Look Out!: True Stories for Boys

Duke was the most wonderful puppy in the whole world. To anyone else he might seem like just an ordinary dog, but to Robbie he was everything. Daddy had brought home the playful black and white puppy for Robbie's eighth birthday and a new world opened up to him.

Robbie and Duke soon were almost inseparable. Even running errands for his mother was fun when Duke was along. When Robbie came home from school, Duke was always waiting to meet him. But one day Duke was not waiting when Robbie came home.

"Where's Duke?" he asked his mother.

"He's probably curled up in a corner sleeping somewhere," she replied. "I'm sure he'll be back soon.”

When Dad came home, Duke still had not returned. "Where did you last see him?" he asked Robbie.

“He followed me part way to school this morning. Do you think he got lost and couldn't find his way home?”

“We'll go out and look for him after supper," his father promised. But when bedtime came, Duke still had not been found, and Robbie cried himself to sleep.

Long, lonesome days followed, and still no trace could be found of the little dog.

“I'm afraid a car has run over him, Rob," his father said. "But never mind, we'll get another puppy for you.”

“Another puppy?" Robbie felt as if his heart would break. There would never be another dog like Duke!

Several weeks later, Robbie was on his way to the store to buy a quart of milk, when suddenly a low whimper caught his attention. Peering through a hedge, he saw Duke straining on a rope that was tied to his collar. Quickly Robbie opened the gate and began untying the knot that held Duke.

“Hey, what do you think you're doing to my dog?" demanded an angry voice.

Robbie looked up and saw a big boy several years older than himself. "This is my dog," answered Robbie. "I lost him a few weeks ago. How did you get him?”

“Since when is he your dog?" sneered the older boy. “He's mine now. Too bad, kid... and don't try to get him.”

Robbie could hardly keep from crying and he was really scared, but he didn't want to leave Duke there. Suddenly he had an idea. "Would you sell him to me?" he asked.

The boy thought for a minute. "How much is he worth to ya?" he asked finally.

“Well, I've only got seven dollars. But I'll give it all to you.”

“Okay, tell you what," said the boy. "You give me the seven dollars, then I'll untie the mutt, and if he wants to go home with you, you can have him. If he wants to stay with me, then he's mine.”

As Robbie ran home to get his money, a question kept racing through his mind: what if Duke had forgotten him? What if he stayed with the other boy? He ran back as fast as he could with his wallet, and gave his seven dollars to the boy.

“Okay, mutt, it's up to you," said the boy as the knot was untied. With one excited bark, Duke raced through the gate to Robbie, jumping all over him. A happy boy and a happy dog ran home.

“You know, Rob," said Dad, "your buying back Duke reminds me of what the Lord Jesus did for us. We were really His because He made us. But we were lost, just like Duke was, and tied tightly by sin. But the Lord Jesus loved us so much that He came to earth and paid the price to redeem us. It cost Him all that He had He gave His life to buy us back. And now, those whom He has purchased with His precious blood, He has set free to follow Him, to be His forever.”

Whenever Robbie thinks of the time that Duke was lost, he remembers that he himself was once a lost sinner, that he was bought with a great price, and that now he belongs to Jesus.

The Lord Jesus saw us in our sin and came down here to redeem us. All who put their trust in Him, accepting Him as their Savior will be among those who in heaven will sing, "Thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by Thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation." Rev. 5:9.

“None... can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him." Psa. 49:7.

The Old Stump's Secret

When Robert was a young boy he lived in the country. Behind his house there was a great, big garden. And in that garden there were large, ripe watermelons every summer.

One hot summer day, Robert walked through the watermelon patch. As he looked at the melons he wondered what it would be like to have a whole one all to himself. He thought it would be lots of fun to eat a whole one. There were some ripe ones on the vines that he could easily reach. The longer he looked at them, the more he wanted one. Finally, he carefully stepped among the vines and picked one of the larger ones. Then he carried it over the fence and took it behind an old stump.

In his pocket he had his new jackknife. He used it to cut open the melon. His eyes got so big and his mouth began to water when he saw the red, juicy inside with big black seeds. He ate as much as he could; it was so good!

But now he couldn't finish it! What was he going to do with what was left, and what could he do with all the seeds he had spit out? If he left them lying around, someone might see them. So Robert dug a hole right beside the stump and buried the seeds and the rest of the melon. He did not leave a single seed uncovered. In his heart he thought, "Now no one will ever know!”

(What do you think, boys? Would anyone ever know?)

The next day Robert carefully picked another melon and carried it back behind the stump and ate part of it. They were so good that each day it was a little easier for him to take another one.

At the supper table one evening everyone was happily talking together until Robert's father said, "I just can't understand what's become of so many of my nice melons. I think somebody is stealing them!”

Robert's heart felt sick, and he could feel his face getting red. He didn't dare look up. He felt ashamed of himself when he heard that word "STEALING!”

Somehow Robert was sick of melons after that. He wouldn't even take a slice at the dinner table. He looked at the old stump many times, but not a trace of his feasts could be seen. Even in the winter when the snowdrifts had covered the old stump, Robert couldn't forget the melon patch. (Do you know why? He knew that what he had done was wrong!)

One morning the next spring Robert's father asked him to take a walk with him. Robert was glad to go. But why did his father climb over the fence and head right toward the old stump?

Oh, now he knew why! All around the old stump were young watermelon vines all crowded together and growing all over each other. It looked like every buried seed had become a vine!

Robert's father said, "Son, the other day when I was passing here I saw something shiny sticking up through the ground. It was your jackknife that you looked for all winter." And he took the knife out of his pocket and gave it to Robert. Then looking sadly at Robert he said, "I'm afraid the old stump wasn't very good at keeping the secret.”

The Bible says, "Be sure your sin will find you out." Num. 32:23.

Robert's father loved the Lord Jesus, and had accepted Him as his Savior but Robert had not made that decision. God used this unhappy experience to show him that he was a sinner and needed a Savior. Soon after he accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as his own Savior.

Have you accepted Him as your Savior? "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." 1 John 1:9.

Ted the Paperboy

Oh, it was so cold. Ted was delivering the papers alone for the first time. All last week he had gone with Hal who had had the route for four years. Now Hal was moving and Ted was hoping to take it over. He had been given a trial period by the route manager.

“I should have put on gloves," thought Ted as he lowered his head into the wind, "but I'm almost done." He turned his jacket collar up around his neck and put his hands into his pockets and walked down the block toward the last house on the route.

About halfway down the block an old lady walking toward him stumbled and dropped her purse. The purse popped open and things scattered all over the sidewalk. Ted helped her pick up everything, and then she thanked him and continued down the street. Just then Ted noticed a small case in the grass beside the walk. He picked it up and ran after the lady. She was so happy to get it back that she even asked him his name and where he lived.

As he turned to walk back to where he had left his paper bag, the wind suddenly caught the last paper in the bag and scattered it down the street towards him. He managed to catch all the pages, and with difficulty in the wind he was able to get the paper together again. It was torn and wrinkled, but at least all the pages were there.

As he turned into the last house to put the paper between the front doors, an old man opened the door. "I'm sorry, sir," Ted said, "but the wind caught the paper and scattered it. All the pages are here, but it's a little messed up.”

The old man grumbled, "They shouldn't allow careless little boys like you to deliver the paper. I'm going to complain.”

As Ted headed home he was so upset that tears ran down his cheeks. He had tried so hard, and now there would be a complaint. He might not get to keep the route. When he got home he told his mother the whole story.

“Let's tell the Lord about it." she suggested. They knelt down and in their own quiet way each told the Lord Jesus about the problem.

Isn't it wonderful that we can tell all our troubles to the Lord Jesus. He loved us so much that He died on the cross to wash our sins away. Now He wants us to bring all our problems to Him in prayer.

The next day there was a knock on the door. Ted's father opened the door. There stood the old man who had grumbled at Ted the day before.

"Does Ted Miller live here?" he asked.

"Yes, come in. I'll get him," said his father.

Ted had been standing just inside the kitchen and had heard the man at the door. He walked into the front room even before he was called. "I'm sorry about the paper yesterday," he apologized again, afraid the man was still upset.

“Don't worry about that, Son," said the old man. "I want to thank you for helping my wife yesterday when she dropped her purse. That case you found and returned to her contained a very valuable ring. I want to give you a reward for being so honest." He handed Ted a check for $25.00.

Ted and his parents thanked the old man very much. As he turned to leave he said to Ted, "If you have any spare time on Saturdays I can use some help down at the bike shop on Oak Street that my son and I have.”

After he left they all knelt down and thanked the Lord Jesus for hearing and answering their prayer in such an unexpected way.

What a privilege to be able to go to the Lord Jesus with our problems. First of all you must know Him as your Savior. You must confess that you are a lost sinner and then accept Him and His work on the cross as the only remedy for that sin. Then as one of His children we can take everything to Him in prayer.

“Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." Matt. 11:28. "Call upon Me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify Me." Psa. 50; 15.

A Goose Named Dudley

Johnny lay quietly in his bed listening to the rain hitting the window. "This hard rain and wind will finish off the rest of the snow." he thought as he snuggled down under the covers. "I'm glad I'm not out in it, 'cause that wind sure sounds cold.”

Just before Johnny drifted off to sleep he thought about the good winter he'd had. All the snow they'd had was great for his family's new snowmobile. Then there was good ice on the pond in January and the fast hockey games. But probably the best fun of the whole winter had been Dudley, the Canadian goose that had been his pet since November. Yes, Dudley had certainly added more fun to their home. He was almost like another child in the family, and Johnny already had three brothers and two sisters. But he was the oldest and, well, Dudley was different from his brothers and sisters. In fact, Johnny did have more fun with Dudley than with anyone else.

It was near the end of November when Johnny and Dudley first met. Johnny was riding home on the school bus. His father's farm was the last one on the bus route, so just he and his brother Steve were still on the bus. Johnny was looking out the window at the plowed fields. They'd had a light covering of snow, and he could see that the pond had a little ice around the edges. Just then something moving in the pond's drainage ditch caught his attention. It looked like a big bird.

As the bus turned around in their driveway, Johnny gave his books to Steve to take in and said, "Tell Mom I've gone to look at something in the ditch." Then, hopping down from the bus he took off toward the pond.

As Johnny got closer he slowed down to a walk and then very slowly crept to the edge of the ditch. Sure enough, there was a big goose! Many geese flew over their farm in the spring and fall, but usually they did not stop at their small pond. As Johnny watched, the goose came up out of the marshy grass and up the side of the ditch. It was then that Johnny could see that its left wing and leg were injured. The goose could barely walk and apparently could not fly. It would flap its good wing, but the hurt wing barely moved. He also saw that the injured leg could not support the goose's weight at all.

Johnny ran home and told his mother about the injured goose while he changed his clothes. "We can keep it in the old chicken house," he called back to his mother as he dashed out the kitchen door.

Johnny ran to the barn first to get an old burlap gunny sack. Slowly and cautiously he approached the ditch again. When he was about 15 feet away he ran at the goose, holding the sack open, only to be met with a snapping bill that stopped him in his tracks!

Again another chase, and this time the goose tried to fly, but could only flop along on the grass. "I'm only trying to help you," said Johnny gently. "You're going to die out here if someone doesn't help you." Finally, after several more tries an exhausted goose was carefully placed in the sack and the heavy load gently carried home.

