Hugo And The Condors

Each one of these stories is true. Set in Latin America, they show how God’s love and grace reach down to men and women, boys and girls. Wherever you may live, that same love reaches down to you. You, too, can have the “forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace” (Ephesians 1:7).

Our thanks to Dean Rule for his contribution of the stories entitled “Kidnapped!”, “Almost Buried Alive!”, and “Crocodile! Crocodile!”, and to Kurt Thonney for the story, “What Is Most Important?”

Hugo and the Condors

“Look!” Hugo called to his friend. “There’s a condor!”

“There are two of them!” his friend called back.

Hugo and his friend live high in the mountains of Bolivia. Their homes are not as nice as most of the homes that you have seen. They are made of bricks of mud that have been dried in the sun. The land is very dry and there are high mountain peaks all around the plateau where Hugo and his friend live.

Condors often live in this area. They are one of the largest and heaviest land birds. They have a wingspread of 12 feet — twice the height of a man! Like vultures, they eat dead animals. Condors are so common in the mountains of Bolivia that they are the national bird of that country.

It is always a special sight to see condors flying high above the earth when they leave their nests in the high mountain peaks to search for food. Now Hugo and his friend stood watching as the birds began to fly overhead. How they would like to see those huge birds up close!

Suddenly Hugo had an idea. “Let’s lie down and be very still,” he said to his friend. “Condors eat dead animals. Maybe they will think that we are dead and will come closer. We’ll get to see them up close.”

“Okay,” his friend agreed.

So both boys lay down on the ground and stayed very still, hoping that the condors would notice them. Hugo kept his eyes closed except for a little slit so that he would be able to see if the birds noticed them. Sure enough, the condors changed their direction and began to fly in large circles overhead.

Wow! thought Hugo, those birds did notice us! But he did not say a word nor did he move even a little. He wanted them to come closer. This was fun! The birds continued flying in circles overhead and slowly began to come closer to the two bodies that were on the ground.

Hugo had never realized just how big those condors could be. They flew closer and closer. Peeking out of the little slits in his eyes, Hugo began to get a close-up look at the large birds. How ugly their bald heads were, and their big hooked beaks seemed so close!

They circled just overhead now, always coming closer. Suddenly Hugo was struck with fear. Those birds were very ugly, and they thought he was dead! They wanted to eat him!

Hugo and his friend had thought they were going to have fun, but their “fun” ended up being pretty scary and even dangerous. Boys and girls, we must warn you that sin is often like the “fun” that Hugo thought he was going to have. Sin often seems not so bad, and the Bible tells us that there is sometimes pleasure in sin for a short time. But the devil is your enemy and he is a hard master. Like those fierce condors, Satan “as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8). You may think that you can “play” with sin and then leave it when you want, but God’s Word, the Bible, warns us that “sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death” (James 1:15). Only the Lord Jesus, who never sinned, can rescue you from the paths of sin.

Hugo knew that his fun with the condors had gone too far. Suddenly he yelled to his friend, “Let’s get out of here!” They jumped up and ran as fast as their legs could take them to a place of safety. They had been frightened by the condors, but they reached home safely and learned a lesson they would never forget.

Boys and girls, I hope you will not forget that you cannot “play” with sin. Even a small lie can lead you deeper and deeper into the paths of sin. God loves you and wants to deliver you. He sent His Son, the Lord Jesus, to suffer and die on the cross to break the devil’s power and save us from our sins. “The wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23).

Accept God’s wonderful gift today!

A Father to the Fatherless

Elias never knew his father. There was no one in his home he could call “Daddy.” His mother was kind to him and to his brother and two sisters, but his father had left them when Elias was too small to remember him. In a family where there is no father, life is difficult.

The fatherless family lived in a small Indian village high in the Andes Mountains. Their tiny hut was made of adobe — bricks of mud dried in the sun. The other boys in Elias’s village were also poor, but most of them had a father to help the family, so they did not understand that Elias’s family was also poor in another way.

Although Elias did not know it, the worst part of his life was not that he was poor. It was not even that he did not have a father. The worst part was that he did not know that there is a God who is a loving Father to any who are born again into His family. He had never heard that “God is love” (1 John 4:8), and that “A father of the fatherless ... is God in His holy habitation” (Psalm 68:5). Elias thought often about how poor his family was and how hard he and his mother had to work just to have enough to live. No one had told him that God loved him and wanted to show him “the exceeding riches of His grace, in His kindness toward us, through Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:7).

All the other children in my village have a toy, Elias thought to himself. Some of my friends have two or three toys, but I have none. His face darkened as he thought about this, and in his heart he said, It is because I have no father ... my father ran away ... he does not love us. Why did my father leave us?

For many years these thoughts troubled poor Elias. His mother was kind and worked very hard, but it was all she could do to provide a little food and a few clothes for her four children.

When Elias was 13 he was sent to Argentina to work in the sugar cane harvest. It was hard work for a young boy of 13, and he was far away from his family. Day after day he had to help burn, cut and gather the long stalks of sugarcane. Snakes were often lurking among the rows of cane. The pay he received was scarcely enough to buy his food. The workers all lived in crowded shelters, and there was much sickness. Elias thought about these lonely, hard days, and again he said in his heart, It is because my father deserted us. He did not love us. We have to suffer now. My mother and I have to work hard and we never have anything nice. Seeds of bitterness were growing in Elias’s heart. He blamed his father for his hard life; he blamed his father that he never had a single toy; he blamed his father that his kind mother had to work so hard for so little. He had never known his father, but now he hated him.

Elias married a young girl when he was still in his teens. He worked hard for his little family, but those feelings of hatred toward his father were still deep in his heart. He told his young wife about his life of hardships and he vowed, “If I ever find my father, I’m going to kill him!” He did not stop to realize that this would be a terrible sin. He did not know that the Bible says, “Every one of us shall give account of himself to God” (Romans 14:12).

One day Elias heard that his father was living in a small town several days’ journey from the mountain village where Elias lived. He would have to travel down out of the mountains and into the area where the jungle began. Elias bought a pistol.

He began the long journey, and as he traveled he made his plans. He did not want to do this in secret. No, he wanted all the world to know what his father had done. He planned to meet his father in the central plaza of the town, and he planned just what he would say. He would call out for all to hear, “This is what you deserve for what you have done to my mother, such a fine lady!”

So Elias with his plans of murder reached a small town that was only about one-half-hour’s ride from the place where his father lived. Here he knew of friends who would let him stay with them for the night.

Unknown to Elias, the God who loved him was seeking him. Even though his heart was filled with these terrible plans, the Lord Jesus Christ who came into the world to save sinners from their sins was seeking Elias.

Elias stayed overnight with his friend and told him about his plans. His friend not only begged him to give up his plans but also told him about a loving God who would receive him into His own family if Elias would accept the Lord Jesus as his Saviour. The light of God’s love for him poured into Elias’s sore and sinful heart, and he believed that Jesus had died on the cross for his sins. He was now one of God’s own children. Elias now had a loving, caring Father. What joy for him to find that at the very time he was planning to commit the worst sin of his life, God was reaching out to him in love. To his amazement, he found that when his sins were washed away in the precious blood of Christ, he could forgive his father. He, who had so recently bought a gun, could now put it away. He, who had hated, could now forgive because God had forgiven him for so much.

Elias began his journey back to his family in the mountains with a new peace in his heart — and a new purpose for his life. He told his wife about this loving God who is a Father to the fatherless. He told his mother, his brother and sisters about a Saviour who loved us while we were yet sinners. It is a great joy to know that they also came to the Saviour for forgiveness and found that God brought them into His own family as sons and daughters.

Are you one of God’s sons or daughters?

Good News!

“Do you hear me, Delfin?” asked Mama. “Don’t you ever go near a jeep!”

“Yes, Mama,” answered Delfin. “If a jeep comes, I’ll run and hide.”

Delfin meant what he said. Mama had just told him that the ones who drive jeeps are usually gospel preachers. Gospel preachers were the ones who would catch little boys, carry them away and cut off their ears. No, Delfin would never go near a jeep.

Poor Delfin. He had never been told that the word “gospel” means “good news.” He had never been told that the preachers were coming to tell the Indians who lived high in the mountains that God loved them and had good news for them. Sad to say, he had never heard that God’s good news was that “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” (1 Timothy 1:15). No, Delfin had only heard the devil’s terrible lies about the gospel and gospel preachers.

But there was not much reason to be afraid, really. Few jeeps ever made their way high up into the mountains to the sleepy village where he lived. Nothing very exciting ever happened. Day after day Delfin and the other Indian boys looked after the goats. Day after day they led them to the same stream for water. They always went to the same hillside to search for firewood, and even their food was always the same. Only on fiesta days was there excitement. The celebration for the new year was the most exciting of all. For three days big firecrackers were set off, and the older folks would dance through the village down to the shrine and back again, to the sound of flutes, drums and the booms of firecrackers. Delfin had heard that the firecrackers would scare off the evil spirits of the new year. When the men brought dynamite to the fiesta, Delfin would shiver with a mixture of thrilling excitement and fear. This biggest of booms would surely drive away the evil spirits! After the fiesta, Delfin would take his goats back to the hillside to look for pasture, and so his days passed with fears of evil spirits, jeeps and gospel preachers embedded in his heart.

Sometimes the priest would come to the village where Delfin lived. He liked that. Everyone would go to the chapel where the priest would hold a ceremony and the people would light candles and kneel before the images to pray. Delfin respected the priest and thought that someday he wanted to be like this important man. One day Delfin, using all his courage, told the priest of this secret desire in his heart.

“I would like to study the Bible and be a religious man like you,” he said timidly.

“Boy,” replied the priest sternly, “don’t you ever read the Bible! Those who read the Bible go crazy in their heads!”

Crazy! thought Delfin, terrified. How awful!

“If you want to be a religious man, then come and help me in the chapel,” continued the priest more kindly. “You can clean the chapel and help to repair the images.”

Delfin smiled. He would like that very much.

So began Delfin’s new efforts to be religious. It was a strange mixture of faith and fear. His faith, sadly, was not in the Word of God, but in the images, the priest and in his own efforts to be good. And still there was fear. The fear of the evil spirits, the gospel preachers and now this new fear of the Bible itself did not go away as he tried to be good. If only someone could have told him that the Bible is God’s own loving Word that “is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path” (Psalm 119:105).

One of Delfin’s jobs at the chapel was to repair an image when it was broken. He would get a little plaster and form again the broken ear or arm of the image, then paint it again to match the other side. Once in a while a tiny thought would pierce the back of his mind — If these images are our Saints and they are so powerful that we pray to them, then why can’t they look after themselves? Why do they get a broken ear? Delfin knew such thoughts must be very wicked and that he should probably confess them to the priest. However, as he mixed the plaster for the images, those thoughts would come back again — Why can’t they fix their own hands?

One day when Delfin was alone in the chapel, a daring thought entered his mind. Do people really go crazy if they read the Bible? Is it true?

There was only one Bible that he knew of in the whole village. It was the large one right there in the chapel. No one was there to see him. Would he dare to read it? Would he dare to see for himself if it were true?

Maybe I will read only a little, he thought boldly, then I will go only a little crazy.

He hesitated ... and then with his heart pounding he went over to the big Bible.

I’ll be careful, he thought to himself. I’ll check exactly where all the images are and exactly which window the sun is coming in so that I’ll know if I’m crazy.

He checked carefully around. Trembling, he reached slowly for the Bible. He looked up quickly! The images were still there ... the sun was still shining in the same window. His heart pounded as he opened the Bible just a little. Quickly he looked up again ... no change in the images or the sun ... he wasn’t crazy yet. With dread and yet wanting so much to see, Delfin opened the Bible just enough so that he could read a few words. The place that he opened to was just where the New Testament begins. For the first time in his life he was reading the Bible, and to his horror the first words he read were, “THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. MATTHEW.” The GOSPEL! ... gospel preachers! ... the ones who cut off the ears of boys! Delfin read no more. In terror he shut the Bible and ran out of the chapel shaking like a leaf. He ran and ran, and in his heart he said he would never again open a Bible.

As the days went by, his fright faded a little and he though about it more calmly. One thought stood out above all others — he wasn’t crazy. Not even a little.

Delfin had been a captive of Satan with chains of lies that held his heart in fear. He did not know that they were lies, but now he doubted if everything he had been told were true. God was in His own way working with Delfin. The deliverance from lies and fears and evil spirits was coming. The One whose love casts out fear had His eyes upon Delfin. The One who came to set Satan’s captives free planned that one day Delfin would hear His Word, the Bible, even if he were afraid to read it.

When Delfin first saw the gospel preachers he didn’t see a jeep so he did not know who they were. All he saw was a group gathered on the street corner in his village singing. No doubt Delfin did not understand much that he heard that day. But as he listened he heard one preacher reading these words from God’s Word, “Their idols are silver and gold, the work of men’s hands. They have mouths, but they speak not: eyes have they, but they see not: they have ears, but they hear not: noses have they, but they smell not: they have hands, but they handle not: feet have they, but they walk not: neither speak they through their throat. They that make them are like unto them; so is every one that trusteth in them” (Psalm 115:4-8).

Oh, how these words sank into Delfin’s heart. How he knew the truth of them! Had he not repaired ears of images that could not hear? Had he not painted eyes that could not see? God in His love and grace poured the power of these words into Delfin’s heart and he reached out for more. He listened to wonderful words that told him of God’s “good news”: “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). Delfin believed and accepted Jesus Christ as his Saviour. He is now a grown man with sons of his own, but he has never forgotten that day when he learned that the “gospel” he had always feared was really God’s “good news” especially sent to a poor Indian boy.

“Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:32).

A New Home for Pedro

I would like to tell you about a poor little boy named Pedro. He lives in a very large city in a far-away country called Brazil. Not only was Pedro born blind, but even worse, his mother did not love him. Sadly, she was a woman who cared more for the pleasures of sin than for her tiny baby. She did not take care of him — she did not feed him, wash him, nor did she cuddle him close. Poor little Pedro! Only an old granny came to give him a little to eat. Because he could not see, they thought he also could not hear. Since no one talked to him, his body grew but he never learned to talk. Poor Pedro was left lying on his back for over four long years. If the old granny had not fed him a little, he would have died. Who could love a little boy like Pedro with so many problems?

He was often sick with a tummy full of worms and his blind eyes were red and sore with infection. If you had seen him lying there you surely would have thought how hard it would be to love this blind little boy who was sick and very dirty.

In another city far away lived a Christian couple, Mario and his lovely wife Christina. They had two children with pretty blond hair and laughing blue eyes. They lived in a nice home, but best of all, because they read the Bible and believed it they were a happy family. The Lord Jesus had washed their hearts from sin and brought many joys into their lives. Because their Saviour, the Lord Jesus, had done so much for them, they wanted to help others. They prayed, asking Him to show them someone they could help. Perhaps they could bring some child into their home to share in their love and what they had.

