200 Sermon Illustrations on Judgment

Excerpts from famous sermon by Jonathan Edwards - "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God", 1741:

"The God that holds you over the pit of hell, much as one holds a spider, or some loathsome insect, over the fire, he hates you, and is dreadfully provoked. His wrath towards you burns like fire. He looks upon you as worthy of nothing else but to be cast into the fire. O sinner, you hang by a slender thread, with the flames of divine wrath flashing about it, and ready every moment to singe it, and burn it in two."

[see also #574]

The story is told of a farmer in a Midwestern state who had a strong disdain for “religious” things. As he plowed his field on Sunday morning, he would shake his fist at the church people who passed by on their way to worship.

October came and the farmer had his finest crop ever - the best in the entire county. When the harvest was complete, he placed an advertisement in the local paper which belittled the Christians for their faith in God. Near the end of his diatribe he wrote, “Faith in God must not mean much if someone like me can prosper.”

The response from the Christians in the community was quiet and polite. In the next edition of the town paper, a small ad appeared. ... It read simply, “God doesn’t always settle His accounts in October.”

===============

Another version:

An Atheist farmer often ridiculed people who believed in God. He wrote the following letter to the editor of a local newspaper: “I plowed on Sunday, planted on Sunday, cultivated on Sunday, and hauled in my crops on Sunday; but I never went to church on Sunday. Yet I harvested more bushels per acre than anyone else, even those who are God-fearing and never miss a service.”

The editor printed the man’s letter and then added this remark: “God doesn’t always settle His accounts in October.” That editor was right!

Sometimes even dedicated Christians are tempted to complain because of what they see in the world around them. Perplexed by the success and prosperity of the wicked, oftentimes at the expense of the righteous, they ask, why doesn’t the Lord do something about it? Why doesn’t He reward those who fear Him, and judge those who disregard Him? Be patient. He will! True, He doesn’t always “settle His accounts in October,” but He does settle His accounts!

So if you’re trying to do the will of God and you become discouraged because unjust people are getting ahead, don’t be shortsighted. Remember what the psalmist David advised: “Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither like the green herb.” He went on to say, “For evildoers shall be cut off, but those who wait upon the Lord shall inherit the earth.” (Ps 37:1-2,9)

An extensive conservative article on the nature of the last judgment.

1. The time of the judgment.

2. The nature of the judgment.

3. The results of the judgment.

In Warren Wierbe’s “Meet Yourself in the Psalms,” he tells about a frontier town where a horse bolted and ran away with a wagon carrying a little boy. Seeing the child in danger, a young man risked his life to catch the horse and stop the wagon.

The child who was saved grew up to become a lawless man, and one day he stood before a judge to be sentenced for a serious crime. The prisoner recognized the judge as the man who, years before, had saved his life; so he pled for mercy on the basis of that experience. But the words from the bench silenced his plea:

“Young man, then I was your savior; today I am your judge, and I must sentence you to be hanged.”

One day Jesus Christ will say to rebellious sinners, “During that long day of grace, I was your savior, and I would have forgiven you. But today I am your judge. Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire!”

[another version, perhaps the original, can be found at HolwickID #10633]

I've taught the Book of Revelation many times in my decades of ministry,

but never as realistically as the last time around.

We were in the famous "thousand year" verses in chapter 20.

About 9 o'clock that Tuesday might, I was reading to my adult students the

account of Satan's rampage when he and his cohorts are unchained at the end of

the thousand years.

"They marched across the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of God's

people, the city he loves." John wrote, "But fire came down from heaven and

devoured them."

Just as I intoned the Scripture about heavenly fire, the smell of; burning

wood wafted down from the air conditioner grates above our heads.

"Does anybody else smell what I smell?" I asked. They did. A quick check

verified that none of the neighbor's house was ablaze. (Why, I wonder, do we

always look at the other fellow's house first?)

By now the smoke smell was stronger, so we put Revelation on hold and got

serious about seeking its source. A quick peek into the church attic, let us

know we were close. It was filled with acrid smoke.

Three minutes later our church building was invaded by a small army of

firemen in protective yellow coats with oxygen bottles strapped to their

backs. Thus the study of Revelation ended that night. Memorably.

I don't suppose I need to confess that not even with my most grandiose

efforts could I have arranged for the bird's nest in that light fixture to

ignite on cue to provide special effects for a Bible lesson on fire and

brimstone.

