IN THE TEMPLE.
O'ER Judah's plains sweet Spring had
thrown
Her flowery robe of living green.
And Nature in her gala robes
Was mantled like a fairy queen.
High o'er the temple's burnished towers
The sunshine fell like molten gold,
And flamed and flashed from glittering spire,
From pinnacle and turret old.
While through the city's busy street
Echoed the tread of countless feet.
Far over Judah's hills they come,
From shepherd lad to stately priest,
To ancient Salem's gates they haste
To keep the sacred Paschal Feast.
Look, who is he, that youthful Lad, -
Standing within the temple fair?
Why do not Israel's sages know
That he — the Paschal Lamb — is there?
Strange blindness, that they knew him not, -
Those gray haired men, those learned
seers:
Useless the Rabbi's studied lore,
The vain philosophy of years.
From out those sacred, youthful lips
Flow wondrous words of heavenly lore, —
Such words of purity and grace
As man had never heard before.
And now, a kind, obedient Son,
No thought had he of earthly fame,
But 'mong the hills of Nazareth
A humble carpenter became.
He took our fallen nature; he
Who made the hosts which roll above
Of Abraham's frail seed partook,
In godlike sympathy and love.
Tuesday, March 29, 2022
In The Temple
Slaying of Innocents
SLAYING OF THE INNOCENTS.
THUS one by one the days go by
Since, in the brightening orient sky,
The wise men saw the shining star
Gleam over Bethlehem's hills afar,
And since the shepherd's hearts were stirred
By sweetest song ear ever heard.
But ah ! those echoes scarce had died
O'er Judah's hills and vales so wide, —
Those hills and vales which lately flung
The echoes back from angel tongue, —
Ere, from those selfsame hills, arise
Loud wails of anguish to the skies.
O Herod ! heed'st thou not the cry
Of Rachel's anguish, rising high, —
That long, loud wail of mortal pain
From tender babes thy sword hath slain?
Why dost thou raise thy puny arm
To do the Lord's Anointed harm?
Dost thou not know th' Eternal One
Will shield his well beloved Son?
To far-off Egypt's friendly land
He journeys, led by angel hand;
There, safe from cruel rage, is borne,
While Rama's daughters weep and mourn.
O crafty Herod, vain thy might
When waged against Eternal Right.
Vain, vain shall be thy godless boasts,
Thy conflict with the Lord of Hosts.
Birth
BIRTH
O'ER Bethlehem's hills the stars of night
Were softly shining, clear and bright;
The flocks and herds were sleeping still,
On verdant dale and dewy hill,
And o'er earth's calm and peaceful breast
A benediction seemed to rest,
As though the whole creation knew,
And smiled a welcome warm and true
To Him, her long-expected Lord,
Foretold by Inspiration's Word, —
Foretold and sung by seer and sage,
Bright Star of Hope, from age to age.
Hark, hark! what strains of music rare,
Like faintest perfume fill the air!
And louder still, and still more loud.
Bursts from that swift descending cloud:
Such glorious notes ring o'er and o'er
As weary earth ne'er heard before;
Aloud the heavenly heralds sing.
While through the spheres the echoes ring.
''Glory to God in the highest!
Peace and good will to men!"
And the heavens caught the glad refrain,
And echoed it o'er again.
Then up from the hills of glory
There echoed the thrilling cry,
Rejoice, O Earth, for the Christ is born!
Glory to God on high!"
Monday, March 28, 2022
Content with a humble position...
"Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth." 1 John 3:1
 |
| "...act justly, love tenderly, and walk humbly with Me." |
More About Being Humble:
The Value of Our Light
"In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven." Matthew 5:16
Some years ago, in the State of Kansas, a blinding snow-storm was raging. The stinging winds were silently but furiously piling high the snow drifts, making the wide prairie a stretch of valleys and hills.
As the twilight grew into darkness, the blizzard steadily increased its forces until it was impossible for a wayfarer to keep a certain course. In the midst of this cold, bleak scene was a lonely little one-roomed house which had been dug out of the ground, and so was called a dugout. It was much like our outdoor cellars, the roof being about three feet from the surface of the earth. The small window at the back of the room was its only source of light. On this night a bright fire was glowing in the little stove, which sufficiently heated the small room, and in comparison with its cheerless surroundings, this little dugout bore an aspect of coziness and comfort.
A young man, George by name, was the sole occupant of this house. That very morning he had come from a town eight miles distant to ''prove up'' the claim on which it was located. Fortunately, he had furnished himself with provisions enough to keep him supplied for several days.
As this storm had been predicted, George busied himself during the early part of the day by carrying water, and by laying in fuel and such other provisions as he would need while shut in for perhaps two or three days. This done, he next stopped up the cracks and crevices which admitted the snow. This was not an easy task, for the fine, whirling flakes would insist upon entering through some opening.
Early in the afternoon a few snowflakes told of the approaching storm, and ere long the blizzard had begun in earnest. By this time George had succeeded in making himself very comfortable, and with a feeling of security he thankfully settled himself in his place of shelter.
Late in the evening George made ready to go to bed. He went to the window, where the candle was shedding its light out across the snow, and was in the act of putting it out when a low, distressed cry met his ears. With anxious interest he paused and peered out into the night, endeavoring to determine the source of the sound; but in vain. What could it be! Perhaps it was the call of a young wolf whose home was on the prairie and whose howl he had often heard during the day. But no; as he intently listened, the stillness was again broken by the same cry, which George now recognized to be the voice of a human being. Guided by George's little light, the wanderer had at last found his way to his only hope of shelter. Realizing the danger and suffering of one who was out. on such a night, George immediately answered the stranger and welcomed him into the humble but much appreciated abode.
The poor man was very numb and fatigued from the blinding, whirling snow. After putting his horse in a small shed standing near, George at once set to work making the stranger warm and comfortable, while the latter told his interesting story. He said that he, with his faithful horse, had endeavored to follow an old trail, but that as the storm became more blinding he had lost his way. He also told how his hopes for safety had been blighted just a while before. He had seen a light ahead of him, and with joy was working his way toward it as quickly as possible when, to his dismay, just as he came within calling distance, it suddenly went out, leaving him in a most fearful plight. However, he stumbled on and through the mercy of Providence finally noticed the light in George's window, which had been the means of saving him from a terrible death.
