parables and pearls (AS FEATURED OVER "T H E BIO LA H O U R ")
anyone who had a question to come to the platform. The crowd knowingly smiled when a late Christian convert stepped forward. He had been a no torious drunkard and everyone had been talking about the unusual change which had resulted when he was saved. But instead of arguing with the athe ist, he took an orange out of his pocket and deliberately peeled it. The unbeliev ers thundered out, “Stop acting like a fool. I f you have something to say in rebuttal, then say it.’’ By now the con verted drunkard had finished t h e orange and rather slyly asked the athe ist, “How about it? Was the orange sweet or sour?” The crowd laughed at the ridiculousness of the question. The atheist answered, “How should I know? I never tasted it!” The saved man kindly but firmly made his point: “Then you’d better stop criticizing the Gospel until you’ve tasted it. I t truly is the power of God which transforms a hell-bound drunkard into a heaven- bent saint. Don’t find fault with some thing you’ve never tried.” This is what the Bible means when the Psalmist urges us, “Oh taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who trusteth in Him.” * * * God never asked us to be successful; however. He does ask us tobefaithful. * * * LOVE YOUR ENEMIES It seems only natural to try to get even with someone who has maligned or treated you shamefully. A fter hav ing been bitterly criticized by a fel low church-member, a true servant of Christ rightly overlooked revenge and sought out the person who had been so unkind to him. He said to him: “I understand you’ve been talking about me even going so far as to mention my faults to others. Perhaps you could share them with me because I want to improve myself so I’ll be a better witness for the Lord.” You can imagine 27
HOPE IN OUR HOMES The acid test of Christianity is the way we act during the week, not just on Sunday. A Japanese girl was study ing in an American college. She spent her Easter vacation at the home of a classmate who had graciously invited her. This was the first time she had seen the inside of a home in this land. Ever since childhood she had heard of the Christian homes in the United, States. Although her friends treated her royally, seeing to it that she had a delightful time, she still was puzzled by what she observed. As the Japanese girl prepared to return to the univer sity, her hostess asked, “How do you like the way we Americans live?” Quick came the reply, “Your home is very beautiful, yet it seems so strange to me. Although I’ve been to your church, ob serving you in worship, I haven’t seen God in your home. You know in Japan we always have a god-shelf in our home, so that we can conveniently wor ship right there. In this country, how ever, you don’t seem to do this. Don’t you take your God into the home?” What a shame that such an observa tion was necessary! Until we as par ents have provided a spiritual bulwark for our homes and families, we have left our loved ones not much more than abject spiritual poverty. May God help us not merely to give Christ a place, not even just prominence, but rather in all things the pre-eminence in our lives and homes! * * * A flame of fire from Hie pulpit will soon melt any ice in the pew. * * * TASTE AND SEE Today many people scoff at the Bible, declaring it is no more than a book of myths and fairy tales. Once an atheist stood on a street corner, lecturing about the unreasonableness of salvation by just believing on Christ. He invited
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