CHRISTIAN CHARACTER

Salt is the combination of two basic chemicals: sodium and chlorine. When they are combined they form salt. Christian character is composed of two important ingredients: faith and works. As chlorine gas is a deadly poison by itself, so faith without works is dead. Metal sodium alone is likewise destitute of the saving quality of salt. So is works without faith. As the chemical union of these two elements forms salt, so faith and works, when united, give life and efficiency to Christian character.

Christian character is genuinely qualitative.When Jesus said to "have salt in yourselves" He was inviting us to link up to the authentic Source of Taste! The Psalmist put it this way: "taste and see that the Lord is good" (Ps.34:8). Later, Peter adds: "now that you have tasted that the Lord is good....grow up in your salvation" (I Pet.2:2-3). The most compelling evidence then is demonstrated through what Paul calls "the fruit of the Spirit"(Gal.5:22), which includes "love, joy, peace patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control."

If the Church is to regain its influence in our present decadent society, perhaps we need to
take another serious look at what Scripture says about Christian character and start putting it into practice.

LIVE YOUR PRAYERS

I KNELT TO PRAY WHEN DAY WAS DONE
AND PRAYED, "O LORD, BLESS EVERYONE
LIFT FROM EACH SADDENED HEART THE PAIN
AND LET THE SICK BE WELL AGAIN."

AND THEN I WOKE ANOTHER DAY
AND CARELESSLY WENT ON MY WAY
THE WHOLE DAY LONG I DID NOT TRY
TO WIPE A TEAR FROM ANY EYE.

I DID NOT TRY TO SHARE THE LOAD
OF ANY BROTHER ON THE ROAD
I DID NOT EVEN GO TO SEE
THE SICK MAN JUST NEXT DOOR TO ME.

YET ONCE AGAIN WHEN DAY WAS DONE
I PRAYED, "O LORD, BLESS EVERYONE"
BUT AS I PRAYED, INTO MY EAR
THERE CAME A VOICE THAT WHISPERED CLEAR,

"PAUSE NOW, MY CHILD, BEFORE YOU PRAY
WHOM HAVE YOU TRIED TO BLESS TODAY?
GOD'S SWEETEST BLESSINGS ALWAYS GO
BY HANDS THAT SERVE ME HERE BELOW."

AND THEN I HID MY FACE AND CRIED,
"FORGIVE ME, GOD, I HAVE NOT TRIED
BUT LET ME LIVE ANOTHER DAY
AND I WILL LIVE THE WAY I PRAY."
--AUTHOR UNKNOWN

WE REAP WHAT WE SOW! WE REAP LATER THAN WE SOW!
WE REAP MORE THAN WE SOW! SO THESE THINGS WE CANNOT DO:

1. Sow bad habits and reap a good character.
2. Sow jealousy and hatred and reap love and friendship
3. Sow wicked throughts and reap a clean life
4. Sow disloyalty and reap loyalty from others
5. Sow dishonesty and reap integrity
6. Sow profanity and reap clean speech
7. Sow disrespect and reap respect
8. Sow deception and reap confidence
9. Sow cowardice and reap courage.
10. Sow neglect of God's Word and grow spiritually

HE RANSOMED ME

ONCE I WAS LOST IN DARKNESS BOUND
CHRIST TOUCHED MY HEART, NEW LIFE I FOUND
THE STING OF DEATH FOR ME HE PAID
THE GREATEST PRICE MY RANSOM MADE.

NEW GLORY SHINES IN EVERY PART
SINCE CHRIST MY LORD CAME IN MY HEART.
THE BLACKEST SIN, THE DARKEST NIGHT
IS WIPED AWAY BEFORE HIS SIGHT.

NOW GRACE DIVINE IN EACH DAY'S TASK
FILLS EVERY NEED FOR WHICH I ASK
SINCE I HAVE FOUND THIS GOD ABOVE
I'LL GLADLY SERVE THE LORD I LOVE.

CHORUS

HOW GLAD I AM MY SIN WAS PAID
HOW GLAD I AM A RANSOM MADE
IN JOYOUS PRAISE I NOW CAN SING
TO JESUS CHRIST MY LORD AND KING
--B. Pent

ONE TRIUNE GOD

TH'ETERNAL TRIUNE GOD IN ONE
IN MYSTERY'S UNION GLORY MEET
AS MORTAL MINDS FIND HARD TO TRACE
THE BLOOD-STAINED PATH OF SAVING GRACE.