My dear young friends, we can learn a valuable lesson from this incident. We who are in the fold of the Good Shepherd, safely sheltered from the cold, sinful world, are lights to those who are still wandering outside. Our light may be small, yea, even as small as a candle; but if we diligently keep our lamp trimmed and. brightly burning, God will permit us to be the means of leading some lost one into the fold of Christ.
Under discouragement and temptation we are liable to neglect the precious light which has been committed to us. The enemy suggests to us that it matters very little, for we are so unnoticed that we will not be missed. But think of that small light out on the wide, dismal prairie seen only by the one lost man, and of the keen disappointment and bitter despair he experienced when it faded from his view. Our light may influence only one soul, but is not that one worth more to Christ than this whole world? and should it not be worth more than the world to us?
Perhaps those whom we least suspect, schoolmates, brothers, or sisters, are watching our lives with all confidence. Our faithfulness in keeping our lights shining brightly will prove to be of untold value not only to ourselves but also to those who are depending upon us.
Remember, the world is greatly in need of people, especially young people, who are lights to bring souls to Christ. Can God depend upon you? Mary Overhiser
Listener Kids "This Little Light of Mine"
The New Birth
Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.” John 3:3
It was night, perhaps midnight. The moon and stars were shedding their mellow light upon Jesus as he taught the man before him a great truth. The man was thinking deeply; for Jesus had just told him, "Ye must be born again,'' and he could not understand it.
This man was Nicodemus, a Pharisee. The Pharisees, you know, were a proud, self-righteous people. Most of them did not love Jesus nor believe what he said. Indeed, many of them even hated him for his new teachings and were jealous of him.
But this one had been thinking about Jesus' teachings and miracles, and had concluded that no one could do those things without God's help. Desiring to know more about Jesus, he decided to go to him and have a talk with him. Since he went by night, many have thought he was ashamed to go by day, lest he be seen by the other Pharisees, and so be persecuted. However that may be, he went and had a talk with Jesus.
Jesus told him plainly that he must be born again or lie could not enter the kingdom of God. This was what puzzled Nicodemus. He was a full-grown man. How could he be born again? You know people are very small when they are born of the flesh. But Jesus did not mean a fleshly birth. He meant a spiritual birth: he meant that Nicodemus must be born of the Spirit of God. Of course, Nicodemus, a large man, could not become a little child again in flesh; but he could be born of God, converted, and in spirit become as a little child -sweet, meek, and innocent. And this, Jesus said we must do. "Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter the kingdom of heaven.''
Nicodemus could not understand this. Then Jesus called his attention to the wind. It blows wherever and whenever it will. We hear the sound it makes, but can not see it coming nor going. So it is with the Spirit. We can not see the Spirit, nor can we see how people are born of the Spirit.
But we can see the effects of both. When the wind blows gently, it sways to and fro the branches on the trees and the flowers at our feet; when it blows hard, it overturns houses and even tears up trees by the roots. We can not see the wind, but we can see its works. Likewise, we can not see the Spirit, but we can see the marvelous change it makes in the lives of those who receive it. When one is born of the Spirit, he bears the fruits of the Spirit, which are love, joy, and peace, long suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance. No matter how wicked he may have been, after being born of the Spirit he will be pure, kind, and gentle.
Praise God for the new birth! Byers
What it means to be born again...
Going to Bed
Going to Bed
Dear God, I'll soon be in my
bed,
To go to sleep and rest.
And Thoughts will come into my head;
Please make them just the best.
God, send the kind of thoughts that make
Good dreams and helpful sleep,
So that to-morrow, when I wake,
I'll have Good Thoughts to keep.
And when to-morrow morning's Sun
Brings Work and Play again,
Help me to play and have some fun,
And work with might and main.
Please bless my family, and give
What's truly good and right;
And be our Friend, so we can live,
Near You, dear God. Good Night.
AMEN.
At Night
At Night
The day is done; dear God, may I
Safe in Your watchful presence
lie.
O make Your Love to live supreme
In every passing dream I dream.
May Night's kind hours come and see
How still and good a Child can be.
Then will they leave some gifts behind
To bless my body, heart, and mind.
The day is done; O dear God, spread
Your Love and Wisdom o'er my head.
Rest for my body, heart, and mind
In Sleep's great Kingdom I shall find.
Good Dreams, like faithful Friends, shall
be
A sweet and restful help to me.
Then shall another day bring light
After the blessings of to-night.
AMEN.
I do not need to wait.
I do not need to wait.
I need not wait for special times
To speak to God in prayer;
Nor do I always have to kneel
To feel that He is there.
No matter what the time or place,
I only need to be
Just full of faith that God is near,
And He will succor me.
God's love for me is not alone
In times of joy and power;
It glows with light and comfort through
Each darkened day or hour.
In times of work, or thought, or play,
Through hours of pain or care,
God lives with constant love, and hears
Each earnest wish and prayer.
Saturday, March 26, 2022
Saying "No"
"Above all, my brothers and sisters, do not swear—not by heaven or by earth or by anything else. All you need to say is a simple “Yes” or “No.” Otherwise you will be condemned." James 5:12
Our news media has been having a difficult time pronouncing the names of some of the towns in Russia or Ukraine. They are long names and hard to pronounce, and the attempts that people make to say them are often very funny. But there are words in our own language that are hard to speak. One of the shortest words that we know is one of the very hardest to say sometimes. It is the little word of two letters, ''No."
Someone was telling me of a young man who had gone wrong. His parents did everything for him and gave him every advantage. The great trouble was that they had not taught him to say ''No." When temptation came to him to do what was wrong, he never had the courage to stand up and say, "No, I will not." He had learned many things but he had never learned that.