As they were praying about this, a friend told them about poor, blind Pedro who was now almost five years old. The old granny had died, and now there was no one even to give him a little food. Pedro lay on his back unable to sit up or talk or see. Mario and Christina felt that this must be the Lord’s answer to their prayer. They traveled for two days to see Pedro. What they found was a very sick little boy, dirty, blind and unable to talk or walk.

Would you or I have turned away, not even wanting to look at that poor little boy? Mario and Christina didn’t. Their love went out to Pedro. They took him home to be their own son. They washed him and fed him and saw that he got all the doctors’ care he needed. What a happy day for Pedro! He was taken from his lonely, unhappy life in that tiny hut and given a place as a son in a loving family in their own home.

Boys and girls, I can see in this true story a picture of God’s love to you. If you have never come to the Lord Jesus for salvation, then you are just like Pedro. You are blind, for the Bible says, “The god of this world [Satan] hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ ... should shine unto them” (2 Corinthians 4:4).

You are also sick, like Pedro, because the Word of God describes those who are still in their sins by saying, “The whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint. From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores” (Isaiah 1:5,6).

And if your sins have not been washed away in the precious blood of Christ, you are also poor, for God says that those without Christ do not know that they are “wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked” (Revelation 3:17).

But our good news for you is that God loves you, just as Mario and Christina loved Pedro. God wants to adopt you into His family as one of His children, and to care for you, and have you share in all the riches of heaven and the joys of His happy family.

Would you think that Pedro would refuse Mario and Christina’s love and care and ask them to leave him alone in that tiny hut? No. Would you, a sinner, refuse God’s love and care and all the happiness that He offers you? I hope not.

Pedro is now learning to sit up and can say a few words. He is receiving the best care that loving parents can give him. But do not forget that Mario and his wife first loved Pedro when he was very unlovely. They remembered that when God sent His only Son to die for them, they were not only “unlovely” because of their sins, but they were also enemies of God. “God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. ... When we were enemies, we were reconciled [peace was made] to God by the death of His Son” (Romans 5:8,10).

Come to the Lord Jesus today to receive the forgiveness of your sins, and God will welcome you into His family as one of His children. “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).

Will you accept God’s offer of love and happiness?

A Reason to Read

Chocolate cookies! Paulino had never tasted anything so good in his whole life. In fact, he had almost never tasted anything sweet before. Sometimes his family had dried fruit, but this was the first time they had ever been given anything so sweet and so good as chocolate cookies.

Paulino and his family lived in a mining village high in the mountains of Bolivia. The owners of the mine knew how to get people to work for them. They paid the workers a wage but also gave them some extra free things that had never been seen before in the mountains ... special things like sugar and chocolate cookies. When Paulino tasted those cookies, he was glad that his 16-year-old brother was old enough to work in the mines. His family would go to the mining storeroom and carry home their share of sugar, cookies and other free items on their donkeys.

Sadly, working in the mines was very hard on the miners’ health. The air deep inside the mines was bad, and the miners often got sick. After two years Paulino’s brother died of the lung disease that was the result of the bad air in the mines.

Were those cookies as good after Paulino saw his brother die? Losing his brother was a high price to pay for some sugar and cookies, and it was, perhaps, the first time Paulino thought about death.

Sad to say, Paulino and his family had never heard of God’s loving plan of salvation. They had never been told the good news that “God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). Paulino and his family only had a religion of fear that told them to do certain things to try to please God. They had never read the good news of the Bible that says, “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).

Paulino did have one opportunity to learn these things when he was a boy. Gospel preachers sometimes passed through his town in jeeps, and since they did not have time to stop in every place they threw gospel papers out the window. But Paulino did not pick them up. Grown-ups warned him, “Don’t pick up those papers! They have a curse on them!” They did not know that “gospel” means “good news,” nor did they know that the good news of those little papers could bring everlasting happiness to them.

Even if Paulino had picked up one of the gospel papers, he could not have read it. He had never been to school and did not know how to read. There was little reason to learn to read in Paulino’s village. Books and newspapers were almost never seen. But it was really Paulino’s religion and his own fear that kept him from even touching those little gospel papers that brought honor to God and joy and salvation to lost sinners.

Paulino did learn that there was a book called “The Bible.” He had never seen one and he did not know what it said. His poor father, however, was a slave to strong drink and often when he was drunk, he would call out, “Bring me a Bible.” Paulino wondered what that book could be and why his father would call out for it when he was upset.

As he grew up through his teen years, Paulino never heard that God loved him and wanted to give him joy and peace. Later when he married and had a young family, he moved away from the mining town to an area near the jungle. He had other relatives there who had learned to read the Bible and had accepted God’s loving offer of the forgiveness of their sins through the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ.

These relatives read the Bible to Paulino, and soon God’s love worked in his heart so that he accepted Christ as his Saviour. Paulino began to understand that those gospel papers tossed out the windows of the jeep brought happiness, not a curse. He understood that there was a very good reason to turn to the Bible when someone was upset — it had the answers from a God of love. All the joy and peace of believing God’s Word, the Bible, now belonged to Paulino.

At the age of 25, Paulino began to learn to read. He knew that he should read the Bible for himself. After he learned to read, he read God’s Word every day to his family. He is now a grandfather, and not long ago he stood up before a group of Christians and brought joy to their hearts as he explained the precious verse in Romans 8:28: “We know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose.”

It is not likely that anyone ever told you not even to touch a gospel paper. Most likely either your parents or friends have even encouraged you to read this little book. But have you accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as your own Saviour? Are your sins washed away in the precious blood of Christ? “The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin” (1 John 1:7).

Turn to Christ today for salvation, and you also will find that God’s Word, the Bible, will bring joy and peace to your heart. “Being born again ... by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever” (1 Peter 1:23).

Next you can read about one of Paulino’s sons, Wilfredo, who heard his father read God’s Word every day.

A Dangerous Way to Fish

“BOOM!” The dynamite was loud enough and the blast strong enough that it made him jump ... but Wilfredo was getting a lot of fish. He knew that fishing like this was against the law, but most likely no one would ever know what he was doing since he was a long way out in the jungle. He hoped no one would ever find out about his fishing with dynamite. It seemed so easy and so much faster than any other way to fish. Just light the stick of dynamite, wait until it was almost ready to explode, and then throw it quickly into the river. The underwater explosion killed lots of fish. The dead fish would quickly float to the top, and what a catch! His family would eat some and they would sell the rest.

Wilfredo was unaware that his whole life was about to be changed. He had grown up in a Christian home and had gone to Sunday school and many Bible meetings. He had often been told of God’s wonderful plan of salvation for poor lost sinners. He had heard many times how the Lord Jesus died on the cross of Calvary, had been buried and rose again the third day. But Wilfredo had not accepted God’s loving offer of the forgiveness of sins. He had heard the warning from Hebrews 2:3: “How shall we escape, if we neglect [pay no attention to] so great salvation.” But Wilfredo had neglected it. He had learned by memory the verse, “Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth” (Ecclesiastes 12:1), but he had not remembered the One who had made him.

Paulino, Wilfredo’s father, had taken him to gospel meetings every Sunday for over 10 years. That meant that he had heard of God’s wonderful love over 500 times! His family read the Bible together every morning each day of the year. Wilfredo had heard the Bible read over 3,000 times! What amazing patience God had shown Wilfredo! A kind teacher might have explained a math lesson to him a second time if he did not understand it the first time, or a really patient teacher might even explain it three or four times. But is there any love and patience so great as God’s — to explain to a poor lost sinner his need of the Saviour thousands of times?

Now as Wilfredo was fishing with dynamite, he was not thinking about God. However, in one last and powerful way, God was going to remind Wilfredo that no one can stay in this world forever — that everyone will leave; everyone will face God.

He put a match to the fuse and watched and waited for the red glow to burn low. Just another few seconds and he would let go ... “BOOM!” Before he could throw it, the blast went off, and Wilfredo knew he was hurt badly.

The terrible pain confused him and he ran. He could not see where he was going, but he ran deeper and deeper into the jungle. Friends who had seen the accident ran after him until they caught him. They carried him to a hospital. It was while he was in the hospital that Wilfredo learned how badly he was hurt. He had lost his right hand and his right eye.

Now his thoughts turned toward the Saviour he had neglected for so long. The devil had been a hard, unkind master, and Wilfredo no longer wanted to serve him. Wilfredo knew now that God had spared his life to give him another opportunity to forsake his sins and be saved. He was now willing to accept God’s free gift. “The wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23).

Are any of you boys and girls like Wilfredo? Do you have Christian parents or friends who have often read God’s Word to you? Have you often been at Bible meetings? God is patiently waiting for you to accept His loving offer of salvation. Have you turned away from God’s loving gift a hundred times? ... or even a thousand times? “The Lord ... is long-suffering [patient] to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9).

Someday God’s patience will end. Someday the door of salvation will be closed forever. Trust in the Lord Jesus, God’s beloved Son, today before it is forever too late. “Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2).

Wilfredo is so thankful that now he is saved. He says it was worth even losing a hand and an eye. He began reading his Bible and rejoicing in the sureness that his heavy load of sin was gone from his heart forever. He now teaches a little Sunday school class himself. From his own experience he tells the children of God’s loving patience in waiting for sinners to be saved. The children can see that Wilfredo is happier without his hand and eye and his sins than he ever was with two hands, two eyes and his heavy load of sin. “Therefore will the Lord wait, that He may be gracious unto you” (Isaiah 30:18). “The long-suffering [patience] of our Lord is salvation” (2 Peter 3:15).

Is God still waiting for you?

God’s Love to José

“José! José! Wake up!” Mama was calling. “José, wake up and come. Mama’s sick!”

José was awake now and went to his Mama’s bed. He hadn’t been sleeping well because he knew that his Mama was very ill. Now at her bedside, he was wide awake.

“José,” she gasped, “you must go for Grandma! I’m very sick. Go get Grandma to help.”

José lived in a small village called Cornaca which was high in the Andes Mountains. The people who lived there were very poor. Most of them made their living growing a few crops and caring for goats. José was only a boy, but he knew the path to Grandma’s house, although it seemed awfully long in the middle of the night. He hurried along the shorter path by the riverside because he knew that they must get back quickly to Mama.

Mama! She was the only one José had. There were no brothers or sisters, and Papa had run away and left them. Yes, Grandma must come quickly and help Mama get better. Mama was the only one who belonged to José.

He arrived at Grandma’s little hut and called, “Grandma! Wake up! Wake up and come now, because Mama’s sick!”

Grandma got up and soon they were both hurrying along the path back to the hut where Mama was.

Grandma did all she could to help, but, sadly, it was too late. Nothing could help now. Early that morning José stood unbelieving as Grandma told him that his dear Mama was dead. How could this happen? Who would be his very own now? Would he have to live alone?

Grandma took José home to her little hut, but even Grandma couldn’t ease the ache in the small boy’s heart. He felt forsaken. There was no one who loved him like Mama.

Sad to say, José did not know about the kind Saviour who loves little children. He had never heard that God is a loving Father to those who trust in the Lord Jesus. He had never read or even seen God’s precious Word, the Bible, that tells us that the Lord Jesus “took them [children] up in His arms, put His hands upon them, and blessed them” (Mark 10:16). No one had ever told José these things, and his heart was sad and lonely.

Some time later, Papa came back. It was not a happy meeting. Because Papa had been gone so long, he seemed more like a stranger. Now his message to Grandma was surprising. “I want José to come with me. I have married again, and I need José to work in the fields. He’s coming with me.” There was no use for José to fight against it. What could a small boy do?

So José left with Papa to go to a new home ... only it did not seem like his home. His new stepmother thought he should work hard. Sometimes he had to work with Papa in the fields, and sometimes he had to care for his stepbrothers and stepsisters.

It was not long before another trouble came into the life of poor José. Papa was working as a witch doctor. Sometimes he was able to cure sick people, and he demanded to be paid in strong drink.

It was a very sad life for José. Through the years he had to work hard, and his heart was sad and lonely. But God was tenderly watching José from heaven and planned one day to show him how great and how tender God’s love is for poor lost sinners. However, that day was still a long way off. Before José was to learn of the greatness of God’s love, he had another very sad day.

Papa was having more success in being a witch doctor. But since his pay was strong drink, Papa was often drunk. Finally one day Papa had a hard time contacting the evil spirits as he worked as a witch doctor. He drank more and more, but still could not contact the evil spirits. Poor Papa found that the devil was a hard master, and he died that day from too much drink.

What a sad day for José! Papa was gone too. He was a real orphan now, and his life began to be more difficult. He was the oldest child, and he had to help his stepmother with all the hard work that Papa used to do. His stepmother did not love him, and she often beat him.

José endured many long, hard days until finally he could stand it no longer. He had to do something. He would run away! He would find his way back to Grandma’s house. Life would not be so bad there.

José watched for an opportunity to escape, and he left. He headed for the village where Grandma lived. He knew he must get away fast before anyone came to look for him. He went quickly over the dusty trails. Sometimes he walked and sometimes he ran.

Suddenly, José heard the clip-clop of a horse behind him. They were coming for him! Where could he hide?

There was no place to hide! The horse was coming closer, so José just ran, anywhere, as fast as he could! Suddenly the horse was beside him, and strong arms swept him up into the saddle.

His stepmother had sent the neighbor on a horse to find him. He could not get to Grandma’s. He was taken back against his will for more beatings and more long days of hard work.

José now felt very forsaken. No one loved him and there was no one for him to love. He thought, I’ll never have a home and I’ll never have my own family. I’ll always be only an orphan.

José would have been right in thinking that he would never have a family ... if it had not been that God had a special and loving plan for him. God is a loving Father and desires to have children of His own. He chooses poor lost sinners to be cleansed from their sins and adopted into His family. God sent His only Son, the Lord Jesus, into this world to save sinners. The Lord Jesus shed His precious blood for sinners so that we might be welcomed into God’s own family. “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).

José still did not know about God’s wonderful plan. He lived with his stepmother for several more years and waited until he was older and stronger to run away again. This time he got away and felt that he could manage by himself now. José found work in a mining town. Not long after this he was invited to some Bible meetings. For the first time he heard God’s good news, that “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” (1 Timothy 1:15). He heard that God loved him, a poor orphan, and that the Lord Jesus had died for his sins. José’s lonely heart accepted God’s loving offer, and he was saved. Now he suddenly found that he had a family! And what a family! There were not just a few, but many hundreds of believers who told him that they were all his brothers and sisters in Christ. “We have the same loving God as our Father,” they explained to him. José had joy in his heart that he never thought was possible.

