JESUS & SALVATION
INCLUDES: Eternal Security, Hell, Resurrection.
RELATED INDEX TOPICS: God, Love of God, Communion with God, Testimonies of Faith.
1. At the close of a Gospel service an intelligent-looking man came to the minister & said, "I do not see any necessity for the Blood of Christ in my salvation. I can be saved without believing in His shed Blood."
"Very well, said the minister, "how then do you propose to be saved?"
"By following His example," was the answer. "That is enough for any man."
"I suppose it is," said the minister. "And you propose to do just that in your life?"
"I do, and I am sure that that is enough."
"Very well. I am sure that you want to begin right. The Word of God tells us how to do that. I read here concerning Christ, 'Who did no sin, neither was guile found in His mouth.' I suppose that you can say that of yourself, too?" (1Pet.2:22).
The man became visibly embarrassed. "Well," he said, "I cannot say that exactly. I have sometimes sinned."
"In that case you do not need an example, but a Saviour; and the only way of salvation is by His shed Blood."
2. A preacher was speaking from the text, "The blood of Jesus Christ his Son Cleanseth us from all sin."
Suddenly he was interrupted by an atheist who asked, "How can blood cleanse sin?"
For a moment the preacher was silent; then he countered, "How can water quench thirst?"
"I do not know," replied the infidel, "but I know that it does."
"Neither do I know how the blood of Jesus cleanses sin," answered the preacher, "but I know that it does."
3. Holman Hunt painted the picture "Christ the Light of the World." It is a painting of Christ in a garden at midnight, holding a lantern in His left hand. With His right hand He is knocking on a heavily panelled door. When the painting was unveiled, several critics were present. One critic detected what he thought was lacking, namely, a knob on the door. He said, "You haven't finished your work."
"It is finished," said the artist.
"But there is no knob on the door," protested the critic.
"Ah!" said the artist, "that is the door to the human heart. It can be opened only from the inside!"
4. Dr. Bernardo, the great friend of friendless children, told a story of how a dirty ragged urchin hailed him in the street one day, with the request that he might be taken into one of Bernardo's Homes.
"I know nothing about you, my lad," said the Doctor. "What have you to recommend you?"
"I thought these would be enough," said the little chap, pointing to his rags.
Dr. Bernardo gathered him up in his arms & took him in.
5. You simply can't put your sins behind you until you face them.
6. Renan, the Frenchman, said, "In Jesus is condensed all that is good & exalted in nature."
Thomas Paine, the infidel said, "The morality that He preached has not been exceeded by any."
Rousseau stated, "If the life & death of Socrates were those of a martyr, the life & death of Jesus Christ were those of a God."
The Jew, Disraeli, acknowledged the fact that, "Jesus has conquered Europe & has changed its name to Christendom."
Thomas Jefferson, said, "Jesus Christ has given to us the most sublime & benevolent code of morals ever offered to man."
The great theologian & Biblical critic, David Strauss, said, "Jesus remains the highest model of religion within the reach of our thoughts. No perfect piety is possible without His presence in the heart."
7. Why is He silent when a word,
Would slay His accusers all?
Why does He meekly bear their taunts,
When Angels wait His call?
"He was made sin," my sin He bore
Upon the accursed tree,
And sin hath no defense to make,
His silence was for me!
8. If there is no repentance, there can be no pardon. Some years ago a murderer was sentenced to death. The murderer's brother, to whom the State was deeply indebted for former services, besought the governor of the State for his brother's pardon. The pardon was granted, & the man visited his brother with the pardon in his pocket. "What would you do," he said to him, "if you received a pardon?"
"The first thing I would do," he answered, "is to track down the judge who sentenced me, & murder him; & the next thing I would do is to track down the chief witness, & murder him."
The brother rose, & left the prison with the pardon in his pocket.
9. A Scottsman, while walking the streets of Johannesburg, South Africa, happened to glance in the gutter, & saw a piece of paper on which was written in large letters: "Five thousand pounds reward!" Moved with curiosity & a desire for the reward, he stooped down & retrieved the paper. It turned out to be a four-page Gospel tract. On opening it he read: "Five thousand pounds will be paid to the person or persons who can answer the following question: 'How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation?'" Needless to say, the reward remains unclaimed unto this day! (Heb.2:3)
10. He who provides for this life, but makes no provision for eternity, is wise for a moment, but a fool forever.
11. It pleases the Father that all fullness should be in Christ; therefore there is nothing but emptiness anywhere else.
12. A cloud over the sun makes no change in the body of the sun; so, though the divine nature be covered with the human, it makes no change in the divine nature.
13. Between Jesus & whomsoever else in the World there is no possible comparison.
14. In His life Christ is an example showing us how to live; in His death, He is a sacrifice satisfying for our sins; in His resurrection, a Conqueror; in His ascension, a King; in His intercession, a High Priest.
15. Salvation does not come from assent of the head but by the consent of the heart.
16. While presenting the Gospel on the street of a California city, we were often interrupted about as follows: "Look here, sir! There are hundreds of religions in this country, & the followers of each sect think theirs the only right one. How can poor plain men like us find out what really is the truth?"
We generally replied something like this: "Hundreds of religions, you say? That's strange; I've heard of only two."
"Oh, but you surely know there are more than that?"
"Not at all, sir. I find, I admit, many shades of difference in the opinions of those comprising the two great schools; but after all there are but two. The one covers all who expect salvation by doing; the other, all who have been saved by something done. So you see the whole question is very simple. Can you save yourself, or must you be saved by another? If you can be your own savior, you do not need my message. If you cannot, you may well listen to it."
17. An old preacher, who was preaching on a village green in England, had lived on the American prairies. He described the way the Indians saved their wigwams from a prairie fire by setting fire to the dry grass adjoining the settlement. "The fire cannot come," he cried, "where the fire has already been."
"That is why I call you to the Cross of Christ," he continued. "Judgement has already fallen & can never come again. He who takes his stand at the Cross is safe evermore. He can never come into condemnation, he is in God's safety zone."
18. When God was about to create Man, says a Jewish legend, He took into His counsel the Angels that stood about His throne.
"Create him not," said the Angel of Justice, "for if Thou dost he will commit all kinds of wickedness against his fellow men; he will be hard & cruel & dishonest & unrighteous."
"Create him not," said the Angel of Truth, "for he will be false & deceitful to his brother-man, & even to Thee."
"Create him not," said the Angel of Holiness, "he will follow that which is impure in Thy sight, & dishonour Thee to Thy face."
Then stepped forward the Angel of Mercy (God's best beloved) & said: "Create him, our Heavenly Father, for when he sins & turns from the path of right & truth & holiness I will take him tenderly by the hand, & speak loving words to him, & then lead him back to Thee."
