"For yet a little while,
and He that shall come will come, and will not tarry" (Heb. 10:37).

 

"A little while"—the
Lord shall come,

And we shall wander here no
more;

He’ll take us to His Father’s
home,

Where He for us is gone before—

To dwell with Him, to see His
face,

And sing the glories of His
grace.

 

"A little while"—He’ll
come again,

Let us the precious hours
redeem;

Our only grief to give Him pain,

Our joy to serve and follow Him.

Watching and ready may we be,

As those that wait their Lord to
see.

 

"A little
while"—’twill soon be past,

Why should we shun the promised
cross?

O let us in His footsteps haste,

Counting for Him all else but
loss!

For how will recompense His
smile,

The sufferings of this
"little while."

 

"A little while"—come,
Saviour, come!

For Thee Thy bride has tarried
long:

Take Thy poor waiting pilgrims
home,

To sing the new eternal song,

To see Thy glory, and to be

In
everything conformed to Thee!

Have you ever been burdened to
go and give out tracts, or to speak to your neighbor about the Lord, or to
engage in some other type of gospel work? Or have you ever been asked by a
fellow Christian to join him in such activities? No doubt, all of our readers,
if truly saved, have experienced this—hopefully many times in their lives since
new birth. But doesn’t it often happen that before you have an opportunity to
act upon such a thought or burden that you start thinking of all sorts of
excuses why you should not engage in such activity? And more often than
not, perhaps, the burden passes away without the deed being accomplished.

 

What are some of the excuses we
think of for not doing gospel work?

 

1. I might be rebuffed or mocked
by someone.

 

2. I might meet someone from the
office while I am giving out tracts, and that person might tell others at the
office what I was doing, and what will they think of me then?

 

3. I might be challenged with a
question which I cannot answer.

 

4. If it is the Lord’s purpose for
certain persons to be saved, He can accomplish this purpose without my help.

 

5. If Mr. X, with whom I lost my
temper last month, sees me giving out tracts, he will think I am a hypocrite!

 

6. I have a headache.

 

7. I have too much else to do
(the children’s swing set needs another coat of paint, I haven’t read last
night’s newspaper or this week’s Newsweek yet, the bathroom faucet has
been dripping for the past two months and something should be done about it).

 

8. I have too much else to do (I
should take the children on an outing today).

 

9. I have too much else to do (I
should be studying for next week’s Bible study; I should be writing that
article I promised for Words of Truth).

 

We could go on and on thinking
of excuses why we should not do the work which is so pleasing to the Lord —
sowing the seed of the gospel. Whenever one has a thought or desire to do work
for the Lord, particularly when that work is aimed at wresting lost souls out
of Satan’s kingdom, we can be certain that Satan and his helpers are going to
be making every attempt to prevent thought or desire from resulting in action.

 

It might be useful to consider
some of the excuses just listed so that we can be prepared to respond to them
in the right way.

One of the greatest hindrances
to gospel work is pride. This often takes the form of fear that our
reputation or popularity among our neighbors or colleagues may be adversely
affected if we are "caught" doing gospel work or witnessing for
Christ. About the only way to deal with this is to confess to God our pride, to
recognize it as sin and as something abhorrent to God. "Every one that is
proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord" (Prov. 16:5; see also 8:13).
We must remember that we belong to the One who "made Himself of no
reputation" (Phil. 2:7).

 

What about the problem of being
rebuffed or mocked by someone? Consider the words of the Lord Jesus in John 15:
19, 20:"The world hateth you. Remember the word that I said unto you, The
servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted Me, they will
also persecute you." Far from being a problem, should it not rather be
counted a privilege to suffer for Him who suffered so much for us? "If we
suffer, we shall also reign with Him" (2 Tim. 2:12). "Unto you it is
given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on Him, but also to suffer
for His sake" (Phil. 1:29).

 

Concerning excuse number three,
what will people think of me if I cannot defend my faith or answer all of their
questions or objections? Won’t that be worse than not talking to them at all?
The response to this is that most persons have great respect for the person who
is willing to admit that he does not have all the answers. If you find
you are not immediately able to answer a certain question, ask the other person
if he would be willing to meet with you on another occasion to discuss the
matter further after you have had an opportunity to think about it and to
search the Scriptures to find the answer. Among other things, this will also reveal
whether the other person is sincere in his questioning or is just trifling with
you and with God.

