must be forgiven and forgotten. The man responded to the counsel, "Preacher, it doesn’t do me any good; you see, I have such a poor memory. I try to for get, but then I forget that I’ve forgotten, and so I remember to be offended again.” How very human that is. The Greek word for forgiveness im p lie s mercy which wipes out sin. It means to wash it over and to cover it. It came from the practice of painting the warriors’ bodies in olden times as they went forth to battle. It is the same idea as the “white wash." Then again, forgiveness was used in connection with cancelling a debt or an obligation. In Biblical times there were two ways of handling a can celled debt. One was to cross it out. A large “X ” was smeared across the bill or document. Interestingly, Paul never uses that Greek word in relation to the sacrifice of Christ. It is the other term or method, meaning to wipe out sin. You see, the ink used in those days didn’t contain acid. Therefore, it didn’t leave a permanent imprint on the paper. A wet cloth on the papyrus could wash it off, and the obligation was forever gone. There was not even the “X.” How are we to treat the slights and slanders of others? Consider this scriptural exhorta tion, “And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath for given you” (Eph. i:32). * A grudge is like a burr in the sandle that makes every step painful and yet it never shortens the journey. * * * BELIEVING HE C A N DO IT As believers, we know that God an swers prayer, but have we really trusted Him for some specific answer lately? Two little girls, during the winter sea son, were discussing how much they would like to see it snow. One said to the. other, for they were both Christians, “Why don’t we go into our bedroom and pray? Maybe Jesus will make it snow." When they got there and started to talk to the Lord in earnest, one of them stopped and turning to the other asked, “Maybe we ought to decide just how deep we want the snow to be.” They believed the Lord could do anything if it pleased Him. How important it is to know that God wants to do that which is exceeding abundantly above all that we could ask or think. * *
When we are faithful in taking responsi bility upon our shoulders, we'll find that there isn't any room left for chips. * * * HELP! A number of years ago a young boy fell over the side of Garrett Mountain in New Jersey. Amid his rapid plunge, he was able to grasp hold of a ledge some 150 feet from the bottom of the precipice. Screaming for help, he tenaciously hung on in desperation. He was nearly un conscious through fear and fatigue, yet his hands were locked around a rock. A volunteer was hurriedly lowered to his side by rope. Putting his strong arms around the lad, the boy gave one last utterance before fainting. He said “You must be God!" The newspapers carried no reaction of the volunteer, but the youth was saved. He realized that help had to come from someone outside him self; from a source which could deliver him. Perhaps, because of what he had heard or known in the past, he thought of the Lord. In the Word of God we find the statement of our blessed Saviour, "I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I helped thee; behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation." * A real Christian is one who puts more into life than that which he takes out of it. * * * GOD'S DEGAUSSER Our “Biola Hour" broadcasts are re leased concurrently on all of the stations carrying them. It is necessary to make one master tape recording from which a number of copies are reproduced. A fter airing them the recordings are sent back to us by your local station. They are then erased unth a process known as “de gaussing.” In this way an entirely new program may be put back on the same tape. The erasing machine is an elec tronic device made up of large magnets. Placing the tape on the rectangular box and turning on a switch, the tape is moved around on a small spindle a few times. When it is taken off, it is com pletely blank; that which was originally on the tape is now all gone. People visit ing our recording room always seem to be interested in this process. It is amaz ing how quickly a half hour’s broadcast can be completely destroyed in just a matter of seconds. It can readly remind 28 * *
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