If you were to visit José today, he would tell you that God has done wonderful things for him that he had never dreamed of when he was a poor orphan boy. He knows he has a wonderful home prepared for him in heaven, but God also lovingly gave José a home here in this world. He has a lovely young wife and three small children. Recently José said, “I never expected to have a house or a family, but God has given me both. I never thought that I would ever live in a house as nice as the one that God has given me. God has been very good to me!”

God wants to be a Father to you, just as He is for José. He has a wonderful plan for your life, and it all begins with the same good news that brought joy to José. “The wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23). Have you received God’s gift? He is waiting to take you into His family. Trust in the goodness of God today! “Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God” (1 John 3:1).

A Home for Nancy

Nancy felt so lonely. Papa and Mama had both died, and there was no one who really loved her now. She was only three years old, but she was old enough to miss Mama, and to wonder what would happen to her now. Where would she live, and what did it mean when all the older people shook their heads and called her an “orphan”?

A relative agreed to take Nancy for a while, and so she went to her house. It did not seem like home — how could any place be home without Mama and Papa? Nancy stayed with this relative for a while, but life was often difficult in Bolivia, the country where Nancy lived. Soon the relative found that she could no longer take care of Nancy. There was a kind lady at the bakery in a town nearby. Maybe she would take Nancy.

So little Nancy was taken to another home, and although the bakery lady was kind, Nancy still felt lonely. But she soon felt even worse because the bakery lady died. Again, Nancy wondered what would happen to her. Would there ever be a home for her? Would anybody love her?

The husband of the bakery lady kept Nancy, but not long after this he married another lady. His new wife, Doña Lupita, did not want an orphan girl around the house. She felt she had enough to do without looking after an orphan. “Couldn’t we give her away?” Doña Lupita asked her husband. So as different customers came into the bakery to buy bread, they would ask if anyone wanted Nancy.

Nancy, no doubt, felt sad and fearful, but God was tenderly watching over her. He sent a kind Christian lady named Mrs. Bolivar into the bakery.

Doña Lupita saw her chance. “Would you like to take this little girl home with you?” she asked.

Mrs. Bolivar talked it over with her husband, and they both wanted her. And so Nancy was taken to her fourth home.

This home seemed very different to Nancy. The kind Christian man, Mr. Bolivar, was happy to have Nancy in his home and he cared for her most tenderly. He knew that the kind Saviour, the Lord Jesus, loved little children and had taken them into His arms and blessed them. He felt that God would have him take this little child and care for her and love her, too.

Nancy at last began to feel like she had a real home and someone who loved her. She sat beside Mr. Bolivar as he tended his little store selling rice, flour and a few other things. It was not long before she began calling Mr. Bolivar, “Papa”. He greatly enjoyed Nancy’s company and took her to all the Bible meetings that he attended. She happily sat by his side as they read God’s precious Word, the Bible. She heard about the loving Saviour, the Lord Jesus, who loves even little orphan girls. Nancy was happy at last.

A few months later little Nancy was playing with some bricks when a scorpion stung her. Mr. Bolivar was concerned because such a sting can sometimes be quite dangerous. Just to be sure, he decided to take his little Nancy to the children’s hospital.

On the way to the hospital, Nancy asked through her tears, “Papa, can I have a bag of popcorn when we get back home ... a whole bag just special for me?” Mr. Bolivar said yes she could, but little did he know that that would be the last request that dear little Nancy would ever make.

The doctors decided that Nancy needed a certain drug, and they gave it to her. Sorry to say, Nancy had a reaction to the drug and died almost immediately. Mr. Bolivar was very sad. His precious Nancy who had only recently found a real home with him was gone. The Lord Jesus, who had called little children and blessed them, had now called Nancy to His home in heaven. Oh, what a comfort it was to Mr. Bolivar to know that she was in the best home! She would never have to leave it for another one. It would be her home forever.

Boys and girls, do you have a home in heaven? Sin can never enter God’s home in heaven, but God has provided a way that your sins may be forgiven. “The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin” (1 John 1:7). Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and Nancy’s home in heaven will also be yours for all eternity. “In My Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you” (John 14:2).

A Statue That Danced

Hugo was a young man in his early twenties who worked for the Department of Agriculture in Lima, Peru. His job was to travel to other places in his country to estimate crop production for the coming year. Many of the people in Peru were poor, and many were without jobs. Thousands lived in tiny grass huts scattered across the dry mountainsides. They had no running water and no electricity. Since there were so many in need, Hugo was thankful he had such a good job and looked forward to an easier life than many had.

Sadly, Hugo had never really thought about the fact that there was something more important than having a good job and an easy life in this world. He had never thought about the fact that he would someday have to leave this world and stand before God. He had not once heard the good news of the love and grace of God. No one had ever told him that Jesus had suffered and died on the cross for sinners. In fact, Hugo seldom thought about God at all. But among all the many millions of people in Lima, God was watching Hugo and waiting to speak to him.

One day Hugo had to go to a town to inspect the crops of that area. He stayed in a hotel near the central plaza and had noticed the large statue that was in the middle of the plaza. Hugo was sitting in his hotel room when he heard the rumblings that were all too familiar ... an earthquake! Anyone who had lived in Peru probably would not have been as surprised or as worried as you or I would have been, because small tremors often shake that country. But this time Hugo knew right away and he thought, This is not just a small tremor. This is a real earthquake!

The earth thundered more loudly and began to shake. Hugo was alarmed and ran quickly downstairs. The earth shook with more force, and he thought it would be best to crawl under the large statue in the plaza for protection. He ran towards the statue ... and then suddenly stopped short, not able to believe his eyes! The statue was dancing! He stared in shocked fright as the earthquake sent the statue turning around and around. In a desperate attempt to find a safe place, Hugo turned to run halfway between the hotel and the statue. He had taken only a few steps when, again, he could scarcely believe his eyes. The entire hotel collapsed, and the roof fell right to the ground! Hugo stood rooted to the spot as disaster hit almost every building in the town — they were all collapsing as he stood there watching.

Many were killed that day, but Hugo’s life was spared. He realized how close he had been to death, and a voice seemed to say to him, “This is the hand of God! God is speaking to you!”

Hugo had not read the Bible and so he could not decide just what God wanted him to do. He did not know that the Lord Jesus lovingly says, “Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). Hugo only knew without a doubt that he had felt the hand of God over his life.

Hugo tried to help rescue school children who had been trapped under debris. Then he wondered if he could find any of his possessions. However, the hotel had been completely destroyed, so it was hopeless. He spent the night in the open countryside in a truck, because the after-shocks continued all during the night. There was much fear still that the few walls and buildings left standing would also collapse.

Hugo wanted to return home to Lima, but the roads had also been destroyed by the earthquake. So he began to walk with others to the nearest open road. They walked for three days through the countryside and had much difficulty finding food. At last they found a road that was open. As Hugo traveled back home, he thought again, “God is speaking to me.”

Not long after this, Hugo was invited to a little gospel meeting. He listened as the preacher told of God’s wonderful love in sending His only Son, the Lord Jesus, to die for sinners. He heard that his sins had taken him far away from God, but that the Lord Jesus had shed His precious blood to wash those sins away. He heard the simple message that “whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Romans 10:13).

After the gospel meeting one of the Christians said to Hugo, “God is speaking to you!”

“Yes!” agreed Hugo. But he surely must have wondered how this man could have known that God was speaking to him. Hugo had not understood all the message, but that very evening he knelt down and simply called upon the Lord Jesus to save him. His sins were washed away in the precious blood of Christ and now he understood what God had been saying to him. He began to read his Bible and learned more fully about the wonderful salvation that God had given him. He now tells others of His wonderful Saviour.

God had spoken very loudly to Hugo through the earthquake, but He has also spoken to you. Perhaps it has been through your parents or through your Sunday school teacher or even an illness. Maybe He is speaking to you right now, through this little book. God wants you to listen, because He loves you and wants to warn you that those who reject the Lord Jesus and His love will be in hell forever. “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).

The Bible says, “For God speaketh once, yea twice, yet man perceiveth [notices] it not” (Job 33:14). It takes an earthquake to make some people listen. Have you listened to God’s Word?

In our next story you will hear how God gave Hugo a lovely young wife who also loved the Lord Jesus.

Rosa’s Prayers

How Rosa wanted to go to that Sunday school class! Mama was willing to let her go, but Papa said “No!” Uncle Saul would let his girls go — why couldn’t she go? How she would have liked to sing the songs with the other children. “Jesus Loves Me” was a favorite with almost everyone.

And the Bible stories — they were wonderful! It was exciting to hear about the story of David and Goliath and wonderful to hear how the Lord Jesus healed the sick, fed the hungry and raised the dead back to life.

But every time Rosa or Mama would ask Papa they would get the same answer: “No, Rosa’s not going to Sunday school!” Well, she could pray. Perhaps God would change her father’s heart.

The little Sunday school room was very cold, for Rosa’s family lived in a little town in the Andes mountains. There was no way to heat their homes, and the town was so high in the mountains that the sun never warmed them up. None of that would have bothered Rosa. She had warm clothes and could bundle up. If only she could go to sing the hymns, learn the Bible verses, and hear about the blessed Saviour, the Lord Jesus who loved her and died for her.

Rosa and Mama loved the Lord Jesus, but sad to say, Papa did not. His sins didn’t seem to bother him, and so he had never turned to the Lord Jesus to have them washed away. Because of this, he would not let Rosa go to the Sunday school. Sometimes Rosa would try to slip away without Papa knowing it and go to the class. But whenever Papa found out, he was angry.

One day Papa had a terrible accident. He worked in the mines and his arm got caught in a machine and was badly hurt. He was taken to a hospital where the doctors did all they could to help him, but Papa was worried that he would not get better. He began to think of how he had kept his little daughter from going to Sunday school, and he wondered if God was punishing him.

So Papa began to make promises. He promised God that if He would make him better he would go himself to the Bible meetings. He would give up his evil ways and turn to God.

Poor Papa. He did not know that God blesses us not for what we do, but for what His Son has done for us. He did not know that “by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast” (Ephesians 2:8,9). God was not waiting for Papa to be good by doing what he promised, for God tells us plainly in the Bible that “there is none that doeth good, no, not one” (Romans 3:12). God was waiting for Papa simply to look to Christ for salvation. “Look unto Me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else” (Isaiah 45:22). I wish I could tell you that Papa did look to Christ for salvation, but I cannot.

God did make Papa better. It was not because of the promises Papa made, but simply because God is love and gives us so much. Sad to say, Papa did not keep his promises. After he got out of the hospital, he went back to his sinful ways. He did, however, change in one way: Papa now let Rosa go to Sunday school! How happy she was to go with her cousins. She could now sing with a heart full of joy and learn more of the wonderful ways God cares for those who trust in the Saviour.

And so for several years Rosa went to Sunday school and to the Bible meetings. When she grew to be a young lady, she met Hugo, the young man who was saved when God spoke to him in the earthquake. After a few years Hugo fell in love with Rosa and wanted to marry her. Papa found out that Hugo loved his daughter.

Again Papa said “No!” Rosa loved Hugo and knew that he also wanted to follow the Lord Jesus. She prayed that Papa would understand what a fine young man Hugo really was.

One day Hugo came to speak with Rosa’s papa. This time Papa got angry and ordered Hugo to get out. He picked up a rock and threw it at Hugo. Rosa and her mother could do nothing but wipe their tears away and pray. This they did. But this time Hugo and many Christian friends also prayed, and Papa again changed his mind, but without a serious accident. God softened his heart, and he began to see that Hugo would indeed be a good husband for his daughter.

Rosa and Hugo were so happy and thankful that God had answered their prayers. They had learned that God is a loving Father to those who trust in His Son, the Lord Jesus, for salvation. “Call upon Me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify Me” (Psalm 50:15).

Do you know God as your Father like Rosa and Hugo do? Have you ever talked to Him in prayer? Or are you more like Rosa’s father? Are you planning to be a better person and hoping that God will think that you are good enough for heaven? Instead, won’t you believe God’s Word today, that there are none that do good, and turn to the Saviour who died for your sins upon the cross of Calvary. “Seek ye the Lord while He may be found, call ye upon Him while He is near” (Isaiah 55:6).

Saved From Two Fires

Isidoro was an Indian farmer who lived in Bolivia near the jungle. He farmed his land in an old way called “slash and burn.” First, they would cut down the tall trees and brush out of the jungle, then burn them, and then plant their crops among the stumps.

This was a poor way to farm, and Isidoro never made much money from his crops. He had a small hut made of sticks and a roof made of palm leaves. But Isidoro was poor in another way too. He had never accepted the riches of God’s grace. He did not know “the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that ye through His poverty [becoming poor] might be rich” (2 Corinthians 8:9).

It was not that he had not heard about God’s love to sinners. His cousin had told him that God sent His beloved Son, the Lord Jesus, into the world to die on the cross so that sinners might have their sins forgiven. His cousin had also warned him of the danger of turning away from such an offer of salvation. He had told Isidoro plainly that the Bible says that those who die in their sins will spend eternity in the lake of fire that burns forever and ever.

Sad to say, Isidoro didn’t bother listening to his cousin’s talk of “religion”. But God Himself planned to speak to Isidoro, for God sometimes gives His own warnings in order to help us know that His Word is true.

One night Isidoro was alone in his hut in the jungle. He settled down for the night, planning to have a good rest. During the night he woke up knowing something was wrong. Fire! His hut was in flames! He did not have a moment to grab anything out of his little home. He ran out and escaped with only his night clothes. Without even any shoes, Isidoro had to walk barefoot in the dark night through the jungle to the next village.

Poor Isidoro. Everything had been lost ... or was there something saved after all? Yes, his life had been saved. He had not died in the fire. Isidoro began to think about his cousin’s warnings about what happens to those who do not obey the gospel. He had been terrified to wake up in a hut that was on fire. How awful it would be to wake up in a greater fire that will never be put out!

Isidoro knew now that he needed the Saviour. He believed God’s Word that Christ had died for his sins. He was still poor in this world’s goods, but he was now “rich” in God’s grace. Now he knew for sure that he would someday be in God’s home in heaven.

Boys and girls, have you found this treasure in God’s love? Are you sure that you will be in God’s home in heaven? If you die in your sins you will wake up in the flames of hell. Turn to Christ today, just as Isidoro did, and you will have God’s riches and be safe from the judgment of your sins. “In whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace” (Ephesians 1:7).

The Rings - Gold or Brass?

The knock at the door came late at night. Mr. and Mrs. Albert had gone to South America to tell the good news of God’s salvation to lost sinners. They also wanted to help the little groups of Christian believers in the area.

Mr. Albert opened the door to find three of the Christians, Freddy, Juan and David, standing there. Something was troubling them.

“Come in,” said Mr. Albert. “How may I help you?”

Freddy, the uncle of the two teenagers, asked, “Do you know how to tell if a ring is really made of gold?”

“Well, I’m not sure,” answered Mr. Albert.