Many of us are like this goose. God has said in the Bible that we are "dead in trespasses and sins," and God cannot accept us with our sins. Yet there are millions of people still trying to get to heaven themselves in spite of their sins. If God says we are dead in our sins, how can we possibly do anything? And then, just as the goose struggled and fought with Johnny who was trying to help him, so many of these same people struggle against God's effort to save them. God loves each of us so much that He sent His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, to die for us. The Lord Jesus suffered on the cross for the sins of those who would believe in Him. He is able to give "new life" to those who are dead in sins. Do not fight against God. He loves you and wants to save you, if you will let Him.

Johnny and his mother fixed up the goose the best they could and put him in the fenced-in chicken yard. When Daddy got home and looked at the goose, he told them that the injuries were wounds from a hunter.

The name "Dudley" was suggested for the new member of the family. They gave him mash to eat, and he could go in the chicken house to get out of the snow and wind. Dudley seemed happy in his new home, and his wounds healed rapidly. Johnny and Dudley soon became good friends, and Johnny would play with him in the chicken yard.

One day the gate into the chicken yard was left open by mistake. Dudley went out into the yard, stretched his wings a few times, but did not fly away. From then on they just left the gate open, and he went in and out as often as he wanted.

Those of us who have accepted the Lord Jesus as our Savior, are cared for by Him every day. He shows us the right path in the Bible. He supplies everything we need and shows us His love. He also shows us the love of others who know Him as their Savior. Dudley was in a place where he could be happy, at least for a while. As Christians we have been left in this sinful world to live for Christ and to be happy, too.

The winter passed quickly for Johnny and Dudley. Now it was late March, the beginning of spring.

One sunny Saturday morning chores were nearly finished when Johnny first heard them. Stopping, he listened. He heard them again—geese! They were flying high overhead making their continual "honking" calls. Johnny ran outside and looked up into the clear morning sky. There they were—a big V of geese. Johnny quickly turned and watched Dudley. Dudley had heard their calls, too. As Johnny watched, sad feelings mixed with happy ones. Dudley stretched his wings, started to run and took off. His great wings beat the air as he rose into the sky. Within a minute he was part of that V heading north. Dudley was heading home!

The hope of every Christian is to hear that shout—that call: "The Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout.... Then we... shall be caught up together... in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air." 1 Thess. 4:16,17. It is this call that will lift us "in the twinkling of an eye" out of this sinful world. We will be home! Everyone who has trusted the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior will be with Him forever!

But what about you? Are you waiting for His call? Is the Lord Jesus your Savior? If not, we urge you to accept Him right now, before it is too late. Don't wait any longer. Accept Him as your Savior today.

“To-day if ye will hear His voice, harden not your hearts." Heb. 3:15.

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

Randy's Adventure

The day promised to be a challenge. Mother had an extra cup of tea as she read the morning's Scripture verse: "My grace is sufficient for thee." 2 Cor. 12:9. "How good!" she thought. "I might need that today." Already she could hear them tumbling out of bed—seven children under one roof. The weather was rainy, Bennie was sick, and Randy and Suzie had had a friend stay over night.

It was a lively, noisy morning, but Mother counted on the Lord's faithful promise she had read that morning. Then suddenly—the sun came out and the clouds blew away. Naturally the children wanted to go outdoors. So they were bundled up against the chilly breezes, and boots were found for everyone— except Bennie, of course, who was coughing with a cold. He would have to stay inside.

Now Randy was a born leader with an unusually strong voice for a nine year old. He loved history, and wilderness exploring was on his mind that week, so...

“Now, men," he boomed, "are you ready to explore that woods out there? It's never been done before, and we've got to blaze a trail!”

Everyone shouted that they were ready; even Suzie and her friends wanted to explore. They all left happy and eager.

“Surely they can't get lost on just eleven acres," Mother reassured herself. Just in case, she called, "Randy, be sure to be home in an hour!”

He waved to her (a leader of an "expedition" of course could not say, "Yes, Mother").

One hour passed, then two hours, and the shadows began to grow longer.

“Oh, dear," worried Mother. "How can I go after those rascals with Bennie sick!" Even so, she began to wrap him up warmly. "I can at least drive the car up there and toot the horn.”

Meanwhile, the "expedition" was in trouble.

"Randy! You know what Mom said! You take us home—right now!" Suzie scolded.

“Yeah, we're cold!" shivered the others. "There's nothin' out here but rocks and trees.”

The truth was that Randy had been trying to be obedient and find the way home for an hour, but they had "explored" too far, and now he was lost. He dropped all his pretending. He knew the Lord Jesus as his Savior and knew he could ask Jesus to help them. Randy had learned this verse in Sunday school. "Call upon Me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee." Psa. 50:15.

“We'd better pray, you guys. I-I'm a-a little confused." Randy took the lead again. He wasn't ashamed or embarrassed to pray out loud, explaining to Jesus that they were lost and didn't know how to find the way home, and would He please help them.

“Hey, Randy!" Bobby suddenly shouted. "There's a light! Maybe it's your house over there!”

“But, but I... I was sure it had to be that way over there, because..." Randy stammered, pointing the opposite way.

“Well, silly, we just came from 'over there,' and you were wrong," Suzie put in matter-of-factly. "Listen! I hear a... a horn tooting!”

“It's coming from where the light is! YEA—we're safe!" They all took off running and crashing through the brush towards the tooting horn.

Lost—right on their own property. But you can be far more hopelessly and dangerously lost sitting right there on your chair. Without the Lord Jesus as your very own Savior, you are lost in sins. "All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all." Isa. 53:6. Jesus came "to seek and to save that which was lost." Luke 19:10. As you follow the paths of sin, Satan is taking you farther and deeper into darkness. At last he, and you too, will end up in everlasting darkness where "there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth." Matt. 8:12.

Look to the "light." Admit you are lost, as the children did, and pray. Jesus said, "I am the light of the world: he that followeth Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life." John 8:12. He is waiting to enfold you in His light and warmth and love, washing all your sins away in His blood which He shed for sinners. Then He will take care of you until He takes you to His Father's house.

Would you really choose "the blackness of darkness forever?" Stop and make a decision about this very serious question. "I have set before you life and death... therefore choose life." Deut. 30:19.

When Satan's Dart Made Its Mark

The day was hot and still. Jeff, age 9, and Don, age 7, were two brothers who knew the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior. However, today they were not acting like boys who should be "happy in the Lord.”

Flopping down on his soggy towel (for they had been playing in the sprinklers), Jeff complained, "It doesn't seem fair! We can both swim now, and here we are like babies playing in the sprinklers! Suzie would have to get sick so that we all have to stay home.”

“Enough of that, boys!" called Mother from the kitchen window. "You ought to be thanking the Lord that you're not sick. Poor Suzie has quite a fever. She's asleep now, so try to be cheerful like the good soldiers of the Lord that you both say you want to be. I'll be on the front porch watching Beth play with Bobby next door.”

After Mother left, and ignoring her advice, a very black, wrong thought began gathering in Jeff's mind. Instead of correcting the thought with a ray of light from God's Word, he said to Don, "Hey, Don, I just heard the Sims in back of us drive out. They're so mean they won't let us swim in their pool. They're afraid we'll drown, and they don't want to be responsible for kids! Know somethin'? We could climb over the fence and have a quick swim. One of us will watch at the fence and... but then," he sighed gloomily, "I s'pose you're too chicken for any fun like that.”

“Me, chicken? Not me ... but Mom and Dad ... ”

“There! See? I knew you were, precious Mamma's boy!" sneered Jeff.

Don jumped as if he had been pricked with a pin. "I'll show you, smarty! Just for that you can guard first!”

Soon Don's "stolen fun" was interrupted by a hiss from Jeff. "Quick! The Sims's car just turned into their driveway!”

In a flash the two were "innocently" running through the sprinkler at home again. Mother entered the kitchen just in time to hear an angry voice say, "I thought I told you boys never to swim in my pool!”

Don wilted, speechless. But as often happens one sin calls for a few more. Jeff countered, "But, Mr. Sims, anybody can see we're just playing in the sprinkler... uh, (glancing at Mother's face again in the kitchen window) are we—er—weren't we, Mom?”

“Yeah? Well, anyone can see wet footprints headed over to your fence. Care to try 'em for size?" he questioned.

They were caught! They had to be punished for the things they had done wrong. They also had to apologize to Mr. Sims for breaking his rules. Both boys realized they had ruined any Christian witness to Mr. Sims. What poor soldiers they had proved to be!

Later as Mother spoke further with them, she said, "Boys, had I not been shown the evidence I would have been tempted to say, 'My boys wouldn't do a thing like that!' But I was just thinking that that isn't what the Bible tells us. God tells us in Jer. 17:9, that 'the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?' Now you boys have learned the sad lesson that even saved boys can do things very wrong. Paul, the Apostle, says to Christians in Rom. 6:13, 'Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness.' Today you let four of your members (your feet) carry you over that fence into sin. A good prayer each morning would be, 'Lord, help me to keep my heart, my eyes, my hands and my feet from taking me into sin.' By the word of Thy lips I have kept me from the paths of the destroyer.' Psa. 17:4.”

“Yes, but Mom, do you think the Lord could forgive us—even today?" asked troubled Don.

"Don, you know the verse. Say it.”

"'If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.' 1 John 1:9.”

“Right. Of course it's hard to be a good soldier of Jesus Christ. Paul even calls it warfare. But who is our Captain?”

"Jesus—the Lord Jesus.”

"All right now... to your rooms. Remember the Captain's order—confession, forgiveness and back in the ranks with armor on. Read Eph. 6 while you wait for Dad.”

Flash Flood!

Phil Townsend's mouth was suddenly full of dirty water! Instead of being asleep inside his family's camper, he was swimming, and it was the middle of the night! He could not figure out what had happened. "Things just don't happen this fast," he told himself as he struggled, trying to keep his head above the rushing water. He was having a hard time of it since the water was moving fast, and he was not a strong swimmer. He found himself upside down as often as right side up.

The valley where they had parked their camper must have been hit by a flash flood. He could now remember seeing a warning sign about the danger of flash flooding as they turned into the campground. It had not rained here, but it must have rained up in the mountains, sending the deluge of water through the dry canyon, washing them away!

At any rate, the water had come from someplace, suddenly, and with no warning! One minute he had been sound asleep in their camper with his parents and sister. The next minute he was struggling in this rushing, dirty water!

Where was his family? Where would the rushing water carry him? All he could do was try to stay afloat.

As Phil was being carried along in the flood waters, thoughts of his life and the things that he had heard at Sunday school flashed across his mind. He knew that he was not saved—the problem of his sins was not settled. He had heard about the love of the Lord Jesus Christ, and he had even memorized verses from the Bible. But he knew that he had never asked the Lord Jesus to forgive his sins. One verse kept flashing through his mind: "after death the judgment" Heb. 9:27. No, he was not ready to die and meet God! passing high walls of cliff like the one they had parked beside. Maybe there was a bush or something he could grab onto. He strained to see, but a dark cloud blotted out what little light there had been. Lightning flashed, followed by a clap of thunder that brief flash of light he saw a little shelf-like ledge. It was a few feet higher than his head, and he was coming to it fast.

He would have to reach up for it. He hoped he wouldn't miss. He pushed up as high as he could when he reached the wall and caught the ledge. The rock was crumbly, but he managed to hang on. He dangled half in and half out of the water, gasping for air. He wondered if God had helped him. But God did not know who he was... or did He? God would know everyone, wouldn't He? But if the person hadn't believed in Him, would He bother to help? Phil wondered about this as he gradually pulled himself up halfway onto the ledge.

The rock began to crumble under his weight. If the ledge were that soft, he wondered with a sinking feeling, would he be able to pull himself up? But it was his only escape, so he had to try. He dug his toes into the cliff wall and, with a mighty effort, finally got up on the ledge. He was gasping, but relief flowed over him. He had made it!

