win PICTURES FROM THE LIFE OF OUR SAVIOUR WHICH TEACH US HOW WE MAY FOLLOW HIM By Rev. Ira O. Nothstein ROCK ISLAND, ILLINOIS AUGUSTANA BOOK CONCERN 1923 ABOUT HIS FATHER’S BUSINESSJESUS OUR EXAMPLE VERY early in His life the child Jesus knew that the most important of all things for any one to remember was that the heavenly Father must be loved and obeyed above everyone else. When Joseph and Mary found Him in the tem- ple, after searching for Him three days, He said to His mother: “Wist ye not that I must be about my Father’s busi- ness?” By these words He meant to tell His parents that His heavenly Father had told Him to stay in the temple and that He was always obedient to that Father. He also meant to show us that all the children of God should love their heav- enly Father above everyone else. He lived in this world like any other child, and afterward like any other adult, to show us, by His example, many ways in which we can make ourselves pleasing to God. Jesus wants us to follow His example of obedience. As we look at these pictures from the life of Christ let us try to see how we can follow Him by putting His teachings into practice in our daily lives. ALL FOR JESUS Two little hands loving deeds may do, Helping where needed the whole day through; Two little lips may kindly words speak, Showing our love throughout all the week; Two little feet may run errands for all; Two little ears may catch the first call; Eyes ever watchful see ways to be kind; Thus, loving Jesus, sweet service we’ll find. M. A. Green. Page threePage fourFOLLOWING HIM THEN AND NOW BY MYRA A. BUCK. Long ago the little children, In a country far away, Flocked to see the dear Lord Jesus When He bade them come one day. Little ones with rosy faces, Little ones with curly hair, Mothers with their sweet, wee babies Came to Him from ev’rywhere. You have read the Bible story How they in that country dressed, So you know they wore gay colors, Some had on their very best. Some of course wore shabby garments, For their parents, they were poor; They were just as dear to Jesus, Just as welcome, I am sure. But they all had happy faces, All were glad to go that day To the spot where Jesus tarried, In that country far away. There were many little children Hastening on the way along; Faces shining bright with pleasure, Such a big and j oyous throng. There were those of His disciples, Fearing He would weary grow, Wished to keep the crowd from coming, Blaming all the parents so. Much displeased at this was Jesus, Yet with accent mild spoke He, “Do not stop the little children, Suffer them to come to me. For of such is Heaven’s Kingdom. Then forbid, forbid them not, Let them come, the children many, To this happy meeting spot.” Eagerly they crowded round Him So that they could near Him stand, In His loving arms He held them, Took them gently by the hand. Jesus blessed the little children, And He blessed the mothers, too, Like a wise and loving teacher Gave them counsel good and true, Though we cannot see the Saviour, As they did that long ago, We can feel His love so precious, Jesus loves us, too, we know. Jesus calls the little children, Calls the little ones to-day, As He called those other children In the days of long ago: And the way they heed His calling Is to do the things they know Will delight their loving Saviour, As along life’s path they go. Page fiveDOING GOOD TO OTHERSDOING GOOD TO OTHERS A CERTAIN man who was not very fond of being kind to other peo- ple, once asked Jesus this question: “Who is my neighbor?” To answer the question Jesus told the story called the Parable of the Good Samaritan. He said that robbers had taken a certain man’s belongings and had afterwards beaten him until he was near death. Soon after- wards a man came along who should have helped the poor sufferer, but he did not want to trouble himself and so he went around another way. Not long after an- other man came along who should have taken care of the needy one, but he acted just like the first, and passed by on the other side. Then there came along a Samaritan, a stranger from another country, and he pitied the man by the roadside, binding up his wounds and put- ting medicine on them. When he had taken care of him as well as he could by the wayside, he put him on his donkey and took him to the nearest inn, where he left him in the care of the inn-keeper and paid for his lodging. The man to whom Jesus told this story thought that the Samaritan had acted in a true neighborly way towards the poor, wounded man; and Jesus said to him: “Go thou, and do likewise.” The Saviour wants us to look upon everyone in need as our neighbor. Here is a story showing how one little girl found a chance to be a Good Samar- itan : Rachel was a little Kansas girl in the early days of that state. One day her parents were away, and she was left all alone at home. The hours seemed very long, and she looked again and again out over the prairies to see if her father and mother were not coming. Presently she saw a wagon coming in the distance. Now they come, she thought. But no, it was a mover who had gotten tired of Kansas and was re- turning to the old home in the