OBJECTS: The Bible and Nine Lettered Cards Spelling
the Word "Salvation"
Hold up the Bible and say: "This is God's Mail-bag; the Holy Bible, filled with holy letters for you. This Mail-bag came from heaven. It contains God's latest wonderful message. I am God's letter-carrier. I have nine special-delivery letters. They are all directed to you. My business is to carry the mail for God. I will now deliver the mail God has addressed to you."
Before the meeting secure nine envelopes, commercial size, and on each draw in large outlines one of the letters in the word Salvation. Before the meeting place these letters in various parts of the Bible. Holding the open Bible in your hand, you say: "I have now opened the Mail-bag from God, and find nine letters for you. The first letter you take from the Bible you find in Genesis, and it is the letter 'S.'" Give this to the child who takes the first place in the line. Explain that the message which you wish them to remember is the message of the Ark. Eight souls were saved in this big ship. All were invited, only those who accepted were saved. All who did accept were safely delivered into the new world. During the voyage they just trusted God. He fed them as he did the widow with her cruse of oil and little portion of meal. The supply was given each day according to their need.
God will take care of you. God will supply all your need. This is the message of "S." It is a lesson in salvation. Now produce the letter "A" from Genesis containing the story of Joseph. Give this to some child who now takes his place next to the child with the letter "S." The message God gives from this story is that Truth wins out at last. Joseph, hated, sold in slavery, because of false accusation cast into prison, but at last elevated to the throne, did not forget the home folks. These are great facts to be remembered because they were steps upward. Because he was true to God, he found his feet at last walking in the golden way of true success. That is the message of the letter "A." This is a story of salvation.
Return to the Mail-bag, and draw out the letter "L" from the book of Daniel. Give that to the child next in line. This is a letter from Daniel, and his message is always dare to stand firm for God. When away from your home as was Daniel, don't be ashamed to let people know that you pray. Daniel prayed before the open window because he was not ashamed to be seen talking to God. He faced the lions as well as the people, and God gave him the victory over both, and his testimony counted one hundred per cent, because he was a real servant of the Most High God, and this is another story of salvation.
Open the Mail-bag again, and produce the letter "V," from the story of the Hebrew Children, asking another child to hold the letter, standing next in line. The message from these three faithful boys is that God's children should stand together like three links in a chain. This gives strength stronger than iron. Good companionship is the need of boys today. Fall in with the right crowd. A minister of the gospel, who was appointed spiritual adviser to a boy about to be executed, asked him one day what was his first step downward, and he replied, "I fell in with the wrong crowd." The Hebrew Children were a crowd made good by God, and they went through the fire before they would bend their knees to the idols of the heathen land. God stands with such a crowd; one and two made four in God's table of numbers. He is always in the midst of them. Jesus said, "Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." The king saw him and said, "He is like unto the Son of man," and this was the reason. Three boys were fire-proof saints, so the fire did them no hurt.
Open the Mail-bag again and produce the letter "A." This you take from Psalms—open to the Twenty-third Psalm. This letter hand to another child and tell the message of the Psalm, God is the Shepherd of his people, and his sheep shall know no want. They shall find green pastures, which signifies fresh pastures. Still water, deep waters, and so an endless supply. Still water runs deep in the Twenty-third Psalm. Paths of righteousness open up before the soul, like the golden sunrise every morning. Evil cannot make afraid, no enemy can destroy. Goodness and mercy, like two faithful shepherd dogs, follow and protect in the rear till the house of the Lord lifts itself above the clouds of time, and the "forever with the Lord" comes at last to all who follow the Good Shepherd. This is the story of salvation from our enemies and the open door to the house of the Lord in heaven.
At the first part of Matthew open again the Bible Mail-bag and take out the letter "T," and ask another child to hold it and take his place in line as before. Let this letter stand for the birth of Jesus, the Angels' glad song, and the sky's "Merry Christmas" to the Shepherd with its glad melody of Jesus now born among men, the Virgin's Son. This is the story of the Glory Song of Salvation.
Open again the Bible Mail-bag at the resurrection and take out the letter "I," asking another child to take his place in line with this letter. This letter delivers the message of the resurrection of Christ. It is God's special-delivery letter that the last and latest news is that Christ is risen from the grave, and orders that all the bells of joy shall be rung and the message declared to all the people. Salvation has been accomplished, and the stone that was rolled away from the grave by an angel's hand, has become the keystone of our faith. This is the story of salvation from the grave.
Now take out the letter "O" from the Bible Mail-bag opened at the book of Acts. This is to proclaim how the gospel works among men, how it turned cities upside down, and multitudes were converted. It proclaims that all must be saved through the name of Jesus. Even the wicked Saul of Tarsus is turned into another man by the gospel's power, and all who will come in truth will also be turned, and by God's grace will stay turned. This is the story of the salvation of the soul. Tell the children that they can never get God's full mail from just one letter from the book. We must seek to get all God has said before we can know his perfect truth.