There are people who think that they are safe and on their way to heaven. They think the ledge that they are hanging on to is going to protect them. But if that ledge or rock is not the Solid Rock (the Lord Jesus Christ), then it is not a safe place. "He brought me up also out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings." Psa. 40:2. "In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God." Psa. 62:7.

What about you? Are you resting on the Solid Rock, or are you resting on something that is going to crumble? The only safe and solid place is in accepting the Lord Jesus as your own Savior. You must realize that you are a sinner and cannot help yourself. Then believe that the Lord Jesus loves you and died for you, that on the cross He suffered and was punished for your sins. Then the promise from God is: "I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish." John 10:28. Won't you accept Him right now as your Savior?

Phil huddled on the ledge and wondered where his parents and sister were. He figured if he had been washed out of the camper, they probably had been, too. Maybe they had drowned! He shuddered, and the lightning flashed again. But by its light he saw a crevice in the wall of rock just beyond him. It looked deep enough for an eleven-year-old to climb into. To get to the crevice he would have to leave the ledge that he was on. He was so tired he didn't know if he could make it. Should he stay where he was, or try to reach the crevice? While he was deciding, a large chunk of the ledge near him crumbled and slid into the rushing water. This answered his question!

Phil eased himself back into the water and moved along the wall. He had gone only a few feet when he heard a sliding sound as the rest of his ledge fell into the water!

Soon he was even with the crevice. Once more he put all his strength into the upward climb. Finally, he crawled into the safety of the deep slash in the wall. A crack couldn't wash away—he was safe!

Yes, Phil had found a safe place in the rock. Those who have accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior can say, "Thou art my hiding place." Psa. 32:7. In Christ we are safe, and He will never let us go. He is the only safe place in this life. Any other "place" will crumble and slide into the water! Make sure that you are safe on the Rock that will last forever.

Phil stayed in that crevice all night. When daylight came, helicopters searched the flooded area. They spotted him and helped him out of the crevice with a rope-sling lift. He learned then that his family had been rescued, too. They had been washed along inside the camper for six miles in the wild water. The family was soon united in a happy reunion.

We're happy that the Townsend family was rescued and united again. Better still, this experience also made them realize that they were not ready to die and meet God. It was not long before each of them accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as their own Savior. Isn't it time for you to find a shelter from the judgment that is coming?

“The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms." Deut. 33:27.

David Learns a Lesson

Close to David Johnson's home was a pond. He and his older brother Mark had made a raft, and they had a lot of fun floating it on the pond. One day during summer vacation Mark had to go to the dentist. Since he was also supposed to go shopping with his mother, David decided not to wait for him. He would just take the raft out by himself. He and Mark often argued about the raft. Since he was older, Mark always insisted on steering it, so David decided it would be fun having it all to himself.

Before leaving, David's mother told him not to go on the raft. She worried about her sons' adventures on the pond, especially if either one of them would try to take it out alone. But David felt very sure of himself and, sad to say, disobeyed. He said to himself, "Mom just doesn't understand... as if a nine-year-old can't take care of himself.”

So off David went to the pond, and after lots of tugging and pushing, he finally managed to push the raft into the water. As he made a running jump on board it tilted, making David lose his balance. He fell into the water which was almost up to his chin. After several tries he managed to scramble back onto the raft, but he was "freezing" from the cold water. He guided the raft back to the bank again and ran home as fast as he could.

It was impossible to hide what had happened, because his dripping clothes were a dead-giveaway! He knew that when his mother got home and saw them she would be very unhappy that he had disobeyed her. Now he was really miserable and felt very sorry. He loved his mother, and knew that he had to tell her he was sorry, but he didn't really know how. After thinking about it for a while, David made up his mind.

On a piece of paper he wrote this note:

Dear Mother,

I am sorry that I did

what you told me not

to. I went out on

the raft on the pond

and fell into the water.

I am very unhappy

because I disobeyed

you. Will you forgive

me? If you do write yes

and slip it under the

door of my room.

I am in bed

Love, David

When Mrs. Johnson and Mark returned home she found the note on the kitchen table. She read it, then took a pencil and in big letters wrote her answer on the note. Then folding it, she slipped it under the door of David's room.

David was scared to look at it, but opening it slowly, he found the answer in big letters, "YES." Oh, how relieved he was to know his mother had forgiven him, and he loved her more than ever.

We know from the Bible that we "all have sinned" (Rom. 3:23), and that all sin is against God-every wrong thought, word and deed. But God can forgive us, now that Jesus has died. If a person is truly sorry for his sins, he only has to go to God and tell Him so. God is loving and ready to forgive, and the blood of Jesus can wash all those sins away.

But God does much more than this. He makes the forgiven person part of His family. He becomes a child of God by believing on His dear Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. The question of his sins will never come up again, for God says, "I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins." Isa. 44:22.

Playing With Fire

Tim and Terry were having secret fun. They had found a box of matches and were playing with them in their bedroom where Mother would not see them. Striking matches and lighting pieces of paper and then blowing out the flames fascinated Tim and Terry. Tim was just nine years old and Terry was seven, but they were both old enough to know that what they were doing was not only wrong, but very dangerous.

They thought they were being careful, but suddenly something went wrong. One of the pieces of paper blazed up more quickly than they expected and they found they could not put out the fire.

Tim and Terry should have called for help, but they didn't. They became frightened when they found they could not put out the fire. In their panic they simply closed the bedroom door and hurried downstairs and out into the yard. They forgot that their three-year-old sister Lisa was sleeping in her bedroom upstairs.

Everyone should realize that they are a sinner. Your own conscience tells you that you have done things that are wrong. The Bible tells us that "all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." Rom. 3:23. You may have tried to get rid of your sins by being good or by going to Sunday school or by reading your Bible. But none of those things will save you. Tim and Terry tried to put out the fire by themselves, but they could not. You will never be able to get rid of your sins by yourself either. The Bible tells us that only "the blood of Jesus Christ His [God's] Son cleanseth us from all sin." 1 John 1:7.

Not knowing anything about the fire, Mother got in the car and left for just ten minutes to pick up her older daughter from high school. While she was gone the fire began to spread, and someone seeing smoke coming from the upstairs window called the fire department. When Mother arrived home, firemen with hoses and ladders were fighting to put out the fire. Falling on her knees in the yard between her two sons, Mother prayed that they would be able to get little Lisa out safely.

One of the firemen risked his life to rescue Lisa. Facing the smoke and flames, he went in the house, found Lisa upstairs and brought her out alive!

Only brave firemen with their special training, equipment and protective clothing could rescue Lisa, and only the Lord Jesus, God's Son, can save you from your sins. He not only risked His life, He gave His life that you might have your sins forgiven. Won't you thank Him today for dying on the cross for your sins? He loves you and wants to forgive you.

Little Lisa had been in the burning house too long. In spite of the brave fireman who risked his life to save her, and in spite of all that the doctors and nurses in the hospital did for her, she died the next day.

The Lord Jesus promises us, however, that when He saves us from our sins He never lets us go. He preserves and keeps us forever. Although our story has a sad ending, your life can have a happy ending. If you will accept the Lord Jesus as your own Savior, you are promised everlasting life with Him in heaven. "I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish." John 10:28.

I Knew You'd Come”

In the wilderness of northern Canada where the great fir trees grow thick and the winds howl on winter nights, there were two clearings in the woods, about a mile apart. In the two clearings stood two log cabins. In the two cabins lived two nine-year-old boys, one named Jean and the other named Pierre.

Jean's mother and father were Christians, and Jean, also, had accepted the Lord Jesus as his own Savior when he was very small. They read the Bible together each morning after breakfast and prayed around their big oak table.

Pierre had only his father, as his mother had left years before. Pierre's father had never asked the Lord Jesus to be his Savior, and he would often come home drunk. As you can see, Pierre's log cabin home was not as happy as Jean's. However, the two boys were good friends, since there was no other family for miles around.

One afternoon in early spring, Jean walked the mile-long path through the woods to Pierre's cabin. He knocked on the door, but there was no answer. "Pierre?" he called, giving the door a little push. It opened, but no one was inside. So Jean thought he would just wait in the cabin for his friend to come home... it probably wouldn't be long. The afternoon hours went by quickly as Jean played on the cabin floor. Finally, he looked out the window and was surprised to see the sun already low behind the fir trees. The March wind blew hard through the cracks between the logs, and the boy shivered. When he pulled the door to open it, he could feel the force of the wind push it wide open. Jean stepped outside, wondering if he should walk home alone in the dusk. His father had often warned him against going out after dark alone. Cougars and lynx roamed those woods looking for food. As he stood there deciding what to do he heard a rustling in the bushes at the edge of the clearing.

He nervously studied the bushes and soon picked out two lean cougars pacing there... watching him! He filled with fear as he ran quickly back into the cabin and pushed the door shut behind him. However, to add to his terror, he found the door latch had loosened and the door would not close tightly. All he could do was to lean up against it and pray to his Savior, the Lord Jesus, that He would save him from these wild animals.

Do you know Jean's Savior? He tells us in the Bible, "Call upon Me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee." Psa. 50:15.

As frightening as poor Jean's situation was, there is a worse danger waiting for anyone who still has not accepted the Lord Jesus as their Savior. That danger is an awful place called hell, where all who do not have their sins forgiven will spend eternity. Turn to the Savior to have your sins forgiven right now—before it is too late!

Just down the path from where this was happening, Jean's father was returning home from checking a trap line. Coming into the clearing of the first cabin, he thought he heard a boy crying. "That's strange," he thought, "why would Pierre's father have left him alone?" He passed the clearing to continue on his way home when something made him go back... something was not right.

Arriving once more at the clearing, Jean's father gasped when he saw two hungry cougars, one circling the cabin and one with his paw on the door, ready to push it open with his powerful foreleg. The startled man grabbed his shotgun and aimed at the one on the door. With one shot the cougar fell backward, dead. The other, confused and furious, ran circles around her mate and then leaped at Jean's father. Again, a shot rang out through the woods, and the second cougar fell heavily against the man, knocking him down. But Jean's father was not hurt, and he thanked the Lord Jesus for helping him to kill both animals with only two shots. Now, he rushed toward the cabin. His heart froze—there was his own son bursting through the doorway!

The next moment the man was hugging his own little boy as Jean's arms wrapped around his father's neck. Who can tell the thoughts in the father's heart when he discovered that it was not Pierre, but his own Jean whom he had saved.

"Thank God I came," he said.

"Daddy, I knew you'd come," his son replied, still trembling.

How wonderful is the faith and trust of a little child. May we have that kind of faith, too— the faith that calls upon God and waits for Him! Any who have put their trust in Him will never be disappointed.

Being just a child, Jean could not understand how much his father loved him. We, too, cannot understand how much God loves us. But we do know this much, He loves us so much that He sent His only Son into this world to die to save us and bring us home to Himself. He is going to fill heaven with sons and daughters who have accepted His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, as their Savior. He wants us there so that He might shower His love upon us for all eternity.

These are the last days in which the gospel will go forth. Night is coming quickly, and punishment is near for those who refuse God's salvation. Satan, as a roaring lion, is going about seeking those he may devour. The Lord Jesus is still willing and able to save any who call to Him.

“Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." Rom. 10:13.

Rescued

Six-year-old Tony Bernadino and his eight-year-old brother were flying kites near their home in California. They were in a field where a bridge was being built, and the construction crew had just dug a hole 2 feet wide and 28 feet deep. The workmen had gone home leaving the hole uncovered.

Tony, unaware of any danger, stepped backward into the hole. His brother's scream alerted his father who rushed to the spot. Frantically he raced to the telephone, and soon firemen and paramedics were on the scene.

