Steve Boyd

Our Message today will be "Songs of Praise" taken from the Gospel of Luke, Verses 46, 47 and 68. Our Text reads: "And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord, 
 
And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour. Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people." 
THESE TWO songs have floated down the centuries, stirring human hearts with the ecstasy of their triumph. It is not given to all to be able to express their exultation in words so eloquent and musical, but all may become as saturated with the words of Scripture as Mary was, and all may triumph in Jesus Christ as gladly as did Zacharias, and show forth His praise, as did these two holy souls. 
 
The most wonderful thing for us all is that God looks upon our low estate. The greater His blessing, the more unworthy we feel of it. There is no reason why He has stooped to our lowliness and obscurity except that He would. He does great things for the weakest and merciful things for the unworthiest, for His Name's sake--"Holy is His Name." In other words, there is no accounting for the putting forth of God's power and love, except His own glorious character.

Our Message today will be "Songs of Praise" taken from the Gospel of Luke, Verses 46, 47 and 68. Our Text reads: "And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord, 

And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour. Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people."
THESE TWO songs have floated down the centuries, stirring human hearts with the ecstasy of their triumph. It is not given to all to be able to express their exultation in words so eloquent and musical, but all may become as saturated with the words of Scripture as Mary was, and all may triumph in Jesus Christ as gladly as did Zacharias, and show forth His praise, as did these two holy souls.

The most wonderful thing for us all is that God looks upon our low estate. The greater His blessing, the more unworthy we feel of it. There is no reason why He has stooped to our lowliness and obscurity except that He would. He does great things for the weakest and merciful things for the unworthiest, for His Nam

Songs of Praise - Luke 1:46, 47, & 68

Let us today take a few moments to speak about: LOVE OF HOSPITALITY; taken from Paul's letter to the Hebrews, Chapter 13 and Verses 1 & 2; which reads: 
 
"Let brotherly love continue. Be not forgetful to entertain strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares." 
 
OUR TEXT refers to that memorable scene when Abraham was sitting at the door of his tent, probably inclined to slumber in the heat of noon. Suddenly he saw three men apparently waiting for alms and help. Plenty of travellers had come to his door before, seeking help and hospitality which he had given freely. 
 
But though the heat was great, though he may have been disappointed again and again in the recipients of his bounty, he felt it better to be disappointed a hundred times than to miss the chance of showing hospitality and welcome. 
 
Therefore he sprang to his feet, called to Sarah for help, and the two of them quickly ministered to the three unknown men. How thankful he must have been that he had not refused to entertain them, for two of them were angels, and the third was the Son of God!

Let us today take a few moments to speak about: LOVE OF HOSPITALITY; taken from Paul's letter to the Hebrews, Chapter 13 and Verses 1 & 2; which reads:

"Let brotherly love continue. Be not forgetful to entertain strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares."
 
OUR TEXT refers to that memorable scene when Abraham was sitting at the door of his tent, probably inclined to slumber in the heat of noon. Suddenly he saw three men apparently waiting for alms and help. Plenty of travellers had come to his door before, seeking help and hospitality which he had given freely.

But though the heat was great, though he may have been disappointed again and again in the recipients of his bounty, he felt it better to be disappointed a hundred times than to miss the chance of showing hospitality and welcome.

Therefore he sprang to his feet, called to Sarah for help, and the two of them quickly ministered to the three unknown men. How thankful he must have been that he had not refused t

Love of Hospitality - Hebrews 13:1 & 2

My Brothers and My Sisters, Have you ever been asked why you feel Christ was Perfect? 
 
We shall take this time to tell you why! Let us use this thought with you: "THE PERFECTING OF CHRIST" 
 
And we shall ask you to open your Bibles to Paul's Epistle to the Hebrews, Chapter 5, and Verses 8 and 9, which read "Though He were a Son, yet learned He obedience by the things which He suffered; And being made perfect, He became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey Him." 
 