19. When I was in England, during one of the conferences, a woman told me she was once awakened by a very strange noise of pecking, or something of the kind. When she got up, she saw a butterfly flying back & forth inside the window pane in a great fright, & outside a sparrow pecking & trying to get in. The butterfly did not see the glass, & expected every minute to be caught, & the sparrow did not see the glass, & expected every minute to get the butterfly. Yet all the while that butterfly was as safe as if it had been millions of miles away, because of the glass between it & the sparrow. So it is with a Christian. Satan cannot touch the soul that has the Lord Jesus Christ between itself & him.
20. A Negro, carrying a bag of potatoes on his back, was asked by a skeptic: "How do you know you are saved?"
The Negro took a few steps & then dropped the bag. Then he said:
"How do I know I have dropped the bag? I have not looked around."
"No," replied the man. "You can tell by the lessening of the weight."
"Yes," went on the Negro, "that is how I know I am saved. I have lost the guilty feeling of sin & sorrow & have found peace & satisfaction in my Lord & Saviour."
21. A many may go to Heaven without health, without honours, without learning, without friends; but he can never get to Heaven without Christ.
22. A missionary in India spoke near a fountain on the subject; "Jesus, the Water of Life."
A Moslem interrupted, "Your religion is like this little stream of water, but Islam is like a great ocean!"
"Yes," said the missionary, "but there is this difference: When men drink ocean water they die of thirst. When they drink the water of life which Christ gives they live forever!"
23. Outside the Bible, there are several secular writers who make mention of the Lord Jesus Christ:
Tacitus--in Book XV, Ch.44--writing in A.D.114, tells us that the founder of the Christian religion, Jesus Christ, was put to death by Pontius Pilate in the reign of the Roman Emperor, Tiberius.
Pliny the Younger wrote a letter to the Emperor Trajan on the subject of Christ & Christians (Book X-96).
Josephus, the Jewish historian, in A.D.90, has a short biographical note on Jesus Who is called Christ in his "Antiquities"--Book XVIII, Ch.III, Section 3.
The "Babylonian Talmud" makes mention of Jesus Christ.
24. "Socrates taught for 40 years, Plato for 50, Aristotle for 40, & Jesus for only 3. Yet the influence of Christ's 3-year ministry infinitely transcends the impact left by the combined 130 years of teaching from these men who were among the greatest philosophers of all antiquity. Jesus painted no pictures; yet, some of the finest paintings of Raphael, Michelangelo, & Leonardo da Vinci received their inspiration from Him.
Jesus wrote no poetry; but Dante, Milton, & scores of the world's greatest poets were inspired by Him. Jesus composed no music; still Haydn, Handel, Beethoven, Bach, & Mendelssohn reached their highest perfection of melody in the hymns, symphonies, & oratories they composed in His praise. Every sphere of human greatness has been enriched by this humble Carpenter of Nazareth.
25. In infancy He startled a king; in boyhood He puzzled the doctors, in manhood He walked upon the billows & hushed the sea to sleep. He healed the multitudes without medicine & made no charge for His services. He never wrote a book, yet not all the libraries of the country could hold the books that could be written about Him. He never wrote a song, yet He has furnished the theme of more songs than all song writers combined. He never founded a college, yet all the schools together cannot boast of as many students as He has. Great men have come & gone, yet He lives on. Death could not destroy Him, the grave could not hold Him.
26. An African in a jungle village was one of a crowd listening to a missionary tell of Jesus Christ, His matchless personality & sacrificial life of service. The African could not contain his joy. Breaking in on the missionary's message, he cried: "I always knew there ought to be a God like that, but never before did I know His Name!"
27. Faith hath two hands; with one it pulls off its own righteousness & throws it away ... with the other it puts on Christ's.
28. Two men, the one a foreman, the other, one of the carpenters under him, were standing on the deck of a steamship then on the stocks, in one of the shipbuilding yards on the Clyde. "Well, S.," said the foreman, "I have been anxious to have a conversation with you. I'm told you are one of those people who say they know for certain that they are saved. Is that true?"
"Yes," said S., "quite true; thank God, I know I'm saved; in fact, there is nothing I'm more sure of, than that I'm saved."
"Well, now," said the foreman, "that is something I cannot see through, how any man can say that he is saved as long as he is in this World. I think it is rather presumptuous for anyone to say so ..."
"Well," said S., "there is a reality in being saved, in being a child of God, & in knowing it. What is the breadth of this waterway?"
The foreman, astonished at the apparent sudden change in the conversation, said, "Why, fourteen inches all around, to be sure; what makes you ask that, when you know?"
"But are you quite sure that it is to be fourteen inches?"
"Certainly."
"But what makes you so sure?"
"Why, I'm going by the book," &, as he said so, he pulled a book out of his pocket, in which were marked the sizes & position of the various things on the deck. "I'm sure it is fourteen inches, for it is here in the book, & I got the book from headquarters."
"Oh! I see," said S., "now look here; that is exactly how I know I'm saved. I'm just going by the Book. It came from Headquarters--it is God's Word."
29. The following story came direct to us from the Rev. Mr. Cunningham of South China: One day a well-dressed, intelligent-looking man came to the Street Chapel. He sat & listened well for some time, then left. This was repeated three consecutive days. Then he rose & addressed the missionary, saying: "I have heard you speak three times & you always have the same text. Why don't you change it?"
Mr. Cunningham, somewhat surprised, asked, "What text?"
"Jesus Christ," was the reply.
After a moment's silence the missionary replied: "Sir, before answering your question, may I ask you: 'What had you for dinner today?'"
"Rice," replied the man.
"What food had you yesterday?"
Again came--"Rice."
"And what do you expect to eat in the future," the missionary asked.
"Rice, of course. Rice gives me strength. I could not do without it. Sir, it is--," he hesitated as if for a strong word--"Sir, it is my very life!"
The missionary raised his hand, "That is just what I wanted from you. What you have said of rice, Jesus Christ is to our souls. He is the rice of life!"
30. I remember hearing of a young man who went to a minister in great distress about his spiritual state. He said to the minister, "Sir, can you tell me what I must do to find peace?"
The minister replied, "Young man, you are too late."
"Oh", said the young man, "You don't mean to say I am too late to be saved?"
"Oh, no," was the reply, "but you are too late to do something. Jesus did everything that needed to be done twenty centuries ago."
31. They had been talking with Dr. W.H. Griffith-Thomas night after night, endeavouring to win him, then a young doctor, for Christ. Nothing they said seemed to cut through the mental fog that blocked the way to a clear understanding of salvation. Finally realising that the young man's difficulty was his own inability to "feel" saved, Mr. Poole took a coin, & handing it to Dr. Griffith-Thomas asked him to put it in his vest-pocket.
"Do you feel you've got it?" Mr. Poole asked.
"No," replied the young doctor, "I know I have."
"So," Mr. Poole rejoined, "we know we have Christ when we accept Him & believe His Word, without feeling it."
Dr. Griffith-Thomas testified later, "When I awoke the next morning my soul was overflowing with joy, & since then I have never doubted that it was on that Saturday night I was 'born again'--converted to God."