But I can't keep from wondering about us church folk, when the scent of a

charred two-by-four galvanizes us to urgent action while the promise of

eternal flames evokes hardly a yawn these days.

#4101

*

The "Encyclopedia Britannica" begins its section on sheep with these revealing words:

"Practically, sheep form a group impossible of definition, as they

pass imperceptibly into the goats."

Separating the sheep from the goats will have to wait for the coming of the Great Shepherd. He alone knows where that imperceptible line lies.

*

Comedian Jerry Lewis actually made a little cinema history years ago when he filmed his movie, "The Bellboy." Now, it would be no big deal today, but back then it was a first. Jerry Lewis had each scene of the movie videotaped - so he could look at it and see if it had come out as he wanted it. If he didn't like it, they went right back and got it right. It's a smart idea.

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Fix It Before the Final."

It's definitely a good idea to stand back, see what's wrong, and then fix it before it goes to the final print. Especially if the audience for the final print is God Himself; as He looks at how you've been living and passes judgment on it. In a sense, He has given us some ways to look at how we're doing, to see what you're doing wrong - and to fix it before it goes to the final print.

Our word for today from the Word of God comes in the context of some early believers who were trivializing sacred things and were, according to the Bible, "weak and sick" as a result. Some had even died as a result. Then, in 1 Corinthians 11:31, Paul says, "But if we judged ourselves, we would not come under judgment." Take care of it yourself - so God doesn't have to take care of it! God's response to the sin we've neglected may come in discipline that He administers to us ... or at the Judgment Seat of Christ where eternal rewards will either be given or withheld based on how we have lived. But in either case, it is far better for you to deal with it now than for God to deal with it then.

You may be living in that window right now - where God is saying, "I'm giving you time to deal with this yourself. But if you don't, I will." It may be the lies the you're telling, the people you're hurting, the compromises you're making, the sin you're playing with. Maybe God is trying to get you to do something about your pride, your hypocrisy, your anger, that secret sin.

And He has given you "videos" that show what you're really doing. God will speak to you through His words in the Bible, sometimes making them feel like an arrow right to the heart of your sin. Or God may be trying to speak to you through some of the people in your life. It may be people who love you. It may be people who are just critical of you. But God put them there to be mirrors for you, showing you what needs to be changed. Now maybe you're stoning the messenger, but that doesn't change the truth of what they see in you, and what God is trying to get you to see.

It isn't smart to flirt with the discipline or the judgment of Almighty God. He just loves you too much to let you keep doing what will damage your life, and probably other lives. And maybe right now He's giving you time to deal with it yourself; to confess it to the One who died for that sin. He's giving you time to repent and turn your back on it, to restore what you need to restore, to take whatever steps you need to take to get it out of your life.

Believe me, no matter how hard it may be for you to judge that sin yourself, it is always easier than forcing God to judge it because you wouldn't. He's giving you a chance to fix it now - before it goes to final print.

________________

Copyright © Ron Hutchcraft Ministries, Inc., PO Box 400, Harrison, AR 72602. Used by permission. Written by Ron Hutchcraft. 'Practical Answers to Real Life Issues'

*

What GOD Won't Ask

--God won't ask what kind of fancy car you drive. He will ask how many people you took to church who didn't have transportation.

--God won't ask the square footage of your home. He will ask how many people you helped who didn't have a house.

--God won't ask how many fancy clothes you had in your closet. He will ask how many of those clothes you gave away...

--God won't ask what social class you were in. He will ask what kind of "class" you displayed.

--God won't ask how many material possessions you had. He will ask whether those material possessions dictated your life.

--God won't ask what your salary was. He will ask if you trampled over any people to obtain that salary.

--God won't ask how much overtime your worked. He will ask, "Did you work overtime for your family?"

--God won't ask how many promotions your received. He will ask what you did to promote others.

--God won't ask what your job title was. He will ask, "Did you perform your job to the best of your ability?"

--God won't ask how many promotions you took to chase a dollar bill. He will ask how many promotions you refused to advance your family's quality of life.

--God won't ask how many times you didn't run around on your spouse. He will ask you how many times you did.

--God won't ask how many degrees you had. He will ask how many people you thanked for helping you get those degrees.

--God won't ask what your parents did to help you. He will ask what you did to help your parents.

