five loaves and two fishes. He walked on the water and performed all sorts of miracles by raising the dead and giving sight to the blind. While He preached to multitudes, however, let us not overlook the fact that He spent a tremendous amount of time talking to individuals. The Saviour turned away from the big crowds to concen trate on individuals. Since the Lord is our example we will do well to fol low Him in this aspect as well. Jesus sought out individuals to deal with them concerning their souls. His words moved them greatly. They were prepared to exercise faith. Think about the woman of Sama ria. He spoke to her frankly. Perhaps you are a little afraid of starting a conversation with someone. Study the Lord’s techniques. God has ordained that you should be engaged in per sonal evangelism. When I was in the armed forces I never had very much respect for an officer who told me to do things which he himself was not willing to do. If he did it himself, however, this was another matter. I was then quite willing and delighted to identify myself in the act re quired. The Lord Jesus Christ never tells us to do anything which He didn’t do Himself. He never tells us to do anything He cannot work out through us. There are no two ways about it: God ordained personal evangelism. He tells us that if we are a new crea tion then we are to get on with the job. If you have been reconciled, exer cise your ministry. Wherever the Lord Jesus Christ went, He presented the claims of His heavenly Father. People were blessed because of it. Are others blessed because of your Godly life and testimony to them? Will you say, “Lord Jesus, here I am. I’m ready to go wherever you wish today to present the truth about you. Now work through me for your glory.” God will do just this, if you ask Him. Make certain you are honest with the Lord, however, and when the oppor tunities come, don’t let them slip through your fingers.
The biggest fool in the world is the one who tries to fool himself. * * * DECADENCE It’s certainly sad to see how that our beloved land seems to be plunging rapidly down the corridor of time, heading toward certain destruction, un less by God’s grace we repent of our sins, seeking His divine mercy and forgiveness. While it may be true that church-going has increased SO percent in the past 10 tfears, yet during the same period, illegitimacy has increased 300%. Venereal disease has zoomed up ward by 72% in one year alone. Our national crime bill is an annual stag gering twenty-eight billion dollars. The divorce rate across the country aver ages about one in three. However, in Southern California, some areas have reported a ratio of about one for one. Furthermore, in our country there are more than five million alcoholics. The Bible prophetically tells us that this age of grace will end in moral de cadence and spiritual declension. The judgment of Almighty God is inevit able. Rejecting the Lord, we have exalted the philosophies of 'men, ignor ing such warnings as, “There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.” Religious leaders, too, have fallen into the same Satanic snare. One church denominational spokesman pens, “Noth ing can of itself always be labeled ‘wrong.’ One cannot, for instance, start from the position that sex relations before marriage or divorce are wrong or sinful in themselves. The only in trinsic evil is a lack of love. Nothing else makes a thing right or wrong.” As we look at the so-called “new moral ity,” the “God-is-dead” idea, and all of these other falacious philosophies, we know how tragic will be the results. How we desperately need to follow the exhortation given by God to the chil dren of Israel of old, “I f my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their vncked way8; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land” (II Chron. 7:14). * * * While reputation is precious, character is priceless. 8
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