FOR THE long and steep ascent of life, our Father has given us a Companion, a Captain of the march, a Brother, even Jesus our Lord, who passed through the suffering of death, and is now crowned with glory and honour (Hebrews 2:9-11). He has passed along our pathway, and climbed our steep ascents, that He might become our merciful and faithful Friend and Helper. In this sense He was perfected, and became unto all them that obey Him the Author of eternal salvation.

My Brothers and My Sisters, Have you ever been asked why you feel Christ was Perfect?

We shall take this time to tell you why! Let us use this thought with you: "THE PERFECTING OF CHRIST"

And we shall ask you to open your Bibles to Paul's Epistle to the Hebrews, Chapter 5, and Verses 8 and 9, which read  "Though He were a Son, yet learned He obedience by the things which He suffered; And being made perfect, He  became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey Him."

FOR THE long and steep ascent of life, our Father has given us a Companion, a Captain of the march, a Brother, even Jesus our Lord, who passed through the suffering of death, and is now crowned with glory and honour (Hebrews 2:9-11). He has passed along our pathway, and climbed our steep ascents, that He might become our merciful and faithful Friend and Helper. In this sense He was perfected, and became unto all them that obey Him the Author of eternal salvation.

The Perfecting of Christ - Hebrews 5:8 & 9

Let us take the next few moments to speak about "Resolve and Defeat". 
Coming from the Gospel of John Chapter 13, and Verse 37 which reads: "Peter said unto Him, Lord, why cannot I follow Thee now? I will lay down my life for Thy sake." 
 
PETER'S IMPULSIVE spirit could ill brook delay--"Lord, why cannot I follow Thee now?" Easier far is it to rush into the battle, where excitement and passion may be trusted to render us oblivious to pain and discomfort, than to stand at our post through the long cold nights on sentry duty.

Let us take the next  few moments to speak about "Resolve and Defeat".
Coming from the Gospel of John Chapter 13, and Verse 37 which reads:  "Peter said unto Him, Lord, why cannot I follow Thee now? I will lay down my life for Thy sake."

PETER'S IMPULSIVE spirit could ill brook delay--"Lord, why cannot I follow Thee now?" Easier far is it to rush into the battle, where excitement and passion may be trusted to render us oblivious to pain and discomfort, than to stand at our post through the long cold nights on sentry duty.

Resolve And Defeat - John 13:37

Let us take a few moments to speak about "Knocking At The Door". Taken from the Book of Revelation, Chapter 3, Verses 19 and 20, which reads: "As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: Be zealous therefore and repent. Behold I stand at the door, and knock." 
CHRIST KNOCKS at the door when His Judgments are in the earth. That God has arisen to shake mightily the earth is hardly doubtful. This is a day of the Lord of Hosts, when judgments are abroad upon all that is proud and haughty, upon the cedars and the oaks, upon the high mountains and the uplifted hills. But it is at such a time that He draws near to reassure us (Isaiah 2:11-21; Joel 3:16).

Let us take a few moments to speak about "Knocking At The Door". Taken from the Book of Revelation, Chapter 3, Verses 19 and 20, which reads: "As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: Be zealous therefore and repent. Behold I stand at the door, and knock."
CHRIST KNOCKS at the door when His Judgments are in the earth. That God has arisen to shake mightily the earth is hardly doubtful. This is a day of the Lord of Hosts, when judgments are abroad upon all that is proud and haughty, upon the cedars and the oaks, upon the high mountains and the uplifted hills. But it is at such a time that He draws near to reassure us (Isaiah 2:11-21; Joel 3:16).

Knocking At The Door - Revelation 3:19,20

"Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine." 
 
My friends, and I do call you "My Friends"; after today you may not ever want to have anything to do with us or our ministry. But I have a duty to God, first and then to you to tell you what thus sayeth the Lord. I want each of you to know that I am not speaking politics. I am doing this with love in my heart for all mankind, and hating the sin which we live, My heart is open andhold no malice, but just talking about what God's Word says. 
 
2 Timothy 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

"Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine."

