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BLESSINGS
F.E. Marsh has enumerated some of
God's blessings:
An
acceptance that can never be questioned. (Ephesians 1:6).
An inheritance
that can never be lost (I Peter 1:3-5).
A deliverance
that can never be excelled (2 Corinthians l:10).
A grace that
can never be limited (2 Corinthians 12:9).
A hope that
can never be disappointed. (Hebrews 6:18, 19).
A bounty that
can never be withdrawn. (I Colossians 3:21-23).
A joy that
need never be diminished (John 15:11).
A nearness to
God that can never be reversed (Ephesians 2:13).
A peace that
can never be disturbed (John 14:27).
A
righteousness that can never be tarnished (2 Corinthians 5:21).
A
salvation that can never be canceled (Hebrews 5:9).
October 31, 2005
Several times during the past few months I have referred to the Apostles’ Creed. It occurred to me that the Apostles’ Creed bears some discussion, as well as two other creeds which are still in use by both Catholic and Protestant churches alike.
I have gathered some notes over the years related to these creeds. What follows is a compilation of those notes which I offer as an introduction to the subject.
A creed is a brief authorized summary of the Christian doctrine that is sometimes recited in church services as an affirmation of faith. Formulations of the Christian faith, presumably taken as the basis of teaching and evangelization, are to be found in the New Testament, although in rudimentary form as in 1 Corinthians 12:3. Paul wrote of believers who submitted without reservation to the creed that they were taught….see Romans 6:17.
Of the two classical creeds, the Apostles’ Creed belongs in its essential content to the apostolic age, although it is not the work of the Apostles. It had its origin in the form of a confession of faith used in the instruction of catechumens (one who is being taught the principles of Christianity) and in the liturgy of Baptism. The creed may have been learned by heart and at first transmitted orally (to protect from profanation). It is based on a formula current at Rome around 200, although the present form of the text did not appear before the 6th century. It is used by Roman Catholics and many Protestant churches but has never been accepted by the Eastern Orthodox churches.
The other classical creed, the Nicene, was an expression of the faith of the church as defined at the Councils of Nicaea (325) and Constantinople (381), and later reaffirmed at the Councils of Ephesus (431) and Chalcedon (451). The Nicene Creed is used by Roman Catholics, many Protestants, and the Eastern Orthodox churches.
There is one other prominent creed, the Athanasian Creed. It is Latin in origin, and in the middle ages it was regularly used in church services. Since the Reformation the liturgical use of the Athanasian Creed has been confined mainly to the Roman Catholic Church and the Anglican Communion, although it is now infrequently recited.
Caution is needed regarding the making of a creed. The dangers are obvious. Creeds can become formal, complex, and abstract. They can be almost illimitably expanded. They can be superimposed on Scripture. Properly handled, however, they facilitate public confession, form a succinct basis of teaching, safeguard pure doctrine, and constitute an appropriate focus for the church’s fellowship in faith.
Let’s go a little deeper than the brief survey above. Following is a discussion of the reason for composition and use of the Apostles’ Creed to which I have often referred.
A Creed generally emphasizes the beliefs opposing those errors that the compiler of the creed thinks most dangerous at the time. The Apostles’ Creed, drawn up in the first or second century, emphasizes the true Humanity including the material body, of Jesus, since that is the point that the heretics of the time (Gnostics, Marcionites, and later Manicheans) denied. (See 1 John 4:1-3)
Following are brief statements of the teachings of these three groups of heretics:
Gonstics; pertaining to Gnosticism which was a philosophical and religious system (first to sixth century) teaching that knowledge rather than faith was the key to salvation.
Marcionites: pertaining to Marcionism, a Christian heresy of the second and third centuries A.D. that rejected the Old Testament and denied the incarnation of God in Jesus as a human.
Manicheans: followers of the teachings of the Persian prophet Manes who taught a dualistic philosophy dividing the world between good and evil principles or regarding matter as intrinsically evil and mind as intrinsically good.
Each of the belief systems described overlapped the others in such a manner as to make them all the common enemy of orthodox Christianity.