 

As to excuse number four, it is
most certainly true that the Lord can save persons without my help. But
consider the following illustration:My son comes to me one day and says, in a
very frustrated tone of voice, "Daddy, will you help me with my model
airplane? I can’t get the wings to stick to the fuselage." I look up at
him over my newspaper and reply, "Son, if God wants the wings to stick to
the fuselage, He will find a way for it to be done." Whereupon he says,
"Okay, Dad. Say, I have an idea. I’ll ask Mr. Matthews next door. He is
good at fixing things." Do you get the point? The airplane gets put
together, but Daddy loses out on the blessing of helping his son, and misses a
wonderful opportunity to strengthen the relationship with his son. In like
manner do we lose out on the blessing of working with and for the Lord in the
matter of winning souls to Himself.

 

If you are afraid of being
called a hypocrite because of your ungodly behavior in the past toward another,
the solution is simple—simple in theory, that is, but oh, so difficult to carry
out in practice. If I have sinned against my neighbor or offended him in any
way, it is my obligation to go to him and confess my sin and ask his
forgiveness (James 5:16). And it does not matter if he was wrong too—even if
his part of the wrong was 95 percent and mine only five percent. It is still my
obligation to confess my sin to him and seek his forgiveness. "If thou
bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath aught
against thee; leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be
reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift" (Matt. 5:23,
24).

 

If the excuse is "I am not
feeling well," try to imagine what your response would be if a friend
called and asked you to play tennis with him or go to a concert with him. Often
this excuse is offered as a substitute to excuses number one and two, for it is
easier on the conscience than those other two.

 

Perhaps the most common excuses
for not working for the Lord are those of "no time" or "too much
else to do." Now, God has no intention for us to neglect our
responsibilities in the home or at work; that is, it is never valid to shirk
our earthly responsibilities by saying we have to spend our time serving the
Lord. But the Lord does expect to be placed first in our lives, and if we set
aside time to devote to Him (whether for studying the Bible, praying, or working
for Him), He will honor us by helping us to be more efficient in our other
duties and responsibilities. We will find that we are spending less time
cleaning up messes, correcting mistakes, taking the car to be fixed, and the
like, if we have given Christ the time due to Him each day.

 

With regard to excuse number
eight, it is important to maintain a proper balance between the time devoted to
the family and time devoted to the Lord. Neither should be stressed to the
neglect of the other. (Thus, this particular excuse may indeed be valid at
times, that is, the Lord may prefer that the time be spent with the
family—cementing those relationships—rather than away ministering to others.)
Often the two can be effectively combined. For instance, the home can be an effective
sphere for evangelism by having our children’s friends over to spend the night
and presenting the gospel to them as they join in the family devotions, as well
as our joining with the children in their games. Often, if one is not
particularly gifted in evangelism, a person might use the excuse that he is too
busy exercising his gift (be it teaching, pastoring, helping, or whatever) to
engage in evangelistic work. But it is clear from Scripture that God intends
for all of His children, whatever their gift might be, to cultivate a longing
desire for the salvation of souls, to be "fishers of men." "Do
the work of an evangelist" (2 Tim. 4:5).

 

May the Lord encourage each of
us in the work of the gospel. May we value the love of Christ and of the Father
toward us, and the sacrificial work accomplished for us at Calvary. May we have
a compassion for the lost, hell-bound souls around us on every hand. There is
no want of opportunity to give out the gospel, to speak a word for our dear
Saviour. May we gird up our loins and be ready for each opportunity as it
arises. And may we be cognizant of Satan’s devices to hinder us from
capitalizing on these opportunities, and not yield to the excuses he plants in
our minds. "Redeeming the time, because the days are evil" (Eph.
5:16).

 

The Word of God says,
"There is one body" (Eph. 4:4), not two, nor three, but one—only one.
That "one body" is the body of Christ (Eph. 1:23); that is, every
true Christian is to Christ what a man’s foot, hand, etc., is to that man (1
Cor. 12:12-27). Nowhere in Scripture do we read or find the idea of a Baptist,
a Methodist, a Presbyterian, or any other body. The only thing found there is
the one body of Christ, formed by the "one Spirit" of God. The
relationship therefore of all true Christians is that of fellow-members of the
one body of Christ—a divine relationship entered into at conversion by the
Spirit’s baptism, and consummated in the glory of heaven to which the Church is
destined.