Freddy and his nephews went on to explain that David had been left to look after his father’s store that afternoon. A stranger had come in with an urgent need to travel to another city but had no money. He showed David two rings that he had and told him that if he would give him money to make the trip, he would not only repay him when he returned, but he would also buy him a soccer ball. He would leave the two rings with David to assure him that he would return. “They are real gold rings,” the stranger had said.

David believed the man and gave him the money he needed. But that night he began to have doubts. Were they really gold rings? Maybe they were only made of brass and had little value. Since David’s father was away, Uncle Freddy and Juan went with him to Mr. Albert’s house. Could Mr. Albert tell if they were really gold?

Mr. Albert knew that his wife had a gold wedding ring, so he compared the two rings with Mrs. Albert’s wedding ring. All three were shiny. All three looked like gold.

“There’s only one test that I know of to make sure if something is made of gold or just brass,” Mr. Albert told them. “A drop of acid is the way to test. If the object is brass, the acid will leave a stain, but pure gold will not stain. But I don’t know if I have an acid that is strong enough to make the test.”

Then he remembered the jeep. “That’s it!” he said. “We can get some acid out of the battery in the jeep.” So they got a straw and went out to the jeep to get a drop of acid from the battery. Back inside the house in good light they made the test. Were the rings gold or brass? Soon a brown spot on each of the two rings told them the truth. Brass! The rings were not gold at all. A sad, but wiser, David left Mr. Albert’s home that night. He knew then that the stranger would never come back for his nearly worthless rings. He would never repay the money; David had been tricked.

Now I have not told you this story just to tell you about David’s mistake or that you might know how to test gold rings. No, I have told you because if you and I are honest, we must admit that we are like those brass rings. We have been “tested” by many temptations, and many times we have proven that we are sinners. Every lie, every proud look, every unkind thought or word has left a stain of sin on our hearts. If we are honest, we must admit that God’s Word, the Bible, is true when it says, “All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). “The Lord looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God. They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one” (Psalm 14:2,3).

But our God is a loving God, and He has not left us without a way of salvation. Just as we can be sure that all have sinned, we can be sure that all sins can be cleansed. “The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin” (1 John 1:7). “Through this man [the Lord Jesus] is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins: and by Him all that believe are justified from all things” (Acts 13:38,39). Come to the Lord Jesus today and have those sin stains washed away in His precious blood. Not one stain will remain.

David’s two rings were only brass. But not all rings are made of brass; some are made of gold. There was one Man who lived on this earth who was like a pure-gold ring. The Lord Jesus never sinned. He was tempted by Satan just like you and I are, and He lived in this same evil world that we live in, but He lived a perfect life. God also looked down from heaven upon the Lord Jesus and said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17). “Christ ... who did no sin, neither was guile found in His mouth: who, when He was reviled, reviled not again; when He suffered, He threatened not; but committed Himself to Him that judgeth righteously: who His own self bare our sins in His own body on the tree” (1 Peter 2:21-24).

Think of that wonderful love! The Lord Jesus had no sins of His own, but He took my sins upon Himself when He was on the cross. “Unto Him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in His own blood” (Revelation 1:5). He suffered for you too that you might be saved from that punishment. Have you received His wonderful salvation? Is it possible that you will turn away from such great love?

There is one last warning in the Bible about those stains of sin. If they are not removed before you leave this world, you will carry them with you forever. God’s Word tells us of the end of those who turn away from the salvation that He offers. “He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still” (Revelation 22:11).

Won’t you come to the Lord Jesus and be washed from your sins today?

"I Want to Go Home"

Mr. Albert was just about ready to leave for home when he saw Maria. She was crying.

As a missionary in South America, he often went to Children’s Hospital to help when someone he knew was sick. He had just finished visiting someone else when he saw Maria crying in her hospital bed.

“I want to go home,” she sobbed, not knowing that Mr. Albert was watching her.

He stepped over to her bedside. “Hello,” he said kindly. “You don’t look very sick.” He noticed that all the others in her room were getting medicine, but not Maria. She wouldn’t answer but went on crying.

Mr. Albert wondered what was wrong with her and why she couldn’t go home. He decided to ask the nurses about Maria. But they wouldn’t tell him anything either.

Mr. Albert felt so sorry for the little girl who wanted to go home. Most of the other children had a mother or a father there with them, but there was no one with Maria. Mr. Albert saw the man in charge of the hospital and asked him about Maria. “What’s wrong with her? She doesn’t look very sick. Why can’t she go home?” he asked.

“Oh, she’s fine now,” the man said, “but her parents don’t have the money to pay her hospital bill. She can’t go home until her bill is paid.”

Mr. Albert had never even seen Maria before, but he felt sorry for the little girl who had to stay in the hospital even after she was well. He asked how much the bill was and decided to pay it himself. He was glad that Maria could go home.

But now there was another problem. There was no one to take her home. Her mother would not be coming, because she knew that the people at the hospital would ask her to pay the money she owed. She did not know that Maria’s hospital bill had been paid. So no one would come to take her home.

When Mr. Albert first saw Maria crying, she was dressed in a shirt that said “Children’s Hospital,” and she was not allowed out of bed. Now the nurses gave her a dressing gown and let her up. So Mr. Albert took her to the door of the hospital and asked her where her mother worked. Maria said, “Down the street,” but he soon realized that she really did not know.

How could they find her parents? The nurses now had another idea. “We’ll announce it over the radio,” they said. “Someone in her family will hear it.” So they called the radio station and had them announce that the hospital bill for Maria had been paid and that she was now free to go home. Mr. Albert could not wait at the hospital any longer. He had a Bible meeting that he had to go to, so he had to go home.

Maria’s debt was for money that she owed the hospital. She could never pay it. Because of your sins, you owe a debt to God that you can never pay. The Bible says that “the wages of sin is death” and “after death the judgment.”

But God’s good news for you is that the Lord Jesus paid the debt for sin when He died on the cross of Calvary. “Ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold ... but with the precious blood of Christ” (1 Peter 1:18,19). God now offers you a free salvation because Jesus paid the price. Won’t you accept this free gift today?

Mr. Albert did not expect to see Maria again. Imagine his surprise when Maria and her mother knocked at his front door a few days later! They did not know where he lived, but had asked around town if anyone knew where the missionary lived. Finally someone was able to tell them. But what could the mother want now? Why had she gone to so much trouble to find Mr. Albert’s house? He was so happy when he found out!

“I just wanted to come and tell you thank you,” Maria’s mother said. “Thank you for paying the hospital bill for Maria.”

Mr. Albert assured her that she was welcome, and in his heart he was so glad that they had come to say thank you.

Have you accepted God’s gift? Do you know that He is also waiting to hear a “thank you” from you? Have you ever really thought about what it is that the Lord Jesus has done for you? He gave His life for you on the cross of Calvary so that your sins could be forgiven. He has promised you a home in heaven and many wonderful blessings. “He that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?” (Romans 8:32). Have you ever told Him “thank you”? God has written in His Word, the Bible, that one poor man who was healed “turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God, and fell down on his face at His feet, giving Him thanks” (Luke 17:15,16). Ten people had been healed that day, but only one turned around to thank the Lord Jesus. Jesus asked, “Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine?” Is the Lord Jesus still waiting to hear your “thank you”?

Before Maria and her mother left, Mr. Albert and his wife, knowing they were poor, gave them some clothing for their family and some soap. The mother had only come to say “thank you,” but by coming she got something more. Perhaps you only think of escaping from the fire of hell, but if you come to the Saviour, you will find that He has more wonderful things for you than you ever thought possible.

Once more, Mr. Albert did not expect to see Maria again. But to his surprise she came back for a second visit. After that she came often to his house. Mr. Albert had Bible classes for children, so he told Maria what day each week she could come for the Bible class. But she still continued to come often to his house just to visit. In fact, she came so often that Mr. Albert finally had to ask her to come only on the day of the Bible class.

Mr. Albert was too busy to visit with her every day, but he thought how his love was much less than the love of the Saviour. The Lord Jesus never turns anyone away no matter how many times they come to Him. The Lord Jesus said, “Him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out” (John 6:37). The Alberts could not have Maria always in their house, but the Lord Jesus wants you to be with Him in heaven forever. His love is far greater!

Have you received this great love of the Saviour? Trust in the Lord Jesus today and you will begin to enjoy the loving-kindness of the Lord.

The New Backpack

“You’re going to be walking a long way,” my mother had said. “I’d like my son to have a good backpack.”

It was going to be my first trip to Mexico to visit the Mixtec Indians. Many of them live in far-off villages scattered through the hills of Oaxaca, Mexico. My mother was right. Just to get to the village where the Bible conference was to be held, we would have to walk for many hours over the hills.

Mother kindly bought me the best backpack she could find. It was so light that you could lift it with one finger, and it had foam padding on the straps to keep the straps from cutting into my shoulders. When it was packed with extra clothes, some medicines and a few other things that I might need, I tried the new backpack on. Sure, that was fine. I could carry that load easily enough!

A few weeks later we arrived in Mexico at the point where we would begin the hike.

“Could I carry your pack for you?” asked one of the Christian Indians.

“No thanks, I’m fine,” I told him.

So we started off on the long walk. The backpack worked nicely, but the longer we walked the heavier it got. Surely those things I had packed weren’t so heavy when I had tried it on at home! On we walked with the hot sun beating on our heads, up one hill and down another. Everyone had loads to carry now, so there was no one to offer to help with my backpack.

I began to be afraid that I would never make it, but after two hours someone came to meet us over the hills with a horse. This time when they offered I gladly gave up the pack, and it was tied to the horse. I was so tired that it did not matter to me that the padded straps of my new backpack were not being used the way they were meant to be, but were dangling from the horse’s saddle.

Many times since then I have warned boys and girls that the load of sin is like the load in my backpack. The longer you carry it, the heavier it gets. This world tries to make sin look attractive, but it is still a heavy load. No matter how “light” your load of sin may feel when you are young, it will get heavier as you grow older. After a while the “foam padding” of pleasure no longer eases the weight of sins.

The Lord Jesus came into the world to free you from this load of sin. He Himself carried the load of sin when He was on the cross so that you might be free of your burden forever. “So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many” (Hebrews 9:28).

Oh, that you might today feel the weight of your sins and turn to Christ for salvation. “Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).

My backpack was the best that money could buy, but it could not keep my load from being heavy when I carried it for a long time. May you accept Christ as your Saviour now while you are young, before the load of sin becomes too heavy for you to carry. “Sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death” (James 1:15).

“Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth” (Ecclesiastes 12:1).

A Warning for Max

Max was a tough young man. He lived high in the Andes Mountains, and he could stand the harsh climate and the primitive living conditions. Cold winds whipped over the high plateau where he lived, and temperatures dropped below freezing. Max did not have the luxury of a furnace or even of a wood-burning stove.

Max did have warm capes called ponchos made of coarse, woven material. He had grown used to the harsh winters of the Andes Mountains and was young and healthy. He sometimes attended Bible meetings nearby. The Christians there encouraged everyone to think about their sinful ways and turn to the Lord Jesus for salvation.

Max did not enjoy such meetings and soon stopped going altogether. He had always been taught other ideas about religion anyway. Some of those ideas were superstitions that had been passed on from his ancestors, the Inca Indians.

Max did not know at that time how serious it was to turn his back upon God’s precious Word, the Bible, but God who is rich in mercy and great in love placed a warning in his life.

Although Max was young and most of the time he was healthy, he now got sick. He tried many remedies, never giving even one thought to the fact that it might be God’s way of speaking to him. In spite of the medicines, he only grew worse. Finally he had to go to a hospital. Even there nothing seemed to help, and he continued to get worse.

Max’s older brother went to visit him in the hospital. Since he wasn’t getting better, Max asked his brother to do a very serious and dangerous thing. He asked his brother to go to the witch doctor to ask for help. Max and his brother did not realize that this was not only dangerous because it was playing right into the devil’s hands, but that it was also sinful in God’s sight. The witch doctor’s power was from the devil, and the Bible says that the devil’s work is to “steal, and to kill, and to destroy” (John 10:10). So Max waited in the hospital while his brother went to talk to the witch doctor.

However, “The Lord hath prepared His throne in the heavens; and His kingdom ruleth over all” (Psalm 103:19). Jesus is stronger than Satan and He is able to rule over everything. He loves the sinner even when He hates the sin. For the Lord’s own reasons, He gave poor Max another opportunity to hear and obey His Word.

God was in control even when Max’s brother got to the witch doctor. The brother explained about Max’s illness. The only message the witch doctor gave was a most unexpected one: “Tell Max that he had something good and left it. If he doesn’t go back to it, he will die!”

This was a very strange message. It was not at all like the witch doctor’s usual messages, but God’s strong hand of love won a victory over the devil. When Max heard the message, he knew right away what it was that he had left. The Bible meetings! They were good even if he hadn’t enjoyed them. And he had left them. Now he must go back.

Max went back to the meetings and this time his heart was open to receive God’s Word. He heard that “All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). Then he was told that “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” (1 Timothy 1:15). Max believed in the Lord Jesus and was saved. He also recovered completely from his illness. If you were to visit him today high in his mountain home, you would hear him telling others with joy that Jesus is stronger than Satan, and that “God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).

Boys and girls, God’s hand of love is also seeking to bring peace and salvation in your life. Call upon the Lord Jesus today and He will save you, too. “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Romans 10:13).

Kidnapped!

Alejandro was only three years old. He was having a good time playing outside the house where his family lived. Most boys and girls in Cochabamba, Bolivia, lived in small houses made out of adobe. But Alejandro lived in a large, beautiful house with a big tree in the yard and a fence around the yard.

His father went outside to check on Alejandro. He hadn’t heard him playing or talking for a little while. But Alejandro was nowhere to be seen. He called Alejandro’s name. There was no answer. He called to his wife and told her. They both raced through every room in the house and then all around the yard, searching for him and calling him. But there was no sign of Alejandro.

Alejandro’s mother quickly told their neighbors so they would help look for him. His father called the police and each of the military checkpoints that were on the roads leading out of Cochabamba. A search was started, but there was no sign of Alejandro. He was gone. His parents were so upset. They hoped he was still alive. How they loved him!

This is what had happened to Alejandro. Two men had come into his yard and must have offered him a piece of candy or something else to make him stay quiet. Quickly they had taken Alejandro and hidden him elsewhere in Cochabamba. Then they sold him to a woman.

No one had reported having seen Alejandro as the police and his parents searched for him. And no one answered the advertisements they put in the newspaper.

The woman who bought him wanted someone to help her make chicha, a liquor made by cooking corn and letting it ferment. Instead of having a happy time as a little boy in his parents’ home, he was now a servant in the house of this mean lady. When he was a little older she made him keep the fires burning all day, then at night he had to wash her clothes. She called him Lucho, which means “fight”.