There was a little boy named Albert, and one fine summer afternoon his mother told him that he must not go swimming that day. So he made up his mind to stay around the house the rest of the day. But before long he heard the boys coming down the road, and calling out to him, "Come on. Let's go swimming. The water is fine.'' Now, Albert's mother had told him not to go, and he ought to have said, ''No, I can't go today." But just then Albert began to think about that water and the fun that the boys were going to have, and when he tried to say ''No," it seemed to stick somewhere in his throat, and wouldn't come out. The first thing he knew, he was going down the road with the boys to do what his mother had told him he must not do, and all because he hadn't been able to say "No."
We have all had times when it was hard to say that little word that seems so easy.
When an army pitches its tents for the night, sentinels are stationed all around the camp, and no one is allowed to go through those lines of sentinels, unless he is able to give the password. Do you know that there is a password to life which we must all learn, before we can enter into the larger, greater life that every boy and every girl longs for? It is the little word "No."
There are so many times in life when you need that word more than anything else in the world. When bad companions come, and they try to induce you to do what you understand is wrong, have the courage to say "No," and mean ''No." There are some people who say ''No " and do not half mean it. A little coaxing will make them say "Yes." Our text tells us what to do. "Let your nay be nay."Say ''No" and mean it, and hold to it.
Then we must say "No" when we are tempted to forget what we have been taught in Sunday school, and in our Christian homes.
Long ago there was a young man in the employ of Stephen Girard, the great Philadelphia merchant. One day Mr. Girard told him to do some work on Sunday. The young man said, "No, I am a Christian, and I promised my mother that I would not work on Sunday." Mr. Girard told him he could not keep him unless he was willing to do as he was ordered, and he was discharged.
Not very long after a man came to Mr. Girard and said, "I need a young man to fill a very responsible position in my business. Do you know of anyone? "Mr. Girard answered, ''I know just the man. I had to let him go because he would not work on Sunday. He wasn't afraid to say ''No,'' and stick to it, even when it meant the loss of his place. You will not make any mistake to take him." And so that young man found a better position than the one he had lost.
All the world honors the boy or girl who is able to say ''No."
The bravest boy is not he who fights the most. That is not real courage. A dog, or a snake, or a bear will fight bravely if he is angry enough. The highest, finest kind of courage is that of the boy who is able to say ''No" when he is tempted to do something that is wrong. He has won a battle with Satan, and that is the greatest victory that any of us can win.
Three very brave boys!
The Lion and the Bear
"Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God." 1 Samuel 17:36
One of the greatest soldiers who ever lived was David. He was so strong that he could break a bow of steel with his arms, and he was so brave that he was not afraid to go and fight a giant, with nothing but a sling and a few stones.
Before he became king he had been a shepherd boy. It had been his duty to lead the sheep out to the hillside every morning and stay with them all day so that no harm would come to them, and then bring them safely back home to the fold at night.
One day a lion came to kill the sheep, and David stood between the lion and the sheep and killed the lion. At another time a bear got into the sheepfold. David took a club and killed him. These were the first battles that David fought, and they show what a brave boy he was, for it takes courage to stand up against a lion and a bear. After many years he had many other hard battles, with Goliath, and with the Philistines, and with the Syrians, but I am sure that none of these fights were quite so hard as those first ones with the lion and the bear. If he had let the lion or the bear conquer him, he never would have lived to fight with Goliath, and to be a great king.
Every boy and girl is like King David in one way. The first battles they have to fight are with the lion and the bear.
Let me tell you first about the lion. It isn't a lion in a cage such as you see when you visit a zoo. It is a lion inside of us. It is bad temper. Almost all of us have somewhere inside of us a temper that sometimes gets the better of us. You know how a lion attacks a man. He waits for his chance, and when the man isn't looking or thinking, he springs upon him. That is the way bad temper and passion come upon us. They spring upon us and get the mastery of us before we know it.
If you go to the zoo, you will see a lion shut in a strong enclosure. You are not afraid of him because he is locked in behind strong bars, deep pits and strong fencing. But if a zoo keeper should
leave that door open where he feeds the lion, and the lion should escape, then you would be afraid. That is the way with the lion of temper. He must be shut up and guarded day and night, so that he cannot hurt anyone. And if our tempers do sometimes get the mastery of us, we ought, as David did with that lion, to fight and overcome them.
Paul said, " He that overcometh his spirit is better than he that taketh a city."
Then there is the bear. We must not forget about him. David killed the bear, too. The best thing about a good little child is his gentleness. You know little bears are not gentle. They are cross and clumsy and go around making trouble wherever they are. They are very much like some little boys, who are rough and cross and ill-mannered.
They used to say that an old mother bear never lets the little bear out of the den till he has been licked into shape. Someone has said that there are hosts of fathers and mothers who let their children out into the world, before they have been made to mind, and that is why they are so ill-mannered and cruel and unkind, for all the world like little bears. David's second great fight was with the bear. One of the first things that everybody ought to do is to fight and overcome his bearishness.
Paul said in another place, "Be ye kind." Kindness is one of the best weapons with which to overcome bearishness. Some of the biggest, strongest men in the world have been the gentlest, because they knew how to be kind.
One day Abraham Lincoln was riding with one of his friends along a road in Illinois, when he stopped, jumped down from his horse, and began to feel around in the grass under a bush.
His companion said to him, ''Did you lose something, Mr. Lincoln?" ''No," he said, "I saw a little bird fall out of her nest as we passed, and I am trying to find her and put her back again."
It was little acts such as this that made him so gentle.
David, I imagine, killed the lion and the bear with a club. We can kill our lions and bears with kindness and gentleness.
Slow to Anger, giving people lots of time to change...
Behavior In Church
Long ago the great Apostle Paul wrote a letter to his young friend, Timothy, and in that letter he told him something that I wish you would all remember. It was this, "You should to behave yourself in the house of God." Fathers and mothers, these days, have to tell their children to behave when they go to church, and I imagine that the boys of Paul's time were very much as they are today, for Paul here had to tell Timothy to behave himself when he went to church.
There are a few things about the house of God we ought never to forget. The wise man, Solomon, once said, ''Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God." That means to walk softly and be reverent. I once saw a little girl tiptoeing past a house, and when I came to the house I saw that there were black ribbons and a wreath on that door. (A practice used in times of mourning for a death in the Victorian Era) She thought that God had been there, and she ought to go very softly. So we ought to also tread very softly and reverently when we enter the church. It is God's house.