East. A half-drunk man was driving two small and half-starved horses. In the wagon under a canvas stretched to keep off the sun was a poor mother with four children, one of them sick. “Can you let us have a little water?” asked the man. “We’ve had no water all day.” A thin arm raised the canvas and a voice said, “Dear child, God will bless you if you give us a little water. My childls very sick.” Page sevenThe little girl had only one pail of water left, and there was no water to be had for many, many miles. The long dry spell had dried up every stream and every well in all that part of the coun- try. But the little girl did not hesitate. She brought out the water and all had what they wanted to drink and she divided the rest between the poor, thirsty horses. Late in the evening her father and mother came home. They had succeeded in finding water and brought home two large barrels full. Long years afterwards when Kansas was well settled with people, and Rachel had grown to be a woman, a prohibition campaign was going on throughout the state, and a noted speaker from the East was invited to speak at various places, among them the town where Rachel lived. The speaker said he was glad to be in Kansas again. He said he had been there before, when he was a boy. His father and mother had moved out there, but had gotten tired of it and had gone back East. “On the way we came near dying of thirst,” he said, “but an angel in the form of a little girl gave us and our poor horses all the water she had. My little sister had the fever and was almost dead, but the water revived her. I saw the tears of joy in mother’s eyes at the sight of water. Even my father was touched by the kind- ness of that little girl and flung his whis- key bottle away as he said, ‘With the help of God I’ll never taste whiskey again.’ And then and there I made a solemn promise to God that I would never taste it. And God has helped me to keep my vow. : “I have often wished that I might some day meet that little girl and tell her what an angel she was and what a mission that water performed.” How delighted and surprised the speaker was when at the close of his speech, Rachel came up and told him that'she was the little girl who had given the water to the thirsty travelers. Page eightJESUS WENT ABOUT DOING GOODUNSELFISHNESSUNSELFISHNESS ONCE the disciples of Jesus began to argue with each other as to which one of them should be called the greatest. When He heard it Jesus rebuked them and told them that Chris- tians should not spend their time in think- ing of such things. “Whoever of you wishes to be greatest, let him try to be the most useful one to the others.” The less we try to serve ourselves, the happier we will be, and the more closely we will be following Jesus who said of Himself that He came to serve others, not to be served. THE HAPPIEST LAND BY GRACE M. FREEMAN. Do you know the happiest land of all the lands, That a little child may visit? “0 may we go there?” I hear you ask, “Where is it? Oh! Where is it?” You may not go by car or rail, By auto or by airplane; No round-trip ticket will take you there Nor bring you back again. t But this is the beautiful curious way: Plan some other child to bless. Then the first thing you know, you’ll reach The Land of Self-Forgetfulness. The very happiest land of all the lands — We’ll start right away, I guess — Is the land we reach by being kind; The Land of Self-Forgetfulness. Page elevenJESUS THE TEACHERJESUS THE TEACHER WHEN our Saviour was here on our our earth He not only went about doing good to the sick, the poor, and the suffering, but He also" taught the peo- ple and preached to them, hence, He is sometimes called the Great Teacher. He preached out in the open along the seashore or on the mountain side. The longest sermon that has come down to us is known as the Sermon on the Mount. It is one of the most remark- able and most precious portions of the Bible. Jesus was anxious that the people should know the truth and He told them the greatest truths in simple language that they could all understand. In a portion of the sermon He warns against false prophets, or teachers. From this we may learn that there are false teachers and preachers who teach error and falsehood and not the truth, and also that it is dangerous to listen to them, for Jesus says, “Beware of false prophets.” The world is full of false teachers and false religions to-day, and it is wrong and dangerous for us to listen to them. They lead us astray, destroy our faith, and finally make it hard or impossible for us to believe the truth. We should heed the warning of the Lord Jesus and not listen to any false teacher that comes around. How are we to know the false teachers? Jesus says, “Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?” Study the Bible and stay in your church. If we wish to follow Jesus there is no better way to begin than by letting Him be our Teacher. We can do this by read- ing a part of the Bible every day, for He speaks to us through His Book. The Saviour has also taught us that to hear and believe His teachings is the most im- portant thing in the world. The next story will tell