21-27
The Gospel Trumpet
Volume 21, Issue 27, July 11, 1901
(Articles of interest only)
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"He Loved Them to the Uttermost."
John13:1 (R.V.M.).
Love to the uttermost! Measureless, free,
Such is the love of thy Savior for thee;
So cold is thy heart, no answering flame
No thrill of delight at Jesus' name?
No gift of devotion laid at his feet,
No longing desire his presence to meet.
O Love everlasting, measureless, free,
What heart to thy claims thus callous can be?
Love to the uttermost! love to the death!
No man for his friends a greater love hath;
But Jesus' love no fathom can reach,
Its length and its breadth no science can teach;
It looks on the worst with pitying eye,
It raises the fallen and sets them on high.
O Love everlasting, measureless, free.
Thy debtors forever and ever are we!
Love to the uttermost! reaching to all,
Receiving alike whoever shall call;
Heaven's uttermost mercy, Hell doth defy,
Christ saveth completely all who draw nigh;
The lowest and least he calleth His own,
His servants at last exalts to His throne.
O Love like the ocean, measureless, free,
In God's heart alone such fullness can be!
... Selected.
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The New Testament Church.
By Alvin J. Ellison.
Chapter 12.
REPENTANCE.
Repentance is an act on the part of the sinner that brings him in touch with God. Again, we wish to say it is among the chiefest of Bible themes; but we are sorry to say it is among those many important themes which are so greatly slighted by those professing to stand on the walls of Zion as expositors of the Holy Scriptures. But we trust that God will here enable us to state facts as they are in his Word, thus pointing the sinner to Christ “the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world.”
The majority of people have a very limited knowledge of what must precede, and what is included in, repentance. They think it such a small matter that, just before death ensues, only a few minutes are needed to make the necessary preparation to blot out the deep...seated stains of a life of sin, and to enter into the presence of the Almighty God uncondemned. This almost invariably proves a fatal mistake, and souls are thus by the thousands ushered into a never...ending eternity only, as the rich man, to lift up their eyes in hell. We will now notice a certain saying of Jesus which will throw a direct light upon this important point: “No man can come to me except the Father which hath sent me draw him.” ... John 6:44. So, dear sinner, if you should become very ill, even unto death, and had no conviction for sins, you would doubtless go into eternity unsaved notwithstanding your earnest pleadings with God: because, as we have just read, no man cometh to the Savior except he be drawn (convicted) by the Father. But few ever call upon God at the death...bed with the object in view of serving God, but because they dread the thoughts of going into an endless hell. Under such circumstances God has never promised to save. But if from conviction of sin we call upon God, he will never fail to save.
Another text on this point to which we desire to call special attention is 2nd Corinthians 7:10: “For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of.” This text, in connection with the one used by our Lord, clearly shows us what must precede repentance; viz., conviction from the Father and a godly sorrow for sins upon the part of the sinner. This is not included in repentance, but must precede it: “For godly sorrow worketh repentance.” In other words, it is that which will cause the sinner to repent. Let us notice a number of points included in repentance.
A FORSAKING OF SINS.
“Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.” ... Isaiah 55:7. Here is the first thing required of the heart...broken sinner as he comes knocking at the door of mercy for salvation. The Lord says he must forsake his sinful way; I. e., leave sin, never again to return. This decision he must have, or God will not pardon.
RESTITUTION.
“If the wicked restore the pledge, give again that he had robbed, walk in the statutes of life, without committing iniquity; he shall surely live, he shall not die.” ... Ezekiel 33:15. This is a point of vital importance which is greatly overlooked by the majority of professors and non...professors. They think if they confess their sins to God alone, this is sufficient. But not so. We must restore to our fellow men that which we have falsely taken, either by lying, cheating, or stealing. The Word says, “If the wicked restore the pledge, give again that he had robbed.” If no restitution, no salvation; neither will it do to make a partial restitution only, neglecting the remainder; for God says, “He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.” ... Proverbs 28:13.
CONFESSION.
First, to man: “Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there remembers that thy brother hath aught against thee; leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.” ... Matthew 5:24, 25. From this text we learn our duty of confessing to those we have wronged. This is something very important, which God holds all sinners to do. They must also forgive those who have wronged them. “For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: but if ye forgive not men their trespasses neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” ... Matthew 6:14, 15. All malice and hatred must be laid aside, and perfectly forgiven, even as Christ forgives us and remembers our iniquities no more. Without such a forgiveness, “neither will your heavenly Father forgive you.” Therefore God requires each individual coming to him for forgiveness to meet the demands of the above scriptures by restoring the stolen and being reconciled to his fellow men to the full extent of his ability and opportunity.
Second, confession to God. Having thus far fully complied with the requirements of God in repentance, we are now ready to touch the hem of his garment. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” ... 1st John 1:9. Having thus confessed our sins and surrendered our hearts to him, but a single act of faith is yet lacking to admit us into the glorious kingdom of heaven. Those who thus repent will be sure to find the pearl of great price, and because of the same there shall be great “joy in heaven.” Praise the Lord!
Repentance on the sinner’s part,
Will cause the love of that great Heart
To touch the soul that’s dead in sin,
And bring it back to life again.
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The Parable of the Talents.
By J. W. Byers.
Article 2.
We are taught by these scriptures and many others that there are great diversities of usefulness in these talents. The gifts of the Spirit mentioned in 1st Corinthians 12 are also included in the God...given abilities and qualifications for service for his glory in the enriching of the church and the spread of the gospel through all the world. It is wonderful what a vast field of usefulness there is in this world when we are awakened to the necessity of faithfulness. No one can sit with idle hands and say, There is nothing I can do. Each of us has the ability from God to do something, and every effort to exercise this ability will not only please God, but will stand to our individual benefit in the day of reckoning. Every effort to exercise this ability will increase it, and thus enhance its usefulness.
In this respect every act of giving “increaseth,” and every act of withholding “impoverisheth.” It is the actual giving out which enriches the giver and also benefit’s the receiver; but the giver is the one who obtains the reward. Would that every saint on earth could see the importance of this parable. Every act of kindness to the poor and needy, every effort to do good to fallen humanity, in the spirit of Jesus, and everything that can be done with a pure motive for the glory of God will increase the talents. The faithful servants went and traded with the talents and thereby increased them. They put the talents on the market so that people could make use of them, and in return bring an increase. The solemn rebuke to the unprofitable servant was, “Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury.” If the people of this world were all to lock up their means and cease the circulation of money it would plunge our country into a financial panic. Industries of all kinds would suffer, and general dissatisfaction and ruin would prevail. It is the plentiful circulation of money that makes and keeps good times, financially. It is equally true in the plentiful circulation of the Lord’s goods and means in the kingdom of heaven. Such a circulation makes good times, spiritually, and it is this condition of things which is pleasing and profitable to God and his servants. A hoarding up of these talents on the part of the servants of the Lord will produce a spiritual panic in the kingdom of God upon earth. Every one of us should seek everywhere for the “exchangers” where the Lord’s means can be put and kept in circulation, which will prove to the glory of God and the everlasting benefit of ourselves. The time for such opportunities is short. We must soon appear before the Lord and return to him our talent with the increase. The account is being daily kept by the Lord himself through the agency of the Holy Spirit, so that it will not be our account that we shall bring to him in the day of reckoning, but it shall be the infallible account which he has kept of our faithfulness or unfaithfulness, which will stand to our credit or condemnation. To some of us there may be but a few days or weeks to fill up our record in the use of our talents.
It is to be feared that many who profess to be the children of God have excused themselves by saying that they have no talent, and therefore have no responsibility in the spread of the gospel or the uplifting of fallen humanity. Others have yielded to the influence of circumstances, such as persecutions, oppositions, and other difficulties, which may seem excusable reasons to themselves, and they have “digged in the earth” and hid the Lord’s money. Many have been blessed with bountiful stores of this world’s goods and a God...given ability to manage and accumulate; but they have also digged in the earth and buried all their gains in the ground by adding broader acres to their already abundant possessions. Perhaps they reason within themselves that there is no need for the gospel, the poor around them, the starving millions, or the missionary cause of India and other foreign lands. Thus their precious talent is entirely buried in the earth and all their gains invested in this poor perishable world which will soon consume in flames, whereas they might have put their talent out to the Lord’s exchangers (the gospel and the poor) and invested all their gains in precious souls, to shine like stars in their crowns of rejoicing through all eternity. But alas! The sad wails of the poor condemned servant who has thus unfaithfully dealt with the sacred charge committed to him and now must be cast out into darkness and thus has missed heaven himself and will have to answer for all those he might have been instrumental in saving!
