FOLLOWING THOSE PRINTS:

Following His Prints 

by Jerry Ogles

 

Once on a day of Joyful Beauty and air pristine

I happened on the trail, at Jordan's Banks,   where our Lord had trod, 

And saw there in the stony sand agleam

The footprints of his nail-pierced feet upon the sod.

 

Along the shore of Galilee's coast

A fishing boat with sides weathered by the tempest's blast

Lay anchored now in quiet repose

Silent witness to the Stormy past.

 

Onward down the River Valley green

The Footprints led to Bethany

And on the way an opened Tomb

Whose Lazarus rose as beckoned lovingly.

 

On across the western plains to Sychar's well

That Jacob dug for all to quench a thirst

The prints paused briefly for a Woman Lost

Mixed there with others who came as did the first.

 

Quite steady on the prints led to the Temple Mount

Where tables, overturned in fury hot,

At which the money changers made there count

And fled the Master's blistering reproach of all their lot.

 

Straight on the steps led through the narrow Way

To Pilate's seat foreboding, proud and dark,

Past judgment seat where Peter thrice on that last Day

Denied his love for Christ and missed the mark.

 

Now haltingly they merge on Dolorosa's rocky lane

Where Jesus bore His heavy cross alone

Up Calvary's granite slopes of Crimson Stain

Where last He bled and for our sin atoned.

 

From out the tomb in Garden fair and sweet

The prints led on to Glory high and Great

And up beyond the heavens pearl-decked gates

He now commands the hearts of all of Faith.

 

W

President Calvin Coolidge is one of my favorite politicians - he believed the United States fared far better when Congress was not in session:

 WISDOM:

"How shall we labor with any effect to build up the church if we have no thorough knowledge of her history? History is, and must ever continue to be, next to God's word, the richest foundation of wisdom, and the surest guide to all successful practical activity."

 —   Philip Schaff

 CHURCHILL - 

 THE PREACHER'S MISTAKE

The Preacher’s Mistake

 

1- The Parish Priest

Of austerity,

Climbed up in a high church steeple

To be near the Lord,

So that he might hand

God's Word down to His people.

 

When the sun was high,

When the sun was low,

The good man sat unheeding.

Sublunary things,

From transcendency,

He was forever reading.

 

And now and again

When he heard the creak

Of the weather vane a-turning,

He closed his eyes

And said, "Of a truth

From God I now am learning."

 

2- And in sermon script

He daily wrote

What he thought was sent from Heaven,

And he dropped this down

On his people's heads

Two times one day in seven.

 

In his age God said,

"Come down and die!"

And he cried out from the steeple,

"Where art Thou, Lord?"

And the Lord replied,

"Down here among My people."

"The Preacher's Mistake" by William Croswell Doane

 CIRCERO ON TREASON

 THE FAMILY ALTAR

September 1.

"And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within

us while He talked with us by the way, and while He opened to us

the Scriptures?" Luke 24:32.

One need not travel far to discover that a sinful levity charac-

terizes our time and age. While all men know that they are on

the way to death, that eternity is rushing to meet them, that they

will never, never "pass this way" again, yet so few of them care

to know where their eternity will be spent. It seems to cause them

no concern whether they are going to the abode of Christ's blessed

saints in heaven, or to the fearful pit where there is weeping and

wailing and gnashing of teeth. But let us not be deceived by their

outward optimism. In spite of their display of levity and gayety

these people carry about with them a heart either burning with

carnal lusts, or a heart that is heavy with some inconsolable grief

and weighed down with despair. How happy are we if, by God's

saving grace, we have our risen Lord and Savior Jesus Christ with

His quickening Word as our traveling companion on our way

through life, as the two disciples going to Emmaus on Easter Eve

had Him on their way! Then the joyous experience of these dis-

ciples will be ours. Though our hearts often grow weak in faith,

though doubts and fears assail us, though grief and sorrow oppress

us, still shall we then know where we are going ; for the risen Lord

with His sweet Word divine will assure us of our pardon and peace

with God, strengthen our wavering faith, comfort us as one is

comforted by his mother, in all the painful experiences of our

pilgrim way, and safely lead us through the frowning portals of

death into the mansions above, where there is neither night nor

sorrow nor sin forevermore. How often our hearts burn now when

listening to His blessed words ! But oh, how our hearts will burn

when we shall see Him face to face ! Oh, let us ask Him daily in

humble faith also to abide with us, and pray : —

O Jesus, Savior, hear our cry! We, too,

Are weary travelers on life's rough path,

And Thou art still unchangeably the same.

Come, Lord, to us, and let us walk with Thee;

Come and unfold the words of heavenly life,

Till our souls burn within us, and the day

Breaks, and the Day-star rises in our hearts.

Yes, Lord, abide with us, rending the veil

Which hides Thee from the loving eye of faith,

Dwell with us to the world's end evermore,

Until Thou callest us to dwell with Thee, Amen.