barrassed that he had been caught asleep. When the Lord was arrested, he whipped out his sword to take on the soldiers and the mob. The Lord was remarkably unimpressed by the he-man efforts of Peter. I don’t think for a moment that Peter wanted to cut off the man’s ear. He wanted to split Malchus from top to toe. When the Lord was taken away, No doubt there are some Chris tians reading this right now who are finding the going rough. A little girl was used of God to teach Peter a mighty lesson. When accused of be ing a follower of the Lord, some thing snapped in him. He denied, LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON What are you going to be, my son, When you reach manhood years? A doctor, lawyer, businessman Or soldier without fears? He shook his head and gave reply And this what he said: " I don't want to be any of them; I want to be like Dad." "H e wants to be like Dad!" he said. So stop and think and pause, The boy who watches your every move Is making his own laws. He's molding his life after yours; Whether it's good or bad Depends on the example you set For the boy who'd be like his Dad. blasphemed, and all the rottenness from within came out. Where was the big act, and the enthusiasm? Peter’s pace of following slackened. He kept his distance afar off. Do you find the Christian life easy or difficult? According to the Lord Jesus, it is neither. I t is actually im possible to you. I t is only possible when, the Lord Jesus Christ lives within you by His Holy Spirit. He can never do that, however, until you admit the sheer impossibility of it by yourself even as Peter had to do. May God enable you to take this lesson to your heart.
SMOKE OF A THOUSAND VILLAGES Years ago Robert Moffatt, while on furlough from his missionary post, spoke to a group of believers concern ing the great need to evangelize the world. He forcefully declared, “My heart is burdened. In the vast plain to the north of where I labor I have some times seen, in the morning sun, the smoke of a thousand villages where no missionary has ever been.” The words of that simple testimony echoed in the heart of one of his young listeners, “The smoke of a thousand villages.” This dedicated young man was study ing to become a doctor. He had already given his life to God and longed to go where no missionary had ever been before. He took up the challenge and went to these very needy regions. Later he died at his post in Africa. His name : David Livingstone. Think how the Lord so wonderfully and mightily used him! LITTLE SINS Do you remember some years ago when Bobby Leach, an Englishman, startled the world by his daring feat of going over Niagara Falls in a bar rel? He came through the experience miraculously unscathed. What a fascin ating achievement! It was interesting to learn, however, that some time later, while walking down the street, Mr. Leach slipped on a small orange peel and had to be rushed to the hospital with a bradly fractured leg. This re minds us of the fact that sometimes the obvious and great temptations, roaring around us like the huge cataracts of Niagara Falls, might leave us relative ly unharmed. A t the same time, seem ingly insignificant incidents or tempta tions may cause our downfall. The reason is that we have not been spirit ually alert, giving the Holy Spirit His rightful place in our lives. We need to be on guard constantly, lest Satan should ensnare us through his clever traps of temptation. The Saviour will empower us to meet every onslaught of the devil through the Word of God. Remember the promise, “Greater is He [the Holy Spirit] that is in us than he [Satan] who is in the world.” The Lord Jesus said, “Watch and pray, lest ye enter into temptation.” 22
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