For Tony it had all happened so quickly— one moment he was flying a kite... and then suddenly he was trapped in a deep, dark hole and not able to get out. Are you one of the many people in the world today who, like this, are trapped in sin? They are not able to help themselves; they must wait for help from another. "For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly." Rom. 5:6.

Rescue operations started at once. One of the men was lowered into the hole head first. He found Tony alive, but so wedged in that he could not be moved. The rescuer also found that the walls of the hole were not very strong. Fearing he would cause more dirt to fall in on Tony, he signaled to be pulled back out of the hole.

Special equipment from the telephone company was lowered down into the hole. The men and Tony's father were able to talk with him. They did their best to encourage and assure him that he would soon be rescued.

Then a large drilling rig with a three-foot auger arrived and began to bore down into the earth eight feet over from the boy. They went down 30 feet and began to dig a tunnel over to where he was trapped.

Finally at midnight, seven hours from the time Tony fell down the hole, he was brought out. The crowd which had gathered at the edge of the hole cheered as a rescuer appeared with the boy in his arms. Tony was then laid on a stretcher and carefully moved into a helicopter and was flown to a hospital.

No one stopped to think how much work it was taking or what it was costing to save Tony. And God did not let the terrible cost stop Him in His love to save poor helpless sinners, deep down in the pit of sin and despair. "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?" Rom. 8:32.

God sent His dear Son down to this world to rescue us, trapped by Satan, not able to help ourselves. The Lord Jesus did not hesitate to go down into those deep dark waters of death to save and to lift us up. "He sent from above, He took me, He drew me out of many waters." Psa. 18:16. "He brought me up also out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings.' Psa. 40:2.

But only those who have trusted in Christ can talk about their wonderful rescue from sin. Those who do not know Him as their Savior are still in the pit of sin. If this is your case, you can be saved today. "Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." Rom. 10:13.

The Dangerous Toy

Earl was playing in a field near his home one day when he found something interesting. It was a heavy metal cannister that looked like it would be a lot of fun to play with, so he tugged and rolled it home to his yard.

There, for the next four years, Earl enjoyed his new toy. When he played "Spacemen" it was his rocket ship. When "Cowboys and Indians" was the game, he rode the cannister as his horse. It got dragged here and there and was used in many different ways as he and his friends played together.

Then one day Earl's mother got a surprise. She was reading the local newspaper, and a picture caught her eye. The object in the picture looked a lot like the cannister Earl had in the back yard and often played with, so she quickly read what the article had to say about it.

The more she read the more worried she got. She laid down the paper and went to look out the window at Earl's toy. The newspaper story described a live U.S. Army bomb that had recently been found not far away and told how the army had been called in to dispose of the bomb safely.

Earl's toy wasn't another bomb, was it? No; it couldn't be. After all, he had played with it for several years, and nothing had happened. Just the same, the longer she looked at that toy, the more worried she got until finally, just to be on the safe side, she called the police.

The police came promptly to investigate, and after checking with the army they decided that what Earl had been playing with for the last four years was indeed another live bomb! Working very, very carefully they removed the bomb to a safe place for disposal.

Earl had been playing with something deadly for four years without knowing it. How about you? I know you aren't sitting on a live bomb, but are you doing something just as foolish? Are you playing around with the serious matter of your soul's salvation?

The Bible warns us that "all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God" (Rom. 3:23) and that "the wages of sin is death." (Rom. 6:23). Have you taken that warning seriously? God's word is serious, and His warnings are plain and clear.

God does more in His Word than tell us of sin and its punishment. He also tells us lovingly of the way we can get rid of our sins and enjoy happiness instead of judgment. He tells us in Rom. 6:23 that "the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." John 3:16 tells us 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.”

Don't play around with something as serious as your soul's salvation. Accept the Lord Jesus as your Savior today.

The Cat Did It

Tom ran into the house, slamming the door behind him, and called, "Hi, Mom. I'm home." He "screeched on his brakes" when he saw his mother in the kitchen putting the finishing touches on the icing of a delicious-looking chocolate cake.

“Hey, Mom, I'm hungry! Can I have a piece?" he asked.

“No!" answered his mother firmly. "This is for dessert tonight. Mr. Harrington is coming for dinner, and this cake must not be touched 'till then. Here's the icing knife and bowl that you may lick if you want.”

Tom soon had the knife and bowl licked clean. And he wanted more as he looked at the cake longingly. His mother put it on the cupboard shelf and closed the door.

She turned to Tom and in a very firm voice said, "I have to go to the store for some things. You go out and play, and remember, that cake is not to be touched until dinner time. I mean it!”

Tom turned and went outside and soon forgot about the cake in a good game of street hockey with his friends. After a while a couple of the boys were called in by their mother, and the game broke up.

With nothing to do, Tom decided to go in the house for a drink. The game had made him thirsty. As he got a glass out of the cupboard, he saw the chocolate cake sitting on the shelf, looking just as delicious as ever.

"Boy, does it look good!" thought Tom.

He kept looking at it, and all the while, the cake became more and more tempting. His mouth watered, he wanted a taste so badly. He kept telling himself that Mom had said that he must not touch it. But his wanting a taste became greater and greater.

“I could just take a little snitch off the side there near the bottom, and nobody would know the difference," he said to himself. "If I use a spoon instead of my dirty finger, it wouldn't hurt the cake at all.”

Before he really knew what he was doing he had taken a spoon from the drawer and took a spoonful of mostly icing. It was so good that he just had to take one more. Then he heard a car door slam. "Mom's home! Now what do I do?”

Just then he saw Socks, the cat, walk into the kitchen. She was called Socks because she had four white feet. She was a bad cat and had often been caught up on the counter in the kitchen, and sometimes even on the table helping herself to food. Tom thought quickly. By the time his mother had the key in the front door, he had closed all the doors into the kitchen and was in his own room. Socks was left in the kitchen and could not get out. His mother would find her there.

Sometime later when his mother called him for dinner, Tom came running at once, making his best attempt to whistle. He stole a quick glance at his mother to see if she looked cross.

Had she noticed the piece out of the bottom of the cake? he wondered. She looked all right. He went to wash his hands without even being told to do so. He was going to try to be as good as he knew how.

Before long he heard Mother calling him to come to the kitchen. He went fearfully. His mother was standing in front of the cupboard looking at the cake.

“Tom," she said in a stern voice, "you have disobeyed me. I told you not to touch that cake. I let you lick the bowl, and then you turned around and did what I told you not to do.”

“Me, Mom?" questioned Tom. "I've been out playing. It must have been Socks. That bad cat has been into the food again.”

His mother reached into the sink and picked up a spoon smeared with chocolate cake and icing. "Tom," she said sternly, "cats don't use spoons.”

Tom's face got red and his eyes dropped. He couldn't look at his mother. That verse from the Bible flashed into his mind— "Be sure your sin will find you out." He couldn't think of anything to say. The spoon proved that he was guilty.

When we do wrong, as Tom did, it is not just our parents or friends whom we hurt. We sin against God. God says, "The wages of sin is death." Rom. 6:23. Tom had to take his punishment before he could be forgiven. But God says that "Christ died for our sins." 1 Cor. 15:3. He bore our punishment that we might be forgiven.

Have you accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as your substitute?

The Pillow Mishap

There is almost nothing better when you are ten years old than to have your best friend over for the night and have a good, rowdy pillow fight! Mark was delighted when his mother said, “All right, Danny can spend the night, but you'd better behave!”

It wasn't long after supper until the two boys were having fun throwing pillows back and forth in Mark's bedroom. The pillow fight soon moved out of Mark's room and led from one room to another... until the boys found themselves in Mark's sister's room. The door had a sign on it which said, "MARY JANE'S ROOM," with another sign below that which said, "KEEP OUT," but it was too late for the boys to pay much attention to the second sign.

This is the way it is with sin—sometimes we get carried away doing something which may not be wrong in itself, but it may lead us into a place where we don't belong. The Bible tells us that, "A prudent [wise] man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself; but the simple [unwise] pass on, and are punished." Prov. 27:12.

Mary Jane's room was pink and ruffley. There were white shelves on the walls which were full of trinkets—little glass animals and other souvenirs she had collected. "Junk!" her brother called them.

The pillow fight raged on, and Danny threw one at Mark, who ducked. The pillow sailed right toward one of those pretty white shelves and knocked down a glass elephant. The boys stopped and stared. The elephant had broken into three pieces! "Oh, no!" said Mark, "now we're really in for it!”

But wait... Danny had an idea. He had heard that nail polish was good to use to stick things together if you were out of glue, and there was a bottle of nail polish right there on Mary Jane's desk. This sounded like a good idea to Mark, so they put the three broken pieces together with nail polish.

Once the little glass elephant was back in one piece, the boys realized that they had made a mistake— the elephant was white and the nail polish they had used was pink! Now Mary Jane would know for sure! Mark knew they would have to explain what had happened and tell her they were sorry it had happened. And that is just what they did. Mary Jane did not stay mad for very long.

As Christians, we know from God's Word, the Bible, that it never pays to try to cover up our sins, for God sees everything and we cannot hide our wrong doings from Him. However, if we confess our sins He is always ready to forgive us. It is much better to be honest and admit when we have done something wrong.

"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." 1 John 1:9.

A Trapped Skunk

One Saturday in early spring Ronny and Jimmy were exploring in the woods near their home. They were looking for skunk cabbage plants... not for skunks.

Following the creek, they came across a skunk caught in a steel trap by its front paw. The two boys figured the trap had probably been set for muskrats, but it had caught a skunk instead. The skunk must have been searching for something to eat in the winter's litter that had washed up along the water's edge when it stumbled upon the trap.

Ronny decided he'd try to free the skunk, but Jimmy wasn't too sure he wanted to get involved. As Ronny slowly inched his way toward the skunk, Jimmy stayed up on the bank, well out of the way... and held his breath. "Watch out," Jimmy warned, barely talking out loud. "You're going to be sorry, Ronny.”

But Ronny kept right on, talking gently to the skunk. He finally got close enough to reach forward and close his hand around the trap. Meanwhile, the skunk had pulled as far away from Ronny as the chain would allow, never taking its little black eyes off Ronny. The trap had caught the skunk's front paw just above the wrist, but the bones didn't seem to be broken.

Moving very slowly, Ronny grasped both sides of the trap. The skunk stayed perfectly still, but its black eyes watched every move. Now Ronny was holding his breath, too. Slowly he pressed down with both hands until the spring catch released.

Suddenly the skunk's leg came free and it tumbled backward because it had been pulling away the whole time. It quickly got back on its feet, but just stood still, holding up its injured leg. It looked at Ronny for a long time and then finally turned and hobbled away. In talking it over later, Ronny and Jimmy both felt this was the skunk's way of saying, "Thank you.”

A skunk might be one of the last animals anyone would want to release from a trap. In fact, most people would leave it alone. But Ronny was determined to free that trapped skunk. Some people might think that they are too bad for the Lord Jesus to save—that He'd rather not bother with them. But that is not the case at all. Everyone is a sinner, and it doesn't make any difference if you are a big sinner or a little sinner. The Bible tells us "there is no difference: for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." Rom. 3:22, 23. The good news is that Jesus loves each one of us so much that He died on the cross, bearing the punishment for sin. "God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." Rom. 5:8. No matter how bad a person you might be, Jesus loves you and will save you from sin's deadly trap. All you have to do is trust Him.

The skunk seemed to show its thanks to Ronny. After you have trusted the Lord Jesus to save you, it will be such a relief to be rid of your sins and you will have such peace, that you will thank Him the rest of your life.