Then, there are others who have vainly imagined that they have a number of talents, and became puffed up with a desire to become great in this great gospel reformation. They have not sought to become humbled under the mighty hand of God so that he could lift them up in his own way and make them useful in his service. Thus they have become entirely disqualified and rejected of God, and unless they repent and humble themselves to his place of usefulness they will have an awful account to meet at the day of reckoning.
I see still another sad picture. Some of my dear brethren and fellow...laborers in the ministry who have unmistakably been entrusted with a talent in the dispensation of the gospel and have in time past felt the responsibility with our dear brother Paul, who said, “Woe is unto me if I preach not the gospel,” have for a time been faithful and have brought precious souls into the kingdom; but the enemy of God and all good, through bringing a complication of circumstances to bear upon them, which added to the cares of this life have succeeded in creating around them a great high wall of circumstances which has continued to grow and enlarge until the poor perplexed soul feels completely hemmed in, and the eyes become fixed, Peter...like, upon the surrounding difficulties and the heart has begun to sink. A feeling of sadness steals over the soul and something whispers: “You have been very zealous in the past and now you are perfectly excusable if you let down your zeal for the ministry and adjust yourself to these circumstances. You can not overcome these things, and God does not now require of you what he has in the past. You now have your duty to do in these things, and you can not attend to the gospel ministry and do your duty otherwise at the same time.” The poor soul sighs and mourns and gives ear to these suggestions and succumbs to the circumstances, and thus the precious laborer is shorn of his strength and disarmed of his weapons of war, and begins to dig in the earth. He does not mean to bury his Lord’s talent, but before he is aware the talent has disappeared in the earth. Disappointment and failure follow every effort that he now puts forth, and even though he might succeed in some pursuit in life he will go through this world a sad failure, and when at last he is called to the day of reckoning he will perhaps come with the plea, “Lord, thou knowest my circumstances, that I could not make use of thy talent. Thou has required of me more than I was possibly able to do; so I digged in the earth and spent my labor and strength of my life in other pursuits. So, here is thy talent that is thine.” Ah, the sad, sad reproof will come to such a soul: “Thou oughtest to have used my talent to the best of thy ability; I gave unto thee no more than thou wast able to make use of. Thou oughtest to have continued to call sinners to repentance and feed the church of God, according as thy actual circumstances permitted. Thou oughtest not to have allowed discouragement to rise up before thee and cause thee to cease from laboring to save souls.”
The lamentable cry from the poor disobedient servant will not avail for the sad neglect, and the awful scene of the lost souls in perdition whom he might have saved, will appear before him, and the verdict of his banishment into perdition with the lost will be his doom.
A VOICE OF WARNING.
In the name of Jesus I warn all my dear brothers and sisters against unfaithfulness and neglect. This servant was called a wicked and slothful servant. He was wicked because he charged his Lord with injustice and excused himself from the responsibility that was laid upon him. He was slothful, because he neglected to make use of that which was entrusted to his care. The golden opportunities that were constantly before him, when he could have made use of the talent and bettered the condition of many who were really suffering for the need of its use, had been neglected, until every opportunity having passed by never again to return, the poor servant was obliged to meet his record and pay the terrible penalty. Oh, my dear brethren and sisters in these last days of time, how shall we stand before the Lord when he comes to reckon with us? Are you certain that you are making use of the talent entrusted to you? The solemnity of these questions bears heavily upon my heart, and I fear for many who may think they are ready to meet the Lord. No excuse can be offered by us in the day of reckoning; for the Lord knew our ability before he gave us the talent, and accordingly we must answer.
Let us wisely move out into greater activity in the precious service of our Lord. Every faithful effort will be rewarded with greater ability on our part and an increase of the talent for the glory of the Master. All the servants of God who ever accomplished anything in his service and have left a life record of faithfulness, have begun in obscurity with little or no apparent ability and no consciousness of any talent at all; but by trueness to God they began to battle with oppositions which combined to defeat their purpose. By reason of those very oppositions they began to develop strength and power in Christ (for when we are weak, then are we strong), until every hindrance proved to be a help. Thus through persecution, adversity, personal insignificance, and humility, the power of God was manifest in their lives, and the sacred talent increased. When they stand before the Master in the reckoning day and their account is presented to them they will be able to rejoice in the glad surprise that the one or more talents which had been entrusted to them had really increased.
Dear fellow servants, since it is an indisputable fact that none of us have less than one talent and none of us know how many more than one have been entrusted to us, there is but one thing for us to decide upon to insure the necessary approval of the Lord both in this life and in the reckoning day, and that is ETERNAL FAITHFULNESS. With this purpose settled and fixed in our hearts, and the promised abundant grace of God to ever bring it into effect, we may make use of the Lord’s talents according to his good pleasure. Then when we stand before him and our account is presented to us we shall be able to say with all the faithful: “Lord, thou deliveredst me this, or these, talents, when I became thy servant upon earth, and, behold! I have gained this, or these, talents beside them.” Then shall the Lord say unto us, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou has been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.”
“Let none hear you idly saying,
‘There is nothing I can do’;
While the souls of men are dying
And the Master calls for you.
Take the task he gives you gladly,
Let his work your pleasure be;
Answer quickly when he calleth,
Here am I, send me, send me.”
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Warning.
By W. W. Titley.
“Seek ye the Lord while he may be found.” ... Isaiah 55:6. The text is a very familiar one, which some of us have heard many times; but it is not so familiar that God may not use it to stir up the pure mind of the believer, and also to warn the poor sinner in the awful march to an endless hell. The question naturally comes, When will God not be found? We find the Word of God teaches it is an awful thing to reject or disregard his truth, no matter whether you have it revealed by reading the Bible for yourself, or in papers and tracts. God’s Spirit convicts men of sin, righteousness, and judgment to come, just the same now as in the morning of the dispensation when the Holy Spirit was first given. To constantly persist in rebelling against the Spirit of God and his Word sears the conscience and gives place to strong delusion, that they should be damned who receive not the love of the truth. As this glorious gospel light is being revealed in all its brilliancy and beauty in these last days of time, the sayings of Paul are coming to pass. He said, referring to the Babylon deception of sect confusion which should come, “For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.” Thank God, we are now living in the time when “that wicked” has been revealed by the Spirit of truth, and it has been consumed by the spirit of his mouth in all who have received the love of the truth in their hearts. Yes, the Spirit has come in all his brightness and has destroyed the evil thing and removed it out of our way so that our spiritual vision has been made clear and our souls have been made to rejoice and grow fat and flourishing in the deep things of God. What a wondrous effect this truth has on those who receive it! Truly the half has not been told. But, while we delight to look at the wondrous effect on those that believe to the saving of their souls, we must not forget the apostle’s awful picture of those who do not receive the truth.
The deception was bad enough before the time came when it was revealed and taken out of the way. But listen to the Word of God concerning those who will not receive the love of the truth ... who reject and carelessly set aside God’s awful judgments concerning Babylon: “And for this cause God shall send them strong delusions, that they should believe a lie: that they all might be damned who believe not the truth.” When God’s eternal truth is first proclaimed in your ears, harden not your hearts by rejecting it; for by thus refusing, God can only be true to his Word and give you what he has said will come in such cases. When God sends strong delusions, who can describe the awful condition of the recipient? May God help us to realize that whatever his Word says here will be true in heaven, and “whatsoever a man soweth that shall he also reap.”
Many souls are in this condition of strong delusion to-day, and many more are getting under it. Some think they can go on in Babylon confusion and help some poor souls down there to see what God has shown them concerning these things. May God help us to see that this is a delusion of the devil. For when God says, Come out of her, and you do not heed the cry, you will not be able to help others unless it be helping them into delusions which you have already plunged your own soul by disobeying the truth. Proverbs 1:24 refers us to those who refuse the call of God and his outstretched arm of deliverance. When their destruction comes as a whirlwind, then they will send for some saint of God to pray for them and plead with God for deliverance. But he will not be found; he will not answer, because they hated the wisdom from above and did not choose the Word of the Lord.
May the Lord God help the reader to realize the awfulness of getting into a position where the deceptions and delusions of these evil days have access to the soul, and keep aloof from such by humble submission and obedience to the light as God reveals it unto us. Seek ye the Lord while he may be found; for his Spirit shall not always strive with man. Escape to the mountains of God’s righteousness lest thou be consumed; or our God is a consuming fire.
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IMPRESSIONS.
By G. T. Clayton.
Right impressions should be encouraged and honored by every honest heart. Impressions are one of the avenues of the Holy Spirit in his leadings. This means of revelation is often abused. The fact that there is so much extreme fanaticism and wild...fire is an evidence of this. The devil is counterfeiting and deceiving many with false impressions. There is a great work to be done in this present reformation on the line of revelation, in getting correct impressions of the unrevealed truth and the many mysteries that must be revealed before Jesus comes.
