been charged, but it was neglected. The girls could have kept their lamps burning, but they neglected to carry oil. That was all. And how sad it will be if someday you have to say: "I could have been saved, but I neglected to come to Christ."

"How shall we escape, if we NEGLECT so great salvation?" Heb. 2:3.

"Seek ye the Lord while He may be found, call ye upon Him while He is near." Isa. 55:6.

Soon it will be too late. Don't neglect!

All or Nothing

Many years ago, John Duncan, a farmer's son, was determined to get ahead and not settle down to a farmer's life. How he got his education for the medical profession would be hard to say, but we do know that he was willing to do any kind of honest work to help pay his expenses.

In the city where he earned his medical degree, he was not ashamed to live in an attic and to subsist on the most simple fare.

By a rigid economy, ambition, and determination, he did become a doctor and continued in his studies and practice until he became a well-known surgeon.

Every year the doctor took his vacation in his old country home. He was never happier than when relaxing in the place of his birth. There, the friends of his early days would sometimes consult him about their ailments, and the great surgeon made a point of serving them without charge when on his vacation.

One day a neighbor lady consulted him about her sick daughter. With his usual sense of dedication, he became interested in the case. When he found that an extensive and critical operation was necessary, he performed it most successfully.

The daughter was on the road to recovery when the mother asked him what his fee was. He replied that he would not depart from his usual custom when on vacation in his native area, and that he was pleased to use his skill for any who needed it.

The mother did not like to accept his kindness. Both her pride and her gratitude hindered her. So she insisted that he must let her pay something! As she pressed her point, the doctor finally said, "Madam, if you want to pay, my usual fee for this operation is one thousand dollars. You must take your choice. It is all or nothing. Which shall it be?"

Needless to say, the woman swallowed her pride and accepted the celebrated surgeon's skill as a free gift.

This "all or nothing" attitude is just as applicable in spiritual matters. Most thinking people today recognize that they are sinners before God. They know that death has to be faced, and death without Christ is a terrible thing. "The wages of sin is death." Rom. 6:23. And death does not end it all, for we read again, "after this the judgment." Heb. 9:27.

Yet how few will submit to the humbling fact that as sinners they cannot save themselves, nor can they even help to save themselves. If saved, one must gladly acknowledge that:

"Jesus did it all;
All to Him I owe;
Sin had left a crimson stain—
He washed it white as snow."

So, then, it must be "all or nothing." Which shall it be? Oh, let it be ALL, and then give Him, in grateful worship, YOUR ALL.

"Love so amazing, so divine,
Demands my soul, my life, my all."

"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 Would It Cost?

One of the first things we ask about anything is, "How much is it? What does it cost?"

Well, what would it cost you to be a Christian? If a high-caste Hindu decides to follow Christ, he can no longer live in his Hindu home. It has cost him his home. Would it cost you your home to decide for Christ?

When an Orthodox Jew "converts" to Christianity, he becomes as one dead to his family. Would it cost you your family to be a Christian?

In China today, you cannot hold a good job and also be a follower of Christ. Would it cost you your job to follow Christ?

In Russia, an open confession of Christ is likely to be followed by a one-way ticket to a labor camp. Would it cost you your freedom to confess Christ?

There are places in the world, even today in our times, where it is as much as your life is worth to be known as a Christian. Would it cost you your life?

What if it did cost this much? The Apostle Paul wrote: "I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord... that I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings." Phil. 3:8, 10.

Paul was one who had everything the world could offer. He was born a free citizen of Rome, was highly educated, and was in line for a high position in his own nation, but he counted it all "loss"! Going as a prisoner to Rome, he could say, "Bonds and afflictions abide me. But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God." Acts 20:23, 24.

More than that, he wrote: "Our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal." 2 Cor. 4:17, 18.

What will it cost you to follow Christ? That is not the real question. What will it cost you to reject Him? It will cost you your soul. It will gain you an eternity away from God, away from all light and joy, an eternity in darkness and despair—in short, in hell.

Have you counted the cost?

The New Boat

The powerful new motorboat was the pride of Bill's heart. He could hardly wait to put her in the water and "open her up." Lost in a dream of the thrills ahead, he started out for his first day on the water with his family.

As they ran down the river, he made one stop to set his wife and the picnic basket ashore at a park. Then with his two boys he roared on out into the bay and open water.

It was great! Wind and spray blew in their faces; a white wake spread behind them—this was really living!

Far out now, beyond the sight of any watcher on shore, Bill revved the motor once more to squeeze the last bit of speed from it. He got the last drop of gasoline instead. There was a sputtering and a coughing and then silence as the big motor stopped. In the sudden quiet the boat slowed, lost way, and soon was rocking gently in the water. Little waves slapped the sides of the boat, a gull cried overhead, and they became conscious of the hot sun beating down on their heads.

Frantically Bill worked at the motor, but there was no gas. In his rush to get going he had neglected to fill a spare gas can.

There was no other boat in sight; they had left them all behind. Perhaps they could call for help, but a quick search of the boat showed that they had no emergency flares. There was no ship-to-shore radio, either. They had not even shipped an oar with which they might have made a little headway. The picnic basket, with food and water, had been left behind at the park, and acute thirst soon added to their discomfort.

All day they rocked and sweltered in the sun; all night they drifted, chilled now and miserable. Not until the next morning did the Coast Guard find the little boat and bring it and three weary, blistered and dehydrated would-be sailors to shore.

Only a little forethought and preparation would have saved them from an experience that might well have proved fatal to all three. One can full of gasoline would have brought them back to land. How could they have been so foolish as to go out without it?

How much more foolish it is to go on as millions are doing every day, living their lives "as though there were no tomorrow," no eternity ahead, no day coming when they will leave the shores of this life and have to meet God—a God whom they have neglected and ignored. How much more foolish it is to make no preparation for that coming day!

When God has warned to "prepare to meet thy God," how foolish it is to ignore that warning. The Coast Guard rescued Bill and his boys, foolish though they were in all their unpreparedness, but there can be no rescue for anyone who goes out of this life without preparation for the next. "As the tree falls, so it shall lie"—no change, no hope, no way back to God.

2 Cor. 6:2, "NOW is the accepted time... NOW is the day of salvation." There will never be another. When once this present day of grace has ended, there will never be another opportunity for the salvation of those who rejected—or merely neglected—God's offer of salvation.

Forgiven

A kind-hearted doctor had a worthy custom as he went through his books occasionally and saw that certain debts were not paid, of considering the circumstances of the debtor.

Where he knew that only inability to pay was the cause of the default, he would put a red pen mark through the entry and write by the side of it, "FORGIVEN—UNABLE TO PAY."

In the process of time the doctor died. After his death, his wife, in looking over the books, found a number of unpaid amounts with this notation. She thought, "My husband has forgiven a lot of people, and at present I could use this money." So she began to take action in the courts to collect the money.

When the cases came into court, the judge asked, "How do you know that the money is owing?"

The widow replied, "I have it in my husband's book," and she handed it to the judge.

"Oh, yes! Is this your husband's handwriting?" he asked.

"Yes," she replied.

"Then," said the judge, "no court in the world will give you a verdict against these people, when your husband, with his own pen has written, 'FORGIVEN, UNABLE TO PAY!' "

We are reminded of the parable spoken by the Lord in the home of Simon the Pharisee. Read the story in Luke 7:36-50, and notice the words of our Lord in verse 42, "And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both."

And so it is. We are all bankrupt sinners, unable to pay, but God, the God we have sinned against, is saying today, when the sinner will own his sinfulness, "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." Isa. 1:18.

Are your sins forgiven? If not, why not?

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

One Sheep?

"What man shall there be among you, that shall have one sheep, and if it fall into a pit on the sabbath day, will he not lay hold on it, and lift it out?" Matt. 12:11.

One sheep? Who would have thought one sheep could be of so much value in the eyes of our Lord Jesus Christ? And yet it is. A farmer, you would say, who had thousands grazing on the mountainside, might not miss one sheep. He might not take it much to heart if one should fall and perish. Who would mourn the loss of one sheep among thousands?

Such may be the reasoning of man, but it is not the thought of Jesus. Each sheep—each person—is precious to Him—yes, every sheep, as precious as if He had no other. Even though it falls into a pit, still it is precious. He will not abandon it. Surely He will lay hold of it, and lift it out.

It was a deep pit into which the sheep fell, and the mire which covered and defiled it was filthy, but the Shepherd loved it even then. His love was strong as death; that love sought its object in the lowest pit, in darkness, in the deep.

The love of the Lord Jesus braved everything to rescue its object from the jaws of the destroyers—from the wolf that waited to devour. His love gave all it could give to break Satan's power, to save, and wash, and bring to light and liberty the fallen sheep.

How perfectly and fully that One did His task! All that was necessary for the poor sheep's blessing, all that was needful for its everlasting security has been accomplished for it.

And who has done this? Jesus who came from heaven to earth to ransom us. For we were as sheep: going astray, fallen into the pit of mire. Jesus, the Good Shepherd, was the only one who could seek and save such as we were. And He did.

He took me out of the pit and from the miry clay,

He set my feet on the rock, establishing my way;

He put a song in my mouth, my God to glorify,

And He'll take me some day to my home on high.

(Psa. 40:2.)

"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." Isa. 53:6.

It Wasn't Justice!

It was December 24, 1982, in Southern California. A judge in his robes sat on the bench that morning in a crowded courtroom. The first case came before him. He pronounced judgment—a fine and a jail sentence—and then he said, "I am in the spirit of this season and so I'm going to suspend it all. That's it! Next case." And he went through all the cases before him that way. It was the same with one after the other.

The word soon spread to the telephones. Attorneys called up friends who had cases coming up soon, and they rushed to have those cases put on the docket. At two o'clock that judge saw that he couldn't possibly get done that day. He just forgave them all, because he was "in the spirit of the season."

He said to the clerk, "Mark all of those that are here for a time hence, and I will now pronounce judgment for all of them." The same thing: "Forgiven—suspended." But he wasn't just! It was no justice at all!

On the same day, the same morning, a judge was on the bench in Tucson, Arizona. He was doing justice, honoring the law, and in the middle of the morning he called the case of a man who had been before him thirty days before, a man who had received an extension of thirty days to raise the money for his fine. The man didn't answer. The judge said, "I'll set it aside till the end of the court."

Later in the day that man came in. He was a Mexican, an old man, and he walked right up to the bench. He was embracing an old, dirty, white plastic milk bottle. The judge, remembering the last time he was there, immediately called for the interpreter.