32. While walking down a street one day, I passed a store where a man on the pavement was washing the large plate glass window. There was one soiled spot which defied all efforts to remove it. After rubbing hard & using much soap & water & failing to remove it, he found out the trouble. "It's on the inside," he called out to someone in the store.
Many are striving to cleanse the soul from its stains. They wash it with tears of sorrow; they scrub it with the soap of good resolves; they rub it with the chamois of morality; but still the consciousness of it is not removed. The trouble is, "It's on the inside." Nothing but the Blood of Jesus, applied by the mighty power of Holy Spirit, can cleanse the inside.
33. I was travelling some years ago with one of the most eminent Jews of our time, the late Dr. Cappadose of Amsterdam. He said to me, "Would you like to know how I became a Christian?"
"I should, very much," I replied.
He said, "I was reading my Hebrew Old Testament, & I came to the 53rd chapter of Isaiah. I had read it before, but this time my eyes seemed opened. I began to think it was the New Testament I had gotten hold of by mistake. I turned the back of it toward me to make sure it was my own Bible. As I read it again & again, I saw what I had never seen before--sin laid on another. And Who could it be but the Lord Jesus? The end of that was that I became a Christian without the New Testament at all!"
34. Christ's Blood has value enough to redeem the whole World, but the virtue of it is applied only to such as believe.
35. Whatever your past has been, you can have a spotless future.
36. A Christian has not lost the power to sin, but the desire to sin.
37. "Socialism," declared a street orator, "can put a new coat on a man!"
"Jesus Christ," cried a voice in the crowd, "can put a new man in the coat, & that is better still!"
38. THE GREATEST GIFT--JOHN 3:16
GOD--The Greatest Lover
SO LOVED--The Greatest Degree
THE WORLD--The Greatest Company
THAT HE GAVE--The Greatest Act
HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON--The Greatest Gift
THAT WHOSOEVER--The Greatest Opportunity
BELIEVETH--The Greatest Simplicity
IN HIM--The Greatest Attraction
SHOULD NOT PERISH--The Greatest Promise
BUT--The Greatest Difference
HAVE--The Greatest Certainty
EVERLASTING LIFE--The Greatest Possession
39. The Bible is concerned only incidentally with the history of Israel or a system of ethics. The Bible is primarily concerned with the story of redemption of God as it is in Jesus Christ. If you read the Scriptures & miss the story of salvation, you have missed its message & meaning. There have been those who have gone through the Bible & traced the story of Jesus:
In Genesis He is the Seed of the Woman.
In Exodus He is the Passover Lamb.
In Leviticus He is the Atoning Sacrifice.
In Numbers He is the Smitten Rock.
In Deuteronomy He is the Rock.
In Joshua He is the Captain of the Lord's Hosts.
In Judges He is the Deliverer.
In Ruth He is the Heavenly Kinsman.
In the Books of Kings he is the Promised King.
In Nehemiah He is the Restorer of the nation.
In Esther He is the Advocate.
In Job He is my Redeemer.
In Psalms He is my All & in All.
In Proverbs He is my Pattern.
In Ecclesiastes He is my Goal.
In the Song of Solomon He is my Satisfier.
In the Prophets He is the Coming Prince of Peace.
In the Gospels He is Christ coming to seek & to save.
In Acts He is Christ risen.
In the Epistles He is Christ at the Father's right hand.
In the Revelation He is Christ returning & reigning.
40. An old coloured woman in one of the southern States of U.S.A., who was very poor & ignorant, was very confident she was going to Heaven. "What?" said one, "nobody knows anything about you, & if you go to Hell, the Universe will be ignorant of it."
"Yes, massa," said she, "it won't make no difference to the Universe; but it will make a great difference to the Lawd. His honour would be gone."
(John 10:28; 6:36,37; 17:2,12)
41. Here is a Man Who was born in an obscure village, the child of a peasant woman. He grew up in another obscure village. He worked in a carpenter shop until He was 30, & then for three years He was an itinerant preacher.
He never wrote a book. He never held an office. He never owned a home. He never had a family.
He never went to college. He never put His foot inside a big city. He never travelled 200 miles from the place where He was born. He never did one of the things that usually accompanies greatness.
He had no credentials but Himself. He had nothing to do with this World except the naked power of His divine manhood. While still a young man, the tide of popular opinion turned against Him.
His friends ran away. One of them denied Him. He was turned over to His enemies. He went through the mockery of a trial.
He was nailed to a cross between two thieves. His executioners gambled for the only piece of property He had on Earth while He was dying--& that was His coat. When He was dead He was taken down & laid in a borrowed grave through the pity of a friend.
Nineteen wide centuries have come & gone & today he is the centerpiece of the human race & the leader of the column of progress.
I am far within the mark when I say that all the armies that ever marched, & all the navies that ever were built, & all the parliaments that ever sat, & all the kings that ever reigned, put together have not affected the life of man upon this Earth as powerfully as has that One solitary life.
42. To many, Jesus Christ is only a person, a subject for a painting, a heroic theme for a pen, a beautiful form for a statue & a thought for a song; but to those who have heard His voice, who have felt His pardon, who have received His benediction, He is music, warmth, light, joy, hope & salvation, a Friend Who never forsakes, Who lifts us when others try to push us down. We cannot wear Him out; we pile on Him all our griefs & troubles. He is always ready to lift us; He is always ready to help us; He addresses with the same Love; He beams upon us with the same smile; He pities us with the same compassion.
There is no Name like His. It is more inspiring than Caesar's, more musical than Beethoven's, more conquering than Napoleon's, more eloquent than Demosthenes', more patient than Lincoln's. The Name of Jesus throbs with all life, weeps with all pathos, groans with all pains, stoops with all Love. Its breath is laden with perfume. Who like Jesus can pity a homeless orphan? Who like Jesus can welcome a prodigal back home? Who like Jesus can make a drunkard sober? Who like Jesus can illuminate a cemetery plowed with graves? Who like Jesus can make a queen unto God out of a woman of the street? Who like Jesus can catch the tears of a human sorrow in His bowl? Who like Jesus can kiss away our sorrow?
I struggle for a metaphor with which to express Jesus. He is not like the bursting forth of an orchestra; that is too loud & it may be out of tune. He is not like the sea when lashed into a rage by a storm; that is too boisterous. He is not like a mountain wreathed in lightning, canopied with snow; that is too solitary & remote.
He is the Lily of the Valley, the Rose of Sharon, a gale of spices from Heaven.
43. An aged saint, on being asked to describe salvation, aptly replied, "Something for nothing."
Another aged saint, who had weathered the storms for many a long year & was nearing the heavenly harbour, on hearing this story related, exclaimed, "Yes, it's even better than that. It's everything for nothing."
44. Christ never looks greater than when you put some great men by His side. "I paint!" cried Raphael.
"I build!" was the boast of Michaelangelo.