--God won't ask what you did to help yourself. He will ask what you did to help others.

--God won't ask how many friends you how. He will ask how many people you were a friend to.

--God won't ask what you did to protect your rights. He will ask what you did to protect the rights of others.

--God won't ask what neighborhood you lived in. He will ask what other neighborhoods you visited.

--God won't ask how times you told the truth. He will ask how many times you told a lie.

--God won't ask about the color of your skin. He will ask about the color of your heart.

--God won't ask how many times your deeds matched your words. He will ask how many times they didn't.

ALL OF US WILL STAND BEFORE GOD SOMEDAY... AND EVERYTHING WE DID, SAID AND THOUGHT WILL COME TO LIGHT. I DON'T KNOW ABOUT YOU, BUT I HAVE SOME THINGS TO MAKE RIGHT.

Sometimes, He deals with

sin immediately. Seth Joshua, one of the leaders of the great Welsh revival of a generation ago once arrived in a town

where he was scheduled to preach and found placards everywhere announcing "the

Great Seth Joshua." They told all about him but were in reality advertising

a stage imitation of the minister at a local theater that night. Grotesque

drawings promised much fun at the expense of this servant of the Lord. That

night the theater was packed and the crowd cheered as the actor came on the

stage in perfect imitation of preacher Joshua. The actor raised his arms as he

circled the stage burlesquing the Bible and the evangelist. The third time

around the actor fell with a thud and a hushed audience soon discovered that he was dead. God will not hold his wrath forever.-Sunday

p. 350 Sometimes His wrath is unleashed immediately as in the case of

Elisha. Do you remember how Elisha the prophet was coming through a certain area and

a large group of young people came out mocking and making fun of him? The

cried out, "Hey, Baldy... " and continued to poke fun at him. The scripture

says that while they were still in the process of making fun that a bear came

out of the woods and mauled the group of young people to death. On the other

hand, some times judgment is slow in coming. Our first pastorate was in Woodward,

Oklahoma a town of about 12,000 people. This town alive with both the

agricultural and oil industries had not always been as peaceful as we

found it. I talked to many people about the tragedy that came on to this

town. As one man told me, a holiness preacher was traveling through one day.

He, as many did back then, found a street corner and began to preach to the

people in the town. The people were unresponsive. They were drunk with their

own prosperity, and ambitions. Then one day as he was preaching he made a

prediction. This holiness preacher stated that if the town of

Woodward did not turn to God that He would destroy it within a year. Now that was

a laughing matter... .and nobody took him seriously. He packed his

bags and traveled on. It was the next year, however, that Bro. Bennett told me

that he stood outside in his back door and watched a large tornado headed

straight for his ranch. He looked up to God and prayed... "Lord, you know how I

have lived for you. I have served you with all of my heart. You have

prospered me on this ranch, and Lord I have been very generous as I have supported

your work with my profits. Lord, if you would see fit would you turn that

tornado so that it will not harm my ranch." Well, Bro. Bennett stood there and

watched that tornado suddenly make a right turn, go over a long ways, make a

left turn and head on toward Woodward. He later went out to find that the

destruction from the wake of the tornado had made a path right up to his fence,

had turned and gone along his fence to the end of his property, had turned and

went along his fence again as it headed toward Woodward. They had a big theater

in the town of Woodward. At that time it was packed with people watching a

popular movie of the day. The tornado swept into town, demolishing the

theater, homes, businesses... .destroying over half of the town before it

headed on up into Kansas. It traveled over 150 miles on the ground before it

finally

wore itself out. The town which would not turn to God had been brought

to its knees. The Negro proverb quaintly expresses a great truth: "The Devil

helps the thief every day, but one day God helps the policeman." The

Psalmist, however, reminds us that some seem to slip through the hands of God.

