Bible Chain of Truth

By

A. Marie Miles

Digitally Published by

GOSPEL TRUTH PUBLISHING

www.churchofgodeveninglight.com

Originally Published by

Faith Publishing House

Dedicated To

My Seven Grandchildren

TABLE OF CONTENTS

PREFACE

THE WORLD’S BEST BOOK

MORE ABOUT GOD’S BOOK

Some of God’s Promises

THE PRINTING PRESS

BIBLE FACTS

THREE IN ONE

GOD, THE FATHER

GOD, ALL-WISE AND ALL-POWERFUL

WHERE DID MAN COME FROM?

WHERE DID THE DEVIL COME FROM?

HOW SIN ENTERED THE WORLD

A HAPPY DAY ARRIVES

IRENE MAKES HER WRONGS RIGHT

THE THREE HEARTS

THE HOLY SPIRIT

NATURES CHANGED

Be Like a Lamb

THE TABERNACLE

THE OLD TEMPLE AND THE NEW TEMPLE

THE CHURCH OF GOD

BAPTISM

THE ORDINANCE OF FEET WASHING

THE ORDINANCE OF THE LORD’S SUPPER

THE KINGDOM OF GOD

Various Deaths of the Disciples

BIBLICAL TRACE OF THE CHURCH

THE RESURRECTION

WAITING PLACE FOR THE SOUL

THE JUDGMENT AND ITS REWARDS

WOMEN PROPHESIED IN THE EARLY CHURCH

THE LORD’S DAY

POISONS

What I Have Seen

JESUS HEALS TODAY

Prayer Changes Things

MARRIAGE AND DIVORCE

WHAT IS TITHING?

OBEYING GOD’S WORD

THE WOMAN AND THE RED DRAGON

THE WILD BEASTS

THE FALSE PROPHET BEAST

THE CHURCH REIGNS FOREVER

GOLDEN CHAIN OF INSTRUCTION

PREFACE

For a number of years, it has been my God-given privilege to collect and write articles for a children’s paper, “The Beautiful Way,” for which Sister Dorothy Wilson, a mother of five children and worker at Faith Publishing House, has set much of the type. She surprised me one day with a request that I write a book in simple form on Bible doctrines. I replied that she would have to pray for the Lord to give me an inspiration. She must have prayed because the Lord laid a heavy burden upon me and this book is the result.

The purpose of writing this book in conversational form is to present Bible truths in a simple manner. This would tend to hold the interest of our children, juniors, and young people. Therefore, I have a background setting of a father, mother, two juniors and others. This book should be in every home and is good for those who have newly come to the faith.

For some of the facts presented in this book I have given credit where credit was due; but I have collected some data over a period of years in teaching and writing Bible truths, therefore I will have to beg tolerance from those to whom I have not given credit.

The incidents related in this book are true unless otherwise mentioned and the doctrines presented are solid Bible truths. These truths, that the Lord has revealed to me, I have heard taught over a period of forty years or more. My father, Bro. Fred Pruitt, was a minister, writer, and publisher of the gospel. Through his teachings I have received much understanding illuminated by the Holy Spirit.

We appreciate Bro. Cecil C. Carver writing chapters 34 to 37.

I send this book forth in the name of Jesus and with a prayer that it will be a blessing to each one who reads it.

—A. Marie (Pruitt) Miles

THE WORLD’S BEST BOOK

“I surely like my birthday present!” Darlene exclaimed as she hugged her new Bible. “I am going to read in it every day.”

“That will be fine,” Mother replied. “I am glad you like your Bible but I want you to love God, who gave us the Bible, with all of your heart.”

“Mother, there are a lot of things that I would like to know about the Bible,” Dale remarked as he finished his homework.

“What would you like to know?” asked Mother.

“Well, first, I would like to know who wrote it and how we happened to have it,” said Dale.

“I would like to know what the first Bible looked like,” chimed in Darlene.

“All right, children, let us have a Bible talk every evening this winter,” said Mother. “We will make a Bible ‘chain of knowledge,’ adding a few links to it each evening.”

“Oh, I am glad!” exclaimed Darlene. “Aren’t you, Dale?”

“One time there weren’t any Bibles like we have today,” explained Mother. “Sometimes God sent His angels to tell man what He wanted him to do, and sometimes He talked to them through His prophets. Other times He spoke to them by a voice from heaven. We do know that Moses wrote the first five books of the Bible.”

“Did Moses know Adam?” asked Darlene.

“No, but what happened to Adam in the garden and the history of the families was passed down through the years to Moses as they did not have books in those early days,” said Mother. “There was one man, Methuselah, who knew both Adam and Noah. This brought to knowledge the events which covered a period of about 1656 years. He lived to be almost a thousand years old. He was the oldest man that ever lived. He was 969 years old when he died.

(Gen. 5:27) He died the year of the flood and thus knew Noah. He, of course, was able to tell Noah what had happened from the beginning. You can figure this out sometime as their ages are in the Bible. Methuselah probably told Noah how God talked to Adam and Eve in the cool of the day and many other things.” (Gen. 3:8)

“He probably told Noah that Eve persuaded Adam to eat of the fruit of the tree that God had forbidden them to eat,” said Dale.

“He had no business listening to Eve,” said Darlene. “He should have obeyed God’s Word and they could have stayed in the beautiful garden.”

“They had only one commandment to keep, didn’t they?” asked Dale. “Today we have a lot of God’s laws to keep.”

“If we will listen to God instead of the devil we can keep all of God’s laws today,” replied Mother. “As I said before, Methuselah told Noah about the history of the beginning and other events and Noah told his son, Shem. Abraham learned all about what happened before the flood from Shem and he added more links to the chain of events by telling about the flood and the things that happened afterwards. Abraham’s son, Isaac, told Jacob and Jacob told his twelve sons, who were the heads of the twelve tribes of Israel. Through them, Amram, the father of Moses could have easily been told all that had happened. (Clarke, vol. 1) Then of course you remember that Moses talked to God for forty days on Mt. Sinai.” (Ex. 24:18).

“How did God look?” asked Darlene.

“We shall talk about that another time,” said Mother. “Moses was educated and ‘learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians.’

(Acts 7:22). You remember that he was adopted by the princess after being found in a basket by the river bank. (Ex. 2:5-10). His mother was his nurse and I am sure she taught him about God and, no doubt, made him to know that he could help his people to be free from being slaves of the Egyptians. God used him when he grew up to deliver them. So we find that Moses linked the chain of events from the beginning up to the time he led the children of Israel to the borders of the Canaan land which God promised to give to them. Moses wrote all these things in the first five books of the Bible. He also kept a diary of the journeyings of the Israelites (Num. 33:2) and wrote the instructions about building the tabernacle and the laws given him by God in the mountain.”

“Was the Old Testament written in English?” asked Darlene.

“No, it was written in the Hebrew language,” explained Mother. “The New Testament was written in Greek. The Old Testament and the New are linked together. The Old Testament tells about a nation from which the Messiah or Jesus Christ was to come. The New Testament tells about His coming. There is a chain of truth running from the beginning to the end of the Bible. God wanted boys, girls, men, and women to know about Him and his great love for them. The Bible is different from any other book.”

“Did Jesus read the Old Testament?” asked Darlene.

“Of course,” said Dale, “don’t you remember reading about when he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath one time and stood up to read and they gave him one of the books of the Old Testament? It was Esaias, or Isaiah. (Luke 2:16-22). Everybody was surprised at his sermon that day.”

“Jesus referred to the Old Testament when he was tempted of the devil in the wilderness,” said Mother. “He told the devil, ‘it is written, man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.’ (Matt. 4:4) God’s Word, which is the Bible, is more important than our natural food. If we obey God’s Word we shall receive eternal life or go to heaven when we die. Then one time Jesus told the people to ‘search the Scriptures.’ Darlene, I think you asked how the first Bibles looked, didn’t you? Why don’t we talk about that tomorrow night?”

“I think the Bible is the best book in the world,” said Dale, and Darlene agreed with him.

“Yes, it is important that we obey the commandments of God,” Mother added. “I read one time that Gen. Cromwell requested all of his men to carry a Bible in their pockets while in battle. One man was a skeptic. He didn’t believe in God. One time he was hit by an enemy shell and knocked down. When a rescuer came to him he told him that he had been hit. Upon examining him it was found that the bullet hit the Bible which he carried. When he read it he found that the bullet had stopped on Eccl. 12:13, 14. There he read, ‘Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.’ The man was convicted of his sins and got saved.”

“God surely was good to him, wasn’t He?” Dale said.

“Yes, he was,” Mother answered. “We had better have prayer and go to bed. It is getting late. We want to remember that it pays to obey God and love His Word.”

MORE ABOUT GOD’S BOOK

“Hurry up, Dale,” Darlene said to her brother as he put his schoolbooks on the hall table, “Mother is waiting to tell us more about the Bible.”

“Now, Mother, you can tell us how the first Bibles looked,” said Darlene as Dale sat down on the divan.

“The very first Bibles were written on papyrus. The loose spongy tissue was taken from the papyrus plant and sliced, then pressed into writing material. It was used by the ancient Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans. (Web. Dic.) Then later the Bible was written on parchment that looked like paper but it was goat skins which were treated so they could be written on with ink. It was real strong. This was made into rolls called scrolls.”

“E. E. Byrum saw some of those old manuscripts in the Vatican Library in Rome, Italy in 1904. Some pages were missing. Those Greek Manuscripts were copied from others between the years of 300 and 400 A. D. They were among the oldest manuscripts in the world at that time. So we have proof that from that date the Old and New Testaments have been in existence. How We Got Our Bible.

“The oldest known Bible is the Yonan manuscript of the complete New Testament in Syriac-Aramaic of about 350 A. D., now in the Library of Congress.” (Guthrie Daily Leader, 1966.)

“Mother, you said that Jesus said to ‘search the Scriptures.’ Did they call the Old Testament the Scriptures in that day?” asked Darlene.

“Yes, the Old Testament was called ‘the Scriptures,’ or Jesus sometimes called it the ‘word of God.’ There are about 300 quotations or sayings from the Old Testament in the New Testament. Many of them are from the law of Moses and then the prophecy of Jesus’ coming and what was to come to pass. Paul, the Apostle, said ‘the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith, but after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.’ (Gal. 3:24, 25.) We aren’t living under the Old Testament now but under the New Testament. The Old Testament is fulfilled in the New Testament.”

“It was fulfilled because Jesus came, wasn’t it?” asked Dale.

“Yes, and since the Jews rejected Jesus as their Saviour the whole world can come to God through Jesus. The Old Testament covered a period of over 4,000 years. I think it would be good for us to talk about the groups of books in the Bible. I think you can remember better what they are about. Why don’t you write this down on the white page in the front of your Bible to refer to?”

“That’s a good idea,” said Dale as he and Darlene got their pencils.

“There are 17 historical books in the Old Bible,” said Mother, “and there are five poetical books and seventeen books by the prophets. Then in the New Testament we have four gospels, the book of Acts, twenty-one letters or epistles and the book of Revelation.”

“Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John are the first four books in the New Testament,” said Dale. “They were surely smart to remember all that Jesus said.”

“It wasn’t that they were so smart,” Mother said, “it was because Jesus told the disciples that after he went to heaven he would send the Holy Spirit and he would ‘bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.’ (John 14:26) John completed the chain of what God wanted us to know and wrote what the other three gospel writers left out. Luke wrote the book of Luke and his account continues in the book of Acts, which is a history of the early church and its growth. The Apostle Paul wrote some letters which are the books called Timothy, Titus, Hebrews, and Philemon. He also wrote letters to the seven churches. James and Jude, who are supposed to be the brothers of Jesus (Matt. 13:55, 56) each wrote a book. Peter and John, the disciples of Jesus, each wrote some books.”

“I know how to remember how many books are in the New Testament,” said Dale. “Of course, you have to know how many are in the Old Testament.”

“I remember that,” said Darlene, “you have to put a times sign in the middle of something.”

“You forgot,” said Dale. “There are 39 books in the Old Testament and you put a times sign in between the 3 and the 9. That makes 3x9 which equals 27, which makes 27 books in the New Testament.”

“That’s right!” said Darlene. “My brother is smart.” “If Sister Brown were your Sunday School teacher you would remember that,” said Dale. “She surely drilled us on those figures. Say, Mother, if we counted each book of the Bible as a link in a chain we would have 66 links in a Bible chain.”

“It is getting late, but I want you to remember that King James I of England had a group of men translate the Bible that we use today from old manuscripts in the year of 1611. Since that time God has blessed the words of this Bible and it has caused those who believe it to have changed lives. Many have lived by it and died a triumphant death. We do not want to take anything away from it or add anything to it. The last verses in the Bible tell us that if we do this God will take our part out of the Book of Life. (Rev. 22:18, 19). We want to leave every link in the chain of truths in the Bible.”

“I want to understand more what it teaches,” said Darlene as she hugged her new Bible.

“When this old world is on fire and time will be no more, God’s Word will stand,” said Mother. “God has a heaven prepared for those who obey his Bible, which is His Word.” (Matt. 24:35).

“The Bible can be read by nearly all the people of the world. There are a few languages of some tribal countries who do not have the Bible translated into their language. Those who know tell us that nine-tenths of the whole world’s population may read or hear the Bible read in their own language. The American Bible Society supplied the scripture in nearly 300 languages in 1965.”

“You told us once how many verses were in the Bible, but I forgot,” said Darlene.

“There are 31,173 verses in the Bible,” said Mother. “Darlene, open your Bible and read Psalm 118:8.”

“ ‘It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man,’ ” read Darlene.

“That is the middle verse of the Bible,” said Mother. “There are 7,487 promises given by God to man. The Bible is such a wonderful book and God will keep all of those promises. God has tried to show you that He loves you and He longs for your love.”

“I don’t think any man could make and keep that many promises,” said Dale. “I am glad that we know a God big enough to keep all of his promises.”

“People might make a promise and plan to keep it but not be able to do so,” said Mother. “God can do everything and has all power so he can keep his promises.”

“That surely is a lot of promises,” said Darlene, “seven thousand four hundred and eighty-seven promises. I am going to write that in the front of my Bible.”

“Why don’t you write it above 1 Peter 1:4? Peter writes about the ‘exceeding great and precious promises’ and tells us that by all of these promises we can have the ‘divine nature’ of God.”

“I hope I don’t forget all we have talked about tonight,” said Dale. “I think the Bible is the world’s best book.”

Some of God’s Promises

I will be your God. Ezek. 36:28. I will put my Spirit within you. Ezek. 37:14. I will save you. Ezek. 36:27, 29. I will love him.

John 14:21.

I will manifest myself. John 14:21. I will come again. John 14:3. I will sup with him. Rev. 3:20. I will give thee a crown of life.

Rev. 2:10.

I will bless thee. Gen. 12:2. I will not fail thee. Josh. 1:5. I will heal thee. 2 Kings 20:5. I will guide thee. Psalm 32:8.

I will instruct thee. Psa. 32:8. I will teach thee, Psa. 32:8. I will deliver thee. Psa. 132:15. I will help thee. Isaiah 49:15.

I will comfort thee. Isa. 66:13. I will forgive thee. Jer. 31:34. I will restore thee. Jer. 30:17.

THE PRINTING PRESS

“I love my Bible,” Darlene said as she leafed through its pages. “It makes God feel so close to me.”

“I wonder in what year the Bible was first printed. Can you tell us?” Dale asked his mother as she entered the room.

“I believe it was around 1450,” Mother answered as she walked over to her bookcase. “Here are some data on Gutenberg who invented the printing press. Yes, it says here the first Bible was printed in Latin and was ready for sale somewhere between 1445 and 1455. The printing press surely was an invention given to man by God. Before this the Bible was handwritten which took long laborious hours. Only the rich could afford to buy Bibles and in the year of 1400 the Bible cost from $150 to $200. At that time the average working man earned 15¢ to 20¢ a day. It was seldom that a working man ever saw such a sum as $150.”

“How did the people know to do right if they did not have any Bibles?” Dale asked.

“Many did not know and only those who attended services and heard it read knew anything at all about God’s Word. Those were dark days for many people but God knew what was needed for this evening light to shine again as in the morning church when God sent the Holy Spirit into the world. God knew that people needed a knowledge of the Scriptures.

“Johann Gutenberg first made wooden letters and experienced many failures as the wood would get soft and break when ink was put on them. He tried iron but that was too difficult to mold and it cut the parchment on which it was printed. Finally, he found the solution to the problem. He used a combination of lead, antimony, and tin. Today that is still used.

“Gutenberg devoted his life to this new-found idea and invented a crude printing press which was used for the next hundred years. Trouble arose for Gutenberg and his work was stopped but later a man by the name of Fust helped to finance him. Gutenberg thought he could print the first Bible in three years but it took him five to print it. It was completed in 1450 (New World Fam. Ency.) Since then thousands of Bibles have been printed.”

“I am glad we have printing presses today,” Darlene said as she opened her Bible.

“Yes, we can print the gospel and send it forth today and it reaches people all over the world. At the office where the “Faith and Victory” paper, the “Beautiful Way” junior and primary papers are printed, over 300 different titles of tracts, a large number of books, gospels in other languages, song books and a lot of other printing is done. We surely thank God for the printing press. There is a printing press there that runs over 3,000 impressions an hour. Sometimes it is kept running day after day printing the precious news that Jesus saves from sin. We rejoice to see the literature being printed. God has a way of getting the gospel to people through the printed page who can’t be reached in any other way. I have heard of those who found a tract or a paper in some very strange places. They said they were blessed and helped by reading it and wanted more. I have heard of others who found a piece of paper beside the road, in an empty house, at a fruit stand, in a store, laundry, bus station, street car, train, or it was handed to them. One person said he was walking down the road when a piece of a tract blew at his feet. Many have been saved after reading the literature. Some have read a tract who intended to commit suicide and changed their minds. God will help souls to get the gospel if he sees any honesty in them. We want to do all we can to help them find God.”

“Mother, are there other books besides those we have in our Bible, or did other people write about things that happened besides the ones who wrote in the Bible?” asked Dale.

“Yes, there were other people who wrote about things that happened but the books that are in our Bible are the ones that are considered to be most accurate. Of course, you know there is an Old Testament and the New Testament which makes up our Bible. The Old Testament is called the ‘Scriptures’ many times in the New Testament. There are some books called the ‘Apocryphal’ books which are not in our Bible. But there is not one single reference or quotation from them in the New Testament. It seems that neither Jesus nor the Apostles recognized them at that time. In the book of Jude there is a reference to the ‘Book of Enoch,’ which is of doubtful origin. (Clarke Com.)

“It would do us good to take note of what Josephus says about the Old Bible. He was a historian who was born in 37 A. D. and mentions some about Jesus but mostly rewrote about the events during the Old Testament period. He is an authentic Jewish historian and his word can safely be accepted as to what books of the Old Testament were used in Jesus’ day. He says, ‘We have but 22 books, containing the history of all time, books that are believed to be divine. Of these, five belong to Moses, containing his laws and the traditions of the origin of mankind down to the time of his death. From the death of Moses to the reign of Artaxerxes the prophets who succeeded Moses wrote the history of the events that occurred in their own time in 13 books. The remaining 4 books comprise hymns to God and precepts for the conduct of human life. From the days of Artaxerxes to our own times every event has indeed been recorded; but these recent records have not been deemed worthy of equal credit with those which preceded them on account of the failure of the exact succession of prophets. There is practical proof of the spirit in which we treat our Scriptures; for, although so great an interval of time has now passed, not a soul has ventured to add or to remove or to alter a syllable; and it is the instinct of every Jew, from the day of his birth, to consider these Scriptures as the teaching of God, and to abide by them, and, if need be, cheerfully to lay down his life in their behalf.’ ”

“Then all the books in the New Testament have been added since Josephus’ day?” asked Dale.

“Yes, they were written even after Jesus’ time. We do thank God for our Bible and for a printing press to print millions of them. I think we had better have prayer and go to bed.”

BIBLE FACTS

“I am glad that Daddy is home tonight,” said Darlene. “He can be with us in our Bible talk. We are making a Bible chain of knowledge. Every night we are going to add more links.”

“What is this about a Bible chain?” asked Daddy.

“Wait until I get my shoes polished,” yelled Dale from the service porch. “I want to be in on our Bible talk.”

“The last few nights we have had such wonderful talks about my new Bible,” explained Darlene. “I surely like it. Mother told us so many interesting things about it.”

“Did she tell you that one time the scientists were counting up time and they found almost a day missing nearly 3,500 years ago?” asked Daddy.

“No, do tell us about it,” said Dale as he got his Bible and sat down close to Daddy. “Is that in the Bible?”

“They had to go to the Bible to find out about the time that was missing,” said Daddy. “There were five kings and their armies who came to fight against the children of Israel. Joshua called upon the Lord and the Lord promised to help them. They were in a fierce battle and it was beginning to get dark. Joshua asked the Lord to cause the sun and moon to stand still or to restrain their influence upon the earth and God, answering his request, lengthened the day. (The scientists reported that the exact time lost was 23 hours and 20 minutes—almost one full day.) The Bible says that had never happened before nor since.” (Read about it in Joshua 10:7-16.)

“That was the time when God cast great stones down from heaven and killed the enemies of Joshua, wasn’t it?” asked Mother. “I have often wondered where those stones came from. I read one time about many stones that have fallen at different times down through the years and it was suggested that those stones came from the moon.” (Clarke, vol. 2, page 43, 44.)

“When they land an astronaut on the moon maybe we will know better what is up there than we can tell from the pictures they have taken.” said Dale.

“Well, I wouldn’t know where they came from but there have been many discussions on the subject,” said Father.

“Another time the scientists found 40 minutes missing,” continued Father. “They again turned to the Bible. They searched and searched. Finally, they found it in Isaiah 38:8. You remember when the prophet told Hezekiah to set his house in order because he was going to die? Hezekiah turned his face to the wall, wept and prayed. He called the Lord to record how he had lived before Him in all truth and with a perfect heart. He told Him that he had done that which was good in the Lord’s sight. God changed his mind and told the prophet Isaiah to go back and tell Hezekiah that He had seen his tears and heard his prayer and would add 15 years to his life. He also told him that he would deliver the city out of the hands of his enemies. He said for a sign that it would come true, He would cause the clock or sun dial to turn back ten degrees. In other words, the sun did not go down until 40 minutes later that day.”

“God can do anything, can’t He?” said Darlene.

“Yes, He can,” answered Daddy. “But not many people today thank God for all of the good things He does for them. He preserved the Bible down through the years. Some have tried to burn it and destroy it, but God has taken care of it. There is no other book in the world like it. It tells us where we came from, who we are, and where we are going after death. It tells us how to live in this life and how to die. It tells us how to treat everybody and makes us know that God loves us. Our Bible is a wonderful book.”

“Tell us some more that the Bible tells us,” said Dale.

“Did you know that the Bible says that the earth was round long before men believed it and discovered it to be true?” said Father. “You read that in Isaiah 40:22. This was 700 years before Christ. People used to think that the world was square.”

“It would be funny for the world to be square,” said Dale and Darlene.

“In Job 38:13, 14 the Bible tells us that the earth turns,” said Daddy. “And in Job 38:16 the Bible tells us that there are springs in the ocean.”

“I didn’t know the Bible said all of that,” said Darlene. “It is a great Book,” said Dale as he walked to the window and looked up into the sky. “Say, Daddy, how many stars can a person see when he looks up into the sky?”

“They tell us that without a telescope you can see about 6,000,” answered Daddy.

“Wow-e-e-e, 6,000! That’s a lot of stars!” Dale exclaimed loudly.

“What makes them twinkle?” Darlene asked as she joined Dale beside the window.

“It is caused from vapor, ice, and dust particles that are in the air,” answered Daddy. “Each of us can be like a star and lead others to the Saviour of the world, as the wise men were led to the baby Jesus by a star.”

“How can we do that?” Darlene asked as she came and sat on the footstool by her father.

“We can let Jesus shine through us by the kind deeds and actions that we show,” explained Daddy. “If we keep full of the love of God, others, seeing how we live, will want to have what we have. They will want to know our Saviour as we know Him.”

“I think it is about bedtime, children,” Mother said as she arose to get ready for the night. “We want to love our Lord and Savior with all of our hearts and live so He will be pleased to dwell in our hearts.”

Dale was still wide awake from thinking about so many wonderful things in the Bible so he lingered behind with his Father after Darlene and Mother had left the room. He came close to his daddy and said, “Tell me just one more interesting thing that is in the Bible.”

“Did you know that over seven hundred years before Christ was born that God let the prophet Nahum get a glimpse of the cars that we have today?”

“Really?” Dale exclaimed. “Tell me about it.”

“Here in the book of Nahum, the second chapter, the 3rd and 4th verses we read a good description of them. ‘The chariots shall be with flaming torches in the day of his preparation, and the fir trees shall be terribly shaken. The chariots shall rage in the streets, they shall jostle one against another in the broad ways: they shall run like lightnings.’ ”

“That surely sounds like them, doesn’t it?” Dale said as he took Daddy’s Bible and read it for himself. “How did he know, for in those days they only had horses to pull their chariots?”

“God was letting him know what was to come in the last days,” said Daddy. “You will notice that this was to come in the ‘day of his preparation.’ That is, in the days just before Jesus will be coming back to get his bride, the church, and at the end of the world.”

“Then are we living in the last days?” Dale asked.

“Yes, we are; and we need to keep ready because we know not the hour nor day when Jesus will burst through the clouds, and time will be no more,” Daddy said as he put his Bible in the bookcase. “We had better have prayer and go to bed.”

THREE IN ONE

“I thought we would talk tonight about the Trinity or the ‘Three-in-One,’ ” Mother said as she picked up her Bible and sat down. Darlene and Dale had been waiting for her in the living room. They had hurried to finish their evening duties so they could have more time for the Bible talk.

“What do you mean?” asked Darlene. “Three-in-One.” “Oh, I know,” said Dale. “That is God and Jesus, and—oh, I forgot who else.”

“It is God the Father; God the Son, Jesus; and God the Holy Spirit. That makes three in one,” said Mother. “It is called the Godhead or the Trinity. I want you to remember these words and then when you hear them you will know what they mean. The dictionary tells us that the word trinity means ‘the union of three persons [the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost] in one Godhead, so that all three are one God as to substance, but three persons as to individuality.’ [Web. Dic.] Let us explain it like this. You look out the window and you see a tree. You call it a tree but that tree has a trunk, branches, and leaves. All three parts go to make up one tree.”

“Oh, I understand now,” said Dale. “Jesus and God work together and also the Holy Ghost.”

“Yes, they work together but each one has a special place and work,” said Mother. “It is hard to understand it all clearly so we must just accept it as a fact because the Bible tells us so. Jesus the Son of God was with God the Father and the Holy Spirit in the beginning of the creation. We read in John 1:1, ‘In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.’ Then in verse 14 we read who the Word was. ‘And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.’ So we see that the Word was Jesus, the Son of God; and He was in the beginning when God made the world and everything in it. Now let us turn to Gen. 1:1 where it tells us that God created the heaven and the earth. In verse 2 it says, ‘And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.’ So there is the Trinity or the Three-in-One together. Then we read in verse 26 where God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, and after our likeness.’ The words ‘us’ and ‘our’ refer to the Trinity.”

“I didn’t know that Jesus was there when God created the world and everything in it,” Darlene said with a look of surprise on her face.

“Yes, Jesus was with the Father before He came into this world and took on the fleshly body. In Jesus’ prayer He referred to the time when He was with God the Father before the world was. He said, ‘And now O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.’ ” (John 17:4, 5)

“I always loved the scene of Jesus’ baptism. There we see Jesus standing in the water beside John the Baptist and the Holy Spirit like a beautiful dove coming out of the heavens and sitting upon Him. Then as we look, we hear a voice speaking out of heaven (which was God the Father’s voice) saying, ‘Thou art MY beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased.’ (Luke 3:21, 22). There we have the three in one; the Holy Spirit in a body like a dove; and Jesus, the Son of God who could be seen; and the voice of the third could be heard. Two of the three could have been seen with your eyes.

“In all the preaching that Jesus did while He was here on the earth he always referred to God the Father. He never would say that it was His own words alone. One time He said, ‘Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, He doeth the works.’ (John 14:10). Jesus wanted everyone to know that God had sent Him and that He and God the Father were one.”

“Bill laughed one time when I told him that in Sunday School we talked about the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost being one,” said Dale.

