St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1904-11-05

&: !: :: +: +: s: : :;
| tl%0 cended and We
= = !: !
! ~ % A present with Hi
| 1A]&&EA disciples, directin
/ their energies
| ~ ~ helping them bea
| %NM the burdens, an
IN III encouraging then
wv in the places Q
| darkness and encouragement No
working alone, but the Lord workin
with them. l remember as boy tina
the heaviest task seemed easy and de
lightful when father turned in an
helped The moment he began work
ing with me, that moment l knew tn
task was going to be accomplished, ant
encouragement and WEAKNESS van
ished. One instance in particular come
to my mind. A ton Of coal had been de
livered to our next-door neighbor AM
dumped in front Of the house. Their
was no one to carry it into the wood
shed, and my brother and were ambi
tious to undertake the task and earn :
bit of spending money With the vision
before our eyes of the good things W.
were going to buy with that money, thu
pile of coal did not look very big, anl
we went bravely at it. But it was {
pretty big task for two such little chap:
as we were, for brother was not yet ter
and was two years his junior, and 81
after the first few scuttlefuls had beer
carried in, the coal pile looked bigger
than ever. Every time va came bach
with the empty bucket it tSemed as
though the pile had mysterious!y grown
in our absence. The more we cs-ried in
the more it seemed that we wou:1 never
be able to finish the task. The after
noon dragged itself out and GU, trips
from the coal pile to the woodshN be.
came less and less frequent, untH al
wilight began to fall we were ready &c
give up our task Father came hc'nrt
just at this time and, quickly graspine
the situation, encouraged us to keep on
saying he would come and help us. That
promise put new life into our tired lit
tie bodies, and by the time he came out
We were hard at it again. And with
father working with US, how much
smaller that pile of coal looked. There
was no more doubt that the task would
be completed, and there was new in
terest in the work. for father was there
to encourage and help. Father work
ing with us made all the difference be-
tween Encouragement and failure and
encouragement and success. And this
illustrates in part at least what it means
when Scripture declares that the dis
ciples went everywhere preaching, 1.-THE
Lord working with them
A ND where this was true in the case
n of the early disciples, 1t is also true
to-day, and has been so all through
the centuries which have interviewed.
Scripture presents some striking con-
trasts, but there is none more striking
and remarkable than that which we
find in the account OF the disciples i'm
mediately following Jesus crucifixion
and up to the day Of Pentecost, and
that following that day when they were
endued with power by the descent of
the Holy Spirit. Before that day what
do we see? The few doubling, trem-
bling disciples gathered in the upper
room behind locked doors or else call
tiously and with great fear moving
through the streets and seeking to es-
cape notice and trying to hide their
Identity. But after the day Of Pente-
cost, how striking is the contrast! No
longer hiding in the upper room, no
onger fearing the Jewish rulers, no
onger seeking to avoid the multitudes
n the streets. they come forth and
boldly preach their message.
no YOU not recall the words Of
IL Jesus wherein He told His dis
:iples and wherein He tells you and me
hat Without Me We can do nothing"
md the very last promise which Heleft
With His disciples was 10, I am with
,ou always, even unto the end of the
lge." II it is true that without Jesus
We can do nothing" in His service that
cunts for anything in His estimation;
( it is true that Jesus is with His dis
iples always, then it must follow that
'esus is really and truly present with
lis disciples and Is working with
hem. This is the declaration of our
ext, and it explains the fearlessness
I the disciples, their faithfulness, their
'utiring zeal, their wonderful success.
iothing Is more destructive of efficient
nd persistent effort than the thought
Int one is utterly alone in a great I'M
ertaking. The army, leaderless and
nth its brave general dead upon the
ED of battle. is disheartened and dis
outraged and at the mercy of the on
ushing enemy. And the Christian
,ithout the realization of the presence
( the Great Captain, the Conquering
ling, is hopelessly weak and ineffect-
al as soldier Of the cross of Jesus
hrist. But If he feels and knows that
lis Lord is at his side ready to strike
hen he strikes. ready to press for
ard when he presses forward, ready |
, encourage when he falters, ready to
(. up when he falls, ready to succor !
I'D heal when the poison darts of the |
uemy inflict their cruel wounds-when |
10 disciple realizes all this then he is !
BILE to fight the good fight of faith,
Zen he is able to run the race success
lilly.
>URELY, 1t was not the will or pur-
!? pose of Jesus Christ that such
1puld be the case. The tremendous
1ergies, the wonderful success OF the
Irly disciples as they went everywhere