By the Editor
“Please Send off Another Parcel”
THIS is the oft-repeated request from an anonymous friend in the North of England. Five shillings comes with the request. In one letter the wish is, “Please send off another parcel to the Front, one of my dear ones is there.” Yes, the Word of God is needed today by all our dear ones. “What does God say?” is the great thing, and we can only learn that from His Word.
The Word, A Living Power
From Jamaica a friend writes to me: “The enclosed draft is to provide New Testaments for the men engaged in this terrible War. More terrible still is the thought of the awful doctrines being preached by some to the poor fellows. The only way to meet such falsehoods is by giving the pure Word of God. It is not a book, it is a living power.”―B.
The Power of The Word. “Is That All?”
A Christian friend, Mr. C. J. Ross, sends this striking incident to me: ―
A servant of God, visiting a military hospital, noticed a young soldier whose life, it was evident, was quickly ebbing away. “Friend,” said he, “you are soon to die; are you saved?” “No, sir,” was the earnest reply, “what shall I do?” “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved” (Acts 16:3131And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. (Acts 16:31)). “Say that again,” demanded the soldier. It was repeated.
Steadily and earnestly looking at the visitor, the young man rejoined, “Is that all?” “Yes, that is all. I can say nothing more. There is nothing, nothing more for you to do.”
Closing his eyes for a few moments, the youth at length opened them again, and raising his right hand, he exclaimed: “Lord Jesus, I surrender!” Instantly his face shone with a new-found peace, and a few days later he passed away into the presence of his Saviour.
Perhaps, reader, you have not yet discovered that the gospel is so simple on your part. You may be under the impression that you have got to do something in order to merit God’s favor. You think if you live a noble and upright life, no doubt God will reward you with heaven in the future. Is this the gospel? No, no, my friend. God’s Word plainly states that “to him that worketh not, but believeth on Him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness” (Rom. 4:55But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. (Romans 4:5)). His faith, mark you, not his works.
We, as fallen, sinful creatures, cannot contribute anything towards meeting the demands of a holy God. But the gospel is this, that what we could not do, Jesus, the blessed Son of God, has done. On the cross He “gave Himself a ransom for all” (1 Tim. 2:66Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time. (1 Timothy 2:6)). He has, in His own person, met all the claims of God against us. So perfectly has He satisfied these claims that God has raised Him from amongst the dead and given Him the highest place of honor in glory. Because of the worthiness of Christ, God finds delight in blessing sinners.
“Be it known unto you... that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins, and by Him all that believe are justified from all things from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses” (Acts 13:38, 3938Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins: 39And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses. (Acts 13:38‑39)). There is nothing left for you to do but to take your true place as a sinner before God, and accept by faith the salvation which He so freely offers. Will you do it?
The entrance of God’s Word gives light. We must not rest until we have helped to put a khaki Testament in every soldier’s pocket. This is why I want 100,000 Testaments at once to help, do this.
Are You off to the Front?
We are all very proud of our soldiers and our sailors, and of all those who have so nobly responded to their Country’s call to arms; but have you forgotten, dear friend, that it may also mean for you a call into eternity, to leave this earth for an unknown land where either happiness or misery await you?
YES, you may bear yourself bravely, and laugh at risk and danger, but deep down in your heart you know very well that
DEATH IS NO LAUGHING MATTER.
and that, when your comrades are falling all around you, it would be sheer folly to make a jest of it. You know, too, that if your own last call should chance to come the war and everything else on earth would cease to be of any further consequence to you, and the only thing that would really matter at all would be—
WHERE ARE YOU GOING TO SPEND ETERNITY?
You have time now to prepare for the war, and you have time NOW to prepare for eternity. There is nothing to pay, and nothing to do in order to get to heaven―only
“BELIEVE ON THE LORD JESUS CHRIST, AND THOU SHALT BE SAVED.”
Believe what? Why, that He is the Son of God, and that
HE DIED FOR YOU―
for you personally―BEARING YOUR SINS, and suffering the penalty and punishment of them when on the cross.
You are the Sinner, He is the Saviour: “The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life, through Jesus Christ our Lord.” You have earned sin’s wages, but He the Just and Sinless, died instead of you the unjust and sinful.
SURRENDER TO HIM THEN―give Him your heart and your trust.