Through the interpreter the man said to the judge that he was sorry for being late and he asked for forgiveness. Then he said, "Judge, I know you gave me thirty days to raise the money to pay this fine, and I walked all last night to get here. I'm sorry I'm late." Finally with shaking hands he took the plastic milk container and set it down before them. "Judge, this is all I could raise from all my friends and from everything I could sell, and I don't think it's enough."

The judge said to the clerk and the bailiff, "Count it quickly," and they dumped all those coins out and counted them while the judge waited. The fine was $300.00, and the money they counted out totaled approximately $240.00. It was not enough.

Told what it was, the old man said, "Judge, please, just a little time, and I'll be back with all the rest."

That judge had tears in his eyes. He told the people in the courtroom, "I haven't seen anything like this in all the time I've been on the bench. This man walked all the way, all night, and brought what he could. Now he's begging for time to pay the rest!"

Then the judge said, "Because of your spirit, because of the way you repented and are sorry, I'm going to suspend the rest of the sentence. You go free!"

You feel better about that, don't you? But still it wasn't justice! The judge overlooked the judgment and the penalty that should have been paid. He wasn't just!

But God is JUST when He justifies a sinner, because He doesn't overlook one sin. Not one.

Christ on the cross in those three hours of darkness bore the penalty for all my sins—He didn't overlook one.

Isn't it wonderful to be free from judgment, the load gone, at peace with God and on your way to heaven? That is what is offered you through the gospel.

Rom. 5:1: "Therefore being JUSTIFIED by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ."

Rom. 5:8, 9: "God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now JUSTIFIED by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him."

"I Didn't See God in Space"

Gherman Titov, the U.S.S.R. astronaut, made the above remark in San Francisco during a tour of the United States. Men were beginning to listen to him. U.S. News and World Report carried his views in their People of the Week column.

But we are told in 1 John 5:9, "If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater." The "witness of men" is what Titov says; the "witness of God" (the Bible) is what God says.

People who read the Bible know that man cannot see God the way Titov spoke of. To prove this yourself, read Ex. 33:20, "For there shall no man see Me, and live," or 1 Tim. 6:16, speaking of God, "dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see."

Finally, John 1:18 says, "No man bath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, He hath declared Him."

This last scripture is very encouraging. It tells us that if we want to see God, we must look at His Son Jesus Christ. He Himself said, "He that hath seen Me hath seen the Father," John 14:9, and "no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me." John 14:6.

Man can only come to the Father because God's Son opened up the way by dying on the cross for the believer's sins. It was at the cross that Christ was made sin, and suffered the judgment of God against my sins. "Christ died for the ungodly." Rom. 5:6.

If you admit that YOU are ungodly, and that Christ died for YOU, you will be saved. You will never be saved by denying this and talking about your "good life," for God says, "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." Rom. 3:23.

When we all stand condemned as sinners, we find the death of Christ meeting our need. "God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." Rom. 5:8.

Now no man thinks about accepting Christ as his Savior until he realizes he is lost. Titov, for example, says he believes in man, his reason, his possibilities. Man's "reasonings" and "possibilities" have resulted in the slaughter of many, many thousands of innocent people in two world wars and countless smaller conflicts. To believe in man, then, is to refuse God's message.

The truth is that all men are lost and need a Savior. "Look unto Me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else." Isa. 45:22. If you do not look NOW by accepting Christ as your Savior, you WILL look LATER and meet Him as your judge.

Balaam predicted this thousands of years ago in these words: "I shall see Him [God], but not now: I shall behold Him, but not nigh." Num. 24:17.

And where will this take place? The Bible says in Rev. 20:11,12: "And I saw a great white throne, and Him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away.... And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God."

There is no hiding place for the man who dies without Christ. He has left this world forever, yet he is not fit for heaven. So Christ (John 5:22) who sits on this throne has to say, "Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness." Matt. 22:13.

"And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire." Rev. 20:15.

Who Created These?

"When I consider Thy heavens, the work of Thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which Thou hast ordained; What is man, that Thou art mindful of him?" Psa. 8:3,4. Why should the God who created all that vast celestial system take note of poor mortal man, a comparatively infinitesimal speck?

God left to man a standing witness to the power and wisdom of his Creator: The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament showeth His handiwork." Psa. 19:1. Man had corrupted the earth, but the heavens still speak of the glory of their Creator, and give witness to Him day and night in unmistakable language.

Without audible words, the testimony of the heavens spoke a universal language which none could mistake. So forceful was it, that even though mankind had given up God for vain idols, they were rendered inexcusable.

"For the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse." Rom. 1:20.

In man's quest for knowledge of the stellar universe, he has built larger and better telescopes. This has greatly increased his capacity to reach out into the hitherto unknown and make pictures and observations with astonishing accuracy.

Oh, that all would scan the heavens, and as they do, think not only of the vastness of the universe, but of the majesty, wisdom and power of Him who created, and who sustains all things! Let us obey this call and lift up our eyes and see not only the creation, but the Creator who is revealed in His creation.

"Lift up your eyes on high, and behold who hath created these things, that bringeth out their host by number: He calleth them all by names by the greatness of His might, for that He is strong in power; not one faileth." Isa. 40:26.

On a dark, clear night, away from the lights of the big cities, many stars are to be seen, but only about 5000 stars are visible to the naked eye from any one spot on earth; the luminous band across the sky which we call the Milky Way, is really the light from millions of stars which can only be seen through a telescope. The earth is a part of the Milky Way which is a thin, lens-shaped galaxy containing an aggregation of about 200,000,000 stars. Our sun is only a small one of these.

The whole system rotates in space, with each star being at a great distance from its nearest neighbor, so that the distance is measured in light years, that is, the distance light travels in one year at the rate of 186,000 miles per second. This amounts to the staggering total of 5,870,000,000,000 miles per year.

To get some idea of the immensity of the one galaxy, the Milky Way, it should be pointed out that it is about 100,000 of these light years in diameter and 10,000 light years in thickness.

More powerful telescopes are able to reach out and photograph other galaxies beyond the Milky Way. The 200-inch Mt. Palomar telescope has a range of 1,000,000,000 light years, within which are an estimated 800,000,000 galaxies. So great is the actual number of stars which man can now see that it dwarfs imagination.

At every turn we can exclaim with the Psalmist David, in Psa. 8 verses 3 and 4: "When I consider Thy heavens... what is man, that Thou art mindful of him?" Strange that man should feel himself to be so great that he can reason against his Creator! or fail to accept the Bible as His revelation—that Book which has never been opposed to any scientific fact, but has stood out as an unfailing beacon to those who might be shipwrecked on the rocks of human speculation.

How little thanks, or even credit, the Creator receives from His tiny creature. But God will be God in spite of all, and He will be glorified in both the salvation of the believing sinner who trusts in the precious blood of Christ, and in the damnation of those who despise and those who neglect "so great salvation."

The earth bears this distinction, that here it was that God was pleased to reveal Himself in the Person of His Son. The physical wonders of creation may astonish us, but the glory of God revealed in Jesus the Son on earth is beyond words to express. Truly this earth is the center of all God's ways, and the place where His love, His grace, His goodness, His holiness and truth are also displayed. Everything meets in the Son, and fully at the cross.

Well may we praise Him for this display of His heart. "In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him." 1 John 4:9.

Thou the light that showed our sin,

Showed how guilty we had been:

Thine the love that us to save,

Thine own Son for sinners gave.

Storm Warnings

All day the wind had been blowing in fitful little puffs and gusts. Clouds were flying across the sky, and there were frequent showers warm, tropical showers.

In the little farming and fishing village of Moore Haven, there were rumors and predictions of a hurricane, but the inhabitants scoffed at the notion that they would see anything more than some water in their fields. Living on the edge of Lake Okeechobee with its 730 square miles of water, the town was accustomed to sieges of high water. They had several times been through floods, but the new levee around the lake was supposed to protect them from any recurrence.

As night drew on, a telegram of warning from the Miami weather bureau was received in Moore Haven. Several citizens read it, but most just shrugged it off. There was a "social" at the Woman's Club that night, and most of the townspeople attended.

Midnight came. The party broke up, and the people came outside to find the wind blowing harder and the clouds scudding before it. At the lake, the water was lapping dangerously near the top of the levee. Two men went up to see, and became alarmed. They managed to rig up a siren and rouse the town.

A few were roused to seek safety in flight, but most felt that they could wait out the storm in their homes. It was a fatal mistake. By morning, the worst of the storm burst upon them; the wind was blowing at full hurricane force 120 miles per hour and it was pushing that great mass of water in the lake toward the town. Up, up, the water rose, up to the top of the dyke, and then over! The surging waters burst through the soft mud wall and surged into the town.

Clinging to trees and rooftops, some people survived the flood, but more than two hundred were drowned in the rushing water. One man, who died with all his family, was found to have a telegram in his pocket warning of the hurricane and suggesting that the town should be evacuated. Storm warnings disregarded.

Not only so, but the survivors went back ("It can't happen here again! ") and rebuilt their homes around the lake. Two years later another storm came. This time more than 2,000 died in the raging waters.

Today the storm warnings are flying again. Not for a storm of wind and water this time, nor for the like of any storm man has ever seen, but a storm that will have men crying to the mountains and rocks, "Fall on us, and hide us from the face of Him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: for the great day of His wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?" Rev. 6:16,17.

A storm of the wrath of God! No one can stand before that! If there were not a storm shelter provided, no one could be saved. But just as those who are wise flee to the hurricane shelter or to the storm cellar when storm warnings are received, so will those who are wise "flee from the wrath to come." God has provided a shelter; there is a hiding place: "A Man shall be as a hiding place from the wind, and a covert from the tempest." Isa. 32:2.

A Man? Yes, the Man, "the Man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself a ransom for all." He gave Himself; He went to the cross and bore the wrath of God against sin so that we—you and I—could be safe from the storm that is coming on the world. Have you sought that shelter yet?

"The name of the Lord is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe." Prov. 18:10.

God's Answer―A Telegram

Eddie was a telegraph operator in a little town in the Midwest. He was very anxious about his soul's salvation, but had no idea how he could get peace, comfort or rest. One day he even listened to three preachers, but did not receive an answer.

He went home to his room very much upset. How could he get saved? He knew his sins were unforgiven, and he had little sleep that night.

Monday morning he went to his work in the telegraph "box" on a railway line. Shortly after he arrived, there came the signal that his station was called. As the message was received, he wrote down the name of the sender and addressee then waited for the rest.