And Lucho did fight ... against all he had to do ... but it didn’t change things. His work never stopped during the day or evening. She was a hard mistress. Boys and girls who are not saved from their sins have Satan as their hard, cruel master. They need a new master who loves them, just as Lucho needed his parents who loved him and wanted him back so badly.

When Lucho was a little older he planned an escape. One night while the woman was sleeping he snuck out and jumped on the back of a truck headed for the town of Uyuni. He didn’t know his parents were back in Cochabamba. Somehow he thought they were from Uyuni, so that is where he was headed.

From the beautiful valley where Cochabamba is located, the truck climbed up into the cold Andes Mountains until he jumped off the truck in Uyuni. Lucho did not find his parents there, so he needed to find another place to live.

Finally, a family took him in as a servant. They made their living by selling alcohol and would often beat Lucho when they were drunk. Lucho was very unhappy during the years he lived there. He did have one friend though, a conductor on the train that went through Uyuni. Lucho told the conductor what he could remember of his past and how miserable his life was where he lived.

One day this friend helped him escape by sneaking him onto the night train. The conductor had made plans for Lucho to ride the train as far as the mining center of Atocha, which is farther south in the Andes Mountains of Bolivia. There he was met by a relative of the conductor who took him to nearby Telamayo, a mining town. Here they treated Lucho well.

Has a friend ever told you about the Lord Jesus and how much He loves you and how He died for you on Calvary’s cross? Your friend wants you to hear about the Lord Jesus because He is the only One who can bring you real lasting joy and peace.

At about 19 years of age, Lucho had to go to the town of Tupiza to serve his required time in the Bolivian army. He did not know his birthday because of having been kidnapped when he was very young. As an army official began to ask him questions, Lucho started to tell his story. He couldn’t give his complete name nor his exact age. He didn’t know the names of his parents. He didn’t even know that his parents lived in Cochabamba. He just remembered that two men had taken him away from a nice big house with a large tree in the yard.

This army officer became a friend to Lucho and offered to put an advertisement in a newspaper called La Presencia, that was sold all over Bolivia. It simply said,

“A young man looks for his parents and his house. The facts that he remembers are that he lived in a large and beautiful house with a large tree in the patio of his house. If you have information, please write to the army base in Tupiza.”

Lucho’s father picked up that issue of La Presencia and read the advertisement. He and his wife had never given up hope of finding their boy. Immediately, they rushed to Tupiza and went to the army base. They were quickly reunited with their long-lost Alejandro.

Will you return to your Creator, the Lord Jesus Christ, who loves you and waits for you? He made you, but if you are not saved, you have been going away from Him ever since. Do you realize you are a sinner and that because of your sins you deserve to spend eternity in the lake of fire? Have you put your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ who loves you? He is the only One who can be your Saviour, because He died and His precious blood was shed on Calvary’s cross. Just as Alejandro’s parents dropped every thing and went to be reunited with their son whom they loved so dearly, the Lord Jesus who loves you so very much will save you right now if you believe on Him. Don’t wait! You need “repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ” (Acts 20:21). “Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2).

Eva’s Gold

What would you do if you found gold in your backyard? How would you spend your money from that gold? Eva’s father found gold in their backyard, but Eva also found that there is something that is worth more than gold — something that gold cannot buy.

Eva and her family lived in a small village in Bolivia. Like most families who lived there, they were poor. For most of Eva’s life, they lived and worked in a tiny stall in the marketplace where they sold a few vegetables, buttons, pens, and such things. It was noisy, dirty and hot, and they did not have many friends.

A visit from Mr. Albert was always a happy time. He would read the Bible to them or bring them a calendar with Bible verses. He often left a list of verses for Eva and her younger brother to memorize. Even though it was sometimes a whole year before Mr. Albert got back to their village again, he would bring them a prize if they had learned their Bible verses.

One day Eva’s parents had to go on a long trip to the mountains. Eva and Willy would have to stay behind in their tiny home in the market until their parents returned. They were left there alone to care for the stall.

After their parents had been gone for some time, Willy got sick from an infected tooth. The side of his face was swollen into a lump as big as an orange and he was in great pain. Eva was only 10, but she did her best to care for him and gave him a medicine for pain that they sold in their market stall. She worried when Willy did not get better and she had no one to help her. Both Eva and Willy felt lonely and forsaken. Willy was sick for a week and finished the whole box of medicine for pain. At last their parents returned and took Willy immediately to a doctor. Willy finally got better, but their tender young hearts had an ache inside that never went away even after Willy was well.

Eva’s family moved several times. Although they lived farther in the jungle, they at least had a small house now and did not have to live in the market. Soon it was time for Eva and Willy to go to high school but their father did not have enough money to send them to the town that had a school. One day, however, they heard some surprising news from their neighbors. Some had found gold in their yards! Well, Eva’s father thought, maybe there’s some gold in our yard too.

So he dug a hole in the back yard as big as a well and began panning the water that came up. Sure enough there was gold! Gold right in their own backyard! There was not a lot of it and it was only specks like sand that had to be melted down before it could be sold, but it would be enough to send Eva and Willy to high school.

Eva was glad her father had found the gold, but the ache and emptiness in her heart were still there. Even gold could not take them away. Because of the gold, Eva and Willy had enough money to rent a small room of their own in the town where the high school was. God had been tenderly watching Eva and knew about the ache in her young heart. He planned that Eva would find something in this town that would be even better than finding gold.

The town where Eva and Willy went to school was the same town where Mr. Albert lived. When he learned that they were also there, he invited Eva and Willy to Bible meetings in his home. They heard of the wonderful love of God in sending His only Son to die on the cross for sinners. They learned that God who is rich in mercy wanted to give them, not riches of gold, but “the exceeding riches of His grace, in His kindness toward us, through Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:7).

Eva’s lonely heart responded to God’s loving offer of salvation. She believed that the Lord Jesus had died for her sins and that they were now washed away in His precious blood. Willy also received the Lord Jesus as his Saviour. Happy smiles came over their faces as they learned that God’s love and God’s Word, the Bible, would be treasures to them worth more than gold. “The judgments [standards] of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb” (Psalm 19:9,10).

Boys and girls, would you like to have something worth more than gold? It is a treasure that can never be lost or used up, and no one can steal it away. Come to the Lord Jesus for salvation today and begin to enjoy the riches of God’s love. You may have it because the Lord Jesus Christ, “though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that ye through His poverty might be rich” (2 Corinthians 8:9).

The money from Eva’s gold was used up by the time she graduated from high school, but she still had something worth more than gold. She could never lose her salvation. Not long ago she sent a letter saying, “We need your prayers to follow on and to remember in our youth and in all our lives our beloved Saviour.”

Gold can never last. Even if you had lots of it, you would have to leave it behind when you leave this world. Eva’s riches in Jesus can never be lost and they will last forever! Wouldn’t you like to have them too? Trust in the Lord Jesus today and all the riches of God’s grace will be yours.

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

Oh, yes, oh, yes, there’s something more,
Something more than gold:
To know your sins are all forgiven
Is something more than gold.

Juanita’s Bargain

Juanita hurried over to the big sale. The missionary had almost all his family’s things up for sale since they had to move away. Juanita was very poor and someone had told her that she could get some good buys at the sale.

When she arrived, Juanita found the large room at the back of the house already crowded with people, each quickly snatching up things to buy. Juanita knew she would have to move fast if she found something she could use.

“Oh no!” the missionary called out at one point. “Don’t sell those things! Those are the shirts from my suitcase!”

Well, it was hard to know what was for sale and what wasn’t. Finally Juanita found some paint that was a brown color, and decided it would do nicely to paint her house. The can had been opened but it was still full. When she asked the price, she found that it was indeed a bargain. Juanita carried her paint home, pleased at finding it at such a good price.

She did not wait long to begin work. Soon she dipped her brush into the brown paint and spread it over the boards of her house. Strange that the paint did not cover the boards. Did it need mixing? As Juanita looked more closely at the paint, she saw that something was wrong with it. Why, this wasn’t paint at all! It was nothing but mud! In her rush to buy it she hadn’t noticed.

Poor Juanita. You can well imagine her disappointment when she realized she was trying to fix up her house with a can of mud. And there are other people who try to fix up something far more important with things just as worthless as a can of mud. Sad to say, many people try to make their lives better by “trying to do the best they can” or by “not being as bad as their neighbor” or saying they’ve “never done any harm to anyone.”

There is nothing wrong with doing your best — just as there is nothing wrong with a little mud. But mud won’t do the job of painting walls, and “doing your best” will never be good enough to make your life acceptable to God. God’s Word, the Bible, says plainly, “God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all” (1 John 1:5). Every one of us has to admit that we have not always done the best we could, and that many times we have proved that the Bible is true when it says, “All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). Not even one small sin can come into the presence of a God who can have no darkness at all.

But God is also love, and He has in His great love provided a way, not just to make your sinful life a little better, but rather to give you a new life. “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). “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). You don’t need to try to fix up your life before you come to Jesus. Come just the way you are — in your sins. Just accept Him as your Saviour and He will give you everlasting life.

Juanita closed the can of mud and made a sad trip back to the missionary’s house. She explained that it was mud, not paint. Would he give her money back?

The missionary couldn’t help but chuckle, but he also explained with some embarrassment that he had tried to make some clay for a potter’s wheel. Too much water had been added to the clay, and somehow the can it was in had been set out beside a few cans of paint. It wasn’t until after Juanita got her money back that she could laugh too. Imagine painting her house with mud!

Are you willing to admit that all your “good works” are just as useless as Juanita’s can of mud? “We are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses [good deeds] are as filthy rags” (Isaiah 64:6). Come to the Lord Jesus today for salvation and He will wash your sins away and give you a new life.

A Gift for the Beggars

“Give us some money!” the beggar called.

I looked out the window to see who had called and saw three rough, unshaven men standing at our gate. We lived in South America and beggars often came to our gate. They were usually either children or old men, and most of them told us sad stories about their lives and asked if we could give them something to help. But these beggars were different. They shook the gate and one called out again, “Give us some money!”

My husband was not home but I felt sure the gate was locked, so I closed and locked the front door and made sure our three children were inside. A little later I peeped out the front window hoping the beggars had gone away. They had not.

“If you don’t give us money, we’re going to come up to your house,” they shouted.

It still seemed best to ignore these men, so I went on with my work. A little later I looked out the window again and the front gate was empty. Good, I thought, they’re gone. But almost immediately I saw them right at the window! The front gate had been unlocked after all!

“Give us money!” they demanded.

I decided it was time to get help. I ran out the back door and out the back gate and called for my neighbor to come. He went around the house, gave the men some money, and told them to go away and not bother us any more. To my relief the beggars left with their “gift”, and I never saw them again.

The beggars had not worked for the money so it was not pay, and they had done nothing to deserve it so it was not a reward. It was a gift, but it was not a gift of love. It was a gift so that they would go away. God’s gifts are not like that. His gifts are gifts of love, and they are not given so that we would go away, but rather that we would come to Him! The greatest gift that God has ever given was His own beloved Son, the Lord Jesus. God gave His Son to come into this world and die so that you and I could be welcomed into His happy home in heaven. “The Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world” (1 John 4:14).

Have you accepted God’s wonderful gift of salvation? You do not deserve it because of your sins, but God loves you and is offering you a free salvation because the Lord Jesus paid for it when He died on the cross. “The Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me” (Galatians 2:20).

Another kind of gift arrived at our door recently. This time it was not a gift for beggars but a gift for us. It was a small box of cereal and was marked with large letters — FREE SAMPLE. Was this a gift of love? No, of course not. It was sent in hopes that we would like the cereal and buy a much larger box.

God’s gifts are not like the free sample either. He is not looking for something in return. God wants to give His gifts to you simply because He loves you and wants you to be happy. The Bible says that God “made us accepted in the beloved [the Lord Jesus]: in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace ... according to His good pleasure” (Ephesians 1:6,7,9).

We gave the beggars a gift so that they would go away, and the cereal company gave us a gift so that we would buy more cereal. But God gave His gift, His only Son, because He loves you. Have you accepted His gift? “O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in Him” (Psalm 34:8).

Karina’s House

Have you ever sung the Sunday school song about the foolish man who built his house upon the sand? You’ll remember, it says when the storm came his house fell flat because it was not built on the rock. Karina once learned just how that foolish man felt.

Karina’s house was not built on the sand; it was built right on the ground without a foundation. This was not because Karina’s family was foolish or lazy, but because they were very poor. They could not afford to buy bricks and cement. They lived in the tropics of Bolivia and made their house out of adobe (mud) bricks that had been dried in the sun.

It rained often in the town where Karina and her family lived, so it was not long before the mud bricks became much softer than they had once been. Karina’s father had died, and now her mother had no one to help her decide how best to spend her money. Instead of repairing the house, she used the money she had to buy some new furniture, a T.V. and a new fan imported from Japan.

During the rainy season the ground all around Karina’s house became soft and wet. One morning Karina’s mother realized her mistake. She should have repaired her house, but it was too late. That morning they had to call the power company to disconnect the power, and Karina helped her mother move the new furniture out of the house. In the afternoon the house fell into the street. There they stood with the furniture, outside, for everyone to see their mistake. This must have been how the foolish man felt in the song we sing!

It’s not hard to see the mistake Karina’s family made, but the Bible says plainly that those who do not obey God’s Word are just like the foolish man who built his house on the sand. “Whosoever heareth these sayings of Mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. And every one that heareth these sayings of Mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it” (Matthew 7:24-27). If you spend all your time just to have fun, go places and buy things without thinking about God, then your life is like Karina’s house. It has no foundation and the fun times you planned will not be a help to you when you must leave this world. No one stays here forever.

You can build your life upon the Word of God by first coming to the Lord Jesus for salvation. The Bible says, “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).

The Word of God is the only solid foundation for your life. Do not try to live without it — do not build your life on the sand. The Lord Jesus said, “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but My words shall not pass away” (Matthew 24:35). Anything else you try to build your life on will fall — just like the foolish man’s house, and just like Karina’s house.

The Bible stands though the hills may tumble,
It will firmly stand when the earth shall crumble;
I will plant my feet on its firm foundation,
For the Bible stands.

Neither Rain, nor Fever, nor the Measles …

For many years Mr. and Mrs. Albert invited boys and girls to come to Bible classes. They lived for several years in South America and were often surprised at how much the poor children wanted to come to the meetings.

“Who could that be at our gate?” asked Mrs. Albert one morning. “It’s not even daylight yet.” She looked at the clock and saw that it was only 5:45 in the morning. She dressed quickly and went to the gate and found Gladys sitting there.

“Buenas dias,” Gladys said.

“Good morning — is there something wrong?” asked Mrs. Albert.

“No,” replied Gladys, “I just came for the Bible meeting this morning.”

“But the Bible meeting isn’t until 9:00!” Mrs. Albert explained.