"I rule!" cried Caesar.
"I sing!" cried Homer.
"I conquer!" cried Alexander.
"I seek & save!" cries Jesus Christ.
45. My Master was so very poor,
A manger was His cradling place;
So very rich my Master was--
Kings came from far to gain His grace.
My Master was so very poor,
And with the poor He brake the bread;
So very rich my Master was
That multitudes by Him were fed.--
My Master was so very poor,
They nailed him naked to a Cross;
So very rich my Master was
He gave His all & knew no loss.
(Luke 2:12; 9:58; 2Cor.8:9)
46. Jesus paid it all,
All to Him I owe;
Sin had left a crimson stain;
He washed it white as snow.
--Mrs. H.M. Hall
47. To be Himself a star most bright, to bring the wise men to His sight,
To be Himself a voice most sweet, to call the shepherds to His feet,
To be a child--it was His will, that folk like us might find Him still.
--John Erskine
48. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted Him, & given Him a Name which is above every name. (Phil.2:9)
49. Upon a life I did not live,
Upon a death I did not die;
Another's life, another's death,
I stake my whole eternity.
--Horatius Bonar
50. A vase closely sealed was found in a mummy pit in Egypt by the English traveller Wilkinson. In it were discovered a few peas, old, wrinkled, & hard as a stone. The peas were planted carefully under a glass & at the end of 30 days they sprang into life, after having lain sleeping in the dust of a tomb for almost 3,000 years--a faint illustration of the mortal body which shall put on immortality. "Because He lives, we shall live also."
51. The Gospel of Jesus Christ breaks hard hearts & heals broken hearts.
52. The story is told by the Persians of the great Shah Abbas, who reigned magnificently in Persia, but loved to mingle with the people in disguise. Once, dressed as a poor man, he descended the long flight of stairs, dark and damp, to the tiny cellar where the fireman, seated on ashes, was tending the furnace.
The king sat down beside him and began to talk. At meal time the fireman produced some coarse, black bread and a jug of water and they ate and drank. The Shah went away, but returned again and again, for his heart was filled with sympathy for the lonely man. He gave him sweet counsel, and the poor man opened his whole heart and loved this friend, so kind, so wise, and yet poor like himself.
At last the emperor thought, 'I will tell him who I am, and see what gift he will ask.' So he said, 'You think me poor, but I am Shah Abbas your emperor.' He expected a petition for some great thing, but the man sat silent, gazing on him with love and wonder. Then the king said. 'Haven't you understood? I can make you rich and noble, can give you a city, can appoint you as a great ruler. Have you nothing to ask?'
The man replied gently, 'Yes, my lord, I understood. But what is this you have done, to leave your palace and glory, to sit with me in this dark place, to partake of my coarse fare, to care whether my heart is glad or sorry? Even you can give nothing more precious. On others you may bestow rich presents, but to me you have given yourself; it only remains to ask that you never withdraw this gift of your friendship.'
(Mark 10.45; Gal.2.20; Eph.5.2,25)
53. Two men who had been friends in their youth met years later in the police court of a great city, one on the judge's bench, the other in the prisoner's dock. Evidence was heard, and the prisoner found guilty. In consideration of their former friendship the judge was asked to withhold sentence.
'No,' he said. 'that cannot be; justice must be done and the law upheld.'
So he gave sentence: 'Fifty dollars fine, or fourteen days at hard labour.'
The condemned man had nothing wherewith to pay, so prison was before him. Then the judge, having fulfilled his duty, stepped down beside the prisoner, paid his fine, put his arm about him, and said, 'Now, John, you are going home with me to dinner.' Not even God can overlook sin. He must be faithful and just. But for us the Judge was crucified! 'Lo! guilt is gone, and I am free.'
(Hab.1.13; Rom.3.24,26)
54. He is a path, if any be misled; He is a robe, if any naked be;
If any chance to hunger, He is bread; If any be a bondman, He is free;
If any be but weak, how strong is He!
To dead men life He is, to sick men, health; To blind men, sight, and to the needy, wealth;
A pleasure without loss, a treasure without stealth.
--Giles Fletcher
55. Nature forms us; sin deforms us; school informs us; but only Christ transforms us.
56. Po' lil' brack sheep dat strayed away,
Done los' in de win' an' de rain--
An' de Shepherd He say, "O hirelin',
Go fin' my sheep again."
An' de hirelin' say, "O Shepherd,
Dat sheep am brack an' bad,"
But de Shepherd He smile, like dat lil' brack sheep
Wuz de onliest lamb He had.
An' de Shepherd go out in de darkness
Where de night wuz col' an bleak,
An' dat lil' brack sheep, He fin' it,
An' lay it agains' His cheek.
An' de hirelin' frown; "O Shepherd,
Don' bring dat sheep to me!"
But de Shepherd He smile, an' He hol' it close.
An'--dat lil' brack sheep--was--me!
--Sarah Pratt McLean Green
57. The Carpenter of Galilee
Comes down the street again,
In every land, in every age,
He still is building men.
On Christmas Eve we hear Him knock;
He goes from door to door:
"Are any workmen out of work?
The Carpenter needs more."
--Hilda W. Smith
58. JESUS CHRIST is the heart of the Bible. He is the Shiloh in Genesis; the I AM in Exodus; the Star and Sceptre in Numbers; the Rock in Deuteronomy; the Captain of the Lord's Host in Joshua; and the Redeemer in Job. He is David's Lord and Shepherd in the Psalms; in the Song of Songs He is the Beloved; in Isaiah He is the Wonderful, the Counsellor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, and the Prince of Peace. In Jeremiah He is the Lord our Righteousness; in Daniel He is the Messiah; in Zechariah He is the Branch; in Haggai He is the Desire of all Nations; in Malachi He is the Messenger of the Covenant and the Sun of Righteousness; in the Book of Revelation He is the Alpha and the Omega, and also the Morning Star.
59. A simple way to remember the word "justified" that always stuck with me since I was a boy was when the preacher illustrated how we're justified by Jesus' blood, it's just-if-I'd never sinned! He cleansed us from all our sins. "The blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin"--past, present, future. (1Jn.1:7) Just-if-I'd never sinned, justified. Really it means it makes you just, righteous, saved!--Dad
60. Jesus lived that He might die and died that we might live!
61. The King of love my Shepherd is,
Whose goodness faileth never;
I nothing lack if I am His,
And He is mine forever.
--Henry W. Baker
62. The lamb is in the fold,
In perfect safety penned;
The lion once had hold,
And thought to make an end;
But One came by with wounded Side,
And for the sheep the Shepherd died.
63. The poor Catholics & "holiness" people really live in eternal insecurity! They never know when or where or how or if they're saved! It's enough to make a nervous wreck out of you, & a lot of them wind up nervous wrecks! I know Dr. Ironside wrote some good books on that if you ever want to read them.