Follow along as we review the Apostles’ Creed. It begins:
I believe in God the Father Almighty, maker of Heaven and Earth,
The Gonstics held that the physical universe is evil and that God did not make it.
and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, Our Lord, Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary,
The Gonstics were agreed that the orthodox Christians were wrong in supposing that God had taken human nature or a human body. Some of them distinguished between Christ, whom they acknowledged to be in some sense divine, and the man Jesus, who was at most an instrument through whom the Christ spoke. They held that the man Jesus did not become the bearer or instrument of the Christ until the Spirit descended upon him at his baptism, and that the Spirit left him before the crucifixion, so that the Spirit had only a brief and tenuous association with matter and humanity. Others affirmed that there was never a man Jesus at all, but only the appearance of a man, through which appearance wise teachings were given to the first disciples. Against this the orthodox Christians affirmed that Jesus was conceived through the action of the Holy Spirit (thus denying the Gnostic position that the Spirit had nothing to do with Jesus until his Baptism), that he was born (which meant that he had a real physical body, and not just an appearance) of a virgin (which implies that he had been special from the first moment of his life, and not just from the baptism on).
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
There were many stories then current about gods who died and were resurrected, but they were offered quite frankly as myths, as non-historical stories symbolic of the renewal of the vegetation every spring after the seeming death of winter. If you asked, “when did Adonis die”, you would be told either, “long time ago and far away,” or else, “his death is not an event in earthly time.” Jesus, on the other hand, died at a particular time and place in history, under the jurisdiction of Pontius Pilate, Procurator of Judea from 26 to 36 CE, or during the last ten years of the reign of the Emperor Tiberius.
was crucified, dead, and buried’ he descended into Hades.
Here the creed hammers home the point that he was really dead. He was not an illusion. He was nailed to a post. He died. He had a real body, a corpse that was placed in a tomb. He was not merely unconscious-his spirit left his body and went to the realm of the dead. It is a common belief among Christians that on this occasion he took the souls of those who had died trusting in the promises made under the Old Covenant-Abraham, Moses, David, Elijah, Isaiah, and many others-and brought them out of the realm of the dead and into heavenly glory. But the creed is not concerned with this point. Jesus was not just in a coma or a swoon, but dead in every sense of the word.
The third day he rose from the dead, He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty, from thence he shall come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost, the holy catholic church,
The Gnostics believed that the most important Christian doctrines were reserved for a select few. The orthodox belief was that the fullness of the Gospel was to be preached to the entire human race, hence the term “catholic,” or universal, which distinguished them from the Gnostics.
the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins,
The Gnostics considered that what men needed was not forgiveness, but enlightenment. Ignorance, not sin, was the problem. Some of them, believing the body to be a snare and delusion, led lives of great asceticism. Othesr, believing the body to be quite separate from the soul, held that it did not matter what the body did, since it was completely foul anyway, and its actions had no effect on the soul. They accordingly led lives that were not ascetic at all. Either way, the notion of forgiveness was alien to them.
the resurrection of the body,
The chief goal of the Gnostics was to become free forever from the taint of matter and the shackles of the body, and to return to the heavenly realm as pure spirit. They totally rejected any idea of the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. AMEN.
The reasons for the development of this Creed are, if anything, present to a greater degree in our society today. It takes just a bit of thought to recite many heretical views of many modern judges, preachers, teachers, college professors and politicians. The fundamental issues addressed in the Apostles Creed represent, I believe, the legacy of those Godly men who started and nurtured the early church. May God bless our efforts to maintain and add to the integrity of the doctrines we hold as revealed by the Holy Spirit.
Sources for some of these notes are as follows:
JNND Kelly, Early Christian Creeds; W Barclay, The Apostles’ Creed for Everyman’ S Barr, From the Apostles’ Faith to the Apostles’ Creed; P Fuhrmann, The Great Creeds of the Church’ W Pannenberg, The Apostles’ Creed in light of Today’s Questions; BF Westcott, The Historic Faith.
In Christ,
William A. Davis
I have been asked if I would put some of
my notes regarding the lesson we did on Satan on the
departmental web site. Following is a Biblical profile of
Satan. The Scripture references are from the NIV.
Satan is mentioned in the Bible many times- sometimes by the name of Satan and other times by several different names. There is a good reason why Satan receives such exposure in the scriptures. If we are to resist our enemy, we must know about him. The Bible gives us the help we need to get a clear picture of Satan’s origins, character, and destiny.