Now, how are we to determine right impressions? The Holy Spirit never impresses contrary to the Word of God, though sometimes he impresses where the Word is silent. The Holy Spirit always impresses in harmony with reason and good judgment. “Doth not behave itself unseemly.”
The Holy Spirit always impresses God’s children alike. “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.: ... John 16:13. I used to teach that it was wrong for me to do certain things but that the Lord might let some one else do them. The Lord showed me that this was confusing and dishonoring to him. “Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind, and in the same judgment.” ... 1st Corinthians 1:10. “Whatsoever doth make manifest is light,” and the light the Lord reveals to us is always in harmony with what he has revealed to others, and is safe to teach. The Holy Spirit will impress most frequently where the impressions are heeded. The closer we follow them the more correct we become in our knowledge of them; but negligence always causes confusion and disaster.
We are to try the spirits. A spirit that deceives and gets people into trouble is not the Spirit of God. If we have the Spirit of truth, will we need wisdom? Yes; the Holy Spirit, always guides in harmony with holy wisdom, not the wisdom of the world. Our impressions are always clearer when we “prove all things” and “hold fast that which is good.” ... 1st Thessalonians 5:21. When wisdom is depended upon to the neglect of impressions of the Holy Spirit it often proves disastrous. Natural circumstances sometimes indicate that we should go to a certain place or do a certain thing; but when we wait on the Lord we are constrained to do otherwise, as was Paul. We should always seek the Lord’s guidance when we think we are judging rightly, and we should live so close to the Lord that we can always discern what spirit brings the impression. Wrong impressions and a want of clear impressions have caused great havoc, and will continue to do so until the spirit of discernment is fully restored to the church. This is one of the great needs, and should stir every one to pray for it who loves her prosperity. 1st Corinthians 12:10. The Lord is glorified and it is his pleasure to reveal to us the line on which he is working in this special time. Malachi 3:18.
There is nothing so fatal to hypocrisy as true discernment of condition. “The sinners in Zion are afraid; fearfulness hath surprised the hypocrites.”
TO THE MINISTRY.
Ministers often say they do not feel impressed to preach, but feel that some one should preach. Often in such cases it was expected that some one else would preach, and the Lord did not so lead; so there was a break in the spirit of the meeting. This occurs more frequently when a number of ministers are present, and indicates a lack of waiting on the Lord. It is very embarrassing for a minister to preach under such circumstances, and usually it is a broken link in the meeting. A humble boldness is needed on the part of some ministers whom the Lord has called to preach, especially where there are large congregations. Because they have preached several times during a meeting they prefer others to the impressions of the Spirit, and some novice who has no knowledge of the condition of the meeting jumps up and tries to preach and is not likely to strike the nail on the head. We are responsible for this state of things when the people go away disgusted. Real humility will keep any one out of the pulpit until the Lord leads, and a thorough consecration will have them preach every time the Lord leads. This will avoid all confusion. Let us contend for the old landmarks. We will then have inspired sermons every time if we have the preacher that the Lord leads to send forth the truth. When the Lord leads us to do anything he always makes it possible; or to go to a certain place, we will find he has been there and prepared the way. When the Lord sent Cornelius down to Joppa he was also preparing Peter to go with him.
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Come Out From Among Them.
By Emma Tufford.
There are some people to-day who claim they have seen the evils of sectism, that they are free from Babylon, that they see the body of Christ, the church; and yet we find them frequently dabbling in sectism. When I saw the corruption, the awful abomination, and the fallen condition of Babylon, I made my escape from her ruins, and I thank God I have had no desire to return. Before I left there I was starving for clean spiritual food, and now, since I have found green pastures, I have no desire to go back in search of dried up food. I can not understand how people can have a desire to be running back to Babylon after confessing that God has called them out and showed them it is wrong. God plainly commands, “Come out from among them, and be ye separate.” Paul the apostle says, “Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.” So if we follow Paul we must of necessity obey his command. He says: “Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? And what communion hath light with darkness?. . . And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? For ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you.” ... 2nd Corinthians 6:14...17.
Some people would have us believe that this scripture was spoken to men and women admonishing them not to be unequally yoked together with unbelievers in the bonds of matrimony. But it can not mean that; or else Paul would contradict his own commands. In the above text he commands, “Come out from among them, and be ye separate,” while in 1st Corinthians 7:12, 13 he commands ... “If any brother hath a wife that believeth not, and she be pleased to dwell with him, let him not put her away. And the woman which hath an husband that believeth not, and if he be pleased to dwell with her, let her not leave him.”
If the first command was spoken concerning matrimony, the husband and wife would have to separate if one was an unbeliever; but the second command forbids this. So we can not view this scripture from that standpoint. Let us examine these scriptures very closely and see if they do not clearly and decisively teach us that God’s people, his church, are to have no sin in them, and are not to have any one who is unrighteous yoked up with them.
“Be not unequally yoked together with unbelievers.” What is an unbeliever? “One who does not believe.” ... Webster. Are there not thousands in sectism who do not believe God saves them from sin, who do not believe that he sanctifies and makes them holy, and do not believe God will heal our diseases? Yet all these and many other points are articles of faith which the true believer must and does believe to be obligatory, and also their glorious privilege. But the masses of sectarian professors are full of unbelief. “What fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? What is righteousness? John says, “All unrighteousness is sin.” Therefore it follows conclusively that righteousness is sinlessness. Therefore, what fellowship hath sinlessness with sin? I answer ... None. If we have God's holiness in us, we have God's nature. God hates sin; so do we if we are pure and holy, and we will not fellowship those who are living in sin.
Again, “what communion hath light with darkness? What is light? Jesus Christ and his gospel are the light. Does sectism walk in the light of the gospel? No! because the gospel condemns divisions, and sectism is composed of divisions. Furthermore, if she walked in the light she could not practice the works of darkness, the works of the flesh. The Gospel says, “Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.” ... Galatians 5:16. We will notice the works of the flesh and then see whether one, or more of these works are not found in almost every sectarian professor. “Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness [all manner of loose living], idolatry, witchcraft [spiritualism, hypnotism, fortune telling, etc.], hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies [sects], envying, murders [1st John 3:15], drunkenness, revelings [socials, festivals, fairs, picnics, feasts], and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past; that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.” ... Galatians 5:19...21. “Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret.” ... Ephesians 5:11, 12.
Can we have fellowship in a place where any one of these works of darkness is practiced and cloaked over with a profession of religion? No! If we walk in the light we will hate those things. We can not worship God with people who practice them, even though they seem spiritual. Again, Paul says, “What agreement hath the temple of God with idols?” In speaking to the Christians he says, “Ye are the temple of the living God.” God’s people are his temple, we are “builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.” ... Ephesians 2:22. We therefore can not agree with the temple of idols. The temple of idols does not mean only the temple of idols where the heathen worship ... not by any means. What are idols? “An image worshiped, a person or thing unduly loved or honored.” ... Webster. Are not many things unduly loved or honored by sectarians to-day, such as dress, pleasure, praise of men, tobacco, many little sins they are unwilling to give up? They are bound to them. Again, I ask, can we have communion, or fellowship, with people who cling to and practice sin? No, no!
But, says one, we must stay in there and try to win them, try to show them the light; if we come out and leave them, how can we win them? If you put a good apple in a barrel of rotten apples will the good one save the corrupt ones? No! but the rotten ones will spoil the good one if you do not remove it. Sectism is corrupt, defiled, and abominable, and God’s people must leave it and call others to come out. If we did not leave it ourselves, how could we make others believe we think it to be wrong? Babylon is fallen! Babylon means confusion. Are not the many denominations with all their different doctrines confusion? And can we not see the fulfillment of what John the Revelator saw concerning Babylon? “After these things [former chapter, which describes Roman Catholicism and her daughters, sectism] I saw another angel [messenger] come down from heaven [ecclesiastical heaven], having great power, and the earth was lighted with his glory [the pure apostolic light coming forth again in the evening time of the world]. And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon [Roman Catholicism and her harlot daughters, sectism] is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird [all kinds of wickedness].” ... Revelation 18:1, 2. What are God’s people to do who are yoked up in there? Are they to remain or keep running back to try and reform the devils and unclean spirits? Listen to God’s voice! “And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.” ... Revelation 18:4. “And the light of a candle [Psalms 119:105] shall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom [Christ] and of the bride [the church] shall be heard no more at all in thee: for thy merchants [hired preachers] were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries [false doctrines and high profession, signs, and lying wonders] were all nations deceived.” ... Revelation 18:23.
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Be Strong in the Lord.
By Clara McAlister.
“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. . . Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; and your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith; . . . And the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God.” ... Ephesians 6:10...17. This scripture explains to us what it takes to be strong for God. If we have on the whole armor, not just some part of it, we are promised that we may be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one, and to withstand in the evil day; not in our own strength, but in the power of his might. Some may expect the Lord to lift up a standard against the enemy, and when he does not, they wonder why his promise failed them. Dear souls, search and see if there is not some part of the armor left off; for if it is, this promise is not unto you.