Listen to him in \reference{Psa. 73}{Psalms 73}, "They are corrupt, and

speak wickedly concerning oppression: they speak loftily. They set their mouth against the

heavens, and their tongue walketh through the earth. ... And they say, How doth

God know? and is there knowledge in the most High? Behold, these are the ungodly, who prosper in the world; they increase in riches... there

are no sufferings in their death: but their strength is firm." It sounds

like there is no judgment for some, doesn't it? But the 17th verse brings it all into focus when he says, "Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then

understood I their end. Surely thou didst set them in slippery places: thou

castedst them

down into destruction." This is what John the Revealor was talking

about when he said, "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, ... .And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was

cast into the lake of fire." \reference{Rev. 20:11-15}{Revelation 20:11-15}

I want to take you back

with me now to February 3, 62 A.D... There's an earthquake, On the Mercalli scale it registers a 9--- that's long

before the Richter scale. And the beautiful city of Pompeii is SUDDENLY in

ruins. Literally millions in investment are just rubble. But would you

believe the Roman Government, poured in the money to rebuild? They rebuilt the

general registry, the streets, the amphitheater that seated 20,000 people, a

temple to the goddess Isis, and the thermal bath houses. There were two Roman

Consuls at that time by the names of Regulus and Virginius. They said, "The gods destroyed Pompeii so that we could be even richer, and it could be

even more beautiful." Now then, this beautiful rebuilt city shifts in scenario.

The date is August 24, 79 A.D. just 7 years, 6 months, and 21 days following

the great earthquake that leveled the city. It's 1 p.m., thousands of Romans

are sunning themselves on the beaches. If they bothered to glance up,

there was that beautiful scenic Mount Vesuvius, overgrown with brush...

peering out over the water. That mountain had been quiet for hundreds...

possibly thousands of years... But suddenly, in a few seconds, it EXPLODED.

One eye witness described it as a "tree" that went straight up in the air

6,600 feet, a straight tree with heavy foliage and lots of branches... and then

the branches were shorter and shorter. Having lunch in Cape Messina 31

miles away, is a Naval Prefect, the Commander of the Roman Fleet in that area.

His name is Gaius Plinius II. He sees this mushroom-like explosion. He'd

never seen anything like it! He instantly calls for a low profile boat with two

sets of rowers, and heads for Pompeii--not knowing quite what is happening. He

is a naturalist--the author of 37 books--the author of the first

encyclopedia of natural history and science in the Roman empire. As he draws closer

he realizes suddenly it is a tragedy. The only escape must be by the

sea. He summons his entire fleet. The keenest desire of his heart is to save

a very close friend living in the Pompeii suburbs-but he failed. For when

that straight tree---6,600 feet high ---came down, lava gradually poured

down the southeast slope of Mt. Vesuvius---lava 19 to 65 feet DEEP. It's was

nearly 2,000 years before we were able to reestablish the scene. But it's

perfectly PRESERVED because that soft lava cooled, holding everything in place.

Archeologists found the ancient city molded into place, just waiting

to be discovered. There's the lady from the house of Faubus--a very rich

lady, carrying her box of gold, silver, and jewelry--seeking to escape...

There are 60 gladiators still chained, waiting to perform in the

amphitheater... Hundreds of slaves... so many people in their villas drinking white

wine in the afternoon. They say the vineyards on Mt. Vesuvius were absolutely

famous. That moment was caught up in HISTORY, preserved for nearly 2,000 years

before it was UNCOVERED by archeologists. It strikes a note of TERROR; there

are watchdogs frozen literally where they were. One dog had turned on his

master and had succeeded in nearly eating him up. The frantic ones fleeing

for the sea, and not making it! And Gaius Plinius II... naturalist,

scientist ... did he make it? No, he had asthma; and the toxic gasses caused him to suffocate to death, while seeking to save a friend. So sudden...

just as sudden as Hiroshima! Just as sudden as Nagasaki! Just as sudden as

the calculated burning of the city of Hamburg! Just as sudden as the

child who dashed out in front of your car and changed your life! Just as sudden

as the day you said: "My whole world is coming apart, and I have nothing

left."

What happens to those who try to warn the present age?

Soren Kierkegaard (1850) once wrote:

"It happened that a fire broke out backstage in a theater. The clown came out to inform the public. They thought it was a jest and applauded. He repeated his warning, they shouted even louder.

"So I think the world will come to an end amid general applause from all the wits, who believe that it is a joke."

Several years ago Johnny Carson had Billy Graham as a guest on his television program, “The Tonight Show.” At one point there was a lull in the conversation and Johnny said, “You know what Billy, I bet if Jesus ever came back to earth, I bet we’d do him in again!”

Billy Graham leaned forward in his seat, and said, “In the Bible we read that Jesus predicted that He would return to earth again. But the first time He came in love. The next time, He’ll come in power - no one will DO Him in!”