Satan has many disguises, which is why it is no wonder there are so many Biblical names for him. The two names that are used most frequently are Satan, and the Devil. Simply look in any concordance under these two names and you will see a large number of Bible verses to review.
In addition, he is known by these proper names:
Abaddon (Revelation 9:11)
Beelzebub (Matthew 10:25; Matthew 12:24,27; Mark3:22; Luke 11:15, 18-19)
Belial (2 Corinthians 6:15)
Leviathan (Isaiah 27:1)
In several cases, he is given the names of animals or creatures:
The serpent (Genesis 3:1-2, 4, 14-14; 2 Corinthians 11:3; Revelation 12: 9, 14-15)
Ancient serpent (Revelation 12:9; 20: 2)
The coiling serpent (Isaiah 27:1)
The gliding serpent (Isaiah 27:1)
The dragon (Revelation 12:4, 7, 13, 16-17; 20:2)
Enormous red dragon (Revelation 12:3)
The great dragon (Revelation 12:9)
The monster of the sea (Isaiah 27:1)
The wolf (John 10:12)
Some of his descriptive names give us some insight into his power:
Angel of the abyss (Revelation 9:11)
The god of this age (2 Corinthians 4:4)
The prince of demons (Matthew 9:34; 12:24; Mark 3:22; Luke 11:15)
The prince of this world (John 12:31; 14: 30; 16:11)
The ruler of the kingdom of the air (Ephesians 2:2)
Other names give us a look at his character, or lack thereof:
The accuser of our brothers (Revelation 12:10)
The enemy (Matthew 13: 39; Luke 10:19; 1 Timothy 5:14)
Your enemy (1 Peter 5:8)
A liar (John 8:44)
The father of lies (John 8:440
The lawless one (2 Thessalonians 2:8-9)
Murderer (John 8:44)
The Tempter (Matthew 4:3; 1 Thessalonians 3:5)
The thief (John 10:10)
Of all the names he has this one describes him best:
The evil one (Matthew 5:37; 6:13; 13:19; John 17:15; 1 John 5:18-19).
Many people believe that Ezekiel 28:13-17 describe Satan. You will note that the prophet says in verses 11-12: “The word of the Lord came to me: Son of man, take up a lament concerning the king of Tyre and say to him: This is what the Sovereign Lord says:” (NIV). In other words, there is considerable doubt about this passage referring to Satan. It appears the description belongs to the king of Tyre!
Isaiah 14:12-24 is often quoted evidencing a description of Satan, his creation and his fall. On closer examination, however, it appears that in verse 4 the prophet is told: “you will take up this taunt against the king of Babylon”, and then follows the taunt which appears to continue through verse 24. Many believe verses 12-24 refer to Satan by the Hebrew name “helel” which means “Lucifer” or “morning star”. However others believe this part of the taunt refers to the king of mighty Babylon that had recently fallen -vanished as does the morning star, Venus, from the daytime sky.
Satan twists the scriptures for his purposes and perverts the right ways of the Lord (Matthew 4: 1-11; Luke 4:2-13; Acts 13:10). He is cunning and deceives (2 Corinthians 11:3). He takes the Word away from hearts (Luke 8:12), and blinds the minds of unbelievers (2 Corinthians 4:4). He traps and takes captive (2 Timothy 2:26), binds (Luke 13:16, incites (1 Chronicles 21:1) and in general, is a stumbling block (Matthew 16:23). He can fill one’s heart (Acts 5:3) and lead minds astray from Christ (2 Corinthians 11:3).
Satan masquerades as an angel of light, and his servants as servants of righteousness (2 Corinthians 11:14-15). He is at work in those who are disobedient (Ephesians 2:2). He sows weeds (Matthew 13:38-39), and can work through anyone (Matthew 16:23; Mark 8:33). He can even display counterfeit miracles, signs, and wonders (2 Thessalonians 2:9).
No one is immune to Satan’s temptations; he even tempted Jesus (Matthew 4:1-11; Mark 1:12-13; Luke 4:2-13). Satan could not prevail; he had no hold on Christ (John 14:30).