The Alberts were surprised that their early morning visitor wanted so much to be at the Bible meetings that she came over three hours early!

Another day, Liliana and her friend walked a mile to come to the meeting. When she arrived Mr. Albert noticed that she did not look well.

“Is something wrong with Liliana?” he asked.

“She has a fever,” her friend replied.

Mr. Albert knew that there was an epidemic of dengue fever in the town. When he saw how sick Liliana was he asked his wife to read the Bible with the children that morning, and he took Liliana immediately to the doctor. Her temperature was 1037, but she had walked a mile to come to the Bible meeting! An hour later she was in a doctor’s office receiving medicine.

Again, the Alberts were surprised at how badly these poor children wanted to come to the Bible meetings.

Some of the children would walk in pouring rain and cold wind with only a piece of plastic or a sugar bag over their shoulders. Others couldn’t wait until the gate was unlocked. They climbed over the sharp spikes in the gate to get into the yard early.

On still another day Mr. Albert noticed that Myra had funny red spots on her face. When he looked more closely he said, “Why, Myra, I think you have the measles!”

“Oh yes,” she said, unconcerned.

“You should be home in bed,” Mr. Albert said.

“Oh no!” Myra begged. “Please don’t send me away! Please let me stay!”

Are you surprised, like the Alberts were, that these poor children would want so much to be at the Bible meetings? Have you ever made an effort to go where the Word of God is read? Is it important to you? You need to listen to God’s Word because it tells about God’s wonderful love in sending His Son, the Lord Jesus, to die on the cross for our sins. It tells us that “all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). But the Lord Jesus loves you and gave His life that you might be saved. “The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin” (1 John 1:7).

Just wanting to be at the Bible meetings did not save these boys and girls from their sins. And just reading the Bible or going to listen to God’s Word will not save you either. You need to believe on the Lord Jesus and accept Him as your Saviour. “If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved” (Romans 10:9). It is not necessary to get up while it’s still dark, or walk in the rain, or go to Bible meetings even when you are sick to be saved. You only need to ask Jesus to save you. “Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Romans 10:13). Ask Him now.

Several years have passed, and the Alberts have moved. They do not know where Gladys, Liliana and many of the other children are now, but they know they will meet in heaven each one of them who accepted Christ as his Saviour. And we hope to meet you there too!

Rescued From a Hard Master

Andres and his family lived in a little shack by the river in Lima, Peru. They were very poor like many people in Lima, but it was not because Andres did not have a job that his family was poor. No, he had a good job with the Navy as a mechanic. He was known to be a very good mechanic and could even fix difficult parts of an engine without proper tools. Sad to say, Andres and his family were poor because, like many other lost sinners, Andres was a slave to alcohol. When he got his pay on Fridays, he could not resist the calls of his friends to drink with them in the local bar.

Andres had four small children and his sinful habit was causing a good deal of misery to the family. He did love his family, but he could not stop drinking by his own will. He needed to be set free from the power of Satan by the only One who can break that power — God.

The devil who came “to steal, to kill, and to destroy” was the one who led Andres into this sin. Andres had continued in this sinful way until he could not escape by himself. Only the power of God could set him free now.

One Friday when there was nothing at all in the little shack to eat, his wife was anxiously waiting for Andres to come home. It was payday and she needed money to buy food. She guessed why Andres was late. No doubt he was drinking with his friends again, just like he did every payday. When he did arrive home, she was still waiting.

“Your pay, Andres?” she asked, trying to hide her concern.

“Right here,” he said, reaching into his shirt pocket. But his shirt pocket was empty. So were all his other pockets. Someone had stolen the rest of his money in the bar.

Andres really did love his little family in spite of his slavery to alcohol, and now they were in real trouble. They had nothing to eat in the house, and there would not be another cent until the next payday.

Poor Andres was finding out that Satan is a hard master. His poor children were hungry, and it was all his fault. Andres went to bed that night hungry and miserable. But that was not all.

All night long he dreamed. In his dreams he searched for his money and found it by the road. He closed his hand on it and woke up immediately — with empty hands. Then he went to sleep again and dreamed he found his money on a table in the bar. Just as he picked it up, he woke up clutching nothing in his trembling hand. Over and over again he dreamed that he found his money, but he woke up each time empty-handed.

Andres could not forget that terrible night. He could see that God was using it to show him that he was serving Satan. He longed now to be free from his drinking habit, and was sorry for the sadness and hunger he was causing in his family.

But God in His tender love was watching the little family. He first showed them His goodness in sending some food. His wife’s mother arrived the next day from the country with a bag of potatoes. Those potatoes and a little food borrowed from the neighbors kept them from starving until the next payday.

But God’s goodness did not stop there. When those who serve the devil are in trouble, they find that this awful master does not help or comfort them. But God’s love is just the opposite! His love is so great that He helps those in trouble even while they are still His enemies! “For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:7,8).

God in His kindness allowed Andres to hear the good news that “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” (1 Timothy 1:15). Andres knew that he was one of the sinners that Jesus came to save. He simply believed in the Lord Jesus and received the forgiveness of his sins. “By Him all that believe are justified from all things” (Acts 13:39).

God not only forgave Andres’s sins, He also delivered him from the power of alcohol. He could now provide food and clothing for his dear wife and children instead of spending his money in the bar. How happy his wife and children were to see their father at home, singing hymns of thanksgiving to the Lord. In fact, Andres never, even to this day, seems to tire of thanking his Saviour. “Giving thanks unto the Father ... who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated [received] us into the kingdom of His dear Son” (Colossians 1:12,13).

Boys and girls, you too are a slave to sin if you have never come to the loving Saviour to be forgiven. Be like Andres and change masters today!

Special Hands

“Mr. Albert! Chilina’s cut her hand!” our neighbor called.

I hurried out to the gate to see what had happened. Chilina had often come to our Bible classes, and she was a special little friend.

“What happened?” I asked.

“She fell in the mud and there was a broken bottle there.”

“That’s a bad cut. I think we had better take her to the doctor.”

I quickly backed out the jeep, and Chilina and her mother climbed in. Thankfully, our doctor was at the hospital right then. He quickly took Chilina into the emergency room to clean her hand and sew it up.

“I’m not going to completely sew up the cut,” Doctor Franco said. “The palm of the hand is a bad place for a cut.”

“Why?” I asked.

“There’s a cushion of fatty tissue and not many blood vessels in the palm of the hand. It can easily get infected,” Doctor Franco explained.

Doctor Franco finished his work and told us how to care for Chilina’s hand so that it wouldn’t get infected. A few weeks later her hand had healed nicely.

Now let’s think about that hand and why God made it the way He did. The doctor had said, “Lots of fatty tissue and not many blood vessels there.” How kind of God to plan it that way! The fatty tissue makes a cushion to protect the tendons that are in your hand. The lack of blood keeps your hand from bruising easily when you use it to work. You couldn’t pound very well with a hammer if it were the other way around — not much fatty tissue and lots of blood. God knew how much we would use our hands when He designed them.

Try it. Slap the palm of your hand down hard on a desk. Now try doing it, gently, with the other side of your hand. It hurts a lot more when you hit the back of your hand, doesn’t it? Those layers of fat protect the palm of your hand so that you can work with it. Wasn’t God wise to make your hand like that?

Now try this. Have a friend hold a pencil or a crayon behind your back so that you cannot see it. Feel it with your fingers and see if you can tell if it is the crayon or the pencil. Easy, wasn’t it? Now, close your eyes. Have the friend touch your arm lightly with either the pencil or crayon. Could you tell without looking which it was? Maybe you could, maybe not. It certainly wasn’t as easy as with your fingers. That’s because God has placed many more nerves in your hand than in the skin of your arm. God knew you would need them in your fingers to find things in the dark, to feel quickly if something is too hot or cold, and many other such things. God planned this for you — have you thanked Him for it? How often I have used my fingers day after day without ever stopping to think of God’s love in giving such special fingers to me!

But there’s even more. Both your hands and my hands are the same, with layers of fat and not much blood in the palm and lots of nerves in the fingers. Yet my fingers are also very different from yours. We each have different fingerprints — so different that fingerprints are used by the government and the police for identification. Even the twins in our family have different fingerprints. God gave us all wonderfully made hands, but He also made each one different. You are special.

And so God doesn’t just want a thousand children in heaven. He wants you. “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever [put your own name here] believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). God was thinking about you before He ever made the world, and He wants you to be part of His happy family in heaven.

You can tell by looking at hands that God loves everyone, but when you look at your own specially designed fingerprints, remember that He loves you. Others have said, “The Son of God ... loved me, and gave Himself for me” (Galatians 2:20). Can you say it too?

Leona, the Dancer

It was New Year’s Day when the drums and flutes began to play. Now, three days later, the drums continued to boom out their rhythms and the flutes kept on playing their short, shrill tunes over and over again. Men and women from a town high in the Andes Mountains had been dancing up and down the streets for all three days. They were so tired that they could hardly keep on dancing, but still they did not stop. Fear kept them dancing until the end of the third day. Sad to say, they thought that the drums, the flutes and the dances would drive away the evil spirits of the New Year. Most of the dancers had never heard of the wonderful love of God who forgives sinners when they receive the Lord Jesus as their Saviour. They did not know that God protects His own children, and that Jesus is stronger than evil spirits.

As they passed by the house many times with the same short, shrill tune and the continual beating of the drums, I wondered if perhaps the evil spirits had come closer to the poor dancers instead of going away.

“I used to dance in the streets like that,” said Leona.

Leona? Dancing in the streets? It hardly seemed possible. Why, I had seen Leona giving out gospel papers in the streets, not dancing. She often came to ask if I had more of the papers. “I don’t know how to read,” she said, “but I know they tell about my Saviour.” Another time when Leona visited us, she said, “It hurts to see the gospel papers thrown on the ground. Some do not want them.”

Yes, Leona was different now from the dancers in the street. She had lived most of her life chewing coca leaves, dancing with the others, and living without any thought of God. If you had seen her only about two years before, you probably would have thought that the old Indian lady, wrinkled and stooped, had lived without God for too many years. How could she be saved now? But a loving, patient God knew that it was not too late. He sent a Christian to tell Leona about the Saviour, the Lord Jesus, who died on the cross and shed His blood to save sinners. She received the “Lord Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil world” (Galatians 1:3,4).

Now, Leona the dancer was saved by the grace of God. Although she was the oldest Indian at our Bible meetings, she was usually the first to arrive. How God had changed her life after so many years without Him!

“How old are you, sister Leona?” I asked.

Leona chuckled. “How old would I be?” she replied. “My parents told me when I was 16, but that was too many years ago. I can’t remember now.”

Another day I went to visit Leona in her home. It was a small hut made out of mud bricks. There was no window, just a door. She lived with her son and his seven children, and they were so poor that the children sometimes ate cornstalks.

“How are you getting along, sister Leona?” I asked.

“We’re okay, but the venchukas won’t let us sleep,” she said. Venchukas are beetles that hide in the thatched roofs and come out at night to bite those who are sleeping. Leona’s hut was so dark that they would come out even during the day if it were cloudy.

Finally we had to leave Leona’s town in the mountains. We were sorry to leave our friends there. But one of the last things Leona said to us was: “My heart bothers me, but I have only One Doctor — He’s in heaven! I have only One Saviour — in heaven!”

Now we have learned that Leona also left that town in the mountains. She left her mud hut to go to live in a palace! She left this world to go to live forever with her Saviour. She was poor in this world, but now she is rich in heaven.

How will it be with you? Will you be rich in this world but poor in hell? God would like to welcome you to His happy home in heaven, but His doors are closed to one thing — the doors of heaven are closed to sin. Leona had many years of sins to be washed away, but the blood of Christ was able to remove them all. “The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin” (1 John 1:7).

Won’t you come to the Lord Jesus for salvation like Leona did? If you do, God will welcome you someday into His home, not just as a visitor, but as one of His own children. “In My Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto Myself; that where I am, there ye may be also” (John 14:2,3).

Leona will never again sleep in a mud hut where the venchukas bite, yet it is not just the wonderful home in heaven that makes her happy. No, even there on the street of gold with all the songs and beauty of heaven, Leona’s joy is not in what is there, but rather in Who is there. The Lord Jesus, Himself, our Saviour, will be the great joy of heaven. Come with us there!

The Wedding

“Are you going to the wedding, Mr. Albert?” asked a Christian friend.

“Yes, I would like to,” Mr. Albert replied. “I have a Bible and craft class this afternoon, but if we leave as soon as it’s over we should be able to get there in time.”

Later that afternoon Mr. Albert said to his two Christian friends, “Have the jeep backed out and ready to go. As soon as class is over we’ll jump into the jeep and head across town.” Mr. Albert did not worry about what he would wear to the wedding. He had often been to other weddings in South America, and the people were so poor that hardly anyone except the bride and groom dressed up. Everyone else had to wear whatever they had. That was fine with Mr. Albert, because when he went to visit the Christians in poor countries he did not take a suit or a tie.

Soon the class was over. Mr. Albert called out, “Let’s go,” and the three friends drove quickly across town, planning to be right on time for the wedding. They found the right building, but to their surprise no one was there. The place was locked.

Mr. Albert chuckled to himself — how could he have forgotten? He should have remembered that his friends in South America never paid attention to the time. No one really expected you to be there at the time given.

“Well,” he said to his friends, “Let’s find some place where we can have a little supper.” So they went to a restaurant and had some hot milk, buns and yogurt.

When they were finished, they went back to the building where the wedding was to be held. Now there were two Christian teenagers there. They were both dressed in nice suits, with ties and shiny shoes. It was a cold evening with a misty rain falling, and since no one else was arriving Mr. Albert said to the two boys, “There’s a nice place down the road here that serves hot milk and buns. Would you like some?”

“Sure,” they replied. So they all went back to the restaurant for more hot milk, buns and yogurt, and they stayed there having a happy time for about half an hour.

Finally someone said, “We’d better get back and see if the wedding has started.”

Sure enough, three more guests had arrived. Each one was wearing a suit. Still, Mr. Albert didn’t think much about his own clothes. More and more guests began to arrive. The ladies had on lovely dresses and the men were wearing snow-white shirts, suits and ties, and their shoes were polished to a shine. Mr. Albert looked down at his own clothes. They hadn’t seemed so bad when he left the craft class in a hurry, but now his work pants looked wrinkled and dusty. He had no tie. His shoes — why hadn’t he thought to polish them? Finally all 200 guests had arrived. And all were dressed in good clothes ... all but two that is. Mr. Albert and one friend who had left the craft class with him in such a hurry were both in plain work clothes that were ready for a wash.

Suddenly Mr. Albert was sure that he couldn’t stay there. He felt too uncomfortable. “Let’s get out of here!” he said to his friend. His friend must have felt strange too, because they both quickly left and went around to a window and watched the wedding from the window!