Then came the message: "Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. John 1:29. In whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace. Eph. 1:7."

He dropped his pencil and looked at the telegram. It had been sent to a young lady who also was troubled about her soul, and who, too, found peace in believing the precious message, as she read it later. But to Eddie, it was God's message directly to him, and he accepted it as such.

He said afterward: "The words: Lamb of God Redemption Blood Riches of His Grace went right into my poor heart. No one in the whole world could have had greater joy than I had that Monday morning."

Do you have this peace and joy? May "the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing." Rom. 15:13.

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

What Shall a Man Give in Exchange for His Soul?

Would you be interested in a plan for your life that gave you temporal profit, but that might cost you your immortal soul?

Can you answer the question: "What shall it profit a man if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?"

There are a lot of ways of gaining the world.

Think of a new car, a brand new car. If you could have it tonight, if the devil would hold it out and say, "Here it is; here is this car, but I want your soul," would you give your soul to him in exchange for the car?

Think of the most handsome man you know, or the most attractive woman. If the devil could get him or her for you, and if he could give her or him to you tonight, would it be worth it if you lost your soul for all eternity?

I ask anyone in the working world today: If you could climb the corporate ladder into the chair of the president of your company, if you could become director of all this wealth and could have the sports car, the motor home, the yacht, the mountain house and all of the things that go with it, would it be worth it if you lost your soul in hell for all eternity?

"What shall a man (or a woman—or a boy—or a girl) give in exchange for his soul?"

When God created man, He breathed into him and he became a living, or never-dying soul. That never-dying soul will go on through all eternity in a place of everlasting torment or a place of everlasting pleasure and joy.

That first man sinned, and because he became a sinner, you and I inherited that sinful nature. We have a nature that is not capable of pleasing God. It is spiritually dead, and no matter how many good works you may perform in your lifetime, God will never use them to balance out the bad that you have done.

You can never buy salvation, never pay for a place in heaven, never ransom your own soul. You may sell your soul to the devil for some temporal gain, but you have nothing to give to God for your soul.

Only God could pay the price of salvation, and He has done it. What a terrible price it was: "Ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold... but with the precious blood of Christ." 1 Peter 1:18, 19. God gave His "only begotten Son," to purchase salvation for you and for me, and He offers it freely to all who will receive it. There are "no strings attached;" it is "without money and without price."

It Would Not Burn

Once there was a woman who was determined to have nothing to do with "religion." She threw her Bible into the fire, together with all the tracts she could find in the house.

One of the tracts fell out of the flames; she picked it up and threw it in again. A second time it slipped down and once more she put it back. Again her intention was frustrated.

The next time, however, she was more successful, though even then only half of the tract was burned. Taking up the portion that came out of the fire, she exclaimed: "Surely the devil is in that tract, for it will not burn!"

Her curiosity aroused, she began to read it, and it was the means of her conversion to God. It led her to the Lord Jesus Christ, so truly the tract—and the woman, too—were saved, yet "so as by fire."

Perhaps the story of your conversion has yet to be told. Possibly you think you are not as bad as the woman who threw the Bible into the fire. But if you are rejecting Christ, what is the difference? If until now you have resisted the pleadings of the Savior and neglected His great salvation, your case could hardly be more desperate.

Are you saved? The God of love has made the most abundant provision for your salvation. He has given His Son. Jesus has died, "died for the ungodly." You may now have peace with God "through faith in His blood."

Do you believe on the Son of God? "All that believe are justified from all things."

"There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked." But the Lord Jesus has made peace by the blood of His cross and, being justified by faith, we have peace with God.

Is this peace yours?

God's Gift

God's Gift Is Christ Himself

"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.

God's Gift Is Living Water Through Christ

"If thou knewest the GIFT of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give Me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of Him, and He would have given thee living water." John 4:10.

God's Gift Is Eternal Life

"The wages of sin is death; but the GIFT of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." Rom. 6:23.

God's Gift Is Righteousness

"They which receive abundance of grace and of the GIFT of righteousness shall reign in life by One, Jesus Christ." Rom. 5:17

There are only two things you can do with a GIFT—you can accept it or you can reject it. You cannot buy it, or it would be a purchase; you cannot earn it, or it would become your due. There is only one God-honoring course you can take: that is, RECEIVE it.

Accept then God's gift in simple faith, and all God's blessings are yours. ALL God's gifts are in His beloved Son. It is impossible to receive one without Him. Receive Him, and you receive all.

"By grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the GIFT of God." Eph. 2:8.

Will Your Anchor Hold?

The little fishing boat had run in too close to the shore, too close to the rocks, and the wind was blowing hard towards the land. To the watchers on shore, it seemed that the little boat must be driven on the rocks, but the fishermen saw their danger in time.

They sprang into action, and the anchor was heaved overboard promptly. There was a great splash as it hit the water, and down went the chain. Down—and down and down—

What consternation! The chain was not fastened to the boat, and it followed the anchor down, all the way to the bottom!

What a scramble and struggle those men had to get safely out to sea and away from the dangerous rocks. And what an embarrassing moment it was for them. It was a long time before that was lived down— long before people stopped saying, "Did you ever hear about the time when—?"

Very different was the experience of the old sea captain who had inscribed on his tombstone: "Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast," with the reference Heb. 6:19.

What hope is he speaking of? God's Word, the Bible, makes it plain that it is Jesus Christ our Lord who is referred to in this way. To Him and His atoning sacrifice you may safely trust your immortal soul. "He is able to save them to the uttermost who come unto God by Him."

Have you trusted Him as your Savior and Lord? If so, He will save you from your sins and their consequences. He will save you from yourself. He will keep you in all trials and temptations. Thousands upon thousands have proven this true, have found Him truly a Savior and a Resource that never fails—an Anchor sure and steadfast.

We have an anchor that keeps the soul

Steadfast and sure while the billows roll;

Fastened to the Rock that cannot move,

Grounded firm and deep in the Savior's love.

This Man

Nearly 2000 years ago the city of Jerusalem was in a tumult. Men, women and children were running about, yelling and jeering, crowding closer and closer so as not to miss any of the excitement. In the very center of the storm, the center of that shouting, swirling mob, there was a Man. Who was this Man?

This Man was one who had healed many and fed the multitudes. Some amongst the crowd had known Him quite a while, and had been touched by His compassion and gentleness. And some had even wept as He restored a loved one to health again. But there were others who claimed that this man "is mad and hath a demon."

The crowd was a mixed one that morning. Some were common folk; others were men of high esteem. There were religious people, too. The most religious people of that day were known as Pharisees and Sadducees, and they were the most vocal in condemning this Man. It was well known to some of them—even the governor himself—knew that this Man was delivered to be crucified out of envy. They wanted only death for Him: "Crucify Him," they cried; "Crucify Him."

This gentle Man slowly made His way out of the city and up the hill to die. He was bleeding and in pain and the wooden cross was heavy, so that He stooped as He walked. The crowd knew well that the Roman soldiers were cruel, and this morning they seemed specially so. They inflicted many blows on Him; His face was terribly marred, and a crown of thorns was placed on His head.

They came to the place called Calvary. He was laid on the cross, and soldiers took iron spikes and drove them into the palms of His hands and into His feet. The cross was lifted up while the people jeered and mocked at this Man hanging there between heaven and earth.

What a sight that was! This Man hanging there was still full of compassion for the multitude. He was in such suffering, yet He asked His Father to forgive the crowd—"for they know not what they do."

At about the sixth hour of the day the sun was darkened, and until the ninth hour He suffered in the darkness. He cried out, "My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?" Again He cried with a loud voice: "It is finished!"

This portion of God's Word is familiar to most people, but what about you? Do you know who this Man was? He was the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Do you know that He died for you? He was "made sin" and bore the penalty of sin so that anyone believing on Him and His finished work on the cross will not have to bear the wrath of God against sin. In other words, He took our place my place, and your place if you believe on Him.

Before He went to the cross, the Lord Jesus said, "Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit." John 12:24.

He also said: "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.

"There is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; who gave Himself a ransom for all." 1 Tim. 2:5, 6.

The New Birth - Its Necessity and Its Nature― John 3

JOH 3That was a deeply solemn midnight hour when the Jewish leader, with his uneasy heart and troubled conscience, sought the Lord. The courtly Jew let out a secret when he said, "Rabbi, we know that Thou art a Teacher come from God." Unwittingly he expressed the intellectual faith of the Jewish rulers in the mission of the Lord Jesus.

But what is intellectual assent worth in the things of God? Absolutely nothing. The Great Physician at once goes to the root of troubled consciences and unhappy hearts, and in one short, sweeping sentence of only five words, lays bare the condition and state of man: "Ye must be born again." Once more the Lord, in the urgency of His own love, sounds the depths of man's moral being and history, and "Ye must be born again" falls a second time on the ears of the astonished master of Israel.

The new birth here so strongly insisted upon is an absolute necessity. God must have it. Observe that it is not an amended life, or improvement, moral, religious or intellectual that the Lord speaks of. Had these words been uttered in the plains of Samaria (John 4), or on the cross to the expiring malefactor (Luke 23), or had been addressed to the guilty adulteress (John 8), we would all have heartily agreed, for truly such sinners need the new birth. But it seems so strange that religious people of that class represented by Nicodemus equally need the new birth.

That brief but all-comprehensive statement sweeps creation clean and clear of human merit. God won't have it. He can't accept the least fruit from sinful Adamic life. He cuts down the Adamic tree, root, fruit and branches. "Ye must be born again."

What is the nature of the new birth? Is it the gradual sanctification of the old Adamic nature? Does it consist of an improved life? Of a new leaf turned over in my life's history? Most emphatically does Scripture answer, NO. "That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit." John 3:6.

The flesh may be cultivated to the highest point of moral excellence and is capable of any amount of devotion, but nevertheless, it remains "flesh," and it will never change.

Jesus Christ did not come from heaven to improve man, or to sanctify his nature, or to better him religiously. He came into the world to save sinners. He died on the cross for sins, root and fruit. God condemned sin in the cross of Christ. God has stamped with eternal condemnation that principle of life in man which is ever opposed to Him and His beloved Son.

A new life is imparted, not the old one bettered. I do not get this new life by doing, working or feeling. That would be God accepting the fruit of the flesh which He has condemned. The Spirit and the Word of God are the agents in effecting the new birth. This new life, which is Christ Himself (Col. 3:4), is obtained through "believing" the record God has given concerning His Son.