If we have the Word as our only weapon, when the enemy comes in any form, how quickly he will flee if we resist him in Jesus’ name! But, on the other hand, if we are not familiar enough with the Word to grasp God’s promises the devil will win the battle, and thus drive us further from our God. Let us, therefore, be sober and vigilant, and watch unto prayer; for our adversary, the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour. It saddens our hearts to see so many who once tasted of the good Word of God and the powers of the world to come, falling into the enemy’s snares, when if we resist him steadfastly unto the end, and commit our way unto God, he has promised with every temptation to make a way of escape. “As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: rooted and built up in him, and established in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.” ... Colossians 2:6, 7. “And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; . . . For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. . . For if ye do these things, ye shall never fall.” ... 2nd Peter 1:4...10.
If we would grow in grace and abound in love and keep the holy fire of God burning in our hearts, we must be diligent about our Master’s business and neglect not the gift that is in us. “How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation?” If we neglect taking spiritual food we get so lean in our souls that we actually die (spiritually), and all we have left is a name (profession). Then, if we do not “hold fast and repent,” when Jesus comes in flaming fire, taking vengeance on the wicked and them that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, we will be among the number that will flee from an offended God, and cry for rocks and mountains to hide us from his face. God will never allow honest souls to grope their way in darkness if they humble themselves under his mighty hand and are willing to obey his precious Word.
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Words That Burn.
It is not always the many words spoken that are most effectual; not always the polished sermon or fluent speech that has the greatest effect upon the hearts of men.
When the two disciples were walking by the way at one time, and Jesus appeared and walked along with them, they did not know that it was he; yet when he was gone they remembered how his words burned upon their hearts. “And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures?” ... Luke 24:32.
The minister who expounds the scriptures for the benefit of precious souls, realizing the necessity of presenting the truth by the Spirit of the Lord, will be much more effectual in winning souls than the one who in his own strength undertakes to deliver a fine sermon and is extremely careful to observe every rule of rhetoric in the delivery of his message. The Pharisee who stood upon the street...corner to be observed of men and prayed his eloquent prayer did not have the power with God nor receive the needed help himself, as did the poor publican who cried and smote his breast with a humble heart, and cried out “Lord, have mercy upon me a sinner.” When Jesus was with his disciples and said to the fig...tree that no one should thereafter gather fruit from it, the next day the disciples called his attention to the fig...tree, stating that it was withered and dried up from the roots. Jesus said to them, “Have faith in God.” He desired them to understand that it was not astonishing that the fig...tree be dried up when he had said that no fruit should henceforth be gathered from it. The lesson he desired them to learn was, when God spoke, it would come to pass to them and will to us. The lesson is that wherein God has promised anything it is our duty to believe it in order that we may receive what has been promised. He said “What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.” ... Mark 11:24. “Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” ... Matthew 18:19, 20.
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A Humble Spirit.
It is the desire of every child of God to be of some use in the Master’s vineyard. Many are weak, yet striving to be strong. The enemy of souls will place many hindrances in the way, if permitted to do so. He will make duties appear as impossibilities, little things as mountains in the way before us: but when we look to the Lord for wisdom and understanding and follow in the ways of his truth and by his direction, the so...called impossibilities and mountains are swept away as the mist before the wind. “For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.” ... Isaiah 57:15. The Lord is ever ready to help those who come humbly before him. The apostle Peter says, “Yea, all of you be subject one to another and be clothed with humility; for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.” Here is one of the great secrets of success in the Christian life. We should see to it that we are clothed with humility, and the promise is that God will give grace to the humble. When we come to him with a proud heart he will resist us; but he will hear our prayers when we come to him with humble submission to his will and are determined to obey whatsoever he commands.
At one time Jacob came to the Lord with a very humble prayer and said, “I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies, and of all the truth which thou hast showed unto thy servant.”
Moses, when told to go and deliver the children of Israel out of Egypt, felt his weakness and inability, and said, “Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt? O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither heretofore, nor since thou has spoken unto thy servant; but I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue.” Yet, with all the feeling of his inabilities, he did not receive the help from the Lord until he was willing to obey; then the Lord gave him the help whenever needed and qualified him for the work which he was called to do.
When Gideon was called upon to deliver the people out of the hands of the Midianites he felt that he was too weak and unworthy ... the least of his father’s household, and it was only as he obeyed the Lord that he received the necessary help.
The Canaanite woman who came to Jesus for help was willing to be called anything, satisfied to eat of the crumbs which should fall from the Master’s table, or anything, in order to have her prayer answered; and when she cried out with all humility of heart, “Lord, help me,” she was not turned away un...noticed, but the desire of her heart was granted.
James says, “Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted, but the rich in that he is made low.” God will lift up the fallen and bring down the proud in heart, and make them one in Christ Jesus. The rich are not brought down into degradation in order to be saved, but they are brought to the valley of humility where they are willing to be anything for the sake of Christ. When we learn to do all things to the glory of God and practice the same in our daily lives, we have taken a step forward in the pathway, wherein if we humbly continue, the Lord will lead us into the deeper things of his Word, and we will more and more realize the expanse of his grace and glory.
“Let nothing be done through strife or vain glory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus; who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God; but made himself of no reputation and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name; that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
“Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time.”
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The Knowledge of God.
By Emil Kreutz.
“And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.” ... John 17:3.
Jesus said this in his prayer shortly before he took his departure from the world. For some time I have been caused to think of the knowledge of God, and feel that the Lord would be pleased to have me write a few thoughts concerning the same. I am satisfied that now, as well as in Paul’s time, “Some have not the knowledge of God [though they might have had]: I speak this to your shame.” ... 1st Corinthians 15:34. Even among us who are called saints there are those who have not the knowledge of God that they should have, and it is to their shame. We need not make mention of the multitudes of people in sectism and among the heathen, who have a multiplicity of altars erected with the inscription, “To the unknown God,” whom they ignorantly worship, though it is the privilege of all to know him, from the least to the greatest; yet there is very little true knowledge of God in the land. Acts 17:25; Hebrews 8:11; Hosea 4:1.
My heart has been made sad and my eyes dim with tears as I have seen the people of our fair country (professing to be a Christian nation) engaging in almost everything else but the worship of the true God, when they should be doing his will from the heart and living in perfect obedience to his Word. “They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him [why?], being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.” ... Titus 1:16. As Paul says to the Roman church about the Jews: “For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.” ... Romans 10:3. The same is true to-day. And why? The ministry are chiefly to blame. The people have ways of their own; the fear of the Lord is taught to them by the precepts of men. “I have not sent these prophets, yet they ran: I have not spoken to them, yet they prophesied.” ... Jeremiah 23:21. “For the leaders of this people cause them to err; and they that are led of them are destroyed.” (Isaiah 9:16); “destroyed for lack of knowledge.” (Hosea 4:6), which should have been imparted to them by the ministry. “For the priest’s lips should keep knowledge, and they should seek the law at his mouth: for he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts.” ... Malachi 2:7.
What does the knowledge of God mean? In Job 22:21 we read: “Acquaint now thyself with him, and be at peace: thereby good shall come unto thee.” We may know a person yet not be acquainted with him. The knowledge of God, or to know God in a scriptural sense, means more than knowing there is such a being; for to know him is to have “life eternal,” and means an utter forsaking of evil. Rather, a result of knowing him is desertion of evil. By reading the prophecies, especially Ezekiel, the expressions, “Then shall ye know,” “they shall know,” etc., are often used after certain things, the accomplishment of which had been promised his people.
To know God is to have the forgiveness of sins. Under the new covenant by which we now live it is said, “And they shall not teach every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest. [Why?] For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.” ... Hebrews 8:11, 12. This is a wonderful promise. It is so good that people generally place its fulfillment in some future time, viz., in a Millennium, a time to come. Blessed be God, it is right now in this gospel dispensation, and we not only have the promise of forgiveness of sins, actual transgressions, but also the cleansing of unrighteousness.
“Be merciful to their unrighteousness” signifies not only a cleansing from actual transgressions but the cleansing from “all unrighteousness,” which we have in the precious blood of Christ, who is the Mediator of the new covenant. See 1st John 1:7; Hebrews 9:11...15; 13:10...12. When would this be done? “Now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” “to-day if ye will hear his voice, [he speaks not from mount Sinai in audible tones to the fleshly ear, but he speaks to the hearts by the Spirit, to our inner life and consciousness, and calls us to yield to him and have his law written in our hearts and minds by the Spirit (2nd Corinthians 3:8), then having our hearts circumcised to do his will, and our lives regenerated to walk in newness of life, that his tabernacle might be with men and we might be his habitation. Revelation 21:3; Ephesians 2:22. ... harden not your hearts.”
