Hello Everyone! From the Editor
Have you ever heard people blaspheme the name of Christ? I am sure you have; but how do you reply to those who do?
Let me tell you a little story. Years ago there was a young man who loved the Lord, named Albert. He used to work in a country post office. Everyone called at the post office and liked to talk. One delivery boy used to call regularly, who was loud mouthed and almost every second word he said was to blaspheme Christ’s name.
Albert was deeply hurt and sought to speak to him. At last he found an opportunity when they were alone.
“By the way,” Albert asked, “who is this person you talk about so much?” “I talk about? What do you mean?” he replied.
“I mean, who is this Jesus you speak so much about. Is He some friend of yours?”
The delivery boy stared at him. “Don’t you know who Jesus Christ is?” “Yes, I have heard of him. But who is he really?”
The boy spluttered, “Don’t you even know who Jesus is?”
“Yes, I believe I know who He is; the Son of God who came from heaven; who lived a perfect life and died on the cross for our sins.” “That’s Him!” replied the boy, “that’s who I mean.”
“Well, if that’s who you mean, don’t you think that you should respect him more than you do and not take His name in vain?”
The boy was silent for a moment, then quietly replied, “I guess you are right. Thank you.” He felt rebuked and quickly left the post office. Albert in a wise and gracious way had reproved him for taking the Lord’s name in vain.
Let us pray for wisdom to speak a word for the Lord in times when His name is being blasphemed.
“Thou shalt not take the
name of the Lord thy God in vain.” Ex 20:7.
SOUTHERN PRESBYTERIAN YOUTH
We
invite you to worship the Lord with us every Sunday
Smile
a-while
Student’s puzzle. The more I study,
the more I know.
The more I know, the more I forget.
The more I forget, the less I know.
So, why study?
v Good detective. - How can you detect an Irish pirate?
They have patches over both eyes.
- Why do Irish dogs have flat noses?
Because they chase parked cars.
v Last strand: A man who was totally bald, a real egg-shell blond, was looking in the mirror. He said to his son who was standing nearby, “Isn’t that wonderful?” “What is? Dad” asked the son. “At my age” said the father, “and not a single gray hair.”
v Bugs Bunny: When a farm-hand took a job in the outback, he was fed on nothing but rabbits – baked, boiled, stewed, braised and roasted. After three weeks he became ill, so the farmer gave him a good dose of Epsom Salts, but he grew worse. He was then taken to the local doctor. “Hm!” said the doctor, this looks like a case of food poisoning. What have you been eating?” “Nothing but rabbits for the last three weeks,” replied the lad. “What treatment have you had?” “Epsom Salts, Doc.” “My good man,” the doctor replied firmly, “you don’t need salts, you need a good ferret.”
v What am I?: I went to
v Right man: “We want a responsible person for this job” an employer told an applicant for a position. “Then I am just your man,” replied the applicant with a smile. “Everywhere I have worked, whenever anything happened, the people always said ‘you are responsible.”
v Fishy: What part of a fish weighs the most? (It’s scales)
Saved on the
Gallows
In olden times public executions of criminals were usually an event that people wanted. Remember how the people flocked to see the Lord being crucified?
In
On one occasion a man was to be hanged for a crime. The wooden gallows was built. The man was dressed in rags, his hands tied. He was led up the stairs to the top of the gallows, his face white with fear and his eyes filled with terror.
A large crowd had gathered from far and wide. They stood around in a large circle. The guards kept them back at a safe distance.
At last the hangman placed the noose around his neck. There was a great silence among the crowd. When the crime was read out for all to hear, suddenly they were interrupted by a minister, named William Perkins.
Perkins (1558-1602) had once been a drunkard, but he was rebuked for his wicked life as he walked along a street, by hearing a woman call out to her child who was playing, “Keep away from that drunken Perkins.” Those words stung him deeply in his heart because he knew that they were true. Within months he had began to read his Bible and to pray to the Lord for mercy. He was saved by the grace of Christ and later became a godly and faithful minister.