As the serpent-bitten Israelites in the wilderness of old were instantly cured in looking at the up-lifted, brazen serpent, "even so must the Son of Man be lifted up: that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have eternal life." John 3:14,15.

Come Unto Me … I Am the Way

It was less than two years after I entered the Dominican monastery in Lima, Peru, that news reached us of the death of Pope Benedict XV. I was a young monk in my late teens at the time, still in the first flush of fervor, devotion and consecration to the Roman Catholic Church, to which I had entrusted my life, both in this world and in the world beyond.

When we were told by our superiors to pray for the poor soul of the Pope, I was stunned into a sort of spiritual paralysis, with questions whirling around my brain like a hurricane around its ominously still center.

How could it be, I said to myself, that the infallible Pope, who once held the keys of heaven and earth, was unable to save himself from the torments of purgatory? If the Holy Father, vicar of Jesus Christ on earth, could not accumulate sufficient merits to secure his direct entrance into heaven at death, how could I, a humble student for the priesthood, ever hope to save my soul? The naked truth, as it then appeared to me, was appalling.

With increasing forcefulness, the questions rushed in upon me, battering my mind, perturbing my soul, dislodging my cherished beliefs from their moorings. What will happen to me if I die? Where will I go? Will I ever reach heaven?

Thinking to still these questions and appease a just but formidable God, I starved myself in the seclusion of my lonely cell and inflicted dire punishments on my unwilling body.

Today I bear the multiple scars of this desperate effort to obtain merits and thereby shorten the years I must spend expiating my sins in purgatory. But the question remained, and for years I was left in the shadows of uncertainty.

About four years later, I was to witness personally the fearful death of a Dominican priest who was devout, highly respected, and almost venerated. I myself regarded him as one of the most saintly men I had ever known. As we stood around his bedside repeating prayers for the dying, we were filled with a nameless horror of the tomb. Not a ray of hope pierced the despair that gripped his soul and contorted his face.

Suddenly, in an anguished tone I can never forget, he cried out, "Go away, all of you! I am going to leap into the dark!"

Leap into the dark! Impossible! How could he, the pious monk who never neglected his religious duties, who counseled so many on virtuous living—how could he be denied the consolation of the church? If religious life had anything to offer, I said, it should at least provide in the hour of death the assurance of eternal life. And yet—it seems as if the whole system was geared to keep us all wondering, doubting, guessing, in a torment of spiritual insecurity.

Within the year, unable to cope any longer with my doubt, and finding no answers within the high walls of the ancient monastery, I left the Dominican Order.

Long years have passed since then, but I thank God that He found me on that dreary morning of my escape, and gave me the assurance that I so much craved, the assurance of sins forgiven and of eternal life.

For seven years I had been trying to accumulate merits to atone for my sins. Then He said, "My grace is sufficient for thee." 2 Cor. 12:9.

I had carried a burden that grew heavier with each passing year. Then He said, "Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." Matt. 11:28.

I had been living in mortal fear of death lest all my sins had not been confessed and absolved. But He said in His Word, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." 1 John 1:9.

I had prayed to the Blessed Virgin with utmost piety to intercede for my soul. But He said, "I am the way... no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me." John 14:6.

I had been taught that God was a God who weighed my penances against my sins, and was waiting to extract from me the last tortured payment in purgatory. But He said, "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved." John 3:16, 17.

Today, as I consider my former fellowmen, priests, monks, bishops and laymen, I long to offer them freedom from the terrible fear of death, and the world beyond, that I know from experience overshadows their lives. I long to tell them that Christ, and Christ alone, "is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him." Heb. 7:25.

I long to impress upon them the fact that "now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation." 2 Cor. 6:2. Not tomorrow, for it may be too late.

"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.

That's My Prayer

There was a Hottentot in Africa who went to work for a Dutch family. The Dutchman was a Christian, and so were his wife and their children. Every morning after breakfast they would get together and read the Word of God and pray and sing.

This was marvelous to the native and he wanted to be like them, but he didn't know how to pray. One day he stood outside of their door and said to himself, "I'm going to listen, and learn the secret."

The reading that morning was in Luke 18: "Two men went up into the temple to pray," and the native said, "Oh, now I can learn to pray!"

"Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank Thee, that I am not as other men."

The Hottentot said, "Oh, that's not me. I'm like other men, or maybe even worse."

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

Again the native was discouraged. He said to himself: "I don't give anything to anybody. That prayer is not for me either."

"But the publican," they read, "standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner."

And the Hottentot said to himself, "That's me! That's my prayer! He said he stood afar off. I do too."

And do you know, he just stood right by that door and shouted, "I am like that man! God be merciful to me a sinner!"

The Christian family heard that shout; God heard him; the Lord Jesus Christ heard him; the angels heard him, and there was joy in heaven.

No one ever prayed that prayer in vain. The Hottentot was saved, saved then and there, and like the publican in the story in Luke, he "went down to his house justified." Luke 18:14.

Have you prayed the publican's prayer? Have you had the joy of knowing yourself justified?

So Thirsty!

On a large ocean liner it used to be the custom to hold "chapel" on Sunday mornings. On one such occasion the preacher spoke about God's answers to prayer. In the audience there was a man whose cynical expression plainly showed his lack of sympathy with the speaker's views. At the end of the service a friend asked him, "What did you think of the sermon?"

The answer was, "Bah! It's mere child's talk!"

In the afternoon the preacher was asked to speak again on one of the lower decks, and most of his morning's audience followed him. The unbeliever found himself alone. Yielding to a sudden impulse, he went to the steward and asked for an orange.

"Help yourself," he said, pointing to a large bowl.

Slipping two oranges into his pocket, he wandered on until he found himself on the outskirts of the minister's crowd. There sat an old woman with upturned face and eyes closed in sleep. To play a little joke, he gently laid his two oranges in her lap. Later, returning where she was, he found her eating an orange.

"Are you enjoying it?" he asked.

"Oh," she responded, "I was so thirsty from seasickness that I just sat there praying that my heavenly Father would send me an orange. I dozed off, and when I woke up, there were two in my lap!"

"Child's talk"? Exactly! The talk of a child of God, simply telling her heavenly Father of her need—and receiving the answer. The unbeliever was stunned; there was more to this "child's talk" than he had suspected. The scoffer became a seeker, and soon he found the Savior. He became one of the "children of God by faith in Christ Jesus." Gal. 3:26.

"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.

Can I Find Him?

One of the great battles of the war was over, and the stretcher-bearers were busy at their work. A party of them came upon a badly wounded soldier, and they could see that he was dying.

As they carefully lifted him onto the stretcher they recognized him. He was well known in his regiment for his outspoken criticism of anything religious. And now he was on the brink of eternity!

What a surprise it was to the medics when he opened his eyes and whispered faintly: "Which is the way to God?"

One of the bearers was an earnest Christian. He bent over the wounded man and said: "Jesus Christ is the way to God."

"Can I find Him?" murmured the dying soldier.

"He is not far to seek; He is always near you. Jesus has been seeking you for many days. Just say to Him: 'Lord Jesus, forgive my sins and take me to God.' He will surely do it."

The dying man stiffly folded his hands together. His lips were seen too move, and those now bending over him could faintly hear the words: "Lord Jesus, forgive me, and take me to God."

A hush fell upon the little company. They stood silently watching while the soldier, exhausted, lay with closed eyes awaiting the end.

Suddenly he opened his eyes, half raised himself up, and said in a loud, clear voice: "Thank You, Lord Jesus," and fell back.

He was absent from the body—present with the Lord.

"Wherefore He is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him." Heb. 7:25.

Man's Greatest Sin!

Most people do not think of sin as being horrible. They think of it only as it affects themselves, their

neighbors, or their circumstances. But, sin is against God, and "the wages of sin is death." Rom. 6:23.

Why is there so much suffering in the world? No one escapes it. Sickness, death, tears and sorrow are everywhere. Why? SIN! Sin is the cause of all suffering.

Idolatry, theft and robbery, murder, adultery and telling lies—how awful it all must be in God's eyes! It has been well said: "One sin in God's sight is more awful than a thousand, or even than all sin in our sight."

But there is one sin more awful than any other sin. It is the greatest sin of which anyone can be guilty.

Man's greatest sin is unbelief in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Unbelief in the Lord Jesus Christ makes God a liar. "He that believeth not God hath made Him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of His Son," 1 John 5:10.

Unbelief in the Lord Jesus Christ puts the unbeliever in the position of condemnation already. "He that believeth on Him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God." John 3:18.

"He that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him." John 3:36. Unbelief in Jesus, as the Savior whom God sent down into this world, puts every unbeliever in the company of those who put Him to death.

You may protest against any and all kinds of sin and yet reject Christ. Then you are committing the greatest sin. You do not believe on HIM! "I stand upon my own merit," you claim, "and I expect God to accept me."

It is then you make the Lord Jesus Christ a liar! He has said: "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me." John 14:6. This is the crime above all crimes: the rejection of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Do you not believe in the precious Savior of sinners? Then you stand guilty before God of this most awful sin. And you are without excuse. He Himself declares: "He that is not with Me is against Me." Matt. 12:30.

"Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved." Acts 16:31. "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." Acts 4:12.

Latitude 25, Longitude 54!

Once I asked a sun-tanned sailor: "Where did you find the Lord?"

Immediately he answered, "Latitude 25, longitude 54."

That puzzled me. I had heard of people finding Jesus Christ in many strange places, but here was something different.

" 'Latitude 25, longitude 54!’ What do you mean?"

He said, "I was sitting on deck, and out of a bundle of papers before me a little tract fell out. I began to read it, and as I read it, I saw the truth. I received Jesus as my Savior then and there, and I jumped up off the coil of rope—a saved man. I thought, If I were on shore, I would know where I was saved, and why shouldn't I on the sea? And so I took my latitude and longitude right there."

Yes, far out at sea, with no land in sight, that sailor settled the question of his eternal destiny. He knew where he was going—and he wanted a record of his starting point, too!

"They that go down to the sea in ships... these see the works of the Lord, and His wonders in the deep." Psa. 107:23, 24.

"Shed for Me!"

A little boy in Africa had just left a Sunday school room and had, by mistake, taken along with him a hymn book. One or two of the other boys seeing him with it accused him of stealing it.

To be called a thief really troubled the poor boy. His teacher had been talking to him about the Lord Jesus and he had become very anxious about his soul.

He was in tears when he reached home, and he told his mother all about his trouble. She told him to take the book to his teacher and apologize for the mistake.

The boy's teacher longed to see him rejoicing in Christ Jesus. So in sympathy she said: "Never mind, you learn this hymn, and say it to me before all the boys next Sunday."