Then when we go inside the church, we ought to offer up a little prayer. When you go to somebody's house and he comes to the door you always speak to him, don't you? It would not be very polite to go into someone's house without speaking to him. So when we come into God's house we must speak to Him in prayer.
Then all the time we are in the church, we must try to think about God and the things that we hear. Sometimes when we are talking to someone, we know he is thinking about something else all the time. This is very rude and we are likely to feel hurt. But it is what many people do when they come into God's house, where He is being worshiped. They spend the whole time thinking about other things than the service. I don't wonder, do you, that God is hurt and angry. God wants us when we come into His house to think about Him.
And there is one other thing that we must do in God's house. We must ask God to forgive our sins.
There is a story about a fairy who went up to the gate of heaven and was not allowed to enter. The angel said, " If you will bring the gift that is dearest to heaven, then you can come in." So the fairy flew back as fast as she could to the earth and found the most lovely and fragrant flower that there was on the earth, and brought it, but the gate was shut. Again she flew back to the earth, and this time she brought a drop of blood from a young hero, who had just died for his country; but the gate was shut still. The third time she went to the earth, and while she was wandering around, she saw a wicked old man stopping at a fountain to give his horse a drink. Just then the man saw a little child kneeling down to say his little evening prayer. When the bad man saw that, all his wicked life arose in his memory and he was sorry, and he, too, knelt and prayed, and as he prayed he wept. And the fairy, who had seen it all, caught one of those tears of repentance and flew up to heaven with it, and the gate was open, and she went in.
There is nothing that is so dear to the Lord as the repentance of His children. That is what makes Jesus, and the Bible, and the church so dear to us. They show us how to repent so that Heaven's gate may open wide for us. S. N. Hutchison
Good Manners for Kids:
Bait and Hook
"Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil.'' Ephesians 6:11
Do you know what many of the Lord's disciples did for a living? They were fishermen. Jesus sometimes went with them on their fishing trips and He fished, too. In those days, just as now, there were two ways to fish. Sometimes they used a net and caught a great many at once. One night the disciples went out and fished till almost morning and didn't catch a thing. It was time to go home and they had no fish to carry to the market and sell, so that they could have money to buy food and clothes for their families. Just then Jesus came along the shore. He told them to cast the net on the other side of the ship. They did as He told them, and caught so many fish that there was not room for them all in the boat.
Then they used to fish with a hook and line as we do. Once Jesus and Peter needed a little money to pay their taxes. They were very poor men, and when the tax collector came around they didn't have enough to pay him. Jesus told Peter to take his rod and line, and go to the lake, and to look in the mouth of the first fish that he caught. Scarcely had Peter dropped the bait in the water when he had a fine bite and hooked a big fish. He was so excited getting that fish to land, that I imagine he forgot for the moment what Jesus had sent him for, but when he opened the mouth of the fish to take the hook out, there was the money, just enough to pay the tax for Jesus and for him.
When Jesus asked the disciples to follow Him, He told them that they were going to be fishers of men. Instead of catching fish and bringing them to market, they were to find men and bring them to Jesus. That is just what the church is doing. We are trying to be fishers of men. Sometimes we bring a large number at once as the fishermen do when they use the net, but mostly it is like using the hook and line: they come one by one.
One of the first things necessary to fish successfully is to have some bait. God has given us the bait to use when we fish for men: good deeds, and loving words, and the Bible and prayer and the church and Sunday school! These are all baits which we can use in bringing others to Jesus.
Satan is a fisherman, too. A great man once said that Satan is the ape of God. Whatever God does, he tries to do for an evil purpose. He uses bait, and he is trying every day to catch boys and girls.
One bait that Satan uses is play. Play is a fine thing. Children must have play. But there are some games and amusements that are baits which Satan has fixed up to catch them with. We should be very careful in our recreation and play that we are not led into evil.
Then there are our books. We could not do without our books. They are necessary to us. We learn from them every day, and hey give us pleasure and profit. But there are some books that Satan is using as bait to get men and women and boys and girls. Be- fore we read a book we ought to be sure that we know just what kind of a book it is, we ought to look and see that Satan's hook isn't sticking in it somewhere.
Then there are our companions. Everybody loves good company. We would not be happy if we did not have some companions. Old Satan knows this and he tries to catch us and make us do evil, by means of bad company.
There was once an old fish, very wise, who said to one of the young fish, " Before you bite anything go all around it and see that there is no hook sticking into it anywhere."
Money is another of Satan's baits. There was a bad criminal once who confessed that his evil life had started when he was very young. He had been employed as an office-boy. Someone left a quarter lying on a desk, and went away and forgot about it. Satan came and tempted that boy to steal the money. He took it. That was the be- ginning of a life of evil. Satan used that money as the bait to catch him.
When we catch a fish on the hook he hasn't much chance to get away. If Satan gets us with his bait we will have a hard time to escape. So let us all be very careful. S. N. Hutchison
What to do when your're tempted as a Kid!
Friday, March 25, 2022
Color a Cross Confirmation Cake
Wednesday, March 23, 2022
When Father Comes Home
WHEN FATHER COMES HOME.
When my father comes home in the evening
from work.
Then I will get up on his knee,
And tell him how many nice lessons I learn,
And show him how good I can be.
He shall hear what number I know how to
count;
I'll tell him what words I can spell;
And if I can learn something new every day,
I hope soon to read very well.
I'll repeat to him all the good verses I know,
And tell him how kind we must be
That we never must hurt little creatures at all
And he will be glad, and love me.
I'll tell him we always must try to please God,
And never be cruel or rude;
For God is the Father of all living things.
He cares for and blesses the good.
The Blessings
THE BLESSINGS
Blessed are the poor in spirit,
They the kingdom shall possess,
Rich in faith and heavenly blessings,
Let us ever forward press.
Blessed are the sad and mournful,
Weeping o'er their treasures gone
For the darkness gathered o'er them
Is the harbinger of morn.
Blessed are the meek and lowly,
They the green earth shall inherit;
Full of love, and peace, and gladness,
Fruits of God's most Holy Spirit.
