“Do you understand the Cross?”

“The Cross of Christ”

“Reality Check”

“Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the LORD” (Acts 3:19).

“Torn in Half”

Some years ago a colporteur arrived at the door of a country cottage in France, greeted the woman within and offered a New Testament for sale.

Jeanne hesitated. Would the priest approve? ...

"Do not be troubled, Madame," urged the colporteur. "The priest would sin against God if he prevented you reading of the love of the good Christ."

At last she produced 50 centimes, and, taking the book, said, "I cannot refuse, Monsieur, but may I be pardoned if I sin."

Presently in came Jacques the charcoal burner, her husband. After his tea Jeanne rather timidly produced her book for his inspection. As she rather feared, he was tired and cross, and upbraided her for spending his money in this fashion.

"But,” said she, "the money is not all yours, Jacques. I brought money from my home when we married. The half franc was as much mine as yours."

"Give me the book," shouted Jacques in a temper. He snatched it from her hands. "The money was half yours and half mine, you say. Very well, the book is the same…!" He opened the book roughly, tore it in two pieces, dropping one into his blouse and throwing the other to Jeanne.

Several days later, Jacques sat in the forest by his charcoal fires. He felt lonely. Suddenly he remembered the torn book. He would investigate it. His rough fingers had divided it in Luke’s Gospel. He began at the very beginning: "And will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and before thee, and am no more worthy to be called thy son."

Spellbound he read to the end of the story, and then a dozen questions presented themselves. What had he done—the poor lost son? Why was he exiled? Where had he been? What induced him to return? The questions haunted him. "I wish I had the beginning of the story," he sighed. At first, pride prevented him asking Jeanne for her part of the book.

Meanwhile Jeanne lived her monotonous days and used her leisure moments poring over her part and spelling out its contents. She began to delight in it, but when she reached the end, her interest was doubly quickened. That younger son, his waywardness, his journey, his sin, his misery, and the wonderful change in his thoughts: "I perish with hunger. I will arise and go to my father." There the story stopped.

But what happened? Did the father welcome him? Her tender heart longed for a satisfactory answer. She even cried over the story, but she could not pick up her courage to consult Jacques.

The days passed. On one, however, the rain poured down with extra vigour, and Jacques came home feeling specially weary. He ate his soup and bread for supper as usual, and at last he blurted out, "Jeanne, you remember the book I tore in two?"

"Oh, yes,” said she, half-fearing.

"My part had in it a wonderful story, but only the end of it. I cannot rest until I know the beginning of it. Bring me your piece."

"Oh, Jacques! How wonderful!"

"Why?"

"The same story is ever in my mind, only I lack the ending. Did the father receive the wilful son?"

"He did. But what was it that separated them?"

She brought her piece and knelt by his chair. Together they read the whole of the beautiful parable, and the Spirit of God, who had been working in both their hearts, caused its hidden meaning to dawn on them. That was the first of many Bible readings by the firelight after the soup and bread were eaten, and both have yielded their hearts and lives to the Lord Jesus Christ.

Has the parable of the prodigal son ever raised in your mind the questions that it did in theirs?

—Selected

“God will make a way”

“Seeking God first”

In these days of pressure we need to take frequent inventory and find out where we stand before the Lord. Are we making Him first in our life? Are we acknowledging Him in all our ways, so that He can direct our paths? Are we faithful to Him in that which is least, as well as in that which is much? (Matthew 6:33; Proverbs 3:5-6).

In this connection, Mr. R. G. Le Tourneau told a story of his early years in the manufacturing business.

In those early days, the company, which bears his name, was just beginning. Business was small, but the competition was keen. ...

Late one day it was drawn to the attention of Mr. Le Tourneau by his employees that it would be necessary for him to draw up immediately a plan for a certain vital part of a large unit of machinery which the company was building. The part was needed the next morning. If not forthcoming, then work in the plant would have to be stopped.

The time was short. It was essential that the workmen have the blueprint by early morning. Could it be completed by then? How was the gadget to be made? The calculations and blueprinting alone would take the entire evening. For him, it meant spending the whole night over the drafting board. ...

As these questions flooded his mind, he suddenly remembered that he had previously arranged for another engagement for the evening. He had given consent to help a group of young people from the church who were going to take charge of a service in a certain gospel mission. ... He had promised to help them with the singing and testimony.

He said (within himself): "Lord, I cannot go to the mission tonight. It is essential that I plan this vital part for the machine. The men are waiting to start on the first unit tomorrow morning. It will take all night, perhaps longer, to invent it and draw up the blueprint. Furthermore ... the young people can get along without me."