 

Christians assuming any other
relationship than this with one another, associating themselves together on any
other principle than this, are therefore sectarian. They form another tie than
that which God has formed, and by which He binds all His children of this
dispensation together.

 

But the members of that one body
are scattered all over the earth. They cannot assemble together in one place.
They therefore assemble in any locality convenient to those who live in that
locality. There may be "two or three," or two or three hundred or
thousand; Christ, the Saviour and Head of the Church, has pledged Himself to be
present in the midst of them thus assembled (Matt. 18:20). He is their Center
of assembling as the ark was of old the gathering-center of Israel. He is also the attractive Object of all their hearts—every one rejoicing in the presence,
through faith, of the Lord Jesus. These local churches, or assemblies, are, of
course, even as the persons who compose them, "one body in Christ, and
every one members one of another" (Rom. 12:5). If new converts be received
in one locality, they are received there on behalf of the whole Church of God. They are thus introduced into her fellowship — her fellowship, mark,
not her membership, for they were already made members by the baptism of
the Holy Spirit. Should one move where he is unknown, a letter of commendation
gives him full access to all privileges throughout the fellowship. If one walks
in evil and is put under discipline in one place, he is under discipline in the
whole Church until he repents.

 

All these local assemblies are,
for their doctrine and their practice, primarily responsible to the Lord,
inasmuch as "Christ is the Head of the Church" (Eph. 5:23). Should
any of these local assemblies fall into evil doctrine or practice, He may visit
them with judgment, as in 1 Cor. 11:26-32, or take away its candlestick
altogether as threatened in Rev. 2:5. They are also responsible to one another,
for all are "members one of another" (Rom. 12:5). No local assembly
can act for itself alone. Its actions affect all others, bind all others, and
render thus all others responsible with it. It must therefore, when questioned,
be open in the fullest way to investigation, as it is accountable to all the
rest. The sense of this responsibility toward one another produces wholesome
care in all that is done in each place.

 

But some one may say, This is
all very true, and sound doctrine, and in accord with all Scripture, but
Christendom is full of divisions and parties, unsubject to each other, which
abound with persons who are in nowise subject to Scripture or to the Lord. What
then are you going to do? Walk apart from them, and, by scriptural teaching and
godly labor after the fashion of the apostles, form a fellowship on the
principle of the whole Church of God, to practice among themselves what the
whole Church should practice. It may be small and weak, and cause opposition
and contempt, as in the days of Ezra and Nehemiah when they were building
afresh upon the old foundations; but it will please God. The mere attempt will
please Him. Faithful labor at it He will bless; and when the Lord returns He
will manifest that every "living stone" which had been set on the old
foundations had been set in a place of special blessing—blessing for eternity.

 

(2 Chron. 35:14-33)

 

It is very instructive to mark
the actions of Josiah when his heart and conscience had been brought under the
powerful influence of the Word of God. He not only bowed down under that Word
himself, but he sought to lead others to bow likewise. This must ever be the
case where the work is real. It is impossible for a man to feel the weight and
solemnity of truth and not seek to bring others under its influence. No doubt a
quantity of truth may be held in the intellect in a superficial way, but this
will have no practical effect. Inasmuch as it does not affect our own souls,
neither will our mode of presenting it be very likely to act with much power
upon others. In order to speak to hearts on any subject, the heart of
the speaker must feel it.

 

We do not mean to say that
anything in a preacher’s manner can of itself convert a soul. Tears cannot quicken;
earnestness cannot regenerate. It is "not by might, nor by power, but by
My Spirit, saith the Lord" (Zech. 4:6). It is only by the powerful action
of the Word and Spirit of God that any soul can be born again. Yet God blesses
earnest preaching, and souls are moved by it. We have far too much mechanical
preaching, too much routine work, too much of what may justly be called going
through a service. We want more earnestness, more depth of feeling, more
intensity, more power to weep over the souls of men and a more influential and
abiding sense of the awful doom of impenitent sinners, the value of an immortal
soul, and the solemn realities of the eternal world.