________

The Timothy Report, Swan Lake Communications, SwanLC@aol.com, May 17, 1999

Just suppose the Lord should begin to make people as sick as they claim to be on Sunday. Just suppose the Lord should make people as poor as they say they are when they are asked to help finance His work. Just suppose you had to live on ten times what you give to the Lord each week. Just suppose the Lord should strike all who lie about their giving as He did Annanias and Sapphira. Just suppose the Lord let some parents look into the future and see what their example and lax control are doing for their children. Just suppose you had no opportunity to make amends for some of these things.

- Unknown

- PULPIT HELPS, Sept., 1990

*

An incident occurred in the Royal Family in Hungary that

illustrates, in some degree, the call we shall all have soon, to

appear before the judgment seat of Christ. This was the incident.

The King of Hungary had become deeply concerned about his

salvation. He saw himself justly condemned before God for his sins. He

could make no atonement for them, and might hear the trumpet call at

any moment to come to judgment, and he was unprepared. He knew he must

be condemned unless he had a deliverer. He manifested great concern

for his personal salvation.

His whole court saw his anxiety. His own brother, a gay, worldly

man, trifled with his feelings and the whole subject of religion, and

indicated that he had no fears, and desired the king to be cheerful,

and dismiss the subject from his mind.

The king, to convince his brother that they both had great cause

for alarm while out of Christ, caused the death trumpet to be sounded

at his brother's door in the dead hour of night.

The custom of the country was, that if the executioner came, and

sounded the trumpet before any man's door, he was presently led to

execution. This gay brother heard this death trumpet at his door, and

saw the executioner, who said:

"Be ready."

The brother sprang from his bed, and rushed into the presence of

the king to plead for mercy and forgiveness.

The king said:

"Alas, brother, if the sight of my executioner is so dreadful to

you, shall not I, who have so greatly offended God, fear to be brought

before the judgment seat of Christ. Have I not the greatest excuse for

anxiety? Shall we not both seek the atoning blood of Christ at once?

If the sounding of an earthly executioner's trumpet is so dreadful,

how will the trumpet-call from the high court of heaven sound to one

unprepared?"

As the day of judgment was the question of great alarm with the

King of Hungary, perhaps the reader of this incident would like to

have me answer a few questions, before I leave it, about that great

day.

"Does the Judgment take place as soon as we die?"

I answer, there are two reasons why it cannot take place until time

ends. The first reason is, there is no Judge to judge any one yet.

Christ, who is appointed the Judge of all, is otherwise engaged, and

will be until the end of time. No pardon could come to us but for the

mediatorial work of Christ. When that is finished, Christ will leave

the mediatorial seat, put on the robes of judgment, then say to the

appointed angel:

"Now sound your mighty trumpet. The great court is opened."

Then, and not till then, shall we stand before the judgment of

Christ. The resurrected body will join the spirit again.

If you ask me where are the dead, I answer, the saints are in

heaven, without their bodies (their bodies are yet with us), yet in a

State of sweet, active, conscious rest, praising God. I shall expect

to join them in less than five minutes after my body dies.

Death will make no change in our characters. We shall be eternally

what we were at death. "He that is righteous will be righteous still,

and he that is filthy will be filthy still." Like the fallen angels,

the wicked will be in a state of conscious condemnation, and each

receive the final sentence at the great judgment day, when time ends.

The other reason why the judgment has not, and can not, take place

until the end of time, is, no one can tell how much good or how much

evil he has done until time ends. God intends that we all shall see

and understand this. Has John Bunyan's influence ended? How is it with

Albert Barnes and Wesley, with Scott, and Henry, and Clark, and

Judson, and thousands more? Their influence is widening out every day.

Many just get ready to do good when they die. They get the leaven in

the meal, and leave it to leaven the whole. I thank God that we may go

on doing good after we die until time ends.

The wicked will leave their influence, their books and example

behind at death, and go on doing evil until the end of time, and be

held responsible for it until the judgment day. It is a fearful thing

to live or die without Christ for our advocate and Saviour.

The judgment day will give universal satisfaction. No one will say,

"God has been partial. I have not had justice done me."

The case of the two thieves crucified with our Redeemer will give

us a miniature view of the whole scene.

I will suppose the one converted after he was nailed to the cross

was the worst one, the ringleader; the other vile enough, but not as

bad as the one converted.