Smuggling on an Airplane

Have you ever tried to smuggle a candy bar into class at school or up to your room at home? The reason for smuggling it in is because it is against the rules to have it there. Most teachers have the rule, "NO EATING DURING CLASS!" and most mothers make the rule, "NO EATING CANDY BEFORE SUPPER!" Candy bar smugglers usually get caught and are punished. Smuggling is a sin—even candy bar smuggling.

In Buffalo, New York, a 16-year-old boy was about to get on an airplane that was going to Chicago, Illinois. He told the ticket agent he had an 18-inch nonpoisonous northern water snake he wanted to take with him on the plane. The agent explained that since they did not have a suitable cage to carry it in, he could not take the snake on the flight.

A little later when the flight was announced, the boy got on after first assuring the ticket agent that he no longer had his pet.

Before the boy sat down in his seat on the plane, he took off his jacket. After carefully folding it up he placed it in the compartment above his seat and latched the little door closed. The plane took off.

A little while later another passenger happened to notice a tail sticking out from under the edge of the overhead compartment door... and it was moving! The passenger pointed it out to a flight attendant who opened the compartment door. The smuggled 18-inch snake flopped out and down onto the lap of the startled lady sitting beside the boy. He quickly caught the snake, and it spent the rest of the flight in a box in the back of the plane.

Airplanes have rules about taking pets on board. They must be in a suitable cage. This boy broke the rules by smuggling his pet snake on board after stuffing it in his jacket pocket. Once the plane took off he figured he had gotten away with it... but he hadn't. That tail sticking out gave it away!

And you and I cannot get away with breaking God's rules. When we break any of God's rules, He calls it sin. Smuggling is just one kind of sin. Telling lies is another. Disobeying parents or teachers is another. Sounds like we're all sinners, doesn't it? Well, that's exactly right! A verse in the Bible says, "All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." Rom. 3:23. So there is no question about it—every one of us is a sinner, including you and me.

When the plane landed in Chicago, the boy and the box with his snake were taken to the airline's office. He was scolded for what he had done and warned never to do it again. Then he had to sign a paper turning his snake over to the airline. They in turn gave the snake to the Anti-Cruelty Society who would find a suitable home for it.

The Bible warns us about the consequences of sin—sin must be punished, because God is holy and just. The Bible also says that God loves each one of us, and He wants to forgive all our sins. But still, there's punishment necessary for those sins. Because He loves you and me so very much, this is what He did. He sent His only Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, to bear that punishment for sin on the cross: "Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many." Heb. 9:28. If you are really sorry about your sins, confess to the Lord Jesus that you are a sinner. He promises He will forgive you, and then you will not have to be punished for your sins because He already was punished for them when He died on the cross and shed His blood. Won't you accept God's love for you and thank the Lord Jesus for forgiving your sins?

The Broken Shingle

God often uses our everyday experiences to teach us important lessons. This was the case when I was a boy of 10 or 12 and had an afternoon paper route.

It was fun to be able to ride my bike up and down the streets near our home and deliver newspapers to the customers along my route. It was fun to have my own job and get a pay envelope once a month with a little spending money earned all by myself. But it was not fun to come home all soaking wet and have to wring water out of my clothes after delivering papers in the pouring rain. That didn't happen too often, and plastic bags were always provided to keep the papers dry.

Some customers were fussy and had to have their paper always neatly placed on the top step near the door. Others were not so fussy, and I could just toss the paper from my bike as I continued down the street. Sometimes my aim was good, and the paper landed neatly near the door. But sometimes my aim was bad, and then I would have to get off my bike and undo what had happened, like digging the paper out of the bushes.

On one particular occasion I remember throwing the paper and hitting the front of the house... a house sided with asbestos shingles. You can probably guess what happened... I had a broken shingle to show for my carelessness. The problem now was, what should I do. I had no power to undo the damage. Instead, I carried the worry of that broken shingle as I finished my route and returned home.

Perhaps this is a little like the load of sin that we carry with us, as we are reminded of the many times we have gone our own way and it has gotten us into trouble. "All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all." Isa. 53:6. This verse tells us that we don't need to continue carrying our heavy load of sin, because God has made a way for our load to be removed. God sent His Son, the Lord Jesus, into this world to die in our place and bear the punishment for our sins so that we can go free. What we are not able to do God has done for us. Now we can simply accept His free salvation and thank Him for it. "But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name." John 1:12.

I am happy to say that I didn't have to continue carrying the worry of the broken shingle either. As soon as I got home I told my dad what I had done. He collected a few tools, and together we went over to the house where I had broken the shingle. He was able to repair the damage so that all was made right once more. How thankful I was each time I passed that house to see the shingle wasn't still broken.

How thankful you will be, too, if you'll talk to the Lord Jesus about your sins; let Him remove your heavy load of sin and wash your heart clean with His precious blood. The work has all been done by Another. There at Calvary's cross the Lord Jesus suffered, bled, and died to set you free. There's nothing more for you to do.

Buttons and Brandon

Brandon was a brave boy, but there were two things that frightened him. One of them was their neighbor's dogs, King and Spitz. They were always kept chained to their doghouses, but they growled and snarled whenever Brandon went near them. They weren't nice like his own dogs.

Brandon was afraid of what might happen if they ever got loose and chased him through the fields and caught him. Just thinking about it would send shivers of fright down his spine. The other thing that scared Brandon was Buttons, the pony that belonged to his sisters.

If you didn't know Buttons you would think he was the cutest, most adorable and gentle pony around. Little, shaggy old Buttons had lots of people fooled... but not Brandon. Buttons might have looked cute, but Brandon didn't trust him. He wouldn't get close to Buttons unless his father was with him. Buttons wouldn't dare misbehave when his father was around, and Brandon knew this.

Sometimes when Brandon and his father were near Buttons, Brandon would see Buttons watching him, and he thought he knew what Buttons was thinking—"You wait, little boy; one of these times you'll be all alone, and I'll catch you and teach you a lesson for being smaller than I am." Brandon's sisters were all bigger and older than he was, and they always got along fine with Buttons.

One day when his father was in the house and his brother and sisters had gone shopping with their mother, Brandon was playing with his toy trucks in the backyard. Buttons had a fenced-in corral where he was kept. Brandon didn't think he had anything to worry about, so he was busy playing.

Suddenly, Brandon got the feeling that someone was looking at him. Turning around he saw Buttons just a few feet behind him. Brandon was terrified! He quickly stood up and started walking backwards, never taking his eyes off Buttons who was walking steadily toward him. Brandon tried to call for help, but his mouth was dry and words wouldn't come out. He kept walking backwards, not daring to run for fear he would be trampled. Then he backed up smack against the fence. Buttons had him cornered!

Buttons walked right up to Brandon (who had never been so frightened in his life before), opened his mouth and bit Brandon right on the chest, ripping his shirt and scraping his skin. Then Buttons turned and walked away.

When Brandon's father heard what had happened he gave Buttons a good clout on the nose and put him back in the corral, firmly closing the gate that had been left open.

Buttons reminds us of Satan. Satan, our enemy, is always waiting to corner us one way or another. He is just watching until we let our guard down. Brandon's father wasn't around when Buttons cornered him and bit him. But the Lord Jesus is always there to help us right away when we have a problem. If the Lord Jesus is your Savior you only have to call Him and He will hear you, even if you are so scared you have lost your voice. In the Bible He tells us, "Call upon Me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee." Psa. 50:15.

Wouldn't you like to have the Lord Jesus as your Savior? You can; it's easy. Just tell Him you know you are a sinner, and trust Him to forgive your sins. "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." 1 John 1:9.

Buttons Gets Loose Again!

One summer day Brandon was playing in the backyard with his younger brother Eric. One game they liked to play was "pirates." Since Brandon was older he was in command. He gave the order to Eric, "Sailor, climb the mast and untie the rope!”

Eric asked, "What mast?”

Brandon pointed to the heavy pole that the clothes line was tied to and stated, "That mast, sailor.”

"But, Brandon, it's too big for me.”

Brandon answered, "Okay, I'll climb it myself and get the rope down... if you'll let me tie you up like you're my prisoner.”

Eric agreed.

Brandon got the clothes line down. Then, beginning at Eric's feet he started coiling the rope around him. It was a long rope, and he kept wrapping it around Eric until it almost reached his head. Brandon had just finished tying the last knot when he noticed something scary... Buttons was loose again!

This time Buttons wasn't very close, and ° Brandon had enough time to run to the house and up the back steps to the porch where Buttons couldn't get him. But as soon as he got to the top of the steps, he remembered that he had left his little brother Eric lying on the grass tied up with all that rope, and Eric couldn't move!

Brandon was terrified of Buttons. But the thought of what Buttons would do to Eric was too much for him. It didn't matter if he died trying, he must save his brother!

Brandon ran back to the spot where Eric lay tied. At first he tried to untie him, but when that took too long Brandon picked up his brother with a strength that surprised him, and carried him on his shoulder to the porch. Buttons reached them just as Brandon hurried up the steps with Eric. They barely escaped, and Brandon felt like he had just done the bravest act in all his life.

Brandon had tied up Eric really well with lots of rope and lots of knots. It took a lot of work to get him untied, but at least they were safe. Boys and girls, do you know that when we sin, sin wraps itself around and around our hearts so that we never can get free from it by ourselves. Eric never could have untied himself. Brandon had to do it for him. And Jesus the Savior is the only one who can free us from our sins.

One time Jesus was in a house, and four men carried another man who was sick of the palsy to Jesus for help. There were so many people around the house that they couldn't get through the door. So these men climbed up on top of the house, broke up the roof and let down their sick friend, bed and all, in front of Jesus.

Do you know what the Lord Jesus said to him? He said, "Son, thy sins be forgiven thee.... Arise, and take up thy bed, and walk." Mark 2:3-12. And the man was healed, but more important than that, his sins were forgiven.

We each need our sins forgiven, too, just as that sick man in the Bible did. If you want your sins forgiven then come to Jesus by faith, believing that He shed His blood to wash your sins away.

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

Tell the Truth

"CRASH" went the glass from the window as it shattered onto the back porch! Keith stared at the broken window.

“I didn't know I could throw a football that far," he thought as he ran up to see the mess he had made. "I guess I shouldn't have thrown it toward the house." The very first time he threw his new football, Keith realized that he was bigger and stronger than the year before. It had been a nice spiral, too, but it went right through the back porch window!

“Dad and Mom are going to be mad at me when they get home," he thought to himself. "I'll probably have to pay for the new window, and I hardly have enough money to buy Mom's birthday present.”

“Maybe, just maybe I don't have to tell them I did it. If they ask me I'll have to tell them, but if they don't ask me, then maybe it won't be like lying.”

Suddenly he remembered what his Sunday school teacher had said just the week before. They had been reading in Acts 5 about Ananias and his wife, Sapphira, and what happened to them when they lied.

“Boys," his teacher had said, "truth is something that we cannot prize too much. There is nothing such as 'a little white lie' in God's sight. Those who are not Christians think nothing of lying about something if it will help them. But the judgment that fell on Ananias and Sapphira shows what God thinks about lying. Yes, boys, a lie is an awful thing and often it is just the beginning of a path of sin. Also, remember that an acted lie is just as bad as a spoken lie. Someday perhaps one of you may be tempted to hide something by keeping silent. In God's sight the sin is the same. When Satan tells you to keep quiet, ask God to help you to tell the truth and to confess your sin. He will help you and give you the strength to do what is right and pleasing to Him.”

Just then Keith's parents drove into the driveway. As Keith ran to the front of the house he silently asked God for help to tell his father just how the accident had happened.

