“To the last of His work Christ is a sin-pardoner. As deepest midnight, as the Star of Bethlehem was about to sink into oblivion, lo there shines amid the moral darkness with distinct brightness the faith of a dying sinner as he lays hold upon a dying Saviour.
Such faith may be represented by the eleventh hour laborers who receive as much reward as do those who have labored for many hours. The thief asked in faith, in penitence, in contrition. He asked in earnestness, as if he fully realized that Jesus could save him if He would. And the hope in his voice was mingled with anguish as he realized, that if he did not, he would be lost, eternally lost. He cast his helpless, dying soul and body on Jesus Christ.
He had heard Pilate declare, “I find no fault in him.” John 19:4. He had marked His godlike bearing, and His pitying forgiveness of His tormentors. . . .Among the passers-by he hears many defending Jesus. He hears them repeat His words, and tell of His works. The conviction comes . . .to him that this is the Christ. . . .When condemned for his crime, the thief had become hopeless and despairing; but strange, tender thoughts now spring up. He calls to mind all he has heard of Jesus. . . .He has heard the the words of those who believed in Jesus and followed Him weeping. . . .The Holy Spirit illuminates his mind, and little by little the chain of evidence is joined together. In Jesus, bruised, mocked, and hanging upon the cross, he sees the Lamb of God, that takes away the sin of the world. Hope is mingled with anguish in his voice as the helpless, dying soul casts himself upon a dying Saviour. . . .Quickly the answer came. Soft and melodious the tone, full of love, compassion, and power the words: Verily I say unto thee today, Thou shalt be with Me in Paradise. . . .To the penitent thief came the perfect peace of acceptance with God.”
These are not my words, but of the Prophetess sent to the Seventh Day Adventist Church, Ellen White, who preferred to be called a “messenger.” In her writings, in her life, in her home and family, she was a “star” of light, a blessing, a mother, grandmother and writer inspired by the Holy Spirit. Her daily devotions SONS AND DAUGHTERS OF GOD, has been an inspiration shared with sons on a daily basis. It was enough scriptures not to long, not to forceful, but just right, for growing boys to take time to meditate on the peaceful, kind words of Jesus Christ.
To my sons, has come back to me, those many memories of working together to get the work done, so we can play together and have fun. When they were very young, if they got finished with their bath, we would have time to crawl into bed, and I would read Roger and book. Dr. Scarry’s little books for kids, was about little worm, who taught my sons to say, “Please and Thank you.” Then when baby Walter came alone five years later, it was Roger who read to baby Walter at night after he took his bath. Those were the years, I wanted to be right there in bed with them, but I looked on…permitting the older to lead the younger.
When Roger became a father, he too, crawled into bed with his son, and he read to Caleb, and then they said their prayers, and turned off the light.
When you have parents, who care, who love to enjoy seeing from the eyes of child, the great big world of nature, there was never enough time for us to walk and talk, out there in Gods world as we saw all he made that was good, and we knew behind the evil, was something bad, and one day Jesus would come and end the reign of terror.
The Red Horse War Against Gods Government understood by the parables of Jesus 