The judgment day will satisfy both of them. As they enter the court

room, one in his blood and guilt, and the other in his white robe,

then, in the presence of assembled worlds, the books are opened, and

both thieves confess that they have committed murder and sedition, and

deserve a low place in perdition. Another book is then opened, and God

shows both of them that he gave his Son to die for them, and that they

had been often urged to accept Christ as their only hope; that one of

them, and that one the worst of the two, accepted, and the other

rejected him. The unconverted thief will then see it, and say:

"I see, I see, oh, I see it all now! I do not perish because I am

worse than my brother thief. And he is not here in a white robe

because he was better than I was. I understand now that God had but

one way by which he could save either of us, and my brother thief (the

vilest man I ever knew), accepted that one way, and I rejected it. I

see now that it is too late, and that God can render me no help. The

means of grace are all ended, and no Mediator now."

All will be satisfied that God has done what he could to save them.

No one will be lost because he was the chief of sinners, or saved

because he was so good, and not much of a sinner. The one was saved

because he accepted of a finished salvation, and the other lost

because he rejected it.

This is salvation and heaven through Christ alone. Oh, how this

will glorify God before the eyes of an intelligent universe!

Let me ask you, my dear reader, to accept Christ as your Saviour at

once. Won't you bow your head now, and, with the best faith you have,

say,

Jesus, I accept thee as my Saviour," and begin to serve him from

this hour?" -- A. B. Earle, From: "Incidents Used ... In His

Meetings," published in 1888

A FISHERMAN skilled in music took his flute and his nets to the

seashore. Standing on a projecting rock, he played several tunes in

the hope that the fish, attracted by his melody, would of their own

accord dance into his net, which he had placed below. At last, having

long waited in vain, he laid aside his flute, and casting his net into

the sea, made an excellent haul of fish. When he saw them leaping

about in the net upon the rock he said: "O you most perverse

creatures, when I piped you would not dance, but now that I have

ceased you do so merrily."

Jesus is currently playing His flute of mercy hoping that you will

convert. However, the day will come when Jesus will come to judge the

Good and Bad, but on that Day it will be too late to seek His Kingdom.

A FARMER placed nets on his newly-sown plowlands and caught a number

of crows, which came to pick up his seed. With them he trapped a

bluejay that had fractured his leg in the net and was earnestly

beseeching the Farmer to spare his life. "Please save me, Master," he

said, "and let me go free this once. My broken limb should excite

your pity. Besides, I am no crow, I am a bluejay, a bird of excellent

character; and see how I love and slave for my father and mother.

Look too, at my feathers-- they are not the least like those of a

crow." The Farmer laughed aloud and said, "It may be all as you say,

I only know this: I have taken you with these robbers, the crows, and

you must die in their company."

If Christians continue to give in to peer pressure, the day will come

when the Master when cast them together with other sinners into the

lake of fire.

A male deer hotly pursued by the hounds fled for refuge into an

ox-stall, and buried itself in a truss of hay, leaving nothing to be

seen but the tips of his horns. Soon after the Hunters came up and

asked if any one had seen the male deer. The stable boys, who had

been resting after their dinner, looked round, but could see nothing,

and the Hunters went away. Shortly afterwards the master came in, and

looking round, saw that something unusual had taken place. He pointed

to the truss of hay and said: "What are those two curious things

sticking out of the hay?" And when the stable boys came to look they

discovered the male deer, and soon made an end of him. He thus learnt

that "Nothing escapes the master's eye."

But the eye of our Heavenly Master is even sharper! Your sins will

not go undiscovered or unpunished!

AN OWL, in her wisdom, counseled the Birds that when the acorn first

began to sprout, to pull it all up out of the ground and not allow it

to grow. She said acorns would produce mistletoe, from which an

irremediable poison, the bird-lime, would be extracted and by which

they would be captured. The Owl next advised them to pluck up the

seed of the flax, which men had sown, as it was a plant which boded no

good to them. And, lastly, the Owl, seeing an archer approach,

predicted that this man, being on foot, would contrive darts armed

with feathers which would fly faster than the wings of the Birds

themselves. The Birds gave no credence to these warning words, but

considered the Owl to be beside herself and said that she was mad.