 

We are persuaded that earnest,
faithful preaching is one of the special wants of this day. Preachers should
consider themselves channels of communication between God and their fellows;
they should be intent, not merely on preaching and teaching, but on saving and
blessing souls. It is quite true that God is glorified and Jesus Christ
magnified by the unfolding of truth, whether men will hear or not, but is this
fact to be allowed to interfere with the ardent desire for results in
reference to souls? Certainly not! The preacher should look for results and
should not be satisfied without them. He should no more think of being
satisfied to go on without results than the farmer would think of going on from
year to year without a crop. What we want is to live before God for the results
of our work, to wait upon Him, to agonize in prayer for souls, to throw all our
energies into the work, and to preach as though the whole thing depended upon
us, although knowing full well that our words will be as temporary as the
morning haze if they are not directed by the Spirit. We are convinced that, in
the divine order of things, the earnest workman must have the fruit of his
labor, and that according to his faith, so shall it be. There may be
exceptions, but as a general rule, we may rest assured that a faithful preacher
will sooner or later reap fruit.

 

(From "Life and Times of
Josiah," in Miscellaneous Writings, Volume 1.)

 

I remember hearing of some great
public occasion at which one speaker tried to silence another by remarking,
"Why, I remember when you used to brush my boots."

 

But the remark had the very
opposite effect to what was intended; for he who had once been the shoe-shine
boy immediately replied, "Yes, sir; and didn’t I do them well?"

 

Now the children of this world
are constantly teaching us that they are wiser in their generation than the
children of light; and we do well to take a leaf out of their book this time,
or rather out of God’s book, for it is there the leaf really is.

 

We have a great truth taught
here; it is that "whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy
might" (Eccl. 9:10). "Whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the
Lord, and not unto men" (Col. 3:23). If it is the "Lord’s work"
you are doing, do not undertake more than you can do. Rather undertake very
little, but do it well, "do it with thy might," throw your
soul into it; "do it heartily."

 

Quantity appears well in the eyes of the
world and of our brethren; but it is quality God deals with. There is no
getting over the fact that we never read of a reward to the man who has gone
through much work and done many things; but we do read, "Well done,
thou good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things"
(Matt. 25:21). It may be very little the Lord gives me to do; but very little
though it be, I want to do it well, because it is for Him. How sweet
will it be to hear Him say, "You did it well!"

 

But to do it well applies to my
everyday work just as much as the Lord’s work; indeed, we ought to be able to
call all our work the Lord’s work. It may be in brushing the
boots like the one who did them well, or in sweeping the floors, or mending the
stockings, or cleaning up the house, or bringing a cup of cold water—it matters
not. The Lord says I am to do it heartily; I’m to do it well. It may be my lot
is cast in a factory, a mill, a shop, an office—the same rule applies.
"Whatsoever ye do, do it heartily"; "do it with thy might."

 

An idea seems to prevail that
conversion to God is a sentimental thing that we carry about with us in our
pockets, so to speak, to be brought out at prayer meetings and the like. But it
is nothing of the kind. It is a "new creation" in Christ Jesus; and
the new creation is to manifest itself in everything we do, and
everywhere our lot may be cast; "Always bearing about in the body the
dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in
our body" (2 Cor. 4:10).

 

"But sanctify the Lord God
in your hearts:and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh
you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:having a good
conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be
ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ" (1 Peter
3:15, 16).

 

"Where will we go this
summer?" In many homes this is a big question this time of year. The
husband will have a few weeks off, the wife longs for a change, and the
children will be out of school and home at least part of the time, even if they
work or go to summer school.

 

For most of us, vacation time is
the one time of the year when the pressure is off. We can relax; we can do what
we  want to do; we can go where we want to go. That is natural,
and a change can be very beneficial. However, we will get the most out of it if
we will take into account not only our physical, mental, and emotional needs
but also our spiritual needs and opportunities.

 

As believers we have been taught
and are assured that we ought to pray, seeking guidance from God our Father
when we make decisions. If there is one area in which dependent prayer and
waiting on the Lord seem to be overlooked, it is planning vacations.

