weighed 2£20 ounces which is about as much as a medium-sized man. The in satiable quest for gold drove hopefuls to Alaska as well as other portions of the world. Yet, do you know, even unth such endeavors, all the gold mined in the U50 years between 1492 and 1942, if cast into a cube, would measure less than 44 feet each way. Not very much is it: 44 feet square? A s we keep this in mind, it’s difficult to conceive of paving the streets of a city, especially one with a main boulevard 1400 miles long, with gold. The Bible reminds us that this will be the dimension of this gigantic city whose external walls are also made of the same precious mate rial. Thrilling to contemplate? Yes, but it’s not the gold to which we look for wardbut rather our God and Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, “Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto His glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto Himself.” * * * The Christmas spirit that goes out with the dried up Christmas tree is just as worthless. * * * WISE INVESTMENTS This Christmas season, millions of dollars are being spent on selfish indul gences, all in the name of the One whose free g ift is Salvation. Our Lord told the interesting parable of those who were entrusted with funds and urged to invest them wisely. Some used the money to earn more capital while one was afraid to do anything. While Scripture doesn’t specifically speak about a fourth steward, if the situa tion took place today, there might have been one who would have apologized, “Lord, Your pound gained 10, but, You see, I’ve spent 9 on myself. So, here’s one pound I kept for You. I’m grateful for the way You prospered me, Lord. Ilf8 hard to live in such a competitive society, especially at Christmas. The neighbors look at you sideways if you don’t keep up. We really meant to give more to You but we didn’t want our children to be ashamed of us,” people say to the Lord. “Ilfs true; it is a sorry situation the way they’ve treated You. It’8 hard to understand, when we tried so hard to teach them eternal values.
By the way, Your pound is a little chipped on the edges. I guess that hap pened when some of our time payments came due; we had to cut corners here and there.” Sound familiar? Should this poor steward pause long enough from his selfish pursuits, he no doubt would hear the Saviour say, as in the long ago, “Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread and your labor for that which does not sat isfy?” A t this joyous season of the year, let us not be so occupied unth the secular aspects of a commercial world that we miss those true values which alone unit last throughout all eternity. * A complaining tongue reveals an un grateful heart. * * * SPEECH LESSON A t this time of the year there are many parties and social gatherings. Perhaps you’ve heard of the wife who persuaded her unwilling husband to go to dinner at the home of some of her old acquaintances. A fter the meal, the host and hostess left the room and busied themselves in the kitchen pre paring the dessert. The now irritated husband grumbled, “I hope you’re en joying yourself, because I ’m not. The man’s a bore and the woman’s a snob. What’s more, the meal was awful. Even this room is deplorable; itfs as drafty as the North Pole. I don’t care what you say ; this is the last time I’ll come here!” A moment later, when the host returned to the room, the husband pulled a tape recorder from underneath the table and said, with a rather roguish grin, “We’ve got something here you’ll be intrigued unth. We switched it on while we were out of the room. I think you’ll be amused to hear what your voices sound like. Let’s play it back.” Well, to make a long story short, the visitor was quite right when he said he would never enter that house again! Similarly, we need to re member that while we may think no one else hears what we say, or even knows what we think, God does! Let us be sure that we do nothing which might bring condemnation upon His name. This Scriptural truth is proven real in our lives, that “A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and * *
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