of the Saviour, as well as binding to gether true believing hearts in Christian fellowship. How discouraging it must be. for godly pastors when people don’t show concern for the lost, but are simply content to attend a service an hour or so a week. Have you ever asked your self questions like, “What kind of a sermon would my pastor preach if it were gauged by the amount of praying I did for him the preceding week? Do you suppose that if our minister stood in the back of the church, folks would be a rush for front pews? What would happen if the next time I was tempted to criticize instead I went to the pas tor and asked him for some work to do, perhaps calling on the sick or visi tors. Would the shock be too great for him?” As the poet has observed, “I think that I shall never see A church that’s all it ought to be. A church whose members never stray Beyond the straight and narrow way. A church that has no empty pews Whose pastor never has the blues. A church whose deacons always “deac” And none is proud and all are meek. Where gossips never peddle lies And make complaints or criticize. Where all are always sweet and kind And all to others’ faults are blind. Such perfect churches there may be But none of them are known to me. But still we’ll work and pray and plan To make our church the best we can.” TOO MUCH GIVING It’s hard to understand, yet we know there are some people who believe that missionary causes are a waste of time. One man who critically felt this way went to his pastor with a complaint. He felt that the minister was making too many appeals for money to be used in reaching the lost across the seas. He was so disturbed and agitated that one Sunday morning at the door of the church, he warned, “Preacher, you can take it from me, all this giving will kill the church!” The man of God smiled kindly as he replied, “Well, sir, 25 The true Christian is a person who is right side up in an upside down world.
Let no picture hang on the walls of your imagination that you wouldn’t hang on the walls of your home.
GOD’S WAYS ARE BEST Haven’t you found it to be true that when we’ve wanted our own way, rather than that which the Lord may have for us, that stubbornness ends in misery and heartbreak? God’s ways are always best. Seeing a bird building its nest in a heap of dead leaves and branches, a farmer knew he would have to drive her away. The debris was to be burned. The nest had to be broken up or it, too, would go up in flames. Going out the next day, however, he saw the in dustrious little creature again working feverishly on the nest amidst the pile of trash. It seemed rather merciless and yet it had to be done. The next day, he observed the clever bird working on her nest on a limb near the kitchen door. Smiling at her new efforts, the farmer naturally let it remain. Long before those eggs were hatched, the pile of branches from which the bird had been driven twice was burned to ashes. So often, like that little creature of God, we may wonder why it seems that the Lord breaks up our nest, or our best-laid plans. Were we able to see as does our loving Heavenly Father we would know that He has kept us from destruction. A fire will consume the works of all those who abide not in Christ’s love and grace. Scripture says they soon shall be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb. Trust in the Lord and do good. So shalt thou dwell in the land and verily thou shalt be fed!
The darkest shadows of life are those which a man makes when he stands in his own light.
YOUR CHURCH There is no question about it, for Scripture affirms the fact that the church is a God-ordained institution for this age, designed to spread the Gospel
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