“Yes, there are some in the world who do not believe this precious truth but it is true anyway,” said Mother. “We have to believe God’s Word because it is true.

“Let me read you one Scripture that speaks about the Holy Spirit being with the Father. It is here in John 15:26. ‘But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceeded from the Father, he shall testify of me.’ So you see the Holy Spirit came from God the Father.

“Let us talk about one more instance in the Bible that brings out the Trinity or the three in one together. After Jesus had died on the cross, arose from the grave, and went back up into the heavens to be with his Father, we find that those who loved Jesus were made fun of and even some of them were killed because they believed in Jesus as their Saviour. One day Stephen, who was the first martyr, preached a sermon about Jesus and those who heard him were angry when he told them that they had killed Jesus, just as their fathers had killed the prophets. He called them ‘stiff-necked’ and asked why they always resisted the Holy Ghost. (Acts 7:54-56). ‘They were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth. But he, [Stephen] being full of the HOLY GHOST, looked up steadfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and JESUS standing [stood up, showing honor] on the right hand of GOD, And said. Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing on the right hand of God.’ There are the Three-in-One. We see God and Jesus in heaven and the Holy Spirit in Stephen who was giving him power and grace to bear the reproach of the cross of Jesus in this world.”

“Poor Stephen,” said Darlene. “I am sure he suffered.”

“But Darlene, look what he saw,” said Dale. “I am sure that would be wonderful to get a glimpse of heaven like he did.”

“I am sure that he did not feel all the stones that hit his body,” said Mother, “because of the presence of God being so strong with him. Then his spirit soon left his old house of clay and went to be with that wonderful God in heaven. That will be the most wonderful day of our lives if we are ready to meet our God, Lord, and Saviour.”

“I surely want to be ready to go to heaven when I die,” said Darlene and Dale agreed with her.

GOD, THE FATHER

“Darlene, do you have all of your homework finished?” Mother asked as she came into the living room and sat down in the big chair.

“Yes, Mother,” answered Darlene. “Can we start now with our Bible talk? Dale said he would be here just as soon as he put the lawn mower in the garage.”

“I’m here!” announced Dale as he threw his coat at a chair and missed. With one look from Mother he got it and hung it up.

“Darlene, I believe you asked a few evenings ago how God looked,” Mother said as she opened her Bible. “I thought we would talk about God tonight. The scriptures tell us plainly that there is no likeness of God in this world. In Isaiah 40:18 we read, ‘To whom then will ye liken God? or what likeness will ye compare unto him?’ But the Bible has given us some ideas of what God is like so we shall just have to look at them and see if we can understand partly some things about God.”

“One day as the Apostle Paul was standing on Mars’ hill in the city of Athens among the idols of those people, he saw an altar with some writing on it. It said, To The Unknown God.’ That made Paul feel good to think that perhaps he could get them to listen to him as he told them of their unknown God. He told them he knew this God who was unknown to them. They were ready to listen to Paul. (Acts 17:21-30).

“ ‘I know about the God that you ignorantly worship,’ said Paul. ‘God made the world and everything in it. God is the Lord of heaven and earth. He is so big and great that you could not build a temple or place big enough for all of Him to dwell in. You cannot shut him up in one place, neither is he worshiped with men’s hands. You did not give anything to Him but He has given all things to you. He is the One who gave you life, breath, and all things. God has made of one blood all nations of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and he has permitted certain families and nations to dwell in certain places.

Although God is great and fills the whole earth (Jer. 23:24), yet if you will seek after him you can find him because He is not far from any one of us. God is the source of our happiness. God has given us our very existence. God gives you your life. You couldn’t even move if God did not give you strength. God has made us and given us this body. God is real. We are God’s offspring. Now, since we are the offspring of God, we should not think that the Godhead is like gold, silver, stones, or anything man can make.’ ”

“It seems strange that those people would worship stones, silver, and gold that God had made, instead of worshiping God,” Dale said as he changed the place where he had been sitting.

“Those things could not do anything for them,” explained Darlene. “I am glad that we are serving a God that is real and can do anything. He can heal us when we get sick and can help us all the time.”

“I am glad that we know about the true God, too,” Mother said. “Paul said that we were the offspring of God. What does offspring mean?”

“Well-l-l, isn’t my baby kitten Snowball’s offspring?” answered Darlene.

“Well, yes,” Mother said as she smiled at the comparison. “And you are the product of your parents.”

“Then we can think of God as being something like us,” said Dale. “Or perhaps I should say we are something like God.”

“That would be better,” Mother said. “No person has ever seen God that lived here on the earth except Jesus, His Son. Jesus one time said to the Jews, ‘Ye have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his shape.’ (John 5:37). Jesus did not tell us anything about his shape. He did tell us that God is a Spirit. (John 4:24). One time Moses talked to God ‘face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friends’ (Ex. 33:11-23). Yet Moses did not see God’s face. The Apostle Paul tells us that God dwells in immortality and there is a brilliant light about him which no man can approach. (1 Tim. 6:16). Moses begged God to let him see him. God told Moses, ‘You cannot see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live.’ (verse 20) But God was merciful to Moses. Moses desired to be assured that God’s presence would go with him as he led the multitude of people to the Canaan land. God told Moses that He would put him in the cleft of the rock and put His hand over him, then God, in all his great and mighty glory, would pass by him. God would then take His hand off and let Moses see his ‘back parts.’ Now we do not understand all that God meant but we do know that Moses came so close to God that some of the glory of the great and mighty God shone on his face. When he went down from the mountain, where he had been talking to God, his face shone so that the people could not look upon him. He had to put a vail over his face. (Ex. 34:29-35).

“I wish I could have been with Moses in the cleft of that rock,” Dale said with excitement. “God must be great!”

“Wasn’t Moses afraid?” asked Darlene. “No wonder God won’t let anyone see Him: we are so tiny and God is so great. But anyway, I love a great big God. You don’t have to be afraid because He loves you and can help you when you need help.”

“Moses tells us that God has a hand and back,” said Dale. “Doesn’t the Bible tell us that God has eyes and ears?”

“Let us remember that Jesus told us that no one has seen God’s shape,” said Mother, “but for us to understand something about God and to know all He can do, the Bible had to be written in terms that we can understand. The Apostle Peter tells us, ‘For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil.’ (1 Pet. 3:12). He wants us to know that God can hear our prayers, and that He is looking at us and cares for us. God is a living Being. God is real. God is a Spirit. (John 4:24). Spirits do not have flesh and blood as we do. Let us think of God as being everything great, with unlimited power, all knowledge and wisdom, and can be everywhere at the same time. Let us think of Him as being pure and holy. Let us think of Him as being all wise and just. He never makes a mistake. God is kind, tender, gentle, patient, full of sympathy. He has all love and is ready to forgive all of our sins if we will only ask Him. But we need to also think of God as having laws for us to obey, and for every law that we disobey there is a punishment. Oh, how much we do love God and want to obey all that He asks us to do! He will help us if we will ask Him.”

“Mother, you said that God was everywhere at the same time,” Dale said. “That is hard to understand when God lives in heaven.”

“Just think—God is inside the house and outside the house and everywhere,” exclaimed Darlene. “Then, Mother, you said He lives in our hearts, too.”

“I thought we would talk about God’s three personalities or three things that are part of him,” Mother continued. “God is all-wise, all-powerful, and is everywhere present. I think we can take the sun for one example to show in part how God can be everywhere, yet in his throne in heaven. I believe the Psalmist David said, ‘The heaven is his throne, and the earth his footstool.’

“The 19th Psalm tells us about the sun. We read here where God has set a tabernacle or place for the sun in the heavens. And the sun’s going forth is from the end of the heaven, and his circuits unto the ends of it. There is nothing hid from the heat of the sun. The sun gives light and heat to all parts of the earth and affects the earth in many different ways, yet the sun itself is not everywhere present, but abides in the place that God has put it. We can say that the sun emits rays of light and heat through all the world. By this we can say that the sun or its influence is everywhere present. Now for instance, in the morning the sun comes up bright and hot. By the middle of the day we can feel the heat of the sun in the living room even if the windows and blinds are down, but we would not say the sun was placed in the room. But the effects of that heat are there. Now God’s home is in heaven, yet He is so great, and much greater than the sun, that His presence and power can go to every place in the world. Nothing can escape His presence, nor His eyes, nor the hearing of His ears.”

“Now, I can understand that,” said Dale. “God is great, isn’t He?”

“God can go through the house and everywhere just like the heat and cold can go,” Darlene said as she waved her arms around. “That makes me feel that God is real close.”

“Maybe we should continue our talks about God tomorrow night. It is getting late,” Mother said as she got up and put her Bible away.

“Oh, I am learning so much,” said Dale as they all knelt to pray before retiring for the night.

GOD, ALL-WISE AND ALL-POWERFUL

“Mother, I thought all day about God being everywhere,” said Darlene, “and I felt very close to Him.”

“When Bill wanted me to throw rocks at the store as we passed, I thought about God seeing me,” said Dale. “Bill thought no one was around. I wouldn’t do it, so he didn’t either.”

“Yes, we should be careful because God keeps a record of all we do and to get it erased from that record we will have to make it right with those we have harmed, and then with God,” said Mother. “When I was a little girl I used to think that if I got under the bed, surely God couldn’t see me there, but my mother told me that God could see everywhere and everything. I was glad because I wanted God to help me and take care of me when I was away from my parents.”

“God can be under the bed, because heat and cold can get under the bed,” said Darlene.

“Yes, that is right,” Mother said as she opened her Bible. “We read in Jer. 23:24, ‘Can any hide himself in the secret places that I shall not see him? saith the Lord. Do not I fill heaven and earth?’ So we are sure that God is everywhere present at all times

“God is all-wise and knows everything. One time the Apostle Paul was thinking about God being so great and knowing everything and being all-wise and he said, ‘Oh the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out.’ (Rom. 11:33). We can look around us and see just a small portion of the wisdom of God and we are amazed at His greatness. For example, look at the flesh on your hands and body. Man cannot make flesh. He has made something that feels like it and looks like it but he can’t make flesh. Only God can do that. Then we think about the fingerprints that each of us have. Every fingerprint is different. There are no two alike.”

“That’s the reason records are kept of fingerprints,” said Dale, “so when someone steals something, he can be identified by fingerprints.”

“Yes, you will notice in the paper when any crime is committed they talk about getting fingerprints,” Mother added. “Who but God could think of so many different prints? You would think He might make a mistake and make two alike but it has never been found to be so. God is so great that we can’t figure it all out.

“Recently I read an article that was written by Dr. Milton W. Eddy about some amazing discovery that he had made. He was convinced after studying thousands of photomicrographs of people’s hair that each person has ‘a pattern distinctly his own—almost like fingerprints.’ And another thing he discovered is that blood relatives have similar hair but not exactly alike. He helped solve the murder of some relatives in 1934 just by comparing hair as to who were relatives. The police used his theory to check it out and it was just as he had said.”

“How could anyone tell how a hair looked?” asked Darlene. “They all look alike to me.”

“The article said that Dr. Eddy would place a hair between two strips of thermoplastic, heat the strips and press gently on them. Then he would peel off the strips. Impressed on each strip was a peculiar scale-like design, the ‘finger print’ of that hair. Each human hair when so treated yields a different scale-like design. All hairs of the same person yield the same design—but no two hairs from any two people on the earth are exactly alike.” (American Mercury by Arthur Larsen.)

“My! what a big God we have,” said Dale. “As many people as there are, it looks like he would run out of designs. I wonder what my hair print is like.”

“Isn’t God wonderful!” said Mother. “Not only has He marked us as individuals on our fingers and on our heels, but also on our hair! He even knows how many hairs each of us has. (Matt. 10:30) God has made each one of us different.

“Another interesting fact is that God has made every grain of sand different. He has made every leaf different. Our God is wise and a most wonderful God. God made the world and everything in it. When we think of the great wisdom of God and all He has made, we are amazed; and to think of His greatness, there is no end to it!”

“God made the animals,” Dale stated. “He made the fish and the birds. And then He made the seas and oceans, also the sky, the sun, moon and all the stars.”

“God made the trees and the flowers, too,” said Darlene. “He made the grass so pretty and green! Mother, just think of all the different colors God made! The rainbow is so pretty. The sky is so pretty and blue. I agree with you, Mother, God is so great that I cannot understand it so I will just love Him instead of trying to fathom all His greatness.”

“Paul tells us that all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hid in God,” continued Mother. (See Col. 2:3). “God has a big treasure house of wisdom. Then just think, God can see right down into each of our hearts! He knows all about us. ‘Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and open unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.’ (Heb. 4:13). God knows the very desires and intents of our hearts. God knew all about you and Bill and what you talked about today. God knew what was in your hearts. The Apostle Paul also tells us, ‘Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world.’ (Acts 15:18) How comforting it is to know that God loves us and cares for us and knows all about us at all times.”

“I am so glad that God loves me and knows just how to help me,” Darlene said as she went over and hugged her mother as if she wished that God were there in person so she could love Him.

“In our Sunday School lesson last Sunday we talked about how Hezekiah took a letter from the king and spread it out before God and asked Him to help,” said Dale.

“Yes, Hezekiah had faith in God to help him fight against the huge army that was coming against him,” Mother explained.

(2 Kings 19). “He didn’t try to do it himself but just put it before God. He wanted God to receive praise and glory. God told Hezekiah that he would defend the city. So one night God sent His angel into the camp of the enemy and killed 185,000 of them and the rest arose early in the morning and fled for home. Today God will still help us out of all kinds of trouble. He is all-wise and all-powerful. God can do anything.”

“God caused the walls of Jericho to fall down, too, didn’t He?” Dale asked. “I wonder if they would have fallen down if they had marched around the walls only six times?”

“No, God expects us to do just as He tells us to do,” explained Mother. “They were to return the seventh day and march around it seven times and then blow the trumpets and shout and when they did that, the walls fell down.” (Joshua 6:10-21).

“God can do anything, can’t He?” Darlene declared.

“The prophet Isaiah gives us a glimpse of the greatness of God in Isaiah 40:12, 22,” Mother said, as she turned the pages of her Bible to Isaiah. “God can hold the waters of the world in his hand. We know that nearly three-fourths of the world’s surface is water. The greatest depth of the Pacific Ocean is 35,640 feet. So that is lots and lots of water. Just think that God is so great He can hold it in the hollow of his hand. You just can’t describe God; He is so great. Then it says he ‘meted out the heaven with a span.’ A span is from the tip of your little finger to the end of your thumb. God’s hand is so big that the sky can be measured by the span of his hand.”

“The more we talk about God, the bigger I see him,” Darlene remarked with a shake of her head. “And what I like about God being so big is that He loves me.”

“Yes, He loves us and we should always love Him,” agreed Mother. “Here in the 22nd verse it says that God sitteth upon the circle of the earth and all the people are as grasshoppers.”

“When I think of how great God is, I feel smaller than a grasshopper,” Dale said with a laugh.

“God has said to us, ‘Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God; I will strengthen thee; yea I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.’ (Isa. 41:10) Oh, how my heart is full of praises and thanksgiving to God for His great love to us, who are as grasshoppers in His sight. We aren’t grasshoppers but we are people whom God has created and whom He loves. We are not afraid nor troubled about the things we face in life because our great big God is helping us.

“I think we had better have prayer and go to bed now since we have added many links to our chain of knowledge about God,” said Mother.

“The chain is getting longer and longer,” said Darlene as she yawned sleepily.

WHERE DID MAN COME FROM?

“Daddy, will you start our Bible talk tonight?” asked Darlene. “Mother has some other things to do before she can come and I can hardly wait. I have been so excited about what we have been talking about! And, Daddy, it makes me feel so safe and warm inside to think of such a great big God who loves me.”

“I am glad you feel secure in His love,” Daddy said, hoping in his heart that she would always love God as much as she did right then. “Even big people like Daddy love to feel that security and trust in God. We are living in a big world where there is much evil. We need God all the time.”

“Now, Daddy, you have to tell it all over again,” said Dale as he came into the room and heard his Father and Darlene talking. “I don’t want to miss one word of our Bible talks. I am learning so much and I hope I don’t forget any of it. Our chain of knowledge is growing.”

“We haven’t started yet,” said Darlene as she sat on the footstool by her father.

“Say, Daddy, tell us all about where we came from,” said Dale. “Bill is always telling me that we came from monkeys but I told him that he could believe that if he wanted to, but I surely didn’t. I wonder sometimes how he can make up so much stuff.”

“I am sure that Bill didn’t make it up, but he got it from some people who believe that man was one time a hairy mammal. God made man, animals, fish, etc. so that they do not mix,” said Daddy. “Let me get an article that I read the other day about this subject. Here it is. This man has studied this false teaching and he gives us the results of his findings. He is Dr. Austin H. Clark F.R.G.S., a member of the American Geophysical Union. He says, ‘The greatest groups of animal life do not merge into another. They are and have been fixed from the beginning… No animals are known even from the earliest rocks, which cannot at once be assigned to their proper phylum or major group… A backboned animal is always unmistakably a backboned animal, a starfish is always a starfish, and an insect is always an insect, no matter whether we find it in a fossil or catch it alive at the present day… If we are willing to accept the facts at their face value, we must believe… that these major groups from the very first bore the same relation to each other that they do at the present day.’ So you see this great research agrees with the Bible. Man is separate from the animals and was created by God. We did not spring from monkeys. Scientists admit that the man and ape-like bones of 50,000 years ago (? ? ?) can be put in a handbag.”

“I am sure that I never came from a monkey,” said Darlene with a shudder. “That sounds so silly. We have deformed people today. Those bones are probably from deformed people in that day.”

“The Darwinian theory tells us that man was, in the beginning, a one-cell being, and then a round worm, then turned into a long worm, then into a fish and after that he turned into a bullfrog type thing. After that he was supposed to be a hairy mammalian and then finally after many, many years became a man,” Daddy said with a look of disbelief on his face.

“I don’t believe that stuff,” Dale declared. “I believe the Bible. God made the first man, Adam, out of the dust of the earth and then he put Adam to sleep and took a rib out of him and made Eve.”

“That is the way I believe it, too,” added Darlene, “and I’ll never believe it any other way.”

“You are right and I want you to always hold to that belief because it is right and the Bible tells us the truth,” agreed Father. “Those who believe in evolution say that we came from something that was present, but the Bible tells us that God created us. Creation means to make something new or the act of bringing something into being. ‘God created man, in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them’ (Gen. 1:27). ‘And the Lord formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.’ (Gen. 2:7) Now we have read right out of the Bible just how the first man and woman were made. God created them. God made them.”

“I am sure Adam looked queer lying there on the ground made out of the dust,” smiled Darlene.

“He didn’t lie there long,” Dale stated. “When God breathed into him he started moving and sat up. He may have looked around and wondered what he was and where he had come from.”

“He didn’t have to wonder long because God talked to him and showed him the beautiful garden of Eden to take care of,” Daddy explained. “God made all the animals and let Adam name them. We also read how God put Adam to sleep and took a rib out of his side and made him a wife, whom he called Eve. Adam loved her because she was part of him. God didn’t want them to be the only ones on the earth so he made them in such a way that they could have children to bless their home. So we see that all the people in the world came from Adam and Eve, who were the first parents. The Bible tells us that Eve is the ‘mother of all living” (Gen. 3:20). Then in Malachi we read, ‘Have we not all one Father? Hath not God created us?’ (Mal. 2:10) Man is made higher than the animals.

“Now I want you both to listen carefully to me as I try to explain to you about the first man that God created. The Bible says that God breathed ‘the breath of life’ into the dust man that he had created and ‘man became a living soul.’ The soul of man is the cause of life; which is shown in thinking, willing, and knowing.’ (Web. Dic.) The soul is the part of man that is like God because it is eternal. God will always live and the soul of man will always live or that part of you that is you will always live even after this body dies and goes back to dust. The Apostle Paul speaks of the ‘body and soul’ of man. (1 Thess. 5:23) Then he says, ‘though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.’ ” (2 Cor. 4:17)

“We have a soul and a body, don’t we?” asked Darlene. “And the body goes back to dust and the soul lives forever somewhere.”

“Yes, God said that the body would go back to dust,” Daddy explained. “ ‘Dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.’ (Gen. 3:19) God gave us a mind that can do great things. When we think of all man has invented we marvel at the mind that God gave him. God gave man a will or right to choose what he wants to do. Man is a moral being.

“Now I want you to understand though that there was a part of Adam that God made which was in the ‘image’ and ‘likeness’ of God. The Apostle Paul explains that man, ‘which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.’ (Eph. 4:22-24) God is pure and holy. God could not make anyone who was evil because God is holy. So in that sense God made Adam like the God-head. Adam was a spiritual being and was pure and holy like God. But sad to say, Adam and Eve lost that ‘image of God’ and likeness when they listened to the devil and sinned. We will talk about how they lost it another evening.”

“Doesn’t the Bible say that the ‘spirit of man is the candle of the Lord’?” asked Mother after she had been listening to the conversation for a while.

“Yes, we read that in Prov. 20:27,” answered Father. “When a person dies his spirit or candle goes out in the body and goes to await the resurrection.”

“Perhaps we can talk about the resurrection some other evening,” said Dale. “I do not understand how people are going to meet Jesus in the air in the end of the world.” “All right, we will, but now I think it is time for us to have prayer and get everything in order for the night. Dale, you and Darlene put your school books together and then brush your teeth,” Mother said as she picked up her mending basket.

Later Daddy asked Dale if he knew how much a person’s human body was worth. When he said he did not, his father told him that his body was only worth 98c. “How do they know that?” asked Dale.

“A great physician has analyzed the human body,” Daddy told Dale. “He said that it contains enough lime to whitewash a chicken coop, enough fat to make a few bars of soap, enough potassium to set off a toy cannon, enough sulphur to rid a dog of fleas, enough phosphorus to tip a box of matches, enough iron to make a 12 penny nail, enough gasses to fill a few jars—the rest is water which can be drawn from any hydrant for almost nothing. The total worth of a human body on the market is 98¢.”

“We aren’t worth much, are we?” remarked Dale.

“But how sad that many people sell their souls for less than a dollar,” Daddy said with a look of sadness. “Son, always remember your soul is worth more than your body. Always take care of it first. I guess we had better go to bed. Good night.”

“Good night,” answered Dale.

WHERE DID THE DEVIL COME FROM?

“Look, Mother, what I made today in school,” said Darlene. “The teacher said we could make anything we wanted to in some spare time so I made this.”

“Oh, you made a paper chain!’ said Mother as she took the chain and began to read what was written on each link.

“May I see it?” asked Dale. “That’s a dandy chain.”

“It looks like you have written many of the things on it that we have talked about, haven’t you?” Mother said. “I hope you remember even much more than you have written.”

“Oh, I do, but that is all the time I had,” said Darlene.

“She wouldn’t have enough paper to write it all on,” commented Dale.

“Tonight we want to talk about the one who has caused all the trouble in the world,” Mother said as she looked at them with a smile wondering if they could guess who that would be. “Can you guess who?”

“The devil!” they both said at once.

“But where did he come from?” asked Darlene.

“Bill tried to tell me he was a chief angel in heaven,” Dale said. “I didn’t believe him though because I would not want to go to heaven if the devil were there or had even been there.”

“I wish you would not run around with Bill so much. He is much older than you and has been taught some false teachings,” Mother said. “I want you to know that there are many false teachers in the world today. That is one form in which the devil comes. The Bible says he will come as an angel of light through false workers who say that they are apostles of Christ. (2 Cor. 11:13, 14.) The devil’s workers will teach a lot of truth but it will be mixed up with enough false teachings that people will not know how to get real Bible salvation or how to live to be ready to meet God in peace. I am glad that you did not believe Bill when he said the devil was one time in heaven because that is not true. God is holy and heaven is holy. Sin has never been in the realm with God and never can be.”

“The first time we know of the devil is when he tempted Eve, isn’t it?” Darlene asked.

“Yes, but Jesus said the devil was ‘a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.’ (John 8:44). Beginning means ‘the start, origin, a point in space or time at which a thing begins.’ (Web. Dic.) The word abode means ‘abiding place; dwelling.’ So when we put this together we understand that Jesus is telling us that from the beginning or start of the devil he did not dwell in truth. He has been a murderer, liar, and everything that is evil from his beginning. We do not know where the devil came from neither do we know where God came from. The Bible does not tell us.”

“Isn’t the devil called ‘Lucifer’ in the Bible?” asked Dale. “I saw a picture with the devil on it and it had his name as Lucifer.”

“Bill must have told you that, too,” said Mother. “I am glad we are having these Bible talks so you can know the truth. No, the Bible does not call the devil Lucifer. But there is a scripture in Isaiah 14:20 that some false teachers try to say means the devil It has the name of Lucifer but the margin in your Bible and also Bible translators tell us that that word means ‘day star.’ It could mean either Jupiter or Venus. They both are bringers of the morning light. The 14th chapter is talking about Nebuchadnezzar as it plainly tells us in the 4th verse. You remember how he was proud and lifted up and was brought low and even ate grass like oxen until he knew that God was the ruler of this world. (Dan. 4:30)”

“Then the devil wasn’t called Lucifer?” asked Dale. “But Lucifer in the Bible means ‘day star’?”

“That is right,” agreed Mother. “The word is in the Bible just once. It was Nebuchadnezzar who was lifted up in heart and not that the devil was up in God’s heaven and fell. Some think so much of themselves and their power to do things that they get lifted up but sometimes they are brought pretty low. King Nebuchadnezzar ruled the whole world and left God out of it. The prophet portrayed him as trying to exalt his throne above the stars in heaven. There is one thing I want to impress upon your mind. In the Bible it speaks of heaven in three different ways. There is the heaven which is the sky and the place of the stars, sun, moon and planets. Then there is the heaven which is an exalted place in the world. (Rev. Explained, Chap. 12). You might call it the religious heaven or church heaven. Then of course the third heaven is referred to in the Bible as the abode of the redeemed after death or where God is.”

“One heaven is where God is, and where those who are saved go after death. Then there is the sky which is called heaven. And there is an exalted place or church heaven here among people,” repeated Dale.

“You have it right,” smiled Mother. “Now let us look at some other scriptures about the devil that are not understood by some. We read in Luke 10:17-19 where the seventy, whom Jesus sent out, were rejoicing because the devils had been subject to them through the name of Jesus. Jesus rejoiced because God was giving them power over the devil through his Name. He knew that after he went away from them that the power of those who were still keeping the law and also the idol worshipers, which had an exalted place in the world, would crumble through the power of the Holy Spirit and the preaching of the truth. When Jesus came, Satan was ruling in the religious heaven or had an exalted place in the hearts of the people. People could not live without sinning. Under the law they had to offer a sin offering every year. But now, God, through His Son Jesus, would give them power to conquer the devil. Satan would not rule in the hearts of those who came to Jesus, were redeemed and filled with the Holy Spirit. So Jesus rejoiced greatly and declared to them, ‘I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven.’ (Luke 10:18.) He fell from the exalted position he held in the world. Then Jesus goes on to say, ‘I give unto you power . . . over all the power of the enemy.’ (Luke 10:19) This power had never been given over the devil from the beginning until after Jesus came, and when the Holy Spirit dwelt in the hearts of those who were redeemed. It was a time for rejoicing. This didn’t mean the heaven where God was, but it meant the heaven where the devil or Satan was exalted in the world or religious world.”

“Webster’s dictionary says one definition of heaven is ‘an exalted position,’ ” spoke up Daddy who had come in from the garage and had listened awhile. “When Jesus came he saw the beginning of the fall of the corrupt Jewish state. Then after Jesus went to be with God in God’s abode, or to heaven, the followers of God who were filled with the Holy Spirit taught against the Gentile idolatry or idol worship, which is paganism; and it fell. You can read in Acts, which is the history of truth against evil and error, how many were brought to Christ. They burned their books of curious arts and at one time they burned books and when ‘they counted the price of them, found it fifty thousand pieces of silver.’ (Acts 19:19). So you see the devil surely lost his seat in the religious heavens and Christ conquered at that time.”

“No wonder Jesus rejoiced when he saw what was coming to pass,” Darlene exclaimed. “I am glad I live now so we can have power over the devil through Christ.”