us about this. Page thirteenLEARNING OF JESUS MVRY and Martha were two sis- ters, who lived with their brother Lazarus in the little town of Bethany on the eastern side of the Mount of Olives. Jesus often visited their home. As He came weary and wayworn from Jericho Mary and Martha both loved the Lord, but they had different ways of showing Him their love. Mary enjoyed sitting at His feet and hearing His wonderful words of life, while Martha busied her- self with preparing something for His comfort, something to eat and drink. and the Jordan Valley, He would turn in at this little place and find rest and quiet in this peaceful home. And again, when He was tired of the day’s work in Jerusalem, He would cross the deep val- ley of Jehoshaphat and the brook of Kidron and walk along the south side of the Mount of Olives to Bethany. Page fourteen One day Martha seems to have lost her patience, she was perhaps tired and need- ed help. So she came to Jesus and said, “Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her there- fore that she help me.” But Jesus taught her the lesson that we may get so busy with our work that weforget to hear His Word, that we must not only work for Him, but also listen to His instruction and learn of Him. Instead of rebuking Mary He said that one thing above all others was needful in our lives, and that was to learn of Him, and that Mary had chosen that good part which could not be taken f^om her any more. Mary-like at Jesus’ feet Listen to His gracious word; Hear His doctrine, true and sweet, Learn to know and love the Lord, Then with Martha’s willing hand, And with loving heart and true, Carry out the Lord’s command, Do what He would have you do. MY THREE LITTLE TEXTS I am very young and little; I am only just turned two, And I cannot learn big chapters, As my elder sisters do. But I know three little verses That my mamma has taught to me, And I say them every morning As I stand before her knee. The first is: “Thou, God, seest me.” Is it not a pretty text? And “Suffer the little children To come unto me” is the next. But the last one is the shortest; It is only: “God is love.” How kind He is in sending Such sweet verses from above! He knows the chapters I can’t learn; So I think He sent these three Short, easy texts on purpose For little ones like me. I am very young and little; I am only just turned two; If I cannot learn big chapters, My texts I’ll say to you. —The Sunbeam. Page fifteenGIVING TO JESUSGIVING TO JESUS JESUS gave everything He had to save us. He gave up His Heavenly Home, His power and glory, and, lastly, His very life, in order to become our Saviour. When we think of all that He has done for us we too feel like giv- ing something to Him. Jesus loves to see us give of our means because it is a sign that we love Him. Without love the greatest gift is not pleasing to Him; but when true love is in the heart of the giver the gift is most acceptable. One day as Jesus was in the temple at Jerusalem with His disciples He stood and watched the people as they put their gifts into the collection box. Rich people came and put in large gifts, but He said nothing. At last a poor widow came by and put in two mites (very small coins), and then Jesus spoke and said that she had given more than all the others be- cause her love was so great that she gave all that she had. Whatever we give to the poor and needy to help them in body or soul, we are giv- ing to Jesus. Once He said to His dis- ciples that on the last day He would say to those who had been merciful and kind to the poor and suffering ones of earth: “Inasmuch as ye did it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye did it unto me.” The following beautiful story shows how near Jesus is to us when we remem- ber those in need. In the city of Marseilles there once lived a good old man, a shoemaker, whom all the neighbors called Father Martin. As he sat in his lonely hut one Christ- mas Eve, reading the beautiful story of the Saviour’s birth, he thought to him- self, “Now if this were the first Christmas Eve, I, too, like the shepherds, could go to worship the dear Lord, and I could bring Him a gift, and I know what I would bring.” And he reached up and took down from a shelf a pair of small shoes, beautifully made—“the best I ever made,” he thought. After he had fallen asleep that night, he had a beautiful dream: The Saviour appeared to him and said, “Martin, you wished that it were the first Christmas Eve, and that you could give Me a pres- ent. Watch the street in front of your hut to-morrow and you will see Me.” When Father Martin awoke in the morning he felt certain that he should see the dear Lord that day, for he was a Page seventeenman of simple, child-like faith. So he quickly put his little room in order and sat down to watch at the window. The first person he saw was a poor street sweeper, thinly clad, who was try- ing hard to keep his hands and feet warm. “Poor man,” thought Father Martin, “he’s cold and hungry, and it is Christ- mas Day, I will ask him in to have a cup of hot coffee. It will do him good.” He did not have to ask him twice. The poor man gratefully drank the