Perkins, with his stiff white collar and large Bible under his arm, marched up and pushed his way through the crowd. The hangman’s hand was raised and the people held their breath for the final execution. "Halt forthwith" (Stop immediately) shouted the preacher. He walked up to the gallows, climbed the stairs, walked onto the platform and stood right in front of the condemned criminal.
The poor man was trembling and was obviously in great agony of mind, as perspiration stood out on his brow. “What is the matter with thee? Art thou afraid of death?” The prisoner shook his head and said that he was afraid of something far worse than death, which was the judgment of God and hell.
“Sayest thou so?” asks the minister. “Come down again, man, and thou shalt see what God’s grace will do to strengthen thee.”
With the hangman’s consent the noose was taken off his neck and he was led down the ladder. The minister then made him kneel beside him at the foot of the scaffold. The people stared in silence.
The minister then began earnestly to pray. He confessed the dreadful sins of this man, acknowledging that he deserved eternal punishment. Soon the man began to weep greatly for his sins. Perkins then began in his prayer to speak of Christ the Saviour of all penitent sinners, and bless Him for His power and mercy to save all who come to Him in true faith.
Perkins so explained the riches of God’s grace and mercy in his prayer, that the man was enabled to look to Christ and to know that his sins were blotted out. The man now wept tears of joy and felt at peace with God. Even the people saw the change in the man’s expression and they began to praise God for such a blessed change in the man.
When the prayer was ended, the man rose from his knees, and climbed up the ladder again, so comforted, that he took his death willingly and with patience. He now acted as if he saw, himself delivered from that which he feared before, and heaven opened to receive him, which caused him to greatly rejoice in his soul. Those who witnessed this event were also filled with wonder and rejoicing.
DISPUTE
SETTLED
Two crewmen on a passenger liner had a dreadful quarrel over some matter. At first they argued, then began to shout at each other, then finally they had a vicious fight. But that did not settle the dispute; both of them claimed that as soon as the ship reached port, they were going to see a lawyer and take the other one to court.
This hostile attitude continued for two more days, but on the third day there was an alarm; a passenger had fallen overboard. Immediately the two crewmen dived overboard, and together they held the drowning man afloat until the life-boat was lowered and he was rescued.
Both of the men were working side by side, eagerly helping the man and making sure he was safe and comfortable.
At last one man looked at the other and said, “I guess all that argument is finished now.” The other man fully agreed. By seeking to save a fellow-man, their dispute was settled.
This is true among Christians as well. If they are diligent in seeking to spread the gospel and helping those who are needy then many of the arguments that people have will be forgotten. Doing good settles many small and large disputes.
“This is what I want”
When
a poor man in
After he had walked for many days; weak and weary he sat down under a shady tree. There he heard a missionary preaching. He said “The blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sin,” The African stood up, threw away his sandals and said loudly, “This is what I want.” He heard the gospel and was saved and became a witness to the Lord to others.
Kindness rewarded
In the very
early days of
The lady at the inn, refused to listen to his plea. She spoke very rudely to him, saying that she would not throw away her earnings on such creatures as Indians.
The Indian looked very sad and disappointed, he looked hungry and worn. He was about to leave the building, when a man who was listening, asked the lady to give him a meal and said that he would pay for it.
As soon as the Indian had finished his meal, he thanked the kind man and promised to remember his kindness whenever he had the opportunity to do so.
Some
years later the man went for a walk in the woods, and he was captured by a
group of Indians and taken several hundred kilometres
to
On his arrival at the settlement of the tribe, some of the warriors wanted to put him to death, but while they were debating what should be done, an old woman demanded that, as she had lost her son in war, she might adopt him. When they all agreed, he was handed over to her. This man remained with the Indian family through the harsh Canadian winter.