“Jesus told the disciples that when they received the Holy Spirit they would receive this power,” Mother continued. “We want to use the power that God gives us and say ‘no’ again and again to the devil. The Apostle Peter tells us that we should resist the devil ‘steadfast in the faith.’ (1 Peter 5:9) By faith in God we know that if we continue to resist him he has to flee. The Apostle James tells us to ‘resist the devil, and he will flee from you.’ ” (James 4:7)

“One time when I was praying the devil came so hard against me and I had to resist so strongly that the Lord let me have a vision of a person standing upon the Word of God or the Bible. It seemed I saw only the feet, but they were standing firm. All around the Bible were evil spirits trying to get to the person but they could only come so close. They could not touch the person standing on God’s Word. It is truly a comfort to know that God will keep us safe from the devil if we will believe His Word and obey it. If our eyes could be opened and we could see the spirits trying to hinder us and the power

of God holding them in check, I am sure we would understand more clearly how wonderful it is to be God’s child.

“It is told that one little girl said that when the devil came knocking at her heart’s door she always sent Jesus to the door. The devil would flee,” Daddy added. “So that is what we all should do. Jesus stands between us and the devil and we must always keep him there. Don’t go anywhere or be any place Jesus would not be. You will be safe then.”

“We had better have prayer and continue our talk about the devil tomorrow night,” Mother said as she closed her Bible.

HOW SIN ENTERED THE WORLD

“Let us think a little tonight about Adam and Eve whom God put in that beautiful garden of Eden,” Mother said as she picked up her Bible while Dale and Darlene got their Bibles. “You remember how God put the test tree in the midst of the garden. God wanted to see how well they loved Him. It made God happy to know that they chose to obey Him. If he had not given them the right of choice then it would not have caused him to delight in them as much. He created Adam and Eve to commune with, have fellowship with and to glory in. God enjoyed talking to them in the ‘cool of the day.’ (Gen. 3:8) They were not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. (Gen. 2:17) God told them that if they ate of it they would surely die.”

“They didn’t pass that test,” Darlene added.

“No, they listened to the devil who came to tempt them,” said Dale. “And that is the first time we hear about the devil, isn’t it?”

“Yes, the devil talked through the serpent who was more subtle than any beast of the field. He began to bring doubts to Eve’s mind as to whether God would do as he told them. The devil told her that she would not die if she ate of the fruit of that tree,” Mother explained. “The devil does that today. He wants us to wonder if it might not be all right to do this or that and question God’s Word. We must not do that. We must believe God’s word. The devil is a liar today as he was the day he talked to Eve. But it was sad that she obeyed and took the fruit and gave some to her husband, Adam, and he ate of it. They lost their glory right then. They lost their purity and holiness. They lost their ‘image of God.’ They died that day although their bodies lived on for years. Their souls were separated from God. Death means separation. Adam and Eve could not commune with God. God could not look on sin with any pleasure. Sin is terrible. That was a sad day in Eden.”

“Poor Adam and Eve,” Darlene lamented, “why did they disobey God?”

“The devil told them to do wrong and they obeyed him,” Dale answered. “I am sure God felt sorry and real sad that day.”

“Yes, He did. God came down in the garden. When they knew he was there they ran and hid themselves,” Mother continued. “God called and said, ‘Where art thou?’ God asked them if they had eaten of the tree, and Adam blamed Eve for it. Eve blamed the devil. Each one tried to get out of it, but each was guilty. They had been caught. You can’t hide anything from God. We can’t blame others for our sins, either. One minister said that his boy had disobeyed him, after being warned not to. When he asked the boy why he did it, the boy said the devil told him to do it. The minister said he punished his son for obeying the devil and not his father. You don’t have to obey the devil. Jesus has come to give us power over the devil. There is a way out for every person. That right way Jesus has taught us about in the New Testament.”

“Some people do not know that Jesus will help them,” Darlene declared.

“No, some do not, but we want to do all we can so they will know. When you do wrong you feel God making you know it. You feel so guilty and you want to hide it. The only ones you might want to know are those who are sinners, too, and do the same bad things.”

“Telling lies, stealing and disobeying your parents are counted as sins, aren’t they?” asked Darlene.

“Sin is the transgression of the law. (1 John 3:4) In other words, disobeying God’s laws. ‘For by the law is the knowledge of sin.’ (Rom. 3:20). If God had not told us what he wanted us to do and not to do we would not know what sin is. The Apostle James tells us, ‘Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.’ (James 4:17) So if you know what is right and you do not do it, that is sin. Sin is a willful disobedience of God’s Word, just as Adam and Eve willfully disobeyed God’s word or command. Sin is terrible. Sin brings unhappiness. Sin takes people to hell. Sin separates people from God. ‘He that committeth sin is of the devil.’ (1 John 3:8). The devil is the one who gets people to sin. He becomes their master when they sin.”

“Oh, Mother, you make sin look horrible!” said Darlene as she gave a little shudder.

“My dear, it is horrible,” said Mother. “Poor Adam and Eve lost their likeness and moral image of God. They had sin in their nature and heart. Sin passed upon all men. (Rom. 5:12). We read that when they had a son they called him Seth and he was in Adam’s ‘own likeness, after his image.’ (Gen. 5:3) Seth had the sin principle planted in his nature.”

“You mean that Seth had sin in him? Would he have gone to hell if he had died as a baby?” Dale asked with a puzzled look on his face.

“No, he wouldn’t go to hell when he was a baby because he didn’t have the knowledge of that sin principle,” Mother explained. “The Bible says that where there is no law sin is not imputed to them. (Rom. 5:13) In other words when children are too young to understand, God does not hold it against them. But when a boy (or girl) comes to the age of accountability, or is old enough to understand what sin is, then responsibility is his and he must repent of his sins to be dear in God’s sight.”

“God surely is good to everybody, isn’t he?” Darlene asked.

“God is fair to every soul and if we go his way he will bless us and make our hearts happy and free. Maybe we should not talk anymore tonight. Tomorrow night we shall talk about how God made a way for man to get out of sin. Adam and Eve sinned and plunged the whole human race into sin but God helped them out.”

“We are surely blessed to live in this day, aren’t we?” asked Dale.

“Yes, we are,” Mother answered.

A HAPPY DAY ARRIVES

“Hurry up, please!” Darlene called. “We are waiting.”

“I’m here!” said Mother. “I am just as anxious as you are to continue our Bible talk. I thought today that if the world were left like we left our lesson last night, what a sad world this would be: sin standing between man and God and no hope of eternal life.

“John, the Revelator, saw a vision of this world lost in sin and no one to help them. God’s plan for His people was written in a book and sealed. (Rev. 5). A strong angel proclaimed with a loud voice, ‘Who is worthy to open the book and loose the seals thereof?’ The earth was searched, heaven was searched, but no one was found worthy to even look at the book. John wept much as he beheld the scene. What would sinful man do? He could not go to heaven with sin in his heart. How sad this was to John! But he looked again. How happy John was when he saw Jesus, who was the Lamb of God, take the book from God’s hand. He could open the book. Jesus could bring salvation to the world. Jesus, who was without sin and innocent, could bring man back to God. What a time of rejoicing there was in heaven! Those around the throne sang a song saying, ‘Thou art worthy to take the book’ (which is the plan of salvation from sin). They also sang a song which said of Jesus, ‘Thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.’ Then thousands upon thousands of angels and those around the throne rejoiced with great joy. They said with a loud voice, ‘Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing.’ They, too, were happy to know that man was going to be delivered from sin through the precious blood of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour.”

“I am glad that Jesus took the book,” said Dale. “How awful it would have been if a way had not been made to free us from our sins. Jesus surely loves us, doesn’t He?”

“I wish I could have seen that wonderful vision.” said Darlene with a sober look. “That was wonderful, was it not?”

“We read in the Bible of different prophets getting a glimpse of what would happen when Jesus came. They looked with eagerness to that day,” Mother explained. “Year after year God would tell them a little more about Jesus. God told Adam a little, then he told Abraham that through his family Jesus would come. Abraham’s grandson, Jacob, understood from God that his twelve sons were to be heads of God’s chosen people and that through Judah the Messiah was to be born. (Jacob’s name was changed to Israel. Gen. 32:28.) God delivered them from Egypt’s bondage and took them to the land of Canaan. They would sin again and again but God would forgive them and punish them so they would remember. David, who was one of their kings, was shown through God’s spirit many things about Jesus when he was to come.”

“God was surely good to the children of Israel to forgive them so many times, wasn’t he?” Dale asked.

“Yes, God is merciful but he wanted the children of Israel to be a people who would accept Jesus when he came. He wanted them to tell the rest of the world about Jesus. Most of the people in the world, when Jesus came, worshipped idols. So God was patient with them.

“But the happy day came when the angel visited Mary who was engaged to be married to a man called Joseph. The angel told her that the Holy Ghost would come upon her and ‘that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.’ (Luke 1:35) ‘And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins.’ ” (Matt. 1:21).

“God was Jesus’ Father, wasn’t He?” Dale questioned.

“Yes, and that is the reason he was without sin,” explained Mother. “If Joseph had been his father he would have received the inherited sin or sin principle in his nature. But God, the Father, is pure and Jesus came here in the form of a baby, grew up like all children and lived a life in this world so he could help us because he understands all about our problems. (Heb. 2:18). I want you to remember this because there are some in the world who want to say that Jesus was the son of Joseph. He was the Son of God, yet came here and took on the form of flesh so he could be our Redeemer.” (Heb. 2:9.)

“Jesus was laid in a manger when he was born and the shepherds came to see him after the angels announced his arrival,” Darlene explained. (Luke 2:1-16) “Then the wise men came and gave Him some wonderful gifts.” (Matt. 2:1-12).

“But Jesus didn’t stay a baby,” Dale added. “He grew up and John the Baptist baptized him one day. God spoke out of heaven that Jesus was his beloved Son and he was pleased with him.”

(Matt. 3:13-17).

“Yes, one day when Jesus was walking along the Jordan River bank, John the Baptist said, ‘Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world,’ ” Mother related. “Andrew and a disciple, John, heard him say this. They followed Jesus and were convinced after being with him that he was the Messiah or Christ. (John 1:36- 49). They told others and soon Jesus had 12 disciples with him. (Matt. 10:2-5) Jesus taught them many things about God and heaven, and how to live to please God. He told them to go into all the world and tell others about Jesus, the Saviour of the world. The disciples loved Jesus. They had seen him heal the sick, comfort the sad, deliver those who were bound by the devil, raise the dead, make the lame walk, open blind eyes, and do so many wonderful things that they worshiped him and loved him with all their hearts. When he talked to them about dying on the cross for the sins of the world they could not understand it. When the time came, they were indeed sad. But how happy they were when, after he arose from the grave, he appeared to them. Then one day they saw him ascend up into the sky out of their sight. His mission was completed. He had taught others what God wanted them to do and how to live to get to heaven. He took our punishment, and when we believe on him, God accepts us as his children.”

“I surely love Jesus for dying on the cross for my sins,” Darlene said with much feeling.

“I do, too,” added Dale. “It makes me feel so in debt to Jesus for taking my punishment.”

“One time, a boy named Tom kept leaving the pasture gate open. The young cattle would get in the corn field after he would drive the cows up to be milked. He thought the young cattle would stay in the back part of the pasture while the cows were in the barn for milking. His father told him that if he left the gate open again he was going to be punished. For a while he remembered, but one day he forgot and the young cattle got into the cornfield again.

“Now, Tom’s older brother, Joe, could not bear to see him whipped, so he decided he would have a talk with his father. He said, I do not want Tom whipped. I will take half the blows you intend to give him.’ ‘But, Joe, I cannot do that,’ his father told him. ‘But, Father, didn’t we read in worship about Jesus, and the lesson said, “He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities, and by His stripes we are healed.” (Isaiah 53:5). Joe’s father was troubled. He sent for Tom. When the boys stood before him he asked Tom if he remembered the lesson that morning. He said that he did. His father asked him if he knew what it meant. He said, ‘Christ suffered for us.’ ‘Well, Joe offers to suffer for you.’ Tom turned to Joe and then flinging his arms around him he kissed him. Then stepping up to his father, he said, ‘The stripes belong to me, Father, and I am ready.’ But Father was in tears and could not speak for a moment. Finally he said, I could not whip anyone today, but I do not think you will ever forget this day. If you do, remember Joe’s offer stands good. Joe kissed his father and then his father kissed Tom who was ready for it. His father said, ‘God bless you, dear Tom.’ ”

“How wonderful of Joe to offer to do that!” said Dale. “That is what Jesus did for us, but instead of just offering, He took the punishment that rightly belonged to us. Jesus is truly wonderful.”

“I love Jesus, too,” said Darlene, smothering a big yawn.

“Yes, we want to always love Him for His great love to us. We should always remember how he suffered on the cross, enduring great agony for our sins. He had never sinned, but was innocent. We feel so grateful to Him that we want to please him and do all that he wants us to do. We want to be careful every day to obey His Word and live so He will know that we love him for dying on the cross and taking away our sins. Jesus lived here in the flesh ‘that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is the devil.’ (Heb. 2:14). Today is the day of salvation and all should come and be saved. If they ask Jesus to forgive them of their sins, He will hear their prayer and take them away. Sin will cause people to go to hell, be separated from God and all that’s good. It is wonderful to let Jesus take away that sin from the heart. ‘If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins.’

(1 John 1:9). Oh, it is wonderful to be saved!”

“I am glad that I am saved,” said Darlene, and Dale agreed with her.

IRENE MAKES HER WRONGS RIGHT

“Tonight I want to tell you about something that happened to a girl and how God helped her in a great problem,” Mother began as Dale and Darlene listened. They had learned so many things that their chain of truths was growing longer and longer. “We shall call this girl Irene, although this is not her real name.

“Irene was reared by parents who loved the Lord and lived for Him and taught their children to do the same. They taught them how to be saved by faith in Jesus who died on the cross for their sins, and if they confessed their sins to Him and asked Him to forgive them, He would do that. They taught them how God wanted them to live according to the Bible, to tell the truth about anything that happened and not to take anything that did not belong to them, that if they did anything wrong they needed to correct it when they got saved. If they took anything that did not belong to them, they would have to take it back, or offer to pay for it if they did not have it, in order to make it right.

“Irene prayed every day in family worship. She loved the Lord but she didn’t live very close to Him at times. One day she was tempted to do something wrong. Her teacher had asked her to erase the blackboard after school. After everyone was gone, Irene erased the boards and was walking down the aisle between the desks when she passed Margaret’s desk. On the desk was a match box and in that match box was a little china doll. Margaret had brought it to school at different times and Irene thought it was the cutest little doll she had ever seen. Her parents did not buy her any dolls because they didn’t think they could afford it. At times she would wrap up a stick, a bottle, or something soft which she played with as a doll. Irene stopped and looked at the doll. Something whispered to her, ‘Why don’t you take it home with you? No one will ever know.’ Irene had never stolen anything in her life and she felt shaky about it, but she looked around and no one was in sight. Quickly she put the doll into her pocket and walked out of the room and home. Irene hurried home, being afraid someone might know she had taken the doll. When she got home she took it out of her pocket and looked at it. Her sister wanted to see it, and, of course, Mother’s eagle eye saw it. Mother was very careful to watch her children. Nothing came on the place without her inquiring where it came from. When she asked Irene where she got the doll, Irene thought quickly and said, ‘Old Tennessee gave it to me.’ Old Tennessee was a man who often came by the house in his wagon, pulled by a horse. He collected junk and would sometimes give the children little things that he thought they might like. It was always a joy for him to stop his wagon and let them look over the junk that he had collected. That satisfied Irene’s mother because she knew he did give them things once in a while.

“The stolen doll didn’t look so pretty anymore. It was put in Irene’s dresser drawer but somehow it could not be forgotten. Something inside Irene made her feel remorse and guilt. She didn’t feel like praying that evening. Things around her that she usually enjoyed, lost their interest, so Irene went to bed early that evening but could not go to sleep or keep from thinking about the doll. If wishing could have put that doll back on Margaret’s desk, it would have been there. Sorrow filled her heart because now she was a thief. Over and over she thought about going back to school the next day. What if someone had seen her take the doll? What if she were caught? At these thoughts she trembled and before the night was over many tears had been shed and no decision had been reached as to what to do. Irene was afraid to take the doll back because they would call her a thief. The only thing to do was just to go to school and take a chance that no one would know who took the doll. Irene was a very unhappy girl the next morning as she went to school, afraid to go to her room. To her great surprise no one said a word about the doll and it didn’t seem that anyone missed it.

“Irene was glad nothing had been said, yet there was a deep sorrow in her heart and many times she wished that the doll were back in Margaret’s possession. Every time she thought of the doll a guilty feeling would sweep over her. A thought came to her to break the doll and throw it away and her feelings of guilt would be gone. So Irene took the doll out into the alley, got a rock and smashed it to small pieces and scattered it around. Still she could not forget that she had stolen and lied to her mother, her brothers and sisters, and disobeyed God. Her prayers did not seem to mean very much anymore and she was a miserable little girl.

“Time passed by and at times the stolen doll would not come to her mind, and then again at other times it would trouble her greatly. Irene knew she had sinned; that it stood between her and God; that she would have to make it right and confess to Margaret that she had taken the doll in order to get right with God. Poor Irene was sure Margaret would tell everyone at school and they would call her a thief.

“One time after school was out in the spring, a minister came to hold a meeting at the chapel where Irene went to services with her parents. He preached on hell and said that if people who disobeyed God didn’t clear up their lives and ask God to forgive them, they would go to that place of eternal punishment where fire and brimstone were never quenched. Irene trembled as she listened. That was a place to be shunned and Irene didn’t want to go to hell. After thinking about it all, she felt she could not make right the taking of the doll. It seemed the preacher mentioned hell every night and how a person must repent and make his wrongs right. One night after services were over, Irene went home and to bed; but sleep did not come to bring relief to her troubled mind. So great was her misery that she rolled and tumbled, cried and cried. She wanted to get saved and be ready for heaven, but the thought of being called a thief at school when she made her confession was to her unbearable. It seemed a load settled upon her soul so heavy that she thought it felt like the mattress was on top of her instead of her being on the mattress. It was terrible! Finally, she cried to the Lord, ‘I’ll get saved and make it right!’ She decided that as soon as she heard the alarm go off in her parents’ bedroom the next morning she would go and ask her father to pray for her to get saved. That decision brought some relief to her troubled soul, but it seemed like hours before the alarm went off. When she ran into their bedroom, telling her father that she wanted to get saved, he was happy to pray for her. Irene prayed, too, asking God to forgive her and save her from her sins, which He did. She knew she would not see Margaret until school started in the fall, but she promised the Lord she would make it right with her when she could. Irene arose from her knees a happy girl, the load lifted from her soul. Oh, how she loved God for forgiving her and saving her soul!

“Summer passed. The time had been spent in much prayer and doing things to please the Lord, but Irene did not forget her promise to God. She had not told one soul about what she had done—no one knew but God. One day after school started she was sitting behind Margaret in study hall. She thought, I’ll do it now,’ and touched Margaret on the back. When she turned around, Irene said, ‘Do you remember that little china doll you had last year in school? I want you to forgive me for taking it home with me. Tell me how much it cost and I’ll pay you for it.’ ” ‘Oh, I wondered what had happened to that doll,’ Margaret answered. “You don’t have to pay me anything for it. I didn’t care very much for it, anyway.’

“ ‘I’m sorry I took it,’ Irene said.

“ ‘Just forget it; that’s all right.’

“How happy Irene was to have that off her mind and soul. She felt so light and happy. She thought about how much she had suffered over that little doll only to hear Margaret say it didn’t mean very much to her. But Irene knew that she had broken one of God’s commandments which said, ‘Thou shalt not steal’ and that God had made her feel guilty over it. God loved her and wanted her to go to heaven so he dealt with her until she made it right.

“All was not clear yet as a lie had been told to her mother, brothers, and sisters and that must be made right, too. How could she do it? She felt so bad to think that she had been a thief and it hurt her to let them know about it. She thought it through and decided that it would be easier to tell all of them at once what she had done and ask their forgiveness. Irene was only twelve years old and had not told anyone about this, but God made her know that to get everything clear between herself and God she must clear it up with others, too.

“One time while all the family was together in worship, she started to make it right but broke down and started to cry. Her father asked her what was the trouble. She finally got control enough to tell him, then ask forgiveness. Irene told them she had stolen the doll and had lied when she told them Old Tennessee had given it to her. Her father said that they forgave her. Irene was a happy girl after her confession. Now it was all clear. She had made everything right between herself and God and others, also.

“I am sure she was glad that was all over,” said Darlene thoughtfully.

“I imagine Irene was very careful never to take anything that did not belong to her again in her whole life,” added Dale.

“Now Irene is a grandmother but she never again took anything that did not belong to her. I trust that you will learn from Irene’s experience that it pays to obey God’s laws if you want to be happy. And if you do anything wrong, you will have to clear it up as Irene did. Zacchaeus, the little man who climbed up in the tree to see Jesus, told Jesus that if he had taken anything from anyone he would give him back four times as much as he had taken. Jesus said, ‘This day is salvation come to this house.’ (Luke 19:8) The prophet said, ‘Give again that he had robbed.’ (Ezekiel 33:15).

“I desire to see people who are in sin come to God,” Mother continued. “God is close and has said, ‘Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near.’ (Isa. 55:6) Jesus is standing with outstretched arms, saying, ‘Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest.’

(Matt. 11:28). Jesus wants to take away sins and make people happy. Perhaps we had better have prayer now and go to bed.” said Mother as she finished their link of truth for that night.

THE THREE HEARTS

“Daddy, can you talk to us tonight about the Bible?” questioned Darlene. “Mother has some more things to iron before she can come. I am anxious to learn more.” “Oh, yes, Daddy, the last time you talked to us you said something about telling us how Adam lost the image of God,” Dale stated.

“Didn’t Mother tell you about it?” asked Daddy. “Well, yes, she said that Adam sinned, causing him to lose the ‘image of God’ out of his soul. Then when Adam’s son was born, he was born in Adam’s likeness (Gen. 5:3) instead of being in God’s likeness. Thus sin passed on all. But how can one get rid of that sin that passed on all men? (Rom. 5:22) I know that you have to ask forgiveness for sinning or for anything that you did, knowing it was wrong. Do you have to ask for forgiveness for the sin that you got when you were born? Mother said you got it when you were born.”

“Mother told us that Adam’s son, Seth, was born with sin in him,” said Darlene. “But she said that babies will go to heaven because they don’t know how to get rid of it and God doesn’t hold it against them.”

“It seems you are understanding a lot of the Bible and I am glad because we need to understand how to be ready for heaven,” Daddy said. “The seed of sin was planted in the hearts of all children born into the world, through the fall of Adam. The Bible tells us: ‘by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.’ (Rom. 5:12) When Adam sinned he died a spiritual death although he was alive physically. Death means separation. When a person dies today he is separated from the world. He is no longer here with us. When a person dies a spiritual death he no longer belongs to God but is ‘dead in trespasses and sins.’ (Eph. 2:1.) If he continues without getting back to God, he will be separated from God and be with the devil and his angels after he dies physically. It is sad to see people reject God and die without a hope of living in heaven. But now you asked how to get rid of the sin which we inherited from Adam, or that sin principle. You do not have to ask forgiveness for that sin. You are to let the Holy Spirit purify or cleanse you of it.

“Now, the Bible tells us that we were ‘shapen in iniquity.’ (Psa. 51:5) Then the Apostle Paul tells us that we ‘were by nature the children of wrath.’ (Eph. 2:3) We need a cleansing by the Holy Spirit of our nature from that sin that passed upon us.”

“Mother said the Holy Spirit is a person,” Darlene said. “He is the third person in the Trinity,” explained Dale. “You are right,” Daddy said with a pleased smile upon his face. “You must always remember that. Jesus came and finished his work but he told the disciples about the Comforter, which is the Holy Spirit. (John 14:26). He told them that after he went away the Holy Spirit would come and take up his abode in their hearts, (v. 23) Jesus told them that he was with them because their sins were forgiven but that the Holy Spirit or Spirit of truth ‘shall be in you.’ (John 14:17) This is called sanctification. When you asked God to forgive your sins you were justified, or it is called justification. When you are filled with the Holy Spirit you are sanctified. Get the dictionary and read what sanctification means. The Apostle Paul said, ‘being sanctified by the Holy Ghost.’ (Rom. 15:16). And then Christ asked the Father to sanctify the apostles. (John 17:17). So there are two works to be done in the heart. All right, read what you have found, Dale.”

“The dictionary says sanctify or sanctified is taken from two Latin words; ‘Sanctus’ means ‘holy,’ and ‘facere’ means ‘to make.’ Then it says, ‘to make free from sin; purify; to set apart as holy; consecrate.’ ”

“Now, that is clear, isn’t it?” asked Daddy.

“Well, it says sanctify means to make holy and to purify,” said Darlene, “Does the Holy Spirit purify or make us free from the sin that passed on us through Adam and not a sin that we committed?”

“Yes, the Holy Spirit cleanses us from that sin principle or inherited sin that passed on all of us through Adam,” explained Father. “We read in Acts 15:8, ‘And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us; and put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith.’ So you see, the Bible and the dictionary both tell us that sanctifying means purifying. The Bible says that this work is done by the Holy Spirit. Let us get some paper and I will draw three hearts for you.

“Let us put the word ‘Christ’ on the outside of this heart and draw arrows pointing from Christ to this heart. Christ is on the outside of this heart but he wants to enter. Let us write ‘self and ‘sin’ on the inside of this heart. That inherited sin or the sin that ‘passed upon all men, for all have sinned’ (Rom. 5:12) and self is controlling this heart and life of the sinner. Then those committed sins which are named in Ephesians 4:25-31 are the deeds of the ‘old man’ or

fruits of the corrupt nature. Some of the committed sins named are lying, stealing, corrupt communication out of your mouth, bitterness, wrath, anger, clamour, and evil speaking. This image is quite different from the image of God which was in Adam before he fell. ‘And that ye put on the new man which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.’ (Eph. 4:24) ‘And have put on the new man which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him.’ (Col. 3:10) So you see, the sinner does not have the righteousness and holiness that God created in Adam. Now let us write the word SINNER beside this heart.”

“The sinner is far from God, isn’t he?” asked Darlene.

“Yes, but the work of the Holy Spirit is to make the sinner know that he has disobeyed the Word of God and is rejecting Jesus who died on the cross and arose again so He could cleanse the sinner of his sins. The Holy Spirit makes the sinner see the great love of God and Jesus for him. The Holy Spirit reproves the sinner and makes him feel guilty before God. The Holy Spirit makes the sinner see how wonderful it would be to get rid of sin and be righteous before God. The Holy Spirit makes him know the terribleness of facing God in the Judgment with sin upon his heart. (John 16:8-12). The sinner is sorry that he has sinned against a loving God. He has ‘godly sorrow’ that ‘worketh repentance to salvation.’ (Rom. 7:10) The sinner repents of those committed sins and asks God to forgive him. Oh, how happy the sinner is when those sins are all taken away! A great change takes place in this person. There is also a great breakdown of the self-life. He desires to please the Lord and obey the Bible. In the second heart we write ‘Christ’ and he takes away the ‘committed sins.’ Now that is justification.

“Oh, I see that the sin we inherited from Adam is still there,” said Dale. “Just those sins we committed are gone.”

“It is past your bedtime now,” Mother said. “I think we should wait until tomorrow night to talk more about how the Holy Spirit purifies the heart of the sin principle or inherited sin and self. Daddy can finish your Bible talk. I know you are eager to finish, but we had better have prayer and get to bed. You won’t want to get up for school in the morning.”

“Yes, we can finish our talk tomorrow night,” Father agreed.

“Let us get around a little earlier tomorrow night so we can have a long talk,” said Darlene.

THE HOLY SPIRIT

“I have the paper with the three hearts on it,” Darlene said as she waved the paper in the air. “Come on, Daddy, and sit here.”

“Just be patient, dear,” said Father as Darlene helped him sit down and Dale drew a chair close. “Now we have the heart of the person who has had his committed sins forgiven but still has the self and sin nature there. This is an enemy from within working against that person. He is just as innocent as a little child. Jesus said one time, ‘Except ye be converted and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.’ (Matt. 18:3) Then we are to do as Peter tells us, ‘As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby.’ ” (1 Peter 2:2)

“How does a person know that inherited sin is there?” asked Dale.