My friends, and I do call you "My Friends"; after today you may not ever want to have anything to do with us or our ministry. But I have a duty to God, first and then to you to tell you what thus sayeth the Lord. I want each of you to know that I am not speaking politics. I am doing this with love in my heart for all mankind, and hating the sin which we live, My heart is open andhold no malice, but just talking about what God's Word says.

2 Timothy 3:16  All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

Foot In My Mouth - II Timothy 4:2

But Peter and they that were with him were heavy with sleep: and when they were awake, they saw his glory, and the two men that stood with him. 
 "But Peter and they that were with him were heavy with sleep: and when they were awake, they saw his glory, and the two men that stood with him. " 
It is very strange to find the disciples heavy with sleep, even on the Mount of Transfiguration. One would have thought that there, if anywhere, there were things happening that would have "murdered sleep." The glory of heaven was shining forth from Jesus, like sunshine pouring itself irresistibly through cloud. There too, not in any ghostly apparition, but in most strange reality, were men who had been dead for centuries; yet in the presence of such scenes as these, Peter and James and John were very sleepy. Then they awoke, startled we know not how. Gradually, as a swimmer might rise to the surface out of deep waters, they came to themselves, and remembered where they were. And then, and not till then, when they were fully awake, the Gospel tells us that they saw His glory.

But Peter and they that were with him were heavy with sleep: and when they were awake, they saw his glory, and the two men that stood with him.
     "But Peter and they that were with him were heavy with sleep: and when they were awake, they saw his glory, and the two men that stood with him. "
It is very strange to find the disciples heavy with sleep, even on the Mount of Transfiguration. One would have thought that there, if anywhere, there were things happening that would have "murdered sleep." The glory of heaven was shining forth from Jesus, like sunshine pouring itself irresistibly through cloud. There too, not in any ghostly apparition, but in most strange reality, were men who had been dead for centuries; yet in the presence of such scenes as these, Peter and James and John were very sleepy. Then they awoke, startled we know not how. Gradually, as a swimmer might rise to the surface out of deep waters, they came to themselves, and remembered where they were. And then, and not t

"The Prerequsite of Vision" - Luke 9:32

"Now when he had left speaking, he said unto Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught .... And when they had this done, they inclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their net brake". 
 
 It was not easy for Jesus Christ to be alone, men were so eager and so curious about Him. Not only did they crowd round Him in the villages, where at any moment there might be a work of healing, but they also watched Him as He stole away into retirement, among the hills, or by the seashore. 
 Our lesson opens, then, with Jesus at the seaside, and there, as in Capernaum, there is a great crowd round Him, eager to listen to the Word of God. Then Jesus steps into one of the fishing boats and preaches there-note the many and strange pulpits in which Christ preached.

"Now when he had left speaking, he said unto Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught .... And when they had this done, they inclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their net brake".

     It was not easy for Jesus Christ to be alone, men were so eager and so curious about Him. Not only did they crowd round Him in the villages, where at any moment there might be a work of healing, but they also watched Him as He stole away into retirement, among the hills, or by the seashore. 
     Our lesson opens, then, with Jesus at the seaside, and there, as in Capernaum, there is a great crowd round Him, eager to listen to the Word of God. Then Jesus steps into one of the fishing boats and preaches there-note the many and strange pulpits in which Christ preached.

"Call of The Fishermen"  -  Luke 5:4 - 6

May 20 
 
"Behold the Place" 
Mark 16:6 
 
"And he saith unto them, Be not affrighted: Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified: he is risen; he is not here: behold the place where they laid him" 
 
 It was a kindly compulsion of the angel that bade the women come and see that place. They would bless him for it in the after-days. The story shows us that they were affrighted, a great dread fell upon their hearts. 
 In hours when the unseen draws very near, such dread is natural to men and women. And these women, when they descried the angel, would be tempted to turn away and flee, in a kind of panic we can understand. 
 It was to such affrighted souls the angel cried, "Come, behold the place where the Lord lay." They must know for a certainty the place was empty. They must see with their own eyes He was not there.