Our glorying must be in God. “Thus saith the Lord, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: but let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the Lord, which exercise loving...kindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth; for in these things I delight, saith the Lord.” ... Jeremiah 9:23, 24. When Jesus comes he will take vengeance upon all them that “know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.” ... 2nd Thessalonians 1:7, 8. So, dear reader, if you are not acquainted with God, “acquaint now thyself with him, and be at peace: thereby good shall come unto thee.”
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Two Extremes.
By D. Otis Teasley.
Article 2.
GOSPEL GIVING.
“Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, as of necessity; for God loveth a cheerful giver.” ... 2nd Corinthians 9:7. As the Lord loves a cheerful giver, he has many times in the past been highly pleased with the liberality of the saints; many have given the widow’s mite and in every way they could helped to send God’s ministers and holy literature to all parts of the land. However, the work has been principally carried on by those who are poor in this world’s goods, and those who were more able to help have often withheld their means, and as a consequence they are to-day lean in their souls. I know of many who would enjoy a much better experience of salvation were it not that they were holding on to this world’s goods which God has entrusted to their care. God can not and will not prosper a person who will hold on to his finance and see God’s people and cause go wanting, for he has said, “Whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he can not be my disciple.”
God does not want us to have some human system of collecting means to support his cause, for he has laid down in the New Testament a system which needs no improvement; but it is so seldom put into practice that a great many are entirely ignorant of the fact that God has a system of giving.
“Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come.” ... 1st Corinthians 16:2. This is God’s plan, and every church should strictly observe it. Those who do not are coming that far short of New Testament living. It is too often the case that the more God prospers an individual the less that individual does for his cause. I know of some who have promised the Lord that if he would prosper them till they could get out of debt they would help his cause, and just as soon as they would get almost clear from debts, they would conclude they were going to make abundance of money and would contract greater debts than ever by investing in real estate, or going into some kind of business which would take them almost a lifetime to get out of. The more we are prospered the more we should give, and the more we give the more God will prosper us. “He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the Lord; and that which he hath given will he pay him again.” ... Proverbs 19:17. “And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands for my name’s sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life.” ... Matthew 19:29.
EQUALITY.
Equality is one thing which is greatly misunderstood. In almost every local congregation there are those who have but little of this world’s goods, and also those who have plenty and to spare. In case something is needed, possibly a meeting...house to be built, and one brother worth no more than fifty dollars if all he had were sold, will step up and offer to give ten dollars, and another brother who is possibly worth a thousand dollars will offer ten dollars and think he has done his part ... is this equality? Nay, verily! God intends that we should give as he hath prospered us. If A has one hundred dollars and B has ten dollars and the Lord requires them to give equally of their means, he certainly requires A to give ten dollars to B’s one. This is equality as God has prospered, and any who try to lower this standard will find themselves failing of the grace of God while in this life, and will wake up when the time prosperity has forever passed, to find they have an awful debt to pay and nothing with which to pay it and no time to gather. We will now notice the two extremes, one on either side of the truth.
COMPROMISE.
Compromise and money go hand in hand, and I know of nothing that will make a “money beggar” of a preacher as quickly as a spirit of compromise. Those under this spirit seem to lose sight of the Lord, to a great extent, and look to the people for their support. A complaint continually escapes their lips that they do not receive more money. Some men go so far as to say they will not go to certain places to preach because the people will not help them enough financially. Brethren, God has no use for a man in his vineyard with such a consecration. He wants men and women who will obey him, money or no money. Paul once said: “These hands have ministered unto my necessities, and to them that were with me.” Many of the primitive followers of Jesus Christ traveled on foot, or in any other way, that they might get the truth to the souls of men. We are no better than they, and if it becomes necessary we must do anything, even at the peril of our lives, to rescue dying souls. Another phase of this spirit is to continually be praying for money in public and in the presence of those who have means. This is an abomination in the sight of God, and no true minister will be continually hinting for money in any way. Brethren, let us have faith in God, who has promised to supply all our need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
FANATICISM.
Fanaticism or a lack of understanding has caused some to almost believe that God in this reformation was going to feed his ministers and needy ones as he did Elijah, by causing the ravens to bring them food. This is a sad mistake, for God has hundreds of dear children whom he will use to supply the needy, and thus bless both the giver and receiver; but the giver always receives the greater blessing, as “it is more blessed to give than to receive.” Should God use the ravens to supply the needy, his children would become miserly and stingy; but as long as he has children to use, he loves them far too well to use the ravens in their stead. Some will read an article in the Trumpet on Faith or Trust, and will almost conclude that it is not necessary to help God’s ministers financially, as they can live by faith. Let me say right here, if a minister has faith, he has faith in the same God to whom you and all you have belong, and when he sends up a prayer of faith you need not be surprised if you hear a voice in your conscience telling you to give a certain brother twenty...five or thirty dollars, for as sure as you are God’s child he will call upon you to help his cause.
More than one of God’s messengers to-day are at home laboring to support their families while souls are dying, all because some child of God holds their support, and will not give it up. Others are ready to go, but can not do so because some one has their car...fare in his pocketbook. Many times a certain church is desirous of having some minister locate permanently in their midst and take the oversight of the flock. They will promise to supply his needs, which is their duty; but he is not there long until they begin to consider him as one of them, and instead of supplying his needs they almost expect him to help bear the financial burden. When an evangelist goes to the same place to hold meeting he generally gets help financially; but the pastor is often sadly neglected. I know of brethren who have resided three and four years in a neighborhood and have not received enough help from the local church to keep them two months. Brethren, this is a shame, and at the judgment many will have to give an account of the way they have treated Jesus by neglecting his servants; for he has said: “For I was an hungered and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungered, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.” ... Matthew 25:42...45.
Brethren who have their own tables loaded with the best food often neglect to call and see how their pastor is prospering, thinking that he should trust the Lord. Often a minister will start on a journey and his brethren will grasp his hand and say, “God bless you, brother;” but if God should see fit to touch their pocketbook to bless him, they would not be so willing for God to bless him. I know it is often nothing more than carelessness that causes brethren to neglect the servants of God; but sometimes it is because of a false idea which many have: as we are free from sectism, God will carry on this work without means. We all believe that God is at the head of this work, but he will most certainly use our temporal means to carry it on. If a man has been liberal in sectism, full salvation will make him more liberal.
If you are not as spiritual as you should be, ask the Lord about it, and he may show you it is because you are not doing what you can to save souls. All are not reapers, for the reapers must have water and food; so if you can not go to the harvest...field as a reaper, you can be a water...carrier or stay at home and prepare the food. All is necessary, for without the water...carrier the reapers must famish with thirst or quit the field and see the grain go to waste. Very often when a minister is needed he is told to come, but nothing is said about the car...fare, or if the fare is sent, only enough is sent to pay his way if the has a half...fare permit. If he has a family, they must get along as best they can. Clerical permits are intended to favor the ministry; but in most cases they prove a favor to the laity, as the minister only get barely enough to pay his fare, be it much or little.
A SUGGESTION.
It is true that a great many of the saints are poor and not able to do much, financially; but I believe by putting forth a special effort we could all do more. Under the Old Testament the people set apart the first...born of their cattle for the service of God. They also sanctified (set apart) houses and lands to the Lord. Now, it is suggested that every farmer set apart a certain part of his farm, say an acre or two, or as much as he feels like ... not the poorest of the land, but of the best, as under the Mosaic law they always gave the best to the Lord and we should do the same. Or, let the man who raises stock consecrate a cow, horse, or a few hogs to the Lord, and when they are marketed turn the money over to him; and the man who is in business or laboring by the day, give a certain day, or days, of each week or month to the Lord. Then let all consider whatever they set apart to the Lord as exclusively belonging to him, and not as giving. Then outside of this give as the Lord prospers. It is true that all we have belongs exclusively to God, but if this suggestion were followed out I believe many would give much more than they do to the cause of Christ. Amen!
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Prison and Jail Work.
Dear ones in Jesus, greeting: I feel like telling you what God has been doing for us. Praise his name! The prison work is growing and precious souls are being saved. It is wonderful how readily these men accept the full teaching of the Bible, taking Christ as their Savior and Healer. When I read their letters, so cheerful and so happy in Jesus, it makes me rejoice. The work is spreading from state to state, and calls are coming in for pure literature. The state prisons have libraries in them, but they are filled with novels, so the prisoners tell me, and they desire something better. When these books and papers are put in their hands they forsake the cards and novels and read something that will do them good.
