This is an object lesson teaching the divine "security of the Believer." Produce a fair sized cardboard heart on which write your name. This is the way of announcing your salvation. Religion is an affair of the heart. It goes to the heart, changes the heart, keeps the heart. An old whaler once said he'd been in the business for so many years he could talk about nothing else save whales and said "When I am dead, if you should open my heart, I think you would find the word 'whale' in its centre." His business was an affair of his heart. I am sure that deep in the believer's heart you would find the name 'Jesus' written, because religion is an affair of the heart to every true believer.
To put this lesson over in a large way, secure a number of boxes each just a little larger than the other so they will nest well. On the first box, print a large cross as large as the side of the box will permit. Now drop the heart into that box and close the lid tightly. The heart is now hid in the Cross, and is safe forever. Your money you may lose, a thief may make way with it. It may take wings and fly away out of your sure keeping place, but when you give your heart over to the keeping of the Cross, you are safe forevermore. The word says "They shall never perish" because they are in His keeping. Now take a slightly larger box marked "His care." Place the box marked with a cross inside of this box and close the lid. Now I am doubly safe, for I am in Christ, and also in God's care. God cares for the sparrow, for the Word says, "Not a sparrow falleth to the ground without your Heavenly Father." Not alone that He sees and counts the fallen bird, but that He comes down with it. God attends the funeral of even a fallen sparrow. If He so cares for a bird, will He not care more for me! And He does and so I am safe in His care.
Take the next larger box and mark it "His Love," and in this box place the one marked "His Care." Every believer tents in the love land of the heart of God. "He so loved that we might not perish." And so we are safe in His love. No man dare tamper with the love marked children of His. Even Satan is afraid of that power. Put this box into the larger box marked "His Power." Another wall has been built around the believer. It is God's great wall of power. Now the Love box believer is surrounded by God's power. Christ said "All power is given unto me." And it wraps the believer up in this girdle of strength for the Gospel in the heart is "the power of God unto Salvation." In I Peter 1:15 we are told we are "kept by the power of God." The hand that holds the sea in the hollow thereof holds me in safety. His power is my fortress. I can smile at all foes. I am safe in the hollow of His hand of power. Now place this box in the next larger size box, have it marked 'His Promise.' He has given me His promises "I will never leave thee nor forsake thee." (Hebrews 15:5.) He whispered those dear words to me when he lifted me from the cross of penitence and gave me the kiss of salvation. He is able to keep His promises and | am trusting in His word. He has said that "He that begun a good work in you shall perform it until that day." The day of His coming. I will trust that promise, and tremble not, nor fear what man can do unto me. "As the mountains are around about Jerusalem, so is the Lord round about them that fear Him. As the sides of this Promise box are around about me, so are the mountains of His power. I am closed in by tons of mountains, a congress of giants, so Salvation is God's safety box. It shuts the soul in His Cross, His Care, His Love, His Power, His Promises. No wonder it is written "They shall never perish." Marvel not it is written "No man shall pluck them out of my hand." When Noah and his wife, and his three sons, and their wives went into the Ark, God shut them in, and they were safe. When God shuts the door He shuts the soul in. No man can open. God holds the key. It is a secret combination lock. God knows the combination. No man can know it. It is a secret God will not whisper to any one in all the world. Closed in—locked in— that is enough, my soul, to live by and keep me divinely calm, now, and in the hour of death. "In His keeping" is Heaven's way of writing the word salvation.
If the box method is too elaborate, to work out, you can use a nest of envelopes. They put the lesson over just the same.
CHAPTER XXIII
A CANDLE LIGHT LESSON
Objects used: A collection of candles
A CANDLE LIGHT LESSON
THIS is a simple yet shining lesson, using a small collection of ordinary candles as illustrators. Children's and older eyes are always attracted by sparkling lights. Watching the glittering stars is always a delight. These candles talk: They are white robed prophets. They preach to you. Look and listen. Have the candles mentioned in this chapter hidden from sight, with the exception of one tall candle which you have placed in the centre of the table. This represents The Light of the World. Have this burning when the audience enters. It will have an attractive effect. Produce the other candles as you introduce them. Say of this first tall candle that Jesus said of Himself "As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world." (John 9:5.) This is the text which this candle is declaring by its light —Jesus—the Light of the World. Without this light the world would be in darkness. At this moment, cause all the lights of the church to go out for a moment and say "If this candle should now be extinguished there would be complete darkness in this room. Just so would it be if the Light of the World—Jesus—should turn His face from the world, all would be in darkness indeed." Cause the lights of the church now to be turned on and proceed with your shining talk. Next produce a small spirit lamp. Let this represent the Holy Spirit. Light it from the Light of the World candle, and say "The Holy Spirit takes the light of Jesus, and scatters it among men. He represents Jesus. He was sent to continue Christ's work of sending forth the light of truth." Now tell of the ascension of Jesus, and as you do, take away the big candle and put it in another room if possible and say "Jesus has now gone to shine in the Glory, but has left the Holy Spirit here to continue His shining work. Now bring in twelve candles, standing for the twelve disciples. Light each one from the spirit lamp and say "The disciples have been sent to carry the light to the uttermost parts of the world, go ye into all the world," etc. From a corner of the platform produce candles standing for the races of the world. They are now in darkness, "Go ye into all the world" and then quote the last five words of Matthew 5:14. "The Light of the World." Name each candle one of these words, so the candles will read "The Light of the World." Jesus said these words about His followers, and all the races are His followers. This illustration shows how the Holy Spirit can cause Jesus to shine forth through the nations of the world. If you wish to make an elaborate finish to this lesson, call up five boys to represent the nations mentioned. Let them carry a flag of each nation or marked in such a way that they may be known as a representative of the nation whose name they bear, and let them go to different parts of the church bearing these candles. One may go to the gallery and call that spot Africa; another to the rear, and call that locality India, etc. And when they have been distributed, turn off all the lights for a moment and say "The Holy Spirit is world wide in His mission. The light is just beginning to shine. Pray that the Holy Spirit may continue in the work of light-sending and He will do so if we do our part, and we will." Let the lights be now turned on, and the people sing as a closing hymn "The Morning Light is Breaking."