Satan’s future is bleak, indeed. In fact, he doesn’t really have one. Scriptures tell us he stands condemned (John 16:11).
This is just a brief survey of what the Bible has to say about Satan. I hope it gives you at least a starting point from which, with the leading of the Holy Spirit, and some good old fashioned Bible study, you can come to a better understanding of the one who deceives us, or at least tries to. We are in a war, make no mistake about it. The more intelligence we have at our disposal, the more able we are to predict Satan’s moves against us. With God’s help we can put up the barrier of scripture to act as a buffer between us and Satan.
Professor A. T. Robertson wrote in his “Word Pictures in the New Testament” Volume 4, page 551, the following rhyme:
“Satan trembles when he sees
the weakest saint upon his knees”.
C. S. Lewis wrote “The Screwtape Letters”, an imaginary series of letters from Screwtape, and experienced tempter, to an apprentice named Wormwood. In these letters Screwtape gives the kind of advice we would expect the Devil to give. The letters refer to God as the enemy. Wormwood asked his supervisor whether he should let people know about the Devil and his helpers. Screwtape answered that the orders from the high command were to encourage humans not to believe in the existence of the Devil. He wrote: “I do not think you will have much difficulty in keeping the patient in the dark. The fact that devils are predominantly comic figures in the modern imagination will help you. If any faint suspicion of your existence begins to arise in his mind, suggest to him a picture of something in red tights, and persuade him that since he cannot believe in that (it is an old textbook method of confusing them) he therefore cannot believe in you.”
It seems the character “Screwtape” was correct: What follows is part of a poll by Bama Research in 1997 regarding what Americans believe about Satan.
Most American adults (59%) consider that Satan is simply a symbol or concept or principle of evil, not an actual personality. Three in four Roman Catholics believe this; 55% of Protestants agree. A minority of adults (34%) believe Satan to be a living being.
Most present day Satanists belong to religious groups such as the Church of Satan or the Temple of Set. Most Satanists are former agnostics; they do not believe in Satan as a living entity or as a god; they view Satan as a basic force or principle of nature. Members of the Temple of Set recognize the ancient Egyptian god Set as a deity. Both groups’ beliefs of Satan have little in common with Christian beliefs.
Group Satan does not exist Satan is alive
Average adult 60% 35%
Group Satan does not exist Satan is alive
65 years and older 49% 35%
Born again 43% 52%
Not born again 68% 25%
Evangelicals 47% 49%
Roman Catholics 69% 26%
Mainline Prot. 65% 27%
In 2001the data was updated and is broken down by denomination.
Mormons 59%
Assembly of God 56%
Non denominational 48%
Pentecostal 47%
Seventh Day Adventist 37%
Church of Christ 36%
Baptist 34%
Presbyterian 22%
Lutheran 21%
Episcopal 20%
Methodist 18%
Roman Catholics 17%
It looks like Satan has done his work well.
I want to make certain each of you in Barnabas understand that I do not represent myself as a scholar, biblical authority, nor a theologian. I am a layman who prays every day that the Holy Spirit will teach me. My notes are just that. I don’t represent them as an authority, nor are they denominational. They are from a variety of sources, commentaries, articles, old files of mine, scriptures, and experience. Please use them as a guide only, in your search of understanding.
I’m certain I owe attribution to a great number of authors. My notes were not intended for publication and I have no record of the many of the writers.. Where I can do so, attribution is given.
In Christ,
William A. Davis
We
have just concluded a study on salvation. In that study I often referred to the
Romans Road to Salvation, taken from Paul’s great letter to the church at Rome.
In that letter are several verses of Scripture which point the way to Jesus.
These Scriptures are ideal for those times when we are called on to describe why
we follow Jesus. They are also profitable to each and every Christian in the
process of sanctification; (the life long pursuit of Christian maturity).
There is much to say about salvation, much more than I can say in this brief note. Be that as it may, let us step out together and follow the path ahead on the Romans Road to Salvation.
The first verse on the Romans Road to salvation is Romans 3:23, "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." We have all sinned. We have all done things that are displeasing to God. There is no one who is innocent. Romans 3:10-18 gives a detailed picture of what sin looks like in our lives. The second Scripture on the Romans Road to salvation, Romans 6:23, teaches us about the consequences of sin - "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." The punishment that we have earned for our sins is death. Not just physical death, but eternal death!