Keith's father immediately saw that something was bothering him. "What's wrong, Keith?" he asked. "You look like you have something to tell me.”

“Yes, Dad, I do," said Keith, and his voice trembled a little as he spoke. "I'm very sorry, but I broke the back porch window.”

"How did it happen?" asked his father.

"I threw my new football toward the house, and it went lots farther than my old football ever went! I wasn't being careful. I'll pay for the new window.”

“That's all right, Son," said his father quietly. "Accidents happen. I'm just glad that you came to tell me right away. I would rather have every window in the house broken than have you try to hide something by lying.”

As they talked more about it, Keith told him how he was tempted not to say anything about the window, and how he had remembered what his Sunday school teacher had said.

“Son," said his father, "I'm happy to see that you've learned a lesson today. It is so easy to be guilty of lying even without opening your mouth. I hope you've learned something else, too. Never trust in your own strength. When you're tempted to do something wrong, ask God for help to do what is right.”

“Deliver my soul, O Lord, from lying lips, and from a deceitful tongue." Psa. 120:2.

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 Cor. 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 Rom. 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.

Kevin's Dangerous Ride

Mrs. Frith said she had never before been so frightened in her life. She was driving slowly along Park Street, just two blocks from her home, when suddenly she saw something speeding down the hill on Linden Street. Even though she tried to stop and swerved up over the curb to miss it, the object was just too close, and she heard the loud thud as it hit her car.

When Mrs. Frith jumped out of her car, she found a bloody-faced boy. He had been riding down the hill flat on his stomach on his skateboard.

The screeching of brakes and loud thud had brought Mrs. Kris running out of her house on the corner. One glance told her what had happened, and she ran back inside to call the police. Mrs. Frith was so thankful as it seemed the police were there almost immediately.

The injured boy kept trying to get up off the grass, insisting that he was not hurt, even though he was covered with blood. When Officer Jim arrived, the boy refused to tell the officer his name, giving such reasons as, "I'm not hurt; my mother isn't home," and "I don't want to go to the hospital." Then the paramedics arrived and there was no more argument—the boy was going to the hospital. So they loaded him into the ambulance, and off they sped to Central Hospital.

Later, Officer Jim came to Mrs. Frith's house to fill her in on some details and to get her report of the accident. The boy had not been seriously injured, Officer Jim assured her. Following x-rays and a good clean-up, he had been sent home. It turned out that he was much more frightened than hurt.

Kevin was 11 years old. Just the day before the accident occurred, he had been stopped by Officer Jim and sternly warned about riding his skateboard down the hill on Linden Street. Officer Jim had written down in his records that he had talked with Kevin. No wonder Kevin was afraid! He knew he had been warned by the officer, and now he not only was hurt, but he was also in serious trouble. Officer Jim told Mrs. Frith he had given Kevin a ticket for disobeying the law.

Have you ever thought of how many times you have been told that you are a sinner—by your parents, at Sunday school and maybe even by Christian friends? How thankful you should be if you have listened to that warning and accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior and know you are safely on your way to heaven. But what if you are like Kevin and are ignoring the warning? In Job 33:14 it says, "God speaketh once, yea twice, yet man perceiveth it not." Has God warned you once... twice... and still you are paying no attention to His warnings?

Kevin did not listen to Officer Jim's warning. God's Word, the Bible, tells us, "Ye must be born again." John 3:7. Have you listened, and obeyed what you have been told by God? Kevin ended up with his name written in Officer Jim's police records, and that was something he did not like. God is keeping records, too, but it is good and it is important that your name be found in His records. "And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire." Rev. 20:15. Accept the Lord Jesus Christ now and your name will be written in His book of life.

Two Brave Firemen

The trouble could not have come at a worse time for the Patterson family. Mr. Patterson was away from the farm. Mrs. Patterson was still on crutches with a broken leg that she had gotten in a car accident a month before. Eleven-year-old David and nine-year-old Gordon were both just getting over the flu, and Judy, their older sister, was working in town.

Suddenly, as David looked out the kitchen window, he saw smoke in the pasture between the barn and the road that passed their farm.

“Mom, look! Something's burning in the pasture!" yelled David.

“What's on fire?" called Mother from the next room as she hobbled out on her crutches.

"Hey, the grass is on fire near the road," cried David, "and it's burning toward the barn! Look at all the smoke! Oh, it's going to burn down the barn!”

“Quick, David, get some buckets from the shed and go get water to throw on the fire!" directed Mrs. Patterson. "You can get water from the trough by the barn. I'll call the fire department.”

“I'm coming, too," yelled Gordon, following his brother out the door.

“Oh, do be careful!" called Mother anxiously as she dialed the fire department. She had never felt so helpless in all her life. Everything they owned was in danger, but with her leg in a cast there was nothing she could do but to call for help.

Each one of us as sinners cannot do anything about our sins. We might be in good health with no broken bones, and work as hard as we can to earn our way to heaven. What do you think the result will be? The Bible plainly tells us, "All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." Rom. 3:23. Each of us is a sinner. We might try to do good things that we think will help us get to heaven. But what does God say about those "good things"? "We are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses [good things] are as filthy rags." Isa. 64:6. There is an answer, though; there is help. Although Mrs. Patterson could not fight the fire herself, there were others she could go to for help. While she was dialing the fire department, her two young "firemen" were fighting the blaze.

The help for sinners is the Lord Jesus Christ. It was He who in His great love for sinners was punished on the cross for the sins of all who would believe in Him. If you realize that you are a helpless sinner, on your way to that awful place called hell, then turn right now to the only Person who can help you. The Lord Jesus says, "Come unto Me." Matt. 11:28. In Isa. 43:11, we read, "I, even I, am the Lord; and beside Me there is no savior." This is the answer for your helpless condition. The Lord Jesus has already done everything that is needed for you to be saved. All you have to do is to accept His offer of freedom from your sins.

Gordon and David grabbed buckets from the shed and filled them from the water trough. They ran to the burning grass closest to the barn and threw the water on the flames. Then they ran back for more water and back again to the fire.

Back and forth they ran, but it looked like they were losing the fight. After all, how could two boys with buckets put out a big brush fire?

“Keep at it, boys!" called their mother. "The fire department is on the way.”

The boys worked harder. At least they were keeping the fire from moving so fast toward the barn, tractors and animals. But it was still creeping closer. They were not going to be able to stop it. The buckets were heavy, and they were getting so tired. Still, they worked as hard as they could.

Just as the fire reached the corner of the barn, a fire engine roared into the driveway. In no time the firemen with their hoses and shovels were working beside them. It was not long until the fire was completely out. They had won—the barn, animals and equipment were saved!

The boys were brave firemen! Do you think their mother was pleased with them? I'm sure she was, and so was their father when he got back and heard all about what they had done.

Yes, David and Gordon had kept back the fire until the firemen got there to put it out. They kept it back, but they could not stop it by themselves. They needed the firemen to do the job.

There is nothing you can do to save yourself from the punishment your sins require. The Lord Jesus Christ is the only One who can wash away those sins and save you from that punishment. He is waiting for you to call for His help. Won't you come to Him right now? Then you can claim this verse for yourself: "God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge." Psa. 62:7.

Help From Above

The station wagon filled with happy youngsters bound for a late-fall outing strained up the mountain curves. "Know what?" exclaimed Bill their Sunday school teacher, "I think I've missed my turn for the lunch spot I had planned. How about the wide place in the road ahead? Anybody hungry?”

The response was a deafening "YES!" City kids, all of them, they rarely came to the beautiful mountain heights, and the car could hardly contain their excitement. No sooner had the wheels stopped than four of the boys, three in their early teen years, burst out into the crisp sunshine, adventure bound.

“Hey, Mickey, look at that neat waterfall down there!" yelled Bud. "Let's go!”

Ignoring the calls to wait, they foolishly plunged down the bank for a closer look. How like some of the boys and girls of today they were, who think only of pleasure for the moment and don't pay attention to warnings. "Live for NOW," they say. "Have your fun and worry later!”

Our boys, skidding recklessly down the steep bank, realized too late that there was a sharp drop below... the bottom being the rocks and icy waters and the "neat" waterfall. Furthermore, it was a long way down. They clawed in vain for something to grab that might stop their plunge. "My whole life— my sins anyway— flashed to my mind, and I really prayed," Bud confided later. Two of the boys managed to slide in a curve, helping to slow themselves, but that was not the case with Mickey and Scott.

The other boys and the leader were still back at the car fixing lunch. They were not aware of the trouble that Mickey, Scott, Bud and Joe had gotten themselves into. It was decided to eat without them.

Not until lunch things were being packed away did Bud and Joe appear. White-faced and solemn, they reported their fall. "Mickey," they said, "can't seem to walk, and Scott is groggy, but maybe a sandwich might help...”

It was then that our friend in charge looked over the bank and gasped, "I think I'd better find a phone and call the closest fire department. There's no way I could go down there!”

The fire department soon arrived. Excited but relieved, the boys thought the problem was solved. However, the firemen soon came back up. "The one boy has a broken leg, and it's too steep for us to bring him out. We'll just have to lift him from above," was the fireman's serious report.

They radioed for a "chopper.”

The troop of boys and their leader grouped together for prayer. Scott was okay, but they were all pretty worried about Mickey. Bill knew they could ask the Lord Jesus for His help in this serious trouble.

Again we are reminded of those who carelessly rush after sinful pleasures... until perhaps they run into serious trouble. Maybe they make some promises to God and try to be "good" for a while, but then soon forget them. We sinners are helpless to get free from Satan's grasp by our own power. No, help must come from above. How good it is to read in the Bible that God's ears are open unto our cries for mercy. "God be merciful to me a sinner." Luke 18:13. "When we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly." Rom. 5:6.

God, looking down, saw our desperate need and sent His own beloved Son to lift us from the pit of sin. Just as the helicopter later carefully lifted our hurt friend Mickey from the dangerous rocks, our blessed Savior made Himself fully responsible to lift us up and away from Satan's grasp. He did this by taking the punishment for our guilty sins upon His own pure self and enduring God's wrath against them. Therefore, the saved sinner can say, "He brought me up also out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay." Psa. 40:2.

Are you on that fatal slide to the pit of hell, or have you taken the lifeline from above—Jesus, the Son of God?

The Stolen Fork

Richard was ten years old. He and his brothers loved to go with Dad and Mom to the Automat, a restaurant where almost all the food was displayed in shiny coin-operated dispensers. First they would go to the cashier and exchange dollar bills for nickels, dimes and quarters. Then each one would choose a tasty beef or chicken potpie or a plate of franks and beans, put the right coins in the slot, open the glass window, remove the food, and put it on his tray. Drinks like milk or chocolate milk came out of a faucet or spigot shaped like a lion's mouth. When each in the family had their meal, they would find a table and Dad would thank the Lord Jesus for their food. Then the boys would dig in to the feast.

The knives, forks and spoons were plain metal, but of good quality. Each one was stamped with the words, "Horn and Hardart," who were the people owning all the Automats in New York and Philadelphia.

Imagine how Mom felt one day when she was emptying Richard's pockets before putting his pants in the wash and out fell a shiny fork with "Horn and Hardart" on it. She felt sorry that Richard had taken the fork, but she did not say anything to him about it until Dad came home and they could talk it over together.

Dad and Mom showed Richard the fork and asked him how he got it. With the evidence right in front of his eyes, how could he deny that he had stolen the fork from the Automat? Richard was ashamed. Almost at once he confessed what he had done. Dad told him it was stealing and needed to be confessed to God. Richard knelt by the living-room couch and confessed to God the sin of stealing. He expected a spanking from Dad, but this time Dad did something different. He made Richard take the fork back to the manager of the Automat.

