The SWORD OF THE LORD Newspaper December 13, 2019 | Page 4

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SWORD OF THE LORD
Wise Men
Loving Moments
Make Lasting
Memories
“These things understood not his
disciples at the first: but when Jesus
was glorified, then remembered they
that these things were written of
him.”—John 12:16.
The disciples remembered
precious moments they had with
the Lord. They remembered mo -
ments they walked with Him on
roadsides, through cornfields and
many special times in the garden.
They remembered how they
talked with Him about His teachings
and things to come. They re -
membered times of togetherness
on boats, in homes and in breaking
of bread. They remembered and
shared with one another these
precious memories.
A memory is recalling or thinking
of something memorable in the
past. It may be an experience that
touched our lives, or a time that
changes our lives forever.
Our precious memories may be
precious only to us. The things we
experience this very week could
become precious memories. Most
precious memories involve people
and not things, because the best
things in life are not things.
God is interested in people. I
often say, “Don’t love things; love
people.” Little loving things can
later become memories. Just a
look or word can become a
precious memory. A little timely
touch can mean so much.
Refreshing moments are re -
membered moments (II Tim. 1:16).
I say, “Loving moments make lasting
memories.”
Mrs. Lee Roberson told of a
time she planned to buy a new
bedspread. But after looking at the
old one, she changed her mind.
Why? Because she and her husband
had devotions each night kneeling
by the bedside and holding hands
to pray together.
She looked and there was a
worn spot on the bedspread where
they laid their hands each night.
That worn spot held many precious
memories for her. The old bed -
spread meant nothing to others;
but to her it became one of her
cherished, precious memories.
A couple kept a fire truck on
their mantel. Someone said, “You
have no children. Why do you
have a fire truck on the mantel?”
They replied, “We did have a son
and that was his favorite toy.”
They loved the toy because their
son loved the toy. It was precious
to him so it became precious to
them.
The loving moments we share
with loved ones and friends will
later become lasting memories.
So let’s make more moments
become more memories. Invest
in people. Listen to others. Share
your love with those you love.
Take time to build good memories.
Today look for moments to make
memories for tomorrow. Today is
a good day to have a good day.
Loving moments make lasting
memories.
❚
The wise men came from the
east. From how far we have no
certain knowledge, but perhaps a
journey of considerable distance.
Another unknown about these
“wise men” is the sense in which
they are called wise. There is a
good way and a bad way that men
were called wise in Old Testament
days.
When King Nebuchadnezzar
had a troubling dream, he called
for the magicians, the astrologers,
the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans.
Wise men of those days were often
called magicians. Indeed, the wise
men of Matthew’s Gospel are
sometimes called the Magi.
But whatever they once were
and from wherever they came, they
were exceedingly wise in a good
way in that they followed the star
to Jesus.
The Lord may not give you a star
to follow; but whatever light God
gives you, you need to make certain
that you follow that light to a
saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.
That light may come to you in the
form of a friend, a gospel tract, a
preacher, a TV program, or this
newspaper. Make sure that you
do not quench that light before
you get saved.
On the same day that Jesus was
Mail
Dear Dr. Smith,
It is with great joy that I write to
you that another soul has been
won for the Lord!
I am in prison. God worked
things so that I received a new
cellmate. His name is William and
while I was reading my Sword of
the Lord, he asked me about it. I
showed him your paper and told
him to read it all he wanted.
After a few days William saw me
reading my Bible and began to
ask about God. In the course of a
few days I shared the Gospel of
our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ,
with him.
After some time He asked how
he could be saved and I lead him
in a sinner’s prayer.
With tears of joy from me and,
I am sure, tears of relief from
William, another soul was saved
tonight from the jaws of Hell!
I thank you and all the staff of
the Sword of the Lord for the paper.
I could not have introduced
William to the Gospel without it.
Thank you and God bless you!
born, angels appeared to shepherds
in a field where they were watching
their flocks. The angel told them
that the Babe was in Bethlehem in
a manger (Luke 2:8–12).
The wise men undoubtedly
received some instructions about
“his star” that they saw in the east.
And whereas the shepherds went
straight to Bethlehem, the wise
men were given a divine detour
to Jerusalem before they went to
see the Baby.
As the wise men stood in front
of King Herod, they announced
the birth of the “King of the Jews”
(Matt. 2:2). It is understandable
that Herod would be troubled by
this announcement.
Just as King Saul continually
tried to kill his eventual successor,
the shepherd boy David, so Herod
tried to exterminate the “King of
the Jews.”
But why was all Jerusalem
troubled with him? Since then,
even as today, the Jews were
looking for a messiah, you would
think that they would rejoice over
this declaration by the wise men.
Scripture says that “men loved
darkness rather than light, because
their deeds were evil” (John 3:19).
But the Bible also says,
December 13, 2019
† The Devil is no fool; he is on his
job. He has been practicing for six
thousand years and he has never
had appendicitis, rheumatism or
tonsillitis. If you get to playing tag
with the Devil, he’ll beat you every
“Every knee shall bow to me, and clip.