Blessed they who thirst and hunger;
All their wants shall be supplied;
Never yet have been forsaken
They, who on their God relied.
Blessed they who, loving mercy,
Joy not in another's pain;
All the mercy shown to others
They shall for themselves obtain.
Blessed are the pure and prayerful.
Seeking God in every place;
They shall in their home eternal
See Him ever face to face.
Blessed are the good peace-makers,
For God's children they shall be;
Of His glory full partakers,
When from earth their spirits flee.
Blessed ye, when men revile you,
Treat you falsely for My sake;
For the prophets gone before you
Did the self-same treatment take.
Let us then be ever mindful
Of the precepts Christ has given;
So that when this life is over,
We may dwell with Him in heaven.
A Friendly World
"You are my friends if you do what I command you."—John 15:14
What a friendly world this is! Sometimes we think it is a hard, cruel, selfish world, but it is not. It is a friendly world, full of friendly folk, who are looking around for love and friendship and happiness.
The world is just like a mirror. It reflects our moods. We ourselves make the image that we see in the glass. There is a little lake I know, lying in the woods far up in the Canadian wilderness, and there you hear the echo of every noise you make. If you are rowing a boat, you think you hear someone else keeping stroke with you. If you sing, you hear some one else singing. If you shout and scold the fish that has gotten away from you, some one else scolds and talks loud. That is just the way with the world. We live in a sort of echo-world and as we speak and think and act, so we are answered back.
One very hot summer day I was in the city of Cleveland. It was so hot that people were cross and I noticed a sign at the hotel desk which read, “Keep your temper, no one here wants it.” It was a wise word to tired and irritable travelers. The city was filled with delegates from all over the country, who were attending a convention, and the streets were thronged.
In that hot and hurried city I came on three friendly things. The first was a little kitten, asleep behind the window of a barber shop. It was a little grey kitten, with little spots of white on each foot, on its nose and at the end of its tail. It was lying in the sun, asleep with its head resting on one of its front feet, just like a little child lying asleep with its arm under its head, and its hand over its eyes. It was very pretty and a lot of people gathered in front of the window and smiled and talked together about the little kitten with its head pillowed on its arm, as it were. I walked up to the public square and saw a young woman standing in the midst of about a hundred pigeons. They were perched on her head, her shoulders, and were eating some grain out of her hands and from the ground near by. She had come there to feed them because she loved them and they were unafraid. Then, best of all, I came upon a fine “black beauty” police horse. There was no policeman to be seen, so there was nothing to fear. The horse was standing with his front feet away up on the sidewalk, as if looking in on the turtles and alligators playing in the city fountain. But that was not what he was doing. I soon found that out. He was a friendly horse and wanted to talk to the folks as they passed. Old ladies came and patted his nose. Old men came and scratched his forehead. He seemed to like that. Little children came and looked into his big open eyes. Girls came and pulled his ears, and a big boy after putting his arm around his neck and whispering something in his ear put his hand in his pocket and pulled out a beautiful red apple and Mr. Black Beauty said “Thank you” and in two bites the apple was gone.
Yes, this is a friendly world. But it is our own friendliness that makes it friendly. We get just what we give. Jesus came to make the world a friendly place. He spoke of the lilies of the field, and the birds of the air. He took the little children on His knee and was kind to all, to the poor, the blind, the sick, the sinful. To be like Jesus, we too must live the friendly life. And the laws of the friendly life are given in these simple but great words of Jesus:
“Blessed are the poor in spirit:
“Blessed are they that mourn:
“Blessed are the meek:
“Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness.
“Blessed are the merciful:
“Blessed are the pure in heart:
“Blessed are the peacemakers."
These are the laws of the friendly life. Kerr
Monday, March 21, 2022
Little Acts of Kindness
LITTLE ACTS OF KINDNESS
Little acts of kindness,
Trifling though they are,
How they serve to brighten
This dark world of care!
Little acts of kindness,
Oh, how potent they,
To dispel the shadows
Of life's cloudy day.
Little acts of kindness,
How they cheer the heart!
What a world of gladness
Will a smile impart!
How a gentle accent
Calms the troubled soul.
When the waves of passion
O'er it wildly roll!
You may have around you
Sunshine, if you will,
Or a host of shadows.
Gloomy, - dreary, - chill.
If you want the sunshine,
Smile, though sad at heart;
To the poor and needy
Kindly aid impart.
To the soul-despairing
Breathe a hopeful word;
From your lips be only
Tones of kindness heard.
Ever give for anger.
Love and tenderness;
And, in blessing others.
You yourself will bless.
Little acts of kindness,
Nothing do they cost;
Yet when they are wanting,
Life's best charm is lost.
Little acts of kindness,
Richest gems of earth;
Though they seem but trifles,
Priceless is their worth.
The Beautiful...
THE BEAUTIFUL
The beautiful! the beautiful!
Where do we find it not?
It is an all-pervading grace,
And lighteth every spot.
It sparkles on the ocean wave,
It glitters in the dew ;
We see it in the glorious sky.
And in the floweret's hue.
On mountain-top, in valley deep,
We find its presence there;
The beautiful! the beautiful!
It liveth every where.
The glories of the noontide day.
The still and solemn night;
The changing seasons, - all can bring
Their tribute of delight.
There's beauty in the child's first smile:
And in that look of faith,
The Christian's last on earth, before
His eyes are closed in death.
And in the beings that we love,
Who have our tenderest care,
The beautiful! the beautiful!
How sweet to trace it there!
'Twas in the glance that God threw o'er
The young created earth;
When He proclaimed it very good,
The beautiful had birth.
Then who shall say this world is dull,
And all to sadness given.
While yet there grows on every side.
The smile that came from heaven?
If so much loveliness is sent
To grace our earthly home,
How beautiful! how beautiful!
Will be the world to come.
Harvest-Field Of Time
HARVEST-FIELD OF TIME
Children, all of us are gleaners
In the harvest-field of time;
Day by day the grain is ripening
For a sunnier clime.
Whether in the early morning,
Going forth with busy feet.
Or, as weary laborers, resting
'Mid the noon-day heat;
Let us strive, with cheerful spirits,
Each our duties to fulfill,
Till the time of harvest, - subject
To the Master's will.