 

Commonly, we lament the lack of
time during our working days to cultivate spiritual growth and to "do the
work of an evangelist." Now, in our vacation time, it can be different.
What opportunity there is now for this! Let us not think for a moment that the
two are incompatible:a vacation trip and attention to the interests of the
Lord Jesus our Saviour. No, not at all. In fact, we will only obtain the
physical and emotional rest which we may crave as we renew and strengthen
through communion with God our Father and the Lord Jesus those inner vital
qualities of faith, joy, and peace.

 

Attending a Bible Conference is
a valuable way of spending a part, at least, of a vacation with the family. We
do need to be together with other Christians in these spiritually dark last
days. Or try to arrange your vacation so as to be near an assembly of believers
or isolated saints for mutual edification and remembering the Lord together.

 

As we think of how short time is
(think how it has flown by since last vacation!) in the light of eternity, our
Lord’s coming being so near at hand, let us think of those around us yet in
their sins—"without Christ . . . having no hope, and without God in the
world." Remember that we are debtors unto all men to make known the
gospel. Never was there greater need than today. The love of God is real; death
and judgment are real also. Pray for a greater love for souls, and as there is
opportunity speak to others about the Saviour. Plan time for this especially on
your vacation. It is a challenge, isn’t it!

 

Plan to take along a generous
supply of good gospel tracts and any extra Sunday school papers you may have
available. Remember you are sowing in faith. The Lord may give you golden
opportunities which you will never have again. Put some tracts in the glove compartment,
perhaps, to have ready for those who service your car, take your money at the
toll booths, and give you a motel room.

Perhaps you haven’t the courage
to walk up to people and hand them tracts. You may fear rebuffs or scornful
comments. Until you gain, with the Lord’s help, this courage and overcome these
fears, you may find it easier to go to a shopping center and put tracts in
cars. This is a gospel activity which can be done year around in most places,
but the summer time is ideal in that most of the car windows will be open, a
crack at least, and the tracts can be put inside the cars rather than on the
windshields which may be unlawful in some places.

 

One more word:brother, sister,
whatever your vacation plans may involve, we earnestly appeal to you to set
aside part of the time for being alone—alone with God and the Lord Jesus. Spend
time on your knees and with the Bible before you. This is absolutely necessary
for spiritual growth. Our blessed Lord as a Man here on earth is our great
example, for the Gospels note frequently His being alone with God, His Father.
For example, Mark 1:35:"And in the morning, rising up a great while
before day, He went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there
prayed"; and Matthew 14:23:"And when He had sent the multitudes
away, He went up into a mountain apart to pray:and when the evening was come,
He was there alone." Then too, in Mark 7, when one who could neither hear
nor speak aright was brought to the Lord Jesus, he was taken aside from the multitude
and a wonderful change was effected in him by divine grace.

 

Consider these thoughts when
praying about and planning your vacation. Then, driving carefully, and
observing the traffic signs, in the Lord’s mercy you will return home safely,
refreshed, relaxed, and ready to take up your work again, the new nature
brightened as well as the body and mind. You will be glad that the Lord was
honored on your vacation. To Him be all glory!

 

"Therefore, my beloved
brethren, be ye steadfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the
Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord" (1
Cor. 15:58).

 

(Reprinted,
with modifications, from May 1967 Words of Truth.)

1.Introduction:Charisma versus
Fruit

 

One hears a great deal these
days in Christendom about the charismatic gifts of the Holy Spirit—particularly
speaking in tongues and the working of miracles such as healing. Even the
larger, more staid denominations of Protestantism and Roman Catholicism are
finding the charismatic movement growing within their ranks. It is being
proclaimed that the signs of having the Holy Spirit dwelling in us are the
ability to speak in tongues and/or to work miracles of healing and so forth.

 

Let us see what the Word of God
has to say about this. "In whom also, having believed, ye have been sealed
with the Holy Spirit of promise" (Eph. 1:13 JND); "If any man have
not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His" (Rom. 8:9). Thus, every soul
who has been truly born again, who has put his trust in the Lord Jesus Christ
as his personal Saviour, has received the gift of the Holy Spirit. Nowhere in
Scripture does it suggest that a believer must demonstrate charismatic powers
to prove he has the Holy Spirit dwelling in him.