“When you are tempted to do wrong you find that you do not have the power to be an overcomer like you want to,” answered Daddy. “Jesus told the disciples just before he was taken up into the clouds after he arose from the grave that he would send the Holy Spirit upon them. We know how the 120 were together waiting and the Holy Spirit came upon them suddenly. (Acts 2:1-5) God wanted them to know it, so he let them hear it and see it, and the world heard about it. They saw ‘cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.’ They heard a ‘sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind.’ Then the world heard about this wonderful experience of the cleansing and purifying of the heart of that sin principle and the great blessing of being filled by the Holy Spirit in their own language as God gave them the gift of languages. It was wonderful. They were made pure and holy. They had Christ enthroned in their hearts and sin and self were removed. They again were as pure as God had first created Adam. Jesus told the disciples that when they received the Holy Spirit they would have power over the devil and would not have to yield to temptation.”

“When a person is in a justified state he sometimes will be tempted to do wrong and yield to that temptation because of the hold the enemy still has upon him,” Mother added as she came into the room. “Let me tell you about an experience that Bro. C. E. Orr had. He was a man of God and was one of the pioneer ministers of this ‘evening light’ reformation. I heard him preach many times, but I want to tell you an experience that he wrote about which I found in an old book. It is in the ‘History of the Church’ by H. Wickersham. (page 399) I’ll just read you some of it. Bro. Orr wrote, ‘My conversion was so blessed and God’s glory so filled my soul that I am quite sure it was as much as a week before I thought of tobacco, and when I did I no more desired it than if I had never used it. The power of the blood so cleansed my system from this nicotine poison that tobacco was as repugnant to me as to an innocent child, and I believe if I had taken a chew or smoke it would have produced the same awful effect as the boy’s first chew. Ten years have gone by, and I have never been tempted the slightest to return to its use. Glory to the name of Jesus!

“ ‘Hungering and Thirsting for Purity. For nearly two weeks after my conversion heaven’s peace and glory in my soul were uninterrupted. I thought my happiness was complete, and that my joys would never end. But one day while I was doing some work which became very aggravating I was strongly tempted to evil. I felt a wrong disposition in my very nature, and was surprised and alarmed. However, calling upon God for grace, I proceeded with the work when the second time it became aggravating, and I was more strongly tempted than before. I trembled, but trusting in God as best I could with my fainting heart, I began to do the work over, when the third time it went wrong, and I was overcome. I spoke an evil word, but I had no sooner done so than I fell upon my knees and called upon God for forgiveness. I there received the blessed assurance that I was forgiven, but in this experience I became aware of an evil in my nature that was going to make it very difficult to live and serve God as I desired.

“ ‘From that hour my soul began to call upon God for deliverance from that inward foe.’ ”

“The inward foe was the sin and self that we have in this second heart, isn’t it?” asked Darlene.

“Yes, that is right,” answered Daddy. “The definition of sanctification is to purify, and the Bible says that the Holy Spirit sanctifies us; so when he comes in, he cleanses us of that inherited sin that caused Bro. Orr trouble. Let Mother read some more and we shall see how Bro. Orr received the Holy Spirit.”

“I’ll skip parts of the account, but Bro. Orr read in a holiness paper about people who were wholly sanctified. God made him know that was what he needed. He spent days in fasting and praying for a clean heart. He wanted perfected holiness more than anything else. Finally, a holiness preacher came into his town, after he wrote him, and a meeting was held. The first night he and his wife went to the altar for sanctification. Now on page 403 we read, ‘Only a little instruction was necessary to enable me to grasp the promises of God, and the Holy Spirit and fire came into my soul in such power and glory that it seemed to transport me far above. My conversion was glorious, but my sanctification was more glorious. I was conscious in my heart of a cleansing. I actually felt pure. Just as a stained cloth being washed comes forth clean and spotless and white, even so I could see my soul purged, cleansed, and made whiter than snow. Through the night, though my sleep was profound and deep, I was conscious of a purity and glory in my soul. During this meeting I was shown many beautiful and glorious things by the Spirit and Word of God. There was disclosed to my spiritual vision the holy character of God as imaged in the heart and life of a Christian. Oh, how sublime to my soul was the holy life which God set before me, and in which he said I must live. I was shown the one true church of God all radiant in her holiness. I saw the gulf separating the church from the world.’ So, Dale and Darlene, you see how God led Bro. Orr into the knowledge of being sanctified and cleansed by the Holy Spirit. He came to the Lord and surrendered completely to Him. He was willing to do anything that God asked him to do. He was a school teacher but when he came to be sanctified he refused to let self have any say in his life. Christ took the throne seat in his heart. His selfish desires had to go. So when God called him to preach his gospel he quit his teaching and went out and told others the gospel story. He goes on in this account and tells how God supplied their needs. He also wrote a number of books containing good soul food.” (Ask about the ones in print at Faith Pub. House, Guthrie, Okla.)

“He surely was happy when the Holy Spirit came into his heart, wasn’t he?” Dale asked.

“Yes, he was,” Daddy said. “It is a wonderful experience. The third heart shows the sin principle cleansed and self crucified by the Holy Spirit. Christ can now live in this heart.” (Read Gal. 2:20.)

“We had better have prayer and go to bed,” Mother said. “Maybe we can talk more about the two works of grace in the heart another night.”

NATURES CHANGED

“What are you reading?” Darlene asked as she closed her school book and put it away. She came over and sat down by her mother on the divan.

“I was reading here in Isaiah, eleventh chapter,” said Mother. “It is a beautiful explanation of what God was going to do for His people after Jesus came to this earth and brought salvation, which includes the infilling of the Holy Spirit.”

“What’s this about?” Dale asked as he came into the room.

“Here in Isaiah it tells about the work upon the heart of those who are filled with the Holy Spirit and have God in their hearts. The first part of the chapter is a prophecy of Jesus’ coming and then beginning at the 5th verse it reads, ‘And righteousness shall be the girdle of his reins. The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid: and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. And the cow and the bear shall feed; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice’s den. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.’ ” (Isa. 11:5-9)

“That sounds like Greek to me,” Darlene said as she leaned back after listening closely.

“Isaiah prophesied that after Jesus came into the hearts of the people, He would change them. One time Jesus spoke of Herod as a fox. (Luke 13:32) The fox is sly and crafty. Jesus said that because Herod had a fox-like nature. Our lesson speaks about the wolf, lamb, leopard lying down with the kid or goat, the calf, young lion, and a little child will lead them. The cow and the bear with their young would be together with the fatling.”

“Those animals would surely have to be changed to be together,” said Dale. “Why, Mother, they would tear each other to pieces and kill the child.”

“That is right; but people who have natures like the lion, bear, and leopard will be changed when they give their hearts to Jesus. This is to take place in God’s holy mountain or church of God. Our scripture tells us that ‘they shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain.’ Isn’t that wonderful! This was a prophecy of the coming of Jesus to bring salvation to all who would believe, be ‘born again’ and be filled with the Holy Spirit. All who have salvation can live peacefully together right here in this present world, as they yield to the Holy Spirit.

“Let me read you a parable that will bring out this truth clearer. Jesus used parables to teach truths. The Latin word ‘para’ means ‘side by side’ so a parable is a story beside a truth. Now I think you will understand these scriptures clearer after you hear this. This was in the ‘Beautiful Way’ paper in December, 1966.”

Be Like a Lamb

“‘Mother, my piece of candy is not here!’ yelled Ronnie. ‘It was right here just a while ago.’

“Mother had given each of her children a piece of candy that they could eat after they had finished their lunch. Mother helped Ronnie look for it and couldn’t find it. She gave him another piece since he had lost his, but she felt sure that David had taken it. But David acted like he was just as interested in hunting for it as the others. She watched David. Later she saw him come into the kitchen and then start to leave. She thought, ‘That little fox is trying to slip in and get that candy he hid.’ She caught him before he left the kitchen and surely enough he had the candy. She talked to him and told him how he tried to be so slick and sly by hiding Ronnie’s piece of candy and then slipping in and getting it later. She told him he needed to pray and get right with God and have that kind of nature taken out of him, but David didn’t seem inclined to pray.

“ ‘Leave my car alone,’ yelled David. Mother looked out into the yard and there was David growling at Ronnie.

Mother thought, ‘Now he is acting like a bear, or perhaps a wolf.’

“The boys kept fussing and then finally Mother saw David jump on Ronnie and begin hitting him real hard. Now he was acting like a lion, so Mother called David into the house.

“ ‘What do you want?’ asked David, sullenly, as he slumped into a chair.

“ ‘I want you to sit there and think about your actions,” said Mother. ‘I want you to think: are you acting like a good boy should act or are you acting like the animals that you have been reading about? The fox is sly and cunning; the bear and wolf growl and fuss; the lion springs on people to hurt them—then think about a little meek lamb. There is a lot of difference, isn’t there?’

“ ‘Yes,’ said David.

“ ‘Mother has been grieved because of your actions and I am sure that Jesus has been, too. He was good to you the other day and healed you when you were sick. Don’t you think you should try to please Him and follow His example? He was meek, like a lamb. They even spit upon Him and He did not do one thing about it, but let God deal with those who harmed Him. You need to pray and ask Jesus to forgive you and help you to have a nature like a lamb and then you can get along with others,’ said Mother.

“ ‘After David had wept and prayed, asking God to forgive him, he was a happy boy the rest of the day. He and Ronnie played together nicely.’

“ ‘We all had our conversation [conduct] in times past in the lusts of our flesh . . . and of the mind: and were by nature the children of wrath, . . . But God, who is rich in mercy . . . by grace are ye saved through faith.’ ” (Eph. 2:3, 4, 8.)

“That clears it all up,” Darlene said. “At first I did not understand that at all.”

“Did you ever see a girl (or boy) snarl up her lip and growl because she was asked to do something? Well, when people give their hearts to Jesus, watch and pray, God helps them not to do things like that. They want to be peaceful. The Lord will make those who have natures like a bear be peaceful and so humble that a little child won’t be afraid of them. Jesus came to bring peace to all who will let him come into their hearts. I have known people who hated each other but when they got saved they loved each other. Salvation works that way. It is wonderful. It causes people to get along. In the holy mountain or in the kingdom of God there is peace and all dwell together in love, harmony, and peace.”

“I am sure people who have natures of that kind are miserable,” Darlene said. “I’d rather be lamb-like.”

“Yes, they need God to come into their hearts and change them and make them happy and others will be happy, too. God did not plan for a person to seek forgiveness of his sins and then live in a justified state. In His plan, He wanted all saved people to go on to sanctification and have their hearts and natures purified by the Holy Spirit. Only then can they continue to be lamb-like. We read where Paul was ‘filled with the Holy Ghost’ (Acts 9:17) only three days after he was saved or justified. But I think we have stayed up long enough tonight, don’t you think so? Let us pray now and go to bed.”

THE TABERNACLE

“What are we going to talk about tonight?” asked Darlene as she put her books away. She had finished her homework and was anxious to have their Bible talk. “What is on that piece of paper?”

“This is a diagram of the inside or furniture of the Tabernacle that Moses built,” Mother told them as Dale came over to look at the picture, also. “I thought we would talk a little while about the tabernacle.”

“Oh, yes, that is the place where the cloud rested throughout the day and fire by night, wasn’t it?” asked Dale.

“Yes, that was God’s presence dwelling among the people,” answered Mother. “God has sought a place close to man ever since Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden, causing a separation between themselves and God. God loves his creatures who are able to serve him from choice and to accept His marvelous love. He could not dwell in their sinful hearts so he told Moses to build this tabernacle so he could be close to the Israelites, His chosen people.”

“It has two rooms, doesn’t it?” Darlene pointed out. “One is the Holy Place and the other is the Most Holy place.”

“Yes, that is right,” answered Mother. “That is what we want to talk about tonight. The first room is a type of justification and the second room is a type of sanctification. That is the reason God told Moses to be sure to make this tabernacle exactly as he was instructed while he was in the mountain talking to God. (Heb. 8:2-5) Now we notice that there is an altar at the door of the first room and an altar at the door of the second room. In Leviticus 4:7 and 17 we read where there were two applications of blood, the first on the brazen altar and the second on the golden altar. Jesus died on the cross and his blood was spilled that we might be justified and sanctified. “Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood.” (Rom. 5:8). So by His blood we are justified. There was blood put on the second altar before they could enter into the second room or the Most Holy place. We read in Heb. 13:12, ‘Wherefore Jesus, also that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate.’ So you see we are justified by his blood which is a cleansing of our committed sins and then we are sanctified by his blood which is a cleansing of the inherited sin or that sin principle in the heart. That is the two works of grace upon the heart.”

“That is very plain, I think,” stated Dale.

“In Heb. 10:19, 22 we read, let us ‘enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus . . . having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience [at the brazen altar], and our bodies washed with pure water’ (at the laver which admits us into the holy place). But there is a second cleansing needed by those who are in the church. The Apostle Paul said, ‘Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it [the church]; that he might sanctify and cleanse it [the church] with the washing of water by the word.’ (Eph. 5:25, 26) I think we have talked enough about the two works of grace that you should not forget it. I trust that you will cling to this teaching and not let anyone change you. We have proved by the Word of God that there is a need for two works of grace upon the heart.”

“I have my new Bible,” Darlene said. “Where does it tell about the tabernacle? I want to read it.”

“That is a good idea,” Mother answered. “You and Dale can read the ninth and tenth chapters of Hebrews while I take care of a few things in the kitchen.”

When Mother came back she answered a few questions they asked and had prayer with them before going to bed.

THE OLD TEMPLE AND THE NEW TEMPLE

“I have been thinking today about the tabernacle that God told Moses to build and then later had Solomon to build a temple by the same pattern for some of God’s glory to dwell in,” Mother said as Dale and Darlene waited for her to begin their Bible talk. Their chain of Bible truths was getting longer and longer.

“I wish I could have seen that temple,” Dale remarked. “It must have been a beautiful place and it cost a lot of money, too.”

“As we said last night, God wanted to be as close to the people that he created as he could,” Mother continued. “Before Jesus came to this world, died and arose again he could not dwell in their hearts. So Solomon built the temple. Solomon said, ‘The Lord hath said that he would dwell in the thick darkness, But I have built a house of habitation for thee, and a place for thy dwelling forever.’ (2 Chron. 6:1, 2). You see, God told Moses that He would appear within the vail before the mercy seat in a cloud in the old tabernacle. (Lev. 16:2). But now Solomon had built the temple, so His presence could dwell among the people.”

“I thought God was too big to dwell in a house,” said Darlene, puzzled.

“Just part of God’s presence dwelt in the temple,” Mother said. “Solomon said in his prayer that the heavens could not contain God, much less the house that he built; but he asked God to keep his eyes open toward the temple day and night and if anyone would pray to God and look toward the temple that God would hear them in heaven. (1 Kings 8:27, 29, 30) It must have been wonderful that day after thousands of sacrifices were offered and the temple was all ready, for some of the glory of the Lord to come into it. The Levites, those who played musical instruments, and the singers were dressed in white. There were 120 priests with trumpets. The Bible says that when the time came that ‘the trumpeters and the singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the Lord,’ that the house was filled with a cloud and the glory of the Lord came down insomuch that the priests could not stand to minister. (2 Chron. 5:12-14). The people saw the fire and the glory of the Lord and they bowed their faces to the ground and worshipped the Lord and praised Him. (2 Chron. 7:2, 3) That was a day of rejoicing for them.”

“I wish I could have been there to have seen that,” remarked Darlene.

“That was as close to the people as God could come,” continued Mother. “But now let us look in the New Testament and see what happened after Jesus died and arose from the grave. Jesus bore our sins on the cross and made a way so God’s Spirit could dwell in our bodies. Just think about it—God can dwell in our hearts now! He is with us all the time. That is wonderful.”

“Tell us about it,” Darlene said with interest.

“You see, today our bodies are God’s temple,” Mother said. “We read in 1 Cor. 6:19, 20. ‘What? Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore, glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.’ ”

“When did God make our bodies his temple instead of dwelling in Solomon’s temple?” asked Dale.

“When Jesus came to the Jews and they rejected him, they chose their doom. He wept because they would not accept him. He said, ‘Your house is left unto you desolate.’ (Matt. 23:37, 38). When he died on the cross the veil in the temple between the holy place and the most holy place was torn apart. (Matt. 27:51). God moved out of the temple. Before Jesus ascended up into the heavens after he arose, he told the disciples to wait in Jerusalem until they received the Holy Ghost. They had been forgiven of their sins and now God’s Spirit wanted to dwell in their hearts. How wonderful that is! We read in the first two chapters of Acts how the 120 continued in one accord in one place on the day of Pentecost, just the same as the 120 priests were in one accord on the day Solomon’s temple was dedicated. The glory of the Lord came down upon them from heaven, filling the whole house. Cloven tongues like as of fire sat upon each of them. They were filled with the Holy Spirit! Peter preached a wonderful sermon. That day 3,000 were added to the church, (ver. 41, 47). Each person had the Spirit of God within and all of them together made up the church with God’s Spirit dwelling in the Church of God, the temple of God. From that day God has had a church. He loves to talk to us and we love to talk to him because he is with us and in us. Truly, it is wonderful!”

“Oh, Mother, I am so glad that God is so close to us and even in us by His Spirit.” Darlene said, feeling happy. “I think it is better to live today than in the days of Solomon, don’t you?”

“The Apostle Paul rejoiced and said that once we were far off but that we are brought to God through Jesus Christ. Through Jesus we have ‘access by one Spirit unto the Father,’ our God. We are no more strangers but are fellowcitizens with the saints and of the household of God. We are in the building of God which is ‘fitly framed together’ and ‘groweth unto a holy temple in the Lord: In whom ye also are builded together for a habitation of God through the Spirit.’ (Eph. 2:13-22). Habitation means dwelling place. God is dwelling in the holy temple of the Lord, which is our bodies, when we have salvation and are filled with the Holy Spirit. It makes me feel very humble and thankful just to think about it.”

“Mother, you look so happy,” remarked Darlene. “I am happy, too, to know that God dwells in my heart.”

“Another thing: God has made us kings and priests and we are reigning on this earth,” Mother continued. “We have been given power over the devil. God is within us and the Apostle John has told us ‘greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.’ (1 John 4:4) So when we have God on our side we can say with the Apostle Paul, ‘If God be for us, who can be against us?’ (Rom. 8:31) He also said he was persuaded that nothing could ‘separate us from the love of God. which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.’ ” (Rom. 8:37-39).

“It is wonderful to belong to God,” Dale said, “I surely don’t want to do anything to displease God for I want him to dwell in my heart.”

“Yes, we must be careful,” Mother remarked. “Perhaps we had better have prayer and go to bed. We can talk more tomorrow night.”

THE CHURCH OF GOD

“Mother, I am waiting,” called Dale as he sat on the divan. “Darlene, hurry up and get the dishes dried. You are going to be late for our Bible talk. We want to add more links to our Bible chain of truth tonight.”

Soon everyone was ready and Mother asked them what they wanted to talk about.

“I was wondering today why there are so many different churches. They have so many different names,” Dale said. “I never heard any of them listed in the Bible.”

“That’s what I’d like to know,” Darlene said. “Where did we get the name ‘Church of God’?”

“There is only one name in the Bible for God’s church,” stated Mother. “Jesus built the church, which includes all of those who are born again and have salvation, and it was named after His Father, God. The Apostle Paul makes it quite plain in Eph. 3:14, 15. Let me read it from the Bible. ‘For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named.’ Now, isn’t that plain enough?”

“Well, yes, it says that the whole family of God is named after God, the Father,” declared Dale.

“Then one time the Apostle Paul was talking to the Ephesian ‘elders of the church’ and he told them to ‘Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.’ (Acts 20:17, 28) So you see, he called it the Church of God. When the Apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthians, he said, ‘Unto the church of God which is at Corinth.’ (1 Cor. 1:2) We carry the name of our earthly father; therefore, we carry the name of our spiritual Father, which is God. There are many other scriptures which say, ‘church of God’ is the name of the family of God.”

“How can I tell someone how to get into the church of God?” asked Dale.

“By believing on Christ, confessing and forsaking their sins,” Mother answered. “Jesus is the door, and he said, ‘By me if any man enter in, he shall be saved.’ (John 10:9). God does the adding to the church because we read about the early church, (after the church of God was set in motion on the day of Pentecost) that ‘the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.’ ” (Acts 2:47)

“Bill told me that their church has a record book and sometimes people are put out of his church,” Dale said.

“Well, he belongs to a man-made church, but in the church of God the records are kept by God. Jesus told the disciples to ‘rejoice because your names are written in heaven.’ (Luke 10:20) The Apostle Paul spoke of some ‘whose names are in the book of life.’ (Phil. 4:3) Then we read in Psalm 87:5, 6, ‘And of Zion it shall be

said, This and that man was born in her . . . And the Lord shall count when he writeth up the people, that this man was born there.’ ”

“Then a man can’t put you out of the Church of God?” asked Darlene.

“No, man can’t, but sin will,” Mother declared. The Bible says, ‘Whosoever hath sinned against me, him will I blot out of my

book.’ ” (Exodus 32:33)

“Where will people go whose names are not written in the Book of Life?” asked Darlene.

“We read in Rev. 20:11-15 a vision that John saw of the end of time. As he looked he saw the heavens and earth flee away and there was no place for them. He saw a great white throne and him that sat upon it. ‘Then he saw the dead, small and great, stand before God: and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works, And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.’ And as John looked, he said, ‘And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.’ ”

“How awful it will be for those who do not have their names written in the book of life!” Darlene said as she shuddered.

“I surely want my name to be in the right book,” Dale said, “when I stand before God in the Judgment.”

“Bill said they had a discipline to go by. Do we have one in the Church of God?” Dale asked.

“The New Testament and the words of Jesus are our discipline,” Mother answered. “God, by His Spirit, revealed His will concerning us to the disciples of Jesus and others, whose writings have come to us in the Bible, and we are to measure our lives by it. Jesus said, ‘I have given them thy word.’ (John 17:14) The Word of God is a perfect rule to go by. ‘All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.’ ” (2 Tim. 3:16, 17)

“I tried to explain the church to Bill one time and he didn’t know how we stayed together,” Dale remarked.

“The Bible tells us how; and we know how, too,” Mother explained. “You see, if part of God is in one heart and part in another heart, then the two would be one in spirit, the same Spirit dwelling in one person as in another. Both persons love God. The Apostle Paul has told us that we are ‘knit together in love.’ (Col 2:2) All who are ‘born again’ and in the church of God are living by the same rules, which is the New Testament. Both are loving the same God, both are filled with the same Spirit, both are working to help souls to be saved, so they just naturally flow together.”

“How do those in the Church of God know when to preach or teach?” asked Dale.

“We read about that in 1 Cor. 12th chapter,” Mother answered. “When a person is filled with the Holy Spirit and is walking in God’s ways. He gives that one a gift and a calling. He places him in the body of Christ, which is the church (Eph. 1:22, 23) as ‘it hath pleased him.’ (ver. 18.) The same Spirit gives different gifts to individuals so one can help another. He gives the following gifts: wisdom, knowledge, faith, gifts of healing, working of miracles, prophecy, discerning of spirits, divers tongues and interpretations.’ (ver. 8, 9) ‘And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments,’ (ver. 8.) So you see, God calls, and sends forth, those whom he wants to labor in His service. It is wonderful how God has set up His church in the world and keeps it going.

“I think we had better have prayer and go to bed. It is getting late. I have enjoyed our talk tonight, haven’t you?”

“I surely have, too, and I have learned a lot,” Dale said and Darlene agreed with him.

BAPTISM

“I have been the one to wait for you tonight,” Mother announced as Dale and Darlene came into the living room. I am as anxious as you are to have our Bible talk. My soul has been greatly blessed.”

“What are we going to talk about tonight?” asked Dale.

“I thought we should talk about the New Testament ordinances in the Church of God,” answered Mother. “Jesus instituted three divine ordinances or ceremonies which he wants us to observe. They are Baptism, Feet-washing, and the Lord’s Supper or communion. I thought we would talk about one of them tonight. Since a person should be baptized as soon as he is saved, I think we shall discuss baptism.”

“Jesus was baptized in the Jordan River, wasn’t he?” Darlene asked.

“Yes, we already talked about that one evening, didn’t we?” Mother replied.

“Why do some think that it is all right to be sprinkled instead of being baptized like the Church of God teaches?” asked Dale.

“They can’t find in the Bible where any person was sprinkled. In all the places where it is recorded we find that the person was brought to the water and in the case of the eunuch it plainly tells us that when Philip baptized him they went down into the water and came up out of the water. No sprinkling was done. (Acts 8:38, 39.) And we read where John was baptizing in a place ‘because there was much water there.’ (John 3:23) The New Testament was written in the Greek language. Let me get my New Testament that has the Greek language and the English written beside it, which was a Christmas gift from my father. It is called the Emphatic Diaglott. Let us read the commandment Jesus gave to his disciples before he went back to heaven after he arose from the grave. It says here (under the Greek,) ‘Go, disciple All the Nations, immersing them into the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.’ The word immerse means to submerge; or, in other words, to cover with water. Jesus is telling his disciples to put the one who has repented of his sins down under the water, out of sight, or bury him in the name of the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit, and bring him up again.”

“Well, it doesn’t tell us in the Bible that sprinkling is all right, then,” Dale commented.

“No, it definitely does not,” Mother stated firmly. “When a person has had his sins forgiven, he is then ready to be baptized.”

“One time Bill said that the water washed sins away when one was baptized,” Dale remarked.

“Jesus said, ‘He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.’ (Mark 16:15, 16) According to the Scriptures, only the ones who believe will be saved, and he that does not believe will be damned. It limits baptism to those who are old enough to believe. The ones who are already saved are to be baptized. The water does not wash away their sins. The Bible tells us that Simon the sorcerer at Samaria was baptized along with the other believers by Philip but when he showed what was in his heart by the things he said, Peter said to him plainly: ‘Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter: for thy heart is not right in the sight of God.’ (Acts 8:21) So the water didn’t wash away his sins nor cleanse his heart, because he was still a sinner. He went into the water a dry sinner and came up out of the water a wet sinner. Philip was a minister of God, but God knows what is in the heart.”

“The water didn’t help him any, did it?” laughed Darlene.

“I want you to remember that baptism is an outward sign of an inward work in the heart. Peter said one time, ‘Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins.’ (Acts 2:38) Then Peter explains that baptism is ‘not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God.’ (1 Pet. 3:19-21) What is the filth of the flesh?”

“I would say that is one’s sins,” replied Dale.

“That is right, so you see, Peter tells us plainly that baptism is not the putting away of our sins but it is an answer of a good conscience toward God. God has ‘washed us from our sins in his own blood.’ (Rev. 1:5) That is what the Bible tells us. Never allow anyone to twist the scriptures and make you think that the water will wash away your sins; only in the precious blood of Jesus can our sins be washed away.

“Paul explains that baptism is a burial. Even as Jesus was buried or put out of sight and then arose again, just so we are put under the water and then raised again. He says, ‘We are buried with him by

baptism into death; that like as Christ was raised up from the       dead . . .’ ” (Romans 6:4).

“That is plain, isn’t it?” Darlene commented.

“Before we finish our talk tonight, I want to mention one more thing. Many people have been sprinkled when they were infants or babies and they cling to that as baptism. We do not find anywhere in the Bible where it teaches infant baptism. We read of households being baptized, but not infants. (Acts 16:15). Jesus taught that infants were saved (Mark 10:14), but no where does he say they are to be baptized. A person has to be old enough to understand what it means to be forgiven of his sins before he is old enough to be baptized.”

“I have enjoyed our talk tonight very much,” Dale declared, and Darlene agreed with him.

THE ORDINANCE OF FEET WASHING

“Are we going to talk about another ordinance tonight?” Darlene asked as they were seated in the living room. “Why don’t we talk about feet-washing?”

“I thought we would,” Mother replied. “It is sad to say that many professed Christians reject this ordinance. Some even laugh about its being observed; but Jesus instituted it and told us, ‘Observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you.’ (Matt. 28:20). I shall read the 13th chapter of John down to the 17th verse. Both of you follow me as I read it and then we shall discuss it.

“Now, you see how Jesus washed the disciples’ feet,” Mother commented. “Jesus took a towel and put it around him and washed the feet of each one and wiped them with the towel. Then later he told them, ‘If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done unto you . . . If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them’ (verses 14, 15, 17). How much plainer could it be? Jesus washed all of their feet, then told them that they were to wash one another’s feet. He used the word ‘ought’ which is a commandment. The Bible tells us in Acts 5:29, ‘We ought to obey God.’ What do you think that means?”