She pointed out a certain hymn in the book. "When you say that, they will see that you have at least made good use of the book."

Studying hard, he learned the little song. All that week his mother couldn't help noticing that all the clouds had left his face. One night she said to him: "Well, what has come in to make such a difference with you?"

With tears of joy on his upturned face, and without any other comment, he answered in the words of the hymn he had been learning:

Precious, precious blood of Jesus,

Shed on Calvary;

Shed for rebels, shed for sinners,

SHED FOR ME!

He nodded his head happily as he repeated the last two lines.

This boy had learned God's way as to how a guilty conscience can be set at rest, a troubled heart can find joy and peace. God's testimony to the blood had done it.

"When I see the blood, I will pass over you." Ex. 12:13.

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

"A Stupid Mistake"

A young woman was earnestly trying to "make her peace with God." She went to church regularly and did everything she could to secure God's favor. Still, in spite of her efforts, she failed to find the rest of soul and peace of conscience for which she longed.

A preacher of the gospel visited her one day. After some conversation, he thought he understood her problem, so he asked to be allowed to use her well-thumbed Bible. She willingly handed it to him and he, turning to Col. 1:20, read aloud to her: "And, having made peace through the blood of His cross."

He read the words again and said: "You see, you have set yourself a hopeless task. You are trying to do what Christ has already done."

She was astonished. Taking the Book in her own hands, she said: "Let me read that for myself."

Slowly she read the words: "And, having made peace through the blood of His cross." Joyfully she exclaimed: "Oh, it's strange that I never saw that before! And it was there all the time. I've been trying to do what Christ had done long ago. What a stupid mistake! I might as well have tried to accomplish my own redemption. But thank God, I see now, He made peace for me. I'll just be satisfied with His work, and rest my soul upon it."

"Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." Rom. 5:1.

Will you not also stop your working and striving for salvation, and accept the finished work of Christ on the cross, and receive the peace of God which passeth all understanding?

"Who His own self bare our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed." 1 Peter 2:24.

"I Am Too Bad"

While preaching in a jail in Scotland, Richard Weaver once addressed a group of eighty women prisoners gathered to hear him. He felt that they had plenty of harsh words shouted at them, so this time he spoke of the love of God and sang the lovely hymn, "Rest For The Weary."

Then those who desired to speak with him were asked to put the numbers assigned to them outside their doors. In this way he had the privilege of dealing with over thirty anxious inquirers.

Just as he was about to leave the prison, the kind-hearted warden pointed to one of the cells and said, "In that cell is the worst character in all the prison. She has had more time in solitary than anyone else. Her number has not been put out, but I wish you would pay her a visit also."

The cell door was open. On the three-legged stool in the center of her cell sat the poor, wretched prisoner. Putting his hand on her shoulder, Mr. Weaver said in all the love of his heart, "The Lord loves you."

"No, He doesn't," was her reply. "I am too bad for God to love."

"But," said the evangelist, "God commendeth His love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."

He stayed a while talking with her, and then she dropped on her knees and uttered the cry, "Thank God, someone loves me!"

Mr. Weaver prayed with her and then left the cell. The next day as he was preaching in another part of the prison, a letter was put into his hand with the request that it be read to the other women.

It was from the woman whom he had visited in her cell the day before, and in the letter she testified how that she had found the Lord. He had had mercy on her and pardoned her sins.

As soon as Mr. Weaver read out the name of the writer, several cried out, "If God can save her, He can save me." After that, he went from cell to cell telling of the wonderful salvation that is in Jesus.

The Apostle Paul could 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 Tim. 1:15.

"Come now... though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool." Isa. 1:18.

Waiting to Feel Something

Sometimes people have the idea that before they can be saved they must feel something. They hope to get some special revelation; they expect that something remarkable will take place inwardly, and that after they have experienced wonderful feelings and emotions they are then (but not till then) entitled to believe that they are saved.

Well, nobody was ever saved in that way! We are saved by the work of Christ on the cross. That work was done outside of us, so if we are to be saved by it, we must look outside of ourselves.

"Look unto Me," Christ says. He never says, "Look unto your own heart."

No one ever got peace by looking there. "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked." Jer. 17:9. How could we expect to get peace by looking there?

Christ made peace by the blood of His cross (Col. 1:20). He says, "By Him all that believe are justified from all things." Acts 13:39. That is, by believing on Christ, all your sins are forgiven in a moment, and you stand justified before God.

There is nothing here about feeling an inward transformation. We cannot feel that our sins are pardoned; that's impossible. We can only know that they are pardoned by believing the Word of God.

When. you believe on the Lord Jesus, He tells you that you are pardoned—that you have everlasting life. You didn't have it before you believed, but you have it when you believe on Him who did it all, and paid it all, and you know it simply because He says so.

The New Heart

Emily Ortiz has a new heart. The headline in the paper told the whole story:

WOMAN WHO COULDN'T PAY
GETS NEW HEART ANYWAY!

Emily was not insured for a heart transplant, and the $150,000 cost of the operation was far beyond her means. Family and friends were frantically trying to raise money to pay for the operation, but life was slipping away. It began to seem hopeless.

Then the hospital received a donor heart that seemed a good match for her, and Emily was wheeled into the operating room, "just in time" her husband said, and her life was saved by the new heart.

Hospitals are expensive. Years of training for doctors, nurses, and technicians, costly equipment, and expensive drugs, all add up. No matter how generous and altruistic the doctors and hospital may be, the price must be paid.

For Emily, who could not pay, the bills are being paid by others. Every kind of fund-raiser is being used, and many contributions have been made. The price is high, but it will have to be paid.

For all of us, too, there was a price to be paid. We, too, had bad hearts. We, too, needed new hearts and a new life. And we, too, had nothing with which to pay. Just like Emily, we could not pay.

But Jesus could. Jesus did. He came to earth for that very purpose: to die for us, that we might have a new life, a God-given life, a life that will live forever in God's house in heaven. "When we were yet without strength... Christ died for the ungodly." Rom. 5:6. He has paid all the price—that terrible price of death on the cross—and now all that we have to do is to receive it. "The gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." Rom. 6:23.

The Mountain Lion

In this country, the United States, most of the wilderness has been tamed. We live in a world of interstate highways and sky scrapers, condominiums and supermarkets. Tales of the "olden times" when forests stretched across the continent and "bears and panthers" lurked behind every tree, seem very far away and long ago. Almost mythology, in fact.

But some little pockets of wilderness remain, and in the remote, secluded areas of non-civilization there are still descendents of those early bears and panthers holding on to life in a changing habitat.

Mountain lions (the origin of the "panther" stories) may be few and scattered, but they still exist. They are as big as ever, too; they may stand 30 inches high at the shoulder with a length of seven and a half feet, nose to tail, and perhaps weigh over 200 pounds. Nor have their appetites changed. They are great hunters, chiefly of deer, but have no objection to taking sheep, cattle, horses, or even—human beings. Yes, even in this day and time.

Five-year-old Laura Small was walking with her mother in a "wilderness park" in California. Suddenly a mountain lion leaped from the brush and seized Laura in his teeth.

Hiking nearby, Gregory Ysais heard the hysterical screams and ran to their aid. Waving a stick and shouting, he approached the big cat. "It seemed forever at the time," he said, but at last the lion released Laura. Gregory jumped between them, and the child's mother caught her up and ran.

Laura had severe head and face injuries, but she is recovering. Her mother and Gregory Ysais had an experience they will never forget. And the lion? Well, let's hope he retreats farther back into the wilderness!

There is another lion that the world has consigned to the realm of legends and myths, but he is very much alive today. The Word of God tells us that "your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour." 1 Peter 5:8.

Has his nature changed through the years? Not one bit! He is as much an enemy of Christ—and of all mankind—as he ever was in the days when the government of Rome was throwing Christians to the wild animals.

He may disguise himself as an "angel of light," but the sharp claws are still underneath, and the insatiable appetite. Are you strong enough to fight this enemy on your own? No, not you—nor I—nor the strongest man who ever lived.

Little Laura was helpless in the lion's grip. Her mother could not save her, but one came to the rescue and stood between the little girl and a dreadful death. Even so, there is One who is more powerful than the devil, one who has power to save and to keep: the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

Gregory risked his own life to save Laura, but he escaped uninjured. The Lord Jesus, though, gave His life to save you and me from the power of sin and Satan. We would surely have been dragged down to hell had He not come into the world and died, "the Just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God." 1 Peter 3:18.

Won't you thank Him for that sacrifice?

God Revealed

Nature reveals God as a God of wisdom and power, death as a God of judgment, and the cross as a God of love. Gaze on that cross, and what does it say to you?

The Merry-Go-Round to Hell

Bonnie Mendell was a heroin addict. She was addicted to a drug so powerful that sometimes just one shot can set up a craving that nothing will satisfy but more of the same drug, and another heroin addict is born. The power and slavery of that addiction is so great that a person can rarely break it by themselves, and what they go through to break that habit is a terrible nightmare.

Bonnie had a friend who came to her and said, "Bonnie, Jesus Christ can set you free," but Bonnie wanted the pleasures of sin. She wanted her heroin; she wanted the "high" that she got from it. As time went by, the highs were a little less high, and the downs were greater. She found that she needed a shot more often, and soon everything she had and everything she could get went to procure drugs. Even her little girl did not have enough food to eat because of that expensive drug habit.

She began to steal to pay for more drugs, and at last she was caught. Now she is serving her time in a maximum security prison in California. This is her story as she has written it:

Once I was riding to hell on a merry-go-round,

Following others, with no way but down.

Going in circles, getting nowhere,

A mass of confusion my—soul was my fare.

Running a race to torment and grief,

Wanting to stop, wanting relief;

All the smiles on those faces turned to torment,

Not understanding, in circles I went.

Up went the horses, and then down again,

I kept hoping my horse would stay up, but then

I looked toward the center, inside the whirlwind,

I saw a sick creature with a hideous grin.

Laughing at making a wreck of my life,

He was the Master of lies and deceit and strife.

I tried to jump off, but froze on my horse,

I struggled and strained but was stuck to that course.

He kept planting suggestions of guilt and of fear;

I screamed for help, but I knew no one would hear.

As I started to sink for about the last time,

Words began to make sense, from a true friend of mine.

Little by little they all fell in place:

Something about God and salvation by grace;

Something about Jesus setting me free,

Something about Him and His love for me.

She said that He died on the cross for my sins,

But my thoughts were too jumbled to grasp it till

then.