He started out "holiness" & finally wound up a nervous wreck with TB & everything because he just couldn't stay good enough! He couldn't stay saved all the time. When he was in the TB Sanitarium he got time to read the Word & found out it was just by grace! So he wrote a book called, "Grace Plus Faith Plus Nothing!" Well, you don't have to read his books, just read Ephesians 2:8,9.
They make the standard so high that you know it's impossible to attain, so you almost give up altogether like Ironside did.
Well, when he finally realised that it wasn't him, that it was the Lord & all he had to do was trust God & obey Him & His Law of Love & love others, in that horrible tubercular condition, dying, hemorrhaging, coughing up blood & everything else, wasting away, he cried out to God desperately to save him & he was gloriously saved & healed!
He immediately began to get better & he began to tell everybody, witness to everybody: "Why, do you know all you have to do to get saved is just believe, that's all! Just believe! Grace--God's grace--faith--your faith--plus nothing! That's all it takes to get saved!" Grace + Faith + Nothing! Well, of course the works will come as works of love & labours of love for the Lord, but they are not required for salvation. They're a manifestation of salvation & your love for the Lord & others.
So he went around shouting & praising God & witnessing & preaching this newfound Gospel, just like Martin Luther when he finally came to the conclusion that we're saved by grace through faith & that not of ourselves. It's a gift of God, not of works lest any man should boast!--Ephesians 2:8,9. When Martin Luther had made this same realisation, he got up from his crawl on his knees up the steps & began to shout:
"I don't have to do this to be saved! I don't have to do penance, I don't have to crawl up these steps & on my hands & knees to the Pope or anybody! I can just be saved by the grace of God! He's already given it, all I have to do is receive it & thank God for it!"
He went around preaching that & getting folks saved by grace & got thrown out of the church because that was absolutely intolerable doctrine that you didn't have to be good, you didn't have to have works, you didn't have to be a saint to be saved, you could just be a saved sinner.--Dad
64. Justification means that God through this amazing process makes me appear justified in His eyes: "Just-as-if-I-never-sinned."
65. Pilate, Pilate, wash your hands,
Cry "What is Truth?" again.
None asks or cares, these wiser days,
Nor fear so small a stain.
Peter, Peter, save your skin,
Then, futile, weep your shame.
No one will notice. After all
We have done the same.
Judas, Judas, hang yourself.
How many times is this?
The Lesson's yet to learn. We still
Betray Him with a kiss.
Jesus, Jesus, nailed on high,
Christ Whom the nations praise,
Which is the Cross that tore thee most--
Golgotha's or today's?
--Ada Jackson
66. 'Twas battered and scarred, and the auctioneer
Thought it scarcely worth the while
To waste much time on the old violin,
But he held it up with a smile.
"What am I offered, good folks?" he cried,
"Who'll start the bidding for me?
A dollar--a dollar--now two, only two,
Two dollars, and who'll make it three?
Going for three," sang the auctioneer,
"Going for three"--but no,
From the back of the room an old gray-haired man
Came forward and picked up the bow.
Then wiping the dust from the old violin
And tuning up all the strings,
He played a melody pure and sweet,
As sweet as an angel sings.
The music ceased, and the auctioneer
With a voice that was quiet and low
Said, "What am I bid for the old violin?"
And held it up with the bow.
"A thousand dollars? And who'll make it two?
Two thousand, and who'll make it three?
Three thousand once, three thousand twice,
Going, and gone," said he.
The people cheered, and some of them cried,
"We do not understand
What changed its worth." A man replied,
"The touch of the Master's hand."
Many a man with life out of tune
And battered and torn with sin
Is auctioned cheap to a thoughtless crowd,
Much like the old violin.
A "mess of pottage," a glass of wine,
A game, and he travels on.
He's going once, he's going twice--
He's going and almost gone.
But the Master comes, and the foolish crowd
Never can quite understand
The worth of a soul, and the change that is wrought
By the touch of the Master's hand.
(See story of M.B. Welch in "Tests & Trials" No.374.)
67.Light looked down and beheld Darkness.
"Thither will I go," said Light.
Peace looked down and beheld War.
"Thither will I go," said Peace.
Love looked down and beheld Hatred.
"Thither will I go," said Love.
So came Light and shone.
So came Peace and gave rest.
So came Love and brought Life.
--Laurence Housman
68. Jesus Christ was born in the meanest of circumstances, but the air above was filled with the hallelujahs of the heavenly hosts. His lodging was a cattle pen, but a star drew distinguished visitants from afar to do Him homage.
His birth was contrary to the laws of life. His death was contrary to the laws of death. No miracle is so inexplicable as His life & teaching.
He had no cornfields or fisheries, but he could spread a table for 5000 & have bread & fish to spare. He walked on no beautiful carpets, but He walked on the waters & they supported Him.
His crucifixion was the crime of crimes, but, on God's side, no lower price than His infinite agony could have made possible our redemption. When He died few men mourned, but a black crepe was hung over the sun. Though men trembled not for their sins, the Earth beneath shook under the load. All nature honoured Him, sinners alone rejected Him.
Sin never touched Him. Corruption could not get hold of His body. The soil that had been reddened with His blood could not claim His dust.
69. Not what, but Whom, I do believe,
That, in my darkest hour of need,
Hath comfort that no mortal creed
To mortal man may give;--
Not what, but Whom!
For Christ is more than all the creeds,
And His full life of gentle deeds
Shall all the creeds outlive.
Not what I do believe, but Whom!
Who walks beside me in the gloom?
Who shares the burden wearisome?
Who all the dim way doth illume,
And bids me look beyond the tomb
The larger life to live?--
Not what I do believe,
But Whom!
Not what
But Whom!
--John Oxenham
70. Though Christ a thousand times
In Bethlehem be born,
If He's not born in thee
Thy soul is still forlorn.
The cross on Golgotha
Will never save thy soul,
The cross in thine own heart
Alone can make thee whole.
71. Three years He preached His Gospel. He wrote no book, built no church, had no money back of Him. After 1900 years, He is the one central character of human history, the perpetual theme of all preaching, the pivot around which the events of the age revolve, the only Regenerator of the human race.
Was it only the son of Joseph & Mary who crossed the World's horizon nearly 2000 years ago? Was it merely human blood that was spilled on Calvary's hill for the redemption of sinners & which has worked such wonders in men & nations through the centuries?
What thinking man can keep from exclaiming: "MY LORD & MY GOD!"
72. A Baby's hands in Bethlehem
Were small and softly curled,
But held within their dimpled grasp
The hope of all the world.
A Carpenter's in Nazareth
Were skilled with tool and wood;
They laid the beams of simple homes
And found their labor good.
A Healer's hands in Galilee
Were stretched to all who came
For Him to cleanse their hidden wounds
Or cure the blind and lame.
Long, long ago the hands of Christ
Were nailed upon a tree,
But still their holy touch redeems
The hearts of you and me.