“That means we should obey God,” Darlene replied. “That is right,” answered Mother. “One time I talked to a woman who seemed to be a good woman with sincere love for the Lord, but she had been taught all her life that Jesus’ command to wash one another’s feet meant to take care of the sick and wash their feet and do good deeds. But none of the disciples were sick when Jesus washed their feet. This shows humility. When we think of how Peter felt about Jesus washing his feet, we see how unworthy he felt for such a great person, his Lord and Master, to do such a humble deed. But Jesus didn’t feel greater than they. God doesn’t want any of us to feel that we are greater than our brothers and sisters in the Lord. We are all made one in Christ Jesus. There are no big ‘I’s’ nor little ‘you’s’ in the Church of God. God will bless us if we obey him. He said, ‘If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.”

“I am sure Peter would rather have washed Jesus’ feet,” commented Darlene.

“We find, as in the ordinance of baptism, that Jesus observed it, also. He tells us that he has given us an example. An example is a pattern to go by. He means for us to do it as he has done and has instructed us. The early church observed this ordinance after Jesus’ death and resurrection. We read where the Apostle Paul wrote to Timothy in connection with giving support to the widows by the church. He told him that she should be ‘well reported of for good works; if she have brought up children, if she have lodged strangers, if she have washed the saints’ feet, if she have relieved the afflicted, if she have diligently followed every good work.’ (1 Tim. 5:10). So you see one of the things she was to have done was to have observed feet washing, or ‘washed the saints’ feet.’ If it meant that she was just to wash the feet of the sick, then it would have been wrong for her to only help out the saints and refuse to wash a sinner’s feet. But it was referring to the ordinance of feet washing.”

“I don’t see how anyone could think that the Bible meant anything else but to do just as Jesus told us to do,” exclaimed Dale.

“Of course, we do things according to the Bible which tells us to ‘let everything be done decently and in order.’ (1 Cor. 14:40) That is the reason the brethren wash the brethren’s feet and the sisters wash the sisters’ feet. They go into separate rooms and keep the ordinance in that manner.”

“The Apostle Paul praised the Corinthian church for keeping the ordinances. He said, ‘Now I praise you. brethren, that ye remember me in all things, and keep the ordinances as I have delivered them to you.’ (1 Cor. 11:2). In this particular place he was speaking of the two ordinances, feet washing and the Lord’s supper. Baptism is an ordinance but it is kept only once by the person who gets saved and keeps saved: so Paul would be speaking about the two ordinances that are observed frequently. The early church observed the ordinances of feet washing and the Lord’s supper.”

“It increases our love and admiration for Jesus to see how lowly and humble he was,” Dale added with love in his voice for Jesus.

“Yes, we do love our Lord and Master for His great love for us,” Mother replied. “He did everything he could to make us know that only the humble would get into heaven. We can’t think that we are better than others, but we must think soberly and humbly, doing all we can to show our love and appreciation to others. Maybe we had better have prayer and go to bed now.”

THE ORDINANCE OF THE LORD’S SUPPER

“Tonight we want to talk about the ‘Lord’s Supper’ which is one of the ordinances of the Church of God,” Mother told her children as they waited for her to start their Bible talk. This would be another link in their long chain of truths that they had been learning.

“How do you make the bread that is used in the Lord’s Supper?” Darlene asked. “I like the taste of it.”

“We just mix water and whole wheat flour together and bake it. No yeast or baking powder, no leavening of any kind is used because it is to be unleavened bread. Under the old law during the Passover the Jews were commanded to put every bit of leaven out of the house. They felt that leaven or yeast corrupted the bread.” (Smith’s Bible Dic.)

“Is the Lord’s Supper the Passover?” asked Darlene.

“No, it is not the Passover. We read in Mark 14: 12-28; Matt. 26:17-29, and Luke 22:13-20 about the disciples and Jesus eating the Passover feast After they finished eating it, Jesus then instituted the Lord’s Supper. This was just before Jesus went to the cross. He said to the disciples that night, ‘I have desired to eat this Passover supper with you before I suffer.’ After eating the supper, he took the cup and gave thanks and said, ‘Take this, and divide it among yourselves:’ Now the cup had ‘the fruit of the vine’ in it. (Matt. 26:26-30) That is grape juice. The Bible does not say to use wine. The Bible does tell us, ‘Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth its color in the cup, when it moveth itself aright. At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder.’ (Prov. 23:31, 32) So we couldn’t disobey that commandment The Church of God uses the fresh, unfermented grape juice.”

“What does the grape juice stand for?” asked Darlene.

“Jesus told the disciples: ‘this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.’ The grape juice was an emblem of Jesus’ blood that he shed on the cross for our sins. How he loved us to do that for us!”

“The cup had grape juice in it, didn’t it?” Darlene asked.

“Yes, and then he took the loaf of unleavened bread,” Mother continued. “The many grains of wheat baked together in the loaf of bread would be like the many members in the body of Christ. ‘For we being many are one bread, and one body, for we are partakers of that one bread.’ (1 Cor. 10:16, 17) The Apostle Paul wanted us to know that the Church of God, which is the body of Christ, is not divided. Some of the grains in the loaf might have come from many states in the United States, but it is compacted together into one loaf, which symbolizes the body of Christ or his church. When the loaf is broken in the Lord’s Supper it represents the breaking of the literal body of Christ which was broken on the cross for us. The same night that Jesus was betrayed he took the bread and blessed it and broke it. He said to the disciples, ‘Take, eat, this is my body, which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me.’ (Luke 22:29).

“The bread stands for the body of Christ that was broken on the cross for us,” Darlene repeated.

“Jesus surely did love us to be willing to die for us,” Dale said with deep feeling in his voice.

“Yes, his love was great and he wants us to remember it. He wants us to do this often in remembrance of him,” Mother told the children.

“Why is it called ‘the Lord’s Supper’?” asked Dale.

“The early church kept the Lord’s Supper and in the year of 56 A. D., we read where the Apostle Paul told the Corinthian church that they were not keeping the Lord’s Supper correctly. (1 Cor. 11:2, 20-26) They were eating a full meal. Paul told them that if they were hungry they should eat at home. They were not to ‘despise ye the church of God’ by eating ‘his own supper’ (ver. 22) and not the Lord’s Supper. The second verse says, ‘Keep the ordinances as I delivered them to you.’ Then in verse 20 Paul calls the ordinance that they were not keeping correctly the Lord’s Supper. So that is what we call it today.”

“It is sometimes called ‘communion,’ isn’t it?” asked Dale.

“Yes; Paul said one time, ‘The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? For we [saved believers] being many are one bread, and one body: for ye are all partakers of that one bread.’ (1 Cor. 10:16, 17). How beautifully the Apostle Paul puts it. The Holy Spirit binds people together into one and we are ‘perfectly joined together.’

“How our hearts are melted in love and thanksgiving for our precious Lord as we think of Him dying on the cross for us!” Mother continued. “We can never praise Him enough. He was innocent and holy and came from heaven, yet He did this for us. He died in our stead. When they took a spear and pierced his side, out flowed blood and water. (John 19:34) ‘Christ also loved the church and gave himself for it, that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word. That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.’ (Eph. 5:24-27) God put Adam to sleep and took a rib out of his side and made Eve and Adam looked at her and loved her. Adam said, ‘This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh.’ (Gen. 2: 21-23) When we are saved and filled with the Holy Spirit ‘we are members of his [Christ’s] body, of his flesh, and of his bones.’ (Eph. 5:30). The Apostle Paul said, ‘This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.’ ” (verse 32).

“I like to think of myself as being a part of Christ,” Dale commented.

“I trust that the next time you are in this service you will understand it better. It is now time for our night time worship and bed.”

THE KINGDOM OF GOD

“Mother, we are waiting; please hurry,” Darlene called impatiently.

“Please come on, Mother,” insisted Dale as he and Darlene went into the kitchen where Mother was making dough to put into the refrigerator so they could have hot rolls each day. “Aren’t you about through?”

“It won’t be too long, but I do have a few things I must do,” Mother replied. “You and Darlene get your Bibles and read from Daniel 2:25 to the end of the chapter. Then I want you to draw the image that you have read about. While you are reading, there are three phrases that I want you to find. One is ‘latter days,’ then ‘in the days of these kings,’ and ‘the stone was cut out of the mountains without hands.’ ”

“All right. Here’s some paper,” Darlene said as she pulled open the desk drawer. “I’ll bring you some, too, Dale.”

“Thank you, Darlene,” said Dale as she handed him the paper.

Later Mother came into the living room. Dale and Darlene were laughing at their funny images. Dale said he wished he could draw as well as Darlene.

“Oh, Mother, tell us about this image that got broken into pieces with the stone that was cut out without hands. I’m like King Nebuchadnezzar, it is a secret to me,” Darlene said as soon as she saw Mother.

“It seems that all of this was to come to pass ‘in the latter days’ or as you told us to find the words, ‘In the days of these kings.’ Oh, yes, I also noticed the words in the 45th verse. It said, ‘God hath made known what shall come to pass hereafter and the dream is certain and the interpretation thereof sure.’ ”

“Let me see your picture, too, Dale.”

“This image represents kingdoms that ruled the world in ancient times. When you get in the higher grades in school you will study Ancient History. I enjoyed it very much. Of course, it was an elective subject. I chose it, and I want you to take it, also. It will help you to understand some things in the Bible.

“The head of this image, Daniel says in verse 38, is Nebuchadnezzar, ‘Thou art this head of gold.’ That means the Babylonian Empire which was the world-ruling power at the time Daniel lived, and Nebuchadnezzar was the king. Why not write beside the head, ‘Babylonian Empire’?

“Now the ‘breast and arms of silver’ stand for the Medo-Persian Empire which conquered the Babylonian Empire while Daniel was still living. You can read about that in Daniel 5:28-31. That was when King Belshazzar saw the handwriting on the wall while they were drinking and feasting, remember?

“Then after that kingdom ruled awhile, ‘a third kingdom of brass which bear rule over all the earth’ (ver. 39) arose. This was the Grecian Empire. Alexander the Great conquered the then-known world and sat down and cried because there were no more kingdoms to conquer. But the sad part about him is that he was a heavy drinker. He conquered kingdoms but he couldn’t conquer drink and rule over himself. He died at the age of 33, the same age as Jesus died.

“Poor man, he needed to meet Jesus, didn’t he?” Darlene said sadly.

“Yes, he did. Now the fourth kingdom was strong and was of iron but the toes were part potter’s clay and part iron mixed with miry clay. (ver. 40, 43) This stands for the Roman Empire, which conquered the Greek Empire and became a world power. The Roman kingdom was in power when Jesus came. Now we have talked about the four kingdoms that were to rule. Daniel was given this revelation from God. History bears it out, and also the Bible, that this came true just as Daniel said it would.

“Now children, I want you to remember one thing about this prophecy because there are some teachers in the world who teach that the kingdom of God is to be set up after the world is on fire and Jesus will come back, which is false. When he comes back it is to get his children and take them home. He will not set up a kingdom here on this earth. He has already set it up. Now let us look closely and see when this kingdom of God was to be set up. Let us reread the 44th verse. ‘And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed.’ Now what does that mean?”

“Why, anyone should understand that,” Dale said. “God was going to set up his kingdom during the reign of one of these kings. And I think it also says that the stone would break the image into pieces and would become as big as a mountain and fill the whole earth and didn’t the Bible say, ‘shall stand forever’?”

“You are right, the kingdom of God was set up during the time of the Roman Empire. The kingdom of God is the fifth kingdom and the stone represents this kingdom. Jesus was born during the rule of the Roman Empire. In Luke 2:1 we read where Caesar made a decree that the whole world should be taxed. That is the reason Joseph took Mary to Bethlehem. While there, and because there were so many people that they could find no room in the inn, Jesus was born in a stable and laid in a manger. Caesar was the ruler of the Roman Empire.”

“It is wonderful how God revealed to Daniel things that were to come to pass years and years later, and it did come to pass just as he said it would,” Darlene said with wonderment. “The Bible is a wonderful book, isn’t it, Mother?”

“Yes, it is, yet people won’t believe it,” Mother replied. “Just as those things came to pass, so all the things written in the New Testament about hell and the end of the world will come to pass and many are not preparing to live in heaven.”

“The angel told Mary when she was a virgin that she should have a son and should call his name Jesus. Gabriel, the angel, also said, ‘The Lord shall give unto him the throne of David; and he shall reign over the house of Jacob forever; and of his KINGDOM THERE SHALL BE NO END.” (Luke 1:31-33.)

“Did Jesus sit on a throne here on the earth?” asked Darlene.

“No, Jesus’ kingdom is a spiritual kingdom. Jesus said, ‘My kingdom is not of this world.’ (John 18:36) One time the Pharisees asked Jesus when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, ‘The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: [something literal or like the worldly kingdoms] neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the KINGDOM OF GOD IS WITHIN YOU.’ (Luke 17:20, 21) After John the Baptist was killed, Jesus came ‘preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, THE TIME IS FULFILLED, and the KINGDOM OF GOD is at hand: repent ye and believe the gospel.’ (Mark 1:14, 15.) Isn’t that clear as to when the kingdom of God was set up? It is quite plain that when we are saved and filled with the Holy Spirit that we are in the kingdom of God and the kingdom of God is in us—in our hearts. ‘The kingdom of God is not meat and drink: but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost.’ (Rom. 14:17) Jesus is the king of our life. We are his subjects and we love him and obey him. Jesus told us to ‘seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt. 6:33) So you see, it is salvation which brings righteousness into our hearts and lives. When we are saved, God translates us into the kingdom of his dear Son, ‘out of the kingdom of darkness.’ (Col. 1:12, 13) I love those scriptures and it makes my soul rejoice to know that I am in a kingdom that no man rules and in one that will last forever. Praise the Lord!”

“Mother, you look so happy,” Darlene said as she hugged her mother.

“Yes, I am, because I am enjoying salvation. It is the best thing this side of heaven. I am glad that I know my sins are gone and I am reigning over sin through the power of God in this kingdom. But it is late. I guess we got lost in our lesson tonight and the time slipped by too fast. We had better stop now and have prayer and go to bed, don’t you think?”

Various Deaths of the Disciples

Matthew, it is supposed, suffered martyrdom or was slain with the sword at the city of Ethiopia.

Mark was dragged through the streets of Alexandria in Egypt until he died.

Luke was hanged on an olive tree in Greece.

John was put into a cauldron of boiling oil at Rome, but escaped death. He afterwards died a natural death at Ephesus in Asia.

James, the Great, was beheaded at Jerusalem.

James, the Less, was thrown from a pinnacle or wing of the Temple, and then beaten to death with a fuller’s club.

Philip was hanged up against a pillar at Hierapolis, city of Phrygia.

Bartholomew was flayed alive at the command of a barbarian king.

Andrew was bound to a cross, whence he preached to the people till he died.

Thomas was run through the body with a lance at Coromandel in the East Indies.

Jude was shot to death with arrows.

Simon Zelotes was crucified in Persia.

Matthias was first stoned, then beheaded.

Judas Iscariot sold his soul for 30 pieces of silver, then hanged himself.

Peter was crucified with his head down. He felt unworthy to be put to death in the same manner as His Master.

Jesus said, “The cup which my Father hath given me, shall I not drink it?” John 18:11.

Jesus said, “Ye shall drink indeed of my cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with.” Matt. 20:22.

There is a cup for each of us to drink in this world but Jesus drank of it first. He will be our helper. Jesus told us “Fear not them which kill the body but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” Matthew 10:28.

BIBLICAL TRACE OF THE CHURCH

“We had a good lesson last night, didn’t we, Dale?” Darlene asked.

“Yes, but I have been wondering about that stone that knocked that image down. It then became a great mountain and filled the whole earth,” Dale said as mother came into the room. (See Dan. 2:35, 45)

“The stone is Christ who is the head of the Church of God or kingdom of God,” Mother explained. (Eph. 2:20; Matt. 21:42) “On the day of Pentecost when the church was set up and was filled with the Holy Spirit, the children of God began to work for God and the people were stirred. The kingdom of God or the Church of God began to grow rapidly.”

“There were only 120 on the day of Pentecost who waited for the infilling of the Holy Spirit in the upper room, weren’t there?” asked Dale.

“Yes, that is right,” answered Mother. “One time Jesus said that the ‘kingdom of God is like unto leaven, [or yeast] which a woman took and hid in . . . meal, till the whole was leavened.’ (Matt. 13:33) You know how my bread dough rises. This is the same thought that Daniel had about the stone becoming a great mountain and filling the whole earth. There were 12 disciples at first, then later Jesus sent out 70 disciples. After the 120 were filled with the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost and Peter preached a sermon, there were 3,000 saved. (Acts 2:41) Later we read that 5,000 men were among the believers. (Acts 4:4) So you see, the kingdom of God was getting bigger.”

“Weren’t there more people in the world than that?” asked Darlene.

“Yes, we find that God sent forth others to other countries to preach the gospel. The whole book of Acts is the history of the early church and its labors. We read how those who worshiped idols and other sects killed most of the disciples and many of God’s workers, and fought against Christ or the Truth. But truth prevailed against error in many places and the church of God was established. Hell cannot prevail against God’s church. The rulers and most of the people worshiped idols. But in the year of 322 the ruler of the Roman Empire named Constantine was converted to the Christian religion. He made an edict in 331 A. D. for all heathen temples to be destroyed. (Clarke Com.) They did not live up to all of Christ’s teachings, and were in many ways far from it; but Christ’s name was used in their worship services.”

“Is that when the stone became a mountain and filled the whole earth?” asked Dale.

“As we made it clear last night in our talk, the kingdom of God is not of this world,” Mother answered. “Daniel did say that God would set up this kingdom of God and it would consume all these kingdoms and would never be destroyed. Jesus said that the gates of hell shall not prevail against his church. (Matt. 16:18) Daniel said it will stand forever.

“Since the Church of God was set in motion on the day of Pentecost, the devil has tried to destroy it but has never succeeded. In the day of Paul he saw the ‘mystery of iniquity’ working. (2 Thess. 2:1-12) There were false prophets drawing people away from the real truth and the lowly ways of God.”

“What are false prophets?” asked Darlene.

“False prophets are people who will not stand by the whole truth as Jesus taught it and it was revealed to his disciples. They twist the scriptures to mean what God did not mean. Peter said they were false teachers who bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them. (2 Peter 2:1, 2)

“In the year 96 A. D. John warned the churches of God in Asia about their falling away from the true way. As time went on, more and more began to set up their own ways and were leaving the ways of God. And even before the ruler Constantine had the idols and heathen worship stopped a man-made group was on the way to being formed that left the simple teachings of God. This was about 270

A. D.

“For 1,260 years the Catholic church ruled and millions were killed because they would not bow to its rule. (Some authorities estimate 55,000,000 were killed.) They kept part of their heathen customs and included Christ, Mary, the disciples, and part of the Bible in their worship. But even then God had a church, although not a visible one, but a few stood firmly for God. Most of the saints were reigning with Christ in Paradise. (Rev. 6:9-11)

“A time came when some boldly took their stand against the Roman Catholic Church; Martin Luther being one of them, and others. In the year of 1530 A. D. the first Protestant creed was made. It was called the Augsburg Confession. But many sects sprang up. They called themselves by different names and each took only part of the Word of God. God still had a church but it still wasn’t very visible. For 350 years this condition existed. Many were killed because they would not bow to Protestantism in different parts of the country. In the year of 1880 the Lord called Bro. D. S. Warner and others. They began to preach and practice holiness, unity of God’s believers and taught divine healing. They also called God’s church by its right Biblical name. They called it the Church of God. There was a stir among the people but again the Truth and all the Truth was preached and practiced by the Holy Spirit power. They believed in Holy Spirit leadership and God blessed them. Today God still has a people who boldly stand for all the truth. They are not of the world but are living godly lives.”

“I wrote down the dates you mentioned,” Dale said. “I have the years 270, 1530, and 1880. There are 350 years between 1530 and 1880.”

“Don’t we have a song in the songbook with those dates in it?” asked Darlene.

“Yes, it is No. 20 in the ‘Evening Light’ songbook,” Mother replied. “Let us sing it and then have prayer and go to bed.”

Biblical Trace of the Church

The church of the morning bright,

Like crystal so clear her light,

Triumphant she knew no fears;

In finest white linen dressed;

Pure holiness she possessed,

Two hundred and sev’nty years.

Chorus:

Hell never can destroy the church,

Built by the Savior’s hands;

Upon the Rock, the solid Rock,

Christ Jesus still she stands.

Despite of persecution’s flood,

And gates of hell forsooth;

She’s still the kingdom of the Lord,

The pillar of the truth.

The sun went down ere his time,

The moon also ceased to shine,

Left Zion in bitter tears,

No star then appeared in sight,

Oh, long, dreary Papal night!

Twelve hundred and sixty years.

Arising the sun of day,

Disperses the night away,

While popery quakes with fears;

Shone dimly the gospel ray,

There followed a cloudy day—

Three hundred and fifty years.

We welcome the evening light;

The gospel so clear and bright

Breaks forth as in days of yore;

The mists are all cleared away,

All hail the supernal day!

The sun shall go down no more.

—Wm. Schell

THE RESURRECTION

“What are we going to talk about tonight?” Darlene asked as Dale and Mother were coming into the living room to have their nightly talk. Their chain of Bible knowledge was getting longer and longer as each night more links were added. They were learning much; and because it was the Word of God, they received a blessing.

“I do want you to know that Christ is King of Kings, and Lord of Lords. (Rev. 19:16) We who are saved are ‘made . . . unto our God kings and priests,’ and we are reigning on earth with Christ now. (Rev. 5:9, 10) The Apostle Paul also tells us that ‘they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one Jesus Christ.’ (Rom. 5:17) We are children of God and are reigning over all the power of the devil. (Luke 10:19) Now Christ will ‘reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.’ (1 Cor. 15:25, 26) Christ is reigning now as our king.

“Christ will reign as king as long as there is death in the world?” asked Darlene.

“Yes, that is right,” Mother replied. “There will be death until the end of the world or until Jesus comes and the resurrection takes place. We read in 1 Cor. 15:20-23 that Christ is risen from the dead and become the first-fruits of the resurrection. ‘Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father.’ (verse 25) Jesus will reign as king until the end and then he will give the kingdom of God to the Father. That will be in the end of time.”

“Will that be when we get a new body and people will come out of the graves?” asked Darlene.

“In 1 Thess. 4th chapter and beginning at the 13th verse the Apostle Paul tells us very plainly about the end of time and the resurrection. He speaks of all who have died in Christ as ‘them which are asleep.’ He wanted to comfort the people of God whose loved ones had died, telling them that they sorrow not as those who have no hope because if they believed that Jesus arose from the grave, ‘even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.’ There will be also some who are Christ’s that will still be alive here on the earth when ‘the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first.’ (ver. 16) Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.’ Isn’t that wonderful! Oh, it just causes my heart to rejoice to know that someday I shall be with my blessed Lord, all my dear ones and the whole family of God in heaven! I shall have a new body then. This old body will be changed. The Bible tells us in 1 Cor. 15:49, 50 that ‘as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly’ because ‘flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God: neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.’ We have to be ‘born again’ and have our hearts changed to get into the kingdom of God or church of God. Just so, our bodies have to be changed to get into God’s heaven to live with him in eternity. It is a miracle, just like salvation is a miracle in the soul and life of saved persons. The Bible calls our being changed and putting on our immortal body a mystery. It will happen all at once. In a moment and in a twinkling of an eye the change will be made. (verses 51-53) Can you twinkle your eye, Darlene?”

“Sure,” laughed Darlene as she blinked her eye.

“It will happen quickly, if that is the case,” Dale remarked.

“Yes, and we want to be ready because we don’t know when Jesus will come for us. He said he would come at a time when one was not thinking, so he warned us to be careful.”

“How can this body be changed into another body or immortal body as you called it a while ago?” asked Dale.

“Let us look at some of the changes that take place in insects and other low forms of life. Scientists tell us that the changes they make affect the form and structure of the body, and even the habits and food of the insect or animal. Now I am sure that you have seen the wormlike caterpillar and then later it changes into a beautiful butterfly. If you did not see it, it would be hard to believe, wouldn’t it? But we do believe it.”

“The butterfly is so beautiful, and just to think, it used to be a worm!” Darlene remarked. “God caused that to be, and He can cause our bodies to be changed into a more beautiful body.”

“Now here is a thought, too, about the butterfly. There is an intermediate stage between these two—the pupa, when one might at first think the insect is dead. The caterpillars, as of butterflies and moths (which are the larval stage after hatching from tiny eggs) after a while wrap themselves in an envelope, often largely of silk, forming a cocoon. And then later out comes from the cocoon the butterfly or moth. The silk worm becomes a yellow moth which is about an inch and a half across. It is from this cocoon that silk is obtained.”

“We are not to try to figure out all of God’s plans but we must believe that it takes a great big God to do all these things, and we are glad we have one,” Mother said. “The mosquito is a larva first, and it changes. Tadpoles live in water but when they change they lose their tails and become frogs, and most of the time live on land. All of this makes it easier for us to understand the fact that our earthly bodies of flesh and blood will be changed into heavenly or spiritual bodies (1 Cor. 15:44) through the working of God.”

“That is wonderful, and I do want to be ready in that last day so I can be changed and meet Jesus in the air and be with him forever,” Dale said, and Darlene agreed.

“We want to be sure that we have had part in the first resurrection, which is salvation, and then we can take part in the resurrection at the end of time,” Mother said.

“Oh, will there be two resurrections?” asked Darlene.

“The Bible speaks of being ‘dead in trespasses and sins’ when we are sinners. Then when we are saved or ‘born again’ we are quickened or made alive and raised up and made to sit with Christ and in heavenly places and with others who are saved here in this world. (Eph. 2:1-8; John 5:24, 25) That is the first resurrection of the soul but the body needs to be resurrected and changed which will be the resurrection from the literal death in the end of time.”

“There is a resurrection of the soul from sin and then in the end of time there is the resurrection of the body from death and we will put on a new body, is that right?” asked Darlene.

“Yes, that is right,” Mother smiled as she answered. Our scripture in 1 Cor. 15:25 talks about the resurrection of the body and right away he says, ‘Then cometh the end.’ ”

“Where does a person go until the resurrection?” asked Dale.

“We had better talk about that tomorrow night,” Mother said.

WAITING PLACE FOR THE SOUL

“What did you want to study tonight?” Mother asked Dale. “Daddy is with us tonight and perhaps he will talk with you. I shall listen.”

“Mother has been telling me about your Bible talks,” Daddy said as he looked up from his Bible. “I am so glad that you are learning some of the most important truths in the world. It is much better than what you are learning at school from your school books, isn’t it?”

“You know, Daddy, I have such a good feeling inside when we talk about the things in the Bible. I don’t feel that way when I talk about the books at school,” Darlene remarked.

“That is the Spirit of the Lord blessing you. You should always live so the Spirit of God can touch your heart when you talk or hear about spiritual things,” Daddy explained. “Now, Dale, what is your question?”

“We talked about putting on a new body at the resurrection, but where does the soul go until the resurrection?” Dale asked his father.

“Son, there is a waiting place for the departed souls until the resurrection. The Bible tells us ‘Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.’ (Eccl. 12:7) We know that people die and their bodies perish and go to dust. We see that here in this world. Just as sure as the first part of the verse is true, the second part is, also. Our spirit goes back to God who gave it. Man is a two-fold being, ‘outward man’ and ‘inward man.’ (2 Cor. 4:16) This house of clay or outward man goes back to dust.

“I have a book titled, ‘Man: His Present and Future’ by H. M. Riggle, that goes into this subject. I will try to explain it so you can understand it. There are three states or abodes of the human spirit or soul. The soul lives in the body in this world. Then when death claims this body the soul goes to the unseen world which is called Hades and awaits the resurrection. Then at the resurrection and judgment, the soul leaves Hades and goes to its eternal abode.”

“What is Hades?” asked Dale.

“Hades is a Greek word for the waiting place for disembodied souls. The Hebrew word for it is Sheol. The literal meaning of Hades is ‘invisible; the unseen world, or the unseen state.’ We are told that the early Jewish historians, Josephus and others, also the early church fathers say that the Jews called the abode of the happy separated spirits paradise, or Abraham’s bosom and the abode of the wicked spirits and souls of sinners at death, also demons, they called Tartarus or lowest Hades.”

“Hades has reference to two different places, then?” asked Darlene.