Mr. Albert had felt embarrassed to stand among the others at the wedding when he and his friend were the only ones not dressed up. But if your sins have never been washed away, someday you will feel far worse than Mr. Albert felt. You will someday have to stand in the presence of a God who is light “and in Him is no darkness at all” (1 John 1:5). The Bible says, “So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God” (Romans 14:12).

“My shoes never looked so dirty as when they were there with all the polished shoes,” Mr. Albert later said. And your sins will seem much worse, too, when you stand before a holy God.

God knows everything you have ever said, everything you have ever done, and everything you have ever thought. Will you feel comfortable to stand before Him? “Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in His sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of Him with whom we have to do” (Hebrews 4:13).

If you know you would feel uncomfortable, something like Mr. Albert felt, then let me tell you that there is good news for you. The very God who knows all about you also loves you. He has made a way for you to have all your sins washed away so that you may be clean and happy standing before Him. “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). “The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin” (1 John 1:7).

Accept the Lord Jesus Christ as your Saviour and you will not only be clean from sin and ready to meet God, but you will also be welcomed into His family as one of His own children. Mr. Albert had to watch the wedding from a window, but if your sins are forgiven you will be inside God’s happy home in heaven to enjoy all the riches of God’s love.

I told you about the guests at this wedding. But I haven’t yet told you about the bride. She arrived in a beautiful white dress about 1-1/2 hours late — late for her own wedding! But it did not matter because most everyone else was late too, and there was still plenty of time in the evening for the wedding.

It did not matter if the bride was late, but it will matter if you are late in accepting the Lord Jesus as your Saviour. Someday the door of salvation will be closed forever to those who have not come to Jesus. The Bible says, “Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2).

When the wedding ceremony was over a Christian friend came outside and said, “Mr. Albert, come inside and have something to eat!”

“No,” Mr. Albert replied, “I can’t come inside. Look at my shoes.”

“Oh, that doesn’t matter,” his friend urged him, “Come on in.” Since they insisted, Mr. Albert went in even though he still felt uncomfortable.

But if those had been stains of sin instead of just dirty shoes, and if he had been outside the door of heaven instead of the door of the wedding, he would not have been invited in again. Boys and girls, may you come to the Lord Jesus for salvation now so that you will never find yourself outside the door of heaven with sins that can no longer be removed. Come to Him today!

The Footprints

What big footprints! Diego knew that no one from his town wore shoes that big. He was on his way home from work when he noticed the footprints in the dusty road going toward his village. He was a believer in the Lord Jesus, and his young family lived in a small village in Mexico.

Diego wondered who was visiting in his village. Had a soldier come in? Why would he be coming to their village? Diego walked a little faster, all the while noticing the large footprints. Soon he realized that those footprints were going right up the hill toward his own house! Diego hurried even faster. His wife and small children were at home! Who had gone toward his house?

“Brother Alberto!” he cried. “I’m so glad to see you. I couldn’t imagine what tall man could have come to my house! I didn’t even know you were in Mexico! I’m so glad it’s you!”

Poor Diego almost collapsed with relief. It wasn’t a soldier or a stranger who had left those footprints; it was his own Christian friend. And other believers from the village had come too. His family was safe and, instead of the trouble Diego feared, they would have a happy Bible study.

Diego’s friend had left footprints — footprints that others could see and tell something about the type of person who had walked there. Are you aware that you are also leaving footprints in this world? The Bible says that “even a child is known by his doings, whether his work be pure, and whether it be right” (Proverbs 20:11). People look at what you do and what you say to know what kind of a person you are. What you do and what you say are your “footprints.”

What kind of “footprints” are you leaving as you walk through this world? Are they footprints of love, joy and peace? Or have you left footprints of sin? If you are honest, you must admit that God’s Word, the Bible, is true when it says, “There is no difference: for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:22,23). Bad words, lies, and unkind actions are footprints of sin. God hates sin and will never allow even one sin into His home in heaven. But the good news is that God loves you. He sent His Son, the Lord Jesus, to die on the cross to save you from your sins, if you will believe in Him. “The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin” (1 John 1:7).

Would you like to leave footprints of love, joy and peace? Turn to the Lord Jesus and obey what He says, and He will give you these “footprints” — “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance” (Galatians 5:22,23).

Diego knew that someone tall had left those big footprints, and people know something of what you are like by your footprints. What kind of footprints have you left at home, at school or at work today?

Anita’s Plans

Anita’s heart pounded with excitement! Hardly anyone from Bolivia got to go to the United States! But she had just heard that her friends, the missionaries, were going back there for a visit, and when she asked her mother, her mother had said that she could go with them.

Anita never thought to ask the missionaries if she could go along with them. After all, hadn’t they been kind to her when the snake bit her on the arm? Her arm had hurt a lot and had puffed up like a balloon that day. So the missionaries had taken her to the doctor and had even said that she could stay at their home until her arm was better. How kind they had been. They had made sure that she had her medicine every day, given her lots of food, and let her play with all their children’s toys.

Yes, there was no reason to doubt their kindness, and now she could only think of going to the United States with them on a big airplane. Anita packed her bag and left for the town where her missionary friends lived. She did not stop to think about money for a plane ticket, and she did not even know about important papers like passports.

When she arrived at the home of her missionary friends, she knocked on the gate with great excitement. She knocked again more loudly and called to them. Still no one answered.

Sadly, Anita carried her heavy bag over to a neighbor’s house.

“Are the Alberts here?” she asked.

“Oh no,” the neighbors replied. “They left two days ago to go to the United States. They won’t be back for months.”

Poor Anita. She had been left behind.

Those who read this story will easily understand that Anita was not wise when she prepared for her trip. She did not have the money for a plane ticket or passport papers she would need, and she did not even know when her friends planned to leave. But can you also understand that many boys and girls are just as unwise about their plans to go to heaven? I’ve never met a boy or girl yet who didn’t want to go to heaven. But many who want to go there never stop to think about what they need.

To go to heaven, you must have your sins washed away in the blood of the Lord Jesus. Not one sin can ever enter into God’s home in heaven, so you must have your heart cleaned from sin before you can go there. The Lord Jesus suffered and died on the cross so that you can be saved from your sins. “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 accepted Him as your Saviour? “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved” (Acts 16:31).

Perhaps you plan to be saved, but like Anita, you have not thought about when you should be saved. God’s Word, the Bible, says, “Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2). “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool” (Isaiah 1:18).

Many people think only of going to heaven when they die, but the Bible also tells us that the Lord Jesus is coming soon to take all the saved ones to heaven. We do not know the day or the hour when He will come, but you can be ready to go by accepting the Lord Jesus as your Saviour right now. Those who have never been saved will be left behind when Jesus comes. Then the door of salvation will be shut and will never open again.

When Anita’s missionary friends returned to Bolivia, they were amazed to hear how their little friend had expected to go with them with no money for a ticket, no passport and not even knowing when they were going. But their hearts were touched to think that she had not for one minute doubted their kindness or that they would want to have her along.

I hope you will not be like Anita in expecting to go to heaven without being prepared, but I hope you will be like her in believing in the kindness and love of God. He loves you and wants to have you in His home and with His happy family forever. Won’t you trust in His loving kindness today?

93 Million Miles Away

In our neighborhood Rolando was always up to a prank. Once some neighbors put out some rat poison and then were afraid to go in to clean out the dead rats. When no one else would touch them, it was Rolando who picked them up, tied their tails together, and threw them all over the neighborhood. He was always up to a prank of some kind, so it was no surprise to find out that Rolando was the one behind the bright light that flashed into my eyes one morning.

He had found a mirror in the garbage. After breaking it into many pieces, he gave the jagged pieces to the children in the neighborhood. Then he took one of the larger pieces and held it carefully to pick up the sunlight and shined it right into my eyes. The flash of sunlight was so bright that it took a few moments before I could see anything again.

Rolando was half a block down the street, but he knew that his newest prank was working. So he amused himself for the rest of the hour by flashing the sunlight into my eyes again and again. In order to go on working, I had to shade my eyes with one hand. But when I forgot for even one moment, there would be another sudden blinding flash.

Now think for a moment about the strength of the sun. One single flash of sunlight from Rolando’s piece of mirror could blind me with brightness even though the sun is approximately 93,000,000 miles away from my house! Rolando’s prank had reminded me of how bright the sun is, and of a man whose face will be “as the sun shineth in his strength” (Revelation 1:16). This man is the Lord Jesus when He returns to this earth as a Judge. The Bible also says, “Behold, He cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see Him ... and all kindreds [peoples] of the earth shall wail because of Him” (Revelation 1:7).

Are you ready to meet the King of kings? Can you stand before the One who will destroy His enemies with the brightness of His coming? “The Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of His power” (2 Thessalonians 1:7-9).

God has not placed these warnings in the Bible to make you sad. He loves you and wants to warn you of the terrible danger of turning away from the Lord Jesus, the Saviour of sinners. “God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved” (John 3:17). God is never in a hurry to judge. He always gives a warning first and waits for sinners to come to Him for salvation. How long has He waited for you?

The next time you feel the strength of the sun, remember that someday a Judge will come from heaven whose face will shine as the sun in its strength. Won’t you come to Jesus today for salvation so that you will meet Him as your Saviour and not as your Judge? He’s waiting for you.

A Strange Friend for Raquel

This was Raquel’s wedding day. She looked lovely in her white dress. Yet it almost seemed a little strange that things were going so well for her.

Sad to say, Raquel had turned her back upon God’s love. She had also turned her back on all that her Christian parents had taught her from the Bible. She had been told of the loving Saviour who gave His life on the cross of Calvary so that sinners could be saved. She had been warned of the danger of turning away from God’s offer of salvation. Raquel’s father had read the Bible with his family every day for many years. And she had often been at Bible meetings to hear about the wonderful love of God. But sadly, Raquel thought it was more important to have fun. She did not see that there was any harm in some sins. She had done just as she pleased, forgetting the serious warning in the Bible, “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap” (Galatians 6:7).

And so for many of the young Christian girls who knew Raquel, it must have seemed strange on that wedding day that things were going so well for her. Why did she get a husband who was so handsome and so strong? Perhaps none of the girls remembered that day what the Bible says, that the “pleasures of sin” are only for a season — a short time. There were a few older ones who saw and knew with sorrow that a girl cannot sow wild seeds and expect to harvest sweet fruit.

For a while, however, things went very well for Raquel. Her new young husband, Juan, even attended the Bible meetings at first. But it was not long before she found out that Juan had a drinking habit he could not break. As the years passed Raquel had two small children, but Juan was not a kind father. Those who lived near Juan and Raquel knew that it was not a happy family. After several years of unhappiness, Juan left his family and never returned. Raquel was left with two small children to care for. To make things worse, she began to get very sick.

Raquel found a job to provide for her two children. But soon she was so sick she couldn’t work. The doctor told her that she had the dangerous disease of tuberculosis. She and the children moved in with her parents.

Sadly, Raquel ignored the serious illness of her body just as she had ignored the serious need of her soul. She was given free medicine by the government, but she hardly ever took it. Soon she was so sick the medicine could no longer help her.

A Christian friend went to see her. She found that as Raquel grew weaker, her thoughts finally turned to the God she had forgotten for so long. Would God help her now? Did she deserve forgiveness after choosing a path of sin for so many years? No, Raquel did not deserve forgiveness, and now just before she died there was nothing she could do to make herself a better person. But God’s offer of salvation has never been to those who think they are good. His salvation has always been for those who know they are sinners and simply come to Him with their sins for salvation. “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” (1 Timothy 1:15). “I am not come to call the righteous [good], but sinners to repentance” (Matthew 9:13).

“You will be leaving this world soon,” the Christian friend said kindly to Raquel. “Are you ready?”

Raquel was too weak to sit up, but she quietly said, “Yes.”

She told her family that she was sorry for her life of sin and weakly said, “I know Jesus loves me.”

Shortly before Raquel left this world, someone asked her, “Where are you going?” She could no longer talk but she pointed “up.”

Raquel had found that living without God was not a happy life, but she had also found that when she turned to God from her sins, He still loved her and would forgive. “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 [forgive]” (Isaiah 55:7).

Tuberculosis had been a strange friend to Raquel. It had given her a long time to think about the fact that she was leaving this world soon to meet God. But we must warn you that not everyone has a long, slow warning before they leave this world. God is telling you in His Word, the Bible, that you must prepare to meet Him now. “Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth” (Ecclesiastes 12:1). Will you turn to the Lord Jesus now for salvation?

May this warning from Raquel’s life help you to see that the pleasures of sin never last. Your happiness will never last if it depends on your friends or your money or your health. The joy that God gives is the only happiness that will last. “Whoso trusteth in the Lord, happy is he” (Proverbs 16:20).

LOST - in a DESERT!

Mr. Albert never expected to get lost the day he left his friends in the mountains of Bolivia. They had had a happy time singing hymns and reading the Bible together the day before. He had stayed overnight, and now he planned to take the bus home. He would have to walk a few miles over to the road in order to catch the bus.

“Stay on the footpath,” his friends told him. “Don’t go on the goat-path.”

So Mr. Albert started out on the path to find the road. A bus would be coming by sometime that morning and would stop to pick him up. Everything went fine for a while, but the path often divided and went in two directions. He was not always sure which way to turn.

Soon Mr. Albert noticed that there were goat tracks on the footpath. Perhaps he had taken the wrong path. He went back to check, but now it seemed that there were footprints on the goat-path, and goat tracks on the footpath! How could he tell which was which?

Mr. Albert continued walking, but just ahead someone had dragged firewood along so that it was impossible to see any path at all. He walked back to where the thorn bushes had blocked out the path to see if he could find it again. But to him it looked as if the path went in all directions. Now he couldn’t find his way back to his friends, and he couldn’t find the road. He had less than a quart of water and was lost in a Bolivian desert!

Mr. Albert knew he was lost, but there are many people in this world who are lost and they don’t even know it. You don’t have to be in the middle of a desert to be lost. Thousands of people in this world are lost because they don’t know where they are going when they leave this world. Many would like to go to heaven, but they don’t know how to get there. They are lost in their sins, because they have turned away from God.

But there is good news for people who are lost. It’s found in the Bible in Luke chapter 19, verse 10. “The Son of man [Jesus] is come to seek and to save that which was lost” (The Lord Jesus came into this world to look for and to save those who are lost in their sins. If you would like to go to heaven but don’t know how to get there, then turn to the Lord Jesus. He said, “I am the way” (John 14:6).

When Mr. Albert realized he was lost, he said a prayer in his heart and then climbed a hill to see if he could see anything. There were only desert sand, thorn trees and another hill to climb. He climbed the second hill, and in the distance he could see what looked like a slice in the mountainside. It could be the road. He took off, forgetting completely about paths, and walked toward the slice in the mountainside. When he got there, he found it was the road! Not long after that a bus came along and took him home.

