SHOW YOUR COLORS
OBJECTS: An Eighteenth Amendment Flag; a Church
Flag; a Conquest Flag; an American Flag
Text: Psalm 60:4: "That it may be displayed because of the truth."
This is an expression we often use when we want to be out and out for any cause we wish to represent.
When the World War was on we pinned a small flag on our coats because we were glad we were Americans and wanted to be out and out for our country; we "displayed our colors."
Let us all try to show our colors as good Americans. Produce a flag from an inside pocket and say: "As an American citizen I will now show my colors; our text says, 'That it may be displayed because of the truth.'"
When I was traveling in Europe I always had a little flag in my hotel room. I did not keep it in the bottom of my trunk, nor did I keep it shut up in the closet, but I placed it in a conspicuous place where everybody who came into the room could see it.
I can show my colors also by obeying my country's laws and always speaking well of its President and those in authority. I am not ashamed of them, so I show my colors as an American citizen, I now will place this flag over the pulpit where you can all see it, and place my hand on it and vow I will always show my colors as an American; and lifting up the other hand I say, "So help me God."
From another pocket produce a white piece of bunting with the figures "18" marked on it, and say: "I am a temperance advocate. I believe in the Eighteenth Amendment, and I will support it with all my heart. It is a glorious part of the Constitution of the United States. I will not call it a failure, and thereby cause the wicked to jeer at it. I will not speak slightingly of it, and thereby cause the weak to disrespect it. I believe it came from God and it has come to stay. I am for it with all my soul."
A visitor once came as a stranger to a Southern town on the eve of "a license" or "no-license campaign," and was asked by one of the liquor men which side he was on, He replied: "You just step up to God and ask him which side he is on; step up to the wives and children of the drunkards, and ask them which side they are on; I am on the same side."
He was out and out a defender of the glorious Eighteenth Amendment. Now place this flag over the pulpit next to the Stars and Stripes. At this time produce from another pocket the church flag, which is the white flag with a red cross in its center, and as you display it, say: "I am out and out for the Church of God. I love its walls and its glorious old songs. I live in it and live for it, because I want to do good by my example. I need the church. There is mighty power in 'the assembly.'"
This I say with my lips, and this I say also by my example. Jesus was a church-goer, and I want to be like him. It was his custom to go to the assembly. It was a good custom. The Church is "the meeting-place," not the place where we meet each other only, but where we meet God. It is good to be there. Jesus went there to meet his heavenly Father, for "God is in his holy temple." Heaven bless the meeting-house.
God feels hurt if we do not come to see him, because we are the children of his heart. Let us go to church.
When Mr. Moody was converted he went out every Sunday morning and collected half a dozen boys and brought them into the church, and they sat in the same church pew with him, "He showed his colors." Here wave the church flag and place this flag beside the Eighteenth Amendment flag.
Draw out now from another pocket a missionary flag (the conquest flag) and say, "I believe in spreading the good news of the gospel to all the world." Here is a good story about a missionary potato. A little boy, a son of a rich and prosperous farmer, came home one day from Sunday school very much excited about the stories he had heard about the heathen people who worshiped idols. "Never mind about them, John," said the father, "we have no money to send them, besides we have heathen enough at home."
This did not satisfy John, and he puzzled his curly head with his own plans to help them.
One day he said to his father who seemed to be in a good humor, "Daddy, if you will not give me money to help the heathen will you give me a potato?" "Why certainly, son, I will give you a peck if you like." John said, "No, daddy, only one good one, and give me land enough to plant it in, and all it will produce in four years."
This pleased the father greatly and he promised him he would be glad to do this and he said to himself, "This lad of mine will make a good farmer some day." So John planted his potato, and the first year it rewarded him by producing nine. These he carefully kept for planting, and the second year he had a peck. These became seven and a half bushels the third year, and when the fourth harvest came, lo, the one potato had increased to seventy bushels. When he took them to town he told the store-keeper that he had some missionary potatoes to sell. "That must be a new kind of potato," the store-keeper said, "well, bring them over and if they are all right I'll take 'em." So he sold his potatoes for a good price and gave the money to missions. His father seeing this, concluded he would become a missionary helper also, and gave liberally each year of his money for the cause. So John showed his "missionary colors" and won his father by so doing. Jesus wants us to come out into the open and tell the world the story of his love. "Thou hast given a banner to them that fear thee, that it may be displayed [show your colors] because of the truth" (Ps. 60: 4). We are the flags in full view of the people. Let us display our colors.
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THE BOOKS OF THE NEW TESTAMENT
IN STORY FORM
A MEMORY LESSON
It is of the highest importance that we teach our children the names of the books of the New Testament, and that they shall be able to recite them from memory in their proper order.
This is not an easy task as it requires some memory effort, but it is worth the while and the effort. All children love stories, and instruction by stories is always winsome to them. It is easy on their heads. This method puts life and movement into facts, and the little folks like it much because the story method of learning things turns labor into play.
In this chapter the names of the books of the New Testament have been put together in story form. Cause the children to commit to memory the story and then to recite it in concert frequently during the meeting. After they have learned it well, ask them to think of the story, but repeat out loud the names of the books. By this simple method the books of the New Testament will be nailed down in their memory for years to come. This is the story:
The Books of the New Testament in Story Form
Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John determined on Acts of discovery, accompanied by seven brave Romans, started on a pilgrimage to find the Temple of Truth. First and Second Corinthians gave them all two changes of raiment, and, as they were passing out of the city gate, they were met by Galatians and Ephesians who supplied them camels for their journey, and there the two famous sword-makers, Philippians and Colossians, gave them swords and shields for the conflict. As they journeyed on, they met First and Second Thessalonians seated at Jacob's well reading First and Second Timothy. With hearts stirred by the truth, they marched bravely on when they noticed the approach of a lone camel upon which was seated Titus, who was returning from a visit to Philemon, who he announced was keeping the true faith. They then passed through the encampment of the Hebrews, where they found James expounding the gospel to First and Second Peter, who announced to them that the Palace of Truth was at the end of the road leading out of the encampment, and that First, Second, and Third John had been watching for their caravan all night. When they arrived at the Palace of Truth, Jude the door-keeper gave them an open door and told them to enter in peace. As they retired to rest in comfort after their long journey, Revelation stood on guard in the tower, watching the signs of the times.
Ask the children to repeat this story in concert as an opening exercise for their meeting.
This is a New Testament rosary. The beads are the books, the string is the story.
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