May 20

"Behold the Place"
Mark 16:6

"And he saith unto them, Be not affrighted: Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified: he is risen; he is not here: behold the place where they laid him"

     It was a kindly compulsion of the angel that bade the women come and see that place. They would bless him for it in the after-days. The story shows us that they were affrighted, a great dread fell upon their hearts. 
     In hours when the unseen draws very near, such dread is natural to men and women. And these women, when they descried the angel, would be tempted to turn away and flee, in a kind of panic we can understand. 
     It was to such affrighted souls the angel cried, "Come, behold the place where the Lord lay." They must know for a certainty the place was empty.   They must see with their own eyes He was not there.

"Behold the Place" - Mark 16:6

"And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour?" 
 
 The scene was the Garden of Gethsemane, and all three disciples were asleep. It is not the first time in the Gospel story that we have found these three disciples sleeping. When the Lord was transfigured on the mountain these same disciples were asleep, and neither there nor here was it a light and fleeting drowsiness. We are told that in the former narrative, and here, the moment Jesus ceased to speak they relapsed into their heavy slumber. 
 One would have thought that the word of Jesus to them would have stabbed them wide awake. It evidently did nothing of the kind. The last syllable was scarcely uttered, when they were sunk again in profound sleep. 
 
 One recognises in these words of Jesus His passionate yearning for companionship. In His hour of travail and of agony He craved the companionship of men. One might have conjectured that in such an hour the Master would have longed to be alone. Had He left His disciples in Jerusalem one could have understood that perfectly. And the very fact that He took these three disciples, and set them where they were not far away, shows how He craved for human sympathy and needed the companionship of men.

"And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour?"

     The scene was the Garden of Gethsemane, and all three disciples were asleep. It is not the first time in the Gospel story that we have found these three disciples sleeping. When the Lord was transfigured on the mountain these same disciples were asleep, and neither there nor here was it a light and fleeting drowsiness. We are told that in the former narrative, and here, the moment Jesus ceased to speak they relapsed into their heavy slumber.
      One would have thought that the word of Jesus to them would have stabbed them wide awake. It evidently did nothing of the kind. The last syllable was scarcely uttered, when they were sunk again in profound sleep.

     One recognises in these words of Jesus His passionate yearning for companionship. In His hour of travail and of agony He craved the companionship of men. One might have conjectured that in such an 

The Cry for Companionship - Matthew 26:40

April 15 
The Fact of Faithfulness 
Matthew 25:21 
 
"Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of the lord" 
 
Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of the lord Matthew_25:21 
 
 One might dwell for a long time upon this parable without exhausting its message or its meaning. It is like a sea in which men fish for pearls, and in which every diver has some new reward. These parables are terribly practical, yet in their suggestion they are boundless. Again and again do we return to them, only to be amazed with their significance. 
 I want to center your thoughts upon one theme—upon the fact of faithfulness, and to speak to you for a little while on that; and my prayer is that as I dwell upon that subject and show you one or two of the bearings of it, we may all be moved to cry, "Please God, I shall be more faithful in the days ahead."

April 15
The Fact of Faithfulness
Matthew 25:21

"Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of the lord"

Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of the lord  Matthew_25:21

     One might dwell for a long time upon this parable without exhausting its message or its meaning. It is like a sea in which men fish for pearls, and in which every diver has some new reward. These parables are terribly practical, yet in their suggestion they are boundless. Again and again do we return to them, only to be amazed with their significance.
     I want to center your thoughts upon one theme—upon the fact of faithfulness, and to speak to you for a little while on that; and my prayer is that as I dwell upon that subject and show you one or two of the bearings of it, we may all be moved

The Fact of Faithfulness - Matthew 25:21

Doubtless when the psalmist penned our text, his first thought was the crossing of the Red Sea. He was seeking to revive his drooping heart by recalling the saving power of God in Israel's past. 
 But the words of a true poet never end when we have found their literal 
significance. It is one mark of poetic inspiration that it is capable of indefinite 
expansion. It is not by narrowing down, it is by widening out, that we get to the 
real genius of a poet, and the writer of this psalm had the true gift. 
 Thy way is in the sea-were there not glimpses in that of truths which the 
Exodus never could exhaust? So did the writer feel-so must we all feel-and it is on two of these suggestions that I wish to dwell. 
 