Let us garner up sweet memories,
Bound with ties of love;
Pleasant thoughts to cheer the pathway
To our home above.
Trusting that these precious gleanings
Bound with loving hand,
May in golden sheaves be gathered
To the spirit land.
Color the Life of St. Francis
Color the Life of St. Bridget
Color the life of St. Kentigern
Sunday, March 20, 2022
Making Dark Into Light
“Who can bring purity out of an impure person? No one!”— Job 14:4
You have heard of the “Bonny, bonny banks of Loch Lomond.” Loch Lomond is one of the most beautiful lakes in Scotland and there is a very pretty song that is sung about it, which says:
Oh, you’ll take the high road
And I’ll take the low road,
And I’ll be in Scotland before you,
But me and my true love
Will never meet again
On the bonny, bonny banks
Of Loch Lomond.”
Well, near Loch Lomond, on the mountainside there is a little lake called Fairy Loch. You know in Scotland loch means lake. If you look into the beautiful waters of this little lake you will see a great many colors. It looks as if the rainbow were playing in the water. The coloring, of course, comes from the strange tinted rocks and sands at the bottom, but that is not why it is called “Fairy Loch. ,, I will tell you why.
A long, long time ago, when the land was full of fancies and fairies people found that the fairies played around this little lake and that many strange and wonderful things were found there. They discovered that when garments were left by the water’s edge they changed to a different color, and that if they left something to be dyed, and a thread beside it showing what color was wanted next morning the garment was changed into that very color. One night a shepherd left on the edge of this little mountain lake the fleece of a black sheep and beside it he put a white woolen thread to show that he wished the black dyed white. The fairies were at their wits’ end. They could dye a white fleece black, or even red, or blue, or yellow, but they did not know how to change a black fleece into a white one, and in their despair they threw fleece, thread and all their colors into the lake and from that time on the lake has been called Fairy Loch and the water has a rainbow appearance. That is a very pretty story and it helps us to understand how difficult it is to make a black thing white. Job asked the question, “Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean?” which is the same as saying, “Who can make a black fleece white?”
Sometimes we can do it. Queen Victoria once went to see a great paper mill, and there she saw dirty and filthy looking rags. Then she saw the men take those rags and wash and clean them and make them into pure clean white paper. After she got home she received a beautiful box of fine white stationery, all engraved with her name. That was making black things white, and bringing a clean thing out of an unclean.
Sometimes nature can do it. You remember the old tale of Hercules, the strong man of Greece, turned the waters of the rivers Alpheus and Peneus into the foul and dirty stables of Augeas, king of Elis, and made them pure and clean and fresh in a single day. But sometimes neither man nor nature can bring a clean thing out of an unclean condition. Who can make a dark heart turn into something full of light? Who can make unclean thoughts clean? Who can change dark desires into pure Christ-like purposes? Only God can. God can change darkness into light, so we pray:
“Create in me a clean heart, O God.”
Only God can cleanse us and make our hearts white and pure. He tells us that though our sins be as scarlet they shall be white as snow, though they be red like crimson they shall be as wool. When those who had been redeemed were seen the question was asked, “These that are arrayed in white robes, who are they and whence came they?” and the answer was given: “These are they that come out of the great tribulation, and they washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.”
God can do what men and nature and all the fairies in the world cannot do. He can make a dark thing light and can bring a clean thing out of something that is unclean. Kerr
“Bonny, bonny banks of Loch Lomond.”
The Lace and The Shoe
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and
dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law:
justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done,
without neglecting the others." Matthew 23:23
Jesus did not always speak sweet words. Sometimes His words had a sting in them. Seven times in one chapter in the Gospels He said “Woe to you,” and He was speaking to the leaders of the church.
Let us think of one of these “woes” of Jesus, He was speaking to the priests and scribes and Pharisees and He told them they were not a bit religious because they were putting little trifles in the place of important things. They were required by their law to give God a tenth of all they owned, and they were careful to do so. They not only gave God a tenth of all their cattle, property, and grain, but they gave Him also a tenth of their “mint, dill, and cummin.” You know what mint is. Sometimes we call it “spearmint,” and sometimes “peppermint,” and sometimes just “mint.” Well, mint and dill and cummin are little herbs, used for flavoring vegetables or chewing gum and for medicine and these people were so anxious about these three tiny things and were forgetful of the three big things called “judgment, mercy and faith.” They were willing to give God a tenth of everything but were unwilling to be true, to be kind, and to be gentle and loving to others. They were interested in little things. They forgot about the big things.
The other day I took my rod and reel and went off to hunt for some speckled trout away up in the hills of Pennsylvania. Were you ever there? It is a wonderful place. The great hills rise almost to the sky, and the little streams rush down the valleys in the springtime and there the most beautiful fish in the world play hide and seek with each other and with fishermen like myself. My brother and I had gone up to Kities to fish in Parker’s Run. We walked away up the valley about three miles, and there took off our shoes, and hid them under a log, and put on high rubber boots and then waded farther up the stream, perhaps three miles more.
When we came back with the trout we were very tired and sat down on the log to change our big rubber boots for our more comfortable shoes. When we looked under the log there were only three shoes. One of mine was gone. It was a very lonely place, and there were no burglars or bandits around. We looked for the missing shoe and found it some distance away. Some little animal, perhaps a porcupine, or groundhog or beaver, had found it and was carrying it off. It had scratched it a little and chewed the edges of the leather. The shoe was all right, but the interesting thing was that the lace was gone— gone completely. Either with its sharp toes, or with its sharper teeth, the sly little thief had unloosed the lace, hole by hole, and no trace of it was left. I have often wondered what it wanted with the lace. Perhaps it wanted to make a swing, or hammock out of it, or to use it to hang one of the other little animals that stole things from its nest in the ground. Anyway it took the lace and left the shoe. That’s what these cold-hearted dry-as-dust priests were doing, too. They took the little thing and left the important thing and that is just like taking the lace and leaving the shoe. We often do the same thing.