“I want you to open your Bibles to Luke 16:19-31. This is the true account of Lazarus, the beggar, and the rich man. Lazarus was saved and belonged to God. The rich man was a sinner and left God out of his life. The angels carried Lazarus to Paradise or Abraham’s bosom. This is the part of Hades where the disembodied souls were comforted and at rest. It is a heavenly realm where ‘the wicked cease from troubling [them]; and there the weary be at rest.’ (Job 3:17) There the saints of all ages meet and rest from their labors. (Rev. 6:11). They are in a state of blessedness; for ‘blessed are the dead which die in the Lord.’ They actually are consciously enjoying happiness in a state of blessedness. They are ‘absent from the body, and present with the Lord.’ (2 Cor. 5:6) They are in paradise. Jesus told the converted thief, ‘Today shalt thou be with me in paradise.’ (Luke 23:43) John the Revelator also saw disembodied souls reigning with Christ in paradise.” (Rev. 6:9-11)

“When we go to heaven after the resurrection it will be more wonderful than paradise, won’t it?” asked Darlene.

“Yes, heaven will be much better, but paradise is wonderful,” Daddy answered. “A dying girl was once allowed to tell something of what she saw. She said, ‘I hear music; don’t you hear it? And, Mother, I see a door. . . . It is open. I see inside. It is a beautiful place. It is heaven (paradise). I see forms clothed in white, many, yes, a multitude of beautiful beings, their hands upraised. . . . Why, there is Pa! . . . Come, dear Lord, I am ready!’ An effort on her part to close her eyes and mouth, a few agonizing moments, and the open door received her gentle spirit.”

“It must be wonderful to be able to see into the unseen world!” Darlene exclaimed excitedly.

“Where do the wicked or sinners go when they die?” asked Dale.

“In the account that Jesus gave us about the rich man we are told that he was in a place where he could see the beauties that Lazarus enjoyed. He saw him comforted in Abraham’s bosom. But he could not go to where Lazarus was nor could Lazarus go to where he was. In verse 26 we are told that there is a great gulf fixed that they cannot pass. But we read how the rich man was tormented. Those who have died in their sins and gone to the place where the rich man is remember how they lived in this life and the many times they had chances to get right with God. They are troubled about their loved ones who might come to that place. It is an actual place of torment. It is called ‘lowest hell’ or Hades. In Deut. 32:22 we read. ‘Shall burn unto the lowest hell’ (lowest Sheol or Hades). Peter plainly tells us that God hath ‘reserved the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished.’ (2 Pet. 2:9) Where is that place they are waiting until the Judgment? It is answered by the Bible. ‘Reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.’ (Jude 6) Demons are yet to be punished. (Matt. 8:29; Rev. 20:10). The demons together with the spirits of wicked people are reserved—kept—in ‘chains of darkness’ or in ‘the lowest Hades.’ There in ‘pits of gloom’ they await their awful doom, which falls upon them at the Judgment. Mercy gone and the past unforgotten, they writhe in the depths of despair, knowing that they will be cast into the lake of fire at the Judgment.”

“I don’t want to go to that place,” Darlene said as she shuddered.

“What will happen to Hades after the Judgment?” asked Dale.

“It will be destroyed,” answered Daddy. “The happiness of those in Paradise, and the misery of those in the realm of dark despair, will be made complete when Hades is destroyed; when righteous spirits shall be united to their glorified bodies and enter the kingdom prepared from the foundation of the world, and when the wicked shall be cast into the lake of fire. We read in Rev. 20:14 where it says, ‘death and hell [Hades] were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death,’ which means banishment from God for the wicked. Jesus said, ‘where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.’ (Mark 9:46).

“It is getting late,” Mother spoke softly. “We had better have prayer and go to bed. We can’t get all the Bible links put together in one night.”

THE JUDGMENT AND ITS REWARDS

“Daddy, are you going to be at home tonight?” Darlene asked excitedly. After Daddy told her he would, she hurried to get him a chair and then got his Bible for him. Dale came into the living room and soon they were asking Daddy questions. There was so much they wanted to know about God’s plan for them and all the people of the world.

“Will the wicked be resurrected?” asked Dale.

Daddy opened his Bible and said, “We shall let Jesus answer that question. ‘Marvel not at this for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth; they that have done good unto the resurrection of [eternal] life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.’ (John 5: 28, 29) So we understand that at the same hour, when Jesus comes bursting through the clouds that ‘Behold he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him; and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him.’ (Rev. 1:7) The wicked and the righteous shall come forth and shall stand before God in that great Judgment Day.”

“That will be when every person that has ever lived on the earth since its beginning will be judged, won’t it?” asked Darlene in wonder.

“Yes, Darlene, that is the great day,” Daddy agreed. “But how sad for some and how glorious for others. It will be a day of separation. It will be a day that every secret thing will be brought out into the open. The Bible says, ‘God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good or whether it be evil.’ (Eccl. 12:14). Justice will be given to everyone. God sent Jesus to the world to save those who want to be saved from eternal damnation. Each person has a choice. At the Judgment each one will go to the place he has chosen. Those who refused to accept Jesus and would not believe in Him will be sorry, but it will be too late. There will be many prayers then, but it will be too late. There will be tears and confessions, but it will be too late. Only in this life is Jesus our Saviour. When he leaves his throne of mercy he will then be our judge. Mercy will be past.”

“When will the Judgment take place?” asked Dale. “Will it be when everybody gets together or just how will it be?”

“The Bible tells us that Christ shall ‘judge the quick and dead at his appearing,’ (2 Tim. 4:1) First the resurrection and then immediately following this will be the Judgment. Then Jesus tells us ‘For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works.’ (Matt. 16:27). There is a teaching that the Judgment will not be until a thousand years after the resurrection, but that is false. The world is full of false teaching, and to keep you from being led astray by some of it, Mother has been greatly interested in giving you these Bible truths. The devil does not want you to know the truth because he wants to deceive you so you will end up in hell with him at the Judgment. In eternity, which never ends, he can laugh at you for believing him. The devil would torment you over and over about it.”

“We had a lesson one time about the sheep and the goats,” Darlene said. “The goats are the bad people or sinners and the sheep are the saints and good people.”

“Yes, that explains it very clearly,” Daddy agreed. “Open your Bibles and let us read about how Jesus explains what will take place in the last day.” After reading the chapter in Matt. 25:32-46 Daddy continued, “Won’t it be wonderful to hear those words said to us who are ready to meet God, ‘Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world’? But how sad for those who are not ready to hear those words, ‘Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels.’ ”

“I surely want to be a sheep and live with Jesus,” Darlene remarked soberly.

“Yes, heaven will be a wonderful place but hell will be terrible,” Daddy thoughtfully explained. “We want to be ready and be sure that we have sent our sins on to judgment so they will not condemn us in that day. We need to be ready because we do not know what day or hour he will come. Not even the angels in heaven know when he will come.” (Matt. 24:35, 36)

“What will happen to the earth?” Dale asked.

“The Bible tells us that ‘the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat.’ (2 Pet. 3:10-12) The heavens shall pass away with a great noise and the earth will be burned up. In other words it will just explode and pass out of existence. ‘It shall fall and not rise again.’ (Isa. 24: 19, 20) It is very important that we prepare here to live again with God in heaven. God brought the universe into existence through His Word. He now upholds it ‘by the word of his power.’ (Heb. 1:3; Psa. 104:10, 24) Someday He will speak and it will pass away.”

“It is hard to understand just how it all will be,” Darlene admitted.

“Let us read the vision that John the Revelator saw about the end of time,” Daddy remarked as he turned the pages of his Bible to Rev. 20:11-15. ‘And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell [Hades] delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.’ Now you see that all met at the Judgment and were judged. Those who had done wickedly were ‘cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.’ How sad for the wicked to be cast into the lake of fire with the devil and his angels.”

“That makes it plainer,” Dale remarked.

“The Bible says that hell is terrible. Such expressions as ‘hell-fire,’ ‘furnace of fire,’ ‘lake of fire and brimstone,’ ‘unquenchable fire,’ ‘everlasting fire,’ ‘wailing and gnashing of teeth,’ are used to try in some way to show us how terrible hell will be. We surely don’t want to go there with the devil and his angels to live in eternity which never ends. Heaven will be just the opposite. It will be wonderful and glorious. It will be a place of complete love and rest with joy unspeakable. The angels will be there and the redeemed will live in the presence of Christ, our Redeemer and our heavenly Father. There will not be any lack nor tears. Everything will be lovely and beyond all that we can understand or take in. There are not enough words in our language to explain how wonderful it will be. I want to go there and take all with me that I can.

“One time when I was suffering greatly with pains in my chest the thought came to me that maybe the Lord was going to take me home. As I thought about seeing my Saviour face to face, the One who died on the cross for me, such a joy swept over my whole being. Right in the midst of the pain I had to praise the Lord. In a short while the Lord healed me. But I do want to see Him some day,” said Mother.

“I want to go there, too,” Dale said, and Darlene agreed with him.

WOMEN PROPHESIED IN THE EARLY CHURCH

“Darlene, will it be all right with you if we talk about my question tonight; then we can talk about yours tomorrow night?” asked Dale.

“That will be all right because I would like to know, too, if it is all right for women to talk in the church,” Darlene answered as she turned the pages in her Bible. “One never knows—the Lord might want me to speak in the church services someday, and I want to be sure that the Bible makes it clear that it is all right. I enjoy hearing Sister Brown preach.”

“What is the question you want to discuss tonight?” Mother asked as she came into the living room and picked up her Bible.

“Do you know where it says in the Bible for the women to keep silent in the church?” Dale asked.

“Yes,” answered Mother as she turned the pages of her Bible. “I can read to you where it says for women to keep silent and also for men to keep silent.”

“What!” Dale and Darlene both said at once.

“Here in 1 Cor. 14:28 it says, ‘Let him keep silence in the church,’ and in verse 34 it says, ‘let your women keep silence in the churches.”

“Why have services if nothing can be said,” Dale said with a smile. “Tell us about it, Mother. That sounds strange.”

“The Apostle Paul wrote for us to ‘study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.’ (2 Tim. 2:15) We cannot take just a part of the Bible and separate it from all the other parts and live by it. We must take it all together and ‘rightly divide’ the word of truth. That is one reason so many have gone astray, because they do not have the Spirit of God to help them to rightly divide the precious truths presented in the Bible in a clear manner. For instance, some have taken the verse in Romans 3:10 where it says, ‘There is none righteous, no, not one,’ and claim no one can live above sin. They do not read the chapter and rightly divide it. Paul was telling that all were unrighteous and under sin and all needed a Saviour. When Jesus came, we read in verse 25 that we have forgiveness for our sins through His blood. We then have the righteousness of God.”

“It looks like anyone would understand what that means,” Darlene remarked.

“What about the men and women keeping silent in the church?” Dale asked.

“Here in the 14th chapter of 1 Corinthians, Paul was trying to set the Corinthian church straight and stop some confusion that they were having when they met together. He ends this chapter by saying, ‘Let all things be done decently and in order.’ The purpose of the gifts in the church are given to help others and be a comfort to them. By searching out the meaning of the Scripture, we learn that man was requested to keep silent because some were reading in the Hebrew language and speaking without it being interpreted so all could understand. He should keep silent and not cause confusion by speaking in another language without an interpreter. (Clarke Com.)

“The instruction for the women to keep silent was given to one congregation. They were causing confusion by asking questions of the speaker or of their husbands. Up until the time of the Gospel, under the Jewish ordinance, women were not allowed to ask questions or teach in the synagogue. But that changed under the gospel dispensation. It seems some were taking advantage of it, causing confusion, and they needed to be rebuked.

“In the synagogue the congregation was divided, men on one side and women on the other. There was a low partition between them. It seems that the women were asking questions of their husbands who were sitting apart from them, right in the services, and this caused confusion. Paul told them to wait until they got home and ask their husbands the questions there. He said it was a shame the way they were acting. Perhaps they were finding fault, openly, also. A man or woman should be rebuked for doing this. The Holy Spirit was not leading at all in the way the women were acting at this Corinthian church. Paul had in mind to straighten this situation out at this particular time.”

“That seems clear,” Dale said, “but where does it say that women can preach?”

“Many years before it came to pass, the prophet Joel prophesied that women would prophesy or preach when the Holy Spirit was poured out upon them in the gospel day in which we are living. In Acts 2:14-17 we read where this prophecy came to pass. That was a wonderful day when God set the Church of God in motion. The Holy Spirit was poured out upon the 120 in the upper room, which included women also. People who heard the 120 praising God, rejoicing, and some prophesying, were amazed. Peter stood up and told them, ‘But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy.’ So you see that it was in God’s plan that women also have a part in spreading the gospel under the leadings of the Holy Spirit. The Apostle Paul exhorts the members of the church to seek the gift of prophecy for the edifying of the church, and, speaking to those having the gift, says, ‘Ye may all prophesy one by one, that all may learn and all may be comforted.’

“If Peter said it was all right for women to preach the very first day the church of God was set up, then it must be all right today,” said Darlene.

“Well, it is plain that he did and I am sure God did not change it later because it was foretold many years before that it would be so,” Dale added. “I don’t know why anyone objects today.”

“We also read that in the church several years later women preached,” Mother explained. “Read Acts 21:8, 9. ‘Paul’s company . . . came unto Caesarea; and we entered into the house of Philip the evangelist, which was one of the seven; and abode with him. And the same man had four daughters, virgins, which did prophesy.’ So now you see what I mean when I say we must ‘rightly divide the word of truth.’ Another time when Paul received a bounty or offering from the church at Philippi he wrote to them ‘And I entreat thee also, true yoke-fellow, to help those women which labored with me in the gospel, with Clement also and with other my fellow laborers.’ (Philippians 4:3). In Romans 16:1 it speaks of Phebe, a sister, being a servant (minister) of the church of Cenchrea. We also read in 1 Cor. 11:5 where the Apostle Paul discussed the oriental veil in connection with praying or prophesying, teaching that the custom was of the people and not of the church. Paul plainly tells in this chapter that a woman’s covering is her long hair (ver. 15) and she doesn’t need a veil on when she prays or prophesies. He would not have discussed this unless women were prophesying.”

“In the garden of Eden woman was created to be an ‘help meet’ (Gen. 2:20) for man. In the creation the greatest things were created last. If this were not true man would have to admit he was inferior to the horse, etc. Because Eve had a big part in the fall and getting Adam to sin, she was placed in a dependent position. She had to be in submission to her husband. (Gen. 3:16). But the gospel restores man and woman to the Eden condition—the union of one man and one woman for life. (Matt. 5:32) And also under the gospel the wife is the ‘help meet’ as ‘being heirs together of the grace of life.’ (1 Pet. 3:7) The Apostle Paul says, ‘Nevertheless neither is the man without the woman, neither the woman without the man, IN THE LORD.’ (1 Cor. 11:11, 12) We also read in Gal. 3:28, ‘There is neither . . . male nor female; for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.’ The wife is to submit and be subject to her husband through love and the man is to be willing to lay down his life for his wife. (Eph. 5:21-33) ‘Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.’ This is God’s law of love. Christ is the head of the church and in the woman’s case, first of all, she is subject to Christ and ‘ought to obey God rather than man.’ Therefore in the relationship of a wife and husband she is to recognize that the husband is the ‘head’ in the home, but in spiritual things the husband is not the head as Christ is the ‘head of the church.’ ”

“I think that is real plain, Mother,” Dale said. “I don’t see why others can’t see that, also. I am glad that you have told us how to rightly divide the Word of truth.”

“Let’s have prayer now and go to bed.” Mother said.

THE LORD’S DAY

“Daddy, will you start our Bible Talk tonight?” asked Darlene. “Mother still has some things to do in the kitchen before she can come.”

“Well, I guess so. What do you want to talk about?” Daddy asked.

“What is the difference between the Sabbath Day and Sunday?” asked Dale.

“Under the law of Moses the children of Israel who were brought out of Egypt were given the commandment to keep the seventh day of the week which is Saturday. It was called the Sabbath Day. No one kept the Sabbath before Moses gave it to the Israelites at God’s command, in the wilderness. That was at least 2,500 years after man’s creation. (Neh. 9:13, 14; Deut. 5:2, 3, 12) It was given to them as a sign or in remembrance of their being delivered from the bondage of Egypt, where they had been made slaves by the king, after Joseph died. The Bible says, ‘I gave them [the children of Israel] my sabbaths to be a sign.’ ‘Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the sabbath. . . . It is a sign between me and the children of Israel forever.’ (Exod. 31:16, 17)

“Now God gave them a commandment that they were not to do any manual labor on that day. They could not even pick up sticks to build a fire. (Exod. 20:10; 35:2) When God sent manna from heaven they were to pick up enough to last over the Sabbath but if they picked up more than a day’s supply any other day it would spoil. The Sabbath was a day of divine worship. The Sabbath was a shadow of something good to come in the gospel day. (Col. 2:16, 17). It was a shadow of the soul rest that we find in Christ every day when we are saved. (Matt. 11:28) We cease from our own works and are freed from the bondage of sin. (Heb. 4:3-11).”

“Then the Sabbath was a type of two things, was it?” Dale asked. “One was soul rest and the other freedom from bondage, just like the Israelites were freed from Egypt’s taskmasters?”

“Yes, that is right. Now one thing we want to note also is that the Sabbath, like other ceremonial requirements of the law of Moses was abolished,” (Col. 2:14, 16) Daddy continued. “Of course, the blessed soul rest, of which the Sabbath was a type, continues in the New Testament church that is found in Christ.”

“When did God’s people start meeting together on Sunday instead of Saturday, or the Sabbath, to worship the Lord?” Darlene asked.

“Can you tell me what day of the week Jesus arose from the grave?” asked Father.

“It was on Sunday, the first day of the week,” Darlene and Dale said in unison. (Mark 16:9)

“That is right,” agreed Father. “That was one of the most glorious days of all times. Our blessed Lord and Saviour came forth from the grave triumphant over sin, the flesh, and the devil. What better day would there be to meet together to worship the Lord? I am sure the disciples felt that way and we find them together in one place on the first day of the week on their first meeting after the resurrection. (John 20:19, 20) Jesus appeared unto them and said, ‘Peace be unto you.’ Then just one week later after the arrival of the eighth day John writes, ‘And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the door being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you.’ (John 20:26) We need to understand that the expression ‘the eighth day’ was commonly used in the law signifying the completion of one week and that it can mean nothing else in this place (see Lev. 23:35, 36); just as we now mention the eighth tone of the musical scale, meaning the first succeeding octave. We also notice in the scriptures the expression ‘in three days,’ ‘the third day’ and ‘after three days’ (Matt. 27:40; Matt. 20:19; Mark 8:31) are all used to describe the same period of time. Nearly all of the early Christian writers term the resurrection day the eighth day. So you see, the early church began to meet on Sunday, the first day of the week.”

“That makes Sunday mean more to me now since I know it is in memory of Jesus rising from the grave,” Darlene stated.

“I think it is a wonderful idea the disciples had and just think, we are still remembering Jesus’ resurrection by meeting together today on the first day of the week,” Dale remarked happily.

“Another wonderful thing happened on Sunday, the first day of the week,” Daddy told his children. “It was also the day when the Holy Spirit was poured out upon the 120 who met together in the upper room on the day of Pentecost. (Acts 2:1; Lev. 23:15, 16) That was a glorious day and today we meet together to receive a blessing to our souls. The Bible tells us, ‘Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is.’ (Heb. 10:25) God has some wonderful things to teach us as we meet together and we also receive encouragement for the days ahead.

“The early church was still meeting together on Sunday, as recorded in Acts 20:7. This took place in Troas, in Asia Minor. ‘And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them.’ Here we have the communion service on the first day. Then in 1 Cor. 16:2 it is mentioned where Paul told the Corinthian church to take up their offerings on the first day of the week, which is Sunday, when they came together. Then sixty-six years later after Jesus’ resurrection, John tells us that he was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day. (Rev. 1:10) Many historical writers tell us that even up to 324 A. D. they still called Sunday the ‘Lord’s Day.’ (Eusebius) But do remember that every day is holy unto the Lord. All we do on this day is to meet together to worship the same God whom we have worshiped all week. We don’t worship the day, but on the day worship God together with others who love Christ. We do only that work which is necessary, but are not under bondage as they were under the law of Moses to keep the Sabbath Day. The Lord’s Day or Sunday is not the Sabbath as some might want to call it.”

“Daddy, I surely have learned a lot tonight,” Dale declared. “Sunday worship will mean more to me now.”

“Another thing I want you to remember is that Constantine was the ruler who officially recognized Sunday as the day of worship,” Daddy added. “He did not start it, as we have already learned; he just recognized it.”

“Jesus started it when he arose on that day and then the Holy Spirit came on that day into the hearts of the 120, and—and—,” stammered Darlene.

“The disciples were the first ones to meet together for worship on that day,” said Dale.

“We had better have prayer now and go to bed,” Daddy said as he looked at Mother, who had been listening.

POISONS

“Are you about ready to start our Bible talk?” Daddy asked, as he sat waiting, with his Bible open. “I have an important verse to read to you tonight.”

“What is it?” Dale asked as he picked up his Bible and came closer to his father. Darlene also got her Bible and sat waiting for their father to tell them what verse to find.

“It is found in 1 Cor. 6:19, 20. ‘What? Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.’ Now we shall read 1 Cor. 3:17 where Paul says, ‘If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy.’ Our body is the temple of God and God wants us to take care of it. Many people today are taking poisons into their bodies and are defiling them. God has solemnly told us that this is wrong, and they will be punished. Can you tell me some of the poisons people take?”

“Whiskey is poison, isn’t it?” Dale asked.

“Yes, it has poison in it. Other poisons are beer, gin, wine, marijuana, and heroin,” Daddy replied. “They are habit forming. Many people have tried to quit drinking or using dope but they could not. At first they may be able to drink a little or use a little dope and then leave it alone, but it generally will get them. I read about a man who caught a boa constrictor in the jungle when it was tiny. He put it in a bag and brought it home. He made a cage for it and petted it just as a boy does a dog. He taught the snake tricks. He would have the snake wind itself around his own body and then unwind.

“The snake grew older and longer. Then the man took the snake to different places to perform before crowds. The snake was nearly 12 feet long. It would twine itself about its master’s body from his heels to his head. At the master’s command, the snake would unwind and go back into its cage. This went on for years. Then one day a terrible thing happened! The man and the snake went through their act before a great crowd of people. When the trainer gave the command for the snake to unwind, it did not obey. Instead, it tightened its coils around the man until the man’s breath was gone. Then it crushed his bones. The man fell lifeless before the crowd. He had trusted the snake too far.

“This is what happens to thousands of people who trifle with alcoholic drinks or dope. For a time they drink or smoke or use dope, thinking that they are still master. They think that they can take it or leave it alone. But the time comes when strong drink and dope strangles them. It becomes their master and they become helpless until they call upon God for mercy and help. They come to a sad end. They will suffer much from delirium tremens or visions of snakes and other things that are not there. They can’t hold a job and soon become homeless, friendless, and an outcast. It is a terrible thing to take the first taste of any kind of liquor. The Bible tells us, ‘Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath contentions? who hath babbling? who hath wounds without cause? who hath redness of eyes? They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed wine. Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his color in the cup, when it moveth itself aright. At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder.’ ” Proverbs 23:29-32.

“I surely don’t want to ever be under bondage to any of that stuff,” Dale said firmly.

“I don’t either,” agreed Darlene.

“There is some caffeine, which is harmful to the body, found in cola drinks. I have a clipping here taken from the “Grit” newspaper in December, 1963. Let me read it to you. ‘A physician recently asked the American Medical Association if cola drinks contain caffeine and the answer was that they do. Some of the more popular brands contain 3 to 4.6 milligrams in an ounce.’

“ ‘An average cup of coffee will contain about 18 milligrams of caffeine in a fluid ounce. Strong tea contains approximately the same amount of caffeine as coffee; but average tea contains from 12 to 15 milligrams in each fluid ounce. Thus, coffee contains about four times as much caffeine as a soft drink.’ Caffeine is habit forming.”

“So colas, coffee, and tea have some poisons in them, too?” asked Darlene.

“Yes, and all of these strong drinks are harmful to the body and the Bible teaches us plainly that it is wrong to defile the temple of God, which is our body. Those who know, tell us that many are in mental institutions today because of strong drink and dope. God’s ways are surely right and if we will follow the right it will lead us to happiness in this life and a life of bliss in heaven with our Lord and Saviour after death.”

“There is poison in cigarettes, too, isn’t there?” asked Dale.

“Yes; the Medical Association tells us that there are 18 different poisons in a single puff of tobacco smoke. All of these poisons are deposited in a smoker’s lungs, and it is an established fact that it causes lung cancer. How foolish for people to smoke! Boys and girls should never start such a harmful habit which is so hard to break. It is said that if a leech sucks blood from a habitual smoker it will die instantly. Nicotine is a narcotic. One drop of it on the bare skin of a rabbit throws the poor animal into a state of shock. The mouth-piece of a pipe which has been used for smoking tobacco, rubbed on the skin of a frog will cause it to die in convulsions.”

“Do all the people who smoke know these things?” Darlene asked.

“There is no excuse for not knowing since it is taught in the schools and the government is now requiring a caution notice to be printed on each pack of cigarettes. Many people who do not smoke, but have to be around those who do and breathe the smoke from cigarettes, receive ill effects from it. I wish all would obey God’s Word and be spared the suffering caused by these poisons. God can save them and take the habit away from them if they will only pray to him and make a decision never to smoke again.”

“I’m not going to ever take any of these poisons into my body,” Dale said firmly.

“I have already warned you of the dangers of sniffing glue,” said Mother. “It damages the brain, which is defiling the temple of God the same as the other poisons are.”

“I think it would be real foolish to do anything like that,” Darlene stated.

“I do pray that neither of you will ever yield to the temptation to use any of these things. There are many boys and girls who may tempt you to try just once, but it is too dangerous to tamper with. We had better have our nightly prayer now and off to bed with you.”

What I Have Seen

“I have heard the wail of children crying for bread, and their mothers had none to give them. I have seen the babe pulling breasts as dry as if the starved mother had been dead. I have known a father turn a step-daughter into the street at night, bidding the sobbing girl, who had bloomed into womanhood, to earn her bread as others were doing. I have bent over the foul pallet of a dying lad to hear him whisper, and his father and mother, who were sitting half-drunk by the fireside had pulled the blankets off his body to sell for drink. I saw the children blanched like plants growing in a cellar; for weeks they never breathed a mouthful of fresh air, for want of rags to cover their nakedness and they lived in continual terror of a drunken father or mother coming home to beat them. I do not recollect ever seeing a mother in these wretched dwellings dandling her infant, or of hearing the little creature coo or laugh. These are some of drink’s doings: but nobody can know the misery I suffered amid those scenes of wretchedness, want and sin.” —Dr. Guthrie.

Hear Young Man! This shows You!! what your wine and beer drinking will bring you to.

“At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder.” Proverbs 23:32.

JESUS HEALS TODAY

“I think the Bible is the most interesting book in the world,” Darlene said. “When we have talked about all the subjects in the Bible, I would like to start all over again.”

“We aren’t through talking about all the subjects in the Bible yet, and probably never could get through,” Dale replied. “I know what you mean, however, about starting over again. I do hope I can remember all we have talked about. If I had written it all down I could read it over and over. I love the Bible, don’t you?”

“I surely do!” Darlene answered. “Here comes Mother. What are we going to talk about tonight? Our Bible chain is growing longer and longer.”

“How about talking about divine healing?” Mother asked the children.

“I think that will be fine. I know that God does heal,” Dale said, “but don’t know where in the Bible it tells that it is in His plan to heal.”

“Why, Dale, you know all about how Jesus healed when he was here on earth!” exclaimed Darlene. “You can read it many times in the New Testament.”

“I know, but Bill says it is not for us today,” Dale answered, “and I want to know a scripture in the Bible that I can quote to him that would make him know that healing is for us today.”

“There are many today who feel that way, but there is one scripture which refutes that idea. Turn to Hebrews 13:8 where it reads, ‘Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today and forever.’ What do you think that means?”