 There were two places above all others dreaded by the Jew. The one was 
the desert and the other was the sea. The desert-for it was the home of the wild beasts and the haunt of the robbers who plundered the Jewish villages, and it was across the desert that those armies came which besieged Jerusalem and pillaged it. 
 And the sea-because it was full of storms and treachery in Jewish eyes; it 
was the hungry, cruel, insatiable deep. It is very difficult for us who are in a coastal state to enter into that feeling of the Jew.

Doubtless when the psalmist penned our text, his first thought was the crossing of the Red Sea. He was seeking to revive his drooping heart by recalling the saving power of God in Israel's past. 
     But the words of a true poet never end when we have found their literal 
significance. It is one mark of poetic inspiration that it is capable of indefinite 
expansion. It is not by narrowing down, it is by widening out, that we get to the 
real genius of a poet, and the writer of this psalm had the true gift. 
     Thy way is in the sea-were there not glimpses in that of truths which the 
Exodus never could exhaust? So did the writer feel-so must we all feel-and it is on two of these suggestions that I wish to dwell.

     There were two places above all others dreaded by the Jew. The one was 
the desert and the other was the sea. The desert-for it was the home of the wild beasts and the haunt of the robbers who plundered the Jewish villages, and it was across the desert that those armie

The Highway in the Sea - Psalm 77:19

"And the angel said unto him, Gird thyself, and bind on thy sandals. And so he did" 
 
 There is a vividness of detail about this story which assures us that facts are being recorded. No imagination, however lively, could have conceived the scene that is presented here. 
 When a man has played a part in some great hour or been an eyewitness of some memorable action, there is a note in his telling of it, no matter how he blunders, which is better than all the periods of historians. 
 And unless we be blinded by a foolish prejudice which deadens the literary as well as other faculties, we cannot but distinguish that note here. 
 Peter had been in prison once before, and once before he had escaped miraculously. Now, having in their hands again this prison-breaker, the authorities were determined there should be no more miracles. 
 But when prayer arises like a continual incense and when God puts out His mighty arm to help, "stone walls do not a prison make, nor iron bars a cage."

"And the angel said unto him, Gird thyself, and bind on thy sandals. And so he did"

   There is a vividness of detail about this story which assures us that facts are being recorded. No imagination, however lively, could have conceived the scene that is presented here. 
   When a man has played a part in some great hour or been an eyewitness of some memorable action, there is a note in his telling of it, no matter how he blunders, which is better than all the periods of historians. 
   And unless we be blinded by a foolish prejudice which deadens the literary as well as other faculties, we cannot but distinguish that note here. 
   Peter had been in prison once before, and once before he had escaped miraculously. Now, having in their hands again this prison-breaker, the authorities were determined there should be no more miracles. 
   But when prayer arises like a continual incense and when God puts out His mighty arm to help, "stone walls do not a prison make, nor iron bars a cage."

"The Angel and the Sandals" - Acts 12:8

God is a righteous judge, a God who expresses His wrath every day." 
 
We shall be using numberous Scripture Text, please get some paper and a pen, should you like to jot them down. 
 
With people thinking about the September 11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, and the tenth anniversary of the horrific event, many are again asking the age-old question: "Why does God allow evil?" 
 The Bible describes God as holy (Isaiah 6:3), righteous (Psalm 7:11), just (Deuteronomy 32:4), and sovereign (Daniel 4:17-25). 
 These attributes tell us the following about God: 
(First) God is capable of preventing evil, and 
(Second)) God desires to rid the universe of evil. 
 So, if both of these are true, why does God allow evil? If God has the power to prevent evil and desires to prevent evil, why does He still allow evil? 
 Perhaps a practical way to look at this question would be to consider some alternative ways people might have God run the world:

God is a righteous judge, a God who expresses His wrath every day."