When we go to church, and listen to the word of God and the music, and the sermon and come away and talk about the soprano’s hat or the minister’s hands or the color of the pipes of the organ, we are taking the lace and leaving the shoe. One Sunday a little lad said to me, “Father, that was a good sermon.” I said, “Did you like it?” “Yes,” he said, “but did you ever count the number of pipes in the organ?” He had got hold of the lace that time for sure, but then he was only a little fellow, and what can very little boys do in church when the sermon is long and prosy but count the pipes in the organ or the buttons on the cushion in the pew?
When we read the Bible and instead of finding Jesus in it with His message of salvation and God’s wondrous love we are interested in what is the longest chapter and the shortest verse, and the numbers in the Book of Revelation or the wheels of Ezekiel, we are getting hold of the lace and missing the shoe. Do you understand?
When at home we are loved by our parents and everything is done for us, and we act mean and peevish, what are we doing but leaving the great fine things and running off with some selfish trifle. Jesus blamed the people to whom He said, “Woe,” for their neglect of the big things and not so much for their interest in little things. The best way is to take hold of both the little things and the big things. My little porcupine friend should have been off with both lace and shoe and made his nest for the winter out of them. Kerr
“These (little things) things ye should have done,” said Jesus, “and not have left the (big things) other undone.”
Be Somebody
"And Jesus said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men.” Mark 1:17
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| "Now fish for men" |
It is wonderful how many men who began as “nobodies” really became “somebodies.” Of course, everything worth while begins that way. The great oak was once a tiny acorn. The mighty river was once a little brook. Jesus, the greatest of men, was once a carpenter. Take your Bible and see how many nobodies became somebodies.
Who was Abraham? He came out of a heathen land and his father worshiped idols, but he became the father of a great nation. Who was Joseph? He was the youngest son, and began life as a messenger boy and later was sold as a slave, but he became prime minister of Egypt. Who was Moses? He was found in a basket, beside the river Nile. He was the child of slaves, but he became the greatest statesman the world has ever known.
Who was Ruth? She was a heathen girl, born in Moab, but she became the great grandmother of King David and the sweetest woman in the Old Testament. Who was David? He was a shepherd lad, keeping his sheep around Bethlehem, but he became king of Israel. Who was Esther? She was a Jewish girl, an orphan, who became Queen of Persia, and one of the heroines of history.
Turn now to the New Testament.
Who was John the Baptist? He was a “wilderness” man, living in the desert, but he became the herald of Jesus the Savior.
Who was Mary? She was an obscure maiden, living in the little village of Nazareth, but she became the mother of Jesus.
Who were John, and James, and Peter and Andrew? They were fishermen, but now they belong to the glorious company of the Apostles.
It matters little where we come from. It matters a great deal where we are going. When Matthew Henry, the great Bible student, proposed marriage to the beautiful girl who later became his wife, her parents said “No. We know nothing about him. We do not even know where he came from.” She replied, “But I know where he is going, and I wish to go with him.”
Now turn to history, Aesop, who wrote the wonderful stories we call Fables, was a slave.
Robert Burns, the poet of Scotland, was a poor farmer's son.
John Bunyan, who wrote “Pilgrim’s Progress'' one of the greatest of books, was a tinker, a traveling tinker.
Oliver Cromwell, who became the uncrowned king of England, was the son of a brewer.
Benjamin Franklin, whom we all honor, was a printer.
John Howard, the reformer, was born in the
home of a carpenter.
Samuel Johnson, the wise man of letters, was the son of a poor bookseller.
Martin Luther was a miner’s son and played music on the street in a real “German band.”
William Shakespeare was the son of a butcher, and William Wordsworth was a barber’s boy.
They called Jesus the son of a carpenter, and thought that would explain Him, but it explained nothing. Jesus did begin life as a carpenter, but He became the Savior of the World. There is a story in the Gospels that one day a poor sick woman, who did not wish to be seen, followed Jesus, touched the hem of His garments and was made well and strong. Jesus knew what she had done and turning around said, “Somebody touched me.” She had become strong and well by touching Jesus. Peter and John and James and Matthew and Mary Magdalene all came in touch with Jesus, and from being “nobodies” they became “somebodies.” Jesus is the master and maker of men. To His early followers He said, “Come after me, and I will make you to become”—what?
When He first met Simon He said, “Thou art Simon; thou shalt be called Peter.” The word Peter means “rock,” and Peter did become a rock-like man, a strong, courageous follower of Jesus. Everything depends on the end. The important thing about anything is the end. We want to know what a child or a man will “become” before we pass judgment. The rough unpolished stone may become a beautiful diamond. A few notes may become a sweet song. A humble cottage may become a happy and radiant home. When Jesus was a carpenter He made good yokes for the oxen and built good houses and as Savior He makes good boys and girls, good men and women. Let this then be our prayer:
“Make me
What I ought to be.”
Saturday, March 19, 2022
The Worst Parasite
"If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do
what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you,
but you must rule over it.” Genesis 4:7
In the third chapter of Genesis sin is likened to a serpent, a sly, sneaking, subtle serpent, that slips into our garden and strikes us with its fangs. In the fourth chapter sin is likened unto a tiger that looks as if it were asleep on the door step, but is really waiting, crouched ready to spring in and destroy all that is in the house as soon as the door is opened.
You know what a parasite is. It is something that feeds on others. It prowls around like a bandit and attacks others. All our diseases really come from little unseen parasites that get into our flesh and blood and live on our life. A parasite lies in wait at the doors of houses and nests and looks for a chance to enter and destroy. Well, sin is the worst of all parasites.
Did you ever hear of a golden wasp? It is a very beautiful creature and gets itself up in elegant garments of green and gold and pink and purple. It goes about among the flowers and garden glories like a miniature humming bird. It does not look like a parasite, a thief, or a robber, but it is. It is a dangerous, though very attractive looking criminal. The golden wasp is just as lazy and as good-for-nothing as it is beautiful. It is a bandit and a brigand. It steals. It waits around at the door of the fly-hunting wasp, that has been off in the fields searching and toiling for food, and waits until it comes home with some dainty morsel for its children. The golden wasp cannot break into the house, for it is safely closed, and it does not know how to dig or work. So it waits its chance and when the fly-hunting wasp returns and opens the door the golden wasp like a sneak thief enters also and hides away in the back of the nest. When next year comes round the children of the fly-hunting wasp, for whom the house was built, are all gone, and instead the children of the golden wasp are in possession. The golden wasp’s grub devoured the grub so carefully housed by the fly-hunting wasp. What a criminal it is!
