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The Parable of the Cowbird
The cowbird never builds a nest . She waits until a bird of another species builds her home and lays one or more eggs ; then she , without invitation , lays an egg or two among the other eggs . She never sits upon the nest but allows the owner of the nest to have that privilege .
When the birdlings are hatched , she does not concern herself about feeding them but leaves that re - sponsibility with the mother of the other fledglings . Her babies are greedier than their cousins , grab more of the food that the mother bird brings home , grow faster and sturdier and finally evict the legitimate inhabitants from the nest altogether .
The unlawful tenants occupy the home from cellar to garret . They have squatter ’ s rights to the property . They are on the inside — not because of right , but because of cleverness and might .
Modernism , agnosticism , infidel - ity , atheism and the rest of their ilk never constructed anything . They do not belong to the construction crew but the destruction crew . Modernism has crept in unawares and literally stolen Christian col - leges , seminaries and churches that were built through the sinew , service , sacrifice and silver of saintly
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servants of the Lord who believed the whole Bible from Genesis 1:1 to Revelation 22:21 .
— William E . Troup
A Lamb Doesn ’ t Do Well in a Pigsty
The story is told of a lamb and its mother . It seems that the lamb passed a pigpen each morning on the way to the pasture with its mother . Watching the pigs wallow in the mud seemed like fun ; and on an especially hot day , the lamb asked his mother if he could jump the fence and wallow in the cool mud .
She replied , “ No .” Then the lamb asked the usual question , “ Why ?” The mother just said , “ Sheep do not wallow .”
This did not satisfy the lamb . He felt that she had put him down and exercised force when she should not have . As soon as the mother was out of sight , the lamb ran into the pigpen and jumped the fence .
He was soon feeling the cool mud on his feet , his legs and soon his stomach . After a few moments he decided he had better go back to his mother , but he could not ! He was stuck ! Mud and wool do not mix . His pleasure had become his prison . He was hopelessly bound by his own folly .
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He cried out and was rescued by the kind farmer . When cleaned and returned to the fold , his mother said , “ Remember — sheep do not wallow !”
Sin is like that . It looks so nice , so easy to escape whenever we wish ; but it is not so ! Pleasures become our prison .
Christians should not wallow ( II Pet . 2:14 – 22 ).
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When Hudson Taylor was going out to found the China Inland Mission , he went on a sailing vessel . When they were somewhere in the Straits of Malacca , there was a tap at his stateroom door one morning ; and upon his invitation to come in , the door opened and admitted the captain .
He said , “ Mr . Taylor , we have no wind but have a strong current and we are being borne toward an island where the people are heathen .”
“ Well ,” replied Hudson Taylor , “ I really do not know a point of navigation .”
“ No ,” answered the captain , “ but I am told that God answers your prayers .”
“ He does ,” replied Hudson Taylor .
“ Then I wish you would pray for wind . It is our only chance .”
“ Well , I will , provided you get the sails unfurled .”
“ That would be foolish and I do not wish to be the laughingstock of my men .”
“ Very well , I am not going to pray for wind if you are not ready to receive it .”
“ Well , then , I will , but there is no sign of it anywhere .”
Three-quarters of an hour had
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not elapsed before another knock came at Dr . Taylor ’ s door and the captain entered to tell him that his faith had been rewarded .
Know Where You Are Going
Dr . Curtis Hutson
I have always enjoyed telling the story of the man who delivered pets for a local pet shop . One day while delivering a pet rabbit , he ran into the ditch and the truck overturned . In the process , the box the rabbit was in was thrown out of the truck . The lid came off and the rabbit , seeing his freedom , jumped out and ran away .
The driver stood by the wrecked truck laughing . Someone who had seen the accident stopped and asked what in the world he was laughing at .
The man replied , “ I ’ m laughing at that rabbit ! He is running as fast as he can and he doesn ’ t know where he is going . I ’ ve got the address here in my pocket .”
Editor ’ s Comments : A lot of people are like that rabbit . They are running here and there , but they don ’ t know where they are going . We preachers have the information they need , but we need to get it out of our pockets .
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To one who asked him the secret of service , Mr . George Müller re - plied , “ There was a day when I died , utterly died to George Müller ”— and as he spoke , he bent lower and lower until he almost touched the floor —“ to his opinions , preferences , tastes and will ; died to the world , its approval or censure ; died to the approval or blame of even my
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brethren and friends . Since then I have studied to show myself ap - proved only unto God .”
“ As dying , and , behold , we live ” ( II Cor . 6:9 ).
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There are some natures so shallow that they have no depths to sound ; and they go through life , apparently , without discovering how superficial they really are . Their existence is all upon the surface , seen in a moment , withering in an hour .
They have no center of faith , no hidden altar at which the soul , robed in the raiment of reverence , ministers as priest before the Lord .
But the man of finer faculty , who has made his body a temple of the Holy Ghost , knows full well that he has this treasure in a very earthen vessel and its capacity is often taxed to contain the glory and fulfill the word which has been revealed to him .
— R . M . Gautrey
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Today men are invited to unite with the church , follow Christ in baptism by one method or another ( depending upon the denomina - tion or the cult ); they are invited to do the best they can , live a good life and perform charitable works .
But Paul thunders out in plain language that apart from Christ , all are hopelessly lost and stand guilty and Hell-deserving before a holy God ! In Christ Jesus we are delivered from condemnation . In Him we will not be judged as hope - less sinners — we will be received by God the Father as a son .
— Oliver B . Greene
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