BEFORE THE WORLDS WERE EVER FORMED
LOVE'S INCUBATING PLOT WAS BORN
A SPOTLESS LAMB WAS FRAMED IN RED
TO PICTURE CHRIST'S REDEMPTION SHED.

THE PRE-INCARNATE WORD THAT SPOKE
WHEN ALL THE UNIVERSE APPEARED
WITH YAHWEH'S SPIRIT HOVERING NEAR
BECAME IN FLESH THE GODHEAD HERE.

INCOMPREHENSIBLE THE THOUGHT
THAT ONE SO AWESOME TO DESCRIBE
SHOULD STOOP TO FORM A SINLESS BIRTH
BY JOINING GOD IN MAN ON EARTH.

THE GREATEST FORM OF LOVE EXPRESSED
WAS ON A RUGGED CROSS THAT DAY
WHEN AFTER HE HAD OFFERED GRACE
THEY PIERCED HIS HANDS AND MARRED HIS FACE.

YET ONCE AGAIN THE PLAN UNFOLDS
WHEN FROM THE GRAVE GOD'S SON APPEARS
BY CRUSHING DEATH, THE SERPENT'S STING
CHRIST NOW BECOMES THE SOVEREIGN KING.

A RADIANT BRIDE COMPLETES THIS PLOT
WHEN FROM A CLOUD OUR BRIDEGROOM CALLS
THEN AT THE MARRIAGE FEAST WE'LL SEE
THE THREE-AS-ONE, HIS MAJESTY!
---B. PENT

WHY END IT ALL?

I WANDER THROUGH MY LIFE ALONE
MY HEAD IS SPINNING OUT IN SPACE
I TRY TO FIGURE WHO I AM
BUT PHANTOMS DANCE BEFORE MY FACE.

I TOUCH THE GUN AND SPIN THE CONE
WITH BULLETS STILL INSIDE THEIR BOX
A LINGERING THOUGHT DARTS THROUGH MY BRAIN
ONE LITTLE SHELL AND NO MORE PAIN!

THE DARKENED MYSTERY OF MY PAST
MY FAMILY'S PLAN TO SHRED MY BIRTH
WITHOUT A MOM OR DAD TO SHARE
AND FOSTER HOMES WHO JUST DIDN'T CARE.

IF DRUGS AND SEX COULD SATISFY
THERE WOULD BE REASON TO GO ON
BUT STOLEN CARS AND NIGHT TIME BARS
WAS FODDER FOR MY EMPTY MOAN.

AND THEN ONE NIGHT WHEN I WAS "HIGH"
MY MIND BEGAN TO FLOAT IN SPACE
WHILE OTHER SPIRITS PASSED MY WAY
REPEATING CRIES I COULD NOT TRACE.

SO THIS IS NOT THE END, I MUSED?
WHILE DRIFTING BACK INTO MY MIND
THEN GUILT AND FEAR TORE ME APART
AS I POURED OUT MY BROKEN HEART.

I FOUND THE LETTER GOD WROTE DOWN
THAT JESUS DIED TO SET ME FREE
THE LOVE THAT BROUGHT SALVATION'S PLAN
I FINALLY UNDERSTOOD FOR ME.

I HAVE A MESSAGE FOR MY FRIEND
LIFE HERE ON EARTH IS NOT THE END
GOD HAS A PLAN FOR YOU IN MIND
RECEIVE HIS GIFT, NEW PURPOSE FIND.
--B. Pent

PAIN
Pain knocked upon my door
I did not ask it to come in
Yet suddenly it pushed its way
An uninvited guest within.

I sought for comfort in distress
A balm to ease the ache and pain
But cries for mercy and relief
Were unattended and in vain.

So why this cross of heavy weight
Be given me so weak and frail?
Must this be carried to my grave
Without some purpose to avail?

Twas then a vision came to light
A Man of Sorrows crushed by blows
Was seen with nails and blood-stained brow
So through His stripes real healing flows.

God's every purpose will prevail
His nail-pierced hands reach from above
And those who seek His healing touch
Will find through you His grace and love.
--B. Pent