The world is full of beautiful looking animals that are parasites and live on the life of others. A friend of mine passing along the highway one day heard a bird making a piteous noise. It kept flying to him and then back to the tree and he knew something was wrong. He stopped and followed the flying bird to the bushes and on the ground he saw a little bird. There was a thin streak of blood on its breast. He picked it up and with his handkerchief wiped away the blood stain, and was about to put it back in the nest when a great snake lifted its head from the nest. No wonder the mother bird was calling and crying. A snake was in her nest feeding upon the little birds. My friend watched the snake and wondered how it had got into the nest, for it was many feet above the ground. He saw the snake crawl along the limb out to the farthest branch and there hanging by its tail, swung itself back and forth until it was able to touch a small tree into which it leaped.
But it did not escape. He killed it, and you can see that snake in the Museum at Washington and Jefferson College.
Sin is just a parasite coming like a Snake to bite, or like a wasp to sting, or like a tiger to destroy. There are two things for us to do. First, we must keep the door tightly closed, keep the entrance barred and bolted to all who seek to do us harm. This is what the Bible tells us to do, “Keep thy heart with all diligence for out of it are the issues of life."
Second, let us make God the keeper of our lives. He can keep us safely. The 121st Psalm is called “The Keeper’s Psalm,” and it has the promise “The Lord is thy keeper.” One of the great missionaries of Africa said, “I have locked the door of my heart, and Jesus has the key.” That is the way of safety. Kerr
“Except the Lord keep the city
The watchman waketh but in vain.”
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| "Garden of Eden Trespassers Will Be Prosecuted." 2 Corinthians 11:3 |
Thursday, March 17, 2022
Three Crosses Silhouette Craft
"For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face
to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully
known." 1 Corinthians 13:12
Many folks have included a craft similar to this one in their Bible craft lessons online. Mine uses acrylic paints instead of soft pastels. I also have cut one of two paper plates into a silhouette and have painted it black. However, some parents may find that it is easier to cut black construction paper instead.
This craft is often made during Lent or Easter. Children often display it on a cupboard or at a table during the formal meal of Easter Sunday along with their died Easter eggs.
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| Finished three crosses silhouette craft. |
Supply List:
- acrylic paints: black, white, lavender, pink, yellow orange
- two paper plates
- scissors
- tin foil or wax paper
- paint brushes
- stapler
Step-by-Step Instructions:
- Turn over the first paper plate and draw three simple crosses and a hill area on the back side of the paper plate.
- Cut out the template of 3 crosses and paint this solid black. I covered my second paper plate with tin foil to keep it clean and painted the silhouette on top of this. The purpose of my method was to give the paper plate support while it dried, so that the painted silhouette wouldn't loose it's shape while drying.
- Now paint the second plate using sunrise colors: orange, yellow, pink, and lavender on the front side of the plate. Let it dry.
- Staple the two plates together so that there is a pocket space between the two.
- Slip an Easter dinner prayer inside the pocket to read at Easter dinner. (optional)
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| Left, the silhouette of three crosses drawn on the back side of one plate. Center, I used foil to protect my surfaces and keep things clean. Right, I painted the silhouette black. |
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| Left, the painted silhouette of three crosses symbolizes the crucifixion of Jesus along with two thieves, one repentant and the other a fool. Right, is the second paper plate shown just after it's paint has dried. |
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| Left, a close up of the sunrise view of three crosses is actually traditionally practiced to honor the Easter Sunrise Services that take place all over the United States the Sunday after Good Friday. In the real history of crucifixion, Jesus' cross was taken down on Good Friday, shortly after his death. It is the tradition of believers to show Jesus' cross at the largest one in the center. Right, the two paper plates are stapled together. |
Two of Each Were All Aboard Noah's Ark!
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| Two handy monkeys. |
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| Two handy giraffes. |
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| Two handy pigs. |
The web is full of these popular hand crafts in every animal imaginable. Include some of these along with my versions to expand your classroom menagerie:
Craft a 3D Snowy Pine Scene
“The rain and snow come down from the heavens and stay on the ground to water the earth. They cause the grain to grow, producing seed for the farmer and bread for the hungry." Isaiah 55:10
This fun little Christmas scene may be partially assembled prior to painting if you want to use it in a larger Sunday school class. Children from four to nine will enjoy painting their pine cone fir trees on the first Sunday. Let it the paint dry for a week so that on a second Sunday, students may decorate their trees with snowy cotton, glitter, and sculpt a cute, snow-white, woodland critter to sit beside each pine cone tree on top of the wooden base.
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| Finished snow scene. |
- a pine cone
- hammer and nail
- small wooden block
- green and white acrylic paints
- two cotton balls
- white glitter
- white air dry clay for a winter snow-bunny, fox or bear
- hot glue and hot glue gun
- white school glue
- Pre-cut a hole through the center of a wooden block base either using a drill or by hammering one with a nail.
- Hot glue the bottom tip of a pine cone into the hole.
- Paint the pine cone tree green and the wooden block base white.
- After the paint has dried thoroughly, trim the tips with glitter and fluffy cotton to look like snow. Apply this with white school glue.
- Shape little mini snowmen, birds or Winter white, furry creatures using the air dry clay. Glue these to the wooden base. I shaped a small snow bunny for this scene.
- Sprinkle the wooden base with white glue and glitter to make it look like it's covered with fresh fallen snow.
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| Left, a tin basket full of pine cones and a mounted pine cone that has been painted green. Right, is the cone with added white cotton and a toothpick that has been mounted into the wooden block. This step is optional, it will merely secure the snow bunny in place. I will glue my beaded bunny parts through it after these have dried. |
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| Above you can see the little shapes that students will need to make for a snow bunny. There are holes through the bottom two pieces to secure these over the wooden toothpick. |