--Leslie Savage Clark
73. The world sits at the feet of Christ,
Unknowing, blind and unconsoled;
It yet shall touch His garment's fold,
And feel the heavenly Alchemist
Transform its very dust to gold.
--John Greenleaf Whittier
74. JESUS challenges the attention of the World by His great versatility. He meets all the needs of all classes and conditions of men.
Call the roll of the World's workers and ask,
"What think ye of Christ?" Their answers amaze us by their revelation of these qualifying attributes of the Saviour. He is:
To the Artist--the One Altogether Lovely.
To the Architect--the Cornerstone.
To the Astronomer--Sun of Righteousness.
To the Baker--the Living Bread.
To the Doctor--the Great Physician.
To the Educator--the Great Teacher.
To the Farmer--The Sower and the Lord of the Harvest.
To the Newspaper man--the Good Tidings of Great Joy.
To the Servant--the Good Master.
To the Student--the Incarnate Truth.
To the Theologian--the Author and Finisher of our Faith.
To the Builder--the Sure Foundation.
To the Carpenter--the Door.
To the Preacher--the Word of God.
To the Banker--the Hidden Treasure.
To the Biologist--the Life.
To the Toiler--the Giver of Rest.
To the Electrician--the Light of the World
To the Florist--the Rose of Sharon & the Lily of the Valley
To the Jeweler--The Living Precious Stone
To the Lawyer--Counselor, Lawgiver & Advocate
To the Sinner--The Lamb of God who taketh away sin.
75. When Jesus walked upon the earth
He didn't talk with kings,
He talked with simple people
Of doing friendly things.
He didn't praise the conquerors
And all their hero host,
He said the very greatest
Were those who loved the most.
He didn't speak of mighty deeds
And victories. He spoke
Of feeding hungry people
And cheering lonely folk.
I'm glad his words were simple words
Just meant for me and you,
The things he asked were simple things
That even I can do!
--Marion Brown Shelton
76. I saw the Conquerors riding by
With trampling feet of horse and men:
Empire on empire like the tide
Flooded the world and ebbed again.
A thousand banners caught the sun,
And cities smoked along the plain,
And laden down with silk and gold
And heaped-up pillage groaned the wain.
I saw the Conquerors riding by,
Splashing through loathsome floods of war--
The Crescent leaning o'er its hosts,
And the barbaric scimitar--
And continents of moving spears,
And storms of arrows in the sky,
And all the instruments sought out
By cunning men that men may die!
I saw the Conquerors riding by
With cruel lips and faces wan:
Musing on kingdoms sacked and burned
There rode the Mongol Genghis Khan;
And Alexander, like a god,
Who sought to weld the world in one;
And Caesar with his laurel wreath;
And like a thing from Hell, the Hun;
And leading, like a star the van,
Heedless of upstretched arm and groan,
Inscrutable Napoleon went
Dreaming of empire, and alone ...
Then all they perished from the earth
As fleeting shadows from a glass,
And, conquering down the centuries,
Came Christ, the Swordless, on an ass!
--Harry Kemp
77. There was a famous king who had a favourite jester in his court. Because of all his good works all those years in cheering up the king & making him happy & cracking jokes & being so funny, he gave him some property & quite an income & retired him. Then the king gave him this beautiful cane with gold wrought into the wood, & the king said, "I want to give to you this, my own cane, as a special present to you from me, because you have been such an encouragement to me all these years. You're going away now on a trip because I have set you free, & I want you to take the cane with you. That's my special gift to you for being the greatest fool I ever had!"
Some years later the king's fool heard that the king himself was dying & he came to his deathbed & began to sympathise with him & asked, "Are you ready to go?"
"What do you mean?" asked the king.
"Are you ready to die? Have you made any preparations for this journey into death?"
The king asked, "How could I make preparations to die, what do you mean?"
And the king's jester said, "Have you received Jesus Christ as your Saviour? Are you saved, are you ready to die? Are you ready to go to Heaven?" The king said,
"No, I'm not!"
The king's jester said, "Well, since the last time I saw you I have met Jesus & have found Him as my Saviour & I am ready to go!" They were both close to the same age. The jester said, "Once I was going on a long journey & you gave me this cane as a present because you said that I was the greatest fool you ever had. But I have made my preparations for that journey, the longest journey we'll ever take, & one from which we'll never return. But you have not made preparations for that journey. So I want to give you back the cane: You're a greater fool than I am!"--Dad
78. God has never promised to forgive a single sin that man is not willing to forsake.
79. Our answer to the Devil's charge is not an alibi, but a plea of guilty & a claim that the demands of justice have been satisfied in the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ.
80. The Love of God cannot be merited or earned, but it can be spurned.
81. Anyone can devise a plan by which good people may go to Heaven. Only God can devise a plan whereby sinners, who are his enemies, can go to Heaven.
82. The death-struck sinner, like the wan, anemic, dying invalid, is saved by having poured into his veins the healthier blood of Christ.
83. In taking the sinner's place on the cross, Jesus became as totally accountable for sin as if He was totally responsible for it.
84. Christ's blood is Heaven's key.
85. Reformation is putting a new coat on the man. Regeneration is putting a new man in the coat.
86. The cross is God's plus sign to a needy World.
87. If the value of an object is determined by the price paid for it, then think of your value. You have been purchased by the highest price imaginable--the shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ.
88. The Lord Jesus (who is God) became the Son of man, in order that I (a mere man) might become a son of God!
89. There is a tremendous contrast between religion & salvation: Religion is man trying to reach up to God. Salvation is God reaching down to man.
90. Salvation is only by a working faith. In short, good works are the fruit of saving faith. They are also the proof of saving faith.
91. Whatever contribution men make to their Salvation they make by the grace of God. And that makes Salvation the work of grace 100%.
92. That Christ & a forgiven sinner should be made one, & share Heaven between them, is the wonder of Salvation; what more could Love do?
93. We need to be delivered from the freedom which is absolute bondage into the bondage which is perfect freedom.
94. Seeing we are born God's enemies we must be new-born His sons.
95. We are saved not by merit but by mercy.
96. A little Boy of heavenly birth,
But far from home to-day,
Comes down to find His ball, the earth,
That sin has cast away.
O comrades, let us one and all
Join in to get Him back His ball!
--John Banister Tabb
97. Little Jesus, wast Thou shy
Once, and just as small as I?
And what did it feel like to be
Out of Heaven, and just like me?
Didst Thou sometimes think of there,
And ask where all the angels were?
I should think that I would cry
For my house all made of sky;
I would look about the air,
And wonder where my angels were;
And at waking 'twould distress me--
Not an angel there to dress me!
Hadst Thou ever any toys,
Like us little girls and boys?
And didst Thou play in Heaven with all
The angels that were not too tall,
With stars for marbles? Did the things
Play Can you see me? through their wings?
And did Thy mother let Thee spoil
Thy robes with playing on our soil?