“Aw, Dad," Richard pleaded, "can't I just put it back in the tray with all the other forks? I don't want the manager to know I stole it.”

“No," answered Dad. "You must take it to the manager and tell him you took it.”

Richard's wise father then went with him and stood next to him while he told the manager what he had done. And the equally wise manager did not make light of what Richard had done. He explained that every year many forks, spoons and knives disappear from Automats, costing the company thousands of dollars. Then, to Richard's relief, the manager forgave him and thanked him for bringing the fork back.

Richard now is a grandfather, but he never forgot the lesson he learned at the Automat.

Boys and girls, God says, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." 1 John 1:9. Jesus died on the cross of Calvary to pay the penalty for the sins of all those who would receive Him as their own Savior.

Does this include you?

Chico's Witness

"Shine, mista?" beamed Chico as he stopped in front of the businessman with scruffy-looking shoes who was absorbed in reading a newspaper. The cabin of the Staten Island ferry was crowded this cold morning. It was early November, and a sharp wind kept most of the rush-hour passengers from strolling on the open decks during the 20-minute ride to downtown New York.

“Why not?" answered the businessman. He placed his right shoe on Chico's shoeshine box and went back to reading his paper. Chico worked quickly and whistled a happy tune as his brush and rag kept time to the music.

“What are you so happy about?" grumbled the businessman, looking over the top of his paper.

Chico flashed a broad, toothy smile and tapped the businessman's left foot to indicate he was ready for the other shoe. While the businessman changed shoes on the shoeshine box, Chico prayed for courage to speak a word for his Savior.

“Mista, you'd be happy too if you knew Jesus as your Savior. Ya know, a few months ago I was headed for real trouble. I was runnin' around with a gang who were stealin' and fightin' most of the time. My mom was at work all day, my dad's in jail, and my grandma's almost blind, so I came and went as I pleased.

One day some of us went into a store-front meetin' to make trouble. We started cursings' as loud as we could, but the preacher just asked everyone to sing a hymn, 'Christ is the Savior of Sinners.' As they sang, the other guys all left. Somehow, I felt glued to my seat. Every time they sang the chorus, 'Savior of sinners, Savior of sinners like me, Shedding His blood for my ransom, This is the Savior for me,' I felt like I wanted to know more about this Savior. I sat through the whole meetin', and at the end I just sat there with my head down, wishin' for all the world I could say I had a Savior like Him. I guess the preacher saw me, because he came down and put his hand on my shoulder and asked me if I wanted to have peace and joy and know for sure that my sins were forgiven. I said, `You bet I do!'

“Well, mista," Chico continued as he put the finishing touches to the second shoe, "that preacher explained it all to me, and I got down on my knees right there in that meetin' place and accepted Jesus as my Savior... and I've been full of joy and peace ever since then. My old gang think I'm nuts, but they know somethin' has happened to me. And it can happen to you, too, mista, if you'll ask Jesus to be your Savior.

“That'll be a buck 50," he said, tapping the businessman's foot to indicate the shine was finished.

“Here, keep the change," said the businessman, handing Chico two dollars. He tucked his paper under his arm, picked up his briefcase and headed out to the windswept deck, as Chico moved to his next customer.

Here we must leave the businessman with his thoughts and alone with God. But what about you? Do you know Chico's Savior?

“The Son of man came... to give His life a ransom for many." Matt. 20:28.

“This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners." 1 Tim. 1:15.

Ryan's Friend

Ryan sat on the front steps of his home petting Lady, his dog, thinking sadly of how she was the only friend he had in this town. Since moving from the city, he had never really made friends with any of the boys at school.

It was then that he noticed some boys about his age running down the street. In a few minutes a boy he recognized from school, named Kevin, came running by. Seeing Ryan sitting on the steps he stopped and called, "Hi, Ryan. How come you're staying at home on a day off school?”

Ryan shrugged his shoulders, then answered, "Nothin' better to do." Kevin was smart and popular, and Ryan thought he'd sure like to have him for a friend.

“Why don't you come with us? Scott, Chuck, Todd and me are goin' out to Cairn Creek.... It'll be fun.”

“Wait and I'll ask my mom," he answered excitedly.

Ryan was overjoyed when his mom said, "Yes." While she quickly packed him a lunch she said, "Ryan, I know that you want to make friends here, but don't forget the 'Friend that sticketh closer than a brother.' Don't do anything that would not please Him.”

Kevin and Ryan had to hurry to catch up to the other three boys, who seemed a little surprised to see Ryan. But since he came with Kevin, they didn't say anything.

The morning passed quickly because they were having fun. About lunch time Scott said, "Hey, you guys, it's time to make that raid for our lunch.”

“Let's send Ryan," said Chuck. They all thought that was a good idea, so Ryan was told to go to Mr. Wilson's orchard and pick ten apples.

Ryan looked around the group. "Hey, did he say we could have the apples?" he asked.

“Did he say we could have them? How could he when he doesn't even know?" laughed Chuck.

“Do you think ol' Wilson would give anything away?" sneered Todd. "Just go and help yourself.”

“Not me," said Ryan firmly.

"Hey, don't be afraid. We'll be your lookouts," encouraged Scott.

Ryan was silent for a moment. He belonged to the Lord Jesus, and he knew that stealing was wrong... and yet he did want friends, too. But Jesus was the best Friend he could ever have, and so he silently asked, "Lord Jesus, help me.”

“I'm not goin'," he said flatly. "That's stealing, and I'm not stealing for anyone. I belong to Jesus.”

“Aw, common," said Kevin, "he'll never miss a few apples.”

Ryan shook his head. "Those apples don't mean much to you, but they still don't belong to us. If we take some, it's stealing—just like stealing money. I wouldn't take Mr. Wilson's money, would you?”

Ryan picked up his lunch and headed back to the road. He felt sad at losing his new friends, but then he thought of Jesus, the "Friend that sticketh closer than a brother." The Lord Jesus wouldn't leave him!

He hadn't gotten to the road when he heard someone running up behind him. "Hey, Ry, wait up." It was Kevin calling him.

“Ry, what you say is right," he puffed. "I never thought about it like that. It didn't seem wrong to take apples, but I know it's not right to steal!”

Kevin and Ryan became good friends. But better than that, Kevin soon learned about Jesus and His love and asked Him to be his Savior, and together the two boys tried to please Him in everything they did.

Best of all, how happy the Lord must have been to see this loyalty in His young believer! And what a reward Ryan got in winning Kevin, not only as his friend, but also to the Lord Jesus.

May this story help each one of us always to remember: "Thou God seest me." Gen. 16:13. "A true witness delivereth souls." Prov. 14:25. "The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe." Prov. 29:25.

Treasure”

It was such a sad day for Steve. His dad had just told him that because of his sister's allergies they could not have any dogs in the house. Steve loved his dog very much... and now she had four newborn puppies that he loved, too. But Steve knew that he had to obey his dad, so he would have to find a new home for the dogs.

The next morning Steve placed the puppies and their mother in a basket in his wagon and walked down to the animal clinic. He waited at the door until Carol, the lady who worked there, drove up. By then he was crying with big tears running down his face. The minute Steve saw Carol coming to unlock the door, he ordered his dog not to follow him, and then he ran off down the sidewalk.

On the doorstep Carol found a yellow plastic laundry basket. Inside, wrapped in an old blanket was a small black dog with shaggy hair and a turned-up nose. Snuggled against her were four newborn puppies. Tucked inside the basket Carol found this note:

Dear new dog owner,

Please take good care of the dogs that

Are hear. There are 4 pups and the mother.

She is very loving and smart. She will eat any

Dog food that you give her. She will tell you

By growling and scratching on the door if

she wonts out. She has no name so you

can name her. I don’t want to do this but my

dad can’t stand a dog in the house. I wont

to tell you something else. I still love that

dog. She loves me. Please give her lot of

love.

thank you.

yours truly,

sad little boy that

lost his best dog.

Steve was completely helpless. He could not do anything to keep his dog even though he loved her very much. How different is the love of the Lord Jesus for us. By His death on the cross, He is able to save us from our sins if we will just ask Him. And then He will be with us all through our lives. "Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth." Psa. 124:8. Then in Psa. 46:1, God tells us He will be "a very present help in trouble." How good to know that His love for those of us who know Him as our Savior goes on forever. "I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee." Heb. 13:5.

The animal clinic did find new owners for the dogs. After reading Steve's note the new owner is calling the mother "Treasure." What an interesting name to give a dog. "Treasure" makes us think of something we really love and value. I'm sure Steve was very happy to know that the new owner loved his dog enough to name her "Treasure.”

The Lord Jesus loves each one of us so very much that in Mal. 3:17, He calls us jewels, or special treasure. Are you one of His treasures?

Little children, little children
Who love their Redeemer,
Are the jewels, precious jewels,
His loved and His own.

Conkers and Conquerors

Have any of you boys ever played the game "conkers"? It is an old game that your fathers and grandfathers may have played. Your grandfather probably played it with chestnuts. But it can also be played with any kind of a nut—walnut, almond, or even a buckeye or a horse chestnut.

To play the game you look for the biggest, hardest nut you can find. Then you drill a small hole through it, pass a string through the hole, and tie a knot at the end so that the nut doesn't slip off. The string should be about two-feet long and is used to swing the nut. The object of the game is to hit someone else's nut a good "conk" to see if you can break it. If you can, then your "conker" is the winner.

Freddy loved to play conkers. He was always looking for the biggest, strongest horse chestnut he could find. He had one old "champ" which had won many games of conkers. He always carried that one with him, especially when he went to school.

One day during class, Freddy was thinking about conkers. He was a Christian and knew he should have been paying attention to what the teacher was saying, but he wasn't. Instead, every chance he got, when the teacher wasn't looking, he was challenging all the boys within whispering distance to a battle of conkers after school.

A knock on the door and a message was delivered to their teacher, Mr. Parker, asking him to come to the office for a few minutes. As he left he instructed the class to continue working on their math problems until he came back.

The door had barely closed behind Mr. Parker before a dozen conkers were taken out of a dozen pockets, all on strings, ready for action.

Whack, whack, crack! Freddy's "champ" was still undefeated, and pieces of chestnuts soon were flying all over the room.

“Psssst!" someone warned. Conkers and strings disappeared into pockets, and a dive was made for the broken pieces. Then all heads were bent over math books again as Mr. Parker walked back in.

Walking up to the front of the room, Mr. Parker noticed a broken horse chestnut on the floor that had not been picked up. Looking around the class, he asked, "Did any of you play conkers while I was gone? You all know there is a school rule that doesn't allow that game to be played at school, inside or out. It can be a dangerous game, because flying pieces of nuts can easily put out someone's eye.”

Freddy had not thought about that before. They really did swing their conkers hard. Sometimes they would get hit on the hand, and he knew how that stung. But he never thought about getting hit in the eye.

No one answered the teacher's question; everyone just kept quiet.

Freddy was fighting a battle inside. He knew that it was wrong not to admit that he had been playing. But he also knew what the other boys would think, and he didn't want to "squeal" on them either. Freddy had become a Christian when he made the decision to follow Jesus and had accepted Him as his Savior. The battle that was going on inside of him was between "old Freddy" who said, "Don't admit anything," and "new Freddy" who said, "Keeping quiet is the same as telling a lie." Every Christian has been through this battle between their "old nature,” which Satan rules, and their "new nature" which God rules. The "old nature," tells us to forget about God and His Son, the Lord Jesus, and what pleases Him, and the "new nature," which each person receives the moment he becomes a Christian, tells us to do what is right and honest and would please God.