She told me the victory Jesus had won,

What harm just to ask in His name to be done?

So I prayed for relief and for trust and for faith,

And He softened my heart to receive His strength,

And He lifted me off of that merry-go-round,

And planted my feet on His higher ground.

He said, "I'm your Shepherd, My sheep know My voice."

I could tell by His touch that I'd made the right choice.

For once in my life I received peace of mind,

I could leave all my troubles and failures behind.

He said just to follow Him, not to look back;

"Your sins are forgiven; just walk in My path,

And I'll show you what life with My Father can be.

His love is too big for the depths of the sea.

"He has beauty and mansions and streets made of gold—

Too much glory for those here on earth to behold!"

I will sing songs of worship, sing songs of praise,

As I'm nearing my goal, I am changing my ways.

Thank You, dear Jesus, for pulling me through;

Help me, dear Jesus, to be more like You.

Thank You, dear Jesus, for rescuing me;

Thank You, dear Jesus, for letting me see!

Thank You for setting a course for my life;

Thank You for taking my guilt, fear and strife.

My prayer is to learn more about You each day,

And to share You with those who have not found their way.

Bonnie Mendell

Why Did He Die?

The Word of God, the Bible, sheds a full and sufficient light upon the subject of the death of the Lord Jesus. It assures us that Christ died, and that His death was infinitely more than the death of a martyr. He died as a Substitute. His sufferings were those of a Sin-bearer. His blood has an atoning value that no other possesses.

Christ died! He died for us, for the ungodly, for sinners. "Who His own self bare our sins in His own body on the tree." 1 Peter 2:24. Surely this verse, if there were no other, is enough to show that in dying upon the cross the Lord Jesus Christ offered Himself as a sacrifice for sin.

Those who believe in Him can say, "He died for me; He bore my sins; His blood has cleansed me and made me whiter than snow." "Without shedding of blood is no remission." Heb. 9:22.

Friend, what does the death of Christ mean to you? Have you staked your soul's eternal welfare on the merits of His blood? What other foundation can you find to rest upon? How else can sins be atoned for? "It is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul." Lev. 17:11.

When we announce the fact that Christ died for the ungodly, we have not told the whole story. He who died on Calvary is alive again. He has ascended to heaven, and now sits upon the throne of God as Lord of all.

All that Christ secured for guilty sinners by His work upon the cross is now offered freely through faith in Him: forgiveness, righteousness, everlasting life, peace with God. All these would have been impossible for us if Jesus had not died. But they are now all to be found in the risen Christ.

Why not turn to Him now in faith? He will make all these blessings yours to enjoy even now.

"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.

Just Take It

One day, while I was visiting an old woman in the country, a daughter of hers from a distance came to see her. I soon found out that she was a very unhappy girl. She knew that she was a sinner in the sight of God, and she was anxious about her soul's future. But like many, instead of simply believing on Christ and resting on the finished work which He had already done at Calvary, she thought she must do something, pray more earnestly, and plead anxiously in order to get the forgiveness of sins.

"Oh, I do so long to be saved!" she said, "I beg Him to have mercy on me and save my poor soul."

John 7:37 was quoted: "Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto Me, and drink."

But she said: "Oh, what shall I do? I do pray the best way I know how!"

"Yes, dear friend, but suppose when you were coming here this morning, hot, tired, and thirsty, some kind person seeing your condition, came out of her house with a glass of nice, clear cold water and offered it to you. Suppose she said, 'You look very tired and must be thirsty. Come, drink this water; it will do you good.' What would you have done? You would not, of course, have accepted it, but would have begged and entreated her to give it to you, saying, `Oh, please give me that water! I am so thirsty and faint; I feel I shall die if I don't get something to drink. Oh, have pity on me, and give me that
water!' "

"No," she replied; "I would not have acted like that. I would have taken the glass and drunk the water all up."

"Well, now, you say you are longing to be saved; you are thirsting for salvation, and God's Word tells us that 'Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto Me, and drink.' Now, what will you do with the living water so freely and so graciously offered?"

"Oh, I see now," she said, "there is no need to cry and pray for that which is offered me. I will gladly take that living water too."

Now, whoever you are, wherever you are, or whatever you may have done, His Word still stands as true as ever.

"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.

If you are yet unsaved, consider well that all-encompassing word "whosoever." From your heart may you say, "There is room for me in that word. All my life I have been included in that awful word 'ungodly.' Since He died for the ungodly, I know that He received the full judgment due for my sins. Now, believing on Him, I can never perish, but I have everlasting life. What a wonderful Savior!"

More Than a Hope

When the things of God are considered, doubts, objections, and arguments characterize man's thoughts and speech. "Hath God said" was Satan's question in the garden of Eden, and he is adept in instilling this same question into the minds of people today.

Martin Luther, in one of his many conflicts with the devil, was asked by the arch-enemy if he felt his sins were forgiven.

"No," said the great reformer, "I don't feel that they are forgiven, but I know they are, because God says so in His Word."

The Apostle Paul did not say, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt feel saved," but, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved."

No one can feel that his sins are forgiven. Ask a man whose debt has been paid by his brother, "Do you feel that your debt is paid?"

"No," is the honest reply. "I don't feel that it is paid; I know it is paid."

You, too, must first believe in God's love to you as revealed at the cross of Calvary, and then you will feel happy, because you will know that you are saved.

And now let me ask you, in all love and earnestness: Is your soul safe for eternity? You say, "I hope so." But, dear friends, hoping is not enough; you need to be certain about this!

Listen to what God says, and have peace in your heart: "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 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." 1 John 5:13.

Just as You Are

How many there are who think that they must feel differently, or that they must improve their condition before they come to Jesus! That is a mistake.

Jesus invites you to come to Him just where you are, and just as you are, and just now; and:

"If you linger till you're better,
You will never come at all."

Are you conscious that you are a sinner? Do you find that the publican's prayer, "God be merciful to me, a sinner" suits you? Then that is your recommendation. Come to the Savior, and be assured that He is waiting to welcome you. Only come to Him just as you are.

Amnesty

There are tens—perhaps hundreds—of thousands of people living in this country who are in it but not of it. They are the illegal aliens, people who have entered this country without going through government channels. Perhaps they slipped across a dark border and purchased false papers on the black market.

They have come to the "land of opportunity" seeking work, seeking education, seeking freedom, but there is always the fear in the back of their minds that someday an officer of the Immigration Service will appear on their doorstep or at the place where they work and they will promptly be sent back to their home countries.

With the danger of deportation always present, they are resigned to living in a shadowy, hidden world. Often they are employed in the lowest-paying jobs, live under the poorest of conditions, and are afraid to make any complaint lest it call attention to their illicit presence. Unscrupulous employers freely take advantage of them, knowing the fear that haunts the illegal alien.

But there is hope at last. A new law has been passed, a new provision made: any illegal alien who has been in this country since January 1, 1982, can apply to become a legal, permanent resident. Or, if the alien only worked in American agriculture for a minimum of 90 days between May 1, 1985 to May 1, 1986, he may be granted temporary resident status, which also can become permanent after two years.

In either case, after five years as permanent residents, they will be eligible for full citizenship with all its rights and privileges. It is a great offer, "the chance of a lifetime," as one lawyer said, but they must come forward and register as illegal aliens.

Many who are eligible will hesitate a long time over it. As one lawyer said, "They've been living for years and years with the fear that they're going to grab you and take you out of the country. A lot of people are just going to stay in the shadows."

It is a bona fide offer; the U.S. is committed to offering amnesty to all the aliens who qualify, but some do not intend to take advantage of it. Some will remain in the illicit underground life they are accustomed to. What will be the penalty if the offer is refused, or ignored, and they are found out? Just what it has always been: deportation. It will not matter how many have come forward and received legal residency. The individual who has not done so for himself is just as much at the mercy of the Immigration Service as ever. Perhaps "mercy" is not the word! Mercy was extended to those who applied for it; justice and the law are all the officers can offer to those who neglect to register. They have no choice but to follow the rules.

God is also offering an amnesty to people all people. Aliens or citizens, rich people or poor, all are offered the same free pardon. God is offering love, and life, and light. Is it possible that some will prefer to remain "in the shadows," in darkness and fear, until at last they are apprehended by death and "deported" from the land of the living into "the blackness of darkness" forever?

For them it will not matter how many will have received the pardon God offered, how many have come to the Lord and said, "I know I'm a sinner, but Christ died for sinners!" Salvation was offered. They refused, or hesitated, or neglected, or said "someday..." and now it is too late. God's offer must be accepted now; no "second chance" is ever promised.

This is not just "the chance of a lifetime"; this is the greatest opportunity of all eternity, the greatest offer ever made, and it is for "whosoever will."

"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 Pony Express

The Pony Express was an important part of early American history. It ran from St. Joseph, Missouri to Sacramento, California, a distance of 1900 miles. Forty men, each riding 50 miles at a stretch, dashed along the trail using 500 of the fastest horses available. The trip was made in ten days.

To keep the weight down, their clothing was very light, their saddles were small and no weapons were carried. The horses wore small horseshoes or none at all. The mail pouches were flat and could not be larger than a certain size. Letters had to be written on very thin paper, because the postage was $5.00 an ounce!

However, even with all these restrictions on weight, there was something that every rider carried a full-sized Bible. The Bible was presented to each rider when he joined the Pony Express, and he always took it with him even with all the weight restrictions.

Why? Because the Scriptures were regarded as "standard equipment." God was important to the people in those frontier days. They realized the need of reading God's Holy Word every day.

We, too, like the Pony Express rider, are on our way to a destination -Eternity. God has arranged that He will not leave us without a compass or a guide. He has provided us with these in His precious Word the Bible.

Is the Bible precious to you? Is it standard equipment for you every day? Do you read and study its pages? I hope so.

"The holy Scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus." 2 Tim. 3:15.

Friend, God loves you. "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.

What the Man Said Was True

Bill and his wife were out for a walk. They came to a poster and stopped to read it. It announced that a chimney sweep would preach there that night. "A sweep preach!" said the wife scornfully. "What's he got to say, I should like to know?"

But they passed the poster again and curiosity drew them in to hear what it was all about.

The speaker may have been only a chimney sweep, but he spoke faithfully to his hearers. He told them that they were sinners, and that the Lord Jesus had shed His blood and died for their sins if only they would trust Him.

At the close, these two walked home in silence. At last the wife said, "You know, Bill, what the man said was true."