How nice to have them always new
In Heaven, because 'twas quite clean blue!
Didst Thou kneel at night to pray,
And didst Thou join Thy hands, this way?
And did they tire sometimes, being young,
And make the prayer seem every long?
And dost Thou like it best that we
Should join our hands to pray to Thee?
I used to think, before I knew,
The prayer not said unless we do.
And did Thy mother at the night
Kiss Thee and fold the clothes in right?
And didst Thou feel quite good in bed,
Kiss'd, and sweet, and Thy prayers said?
Thou canst not have forgotten all
That it feels like to be small:
And Thou know'st I cannot pray
To Thee in my father's way--
When Thou wast so little, say,
Couldst Thou talk Thy Father's way?
So, a little Child, come down
And hear a child's tongue like Thy own;
Take me by the hand and walk,
And listen to my baby-talk.
To Thy Father show my prayer
(He will look, Thou art so fair),
And say: "O Father, I, Thy Son,
Bring the prayer of a little one."
And He will smile, that children's tongue
Has not changed since Thou wast young!
--Francis Thompson
98. Once a Christian mechanic was greasing my car & I asked him how he'd gotten saved. He said, "I was scared into it! An evangelist at our church was always praising the Lord no matter what happened.--So one day we kids went out & cut all the ignition wires in his car. We were going to have a big laugh at him because we figured he wouldn't praise the Lord for that.
"He was the last one out of the church & there was nobody left to help him or give him a ride. He tried over & over again to start his car, but, of course, no car will run with the ignition wires cut. Then he prayed, 'Lord, I've only got a short time to get to my next meeting, so in Jesus' Name I command this car to go!'--And he turned the key & off he roared!
"I nearly fainted dead away because I knew there was no car on Earth that could run with the wires cut! We felt the presence of the angel of the Lord so close we were scared stiff! So that night in church all of the boys in our gang got saved!"--Dad
99. Jesus is God spelling Himself out in a language that man can understand.
100. Jesus did not cease to be the Son of God when He became a man. He did not drop His deity, which is an impossible thought. He remained what He was & added what He had not had, namely a human nature, derived out of a woman, a human mother. He became the God-man.
He was like a king who temporarily put on the garments of a peasant while at the same time remaining king.
101. Our hope lies not in the man we put on the moon, but in the Man we put on the cross.
102. Since God has a Son of His own, & such a Son, how wonderful God's Love in adopting us!
103. We are born with our backs upon God & Heaven, & our faces upon sin & Hell, till grace comes & that converts--turns us.
104. Salvation never results from good deeds; salvation always results in good deeds.
105. We are not justified by doing good works, but being justified we then do good.
106. The Gospel is Who Jesus is & what Jesus did.
107. An Eastern shepherd led his sheep
Toward a river's bank,
But when they saw the stream was broad
Their hearts with fear did shrink;
And though the shepherd went across
In view of all the sheep,
They did not dare to follow him
And ford the waters deep.
And so he took a little lamb
Right from its mother's side,
He clasped it in his shelt'ring arm
And with it crossed the tide.
The mother, missing what she loved.
Was eager now to gain
The distant shore, that she might find
Her precious lamb again.
She quickly made her way across
And soon the stream she passed,
And other sheep soon followed her
Till all had crossed at last.
She found the lamb which she had lost,
Within the shepherd's care,
And he had used her little one
In leading many there.
Oh, mother, has your little lamb
Been carried on before?
The Shepherd wants to have you, too,
Upon the farther shore.
And so He clasped your treasured one
Unto His sheltering breast,
That you might come and seek it there
And find in Him your rest.
108. Jesus my loving Shepherd is,
'Twas He that loved my soul,
'Twas He that washed me in His Blood,
'Twas He that made me whole.
'Twas He that sought the lonely lost,
That found the wandering sheep,
'Twas He that brought me to the fold.
'Tis He that still doth keep.
I was a lonely, wandering sheep,
I would not be controlled;
But now I love my Shepherd's voice,
I love, I love the fold!
I was a wayward wilful child,
I once preferred to roam;
But now I love my FATHER'S Voice,
I love, I love His Home! Amen.
--Dr. H. Bonar (1808-1889)
109. Faith hath two hands; with one it pulls off its own righteousness & throws it away ... with the other it puts on Christ's.
110. Payment God cannot twice demand;
First at my bleeding
Saviour's hand,
And then again at mine.
111. Life with Christ is an endless hope. Life without Christ is a hopeless end.
112. If you are never born again, you will wish you had never been born at all.
113. The best news the World ever had came from a graveyard.
114. We are more sure to arise out of our graves than out of our beds.
115. God is more interested in inner grace than in outer space.
116. In Creation, God shows us His hand; in Salvation His heart.
117. "I am the resurrection, and the life" (John 11:25).
Love's redeeming work is done;
Fought the fight, the battle won:
Lo, our Sun's eclipse is o'er!
Lo, He sets in blood no more! Hallelujah!
Vain the stone, the watch, the seal!
Christ has burst the gates of hell;
Death in vain forbids His rise;
Christ has opened Paradise.
Lives again our glorious King;
Where, O death, is now thy sting?
Dying once, He all doth save;
Where thy victory, O grave?
Soar we now where Christ has led,
Following our exalted Head;
Made like Him, like Him we rise;
Ours the cross, the grave, the skies.
Hail the Lord of earth and heaven!
Praise to Thee by both be given:
Thee we greet triumphant now;
Hail, the Resurrection Thou!
(Charles Wesley--1707-88.)
118. "Thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ"--1Cor.15:57.
Thine be the glory risen, conquering Son,
Endless is the victory Thou o'er death hast won;
Angels in bright raiment rolled the stone away,
Kept the folded grave-clothes, where Thy body lay.
Lo! Jesus meets us, risen from the tomb;
Lovingly He greets us, scatters fear and gloom;
Let the Church with gladness, hymns of triumph sing,
For her Lord now liveth, death hath lost its sting.
No more do we doubt Thee, glorious Prince of Life;
Life is naught without Thee; aid us in our strife;
Make us more then conquerors, thru' Thy deathless love;
Bring us safe through Jordan to Thy home above.
(Edmond Louis Budry--1854-1932; translated by Richard Birch Hoyle--1875-1939.)
119. Upon a life I did not live,
Upon a death I did not die;
Another's life, another's death,
I stake my whole eternity.
--Horatius Bonar
120. At the cross, at the cross
Where I first saw the light,
And the burden of my heart rolled away,
It was there by faith
I received my sight,
And now I am happy all the day!
--Fanny Crosby
121. I have a great need for Christ. I have a great Christ for my need!
122. Since I have been converted, I am happier when I am unhappy than when I used to be happy before I was converted.
123. Jesus Christ is: absolutely necessary; exclusively sufficient; instantaneously accessible; perennially satisfying; totally powerful.