But afterwards, finding her words were true, they wondered at her

knowledge and deemed her to be the wisest of birds. Hence it is that

when she appears they look to her as knowing all things, while she no

longer gives them advice, but in solitude laments their past folly.

Just like the owl, God will continue to warn the world that the time

will soon come when He will judge it. Some will listen and others

will continue to ignore Him. However, the Day of Reckon will soon

come for all.

I sat alone with my conscience

In a place where time had ceased,

And we talked of my former living

In the land where the years increased.

And I felt I should have to answer

The question put to me,

And face the answer and question

Throughout an eternity.

The ghosts of forgotten actions

Came bating before my sight,

And things that I thought were dead things

Were alive with a terrible might.

And the vision of my past life

Was an awful thing to face --

Alone with my conscience sitting

In that solemnly silent place.

And I thought of a far-away warning,

Of a sorrow that was to be mine,

In a land that then was the future,

But now is the present time.

And I thought of my former thinking

Of a judgment-day to be.

But sitting alone with my conscience,

Seemed judgment enough for me,

And I wondered if there were a future

To this land beyond the grave;

But no one gave me answer

And no one came to save.

Then I felt the future was present,

And the present would never go by,

For it was but the thought of my past life

Grown into eternity.

Then I woke from my timely dream,

And the vision passed away,

And I knew the far-away warning

Was a warning of yesterday,

And I pray that I may not forget it

In this land before the grave,

That I may not cry in the future,

And no one come to save.

And so I have learned a lesson.

Which I ought to have known before,

And which, though learned it dreaming,

I hope to forget no more.

So I sit alone with my conscience

In the place where the years increase,

And I try to remember the future,

In the land where time will cease.

And I know of the future judgment,

How dreadful so'er it be,

That to sit alone with my conscience

Will be judgment enough for me.

-- Anonymous.

By J. Wilbur Chapan, "Present Day Parables."

Who would want to live in any city if you took the Christians out

of it? Some infidels founded a town in Minnesota a few years ago, in

order to have a town in which the name of God or Christ should never

be mentioned except in terms of profanity and vulgarity. They hung

Jesus Christ in the streets in effigy, and the place was full of

blasphemy. I had to stay there all night some years ago in passing

through that region, and I trembled for my life while I stayed in the

best hotel in the place. The town was destroyed by fire, and they

tried to build it up again. Then came an Indian massacre, with an

awful retribution of bloodshed, and they tried to build it up again.

It was again partially destroyed by fire; and at last, after there had

been a lot and bloodshed and anything but purity and peace for years,

the citizens of that town sent to the American Home Missionary Society

and said, "Can you send us a minister of Jesus Christ?" And if you

were to go there today you would not know that community with its

church spires pointing heavenward, and its children going to

Sunday-school and learning about Christ. It is almost as orderly there

today as in any town in the land, because of the influence of the

church. -- B. F. M.

By J. Wilbur Chapan, "Present Day Parables."

It is said an Hungarian king, finding himself on a certain day

depressed and unhappy, sent for his brother, a good-natured, but

rather indifferent prince. To him, the king said: "I am a great sinner

and fear to meet God." Here was a king facing Job's question: "What

shall I do when God riseth up? And when He visiteth, what shall I

answer Him?" But the prince only laughed at him, and treated the

matter as a joke, just as some of you are doing now. This did not

serve to relieve the royal unhappiness. When you get a vision of your

guilt before God, you want help, and your friends may laugh at your

seriousness but that will never answer the question.

It was a custom in Hungary at that time, that if the executioner at

any time sounded a trumpet before a man's door, it was a signal that

he was to be led forth to execution. The king sent the executioner in

the dead of night to sound the fatal blast before his brother's door.

The prince, awaking from sleep, realized its awful import. Quickly

dressing, he stepped to the door and was seized by the executioner,

and dragged, pale and trembling, into the king's presence.

In an agony of terror, he fell upon his knees before his brother

and begged to know in what way he had offended him. "My brother,"

answered the king, "if the sight of a human executioner is so terrible

to you, shall not I, having grievously offended God, fear to be

brought before the judgment seat of Christ?"

The sense of sin makes every sinner fear to face God. We are

reminded in the Bible that "It is a fearful thing to fall into the

hands of the living God." --O. A. Newlin

A Boston shoplifter was caught in a comical way. He had stolen a hat in a department store, and ran with it to the escalators; but instead of boarding the one going down, in his haste he took the ascending stairway. He tried hard to run down, but was confronted by the ascending passengers, while all the time the merciless steps were rising. Finally, in spite of his frantic efforts, he was borne back to the head of the stairs again, where he found a policeman awaiting him.