AND DO IT NOW.
“For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the Just for the unjust, that He-might bring us to God.”
“Who His own self bare our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness; by whose stripes ye were healed.”
“Believe on the LORD JESUS CHRIST. and thou shalt be saved.”
Harefield. E. DAVIS.
A Working Man’s Gift to the Soldiers
A working-man has given me the means to get 8,000 Testaments for the soldiers. He says in a letter to me, “Thousands are being ushered into eternity, shall we withhold the Word of Life from them?” He has given his savings to the cause of God. God will be no man’s debtor, and so we are sure that a signal blessing will rest on the sending of these Testaments, and we trust that what he has done in Christ’s name, may bring him a great blessing for Christ’s sake. Pray God to bless him.
A dear friend writes to me: ―
“Dear Dr. Wreford, ―I called at the B. and F. Bible Society on Thursday and arranged for the early dispatch to you of one thousand khaki New Testaments, and shall be glad to learn of their due arrival.”
Another writes: ― “I am sending you this month nine hundred khaki Testaments as a gift.”
A Second Lieutenant writes: ―
“Your little monthly was handed me last week, and I thank God for the work He is carrying on through you in distributing the Gospels amongst our men at the Front. Enclosed is a small check; it’s the last sovereign I have, but I know He keeps the treasury.”
A Letter From Over the Seas
The following letter is beautiful for its simple faith in God and love for precious souls: ―
“Dear Dr. Wreford, ―Since reading the February ‘Message from God’ I have been wishing very much to write to you. The booklet seemed to bring a message straight to me, for I realized more than ever how desperately the fighters need the pure gospel, when false teaching is being spread among them. I had lately got in hand a small sum, and I felt that my Lord was pointing out to me the way in which I could best use it to His glory. I believe that He is guiding, and so it does not seem strange that all that week my daily portions both at home and at school contained precious promises of provision for the future being in God’s hands. The passage, ‘Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, neither for the body what ye shall put on... (Luke 12:32-4032Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. 33Sell that ye have, and give alms; provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, neither moth corrupteth. 34For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. 35Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning; 36And ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord, when he will return from the wedding; that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately. 37Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them. 38And if he shall come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants. 39And this know, that if the goodman of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched, and not have suffered his house to be broken through. 40Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not. (Luke 12:32‑40)), decided me to send as much as I could in a lump sum. You can use it now, and you want it. We look for our Lord, and know not when He may return, so we want to make use of that which He has entrusted to us while we have opportunity. God can bless others without using us, but I feel very glad that He has given us the chance to serve Him, as if He is very close and has asked in His graciousness for this little gift. Even in this world we feel pleased when one we love asks us to do something for them. Should He not return soon, things will probably be harder all the time, but even then we need not fear, for He will not let us suffer material want unless He sees it is for our spiritual blessing. Please use the enclosed in whatever way seems best to you, who know the great need.”
A soldier writes: ― “I write to thank you for the pocket Testament which you so kindly sent me. I have completely made up my mind to take Jesus for my Saviour, and to confess Him among men.”
“One More Makes all the Difference”
So said a lady, looking up into her friend’s face with sparkling eyes. “Remember one more makes all the difference.” I went on my way thinking, “one more makes all the difference.” One more what? Ah! there are many “one mores”: one more day to live! one more penny, shilling or pound to give! one more soul to save! one more pleasure, one more sin, one more aching heart to comfort, or one more loving heart to grieve; one more soldier to help, or one more sailor to neglect; one more Testament to send to the Front, or one more parcel to neglect sending. “I gave him my Testament,” says an Army Scripture Reader, “the only one I had left.” Will you not send him “one more,” and win one more soul for Jesus? Yes, a gem for the crown of Jesus. All the good “one mores” you do, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus (Col. 3:1717And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him. (Colossians 3:17)). Think of the one more parcel of Testaments I ask you to give as a call from Jesus, just as that dear, tired-out hospital nurse said, when seeking a little rest. “One more” bell rang. “There,” said she, “Jesus is calling; He wants me.” Yes, He would have you to send HIM one more parcel of Testaments today. “‘Remember, one more makes all the difference” in the one hundred thousand we are anxious to send to our soldiers and sailors.
Emily P. Leakey