When the summer arrived, one day he was approached by an unknown Indian, who asked him to meet him at a secret place at a certain time. At first he agreed to this meeting, but then thought that it might be a plot to kill him, so he did not go.
Later the same Indian asked him again to meet him. Again he agreed, and this time he kept his word. On reaching the spot, he found the Indian prepared with two guns and two backpacks.
The Indian told him to take one of each and to follow him. The man reasoned that if the Indian meant him any harm, he would have killed him, so he obeyed and followed him, and they began their long journey southward.
By day they shot any game they needed and at night they made a fire, roasted the game and then slept beside the fire. The man was puzzled by the silence of the Indian; he never said a word all the while they trekked.
After many days travelling, one morning they came to an high hill and from there they could see a number of houses and some cleared land. The Indian asked him if he knew what place this was. He replied eagerly, “That is Litchfield, my home town.”
The Indian then reminded him of how he had bought some food for an Indian at the inn. The Indian said, “I am that Indian! Now I pray you go home, goodbye.” So they parted and the Indian was never seen again.
By showing mercy to the poor, this man was rewarded and his life spared.
Proverbs 19:17 tells us, “He that hath pity on he poor lendeth unto the Lord; and that which he hath given will he (the Lord) pay him again.”
Teacher
Converted
Not many years ago most schools began the day with prayer. Sometimes the Lord’s Prayer would be said by all the students or the headmaster would lead in prayer.
On one occasion a man applied for the position of a teacher in a school. But when he found out what was required, he was puzzled just what to do. He had all the qualifications to be a teacher, but he was an atheist; he did not believe in God. One of the duties he would be required to do was to begin each school day with prayer.
For a while he thought that he could never accept the position. He asked himself, “how could I open in prayer when I do not believe in God?” So he had a great struggle within himself just what to do. He needed the position very urgently.
Then he began to think that he could learn a certain prayer by heart and each day he could just say those words. This he decided to do.
As the time grew near for him to begin to teach, he wrote out what he thought would be a suitable prayer. Then, to make sure that he said the words in a proper and convincing way, he decided to retire into the woods, where no one would hear him, and say the prayer over and over until he could say it perfectly.
However, as he said the prayer aloud with great meaning, he suddenly became very aware of God’s presence. He began to feel that he was a sinner who had denied the God who made him. He then began to ask God to help him and forgive him. He went home deeply convicted of his sin and with a determination to seek the Lord.
Before the school term began he was saved and was a new creature in Christ. His prayer before the school was not merely repeating a set form of words, but he really prayed for the Lord to bless each of the children in their hearts and lives and help them in their studies.
This teacher was used by the Lord to direct a number of the children to Christ, and later he became a very faithful preacher of the gospel of Christ.
Sin
found out
The Bible tells us, “Be sure your sin will find you out.” Numbers 23:32. This means that everyone’s sins will be discovered and judged. Sometimes sin is found out in this life, but if it is not found out now, every sin will be brought to light and punished on the day of judgment.
There have been some strange events
in history which have brought sin to light. One of these occurred in
For many years there was a popular Roman
Catholic priest in
A number of people gave speeches. Then it was the priest’s turn to speak. He told of his many experiences and memories since becoming a priest. He clearly remembered that the first person to confess his sins to him, admitted that he had murdered someone, but the priest forgave him. Roman Catholics believe that they should confess their sins to the priest and that he has power to forgive them. But we should confess our sins to the Lord who alone can forgive us. (Psalm 32:5)
The priest had just finished speaking, when a nobleman arrived late. He warmly shook the priest’s hand and apologised for being late, then told everyone that the priest was a special friend of his, and in fact he was the first person to make a confession to him.
This nobleman was soon arrested, tried and executed for the murder. His words at the banquet had unexpectedly revealed the crime that he had committed many years before.
His crime was hidden until he spoke those words, but God knows all our sins fully, even our most secret thoughts.