This is just a picture of the difficult ways of sinners. They try to escape with their loot, but they find all the ways of providence running against them. Everything conspires to their discovery.

"Be sure your sin will find you out" (Numbers 32:23). The sinner is his own detective. If there is no policeman at hand, he will arrest himself. If the police-wagon is out of commission, he will run to the courtroom. Remorse is more stern than any judge, and a guilty conscience is more terrible than any prison.

Be certain of this: If you sin, the entire universe will become an escalator, going the wrong way!

John was driving home late one night when he picked up a

hitchhiker. As they rode along, he began to be suspicious of

his passenger. John checked to see if his wallet was safe in

the pocket of his coat that was on the seat between them, but it

wasn't there! So he slammed on the brakes, ordered the

hitchhiker out, and said. "Hand over the wallet immediately!"

The frightened hitchhiker handed over a billfold, and John drove

off. When he arrived home, he started to tell his wife about

the experience, but she interrupted him, saying, "Before I

forget, John, do you know that you left your wallet at home this

morning?" The scribes and Pharisees of Jesus' day were quick

to judge others while not recognizing faults far worse in their

own lives. Jesus rebuked them for seeing a speck in another

man's eye while they had a plank blocking their own vision.

A minister was asked by a Quaker lady, "Does not thee think that we

can walk so carefully, live so correctly, and avoid every fanaticism

so perfectly, that every sensible person will say, "That is the kind

of religion I believe in?" He replied, "Sister if thee had a coat of

feathers as white as snow, and a pair of wings as shining as

Gabriel's, somebody would be found somewhere on the footstool with so

bad a case of color blindness as to shoot thee for a blackbird."

--Biblical Illustrator

When I was about 20 years of age living at the Bancroft Hotel in Payette, Idaho, I had a job selling Hertel Family Bibles. One day, as I was traveling along between Ontario and Nyssa, Oregon, I saw a man walking along the side of the highway and decided to pick him up. I sized him up to be an alcoholic bum, but took a notion to help him.

I drove him back to Payette with me. I had just moved out of a rooming house into the hotel, several days before my rent was up. So, I took the “bum” over to the rooming house to stay in my vacated room. I brought him up to my hotel room and gave him several of my shirts, and while he was there I had stepped out of the room briefly. I took him up to the restaurant where I ate and made arrangements for him to eat some food on my meal ticket.

Maybe the next day or so, I saw him wearing a pastel, pink and white, stripped shirt, just like my favorite shirt. I thought: “While I stepped out of the room the other day, he snitched my favorite shirt and took it along with the ones I had given him. I took him over to the hotel with me, and I had him stay down in the lobby while I went up to make sure that shirt wasn't still in my closet. Sure enough, it was gone.

I told the “bum,” in no uncertain terms, that I wanted my shirt back! He avowed that it wasn't my shirt. I told him that I had checked my closet, and the shirt wasn't there, and I wasn't going to argue with him; I simply meant to have my shirt back. He said, “It isn't your shirt, but you can have it.”

I took him over to the rooming house; he went went in, changed out of the shirt, and came out to my car and handed me the shirt. Then, I went over to the Cafe, and told them what he had done, and instructed them to give him no more meals on my ticket.

As I left the cafe, I stepped down off the curb. I was wearing a jacket. Holding the shirt that I “retrieved” from the “bum,” I just happened to notice through the unzipped portion of my jacket, that I was wearing a shirt identical to the one I had in my hand! I had been so certain that this “ungrateful bum” had stolen my pastel, pink and white, stripped shirt, and I had never noticed that I was wearing it myself, under my jacket! How totally wrong I had been in my judgment of that man's actions.

I went back into the cafe and, with chagrin, I told them of my error. Then, I went and apologized to the bum. His later behavior proved my judgment of him as an alcoholic “wino” to be true, but he had not stolen my shirt.

Christians should beware of jumping to conclusions about others, even when most of their evaluations about those others may be right. In some instances, if you jump to such conclusions, you may need to go back and apologize after you discover that you, yourself, are “wearing” the error, instead of the one you are judging. -- Duane V. Maxey