“That is just the scripture I need to convince Bill,” said Dale. “Why, Jesus healed when he was here on earth, he heals today, and He will heal us as long as we need to be healed. Why didn’t I think of that scripture before?” “We have another scripture in James 5:14 which says, ‘Is any sick among you? Let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up,’ ” read Mother. “That is so plain that it doesn’t need any explanation and it is being done today. The elders are anointing the sick with oil and they are being healed, just as they were healed when Jesus was here. The morning church, to whom James the apostle was writing, also experienced divine healing. It is a wonderful privilege to trust the Lord. Man will make mistakes. He may come to wrong conclusions about a person’s illness or condition in his body, and then treat him with something that makes him worse, rather than better. Man is frail but our God never makes a mistake. He knows just what the trouble is and can heal it. God made our bodies and can see the trouble better than an X-ray machine. We need to have faith in His healing power. He will become real to us if we will only count it so.

“Healing for the body is linked with salvation. The prophet Isaiah prophesies of it. He says, ‘He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed.’ (Isa. 53:5) The Apostle Peter also tells us, ‘Who His own self bare our sins in His body on the tree . . . by whose stripes ye were healed.’ (1 Pet. 2:24). David prophesied that Jesus would heal our bodies. He said, ‘Who healeth all thy diseases.’ (Psa. 103:2) So we have many scriptures that prove healing is definitely a Bible doctrine. Jesus said, ‘All things are possible to him that believeth.’ ” (Mark 9:23)

“Tell us about some who have been healed,” said Dale.

“Bro. Fred Pruitt had consumption and was going down in his body at the age of 50. He was very thin, had a bad cough, and felt that he would not be here very long unless the Lord healed him. He hated to leave his wife with six children to rear alone. One day he was standing in the kitchen thinking about his condition. He had been praying very much about it and asking the Lord to heal him. While he was standing there praying, the Lord made him know in his heart that He would heal him and add twenty years to his life. He rejoiced and thanked the Lord. Bro. Pruitt told his wife and children about it and they were very happy. As his children grew up they heard him tell the saints many times that God had promised that he would not die until the twenty years had passed. He used those years working for the Lord. During that time he had pneumonia, severe attacks of kidney stones, and many other afflictions which the Lord healed because he trusted fully in God and never looked to doctors. The Lord not only gave him twenty years, but also added over eleven more to that twenty before he took him to glory. He had better health in his latter years than in his former. The Lord is good to those who will trust him for soul and body.”

“Jesus didn’t change when he went to be with God, His Father, did He?” questioned Dale. “He still has the same power to heal now as he did when he was here on earth, doesn’t He?”

“Yes,” Mother answered. “I knew a girl who was playing with her brothers in the yard. Her brothers would put their backs together and one would bend down and throw the other over his back. This was dangerous but they did not realize it. Their sister watched them for a while and thought it was great fun. She asked them to throw her over their backs, which they did. She would land on her feet and all went well for a while but one time they threw her over and she landed in such a way that it hurt her back. Her mother thought her back was broken. She was screaming with pain and was picked up and carried into the house. Her brothers and sisters stood about the bed crying and this girl was shaking from head to foot with terrible pain. Her mother thought she might go into convulsions at any time. Of course, right away she wanted her father to come pray for her. From infancy she had been taught to trust in prayer for healing. Many, many times she had been healed. She knew that as soon as her father prayed the Lord would heal her. Her father came in looking calm because, as he said later, the Lord checked him when he started to run upon receiving the word, several blocks away, that his little girl had been hurt. He asked his daughter, who was about 10 or 11 years old, if she believed the Lord would heal her when he prayed. She replied that she did. They all knelt in prayer. God touched her, and the healing power of God went through her body; or, in other words, the pain all left and she lay there calm and restful, knowing that God had healed her. She was very happy and all the family were, too. That girl loved God more from that day on and had more confidence in the Lord to heal.”

“I am glad the Lord healed her,” Darlene said, “that was awful pain I am sure. Tell us about others who have been healed.”

“Time would not permit us to tell all that God has done, but those who have faith in God will be healed. Of course, we do know that God expects to take us home to glory some day and it is according to His plan that this old body will go down and become weaker; but, thank God, we know the inner man can be renewed day by day. (2 Cor. 4:16) Since the Lord has given light to His people through the teaching of this reformation, he has healed all manner of diseases. God has healed the crippled and made them to walk, opened eyes, mended broken bones, healed typhoid fever, polio, strokes, and many, many other diseases. Nothing is impossible with our God. We know that prayer changes things.

“I am glad that you have taught us how to trust God for our healing,” Dale said joyfully. “He has healed me many, many times. I am glad that He has as much power to heal as He ever did.”

“Jesus still has power to heal today. When He was here on earth a father came to him one day and told him that his son was sick with a burning fever and asked him to come to his house and heal the child. Jesus spoke kindly to the distressed father and said, ‘Return to your home without me, for your son will not die.’ The nobleman believed Jesus and he no longer feared that his little son would die. He started for his home and as he neared it some of his friends met him and told him, ‘Your son is no longer sick.’ The father asked just what time the fever left him. When they told him the time he knew it was at the very hour that Jesus had spoken. (John 4:45-54) It is wonderful to trust Jesus today for healing just as the nobleman trusted Jesus to heal his son.

“It is getting late so we had better have prayer and go to bed.”

Prayer Changes Things

In the Bible we read about the many times God answered prayer. He is the same today. The Israelites prayed and God sent them Moses. Abraham’s servant prayed and Rebekah appeared. Jacob prayed and wrestled with God; Esau’s mind was changed after 20 years of intending to kill Jacob. Moses prayed and God forgave the Israelites of their sin of worshiping a golden calf. Joshua prayed and Achan’s hidden, stolen treasure was uncovered. Hannah prayed and Samuel was born. David prayed and his enemies were destroyed. Asa prayed and a victory was gained. Isaiah and Hezekiah prayed and 185,000 Assyrians were dead within twelve hours. Daniel prayed and the lions were muzzled. The three Hebrew children were delivered from the fiery furnace. Mordecai and Esther fasted and prayed and Haman was hanged on his own gallows in three days. Ezra prayed at Ahave and God answered. Nehemiah prayed and the king’s heart was softened in a minute. Elijah prayed and a drought that lasted for three years came to pass. Elijah prayed again and the drought ended. Elisha prayed and the river Jordan was divided. Elisha prayed and the soul of a child came back into his body. Peter and John prayed and a crippled man leaped and praised God. The apostles prayed when in prison and the doors opened and they walked out. Saul prayed and he was saved from his sins. Ananias prayed and Paul received his sight. The church prayed and Peter was brought out of prison by an angel. Paul prayed and the snake bite did not kill him. Jesus prayed for all of us who believe on His name through the words of the disciples that God would keep us from evil.

MARRIAGE AND DIVORCE

“Why are you looking so serious?” Darlene asked her mother as she got her Bible and waited for Dale to come so they could start their Bible talk. The chain of truths they had talked about was getting longer and longer.

“I guess it is because I have a serious subject on my mind that I thought we would talk about tonight,” Mother replied as she looked again at her Bible on her lap.

“I’m ready,” stated Dale as he got his Bible and sat down. “What’s so serious?”

“I know that neither of you is ready for marriage, but I am sure you have thought about it. There are some instructions about marriage in the Bible that I think you need to know. I want you to be settled on the facts about what is right and what is wrong. Marriage is a very serious step to take and it should never be thought about lightly. It is so serious that in many cases the choice of a marriage companion is the determining factor in the soul’s choice—salvation and heaven, or a life of sin and hell. That may sound strange to you now; but in later years, when you have seen many make a wrong choice in marriage and how it affects them, you will understand. It is doubly hard to live for God when the husband or wife does not, therefore not many will do it. Some marry with the thought that if they do not get along they will get a divorce and marry another—which is a terrible way to start a marriage.”

“I have heard Bill talk like that,” Dale said.

“It is sad, but there are many divorces in the land today because the majority of people have that attitude about marriage,” Mother replied. “In the beginning God did not plan for it to be that way. We read the words of Jesus here in Matt. 19:4 which says, ‘Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female, And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh? Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.’ God made just one woman for Adam and that was Eve. He did not want anything to separate them. Adam looked at Eve and loved her because she was flesh of his flesh and bone of his bone. (Gen. 2:23, 24) When two marry they become one flesh or a part of each other. They should treat each other in that manner. They should love one another as they love themselves. The Apostle Paul compared the church, the bride of Christ, to a husband and wife. He said, ‘Husbands love your wives even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it.’ (Eph. 5:21-23) Jesus had such love for us that he died in our stead for our sins. No love has ever been so great.”

“I don’t believe there would be any divorces if husbands and wives loved each other as Jesus loved us,” Dale stated.

“There wouldn’t be any,” agreed Mother, “if such were the case in every marriage. That is the reason it is so important to be sure you marry the right one. It is a lifetime step. My father and mother taught us from childhood that marriage was for life, or as long as both lived. My father often quoted the scripture to us: ‘What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.’ (Matt. 19:6) He taught us to choose a companion who believed it that way, also. Divorcing and remarrying is not God’s plan. Some mentioned to Jesus (19th chapter of Matt.) that Moses permitted some to get a divorce, but Jesus plainly told them: ‘Moses because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives; but from the beginning it was not so.’ (verse 8) We are not living under Moses’ law but under the laws of Christ, who has plainly told us that what God has joined together let no man put asunder.”

“I know some children whose parents are divorced,” Darlene said.

“It is very sad for children to have to go through such a thing,” Mother replied. “They feel insecure and frightened. Many times they get into trouble because their homes have been broken up and they do not have both parents to guide them into right paths. Many times the mother has to work and the children are allowed to run the streets.”

“Can a person marry again if the husband or wife dies?” asked Darlene.

“The Bible tells us plainly about that in Romans 7:2, ‘For the woman which hath a husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband, so then if, while her husband liveth, she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress: but if her husband be dead, she is free from that law; so that she is no adulteress, though she be married to another man.’ The same rule would apply to the man. Now that is plain enough, I think. Paul also tells us in 1 Cor. 7:39 that a person is to be married ‘only in the Lord.’ When a boy or girl is old enough to keep company with one of the opposite sex, he should be sure to choose one who is saved. Otherwise, he might fall in love with someone who isn’t saved and marry out of the order of the Lord. Many young people who go together get their emotions worked up by hugging and kissing each other, and they think that is love, but it is not. God is not pleased with this.”

“Do you know of anyone who did not kiss before they were married?” Dale asked.

“Yes, I could name a number of different ones,” replied Mother. “I have a deep respect for them. I don’t know of one marriage that has failed when the courtship was carried on in that manner. Save your kisses for your companion in life.”

“I don’t know when I will ever get married, but I am glad to know what is right and what is wrong about it,” Dale said.

“The Word teaches that marriage is binding for life. When a couple agrees to get married, they should bear in mind that the marriage vow does not change an ease-loving vain girl into a careful conscientious help meet and home-maker. Neither will a marriage vow turn a shiftless man into an honest, willing, hard-working head of a family.

“If the courtesy shown before marriage and the consideration usually given before the very important step is taken, were practiced ever after in life, there would be no broken hearts. Step into a divorce court where innocent little ones are often forced to witness the disgraceful proceedings against father or mother, whom they equally love. This God-given affection is rudely murdered. A never-to-be-forgotten forlornness, grief, and sorrow take its place. After sentence is pronounced, one or the other of the loved ones, with usually a prospect of another marriage in view, with a toss of the head imagines oneself to be free, but a time of reckoning is coming. Satan has his clutches on such an one tighter than ever. The unchangeable law of purity, loyalty, and true, holy love will seek justice. (Mark 10:11) ‘Whosoever shall put away his wife, and marry another, committeth adultery.’ We also read in 2 Cor. 6:14, ‘Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers.’ Be sure the Lord is in your marriage.

“We had better have prayer and go to bed,” Mother said as she put her Bible on the table.

WHAT IS TITHING?

“I am going to put fifty cents in the missionary box Sunday,” Darlene said as she and Dale counted the money they had saved.

“Bill said he only puts ten per cent of all he makes in the box at church,” Dale stated, “so that is what I will put in, too.”

“Oh, do you think that will be enough, Dale? Let us ask Mother what she thinks is the right amount,” Darlene spoke as her mother entered the room where the two children were waiting to have their Bible talk. “Mother, would ten per cent of our earnings be enough to give to the Lord?”

“Well, that would be all right if we were living under the law of Moses,” Mother replied. “But that law was fulfilled and done away with. Jesus said that he came to fulfill and not destroy the law. (Matt. 5:17, 18) Tithing or the giving of the tenth of all one made was taught strictly in the law. They were to give a tenth of everything that they made, which included the seed planted, honey, oil, livestock, etc.” (Lev. 27:30-33)

“Why do some people give the tenth today if it was done away with when Christ came?” Dale asked.

“They do not understand the New Testament teachings which are for this dispensation. Jesus fulfilled the law and Webster’s dictionary says that ‘fulfill’ means ‘to bring to a close, to finish.’ When Jesus died on the cross he said, ‘It is finished.’ (John 19:30) All things written of him were then fulfilled. The law came to an end and passed out just as Jesus said it would. Tithing and the ordinances under the law were nailed to the cross. (Gal. 3:24, 25; 4:22-31) The proof that it did is that it was never taught any more by the disciples and in the New Testament. One time Jesus talked to the Jews who were so strict in tithing and were keeping the law system at that time. He was not talking to the Christians in Matt. 23:23. Since the Jews were tithing, he told them they were forgetting some of the “weightier” matters which they should be doing. While Jesus was living there was a mixture of the law and the Gospel—Jesus was trying to show them a better way—but when Jesus died on the cross the law was fulfilled and brought to an end. So compulsory tithing ended then.”

“What are we to give, then?” Dale asked because he was confused; he wanted to do right.

“After Jesus arose from the grave and ascended up into heaven, the Holy Spirit was poured out upon the 120 and others who believed. The early church at that time was giving their all to the Lord. (Acts 2:44, 45) They were so filled with the love of God and the Holy Spirit that they just gave what they had as they saw a need. But remember that no one told them to do this. They did it voluntarily. It is not wrong to give a tenth or whatever portion we desire, it is the compelling to give that is wrong. Nothing was mentioned of tithing in the early church. The Lord wants us to give Him our all when we are His. ‘Whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.’ (Luke 14:33) That is what Jesus tells us to do. We are to give our all to Christ, which means our money as well as ourselves and everything that we have. Then we can seek the Lord about where he wants us to give of our money or how to use it. Perhaps one time God will want you to give a certain amount and at another time it will be a different amount. The Apostle Paul tells us plainly how we are to give. He said, ‘as he purposeth in his heart, not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.’ (2 Cor. 9:7) When we give, we endeavor to be led by the Spirit of the Lord. We can know how much to give and where to give it after we have prayed and thought about it.”

“Well, I can give as much as I feel the Lord wants me to give,” Dale said with a look of understanding on his face. I’ll have to tell Bill about this. I really don’t mind giving more than a tenth of what I made, but there is something else I wanted to give—it’s a secret because it is for you.”

“We aren’t under bondage in the New Testament Church but we do want to give. God will bless us and, as it said, ‘God loveth a cheerful giver.’ That is a wonderful thought. To be loved by God is a great blessing. We can never out-give the Lord. I have never given gifts, money, or my time to the Lord (by giving it to others) but what I was blessed. Jesus has told us that ‘Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.’ (Matt. 25:40) So when we do for others or give money, we ought to do it as unto the Lord and the Lord will bless us. We shall be laying up treasures in heaven.

“The Lord doesn’t want us to be wasteful with anything that he permits to come into our hands. We need to take care of the food that we have. After Jesus fed the 5000 he had the disciples take up the leftovers. That is an example for us. But the Lord wants us to be free with what he permits to come into our hands by helping others or using it in the work of the Lord as He makes it known to us. He will direct our giving.

“Down through the years I have seen God supply money or needs in various ways. One time I had only fifty cents to buy groceries for us to live on for the week. Of course, that was several years ago and we were having some very hard times. We practiced the policy of paying our bills first and then eating on what was left. I prayed before we went down to the market. The Lord seemed to multiply that money because I had an abundance of vegetables which I bought with that money. I also have seen God supply thousands of dollars for His work in answer to prayer when others didn’t seem to have faith that it could be done. The Lord owns the cattle on a thousand hills and knows how to get them if he needs them.”

“Our talks have made God bigger to me than He has ever been before,” Dale declared.

“I love God, too, and I know He will take care of me,” Darlene added. “I want to give him my heart, my money, and everything I have. I know he will take care of me and will let me help others, too.”

“Yes, that is right,” agreed Mother. “Bedtime has come again; let us have prayer and say goodnight.”

OBEYING GOD’S WORD

“What is your memory verse for Sunday School?” Mother asked Darlene as they waited for Dale to come for their Bible talk.

“ ‘They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world,’ John 17:16,” quoted Darlene.

“That is a good verse and Jesus means that for us today,” Mother said as Dale came into the room. “They who were followers of Jesus in that day were different from others in the world. They did not have the spirit of the worldly minded people, neither did they act, talk, dress, nor live as they did. I believe in the verse preceding that one it says, ‘I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from evil,’ (ver. 15) Jesus knew that God had help for us to live in this world and be different. It doesn’t hurt to be different from others in the world if we are pleasing the Lord. We are convinced that the majority of people in the world are not living by the Bible. We want to be like Jesus who said, ‘I do always those things that please Him [his Father].’ (John 8:29) That should be our heart’s greatest desire. God has left his Bible as our guide or map to go by so we can get to heaven. He tells us how to live in this world.”

“How can we tell anyone why we do not watch T. V.?” Dale asked. “Bill thinks we are so different from anyone in the world and laughed when I told him God wasn’t pleased when we looked at

T. V.”

“There is one scripture that should settle that. It is direct about it, yet there are many others against the wicked things that are shown on T. V.,” Mother answered. “Turn to Psa. 101:3. It says, ‘I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes; I hate the works of them that turn aside.’ Television brings robbery, murder, drinking, gambling, adultery, fornication, whiskey, beer, wine, tobacco, stealing, immodest dressing right into the home. It makes me feel sad when I think about the report that since television has taken over, crime among children has increased 400 percent. Children are greatly impressed with what they see.”

“Bill says there are some good things shown on television,” remarked Dale.

“If you should drop a piece of bread into the garbage can, would you want to take it out and eat it?” Mother asked the children.

“Why, no!” Darlene answered. “Some bad stuff would be on part of it.”

“That is just the way with television,” Mother continued. “There is a little good shown on it but there is so much bad that it ruins the little good that might be there, so it is better not to look at any of it. Those who teach a godly life have always taught against going to the movies, and there is no difference between picture shows and television. I trust that you can understand this. Even the FBI tells us that television, comic books, movies, and radios are the four greatest influences for evil that we have. God wants us to be not of the world even as Jesus was not of the world. We should not even want to dress in the ungodly fashions of the world because the Bible tells us to dress in ‘modest apparel.’ (1 Tim. 2:9, 10) That is a commandment even as other commandments that are in the Bible.”

“I would be ashamed to wear my dress as short as some of the girls in school,” Darlene remarked.

“In the beginning God taught Adam and Eve how to dress. We read where it says, ‘Unto Adam also and to his wife did the Lord God make coats of skins, and clothed them.’ (Gen. 3:21) Clothed means ‘to cover.’ God expects us to cover our bodies. The wearing of shorts or dresses that won’t cover the knees when one sits down is immodest and a sin, because it is disobeying God’s Word.”

“The boys make fun of girls who wear those unsightly short dresses,” remarked Dale.

“Another thing that the Bible teaches is for a woman to have long hair,” Mother continued. “It is very plain in the Bible about the hair being long. In 1 Cor. 11th chapter we read the discussion about the custom of wearing the veil in that day. Verses 4 and 5 speak about a man dishonoring his head, which is Christ, if he has his head covered when he prays or preaches and a woman dishonors her head, which is the man and Christ, if she prays or preaches with her head uncovered. Then in verse 15 the Apostle Paul plainly tells us that ‘if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her: for her hair is given her for a covering,’ (or veil) so she doesn’t need a veil. In verse 16 the Apostle Paul says that there is no such custom in the churches of God of wearing the veil because the long hair is given for a covering. In other words, a woman dishonors Christ if she doesn’t have long hair or as long as her hair will grow. It is not to be shorn, which means to cut or clip.”

“I don’t know why anyone wouldn’t understand that the Bible teaches a woman to have long hair when it plainly says, ‘long hair.’ ” Darlene said.

“The most important thing in the world is to obey God’s Word,” Mother continued. “It is better to take a little snubbing here in this life or some slighting remarks than to live in eternity with those who will be cursing you, wailing and gnashing teeth because of the remorse and torture which come from not obeying God’s word. You can leave a room filled with weeping and cursing, but there is no escape from such in hell. Hell is as real as heaven is.

“The Apostle Peter teaches us to dress in a manner that will display the purity of the inner person that is cleansed from all sin. We read in 1 Pet. 3:3, 4, ‘Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold or of putting on of apparel; but let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.’ We should live in such a manner that Jesus will shine out in our lives and help others to be brought to Him. We are not desiring to display self, but to show God through our dress and our actions.”

“Where does the Bible say for a woman not to wear men’s clothing?” Darlene asked.

“That is in Deut. 22:5. ‘A woman shall not wear that which pertaineth to a man, for whosoever doeth these things is an abomination unto the Lord.’ It is sad to see a woman wearing men’s clothing, with short hair, smoking and drinking like wicked men. Wearing men’s pants, tight fitting slacks are of the world and detract from the modesty of a girl or woman. This is a fad of the world. The Apostle Paul said, ‘In time past ye walked according to the course of this world.’ (Eph. 2:2) Bible writers called disobedience to God of all kinds ‘the world.’ We read in Gal. 1:4 Christ ‘gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world.’ Many women today are throwing themselves away. Many will take dope. I heard that over 300 babies in New York who were born to dope-fiend mothers had a battle to live because they craved dope. Many of them died. It makes one weep to know that womankind will go so low and bring suffering to others. A nation rises or falls with the virtue of women. A mother in the home who has high standards of morality and a great faith in God can instill teachings in the hearts and minds of her children, who will go out into the world to make it a better place to live. Oh, the Lord wants all of us to be pure inside and live a clean, pure life—a life that will help others to find God.”

“Mother, I do not want to do anything to displease God nor to disobey God’s Word,” Darlene remarked and Dale agreed with her.

“I trust you will keep that for your motto all through life,” Mother said with a feeling of happiness because their desires were noble and wonderful. “God will help you to live right if you will always keep heaven in view and never be ashamed to stand up for the right. I have enjoyed our Bible talks very much.”

Dale and Darlene agreed with their mother.

THE WOMAN AND THE RED DRAGON

(Revelation 12:1-17)

“Tonight we are going to ask Uncle Cecil some questions about the twelfth chapter of Revelation for our Bible talks. We are glad he could visit us for he is able to explain some precious truths so we can understand them,” said Father as the family gathered in the living room for their nightly Bible study.

“I will try to give you an idea as to what I understand it to mean, but it is a picture that we will understand better as time goes on. I shall read the first six verses, and then you may ask questions,” said Uncle Cecil. The children followed in their Bibles as he read to them.

“Who is this beautiful woman spoken of in these verses?” asked Darlene.

“This beautiful woman represents the early church. The church of God even as far back as the day of Pentecost.”

“Why does it say she was clothed with the sun?” Dale questioned.

“You have been taught that our earth receives its power from the sun. The light of our earth comes from the sun. Even the light from the moon is the reflected light of the sun. So, as this woman representing the church of God is clothed with the sun, the church which this woman represents is clothed with Jesus Christ, who was spoken of by the last prophet of the old Bible, Malachi, as ‘the Sun of righteousness.’ Jesus said, ‘I am the light of the world,’ and ‘Ye are the light of the world,’ so, we, a part of the church, are the light of the world, if we are clothed with Jesus. Probably the moon being under her feet means that the Church is standing on the Word of God, perhaps the moon meaning the Word of God given before Christ came; that is, the old law, the law of Moses. The Law of Moses reflects the light of Christ, but it is not as bright as the Sun for it is a reflection of the Sun. All the light and understanding God wanted us to have was not brought out in the Law of Moses, but the full brightness came with the coming of Christ into the world, and the setting up of His Church. And as the woman had a crown of twelve stars, so the early church had twelve apostles. The 20th verse of the first chapter of the Revelation told us that, ‘The seven stars are the angels [ministers] of the seven churches.’ So the church of God had its twelve stars (apostles or ministers). The 2nd verse told us this woman was about to become a mother, and the earliest group, the 120 assembled together on the day of Pentecost, truly brought forth a group of converts. Acts 4:4 says there ‘were about 5000’ that believed.”

“I see, Uncle Cecil, but what was this great red dragon, that had seven heads and ten horns and a long tail dragging stars down from the sky?” asked Dale.

“This great red dragon was the Roman Government. The government of that day opposed Christ’s church, and worked hard to destroy it. The old emperors of Rome brought many persecutions against Christ’s church, killing and persecuting the church’s converts. This old red dragon was bitterly opposed to Christ, His laws, and His people. This government was a pagan, heathen government, and is pictured as a dragon because dragons are looked upon as something dangerous and deadly. We fear that a dragon would kill us if it could. So the heathen, pagan government of Rome of that day was as dangerous to the newborn Christian as a literal dragon would be to a child.

“And so the church brought forth converts, and the heathen pagan government killed them as fast as possible. ‘Her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne.’ (verse 5) You know when a Christian dies he goes to Paradise where God is. The old red dragon even brought down many stars (ministers) with his long tail. Some converts went back on Christ, backslid to save their lives, and so were brought down from a heavenly place to shame and disgrace, losing their souls in trying to save their lives. ‘He that saveth his life shall lose it.’ The persecutions so wasted and destroyed the saints that they could no longer carry on the work of Christ IN PUBLIC and so the church of God was not publicly displayed to the world for 1260 years. The 1260 days represent symbolically, 1260 years.”

“Uncle Cecil, did all this really happen in heaven?” asked Darlene.

“No, dear, this happened right here on this earth. But as it was giving the history of the church, the word ‘heaven’ is used in the sense of being a heavenly place, or rather the place of church affairs. We notice that it is placed in the sky heaven, not the heaven where the throne of God is, but the heaven of the stars. Now let us read some more of the twelfth chapter of the book of the Revelation. Read verses 7 through 12.”

“Uncle Cecil, was there really war in heaven? I know we are taught that war is wrong and that we should not engage in war, and this says there was war in heaven,” Dale remarked.

“Yes, war is wrong. It is contrary to God’s law which says for us to love one another. But the Bible speaks of ‘our warfare,’ about the soldiers’ ‘armor,’ and tells us to ‘fight the good fight of faith.’ This is spiritual warfare, and God teaches us to fight against sin in every way possible. Satan is the author of sin, and we fight against sin by teaching people to confess their sins to God, ask His forgiveness, and promise God that they will sin no longer, by His help and grace. This war spoken of in heaven is that spiritual warfare we must fight if we go to heaven. This heaven is the church realm and the fight is the fight between Satan and his people and Jesus Christ and his people. Satan, old Beelzebub, is the power behind all sin. Paganism (or heathenism) is a tool used of Satan to fight against Christ and the church of God. Paganism or heathenism is not the only tool Satan uses to hurt the church. We shall study a little farther on about Satan using Roman Catholicism, and then using Protestantism as tools against the church of God. Then besides church opposition, Satan will tempt us himself or will send one of his imps, or one of his sinful followers. He does not care what agent he uses to overthrow God’s people, and if one will not work he will use another.

“So this war, or fight, was between the heathen, pagan, Roman government being used by Satan, and the church of God led by His ministers and His Spirit. It took place in and around the places where saints of God were found: Jerusalem, Antioch, Ephesus, Thessalonica, Rome, Athens, and the greater part of the then Roman Empire in the early days after Jesus ascended to heaven. The children of God then realized that the devil or Satan was the real force against them, and so they even called this evil force the devil or Satan. Even so today, we call the heathen pagan forces that are still trying to overthrow Christ, His church, and His people: ‘Red Dragonism.’

“In this fight against heathenism and paganism which Christ started, the forces of heathenism gradually lost out. The bright ‘Sun’ with which the church was clothed, brought so much LIGHT and understanding to this old dark world that the heathen people, and their rulers, came to recognize that Paganism was foolishness and superstition. This was the way the red dragon was ‘cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.’ (verse 9) The priests of the pagans lost their jobs and their places of worship, and should anyone call himself a pantheist, (one who believes in many gods) he was considered foolish.

