TRIUMPH THROUGH TESTING Some of the great melodic treasures have come as a result of intense suffer ing and trials. Just before he passed away, that tremendous 18th century composer George Frederick Handel lost his health. His right side had become completely paralyzed. As far as financ es were concerned, his money was gone and his creditors had threatened to imprison him. Handel felt the defeat so heavily, he became greatly discour aged and almost despaired for a brief time of life itself. But thanks be unto God, his faith prevailed. It was said of Abraham that when he was tried, he offered up Isaac, his most precious possession, and then received the prom ises of God. The same was true with Handel. He sat down and in a few hours, relatively speaking, composed his majestic and best known work, “The Hallelujah Chorus." How true are the words of the apostle John when he wrote, “This is the victory that overcometh the world (not power, not money, not human ability), even our faith." . When God puts a burden upon you, re member He puts His own arms underneath y0U- A PART OF THE TEAM This is the time of the year when young people are particularly becom ing interested in the sport of football. We heard of a mother whose oldest son, a member of a certain college /oot- ball team, when asked by a friend what part he placed, she, being un schooled in the correct terminology, re plied, “O, I’m not sure. I think hes what you call a ‘pull back.’ ’’ Of course the way some teams play the college alumni may feel they have too many “pull backs" rather than “fu ll backs on the roster. Spiritually speaking, however, in our churches today we also have too many “pull backs,” rather than those who are out planning the strategy against the attack of Satan, and waging battle for Christ in the power of the Spirit to bring final vic- (continued on next page) 13
radio nuggets o f gold
When you help someone else up the hill you find yourself closer to the top. ALWAYS ASKING FOR MONEY Charles Haddon Spurgeon has been known as “the preacher's preacher." He liked to tell the story of a tomb stone which carried this epitaph: “What I saved, I lost; but what I gave, l have" How true, for after all it is not so much what we amass that will count on heaven’s books, but rather what we accomplish for Christ with that with which He has entrusted us. Talking about money is never popular. One pastor was accused by a church member of always asking for money. The known miser, though wealthy, complained, “If I had to speak at your funeral, pastor, I would take the text, ‘The beggar died’ from Luke 16:22. The minister smiled and replied as kindly as he could, “Well, sir, that w ill suit me fust fine. But, my friend, be sure you also read all of the verse which says, ‘The beggar died and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom.’ ” The Bible says in the wisdom of the book .of Proverbs, “The liberal soul shall be made fat, and he that water- eth shall be watered himself.” For, “There is that scattereth, and yet in- creaseth; and there, is that withholdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth to poverty’ (Proverbs 11:24). How will we face eternity; w ill our hands have worked for Christ? * * * God sees tomorrow even more clearly than we can see yesterday.
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