But Bill refused to answer. When, soon after, his wife repeated her conviction, "What the man said was true," he only retorted: "Get the supper, and don't talk about that!"

She set the table, but kept muttering to herself: "What the man said was true."

They ate their supper, Bill's opposition subsiding into moody silence, and at last the wife, unable to hold back any longer, knelt down at a chair and openly owned to God: "What the man said was true."

It was true of herself, at least; she knew she had lived without God. What could she do but beg for mercy? It was of no use for Bill to tell her to stop; she must tell God of her deep need now that He had used the chimney sweep's sermon to awaken the sense of it.

Poor Bill! He too knew the truth of what the man had said, but it was hard to confess it. There were all his old friends to think about too; what would they say if Bill should "turn religious"?

Bill sat still, weighing all this and glowering at his praying wife. But not for too long, for Bill well knew he had good reason to own the same to God. And so Bill at last knelt by the side of his wife and he also confessed, "What the man said was true."

They knelt a long time at that chair together, first owning that what the man had said was true of themselves, and then remembering such verses of God's blessed book as they could, pleading for mercy through the blood of Christ, and receiving it—yes, receiving it. Their prayer was answered then and there, for they sincerely acknowledged their sin to God. From their hearts they spoke to the "just God and a Savior," and that just God and a Savior poured back into their hearts the sense of His forgiveness and the joy of His love.

What a night for those two!

What a time it is for any person who goes straight to God and confesses the real sinfulness of his life: "God be merciful to me a sinner!" Then no barrier is left against God's love and grace. Then He, "who is rich in mercy," can consistently give pardon and peace and eternal life.

Have you ever taken that place in the presence of God? Have you ever told Him how far away your heart was from Him, and that your life and ways were all wrong?

He invites you to come to Himself. "Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." Matt. 11:28. And He offers you salvation. "The wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." Rom. 6:23.

A Common Mistake

In a country village an old man was anxious to know how he could get the forgiveness for which he felt such a need.

A preacher had visited him from time to time, and had taught him that he must pray as long as he lived, and hope in the end for God's mercy through Christ. He told him that he could not know that his sins were forgiven till the day of judgment.

A servant of the Lord heard of the old man's case. He went to see him, hoping to be of some help, and asked him, "How do you expect to be saved?"

"Well, I keep on praying, and hope God will have mercy on me."

"Because you pray?"

"Well, yes; I cannot expect to be saved unless I do pray."

"Then your prayer is to save you?"

"Why, as to that, I suppose it is Christ who must save me, but I continually pray for forgiveness."

"That is, YOU must have a hand in it. Now, if I were to hold out a five dollar bill in my hand and ask you to accept, would you beg and pray me to give it to you, or would you take it?"

"Why, TAKE it, of course," said the poor old man, smiling at the apparent absurdity of such a question."

"My friend," he said, "God Himself offers you full forgiveness of sin. He holds it out to you and asks you to believe Him. He declares that 'the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin.' 1 John 1:7.

"Instead of taking what He offers, and believing His blessed Word, you keep on asking Him to give you the great Gift He has been offering to you these many years.

"He asks you to look to Christ! You look to prayer. He declares to you forgiveness through the blood of Christ! You tell Him in return you don't believe Him, for if you did you clearly would not ask Him to give you that which He freely offers you. So, you make God a liar, and hope to be saved for doing so!"

The old man's eyes were opened. He was astonished at himself; his conscience was exercised; a real conviction of sin against God followed, and he finally believed and was saved.

"This is the work of God, that ye believe on Him whom He hath sent. Him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out." John 6:29,37. "I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of My hand." John 10:28.

The Nurse's Mistake

A young man lay in a hospital, racked with pain and impatient to be out again with his carefree friends. He had wanted to be an expert horseback rider and had fallen from his horse while riding. He had also decided that day to take a law course at the University, but now here he lay, and why, oh, why this pain in his leg?

Suddenly everything changed for him. A sober nurse quietly brought a folding screen into his ward and placed it carefully around his bed!

The screen! That meant he was expected to die... and soon! His world began to collapse around him. Horses and law courses were forgotten. He heard the hospital clock chime one. Perhaps before it chimed again he would be gone. Why hadn't they told him before? He wasn't ready to die. Perhaps before the hour was passed he would be face to face with God.

He hated the thought. Not that he had ever done anything that seemed very bad, but he just hadn't got acquainted with God. He always figured there was plenty of time. Why had he kept at such a long distance from God?

His life began to pass before his eyes and he tried to see it as God would look at it. He shuddered. He hadn't even kept the second commandment about loving his neighbor, let alone the first commandment about loving God with all his heart.

For the first time in his life he felt the crushing weight of his own sin, and groaned at the thought of meeting a holy God. Restlessly he tossed. His eyes roamed feverishly over the ceiling and walls. That ominous screen! The dread ticking of the clock near his bed!

Then the answer came. It was written on a little placard on the opposite wall. He could just see it above the screen:

COME UNTO ME, ALL YE THAT LABOR AND ARE HEAVY LADEN, AND I WILL GIVE YOU REST. Matt. 11:28 That was it! Jesus Christ, the Son of God somehow a fellow would be saved if he came to Him. Yes, the Cross! Christ had died, and in some way that meant pardon for sinners and rest for the soul.

This time he didn't stop to question it or argue it or put it off. He read the verse again: "Come unto Me, all ye that labor... and I will give you rest."

Right out loud he said: "I will come! I do come! I come to Thee. Is it too late?"

The young man began smiling; he knew it wasn't too late. He rested on the finished work of the Son of God, and he knew he was forgiven. He had never had such peace in his life. Now he was ready to die.

And yet, he wasn't ready to die. He thought of his own brother and of his friends. Most of them cursed and scorned the name of God. Why hadn't he come to Christ sooner while there was still time to tell them?

If he could only have one chance to shout this wonderful news from the housetops! He would give such a plea from a dying man that the whole world would wake up! If only -

Then the nurse came back.

"I'm so sorry," she said, "there's been a mistake. We placed the screen at the wrong bed. I am very sorry."

To her astonishment the patient sat bolt upright in bed and said: "Sorry! Why, that's the greatest thing that ever happened to me in my life!"

Have YOU come to Christ for salvation? There may not be this extra time given to you. "Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation." 2 Cor. 6:2.

Are you telling others of Christ as though it were their last chance? Today may be your last chance or theirs.

Since Now

Three new pupils had just been received into the Argentine mission school. Before beginning our Bible study, I suggested that we should spend a few minutes getting acquainted with each other. I mentioned that when I was about their age, fourteen, I had trusted in the Lord Jesus.

At that I noticed a quick flash of intelligence pass over the face of one of the new girls, followed instantly by a very serious expression that continued until it came her turn to introduce herself.

I asked, "Are you a Christian, Deolinda?"

There was a doubtful nod in response. I varied the question: "Have you trusted Jesus?"

This was answered by a decidedly more positive nod.

"Do you realize that Jesus is your Savior, and that you are a child of God?"

All at once her black eyes flashed with joy, her whole face was transfigured, and her nod was accompanied by a very soft, "Si, Senora!"

"Since when?" I asked, my own heart filled with gladness.

"Since now!" was the quick response.

Wise Deolinda! She did not postpone that all-important decision, did not wait for "a more convenient time," but just in simple faith believed

God's word and received salvation at once. The Bible says that "Now is the accepted time... now is the day of salvation." 2 Cor. 6:2. There is no good reason to wait.

Put My Finger There

Feeble and blind, the old man in a nursing home knew his life was fast slipping away. One great worry tormented his mind, the old, old question: What can I do to be saved? Poor man, what could he do to be saved? He could only lie there and fret because of his helplessness.

He had a little granddaughter who often came in to read to him, and one day she brought her Bible. She started reading the first chapter of the first epistle of John. She came to the seventh verse: "And the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin."

The old man sat up and stopped the little girl, saying eagerly, "Is that there, my dear?"

"Yes, Grandpa."

"Then read it to me again; I never heard the like before."

The little girl read again: "The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin."

"You are quite sure that is really there?"

"Yes, quite sure!"

"Then take my hand and put my finger there, for I should like to feel it."

So she took the old blind man's hand and placed his bony finger on the verse. He said, "Now read it to me again."

The little girl read softly, "The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin."

Again he asked anxiously, "You are quite sure that is there?"

"Yes, Grandpa; quite sure!"

"Then, if anyone should ask how I died, tell them I died in the faith of these words: 'The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin.' "

Peacefully, trustfully, the old man lay back on the pillow and, with his hand still on the wonderful verse he had just learned, he silently passed into the presence of Him whose blood "cleanseth us from all sin."

Helpless, hopeless, unable to do anything to save himself, what relief it was to learn that the Lord Jesus had done it all for him.

It may seem to some that "that is all right for the poor old man; he couldn't do anything else, but those who are strong and capable should work for their salvation should do something to earn it."

Not so. Physical strength or mental ability has nothing to do with the salvation of a soul. The strongest and the wisest must come to the Lord Jesus Christ just as the old man did, simply believing in His work on the cross of Calvary and receiving all the benefit of that work. It was not "to as many as worked for it," but "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.

A Scotchman’s Conversion

I was big enough and old enough to do what we call in Scotland "join the church," but I knew I had not the great qualification for that. I knew my father and mother wished me to join, but I could not do it simply to please them. God had made me honest enough to know the blackness of my heart, and that even if my sins had not all hatched out, still the eggs were all there. I was never bothered with self-righteousness!

In perplexity I wrote to an old Christian friend. There is a verse in Acts 16:31 which says, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved." I put that text in my letter, and I wrote: "I believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, all about Jesus, and all the Bible says of sin and salvation and heaven and hell. I believe all about it, but I don't feel one bit better. There is something wrong."

Two or three days afterward I was just going to open up the ticket office window to sell the tickets for the 10:30 business train to Glasgow. The postman was just coming round. He gave me a letter, and I recognized my old friend's handwriting. I will never forget reading that letter!

This is how it began: "You will never know how glad I am to get a frank, open, honest letter from you about your spiritual condition, even though you are evidently all in the dark. I am glad you have taken Acts 16:31 as a challenge text. It says, 'Believe,' in your heart of course, as you believe in your mother or your father, for it is faith and not a proposition of Euclid, but 'believe on [have full confidence in] the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.'

"But John, you say you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and don't feel a bit the better for it. Now, I want to know which I am to believe about you. Am I to believe yourself saying, 'I don't feel a bit better,' or am I to believe God when He says that the man who believes in the Lord Jesus Christ is and shall be eternally saved?