coffee and with a lighter heart returned to his work. Two hours'passed by and a poor wom- an with a little child came along with a slow and weary step. “Poor woman,” thought Father Mar- tin, “she looks so tired and cold and hungry. I must ask her to come in and rest and warm herself and her little child.” “I’m on my way to the hospital,” she said. “My husband is away at sea and all my money is gone and I am sick. Per- haps the people at the hospital will take me and my child in.” “You must have something to eat,” said Father Martin. “Here is some bread and milk. Let me hold your child while you eat. Poor little thing, I see he is barefoot. Let me give him a pair of shoes.” And the good man put the beautiful shoes he Page eighteen would give the Christ-Child on the cold feet of the child. Strengthened and encouraged the poor woman continued her way to the hospital and Father Martin again took up his watch at the window. Hour after hour passed by; many poor came to his door for.help, and no one was refused. At last it grew dark, and he could no longer distinguish objects. Sad and disappointed he turned away from the window and muttered, “I’m afraid it was only a dream.” After his simple meal he rested his head upon his hand and soon fell into peaceful slumber. Suddenly the whole room seemed filled with people — the poor street sweeper, the sick woman with her child, and many others that he had helped and comforted were there, and all cried, “Have you not seen Me?” “Have you not seen Me?” “But — but,” cried Father Martin, “who are you, then?” And the little child in the woman’s arms pointed with his little fingers to the words of the Lord in the open Bible on the table: “For I was an hungered, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in. . . . Verily, I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of 'the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.”GIVING ONE’S SELF TO JESUS THE little girl in the picture is praying, — that is, talking to Jesus. She is asking the dear Saviour to take her heart and make it pure and good, to take her whole life into His care so that she may do everything that is pleasing to Him. Jesus loves to hear the children pray to Him, for when they do this they are giving themselves to Him. Of all the things we can give to Him nothing pleases Him better than giving ourselves into His care and keeping. Everyone can pray, and will be heard. A little girl said to her father one day: “Father, I have some- thing I want to tell God. I want you to say it for me.” “Why can’t you tell Him your- self?” said the father. “Because I have such a little voice I don’t think I can make Him hear away up in heaven; but you have such a big voice that He will be sure to hear you.” Then her father said: “God will hear a child’s prayer, even if she only thinks the wish and does not say it in words. No matter how weak your voice is, God will hear your prayer in heaven. He is not only in heaven, but He is here also. Do you not remember how little Samuel in the temple heard His voice, and how He was with Hagar in the desert and showed her a spring of water, which saved her little boy’s life?” Page NineteenH > | .HI .mi ..Mi i BRINGING COMFORT AND CHEER TO THE SICKBRINGING COMFORT AND CHEER TO THE SICK IT WAS one of the lovely qualities of Jesus that He never passed by a needy person without doing something to help him. One day He came to visit in the home of Peter, one of His disciples, and found the mother of Peter’s wife sick. At once He went up to her, took her by the hand and healed her. No wonder everybody loved Jesus. He took our sicknesses upon Himself. We cannot always heal the sick, but we can visit them and cheer them up with our sympathy. It makes the hearts of the sick glad when people remember to visit them and show that they feel for them. Jesus has especially commended the sick to our care and love. Here is a story which shows what even a little child can do for one in need: Dr. Elwood had just returned from the hospital and was looking very thoughtful and sad. ‘What is the matter, father?” asked his little daughter Marjorie. “Oh, I am thinking of Emily Monroe, poor child!” “Who is she?” “She is a young girl in the hospital. She had to have an operation a few days ago. She was so brave, but she is droop- ing now, and I am very much afraid she will not pull through. I’m sure she is homesick.” “Why doesn’t her mother go to see her?” asked Marjorie, eagerly. “Her mother is dead.” “Where is her father?” “On a long business trip in the Far West.” “Has she any sisters?” “Yes, several, but they are little chil- dren and are in a distant city, too far away to come to visit Emily. What she needs is cheer.” The following Sunday morning little Emily was lying on her bed at the hos- pital, her limbs tied, for she was .not allowed to move them. Her face was pitifully pale and sad. Her eyes were closed, but slow tears forced themselves between her lids and rolled down her cheeks. She was homesick — so homesick! Presently the nurse came in softly, and, resting a hand on the aching head, said, “Would you like to see a dear girl who is waiting in the hall?” Page 1