MrWonder's Bible Chat

I have hopes for a boy or a man as long as he has reverence for sacred things. Cherish the spirit of reverence for everything that is sacred; for it is your life. To the extent that reverence for things sacred declines hope passes away, and when reverence is gone hope dies.

Let me mention some persons and things that are sacred, that we should ever reverence.

1. God, as our Creator and Redeemer, is sacred. Angels reverently veil their faces as they worship Him, saying,"Holy, holy, holy." Let our worship, conversation and life ever show reverence, gratitude and love to our God and Father.

We should so reverence God as never to profane His sacred name. We should also seek to stop the awful habit of profane swearing in others, by kindly reminding them when they swear.

2. The house of God is sacred. The Lord says: "Ye shall reverence my sanctuary."

The church should be made neat and attractive in appearance, and ever kept clean and in good repair. Some church edifices are a disgrace.

All entertainments in the church of God are irreverent abominations and should be discountenanced.

It is not only irreverent but unmannerly, for a boy or man, not a Jew, to have his hat or cap on in the house of God.

In the church everything should be done "decently and in order." We should, however, not confound stupidity, sanctimoniousness, stiffness, drawling or solemnity with reverence, or think cheerfulness, life, brightness or smiles to be irreverent.

3. The Bible is a sacred thing. Do not irreverently toss it about, or even turn down any leaves, or use a large Bible as a music stool, as some do. Precious Bible, book divine; precious treasure, thou art mine.

4. Truth is sacred. Let us hold it in the highest reverence, and so not only keep from and abhor all wilful or malicious lying and slander, but also avoid lying of every kind, such as so-called "white lies", little lies, lies of trade, lies for fun, the lie that exaggerates, misrepresents, tells half the truth or prevaricates.

5. Prayer is a sacred thing. It is most disgraceful and wicked for a person not even to say his prayers, for it is refusing to speak to his loving Heavenly Father.

Do not merely say your prayers, but pray. Avoid all jesting or talking flippantly about prayer, and do not mock the idea of prayer by trying to be peculiar or quaint, much less by praying at people.

In church or at home, during time of prayer, let your eyes be closed and your mind attentive to the prayers.

6. Ministers or clergymen of all churches should be regarded as sacred, as they especially occupy the position of "ambassadors for Christ ( 2 Cor 5:20 ). We should think of the sacred office and work of ministers more than of the men, and as Paul directs, "esteem them very highly in love for their work's sake" ( 1 Thess 5:12-13 ), even though we may sometimes think them imperfect and failing to their sacred trust. Do not let the disgrace or faults of any minister lower your reverence for the ministry.

Unless parents wish to lessen the influence of ministers for good over their sons and daughters, or utterly ruin their children, let them avoid the evil practice of speaking against certain ministers and retailing personal grievances.

We should ever possess, and seek to cultivate in others, a high reverence for the ministers of Christ.

7. Our parents should be regarded as sacred. Our Heavenly Father appoints them to represent Himself. Great is their responsibility and privilege.

When parents show love and justice, as also kindness and firmness in perfect harmony, they draw forth the reverence, love, confidence and obedience of their children, and so make it easy and natural for them in early life to love, trust, reverence and obey their Heavenly Father; that is, to be genuine Christians. But those parents who act otherwise misrepresent God, and render it almost certain that their children shall not be Christians, or but poor specimens ( Eph 6:4 ).

Sons and daughters should always reverence their parents, however imperfectly they represent the character of God ( Eph 6:1-3 ).

Never irreverently speak of your parents as "the old man," or the "old woman."

Never say to father or mother, "I won't." "Obey your parents in the Lord" ( Eph 6:1 ).

Most have found irreverence and disobedience to parents sure steps to crime and disgrace.

Do not forget or neglect your parents after you are away from home, but cheer them with frequent letters, occasional visits, Christmas presents and monetary help when needed. You may be old some day.

8. The Lord's day is sacred. It is intended as a type of Heaven. God says, "Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy" ( Ex 20:8 ). Compare the Sabbath to the best room of your home. Just as we have the best pictures, carpet, furniture and company in that room the Sabbath should be our best day or room in the week and we should only want to have our best things, thoughts, words and deeds in it.

On the Sabbath, works of benevolence, religion and necessity are proper. The Sabbath is a necessity. It is given to rest the body and mind, and to elevate the moral, social and spiritual nature of mankind.

The Lord's day is not as some suppose, a day taken out of us by the Lord, but it is a special day He has in love and mercy given to us.

Do not for yourself, your children or others, fill the Sabbath with nots: "You mustn't do this, you mustn't do that, you mustn't do the other," but think and speak of what is right to do on the Sabbath.

Children should be employed in some way on the Sabbath. Should we say, "go as you please," or should we merely try to restrain them? No. Wisely direct them to the church, Sunday school, suitable reading or music etc so as to make the day a delight.

Parents who do not in the true sense of the term make "the Sabbath a delight" to their children, virtually break the Sabbath.

Any nation, or family or person that disregards the Sabbath, goes down.

The Lord directs us to "call the Sabbath a delight" ( Is 58:13 ). Study to make the day one of Christian delight, and a source of pleasure, comfort, joy and blessing to the higher nature of yourself, your family, and those about you; so shall your earthly Sabbaths be as stepping-stones, leading to the eternal Sabbath in our Father's house in heaven.

Brother Love