124. The Christ Who rules us rules all things for us.
125. It is possible to fall in grace, but not to fall from grace.
126. There is a legend of Martin Luther, that, during a serious illness, the Evil One entered his sick-room and, looking at him with a triumphant smile, unrolled a big scroll which he carried in his arms.
As the fiend threw one end of it on the floor, it unwound by itself. Luther's eyes read the long fearful record of his own sins, one by one. That stout heart quailed before the ghastly roll.
Suddenly it flashed into Luther's mind that there was one thing not written there. He cried aloud: "One thing you have forgotten. The rest is all true, but one thing you have forgotten: 'The blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin,'" And as he said this, the Accuser of the Brethren and his heavy roll disappeared.
127. If God lights the candle, none can blow it out.
128. The Lord Jesus has paid too high a price for our redemption to leave us in the enemy's hand.
129. The elect are whosoever will; the non-elect are whosoever won't.
--Henry Ward Beecher
130. Conversion is no repairing of the old building; but it takes it all down & erects a new structure.
131. Christ hath crossed out the black lines of our sin with the red lines of His own blood.
132. Christ rose again, but our sins did not: they are buried forever in His grave.
133. Because the sinless Saviour died,
My sinful soul is counted free;
For God the Just is satisfied
To look on Him, & pardon me.
134. Fact is fact & feeling is feeling; never does the second change the first.
135. Salvation is defined this way: God thought it; Jesus bought it; The Holy Spirit wrought it; The Devil fought it; & I've got it.
136. When a child is old enough to know that he has sinned, that child is old enough to know that he needs to be saved.
137. It will cost you your sins if you come to Jesus, but it will cost you your soul if you do not come to Him.
138. God is for us--that is good. God is with us--that is better. God is in us--that is best.
139. Into a World oppressed and torn,
Of boundless hate and forces wild,
Where men were hungry, lost, forlorn,
God sent a child.
Into a World of maimed and dead,
Of nations each with selfish plan,
Where men were leaderless, or misled,
God sent a man.
And when an age has lost its way,
And power is valued more than men,
In lives where He has voice and sway,
God comes again.
--John Morrison
140. The resurrection of Jesus is something to shout about. It is an explosive event whose fall-out affects the whole human race.
141. The same power that brought Christ back from the dead is operative within those who are Christ's. The resurrection is an ongoing thing.
142. Man is responsible to God for becoming what God has made possible for him to become.
143. God has never torn up a Christian's birth certificate.
144. No soldiers of Christ are ever lost, missing or left dead on the battlefield.
145. Jesus has made the life of His people as eternal as His Own.
146. As God numbers the hairs of His people, He must needs preserve their heads.
147. No philosophy that will not teach us how to master death is worth a thing to us.
148. Salvation excels all the miracles ever wrought.
149. Christ needs take no other revenge on a soul for refusing Him than to condemn such a one to have his own desire.
150. There are too many grandchildren of Christ in the World, those whose parents were Christians but they aren't. Nowhere in the Bible does God claim grandchildren--just children, born again by faith in Christ.
151. Salvation may come quietly, but we can't remain quiet about it.
152.During WW2, Brigadier General Theodore Roosevelt, Jr., was waiting at an airport for a plane. A sailor stepped to a ticket window & asked for a seat on the same plane, explaining, "I want to see my mother, I haven't much time."
The indifferent person at the ticket window was not impressed. "There's a war on, you know," she replied.
At this point General Roosevelt, who had overheard the conversation, stepped to the window & told her to give the sailor his seat. A friend said, "Teddy, aren't you in a hurry, too?"
"It's a matter of rank," came the reply. "I'm only a general; he's a son!"
153. I am writing to say how much I care for you and to say how much I want you to know Me better.
When you awoke this morning I exploded a brilliant sunrise through your window hoping to get your attention, but you rushed off without even noticing.
Later, I noticed you were walking with some friends, so I bathed you in warm sunshine and perfumed the air with nature's sweet scent, and still you didn't notice me. As you passed by, I shouted to you in a thunderstorm and painted a beautiful rainbow in the sky and you didn't even look.
In the evening, I spilled moonlight onto your face and sent a cool breeze to rest you. As you slept, I watched over you and shared your thoughts, but you were unaware that I was so near.
I have chosen you and hope you will talk to Me soon. Until then I will remain near. I am your Friend and love you very much.
Your Friend, JESUS
154. Wonderful love of Jesus, saving my soul from sin,
Lifting me from its shadows, giving me peace within.
Crowning my life with gladness, flooding with joy my way;
How can I keep from singing! Heaven has come to stay.
Wonderful love of Jesus, keeping me day and night,
When I discern no danger, when all my skies are bright.
Keeping, 'mid tempest's fury when I can scarcely stand,
Keeping, securely keeping! Safe in my Father's hand.
Wonderful love of Jesus, Choosing a life so small,
Using it for Thy glory, being its all in all.
Wonderful love of Jesus, passing the angels by,
Lost in transporting rapture I can but wonder why!
Wonderful love of Jesus, coming again some day,
Coming perhaps at midnight, or when the dawn is gray!
Even so, come, Lord Jesus, it cannot be too soon,
Come at the golden sunset or at the weary noon.
--Mrs. W.M. Turnbull
155. Have you found the great Physician,
Jesus Christ of Galilee?
He who bore our pain and sorrow,
On the shameful cruel tree?
Still He heals the sick and suff'ring,
As before He went away;
For His word most plainly tells us,
"He is just the same today."
He is just the same today;
As before He went away.
Look to Him, believe and pray;
Trust His word and then obey.
"Praise God, He is just the same today."
Do you doubt God's will to heal you?
Take His word and ask for light;
If you seek in deep contrition,
He will guide your heart aright.
Do not fear to claim His promise,
He will not your trust betray,
When on earth He gladly heal'd them,
And He is the same today.
Oh! I'm glad to tell you, suff'rer,
Christ has more than healing too;
Life abundant overflowing,
He will gladly give to you.
Step out boldly, claim His fulness,
Let your sadness flee away;
When on earth He made them happy,
And He is the same today.
--James M. Kirk
156. Every longing in my breast
Finds in Him complete fulfilment!
He has brought me into rest!
I have tested Him and proved Him
More than all I dreamed He'd be!
Christ is not a disappointment,
He is all in all to me!
157. From o'er the years my Lover came,
The lowly Jesus was His Name.
His nature was so true and clean,
He first impressed me like a dream.
I was so young, carefree and bright,
But He so old, and yet, in spite
Of years and years between our age,
We were tuned in at every stage.
He held the key to my young heart,
I loved His love right from the start.
He was so free, relaxed, yet true,
It was the first love that I knew.
He cared for others more than most,
Deriving pleasure from the host
Of common people that He met,
Who shared His face, could not forget,
His smiles, His touch, His time to talk,
No rush, just rest, and slowly walk.
Why should you think that it's so odd
He'd make me, too, a child of God?