We shall be using numberous Scripture Text, please get some paper and a pen, should you like to jot them down.

With people thinking about the September 11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, and the tenth anniversary of the horrific event, many are again asking the age-old question: "Why does God allow evil?" 
   The Bible describes God as holy (Isaiah 6:3), righteous (Psalm 7:11), just (Deuteronomy 32:4), and sovereign (Daniel 4:17-25). 
   These attributes tell us the following about God: 
(First) God is capable of preventing evil, and 
(Second)) God desires to rid the universe of evil. 
   So, if both of these are true, why does God allow evil? If God has the power to prevent evil and desires to prevent evil, why does He still allow evil? 
   Perhaps a practical way to look at this question would be to consider some alternative ways people might have God run the world:

Why Does God Allow Evil - Psalm 7:11

"Arise, let us go hence" 
 
 When the Last Supper was concluded and Jesus had finished His teaching of His own, He said to them, "Arise, let us go hence." It is on these words I wish to dwell a moment as we too consider the communion table. 
 One would have thought that on such a night as that, the deepest craving of Jesus would have been to be alone. We have all had hours when we craved to be alone, when we could not stand the intrusion of society. 
 And if this be so with us in our lesser sorrows and anxieties, a thousandfold more so must it have been with Jesus when the sorrow of the world was on His heart.

"Arise, let us go hence"

   When the Last Supper was concluded and Jesus had finished His teaching of His own, He said to them, "Arise, let us go hence." It is on these words I wish to dwell a moment as we too consider the communion table. 
   One would have thought that on such a night as that, the deepest craving of Jesus would have been to be alone. We have all had hours when we craved to be alone, when we could not stand the intrusion of society. 
   And if this be so with us in our lesser sorrows and anxieties, a thousandfold more so must it have been with Jesus when the sorrow of the world was on His heart.

"Christ With Us" - John 14:31

John 11:35, reads "Jesus wept". 
Luke 19:11, reads: "He beheld the city, and wept over it" 
 There are but two occasions in the Gospels on which we light upon our Savior weeping; only two instances in which we see His tears. It is true that in the Epistle to the Hebrews we have a glimpse into the inner life of Christ, and there we read that He made supplication with tears and strong crying unto God.

John 11:35, reads "Jesus wept".
Luke 19:11, reads: "He beheld the city, and wept over it"
   There are but two occasions in the Gospels on which we light upon our Savior weeping; only two instances in which we see His tears. It is true that in the Epistle to the Hebrews we have a glimpse into the inner life of Christ, and there we read that He made supplication with tears and strong crying unto God.

The Tears of Jesus - John 11:35 & Luke 19:11

"Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have." 
 
The Hand - A Symbol of the Active Life 
 The Bible is signally distinguished for this, that with a message from God it reaches the human heart, but not less remarkable is the attention which it directs to the human hands. 
 In our Western speech, with its leaning toward abstraction, we speak of character and its outflow in conduct; but in the Eastern speech, which has always been pictorial, men spoke of the heart and its witness in the hands. 
 "Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord ....? He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart." 
 "If thy hand offend thee, cut it off." 
 "Let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth." 
 And Pilate, wishing to assert his innocence in a manner which the Jews could comprehend, did not cry, "My conduct is reproachless," but in the presence of them all he washed his hands. 
 That is the symbolism of the hand in Scripture. It is conduct incarnate, the sign of the active life. It is the organ through which is sketched, as on a screen, the thought that is singing or surging in the heart. 
Now if that be true of every human hand, it will be very specially true of the hands of Christ. 
 He is always saying to us "Behold My heart": but in the same voice He says, "Behold My hands."

"Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have.

Hands Beautiful - Luke 24:39

Many, no doubt, were converted to the faith of Christ of whom no account is kept in the gospels; but the conversion of some, whose case had something in it extraordinary, is recorded, as this of Zaccheus. 
 