We thank God for those who have helped us so much in this work; but our needs now are greater than ever, because the work is greater. We are praying God to touch the hearts of his people to supply the free...literature fund with ample means to send us another shipment of books and tracts. A prisoner in Jefferson City and one in Manard, Illinois have permission to distribute books and tracts they receive, and they are faithfully discharging their duty. May God help us to keep them supplied, and not only them but other prisoners as well. We do not feel that it is God’s will for us to quit the field now and turn it over to the enemy when souls are being saved. Let each one do his duty, and the work can be carried on without any one feeling the burden. Your co...laborer in the work,
Laura Pickett,
Poplar Bluff,
Missouri.
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Jefferson City, Missouri.
This leaves me well and saved. I love to read my Bible, and to know that God has a few faithful ones to fight the powers of darkness. I love to read such encouraging letters. I am well pleased with God’s holy plans. He has prepared a heaven for all who will accept his offered mercy. I am reading my Bible daily, and it is ever new to me. It brings me nearer my blessed Master. He said, “Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.” My daily prayer is that God will give me strength to overcome all evil. I praise the Lord for salvation. Your brother in Jesus,
John Reynolds.
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Jefferson City, Missouri.
Mrs. Laura Pickett.
Dear Friend: In answer to yours at hand, I am very thankful to know that I have one who is my friend. I am thankful for the books you sent me. I am wishing to be a Christian, and pray the Lord every night to help me in my troubles, that they may not be a burden on my mind. I hope some day to meet the world and tell that I am a true Christian. I am glad to know that you are willing to help me to be a better man. I do not know how sweet it is to be a Christian, but I am willing to take your advice and try it. I have been getting books from Mr. R. (Brother R is a good worker for the Lord, if he is a prisoner.) I got one to-day. May God bless the workers and the work.
J. Mitzel.
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Jefferson City, Missouri.
Sister Laura Pickett: I will answer your kind letter which I received a few days ago. I am well and saved and trusting in Jesus. Praise his dear name! I can never praise him enough for what he has done for me. Oh, if I only were permitted to do more for him! I have just received a letter from a dear brother who is in here. It would do your heart good to read it. He said all that he regrets is that some one had not pointed out the way to him more clearly before he spent so much of his life in sin and folly. I suppose you received a letter from him. He is afflicted with rheumatism and asks us to pray that he may be healed. Sister, pray much for me. I need the prayers of God’s people in the work that he has given me to do in here. Pray much that God will give me strength and use me to his glory. There are many sinful men here. If I only had the privilege of speaking to them and could get down before them on my knees and pray for them, it would do my heart good. But I have not that privilege. Thanks be to God, the time is coming when I will be free; then I will do as God leads for the salvation of poor souls. I love to work for him who saved my soul. I received the books all right and read them and gave them out to others. They are a great help to me in this work. Oh, if I only had more of them! I do not say this to ask you for more books, since I know you will do all you can; but perhaps some one else could help us get the truth to these poor lost souls. I truly need good religious literature to use in the work here. There are about sixty...five women here, but I can not tell them of Jesus their Savior. May God always bless you, is my prayer.
J. H. Rush.
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Jefferson City, Missouri.
Mrs. Laura Picket.
Dear Sister in Christ: I will now answer your kind letter which I have just received. I am so glad to get a letter from any one who is willing to help me do right and live a better life, and I know you are. I am still sick, but better than I was, and hope I shall soon be well. I will be very glad to get the books. Brother R. will give them to me when he reads them. I see him every morning. He stands before my cell. He is a nice man. I want to be ready when Jesus comes. I will be very glad to get out of here, and am willing to make all wrongs right, to the best of my ability. I must close, for I feel too sick to hold my head up. May God be with you till I hear from you again.
Thomas Ellis.
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Vanburen, Arkansas.
Mrs. Laura Pickett.
Your letter received and contents noted. We were glad to hear from you, and were ever so grateful for the books. We are interested in them, and feel that we are benefited by reading them. We are glad that some one has our souls’ welfare at heart. We desire your heart...felt prayers. There are six in here. We will be glad to hear from you at any time. We remain your,
Friends of Crawford County Jail.
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Macon, Missouri.
Mrs. Laura Pickett.
Kind Friend: I received your letter and the books. You asked me if I wanted to be a Christian. I answer you, I do. I am tired of this life and want you to pray for me. I am in here for burglary, and when I get out I am going to get a job of work and be honest and lead a different life. Please send more books and papers.
Prisoner, Macon Jail.
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Menard, Illinois.
Mrs. Laura Pickett.
Dear Sister: I am glad I can report victory in Jesus’ name. I received the book and papers and was very glad to get them. They instruct and help me so much. I wish you could send me some more, for the men in here are wishing to read it, and I can not loan it as fast as it is asked for, as three of four are after it at once. If I had the books and papers I could reach most all the men in here; but that would be asking too much of you. Pray that God may use me. Your saved brother.
J. F. Farmer.
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Black River Falls, Wisconsin.
I truly can say I am glad I ever sought and found the Lord. Praise his holy name! He is a great and wonderful Savior, one that saves from all sin. It has been three years since I first realized the blessings of God. It was under the teaching of the Baptists that I was first converted. I lived in that denomination over a year. Being only in a justified state, it was not more than about two months until I realized I had committed sin again. Yet I went on two or more months living in sin, the minister calling me a good Christian. How could that be? But as he taught that we all sin more or less every day, it made no difference about me sinning; I was a good Christian anyway. Praise God! I was made to see very clearly that if I was a sinner I was condemned in the sight of God. As I was honest with my soul I began to search the deeper things of God. In 1899 I went to the camp...meeting and there under the teaching of God’s holy ministers I saw my condition and that I would have to repent again in order to be saved. As I went for the whole benefit of the meeting, after justification I then wanted sanctification. When I began to see the consecration needed I thought the cost too great. But I had to come to God’s way before I received the full benefit. I can yet report victory over the enemy. Praise our God! I am now in this city where I know but two holiness believers. But Jesus is with me just the same, and keeps me sweetly saved, for which I give him all the praise. I would like to have some one come here and preach the pure gospel. Pray that I may be wholly consecrated, and that God send some of his ministers here.
J. E. Parker.
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Marion Junction, South Dakota.
I wish to testify to what the Lord has done for me. He is keeping me saved and free from the evils of this world. My trust is in him and I am taking him as my Physician. Our little one was very sick three weeks with lung fever. We were told to give him medicine or something to take away the pain, but we continued to pray. The Lord took all the pains away, for which we give him all the praise. Jesus is a present help in time of need. He has also healed me several times, for which I am thankful to God. Pray that I may have an increase of faith and be able to more fully trust the Lord for both soul and body, and that I may be humble so that the Lord can always use me to his glory.
Anna Ratzloff.
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Eaton, Colorado.
I am praising God for salvation that saves and keeps me free from sin with real victory in my soul. Truly I can testify that God is good to Israel, even to such as are of a clean heart, and he will not withhold any good thing from those that walk uprightly. Praise God for grace to stand through every trial! I have only been in one meeting since I came here. A few saints are scattered through this country but I know of no meetings. There could be much good done if some of God’s ministers would hold a tabernacle...meeting at Greeley. “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.” ... 2nd Timothy 3:1. Truly when we see those who were once bright lights for God being twisted about by the adversary, we know we are living in the days Paul spoke of. We long to hear God’s Word go forth that precious souls may make their escape from the snare that Satan has led them into. The prophet Isaiah says, “Awake, awake, put on thy strength.” Truly there is much need of God’s Word going forth to awaken precious souls. Praise God! The Lord is our strength. Pray that I always be kept humble at the feet of Jesus.
Fred Carpenter.
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News from the Field.
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2734 Lucas Avenue, St. Louis, Missouri.
This leaves me with victory in my soul over the powers of the enemy, and saved and kept by the power of God. The work in St. Louis seems to be moving along slowly. Our rent is $15.00 per month. We are trusting God; he must carry on his own work. The devil has come against the work with deceptions and afflictions, but a few are standing true for God. Bless his name for victory! Pray God to supply the means to carry on his work here in this wicked city. We have a determination to carry on the work so well begun in the name of Jesus.
John Stage.
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Crayton, Kentucky, July 6.
Again I can report victory in Jesus’ name. The work of the Lord is moving on nicely here, notwithstanding the opposing influences. On my way here I stopped with the saints near St. Clair, Tennessee, where I found the saints enjoying the oneness and love of God. I also stopped a short time in Knoxville, Tennessee and met with some very good friends, who seemed to be seeking light on the Word of God. Brothers and sisters, pray that I do God’s will, and also that a mighty wave of salvation flow over this country.
M. N. Roark.
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Centralia, Washington, June 25.