"John, you would quote the text of Acts 16:31 as if it read, 'Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will feel easier,' instead of 'Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.' God says it. Never mind your feelings!"

It was like the lifting of a curtain for me, and I saw it all bold and clear. I was saved! No great feeling came even then; I just knew it was so.

I took a walk in the station, alone, to the far end of the platform. I remember saying to myself, "Has the station been whitewashed?" The very dingy brick wall, all covered with smoke and soot from the engines, looked whiter! But it was not the walls, it was my mind that was brightened, because now I knew the Lord as mine.

The next morning I woke up, and my heart was just like a fire you had left burning over night. I was as cold as could be. The devil said, "It's all a hoax."

But I got grace to fight that battle. I rallied myself: "Has God's word altered through the night?"

"No."

"Has Acts 16:31 altered?"

"No.”

"Has the value of the blood of Jesus to blot out my sins altered?"

"No!"

"Then nothing has altered that I am resting on, nothing but my feelings. And you don't need to rest on your feelings you are saved by trusting the Lord Jesus Christ."

"What must I do to be saved?"

"Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved." Acts 16:30, 31.

The Stranded Bird

Out of the hurricane, out of that wild smother of wind and rain, the white bird came—battered, bruised, and hardly alive.

Far, far from home, she lay on the soccer field of a Massachusetts school. A thousand miles of storm-tossed water lay between her and her nesting ground. Helplessly lying there, her life was fast flickering out. Then ten-year-old Ilse and her mother came to the rescue. Gently lifting the strange bird into a box, they carried her home to safety and began to nurse her back to health.

Ornithologists identified her as a white-tailed tropical bird, sometimes called a “long-tail” be cause of the bird’s two long tail feathers. It is the "national bird" of Bermuda.

A research station that raises live fish for laboratories donated her food: live herring, smelts and saltwater minnows. Soon she was gaining weight and fluttering her wings again.

And now, what was to be done with her? She could not survive in that cold climate, but Bermuda was too far away, weather conditions too uncertain for the young bird to fly home. But fly she did—all the way from Boston to Bermuda—on a big Delta Airlines plane. Ilse's mother bought a ticket for herself and the bird and flew with her to Bermuda to give her her freedom again.

It seems a great expenditure of time and money to save the life of just one bird, but bird lovers will understand. And it is a little picture of what has been done for human beings—for us. We have been battered and bruised by the storms of life; we have gotten far from God and home; we may be nearer death than we realize. Yet there is hope; as use and her mother lifted up the big white bird and took her to safety, so the Lord Jesus came in love to save us.

It was at a fearful cost to Him: "He gave Himself!" And as the bird was carried safely home by the wings of the great plane, so He wants to take us home to be with Himself. Home—the Father's house— "fullness of joy... forever"—He would give it all to us.

The helpless tropical bird was rescued altogether by the kindness of others; even so we are saved "by grace... through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God." He does it all. All we can do is believe, and receive, and thank and praise God.

A Submarine Rescue

A ship was sailing down the east coast of North America. A sailor on the lookout, surrounded by the vast stretches of the ocean, suddenly heard a telephone bell sounding out across the water.

Startled and wondering, he looked around. Was he dreaming or only half awake? What was the matter? Where did it come from?

The bell sounded again! He was sure it was a telephone bell, but where was it? How could there possibly be a telephone away out there on the ocean, with nothing to be seen but the endless waves?

He called one of his mates, who, coming on deck from below, also heard it. They told the captain, and he heard it too.

They stopped their ship and some of the crew went off to investigate. They were not long in finding a buoy floating on the waves with a telephone fixed to it. The line was connected to a submarine in distress. The sub was under water except for a few feet of the stern and swinging about in a most helpless manner.

Inside, the men were suffering from lack of fresh air, having been thirty-five hours in this dangerous situation.

When the sailors returned to their ship, a radio message was sent to the U.S. Admiralty for help. The ship was brought close to the sub and a hawser firmly attached to it until more help came.

Then they cut a hole in the upturned stern of the sub through which fresh air and hot drinks were poured for the exhausted men.

In the meantime, an American boy name Moore, trying out his homemade wireless set, picked up the ship's message. Thrilled to have received so important a communication, he sent a telephone message to the Navy Department, and was more delighted than ever to find that he was the first to have received the call for help.

At once ships and tugs were despatched to the scene. The hole in the sub was soon enlarged, so that the men could get out. What a joy it must have been to the sailor who first heard the telephone bell, to see twenty-seven men step out of the submarine, saved from a horrible death, and know that he had played the first part in their release.

This wonderful rescue came about first, because the imprisoned men by means of the telephone bell sent out a cry for help; second, the sailor heard the bell, and third, the young boy, Moore, on shore, picked up the wireless message and sent for powerful help. Had the man on the lookout been deaf, the poor men in the sub would probably have perished, for few ships passed that way.

Twenty-seven men were saved because they cried out for help and because two people heard.

But greater wonders are going on around us every day, for men and women and children in distress are constantly crying for help, and their cries are heard from an immeasurable distance by God Himself, who is willing and able to save. "Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." Rom. 10:13.

On the other hand, there are multitudes who are daily sinking down to death and judgment, without God and without hope (Eph. 2:12), to be lost forever in the ocean of eternal punishment.

Oh, do not be among them! God loves you; Christ died for you! You can be saved now. Only call upon Him and you will be safe forever.

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

He First Loved Me

Margaret Moore was a miserable young lady.

For years she had been dissatisfied with her life. She began praying earnestly, and sought desperately to love God enough to merit the forgiveness of her sins.

Instead, however, the world seemed more and more enticing, and her heart was further from Him.

At last, despairing of her ability to work up enough love to God to avail for her redemption, Margaret had almost decided to throw in her lot with the godless, self-loving fun-seekers of her acquaintance. At least, she thought, she would enjoy the "pleasures of sin for a season."

But God is "not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." 2 Peter 3:9.

What was known as "revival meetings" were being held in the area. News of a good speaker and good singing came to Margaret's ears and drew her to the hall. Yes, the singing was good and the speaker personable, but what a simple text! "He first loved us." 1 John 4:19.

Suddenly Margaret sensed that the message was meant for her the preacher had singled her out, and was presenting her case and arguing her cause. She listened intently.

The speaker said: "Do you think God requires you to love Him in order to be saved? Examine your heart, dear one. You will not find one particle of love to Him there. If you cannot be saved until you love Him, you will never be saved at all.

"But hear the good news: 'God so loved the world,' and that includes you. Think of it; rest upon it. The blessed truth is, HE LOVES US!"

"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.

"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.

Now she saw God's great love in giving His Son to suffer for her sins. Peace and joy filled her, and a stream of love flowed out to Him who had given Himself for her.

Friend, have YOU been trying to love God in order to be saved? Your efforts are useless. Instead, think about His mighty love for you. Meditate on it, and you will gladly say: "I do believe on Him, and love Him, because 'HE FIRST LOVED ME.'" (1 John 4:19.)

The Waiting Friend

"Won't you accept Christ?" I said to a young man at the close of a gospel meeting.

"I can't," he replied. "There is a friend waiting for me outside."

"And there is a Friend waiting for you here inside. He has waited for you a good many years."

He hung his head.

"You would not like to disappoint the friend outside," I continued, "but you do not mind disappointing the Friend who is waiting inside, and yet He continues to wait. Do you know His name?"

"It is Jesus," he replied.

"And will you still keep Him waiting?"

Thank God, that night he turned to the Friend who waits to receive and bless poor sinners.

This same Friend of sinners is waiting, waiting, waiting still waiting for you who are still away from Him. Outside, there is the world which promises lasting friendship, but you know its promises are false. Pleasure, sin, Satan, all wait outside to please you for a while, but at the last they will leave you comfortless and lonely in the night of your despair.

Will you listen to the voices of the false friends outside? They will keep you outside of heaven, outside of the blessing of God forever. Or, will you listen to the voice of the Friend who "loveth at all times," the Friend who "sticketh closer than a brother," the One who laid down His life that He might be your Savior?

"Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." John 15:13.

Religion or Salvation

Religion is what man does for God. Salvation is what God does for man.

"The Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all." Isa. 53:6. Religion depends on our behaving. Salvation depends on our believing.

"Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved." Acts 16:31. Religion is striving for a better attainment. Salvation is secured through a perfect atonement.

"Ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold... but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot." 1 Peter 1:18, 19.

Religion or salvation—which do you have?

Courtesy of BibleTruthPublishers.com. Most likely this text has not been proofread. Any suggestions for spelling or punctuation corrections would be warmly received. Please email them to: BTPmail@bibletruthpublishers.com.

Echoes of Grace: 1986

Echoes of Grace: "The Old, Old Story" [Paperback]

Table of Contents

Struck by Lightning

What Do You Know?

Something Better

A Faithful Friend

Halley's Comet

Peace: False and True

Danger Ahead

Only God Could Do It!

The Greatest Question in the World

What Is Saving Faith

Three Inscriptions

"I Need Life First"

Have You Believed the Gospel?

No Time

The Great Divide - Luke 23

Conflicting Advice

What Can You Give to God?

Following the Plan

Divine Certainty or My Thoughts

"Shut Up! Shut Up! I Am Busy"

The Wrong Way

Not the Righteous

The Worst Way to Die

A Child’s Faith

His Pain - My Gain

Who Is on God's Side?

"Daisy"

The Pleasure Poll

Real Love

"I Think"

A Jew's Faith

The Fire Extinguisher

All or Nothing

What Would It Cost?

The New Boat

Forgiven

One Sheep?

It Wasn't Justice!

"I Didn't See God in Space"

Who Created These?

Storm Warnings

God's Answer―A Telegram

What Shall a Man Give in Exchange for His Soul?

It Would Not Burn

God's Gift

Will Your Anchor Hold?

This Man

The New Birth - Its Necessity and Its Nature― John 3

Come Unto Me … I Am the Way

That's My Prayer

So Thirsty!

Can I Find Him?

Man's Greatest Sin!

Latitude 25, Longitude 54!

"Shed for Me!"

"A Stupid Mistake"

"I Am Too Bad"

Waiting to Feel Something

The New Heart

The Mountain Lion

God Revealed

The Merry-Go-Round to Hell

Why Did He Die?

Just Take It

More Than a Hope

Just as You Are

Amnesty

The Pony Express

What the Man Said Was True

A Common Mistake

The Nurse's Mistake

Since Now

Put My Finger There

A Scotchman’s Conversion

The Stranded Bird

A Submarine Rescue

He First Loved Me