Satan had won when he had gotten Freddy not to pay attention in class. And, as usually happens, one sin leads to another—Satan had a second victory when Freddy played conkers during school, breaking the rule. Now Satan was trying for a third victory by making him want to tell a lie.

Mr. Parker had been a schoolboy himself once. They weren't fooling him. Without saying another word he went to the blackboard and wrote:

conker

conquer

conqueror

Then turning around, he asked, "Are any of you going to let yourself be beaten by a little chestnut?”

Freddy knew what Mr. Parker meant... was a chestnut going to make him tell a lie? He knew deep inside that all the games he had won with his champion conker were not worth disobeying God by not telling the truth. He would probably lose his "champ," but he didn't want to tell a lie by keeping quiet.

“Mr. Parker," he said, raising his hand and at the same time feeling his face turning red, "I played with my conker while you were gone.”

“Bring me your conker, Fred" Mr. Parker said firmly.

Freddy sadly obeyed, handing over his "champ" with its string.

“Thank you," said the teacher, "Okay, boys, the game of conkers is not played by only one person. Some of you other boys were also playing in here this afternoon, but none of you have the courage to admit it. All the boys in this class, except Fred, will get extra homework tonight!”

Even though Freddy knew he was going to "hear it" from the other boys, he was relieved that he had spoken up, not only because he wouldn't have extra homework, but mostly because he had told the truth. He had obeyed his "new nature" and had been honest.

How happy you will be if you admit to God that you are a sinner, and ask Him to save you from your sins. He has said in the Bible: "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." Rom. 10:9. God has provided a way for each of us to be saved from our sins. Freddy had accepted that way, and God had helped him win his battle.

You can have that help too, if you accept the Lord Jesus as your Savior. But even more important, you will know that your sins are forgiven, and that you are on your way to heaven.

“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me: and I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish." John 10:27, 28.

No Talking in Class”

Aaron was excited to receive an invitation to Mark's birthday party. In just a few days he and some of the other boys in Miss Wilson's third-grade class were invited to go to Mark's house after school for a game of football and cake and ice cream.

When Mark's birthday finally came it seemed as if the arithmetic, reading, spelling and other lessons would never end. The boys were more interested in whispering about the fun planned for after school.

One of Miss Wilson's schoolroom rules was, "No talking in class." One penalty for breaking the rule was to be kept after school. This was called a detention.

When the bell rang at 3:30 to dismiss school that afternoon, Aaron could only watch the group of boys walk down Glenmont Avenue to Mark's house. He couldn't go with them because he had to stay after school. In his excitement he had disobeyed the "No talking in class" rule and was serving his detention.

God's penalty for sin is far more severe— "The soul that sinneth, it shall die." Ezek. 18:20. The Bible tells us that "all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." Rom. 3:23. The Lord Jesus is coming soon to take all the boys and girls and men and women whose sins have been washed away, to be with Himself. If you, a sinner, have never had your sins washed away by the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, you will be left behind.

Miss Wilson was kind and let Aaron go after about 15 minutes. He ran the whole way to Mark's house, getting there a little late, but in time for most of the birthday party. The football game had just started.

Accept the Lord Jesus right now so you won't be left behind when He comes again. "The Lord... is long-suffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." 2 Peter 3:9. He loves you and is still waiting for you now, but He is coming very soon— maybe even today. After He comes for His own, you will have no more opportunity to be saved. Being a "little late" then will not be acceptable. Be sure that the Lord Jesus is your Savior right now, so you won't be left behind. There will be no second chance to be saved, as Aaron had to go to Mark's birthday party.

“Now is the accepted time... now is the day of salvation." 2 Cor. 6:2.

Found Out

Carl and Benny were good friends and had lots of fun together. It seemed that when one was being good or doing something nice, so was the other one. But the opposite was also true that when one got into trouble, the other one got into trouble with him.

One day the two boys went to the shoe-repair shop so Carl could get new rubber heels put on his shoes. They waited while Mr. Brown, the shoe repairman, put on the new heels. On the way home Benny told Carl he had discovered something while they were waiting.

“There's a peach tree in back of that shop, and it has ripe peaches on it. Let's sneak over and get some.”

“That wouldn't be right," Carl told Benny, but his mouth watered when he thought about the peaches. "That would be stealing, wouldn't it?”

“Oh, we won't take very many," answered Benny, "just enough for the two of us to eat. I've got a basket just the right size. Let's go over there tonight and take just a few of them. Nobody will ever miss them.”

“But what if we get caught? They'll put us in jail!" Carl said, worried.

Benny laughed. "Oh, we won't get caught. Don't worry about that. Anyway, they won't put us in jail for taking a few peaches.”

That night after it was dark, Carl and Benny crept through the tall grass near the tree and reached it without being seen. Carl held the basket while Benny picked the peaches one from this branch and one from another branch.

“This way," he whispered to Carl, "no one will miss them.”

As soon as the basket was full they crept back though the grass and then ran to Carl's barn. They planned to hide the peaches there and eat them in the next few days.

By the time they reached the barn Carl was fighting a battle inside. He was pretty sure no one had seen them, but even that did not seem to help him.

“Benny, we are thieves!" he said shaking his head.

"Hey, nobody saw us," Benny resisted.

"That doesn't matter. We know what we did. Just because no one else knows about it doesn't make any difference. We are still thieves!" Carl insisted.

The two boys argued for some time about it until Benny finally asked, "So what are you gonna do about it? If I'm a thief, so are you.”

“I'm returning my half of the peaches tomorrow," answered Carl. "I don't want to have this awful feeling all the time. I'll tell Mr. Brown that I took them.”

Benny called Carl a quitter, and they went home mad at each other.

The next morning Carl put half of the peaches in a bag and slowly walked back to the shoe-repair shop.

“Hello, young man," Mr. Brown said cheerfully as Carl entered the shop. "What can I do for you today?”

"I have some peaches here...”

"Well, well," Mr. Brown interrupted, "so you brought back part of the peaches you took last night. Where's Benny with his peaches?”

Carl's mouth opened in surprise! "Who told you?" he finally managed to ask.

“Something that can't talk," Mr. Brown said. "Come with me and I'll show you.”

Out under the peach tree Mr. Brown kneeled down and pointed to some footprints in the soft dirt. "You know those new heels I put on your shoes yesterday? I put the very same kind on Benny's shoes last week. They were the only two pairs of that kind that I had left. Look, they fit exactly into the prints in the dirt. As soon as I saw these footprints this morning, I checked the tree and could see that some peaches had been taken, and I knew who had taken them. I'm glad you brought them back, Carl. Go find Benny and bring him here. I have something to say to both of you.”

As Carl ran to find Benny he was thankful he had gone back to Mr. Brown. He had no trouble finding Benny, and they went back to Mr. Brown's together.

“Boys, I could have reported both of you either to the police or to your parents, but I decided not to. Instead, I want to talk to you about what really made you take my peaches.”

Mr. Brown, who loved the Lord Jesus, explained to the boys that all of us are sinners, and that we all commit sins. The Bible tells us that "all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." Rom. 3:23. Since each of us is a sinner, we need the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior. He is the only One who can save us from the punishment our sins deserve. Mr. Brown explained that they must come to God, admitting they are sinners, and accept the Lord Jesus as the One who died for their sins on the cross and shed His blood as payment for them. He told them how much God loved them and wanted them to be saved. They also heard that "as many as received Him [Jesus Christ], to them gave He power [authority] to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name." John 1:12.

Boys and girls, have you realized that "your sin will find you out"? Num. 32:23. You cannot do wrong and get away with it, as Benny thought. God sees everything we do, and sooner or later we will have to pay for our sins. Have you admitted that you are a sinner and cannot please God, and that you need the Lord Jesus to save you from sin and punishment? Why not come to Him and confess your sins and ask Him to be your Savior.

“Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap." Gal. 6:7.

“For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the Just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God." 1 Peter 3:18.

Follow the Leader”

"Follow the leader!" yelled Jim. He and his friends took off running across the field. Jim, Bill and Greg were good friends and were together almost all the time. From morning until evening during the summer, they played ball and lots of other things that boys 10, 11 and 12 years old can find to do. But the best thing of all about these three friends was that they all belonged to the Lord Jesus. Each boy had accepted Him as his own Savior.

However, as of yesterday their "gang" had grown from three to four. Wayne was the new boy. They had watched Wayne's family move into the red house at the end of their street. Although kind of shy at first, Wayne was glad to find some boys his own age to play with.

Across the field, over the pasture fences, a running jump over Pebble Creek, they followed Jim. It was lots of fun! Up the hill and through the woods they trailed, never stopping to catch their breath. Sometimes they jumped over fallen logs, sometimes they crawled under branches, then down narrow trails and across mounds of rocks, but they were always running.

Wayne saw for the first time that they were running near a small river. As they climbed a hill, he could hear the sound of rushing water. They came out of the woods into a clearing, and there was the top of a waterfall! The river flowed over a rock cliff and fell 30 feet to the rocks at the bottom. It was so pretty that Wayne stopped to look. As he stood observing the falls and rushing river, he suddenly realized that the rest of the boys were already on the other side. He wondered how they had gotten over there. It didn't take him long to find their "bridge." It was an old board about eight inches wide. He could see that if he wanted to get to the other side, their "bridge" was the only way to cross. He guessed that Jim and the other boys had used it lots of times, but he was not too sure he wanted to use it.

Wayne looked down at the water splashing on the rocks below. A cold shiver ran up and down his back. His new friends were waiting for him to cross over. If he refused to follow, they might think he was a sissy. Looking down at the rocks again, he almost didn't care what they thought. He wasn't sure he wanted to cross that skinny-looking board.

“Come on!" called Jim. "It's okay. The board is good and strong. Just don't look down at the waterfall and the rocks—keep your eye on the board. You can trust it...it held us.”

Wayne hesitated as he took his first step. He was scared. And then it was just a few more quick steps and he was over. "Safe!" he sighed out loud.

Just a little farther the boys stopped for a rest by the river. They pulled off their shoes and stuck their feet in the cool water. Boy, did that feel good! They talked about the bridge and how scared each of them had been the first time they went over it. Jim, who was the oldest, said that it reminded him of how Jesus had saved him. Jim wasn't afraid to talk about Jesus to kids younger than himself.

“There was a big gap between God and me," he explained, "because I was a sinner and He is holy. But Jesus, God's Son, came and stood between us, just like that board is between the two cliffs. The board is the only way to get across the river. Jesus is the only way that we can cross over to heaven. There's no way we can get there by ourselves, because our sins are in the way. We have to trust Jesus to take our sins away. He is our 'bridge.'”

Wayne seemed interested and asked a few questions. Jim went on to explain, with Bill and Greg adding a little, that "God cannot accept us with our sins. He loves us so much that He sent the Lord Jesus into this world. On Calvary's cross Jesus took all God's punishment for the sins of anyone who will believe on Him. If we believe that He died for our sins, then we are saved. I am just as sure about going to heaven as you were, Wayne, when you said 'safe!' after you got across the board.”

Wayne had never heard anything like that before. It seemed to make sense, but he just wasn't sure. He thought about what Jim had said, for a couple of weeks. He watched Jim and listened to him and the others as they played. He had never met boys like them before.

Jim invited Wayne to go to Sunday school with him. Wayne wanted to go, but his parents would not let him. Now, three weeks later, they finally said he could go.

At Sunday school he heard the story of God's love again, just as he had heard it from Jim and the other boys. Hearing the story of God's love, and understanding that he was a sinner, he accepted the Lord Jesus as his Savior, too.

He said to Jim on the way home, "I'm trusting Jesus just like I trusted that board to hold me. He's my Savior now, too.”

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

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