I am glad to report victory over all the power of the enemy. The Lord is blessing his Word as it goes forth, and greatly blessing my soul also. Praise his name! He has laid it upon my heart to return east as far as Kansas City, Missouri. I intend to go next to Orting and South Prairie and hold some meetings, then to Sunnyside, Washington and stop a few days with the saints at that place. From Sunnyside I expect to go through Spokane to Billings, Montana and through Nebraska. Would be pleased to meet some of the saints along this route and help them in a meeting if the Lord directs. My address until July 15 will be Orting, Washington. After that date, Spokane, Washington.
A. H. Hammond.
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Punta Gorda, Florida.
I praise God for his goodness to us. Truly he is a Friend that sticks closer than a brother. He does exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think. We have proved this to be true. This is on condition that we love him and keep his Words. We have learned what it is to be wholly thrown into God’s care. We have passed through the deepest water that we ever had to go through; but God has taken us safely through. Glory to his name forever! We have known too what it is to suffer uncertainties; but bless God, we know what the real know...so down in the heart means. Beloved, be diligent that ye be found of him without spot and blameless at his coming. I earnestly ask the prayers of the children of God that I may live true and loyal to his cause, so that the people of this wicked place may see there is virtue in the salvation of our Lord.
A. P. McElvene.
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Grand Junction, Michigan, July 4.
We feel like telling the dear Trumpet readers what God has done for us in the past few days. We left Detroit to attend the Grand Junction camp...meeting, and on Friday following I was taken with a chill during the morning meeting, and had to go to my room. Brother Merica came into the room after meeting and found me suffering. He said afterward he thought I would die before he could call some of the brethren to pray for me. After prayer the chill stopped. Then I began to be sick at my stomach and for three days suffered intensely, losing eleven pounds in weight. The dear saints earnestly held on to God for me and he heard prayer, and Monday I was downstairs. To God be all the praise. The doctor came to state the nature of the disease and said I had a severe form of malarial fever and strong symptoms of typhoid, and that it was liable to go to my lungs and cause pneumonia and prove fatal. He urged me to paint with iodine, but we just trusted God and he proved faithful to deliver. Praise his name! We expect (D. V.) to attend the Burket camp...meeting. Feeling that the time has come for us to go into field work again, we have closed the mission at Detroit. The saints still meet together for worship. God bless and encourage the dear ones. If any desire help in meetings before the Burket camp...meeting we would be glad to hear from them.
Leroy and Della Sheldon.
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Anniston, Alabama, July 6.
I am glad to report victory in Jesus’ name over the power of the enemy. It has been some time since I reported in the Trumpet, but I have not been idle. I have been laboring in Atlanta, Georgia, where the Lord has wonderfully blessed the work. I left the work there on a forward move for God and went to Carrollton, where we held a meeting two weeks with the saints. We found the work in a very good condition. One precious soul was delivered from sin. The Lord gave us a real feast and the church was much benefited. At the close of the meeting two followed the Lord in baptism. From there I went to Tallapoosa and labored a week, until Brother Robinson, whom I had left at Carrollton, came. I believe the Lord wants a work opened up there. The seed is sown, and I am praying God that it will bring forth fruit to his glory. If it is the Lord’s will I expect to go back there again. From there we came here. We have been here now two weeks. We find the work here in good shape for the Lord. Brother Robinson is expecting to return to Atlanta next week to help the brethren prepare for the general assembly to be held this fall. I feel the Lord will have me continue in the work. If it be the Lord’s will I will visit several camp...meetings. Brethren, I am praying that God will send out more ministers to preach the Word of God regardless of persecutions. If I were to make a compromise with the world or Babylon in preaching the gospel, it were better that I go home. Pray that the Lord let me down in humility where I will see nothing but him.
E. W. Spence.
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Kentwood, Louisiana, June 30.
We are happy to report victory once more over the powers of sin and darkness. To God be all the praise. We have just closed a four days’ meeting six miles north of this place. We had a precious meeting and the spirit of unity seemed to prevail with the children of God from the first to the last. Truly the dear Lord gave victory in this meeting over the powers of sin and darkness. The truth went forth with victory and the Lord opened a few hearts to receive it. Some were delivered from sectism. Three dear souls were buried with Christ in baptism. Others, we believe, will follow soon. At the close of the meeting we enjoyed a feast of heaven’s grace in our souls as we washed each other’s feet and partook of the bread and wine in memory of the death and sufferings of our Lord and Savior. “If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.” ... John 13:17.
July 6 we go to Oakahay, Mississippi, where we expect a precious meeting in Jesus’ name. We wish to say that our camp...meeting near Hammond, Louisiana is close at hand; it will be July 19...28. Those coming on the Northeastern Rail Road can address W. O. Mires, Verger, Louisiana, and they will be met at Covington, Louisiana. Change cars at Pearl River for Covington. Those coming on the I. C. R. will get their tickets to Hammond, Louisiana. Address F. M. Williamson or H. Lester, and you will be met at that place by some one and brought out to the camp...ground. The outlook is for a good meeting. Brother George L. Cole is expected to be at this meeting. We wish to say that Brothers J. M. Hutson and S. A. Hilbren were ordained elders in the church of God at the Kentwood meeting. We believe that God will use them to his glory.
F. M. Williamson.
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Testimonies.
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21 Back Street, Birkenhead, England.
Dear ones in Christ Jesus: I feel it my privilege to testify of God’s wonderful goodness in saving my poor unworthy soul. My soul was full of misery as I had lost my first love through depending on man instead of trusting in God. So he allowed me to be afflicted and taken to the hospital, to bring me to see my condition. He also warned me in a dream to keep away from those who were preaching another gospel (Galatians 1:6), and, praise God! He enabled me to keep away. He also saved my soul, healed my body, and supplied my every need while I was too weak to work. We had no place to meet where I could get spiritual food (God’s Word); but we did the best we could. A few of us met together and sang the songs of Zion and prayed. But God sent two of his little ones here and as the Word went forth we saw that some had a dead profession. So the little sect was knocked to pieces with God’s Word. Jeremiah 23:29. Since then I have been learning precious truths in Jesus’ Word. On Easter Sunday the Lord allowed me to be sick with fever. I was very bad indeed, and believe if I had sent for the doctor he would have ordered me taken to the hospital; but God gave me faith to be healed. I sent for Brother and Sister Bowker and they anointed and prayed for me according to James fifth chapter. Glory to Jesus! He healed me, and I was able to attend meeting in the open air on Monday night, where the Lord helped me to testify to a gainsaying people.
Joseph Colclough.
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Obituaries.
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PARKER ... Brother W. W. Parker was born February 22, 1857, at Church Creek, Indiana; died June 14, 1901, at his home in Kankakee, Illinois. Brother Parker accepted the present truth about four years ago and at death was, we believe, ready to meet his Savior. He leaves a Christian wife and seven children.
W. A. Kirchner.
Kankakee, Illinois.
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New Springfield, Ohio.
SEIDNER ... Brother Monroe Seidner departed this life June 26, 1901; aged 22 years, 1 month, 8 days. He had accepted the pure light of the gospel, having attended the Moundsville, West Virginia camp...meeting. He gave himself wholly to the Lord. He applied for healing and was much benefited; but God in his tender mercy had something better for him than a few days or years in this wicked world. At his own request or desire the Lord removed him home to be with him forevermore. After returning home from the camp...meeting he called for his name to be erased from the book of the sect to which he had belonged. His last words were, “Come, Jesus, take me home.”
William N. and S. J. Smith.
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Divine Healing.
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Healed of Fever.
God has been our Physician four years. I was a great sufferer from liver trouble and the Lord healed me. Husband and myself had chills and fever and we wrote to the Trumpet family to pray for us and we were healed. Husband, having eaten hardly anything for two or three days, called for something to eat. He slept well all the evening. To God be all the glory. Our little girl had earache and fever and the Lord also healed her. I can not tell of all the times he has healed us.
We have no preaching here, and would be glad to have a minister come, as the pure gospel is much needed here. The People seem to care only for money and a good time. May the Lord open their eyes and give them new hearts to know that without holiness no man can see the Lord.
L. A. Davis.
Sandhill, Mississippi.
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Healed of Pneumonia.
I truly appreciate God’s goodness in providing a way out of sin and sickness. The Lord has graciously heard me many times, and it seems east to trust him for my own body, as I find him true to all of his promises. A short time ago my brother’s baby was taken very sick with pneumonia. They called in a doctor and the child grew worse so rapidly that they called in another doctor. All this time I was praying God to know if there was anything I could do to glorify his name in the case. He seemed to get better. The doctor gave orders to give him a sponge bath. We did as he ordered and the child relapsed and was very sick. Then I cried to God again and he showed me what to do. No elders were present at the time, so I was led to send for an anointed handkerchief to a brother and sister not far away. We applied it and the Lord healed the baby. Praise the Lord! The doctor came but found the baby well. He was made whole from that hour. My heart was made glad to see God’s goodness in healing the little child and showing the unsaved his kindness and power to heal. I am persuaded that God is manifesting his power more and more in healing his people. I truly rejoice that I have a salvation that keeps soul and body. Pray that I may be kept humble.