—Billy Sunday
every tongue shall confess to God.
“So then every one of us shall give
† I would not tell a lie to save a
account of himself to God.”—Rom.
soul.
14:11, 12.
Since there is no way for
anyone to escape the judgment of
God, why not come on over to
the winning side? Jesus will accept
you with open arms if you are
ready to repent and put your faith
in Him.
From Matthew’s narrative it
would seem that the star which
guided the wise men temporarily
departed when they reached Jeru -
salem. When it came time to
resume their journey on to where
the Baby lay, the wise men exceed -
ingly rejoiced when the star
appeared again.
If we are determined to seek the
Lord, He will guide our footsteps,
as stated in Proverbs 3:5 and 6.
Upon entering Mary and Joseph’s
house, the wise men fell down
and worshipped as soon as they
saw the young Child (Matt.
2:11). At the appropriate time,
they presented their gifts of
gold, frankincense and myrrh.
Even as these wise men presented
themselves to the Christ Child, so
should we, as we read in Romans
12:1: “I beseech you therefore,
brethren, by the mercies of God,
that ye present your bodies a living
sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto
God, which is your reasonable
service.”
When we learn to do this, we
will also bring our gifts to church
as we come to worship Him. Are
you wise enough to seek Him
daily?
Merry Christmas!
❚
—Charles Spurgeon
† If one stockholder becomes a
cheat, does that destroy a whole
company? If one soldier be a coward,
does that condemn the whole army?
And yet there are many in this day
so unphilosophic, so illogical, so
dishonest and so unfair as to
denounce the entire church of God
because here and there unworthy
men belong to it.
—T. DeWitt Talmage
† What can be more foolish than
to think that all this rare fabric of
heaven and earth could come by
chance, when all the skill of science
is not able to make an oyster?
—Jeremy Taylor
† How many observe Christ’s
birthday! How few, His precepts!
Oh, ’tis easier to keep holidays than
commandments.
—Benjamin Franklin
† We ought to learn to live in our
Bible. Get one with print big enough
to read so it does not punish your
eyes. Look around until you find a
good one and then learn to love it.
—A. W. Tozer
† It is a truth that no matter how
one comes into the world, he may
live gloriously and leave behind him
both an honorable and an im -
perishable name.
—W. B. Riley
† While you are in the wilderness,
the only way to walk is to follow the
cloud of glory.
Sword of the Lord make it possible
for us to have a ministry inside
many hundreds of America’s
correctional facilities.
—D. L. Moody
† No shield on earth will turn back
the fiery arrows of Satan but the
shield of faith. In the smoke and fire
of spiritual conflict, we must have
faith in God.
E-mail
—Tom Malone
Dr. Smith,
In the recent edition [11-1] you
responded to a liberal reader. Very
good response! I’m not sure why
he reads the Sword, but I’m glad
he does and I hope it will help
him see the truth.
A quick personal testimony: My
wife and I were saved on July 18,
1976, at Maranatha Baptist Church
in Okinawa. Soon after, a young
Air Force airman told me that he
subscribed to a good magazine
and I might be interested.
He gave me several back copies
of the Sword of the Lord. Soon
thereafter I subscribed and have
not missed a renewal since. I leave
my old copies in various waiting
rooms or give them away.
Keep up the good work and
never lower the standards.
Fred Chitwood, Jenkinsburg, Georgia
Chris, a southwest prison
EDITOR’S COMMENTS: We Dr. Smith,
also received a good letter from
I received a blessing reading
William rejoicing in his salvation. your piece “Crossword Salvation
Those of you who support the in the October edition of the Sword
Insider. It made me start thinking
about all the different things the
Lord uses to lead people to know
they need a Savior—a crossword
puzzle for one man, an earthquake
for a jailer in Philippi, a tract for a
restaurant server, an automobile
accident for a coworker, the sudden
death of her husband for my
cousin—lots of things, many are
seemingly small.
In my devotions this morning, I
read how a snake in a bundle of
sticks was instrumental in Paul’s
ministry to the natives on Malta.
Thanks for the Sword!
—Bob Billings, New York
† When our Lord says we must be
converted and become as little
children, I suppose He means also
that we must be sensible of our
weakness, comparatively speaking,
as a little child.
—George Whitefield
† He who has not forgiven an
enemy has never yet tasted one of
the most sublime enjoyments of life.
—Johann Lavater
† Leave tomorrow’s trouble to
tomorrow’s strength, tomorrow’s work
to tomorrow’s time, tomorrow’s trial
to tomorrow’s grace and to Him
who is God today and tomorrow.
† Nothing that men ever imagined,
nothing that men ever thought,
nothing that men ever said, nothing
that men ever did, nothing that men
ever recorded has touched the hem
of the garment so much as has the
circumstantial manner of the birth of
the Savior in the city of David, who
is Christ the Lord.