Mr. Albert found the road almost by accident, though it was with the help of God answering his prayer. But if you are saved it will be no accident, for Jesus has been looking for you. Are you 8 years old? Then He has been looking for you for 8 years. Are you 12? Then Jesus has been looking for you for 12 years. Come to the Lord Jesus today for salvation and you will be on your way to heaven.

Almost Buried Alive!

“Put him in the grave with his dead father.”

Standing at the edge of his father’s grave, little Pedro Montes heard these words being said about him. Even Pedro’s poor mother, whose husband had just died, agreed.

Pedro and his family are members of the Culina Indian tribe in the jungles of Peru. At the time Pedro’s father died, the people of his tribe had never even heard the name of the Lord Jesus, or how to be saved from their sins and be sure of going to heaven. So Pedro was afraid to die.

In the Culina tribe, parents could ask to have a live baby or child buried with a parent that had died. Since Pedro was young and his mother already had more children than she thought she could possibly feed by herself, Pedro was just moments away from being buried alive!

Pedro’s time was short. Your time also may be short to decide if you will spend eternity in heaven with the Lord Jesus, or in that awful place called hell with Satan. The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 15:52 that the Lord Jesus will come and, “in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye” He will take everyone who has believed in Him to heaven. This could happen today. If you have not believed on the Lord Jesus at the time He returns, you will be left behind to bear the punishment for your own sins.

Pedro was terrified! Without waiting another second, he ran as fast as he could into the jungle. He climbed a tree and sat there, crying and sobbing. When an animal started climbing up the tree where Pedro was sitting, his crying scared the animal away.

Pedro was afraid the men of the village would come looking for him to take him back and bury him. So he came down out of the tree and headed farther into the jungle.

Suddenly, he spotted a jaguar. Now everyone in Pedro’s village was in danger!

In Romans 3:22,23 we read, “For there is no difference: for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” This Bible verse tells you that you are a sinner. If you haven’t trusted the Lord Jesus to wash your sins away, you are in danger too.

Pedro didn’t think of his own danger, but only that everyone in his village was in danger. He ran back to the village and screamed, “Jaguar! Jaguar!”

His mother and some others followed him back into the jungle. But the jaguar had run away; instead they found a deer. One of the men shot the deer with his bow and arrow and took it back to the village for food.

Pedro’s relatives said, “This is a good son. He will help us have lots of meat.” Since they agreed Pedro was a good little hunter who would help them find meat, they would not bury him. His life was saved.

Pedro and the rest of the Culina tribe traveled from place to place most of the year. Sometimes they would raid settlements to steal machetes and other tools. A measles epidemic broke out after one of these village raids, and many people of the Culina tribe died.

Only 75 people were still alive in Pedro’s village at the time two young missionaries came to live with these Culinas. These missionaries began to study the Culina language. After they had learned enough, they began to translate the Bible into the Culina language. Then Pedro and other Culinas could learn of God’s love. They would hear for the first time how God’s Son, the Lord Jesus, came into this world and became a man to die on Calvary’s cross so that anyone who will believe in Him can be saved.

Pedro got sick and was once again near death. One of the missionaries read to him some Bible verses that they had just translated. Pedro believed what he heard and said, “I will follow God.” He also said, “I want to hear more from God’s Book so I’ll know it better.”

Another missionary sent medicine, and Pedro soon got over his sickness. Since then, Pedro has helped the missionaries translate more and more of the Bible into the Culina language. He wants all the Culinas to understand God’s message and be saved.

The Lord Jesus hasn’t come back yet. 2 Peter 3:9 tells us, “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness; but is long-suffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” Is He still waiting for you to be saved? Why not make that decision right now, before it is too late.

Crocodile! Crocodile!

The river steamer had to make many stops at little port towns as it traveled up the Amazon River. At these stops the steamer dropped off supplies and loaded up with Brazil nuts and rubber, along with some change of passengers. Travel was slow, and the passengers spent the hours leaning on the railings, watching the sights they passed and listening to the sounds of the jungle. Giant palm trees, passion flowers, rubber trees, snakes coiled around branches of trees, brilliantly colored birds, and even monkeys whistling were seen along the way.

Following a loud scraping sound under the boat, it suddenly stopped with a jerk. The boat tilted, and some of the passengers were thrown off balance. The captain yelled for the crew to grab poles and help shove the boat off the sand bar before it became imbedded. It was too late. They were stuck right there until the tide in the giant Amazon River would come up high enough again so the river steamer could float off the sand bar where it was stuck.

Most of the passengers lived along the river, but two young men on this journey were from the big city of Rio de Janeiro. They were salesmen for a company that sold medicines such as aspirin to kill pain. The bright sun and heat made them think about cooling off in the river.

Finally one of them, Raul, asked his friend, “Arnaldo, how would you like to go for a swim so that we could get cooled off a bit?”

“Sounds good to me,” Arnaldo answered.

After they had changed into a pair of swimming shorts, they stood at the edge of the boat ready to dive off.

An old man named Tiago who lived along the river looked up at them and shook his head “no.” “Boys,” Tiago warned, “I’d suggest you not do that. You never know what is in the waters of this river.”

Arnaldo looked up to question Tiago when another man, who was a judge, added, “For one thing, there are piranhas, man-eating fish, in some places. Also, there are stingrays with their poison and the painful cut of their barbed tails.” Another young man who worked cutting rubber warned of snakes in the water.

Have you ever been warned of the danger you are in if you have never asked the Lord Jesus to be your Saviour? In the Bible in James 2:10, we read, “For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.” Just one sin is enough to keep you or me out of heaven. Lies, bad thoughts, and stealing are sin and are more dangerous than even piranhas, snakes and stingrays. The problem is that boys and girls and men and women ignore the danger.

Raul just laughed and said to Arnaldo, “We can take a chance. Let’s dive together. Are you ready?”

Tiago warned them once again, “Seriously, fellows, I wouldn’t do it.”

As Arnaldo smiled, Raul insisted on going in the water, saying, “Just look at the water. We are so hot, and the water is so cool.”

Arnaldo added, “Don’t worry, Tiago, my friend. It’s not my destiny to die in these waters! Just a little dip.” He dove in with Raul close behind. The warnings of danger were being ignored.

Seldom do people plan to die. Instead, they make plans only for the future. James 4:13 and 14 tell us, “Go to now, ye that say, To-day or to-morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.” Arnaldo and Raul planned to continue their travels, selling their aspirin and other medicines. Neither of them planned to die.

Both dove in and were swimming away from the sand bar where the boat was stuck. Something on the bank that looked like a dead log suddenly rose up on four legs, then quickly sank into the water. The judge and the man who worked as a rubber cutter both saw it and shouted at the same time, “CROCODILE!”

Everyone on the boat heard the cry and ran over to see what was happening. They could see the heads of the two swimmers and occasionally the two eyes of the crocodile as he came to the surface to check where the young men were headed.

On the boat, the crew and the passengers all joined to warn the young men, shouting, “Crocodile! Turn back! Turn back!”

Perhaps your dad, your mom, your brother, your sister, your Sunday school teacher, and your friends have all told you to “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved” (Acts 16:31). The Lord Jesus is coming back very soon to take everyone to heaven who has trusted Him to wash their sins away in His precious blood which He shed on Calvary’s cross. The Lord Jesus wants to be your Saviour, not your judge. Have you responded to the warnings?

Raul and Arnaldo didn’t understand the warnings at first; they just thought everyone was having fun and joking. Finally Raul heard the cry, “CROCODILE! CROCODILE!” and shouted the warning over to Arnaldo, “CROCODILE! CROCODILE!” They quickly headed back for the boat, but the crocodile was a faster swimmer than they and soon got close to Arnaldo.

Tiago knew that crocodiles swim faster than they can turn, so he shouted to Arnaldo, “Dive, Arnaldo! Dive underneath him and come up on the other side!” Arnaldo was almost back to the boat and already very tired. His only hope to escape was to follow Tiago’s advice.

He dived. But he didn’t stay down long enough and came up too soon. The crocodile’s jaws snapped open where Arnaldo came to the surface. There was a slight movement in the water, and the crocodile and Arnaldo were not seen again.

Raul sat on the deck with his face in his hands. The men on the boat groaned and the ladies wept. It was too late for Arnaldo.

It is not too late for you if you will believe on the Lord Jesus Christ as your Saviour right now. “Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2). Instead of the sadness as at the end of Arnaldo’s life, there will be joy even in heaven. Luke 15:10 says, “There is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.”

How Do You Say "Zoo" in Spanish?

Do you know how to say “zoo” in Spanish? Tommy didn’t, but he learned the word quickly one day.

“Let’s go to the zoo this afternoon,” we said to Tommy.

“Oh boy!” he replied.

Our family lived in a small town in South America for a number of years, and occasionally, for a special treat, we drove in to the big city to take our small children to the zoo. We had twin babies at the time so we began to prepare for our trip to the zoo by getting bottles, diapers and food ready for the babies.

“Mommie, how do you say ‘zoo’ in Spanish?” Tommy asked.

“Zoológico,” we said.

Tommy smiled and ran out the door and we continued to get ready to go.

Just as we were ready to get into the jeep, three neighbor children, Yenny, Betania and José, appeared. Their hair was combed, their faces were washed, they had clean clothes on and big smiles on their faces. They looked like they were ready to go somewhere.

We hadn’t planned to invite anyone to go with us that day, but here were these three neighbors all expecting to go somewhere. Suddenly we remembered that Tommy had asked us how to say “zoo” in Spanish! He must have run over to their house to invite them to go with us!

“Well,” we said, “would you like to go to the ‘Zoológico’ with us?”

“Sí!” they all said together.

“You’d better go ask your mother for permission to go,” we said.

“We already have,” they replied.

So we all climbed into the jeep, and instead of taking three children that day, we took six.

Tommy had been eager to invite his friends to go with us that day, but God has wanted even more to invite you somewhere! God is inviting you to go to His wonderful home in heaven. He wants you there so much that He sent His Son, the Lord Jesus, into this world to die on the cross and pay for your sins so that you could go there, if you will accept His invitation. “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).

Yenny, Betania and José were just as eager to go as Tommy was to invite them. All it took was one invitation and they got ready fast. And this was just to go to a zoo. But God has invited you many, many times to go all the way to heaven! There is a street of gold there and we will have a wonderful supper with harps and singing. Wouldn’t you like to go? God says to you, “Come; for all things are now ready. ... And yet there is room” (Luke 14:17,22). God wants His house to be filled with boys and girls like you. Have you accepted His invitation? Are you ready to go? You can be. The Bible says, “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Romans 10:13).

Tommy only had to learn how to say “zoo” in Spanish in order to invite his friends that day, but the Lord Jesus had to suffer and die for our sins in order to invite us to heaven. Yenny, Betania and José only had to come that day — and that’s all you have to do too. Jesus said, “Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).

What Is Most Important?

How many of you children didn’t like what you had for supper last night? And maybe you were unhappy and complained because your mother made you eat some of it anyway. Have you ever gone hungry for a whole day? There might be a few of you who have, but most of you children eat three meals a day and maybe some snacks in between. Perhaps most of you thank the Lord Jesus for your food when you sit down to eat, but have you ever thanked Him that you have never had to go without food?

There are many children in this world who will go to sleep tonight hungry. And many of them won’t even have a bed to sleep in. I am going to let you read a letter about two boys who would have been so happy to have had your supper last night and would have liked to have slept in your nice clean bed. They would have been pleased to have your worn-out shoes, too. This letter comes from southern Mexico.

I want to tell you about two little boys I met last night. I’m not sure that I can tell you about them without crying, but I am going to try. They were brothers; one was 14 years old and his little brother was 5 years old. They were from Guatemala and they weren’t supposed to be here in Mexico, but they came to try to beg for some money. They were very scared. The older one could speak some Spanish, but his little brother didn’t understand any. They spoke an old Indian language. They were both very small for their ages. I was walking down the street about 8 p.m. when I saw them sitting in a dark doorway. I looked at them, expecting them to ask for money. But they just looked back at me. They were pathetic to see, just dressed in rags, no shoes, and each one had a little bundle over his shoulder. They didn’t say a word, so I asked them, “What do you want?”

The older one said very softly, “His head hurts him.” I then saw that the little brother had a rag wrapped around his head. As I took the rag off to look at his head, the little boy sat perfectly still and did not make a sound. His scalp was covered with sores that had pus oozing out of them.

“Where do you live?” I asked.

“Guatemala,” the older one said so quietly I could hardly hear him.

“Where did you sleep last night?” I asked.

They said they had paid a man about 35 cents so that they could sleep on the sidewalk.

“Where is your daddy?” I asked.

“Guatemala,” he said. “He just had an operation,” and he drew a line with his finger down the middle of his stomach to show me where his father had been operated on.

“Where is your mother?”

“Guatemala,” he replied.

“Is she fine?” I asked.

My heart breaks as I recall his answer: “She is blind,” he said very softly. Not one word of complaint. He had brought his little brother with him to Mexico to try to get enough money so that they could get some medicine for his little brother, and he wanted to get some clothes to take back down to his family in Guatemala. He was so tender to his little brother and his little brother was totally submissive to him. They had traveled several days, much of the time walking with their bundles over their shoulders.

“Do you know about God?” I asked him.

And he replied simply by pointing up into the sky.

“Do you think that He loves you?” I asked him, and he nodded his head. “How do you know that He loves you?” I asked. His answer was the most beautiful that I have ever heard.

“Jesus,” was all he said.

“What is your name?” I asked him.

“Juan.”

“And what is your little brother’s name?”

“Abraham.”

I took them down to the Red Cross where Abraham sat perfectly still while the nurse shaved his head and scrubbed it with disinfectant. Several times he made a face, but never a sound. The nurse got after Juan, telling him that he should take his little brother to an orphanage where he could get better care. Juan spoke briefly to Abraham in the Indian language, and Abraham shook his little head. “He wants to stay with me,” Juan said softly.

I walked with them back to the place where they would spend the night on the sidewalk. Juan pulled out a little rag of a sheet about the size of a shirt and spread it out on the sidewalk. He put his little bundle of rags at one end, and without a word Abraham laid down on it with his head on the rags. I waited until Juan had laid down beside his little brother, and then I walked away, doing the only thing that I could — asking God to please take care of them for Jesus’ sake.

I wish that you, too, would please pray for them. I hope that we can see them some day in heaven.

To have a lot of clothes and money isn’t really very important, is it? The only thing that is really important is to have the Lord Jesus as my Saviour.

Do you have what is really important? It takes money to buy food, clothes and other things. But some day all that will be left behind: “We brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out” (1 Timothy 6:7). But what is most important in all the world will not be left behind — it is Jesus! He is in heaven right now, and He loves you so much that He died for you. “The Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me” (Galatians 2:20). Will you let Him be your Saviour?

Hugo And The Condors

Table of Contents

Preface