life? What drives you forward in your enthusiasm and effort? Have you ever stopped to realize that aU ambitions, except one, end with the close of your life here on earth? The workman must lay aside his tools, the writer his pen, the surgeon his knife, the astronomer his telescope, the explorer his chart, the scientist his tubes, and the musician his instruments.. God tells us that “The world passeth away, and the lust there of; but he that doeth the wiU of God abideth forever” ( I John 2:17). When your consuming purpose is to please God, you enjoy perfect realization. The first step to real success is to receive Christ as personal Saviour. Come to God as a repentant sinner. Trust com pletely in the finished work of Christ which He accomplished on the cross for our salvation. No matter how great your success may be in this world, urith- out Christ, you’ll be doomed to eternal failure in the next. Only in the very center of God’s perfect will can you find real success. When you come to the end of life, can you positively tes tify, “I have fought a good fight; I have finished my course; I have kept the faith”? S U M M E R P A R A B L E Now it came to pass as the summer drew nigh that Mr. Christian lifted his eyes to the hills and said, “Lo, hot days come and even now are at hand. Come, let us go into the heights where the cool breezes refresh us, and the glorious scenes await.” Mrs. Christian answered saying, “Thou speakest wise ly, yet there are four things that must be done before we go.” “Three things I can think of, but not four,” responded Mr. Christian. “We must arrange for our garden to be cared for, our chickens to be fed, and the mail to be forwarded. But the fourth eludes me.” “The fourth is like the first three, yet more impor tant than all. Thou shalt dig into thy wallet and pay the tithe, giving gifts to the work of the Lord that Christ’s witness may continue to prosper in difficult days. So it may be well with 27 The Lord’s people are not without trial nor without their God amidst the trial.
hour the Lord will create a new heaven and a new earth which will be inhabited by men and women who are new crea tures by faith in Jesus Christ. “But as many as received him, to them gave he the power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name” (John 1:12).
Discontent makes rich men poor while contentment makes poor men rich.
F R U IT F U L N E S S It is interesting to hear from apple farmers concerning the problems they frequently face in their orchards. Some times they will find a tree which gives all of its energy to producing wood and leaves, without bearing any fruit what soever. Ids then that the owner will have to take an ax and make a deep gash in the tree trunk very close to the ground. That ugly and severe scar pro duces an immediate change. Without fail, there will be fruit which has come because of suffering. This should re mind us of Christians. Our Saviour gave us this perfect picture in declar ing of our relationship, “Every branch in me that beareth fruit he pwrgeth it that i t may bring forth more fruit.” The Lord sometimes allows testing in order that He may bring forth more abundant fruit to the praise, honor, and glory of our Saviour. Christ said, “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, ex cept it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.”
God formed us, sin deformed us, but Christ alone can transform us.
L A S T IN G S U C C E S S Success seems to be the one commodi ty for which men ceaselessly strive today. Yet, true contentment doesn’t necessarily follow fame and fortune. There is nothing wrong in moving ahead if the motive is in its proper perspective. What are your goals in
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