“You know, Dale and Darlene, we are in such a fight today. The forces of heathenism are arising and the devil is using them again to try to overthrow the church of God, but we can overcome these forces of heathenism and the devil ‘by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their [our] testimony.’ (verse 11).

“Now, read the rest of the chapter, beginning with verse 13. There we see the church, or woman which brought forth the man child, or converts, was so persecuted that she is pictured as being pursued into the wilderness to stay there a time (one year), times, (two years), and half a time (one half year), which adds up to three and one half years, or 1260 days, symbolically 1260 years.

“We read of the dragon or serpent casting out water from his mouth to flood the woman, and the earth swallowed up the water and helped the woman. So after heathenism was cast down as a spiritual force in the Roman Empire by the LIGHT of Christianity, the political force remained in power, and in A. D. 284 Diocletian, the Roman Emperor, ordered the complete destruction of Christianity.

Thousands were slain, but help came to the remnant by Diocletian’s death. The Emperor Constantine who followed him, finally, after defeating all his rivals, issued a proclamation tolerating Christianity, and even professed Christianity himself. So, as we see paganism defeated as a tool of Satan against true Christianity, let us watch Satan select another tool and continue his eternal fight against God, Jesus Christ, and the church of God.”

“Uncle Cecil has made those verses very plain,” Daddy remarked, “and we want to remember that God is on our side if we will stay with him. We do not want to tire Uncle Cecil so perhaps we can have prayer now and go to bed. We shall study some more tomorrow night.”

THE WILD BEASTS

(Revelation 13:1-10)

“Here is your Bible, Uncle Cecil,” Darlene said as she sat down with hers. The family again was ready to hear more in the book of Revelation written by John.

“Dale and Darlene, shall we continue our study in the Revelation?”

“Surely, Uncle Cecil, let us read more about these wonderful events. This is really fascinating, is it not?” the children said.

“I’ll read Revelation 13:1-10,” Uncle Cecil said, as he began to read; the children followed in their Bibles.

“Didn’t that old red dragon have seven heads and ten horns, too? Why did both these old wild beasts have seven heads and ten horns?” asked Dale.

“In Daniel the seventh chapter we read about four great beasts coming up from the sea and as these beasts were political powers we can interpret this beast, too, as a political power. Rome was such a political power, actually Daniel’s fourth beast was the Roman political power. The political power of Rome started as the red dragon with seven heads and ten horns. The heads mean the kind of government heading the Roman Empire. It is a fact that Rome had seven different kinds of government. We need also to understand that this leopard-like beast (Rome) did not have seven different kinds of government at the same time, but that one kind of government followed another kind when it ended. Rome was ruled by seven different types of government: first, Kings, followed by Consuls, Decemvirs, Military Tribunes, the Triumvirate, the Imperial or Emperors, then the short reign of Charlemagne, as Patrician, following which Charlemagne reverted to the sixth or Imperial when he was crowned Emperor. The ten horns were on the red dragon and on the leopard-like beast, as were the ten horns on the fourth beast in Daniel’s prophecy. This shows us they were the same. And Daniel tells us that the horns were ten kings (kingdoms) that would arise (out of the Roman Empire) following its fall. As these kingdoms had not come into power when the war between Christ and His Church against heathenism started, we can in this way understand that Rome under heathenism and Rome under Roman Catholicism (Papal Rome) were under the same spirit. Both were under the supreme leadership of old Satan, working first through heathenism, then working through Roman Catholicism.”

“Uncle Cecil, tell us what it means about the dragon giving his power, and seat, and authority to this beast. Is this beast also heathenism?” Dale asked.

“No,” replied Uncle Cecil, “This leopard-like beast represents Roman Catholicism.

“Let us look at history now for a while. The long struggle in the Roman Empire between heathenism and Christianity ended in heathenism being defeated. When Constantine became Emperor he accepted Christianity in name, and changed the ‘standards’ his army used from eagles to crosses. But we must remember that a fighting army was not the army of the Lord. Although it had the cross on its ‘standards,’ Christ would not have accepted them as part of His church. Real Christianity, real godly living, real obedience to the Word of God was no longer the way of life of the professed people of God. A great falling away, or apostasy, had taken place among the professed followers of Christ, and man’s ways, man’s rule, pagan ways and pagan principles had been incorporated into the worship of the so-called church of God. The real church was now in the ‘wilderness,’ not on display, not doing in public the works that Christ had ordained it to do, and the professed church was only a hollow mockery of what Christ had taught. The ministry had become worldly and ambitious and were seeking power and prestige instead of the will of God. Before the Apostle Paul died he warned them that this would come to pass.

“Through the backsliding of the professed people of God, a worldly-minded organization had developed and usurped in the public mind the place of the church. It became politically supreme, and since it, too, opposed the humble people of God it inherited the powers of the dragon. It inherited the political seat of power, (Rome) and took over the authority heathenism had exercised. The acquisition of power which the Bishop of Rome gradually received elevated him to a higher position of influence and authority over church affairs, until he finally became known as Pope, or papa. Roman Catholicism accepted many of the ways of heathenism, for instance: The Pope borrowed the title, Pontifex Maximus, and the attire of the pagan priesthood. Roman Catholicism adopted the wearing of medals, scapulars and images from heathenism. Heathenism exalted great men through a process called deification. Romans use a similar process to exalt great men, and call it canonization. Roman Catholicism’s incense burning in church services, its holy water, and candle burning are all inherited from heathenism, the old red dragon. Adoration of images is not of Christian origin, but from the old red dragon. Monks and nuns are copied from the Vestal Virgins of paganism. In fact, much of the public worship of the Roman Catholic church is of heathen origin, not Christian.”

“Will you tell us about the ‘thousand two hundred and three score days.’ Also, ‘a time, and times, and half a time,’ and now in the 5th verse, it spoke about him (the wild beast, Roman Catholicism) continuing ‘forty and two months?’ What and when are these time periods? Are they actual or symbolic?” asked Darlene.

“These three time periods described in these three ways, all add up to the same number of days. There was also a time period mentioned in Rev. 11:3, ‘And I will give power unto my two witnesses [these two witnesses are the Word and the Spirit] and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth.’ So these time periods are very important. In prophetic time reckoning we count 30 days to the month and 12 months to the year, which in all three counts would come to 1260 days. Reckoning ‘time’ as a year, ‘times’ as two years, so ‘half a time’ would be half a year, we see 1260 days. We find the phrase, ‘a time, times, and a half;’ in Daniel 12:7, and in Daniel 4:23, 25, we read about Nebuchadnezzar being told that he would be cast out of his kingdom ‘till seven times pass over him,’ and ‘seven times shall pass over thee,’ meaning seven years. Forty and two months at 30 days per month would be 1260 days, prophetically 1260 years. These prophecies are all fulfilled in the same 1260 year period when Roman Catholicism reigned supreme over the world. The true church faded into the apostatized church about 270 A. D. and 1260 years added to 270 brings us to 1530 A. D. when Martin Luther publicly challenged the Roman Catholic supremacy, and the Reformation period became plainly visible. This 1260 year time is the time when the church was in the wilderness, when the two witnesses, (the Word, or Christ, and the Holy Spirit) had to prophecy ‘clothed in sackcloth,’ when the beast (Roman Catholicism) was to continue ‘forty and two months.’ These 1260 years are known as the ‘Dark Ages.’ It was a dark time for the church of God, and many, many saints lost their lives because they would not bow to Romanism, the beast. You will have to read Fox’s ‘Book of Martyrs.’ ”

“Now, Uncle Cecil, tell us about one head of the beast being wounded nearly to death, but it was healed,” said Darlene.

“Let me remind you that the ‘dragon’ was represented with seven heads and ten horns, and the ‘beast’ was represented with seven heads and ten horns. This is to help us to understand that the dragon and the beast were the same. Satan used heathenism to persecute the church, and when heathenism lost favor old Satan went right on persecuting the church of God using Papalism, or Roman Catholicism. I told you the seven heads represented seven different forms of Government which ruled Rome. In Rev. 17:10 we are told that at this time five heads had fallen, one was, and one had not yet arisen. So the 6th head was the head that was wounded. Rome at this time was under the Emperors, or the Imperial Government. The first five were already gone: the Kings, the Consuls, the Decemvirs, the Military Tribunes, the Triumvirate, and now Rome had its Imperial head, the Emperors. But the Germanic tribes from the North fell upon the Roman Empire and brought it to its end about 475 A. D. and while the Emperors continued for a while the real power in Rome became the Roman Catholic Church, with the Pope as its head. It looked like the Roman Empire was over, but Charlemagne took real power as ‘Patrician,’ ruling for a short space, 26 years, and then he assumed the old title of Emperor in 800 A. D. This fulfills the words found in Rev. 17:10, 11, ‘And there are seven kings (kingdoms): five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space. And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition.’ That meant that there really were eight heads, but that the sixth and the eighth heads (Imperial or Emperor) were the same kind of head. So in the picture he has seven.”

“Mother told us a little about some of these things one night in our Bible talks,” Darlene stated.

“Uncle Cecil is telling you a lot more and it is interesting,” Mother said and Daddy agreed with her. The family knelt in prayer before going to bed.

THE FALSE PROPHET BEAST

(Revelation 13:11-18)

Dale and Darlene waited until their parents finished their conversation with Uncle Cecil and then Darlene said, “Uncle Cecil, is it not time to study some more of these symbols? I really enjoy studying in the Revelation.”

“Let us read about another wild beast. But you will see that he was a great power and did many wondrous things, and they were not all good things,” Uncle Cecil said. Then they read Rev. 13:11-18.

“Now, what did I tell you that a beast represented?” asked Uncle Cecil.

“A political power,” said Dale.

“And what did a horn represent?”

“A kingdom,” answered Darlene.

“It says this beast (political power) SPAKE. In the symbolic language used in the Revelation, human characteristics point us to the religious realm. And we find many human characteristics in this beast: Speaking, miracle-working, making an image, deceiving, giving life to an image and making it speak. So we must look for this beast to be a religious power. In fact, it will be called later, ‘the false prophet.’ (Rev. 16:13; 19:20; 20:10)

“Tell us then what this lamb-like beast, with two horns like a lamb and speaking as a dragon was,” said Dale.

“As we learned last night, Martin Luther is credited with starting the Reformation, which broke the hold that Roman Catholicism had upon the world for the 1260 year period. The Reformation was especially strong in two countries, Germany where Luther lived and in England. These two countries turned against Romanism especially and they are the two horns of this beast. England’s King Henry VIII assumed leadership of the Church of England, and was excommunicated by Pope Paul III in 1538. The revolt against Romanism spread and many broke their fellowship with it. These did not work together, but divided and formed churches (?) according to their individual beliefs. This great group of churches, while divided among themselves, all opposed Roman Catholicism. At first they protested against Rome’s many flagrant abuses, and then vigorously protested the decision of the Diet of Speyer in 1529, made by a Catholic majority.

“Their vigorous protests earned for them the name Protestants. So you can see Protestantism is this two-horned beast. And do you see, Dale and Darlene, that we who are members of the church of God, are not Protestants? We never came out of the Roman Catholic church, nor tried to reform it, by protesting against its apostasy. The church of God is older than Roman Catholicism or any of the churches (?) that came out of it. The Roman Catholic church came into being by leaders of the church of God, who compromised and let down the standards or Christ’s teachings. When men claiming to be a part of the Church of God sinned, they died spiritually, and any leadership they continued to exercise was not of the Holy Spirit, and their work was not approved by Christ. Today the great world of so-called Christianity is Christian in NAME but not in practice.”

“Tell us, Uncle Cecil, about the 12th verse. Protestants don’t worship Catholicism, do they?” asked Dale.

“In a sense they do. Many church members of the Protestant churches speak of the Catholic church as their ‘mother church.’ Of course, all do not. But the important thing is that they have copied so many things that were common both to the DRAGON (Paganism) and the BEAST (Roman Catholicism) that Protestantism SPEAKS as a dragon, and worships the Roman Catholic Beast. All three have some things in common that are not in the Church of God. About the most visible thing common to them is the substitution of MAN-RULE for the rule of the HOLY SPIRIT and the WORD. Paul tells us in the 12th chapter of First Corinthians about how the Holy Spirit rules and governs the church of God—gifts are given by the Spirit. The ONE Spirit governs the ONE church, and sets in the church the apostles, prophets, teachers, etc. In the so-called churches men are voted into these places to work. Men set them in and men push them out. Men call, and men qualify, and men discard. The Holy Spirit should do this.

Men think there are certain offices to fill in the church, and they nominate and elect to that office the one who gets a majority of the votes. While the elected one holds that office, he is considered able to exercise certain POWERS. When his term of office expires, he no longer has those powers. Men recognize his power only as long as his term of office lasts. There are many different kinds of man rule. There is the absolute one-man rule. There is rule by a group. There is rule by elected representatives. There is rule by every member, democratic rule. But man controls in each instance.

“In the church of God the Holy Spirit gives the gift, sets the gifted one in the body as it pleases HIM, and perhaps gives him more gifts as he uses the first gift. His GIFT makes a place for him to work. So when Protestantism set up its man-ruled churches it made an image to Catholicism. And it gave such power to the rulers that they may take away the member’s spiritual LIFE (?) unless he submits to that man rule (verse 15). So in the sense that they copy Catholicism, they are worshiping it. The offices in the church of God are filled by the Holy Spirit ‘gifting’ someone and then placing that one where He wants him.”

“We have heard much about the mark of the Beast. Will you help us to understand what really is the mark of the beast?” queried Dale.

“The use of the word ‘beast’ in the 13th chapter of the Revelation is used only one time in connection with Protestantism. Verse 11 says, ‘And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth.’ From then on the word ‘he’ is used, speaking of Protestantism. And HE had two horns, and HE spake, HE exerciseth, HE doeth, HE maketh, HE had power and so the mark must be the mark that Rome put on its subjects. Everybody had to be one of them or suffer the consequences. This is one thing that Protestantism also placed upon its members. To work among them, to preach, teach, one had to have the right mark. One could buy their teachings at the seminary and then sell them, but if he refused their teachings, he was unable to work there. This marking of the subjects is found among the Protestants as well as the Roman Catholics. Protestantism made its image to Catholicism. And the number 666 applies to Catholicism, Irenaeus thinks. Letters of the alphabet were used as numbers as well as letters. The number of the beast was to be counted to identify him. So to count the number of Catholicism we would add up the numbers that the Greek letters stood for, and that number was to add up to 666. Irenaeus used the word “Lateinos” which added up to 666; 1-30; a-1; t-300; e-5; i-10; n-50; o-70; s-200; total 666. Lateinos means Latin Kingdom. Some scholars said the word was spelled wrong and should not have the “e” in it. If so, Clarke shows us that the word for THE LATIN KINGDOM also added up to 666; The Latin Kingdom or E-8; 1-30; a-1; t-300; i-10; n-50; E-8; B-2; a-1; s-200; i-10; 1-30; e-5, i-10, a-1; totals 666. Also it says it is the ‘number of a man.’ The Pope is the head of the Roman or Latin Church and has a very distinguished title: Vicarius Felii Dei, which means Vicar of the Son of God. Those Latin letters too, had numerical meanings. You know many old time clocks had I, V, X on them for 1, 5, and 10. L, C, D, and M also had numerical equivalents, U and V both were used as 5. So V-5; 1-1; C-100; A-0; R-0; 1-1; U-5; S-0; F-0; 1-1, L-50; 1-1; D-500; E-0; 1-1; Total 666. Now the New Testament was written in Greek, and the number of a man, the Pope, was titled in Latin, but is it not remarkable that if we use the Greek letters with their numerical meaning, the Latin Kingdom, adds up to 666, and the actual spelling of the official title of the MAN, the Pope, also adds up to 666? What did that verse say?”

“ ‘Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is six hundred threescore and six,’ ” Dale read from his Bible.

“The Bible tells us everything, doesn’t it?” Darlene said with a shining face. “It is the most wonderful book in the world.”

“Yes, it is,” agreed Father. “Your mother and I are enjoying these talks as much as you are but we had better save some for tomorrow night. The family had prayer and Dale lingered awhile before going to bed. He had Uncle Cecil write down the names and numbers they had talked about so he could keep them.

THE CHURCH REIGNS FOREVER

Revelation 20:1-10

Time had come for the nightly Bible talks and the family with Uncle Cecil had gathered in the living room with their Bibles, eager to start another talk.

“Let us look at the 20th chapter of the Revelation this time for it is the same story told with different symbols as with the 12th and 13th chapters of the Revelation,” Uncle Cecil began. “The Revelation does not begin at the beginning and run to the end in one long story. It tells the same story—the history of the true church, the Church of God, under its leader Jesus Christ, and the false church, or churches, under their leader Satan or the devil. This historical story is repeated seven times in the Revelation.”

“But, Uncle Cecil, why tell it so many times?” asked Darlene.

“Being told in symbols and visions, and not in plain terms it took these seven sets of symbols to bring out all the facts the Lord wanted brought out. And so let us read the 20th chapter.” They read Rev. 20:1-4.

“Who was this angel that bound the devil a thousand years?” asked Dale.

“Did that say an angel bound the devil a thousand years? Read it again.”

“ ‘And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold on the dragon.’ ”

“Stop right there,” said Uncle Cecil. “Remember, what did we learn in the 12th chapter was the dragon?”

“Why, we learned that the dragon was paganism, working under the power of Satan, and opposing the sun-crowned woman,” answered Dale.

“Right; and you will need to remember that this is the same story told with some different symbols to bring out something new about the church history. You know God’s children are born from above, from heaven, in fact, and this angel is a symbol of God’s early ministers, to whom God gave the gospel, the key that binds the powers of false doctrine, and the angel holding a great chain, shows that he (the ministry) had great power to bind the forces that Satan sends against the church of God. When the early ministers bound the dragon, paganism, by the mighty word of God, remember the dragon had already killed the man-child which the church, the sun-clothed woman had brought forth. Her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne. But, remember, the church had to flee into the wilderness. (Rev. 12:5, 6) This is the symbolic way of telling that most Christians were killed and that the remainder had to hide from pagan Rome’s hatred.

“Now, in the 20th chapter we shall look into what happened to the man-child caught up to heaven. The church of God ceased to reign in her glory on the earth, seemingly blotted out, but she was reigning. Where? In heaven. ‘And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the Word of God, and which had not worshiped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.’ (verse 4) Not only the martyrs of the pagans, but also the martyrs under Catholicism and Protestantism are all reigning now, ever since their deaths, and will continue to reign with Christ until He brings them back reuniting these souls with their bodies now sleeping in the grave. In the 2nd verse the dragon, (which always means paganism) was also called that old serpent, which is the devil, and Satan. This does not mean Beelzebub was bound, but means that Pagan was, a tool Satan used against the church. Satan was also behind Roman Catholicism, and Protestantism. He never did quit working. He was never bound. He will oppose until he is cast into the Lake of Fire. Spiritually this describes the fight between Christ and Satan. Literally it was the struggle between the early Christian church and the Pagan rulers. Beelzebub was not bound and Beelzebub will not ‘be loosed a little season.’ But paganism, or heathenism, was cast down and we see that ‘after that he must be loosed a little season.’ When the church could not reign publicly on the earth, we are shown that it was reigning triumphantly around the throne of God. And we are living in the time when Paganism is making great advances, and deceiving many souls again. Red Communism is the anti-christian, anti-God leader of the great host of the loosed Red Dragon today. Satan, old Beelzebub, is behind it today as then.

“Now, let us read Revelation 20:5-10, Uncle Cecil said as he turned to the chapter and read to the children.

“Uncle Cecil, Mother told us about the resurrections in our Bible talks, but will you explain it again?” Darlene asked her uncle.

“Listen closely, dears, for the Bible never says second resurrection anywhere. Although the Bible never uses the words ‘second resurrection,’ there are two resurrections. But they are not alike, and here where it says, ‘This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection,’ He is talking of the resurrection of our dead souls to a living state with Christ. He is talking about our being born again. We were dead in sins until we heard the voice of Christ and let Him resurrect us. In John 5:24 we read, ‘He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is PASSED FROM DEATH UNTO LIFE.” You see, passing from death (when in sin) to life, in Christ, is a resurrection. ‘Verily, verily, I say unto you The hour is coming, AND NOW IS, when the dead [in sin] shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that HEAR shall live’ John 5:25. This FIRST resurrection is told about in Eph. 2:1, 5, ‘And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; . . . Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ.’ To quicken is to restore to life. Then the Bible speaks often of THE resurrection or A resurrection, speaking of the resurrection of our dead bodies, which resurrection will take place when Christ returns to judge the world—reward the righteous by taking them to glory, and reward the wicked by casting them into the lake of fire. There will be only one such resurrection. I know the millennialists teach there will be two literal resurrections, 1000 years apart, but it is not so. Jesus and Paul both teach only one literal resurrection. Jesus says, Jno. 5:28, 29, ‘for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.’ One resurrection, two rewards. In Acts 24:15 Paul says, ‘There shall be A resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust.’ A means one.

“During the time the church was in the ‘wilderness’ and not doing her proper work of saving souls in public, the sinners of course, had a very poor chance to get saved, and very few did. So now let us give this verse 5 in a way none will misunderstand. Suppose we say it this way: ‘But the remaining sinners were not resurrected from sin to life until the thousand years were completed. Being raised from SIN to LIFE is the first resurrection.’ ”

“Uncle Cecil, what does it mean by saying ‘on such the SECOND DEATH hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years?’ ” asked Dale.

“The second death is the eternal death for the wicked in the lake of fire. By partaking of the ‘first resurrection’ the martyrs had become blessed and holy, and so were in the thousand year reign of the church with Christ in glory during the time the earthly church was in the ‘wilderness,’ during the time the church seemingly was not reigning triumphantly. But following the thousand year ‘wilderness’ stage of the church, she again became visible and began bringing the ‘first resurrection’ to the lost world. Sinners were again made to see the bright shining true light of the morning Church. And we find the old dragon (Paganism) working with the devil, going out to deceive the nations, uniting with Gog and Magog, (Roman Catholicism and Protestantism) and the three compassing the camp of the saints about. At the end of time it must have looked very discouraging to the Church, surrounded by Paganism, Catholicism, and Protestantism, but God was still on the throne, and sent fire ‘down from God out of heaven, and devoured them. And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast [Catholicism] and the false prophet [Protestantism] are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.’ And so, dears, let us not let Satan deceive us with Paganism, or Catholicism, or Protestantism, but let us hold fast our faith until the end and receive that crown of life, and reign forever with our Lord. Amen,” Uncle Cecil said and then closed his Bible.

“We thank you so much for joining in our Bible talks, Uncle Cecil. We shall go over these chapters again and help Dale and Darlene to remember all you have taught them,” Daddy said. “We shall have prayer now and say goodnight and goodbye.”

GOLDEN CHAIN OF INSTRUCTION

“Mother, what are you reading?” Darlene asked as she came into the living room, with Dale close behind her.

“I was reading here in Proverbs,” answered Mother. “You know that Solomon was the wisest man that ever lived. He has left us a long chain of instructions. He was also one of the richest men that ever lived and had a chance to satisfy every desire he had. In Ecclesiastes, the second chapter, he tells about the things he sought after and tried to see what was good for the sons of men, which they should do under heaven all the days of their life. (ver. 3). He names the things he tried and acquired in verses four to eleven. (Read them.) You and I would never be able to try all the things that are offered in the world, because we would not have the money to do so; but he did. People are hard to satisfy. They try this and they try that, but material things do not bring satisfaction, just as they did not bring Solomon happiness. He sums it up this way: ‘Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labor that I had labored to do; and, behold, all was vanity and vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under the sun.’ (verse 11) Then he declares what will bring joy in the 26th verse: ‘For God giveth to a man that is good, in His sight wisdom, and knowledge, and joy.’ God is the only one who can give us real joy and happiness. The things of this world that we might seek after and think ‘if I just had this’ or ‘if I just had that, I would be happy,’ will not bring true happiness. But thank God, He will give us that full satisfaction to our souls and true happiness when we have made a full surrender to Him and truly love Him with all of our hearts.”

“Looks like it would be wise to take advice from one who knows and has tried out everything in this life,” Dale concluded.

“It seems that if a person had lots of money and could get anything he wanted, it would make him happy; but money cannot buy salvation, can it?” Darlene asked.

“No, we only get salvation by humbling ourselves before God, not wanting our own way but wanting to obey God and to go His way,” Mother said.

“What verses in Proverbs were you reading?” Darlene asked. “I have found Proverbs in my Bible.”

“I began reading at chapter 1, 7 to 9, ‘The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction. My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother: For they shall be an ornament of grace unto thy head, and chains about thy neck.’ It seems that people love ornaments. We notice they will put beads around their necks, ear rings on their ears and bracelets on their arms; but that is not the kind of ornaments that God wants us, who have been ‘born again’ to love. God does not want us to put our bodies on display and attract others to us, but He wants us to be hid behind Christ, or live godly, and let God be on display in our life. He wants to shine out in our lives. That is the kind of ornament that it speaks of here. That is a chain of pure gold. Can you name some of the ornaments mentioned, Dale?”

“The fear of the Lord and receiving instructions from one’s father and mother would be like ornaments of grace unto thy head, and chains about thy neck, it says.”

“What about the chain of truths that we have been studying—wouldn’t that be ornaments in our lives if we lived up to all of them?” Darlene asked. “They have been instructions from you, Daddy, Uncle Cecil, also God, through His Word and Holy Spirit.”

“Yes, the beautiful ‘Bible Chain of Truth’ that we have made, adding many, many links each night is a beautiful ornament,” answered Mother. “It is a chain of pure gold. If we live by these teachings and many more that are taught in the Bible we shall truly be set apart from this world, yet we shall be living in this world as workers and lights to others so they will know the way to true happiness and heaven. The devil would like to break this chain and take away our ornaments which God has given, but we should ‘earnestly contend for the faith [God’s truth] which was once delivered unto the saints’ as Jude instructs us. (Jude 3) This salvation is a beautiful ornament in our lives. The Apostle Peter tells us, in speaking of adornments, “Let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.’ (1 Peter 3:4) Salvation gives us a ‘meek and quiet spirit,’ the fear of the Lord which causes us to love Him so much that we do not want to displease Him, and also knowledge and true wisdom. We have learned that fools ‘despise wisdom and instructions’ and they have many heartaches in this life and end up in eternal damnation.”

“Oh, I do hope I shall always remember that the only way to be happy is to obey God and keep His commandments!” Darlene earnestly declared.

“I do, too,” agreed Dale. “This 10th verse in the first chapter of Proverbs is written for me. It says, ‘My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not!”

“Yes,” agreed Mother, “and verses 15, 16, say, ‘my son, walk not thou in the way with them; refrain thy foot from their path: for their feet run to evil.’ These are good instructions for both of you and is another good link in the chain of gold, which God has given us to be an ornament in our life. Clean, godly thoughts and desires cause a person to have an honest look on their faces. There is a beauty that shines out in the lives and faces of young people who love God and are doing right that one does not see in those who are following the ungodly ways of the world. Oh, the charm and attractiveness of a sweet life for God is great and wonderful! Dale and Darlene, I trust that you, and all our young people for that matter, will ‘earnestly contend’ for this life. The devil will tell you differently, but he is a liar. Don’t believe him. Don’t let him take away from you that sweet humility and the divine love of God out of your hearts. Love righteousness and love God’s ways. Love the Bible and love the Author of the Bible. Cling to God and you will come down to the end of your life with a joy that neither the world nor the devil can give.”

“By God’s help I am going to hold fast to all that we have studied in the Bible this winter and ‘earnestly contend’ for them with divine love in my heart,” Dale said with confidence in the Lord, whom he knew would help him.

“I love my Bible and the beautiful ‘Bible Chain of Truth’ that we have made, but most of all I love God who gave it to us,” Darlene said, “And by God’s help I want to live by it.”

“God bless you both, and all of our young people,” Mother said with tears in her eyes. She loved all of those who loved God and had a deep desire to please Him. In her heart she prayed that God would preserve those beautiful truths that He has given to mankind. It was her deep desire that all young people would never let them go nor lose the vision of their greatness and value. She knew that many were going to be with God in heaven who had held high the blood-stained banner of Jesus and His teachings and that there needed to be young people who would catch that banner and carry it on until time would be no more. Mother knew that there were many in the world who needed God and at times she wept and prayed for them. Only by accepting all of God’s word and living to it would they be able to find true happiness. Her earnest prayer for all the young people was that they would love God and His humble way.

The End