Christ passed through Jericho, Luke 19:1. This city was build under a curse, yet Christ honoured it with his presence, for the gospel takes away the curse. 
 Though it ought not to have been built, yet it was not therefore a sin to live in it when it was built. 
 Christ was now going from the other side of Jordan to Bethany near Jerusalem, to raise Lazarus to life; when he was going to do one good work he contrived to do many by the way. He did good both to the souls and to the bodies of people; we have here an instance of the former.

Many, no doubt, were converted to the faith of Christ of whom no account is kept in the gospels; but the conversion of some, whose case had something in it extraordinary, is recorded, as this of Zaccheus. 

Christ passed through Jericho, Luke 19:1. This city was build under a curse, yet Christ honoured it with his presence, for the gospel takes away the curse. 
   Though it ought not to have been built, yet it was not therefore a sin to live in it when it was built. 
   Christ was now going from the other side of Jordan to Bethany near Jerusalem, to raise Lazarus to life; when he was going to do one good work he contrived to do many by the way. He did good both to the souls and to the bodies of people; we have here an instance of the former.

Zacchaeus - Luke 19:2 - 4

An evil is in the professed camp of the Lord, so gross in its impudence, that the most shortsighted can hardly fail to notice it during the past few years. 
 
 It has developed at an abnormal rate, even for evil. It has worked like leaven until the whole lump ferments. 
 
 The devil has seldom done a cleverer thing than hinting to the church that 
part of their mission is to provide entertainment for the people, with a view to winning them. 
 
 From speaking out as the Puritans did, the church has gradually toned down 
her testimony, then winked at and excused the frivolities of the day. 
 
 Then she tolerated them in her borders. Now she has adopted them under the plea of reaching the masses. 
 
 The work of the Church is to take the Church into the world. 
 
 But instead, the world has been brought into the church; with their Rap 
Music, and of what is called alternate worship services, where they put on 
plays and other entertainment instead of "The Preaching of The Gospel"; and 
even, what the Catholic Church calls "Rock Masses".

An evil is in the professed camp of the Lord, so gross in its impudence,  that the most shortsighted can hardly fail to notice it during the past few years. 

 It has developed at an abnormal rate, even for evil. It has worked like leaven until the whole lump ferments. 

 The devil has seldom done a cleverer thing than hinting to the church that 
part of their mission is to provide entertainment for the people, with a view to winning them. 

 From speaking out as the Puritans did, the church has gradually toned down 
her testimony, then winked at and excused the frivolities of the day. 

 Then she tolerated them in her borders. Now she has adopted them under the plea of reaching the masses. 

 The work of the Church is to take the Church into the world. 

 But instead, the world has been brought into the church; with their Rap 
Music, and of what is called alternate worship services, where they put on 
plays and other entertainment instead of "The Preaching of The Gospel"; and 
even, w

Feeding Sheep or Amusing Goats - John 21:15 - 17

"There Is Something Astonishing in the Christian Religion" 
In the Catacombs at Rome there is no more familiar painting than that of the Good Shepherd with the straying sheep. Sometimes the other sheep are at His feet, gazing up at Him and at His burden; sometimes He is portrayed as sitting down, wearied with His long and painful journey; but always there is a great gladness in the picture, for the painter had felt, in all its morning freshness, the wonder of the seeking love of God. 
 I trust we shall never lose that sense of wonder. "Let men say what they will," wrote Pascal, "I must avow there is something astonishing in the Christian religion." 
 And there is nothing in it more astonishing than this, that God should have come to seek and save the lost.

"There Is Something Astonishing in the Christian Religion"
In the Catacombs at Rome there is no more familiar painting than that of the Good Shepherd with the straying sheep. Sometimes the other sheep are at His feet, gazing up at Him and at His burden; sometimes He is portrayed as sitting down, wearied with His long and painful journey; but always there is a great gladness in the picture, for the painter had felt, in all its morning freshness, the wonder of the seeking love of God. 
    I trust we shall never lose that sense of wonder. "Let men say what they will," wrote Pascal, "I must avow there is something astonishing in the Christian religion." 
    And there is nothing in it more astonishing than this, that God should have come to seek and save the lost.

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