Hattie Ryder.
Phoenix, Arizona.
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Various Afflictions Healed.
I have been out in this true way about six years. I do praise the Lord for saving my soul, healing my body, and letting me see the errors of sectism and the glorious body of Christ, the church. The Lord has healed our family of various diseases many times. Our little girl now three years old has been very much afflicted all her life. While living at the Children’s Home, Grand Junction, Michigan, she was taken very sick with the cholera infantum and unless God healed we knew she could live but a short time. We wrote to the Trumpet Office about 2 o’clock in the morning and before the letter reached the office she was healed. While there our little boy was also healed of diphtheria. We looked earnestly to the Lord that the disease might not spread any further among the children in the Home, and it did not, for which we give the Lord all the praise.
After leaving the Home the little girl before mentioned became very sick again with cholera infantum. She lingered from June to November, but during the first of her sickness was very low. Her bowels were greatly swollen at times, as though the blood vessels would burst. We wrote for prayer at different times and had an anointed handkerchief sent us. She would get better for a short time, then worse again. At one time when we sent for prayer, about the time the letter reached the Trumpet Office she was wonderfully healed. The neighbors wondered at it. They had been in before and seen her and had advised us to get a doctor, and to give her different remedies; but we told them we were trusting her case in the Lord’s hands. She was also healed a year ago of lung fever after about five days of severe testing.
Two years ago I was greatly afflicted in body and suffered much pain. My body was almost a total wreck and I was very weak. My eyes were also so weak and painful that I had to stay in a dark room and also have them thickly bandaged. But the Lord healed my body completely, and I have not had a pair of glasses on since.
Pray that I may have a real settling down in my soul and grace and patience to endure trials.
Josie Sheppard.
Essex, Illinois.
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Healed Through Faith.
I sent for an anointed handkerchief which I applied and the Lord healed me according to Acts 19:12. I had done no work for a week; but after I applied the handkerchief I was healed and able to work. I do give God all the praise. I once belonged to Babylon, but I praise God that he called me out of her, that I might not be a partaker of her sins, and receive not of her plagues; for her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities. Glory to his name for deliverance! God has taken the love of this world and the appetite for tobacco from me. I have no desire for either. We find in Isaiah 35:8...10: “And an highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called The way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it; but it shall be for these; the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein. No lion shall be there, nor any ravenous beast shall go up thereon, it shall not be found there; but the redeemed shall walk there: and the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.” Glory to his name!
It has been about three years since any of God’s children were here to preach the gospel. It is the desire of my heart that he will send some of his true children. Pray that I may be kept humble at Jesus’ feet, doing his will in all things.
Robert Wilson.
Hawthorn, Pennsylvania.
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Present and Perfect Purity.
Holiness is man’s original normal condition. God created him in his own image. He was sinless as God is sinless. He knew no sin, no disobedience to God. He had no tendency to sin, no “evil heart of unbelief.” When he yielded to Satan’s temptation he became a sinner and the heart lost its purity, lost God’s image, which could only be restored by a perfect sacrifice for sin. This God gave in his Son, “that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” ... John 3:16. The atonement would have been insufficient if it had not covered the whole matter of heart sin for present and perfect deliverance. Had it stopped with forgiveness of sins it would have left the soul in a very perilous condition. There would ever have been the need of fortifying against the tendency of a corrupt heart, which is Satan’s stronghold in man, from which he operates against experience in God and holy living.
Would the all...wise, omnipotent God devise such a partial plan for man’s present salvation, leaving him to the liability and probability of losing justifying grace in the conflicts with evil tendencies and Satanic powers all through life? Does not such a position arraign God as insufficient for the problem of sin, and himself undone by the devil? Does it not make the blood of Christ a mockery to the soul who cries, “O wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from the body of this death?” ... Romans 7:24.
The desire that God puts into the converted soul for perfect purity, and the heart cry for deliverance from the inward foes, would be vain if he had not provided for such an experience. More than this, his Word proclaims it. And promises and encourages it. Indeed, it is the central truth of the Bible that the blood of Christ is a present and eternal remedy for all sin.
... Selected.
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The Twenty-third Psalm.
By R. Rothman.
This Psalm is a favorite among both young and old Christians. The child at Sunday...school learns to commit it to memory, and when its years have lengthened and its steps have grown feeble, it repeats the words with renewed pleasure. There is much contained in this grand song. “The Lord is my shepherd.” To have the Lord for our shepherd we must, of course, be willing to follow him. In these words we admit our helplessness and childlike faith in Christ. Sheep are among the most innocent of all animals. They naturally follow a leader. Goats are more inclined to seek a solitary way. Sheep that follow a good shepherd are more secure than those that are inclined to seek a little their own way. Sheep are almost defenseless against wolves and other ravenous beasts when the shepherd is absent or when they have wandered from the fold. The Christian is helpless against the awful powers of sin and Satan unless he is trusting in the almighty protecting power of Christ. To have the Lord for our shepherd we must be true and loyal to him, and obedient to his Words. There are many lords in this world ... the sectarian lord, the worldly lord, the Satanic lord. There is only one Lord able to save us from evil and lead us into the pearly gates of glory. If we follow him we “shall not want” any good thing. Blessed be his name!
“He maketh me to lie down in green pastures.” There is nothing more agreeable to sheep than to lie down in a pasture of fresh green grass, knowing that the kind shepherd is near to ward off danger. When we walk with Jesus in faith and humility he makes this earth glorious with his sacred presence, and the common affairs of life become the source of most exquisite pleasures. What can be more precious than to walk with the Savior of men, the good shepherd? “He leadeth me beside the still waters.” Blessed thought! Past and gone are the days of unrest and dissatisfaction; in Jesus we do have peace. He is a satisfying portion to our souls ... with him we need little here below to make us happy and truly contented. Far from the world’s maddening rush we walk in the quiet paths where Jesus leads, and the crystal waters of God’s purity and love flow through our souls and make us glad.
“He restoreth my soul.” Sometimes we are tried by the enemy of all righteousness, and it seems we must surely give up the struggle. Then we get the feet of the Good Shepherd and he soothes us with his love. His “love is better than wine.” ... Song of Solomon 1:2. Our strength is renewed like the eagle’s, and we wonder that we could for a moment doubt his keeping power. “He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.” Our God is more interested in us keeping in the right paths than we are; so he gently leads his flock in the ways of truth when otherwise they might err in the way. And “his ways are ways of pleasantness, and all his paths are peace.”
“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil.” Sometimes we come near to death, but lo! We find the dread of that monster has altogether gone, and we feel ready to step into the realities of another world with a song of praise on our lips. The dark terrors we once associated with death have been left at the foot of the cross, and death now is but stepping from a world of care and triumph to a work of eternal rest and glory ... “which is far better.”
“For thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.” The sheep sometimes go a little astray, and the shepherd touches them with his rod and staff and encourages them to stay in line. This is comforting to the sheep; for they by nature like to be protected, and if left to their own devices would not be comfortable. Jesus sometimes needs to place his chastening hand upon his little ones, which only causes them the more to love him; for they have learned not to despise the chastening of the Lord, knowing that it is a sign that he is near and that he loves them.
“Thou prepares a table before me in the presence of mine enemies.” When persecutions arise, and things seem dark and hopeless; when our enemies ... the devil and his helpers ... have compassed us about like bees and there seems no way of escape, God keeps one avenue open ... upward ... and he opens the windows of heaven and pours us out a blessing that causes us to be exceeding glad in the presence of our enemies. “Thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.” When we suffer for Jesus’ sake the Spirit of glory and God rests upon us, and the eternal joys of salvation well out of our heart, until we are constrained to leap and shout for joy.
Surely, after all these witnesses of God’s Spirit that the Lord of glory is our refuge and our vigilant Shepherd, we have good reason to say, “Goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life.” This world’s wealth may not be our portion, but we will have the true riches of heaven ... a pure heart and access to the riches of glory in Christ Jesus. It is much more satisfactory to be a doorkeeper in the house of God than to dwell in the tents of wickedness. There is not to be found in all the honors of this world such happiness as Jesus gives.
After a life of precious blessings, such as we have considered, the Shepherd will take us to the home he has prepared for us ... the many mansions of glory. “And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” No more bitter trials and temptations; no more falling by the wayside, being torn by the thorns, bitten by the wolves, but up there around God’s throne we will be at peace in the eternal fold of Him who loved us and gave himself for us. Dear ones, life is fleeting; let us see to it above all else that we make sure our title to “dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” Amen.
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