 

Many of those associated with
charismatic movements allude to Acts 2:1-4 and Acts 10:44-46 as evidence that
the gift of the Holy Spirit is accompanied or should be accompanied by speaking
with tongues; and they cite Acts 8:14-17 and Acts 19:1-7 as evidence that
conversion is not always immediately accompanied by the gift of the Spirit, but
that the Spirit may come upon people some time after conversion.

 

These passages in Acts do not
give a description of general Christian experience. They describe what happened
to very specific groups of people during a transition period in God’s manner of
dealing with the Jews and Gentiles. The general teaching of the New Testament
regarding the reception of the Holy Spirit is given in such passages as Gal.
3:2("by the hearing of faith"), Gal. 3:14 ("through
faith"), and Eph. 1:13 ("having believed").

 

The 120 believers who initially
received the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost received Him quite a while
after their conversion (Acts 1:14, 15; 2:1). However, they could not have
received the Holy Spirit until after Christ’s ascension (John 7:39). The 3000
who were converted later that day evidently received the Holy Spirit when they
believed, since Peter had promised they would (Acts 2:38, 39). Also, there is
no record that they spoke with tongues.

 

What about the Samaritans in
Acts 8? The need for a delegation from Jerusalem to lay hands on the believers
may very well have been to avoid a perpetuation of the schism between Jews and
Samaritans which had existed for centuries. The Samaritans had to acknowledge
the authority of the Jewish apostles and the Jews had to acknowledge the
genuineness of the Samaritans conversion. Once again, there is no record that
these believers spoke with tongues when they received the Holy Spirit.

 

The gift of tongues given to
those of Cornelius’ household was evidently a special sign meant to impress
Peter’s Jewish companions of the reality of the Gentiles’ conversion, since no
doubt they would have been very skeptical without such a sign. The men of Ephesus whom Paul met (Acts 19) may not have been Christians at all (that is, followers of
the crucified and risen Christ) at the time of their meeting. They seemed to
have responded to the preaching of John the Baptist a few years previous, and
had received his baptism unto repentance, but apparently they did not yet know
Christ as having died for them and risen from the dead and were not aware of
the Spirit’s coming. Thus they were very atypical of believers today.

 

The gift of tongues, then, is
not necessary as a sign of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Of all the groups
who received the Spirit as recorded in Acts, only three are said to have spoken
in tongues (Acts 2:1-4,10:44-46 and 19:1-6).

 

What then is the evidence of the
Holy Spirit’s indwelling an individual today? No doubt it is the manifestation
of the fruit of the Spirit in that person’s life. It seems to be significant
that in the only passage in Paul’s epistles which speaks of being filled with
the Spirit (Eph. 5:15-21), only moral qualities are spoken of; gifts are not
mentioned.

 

Much rather than being concerned
about obtaining and manifesting charismatic gifts,* the growing, spiritual
Christian should be exercised as to the degree in which he is practically
walking in the Spirit and manifesting the fruit of the Spirit in his life. No
doubt many of our readers are able to quote the ninefold fruit of the Spirit as
given in Galatians 5. But how many of us know the meanings of these words and
the practical meaning which they should have in our lives?

 

(*The question whether the
charismatic gifts actually exist at all today—that is, as given and controlled
by the Holy Spirits—is beyond the scope of the present article.)

 

In coming issues, if the Lord be
not come, we will focus on each of the nine types or aspects of spiritual
fruit, and will try to discover how we can more consistently manifest this
fruit as we daily seek to live for the Lord and His glory.

 

Charles Haddon Spurgeon, a
renowned preacher of the 1800’s, had just finished lecturing to his students on
the call to service for God in the gospel, when a young Bible student
approached him. "Doctor Spurgeon, you said that one sign of God’s call is
His blessing us with results when we preach. I have been preaching for two and
a half years and haven’t had a convert yet. I think I’m going to quit."

 

With years of experience and
wisdom and a twinkle in his eye, the old evangelist said, "Well, young
whippersnapper, who do you think you are anyway? You don’t expect someone to be
saved every time you preach, now do you?"

 

"Well, no sir,"
stammered the young man, "I guess not."

 

"Then that," replied
Spurgeon, "is the very reason that no one is."

 

Let us take God at His word and pray,
believe, and act in positive faith, and God will surely add fruit to our labor
for Him.