The struggle continued for some minutes. But God reminded him that he had promised the young people to give help with the service at the mission.

At last he said, "Lord, I will go. I do not know what I shall do tomorrow about the vital part for the machine, but I will go."

That evening, in obedience to the Lord's voice to his heart, he went to the mission and took his place in the service.

At ten o’clock he returned to his home. He was tired. He seemed half-awake. What about that part? Was it too late to start on the blueprint? How could he concentrate on the plan in such a weary, worn-out state?

Putting on his coat again, he walked to the office of the plant, and sat down at the drafting board. He sat there for a few minutes. He seemed unable to think or plan. Then, suddenly, the entire design of the needed part flashed into his mind. He quickly made his calculations and put them on paper.

Leaving instructions for the men to begin on the unit the next morning he returned to his home and bed.

What great things God had done for him that night! The Lord honoured His faithful, obedient servant. That gadget—worked out in those few minutes after returning from the mission meeting—worked perfectly. In fact... the units of machinery produced in the plant soon outstripped in popularity and acceptability the units produced by competing companies.

—Selected

“Christ saves”

D. L. Moody, a famous preacher in the nineteenth century, recounted his visit to a prison where cell after cell, every man had an excuse—and if he hadn't one, the devil helped him to make one!

***

I had got almost through the prison when I came to a cell and found a man with his elbows on his knees, and his head in his hands. Two little streams of tears were running down his cheeks; they did not come by drops that time.

"What's the trouble?" I said. He looked up, the picture of remorse and despair. "Oh, my sins are more than I can bear."

"Thank God for that," I replied.

"What," said he, "you are the man that has been preaching to us, ain't you?"

"Yes."

"I think you said you were a friend?"

"I am."

"And yet you are glad that my sins are more than I can bear!"

"I will explain," I said "If your sins are more than you can bear, won't you cast them on One who will bear them for you?"

"Who's that?"

"The Lord Jesus."

"He won't bear my sins."

"Why not?"

"I have sinned against Him all my life."

"I don't care if you have; the blood of Jesus Christ, God's Son, cleanses from all sin."

Then I told him how Christ had come to seek and save that which was lost, to open the prison doors and set the captives free. It was like a cup of refreshment to find a man who believed he was lost, so I stood there, and held up a crucified Saviour to him.

"Christ was delivered for our offenses, died for our sins, rose again for our justification."

For a long time the man could not believe that such a miserable wretch could be saved. He went on to enumerate his sins, and I told him that the blood of Christ could cover them all. After I had talked with him I said, "Now let us pray."

He got down on his knees inside the cell, and I got down outside, and I said, "You pray."

"Why," he said, "it would be blasphemy for me to call on God."

"You call on God," I said. He knelt down, and, like the poor publican, he lifted up his voice and said, "God be merciful to me, a vile wretch!"

I put my hand through the window, and as I shook hands with him a tear fell on my hand that burned down into my soul. It was a tear of repentance. He believed he was lost. Then I tried to get him to believe that Christ had come to save him. I left him still in darkness.

"I will be at the hotel," I said, "between nine and ten o'clock, and I will pray for you."

Next morning ...  I thought I must see him. ... I saw that remorse and despair had fled away, and his countenance was beaming with celestial light; the tears of joy had come into his eyes, and the tears of despair were gone. The sun of Righteousness had broken out across his path; his soul was leaping within him for joy; he had received Christ ... joyfully.

"Tell me about it," I said.

"Well, I do not know what time it was; I think it was about midnight. I had been in distress a long time, when all at once my great burden fell off, and now, I believe I am the happiest man in New York."

Can you tell me why the Son of God came down to that prison that night, and, passing cell after cell, went to that one, and set the captive free? It was because the man believed he was lost.

—Moody's Anecdotes And Illustrations Related in his Revival Work by the Great Evangelist Dwight L. Moody

About Us

This newsletter is produced six times per year by the Laymen’s Evangelical Fellowship International. It is printed and distributed in the US, UK, Germany, Singapore, Canada, and Australia and is supported by unsolicited sacrificial gifts of young people. For a free subscription or for other enquiries, please contact any of the addresses below.

This Fellowship is an inter-denominational missionary and prayer group working for revival in churches and amongst students in several countries. We invite every layperson to become God’s ally in changing his or her corner of the world. We train people in evangelistic work and to be self-supporting missionaries.

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