The third verse on the Romans Road to Salvation picks up where Romans 6:23 left off, "but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." Romans 5:8 declares, "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Jesus Christ died for us! Jesus' death paid for the price of our sins. Jesus' resurrection proves that God accepted Jesus' death as the payment for our sins.
The fourth stop on the Romans Road to Salvation is Romans 10:9, "that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved." Because of Jesus' death on our behalf, all we have to do is believe in Him, trusting His death as the payment for our sins - and we will be saved! Romans 10:13 says it again, "for everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." Jesus died to pay the penalty for our sins and rescue us from eternal death. Salvation, the forgiveness of sins, is available to anyone who will trust in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.
The final aspect of the Romans Road to Salvation is the results of salvation. Romans 5:1 has this wonderful message, "Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." Through Jesus Christ we can have a relationship of peace with God. Romans 8:1 teach us, "Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." Because of Jesus' death on our behalf, we will never be condemned for our sins. Finally, we have this previous promise of God from Romans 8:38-39, "For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
Remember the main points we covered in our study:
We are CALLED by the Holy Spirit;
We are CONVICTED of our guilt;
We are CONVERTED, which leads us to
REPENTANCE of our sins;
We experience REGENERATION, which is being born again by the Spirit of God;
We are JUSTIFIED, declared acquitted, even though we are guilty;
We begin the process of SANCTIFICATION, being set aside, pursuing holiness and Christian maturity; and,
The reward for our love of God and acceptance of His grace: We are to be GLORIFIED, which is to have eternal life in our resurrected body which is to be like that of the resurrected Christ, in God’s kingdom.
For those who are not certain of their salvation, let me encourage you to respond to the calling of the Holy Spirit. Following is a simple, uncomplicated prayer:
Dear God, I confess that I am a sinner. Lord Jesus, I believe that you are the son of God and that you died on the cross for my sins. Right now, Lord Jesus, I am placing my total trust in you. Lord, come into my heart; forgive me of my sins, and save me. From this day forward, I will live for you. Thank you for saving me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
If you prayed that prayer, you have been saved from eternal separation from God and you are now an adopted child of God. Your life will never be the same.
I hope these words will serve as both encouragement to share the Gospel and as a comfort in your walk with God.
In Christ,
William A. Davis
At the close of our lesson on Endurance, I read the following story in verse. The Race. It is a powerful story illustrating that we should not give up, we should continue on even though we may not be in the lead. I know that God wants us to “stay in the race” and finish with our faith held high. Won’t you join with me in dedicating yourself to “finish the race”.
William A. Davis
The Race
“Quit!” “Give
up, you’re beaten,” they shout and plead
there’s just too much against you now, this time you can’t
succeed.
And as I start to hang my head in front of failure’s face,
my downward fall is broken by the memory of a race.
And hope refills
my weakened will as I recall that scene,
for just the thought of that short race rejuvenates my being.
A children’s race, young boys, young men; how I remember well,
excitement sure, but also fear, it wasn’t hard to tell.
They all lined
up so full of hope, each thought to win that race
or tie for first, or if not that, at least take second place.
Their fathers watched from off the side, each cheering for his
son,
and each boy hoped to show his dad that he would be the one.
The whistle blew
and off they went, young hearts and hopes of fire,
to win, to be the hero there, was each young boy’s desire.
One boy in particular, his dad was in the crowd,
was running near the lead and thought “My dad will be so proud.”
But as he
speeded down the field across a shallow dip,
the little boy who thought to win, lost his step and slipped.
Trying hard to catch himself, his hands, flew out to brace,
and mid the laughter of the crowd he fell flat on his face.
So, down he fell
and with him hope, he couldn’t win it now.
Embarrassed, sad, he only wished to disappear somehow.
But as he fell his dad stood up and showed his anxious face,
which to the boy so clearly said, “Get up and win that race!”
He quickly rose,
no damage done, behind a bit that’s all,
and ran with all his mind and might to make up for his fall.
So anxious to restore himself, to catch up and to win,
his mind went faster than his legs, he slipped and fell again.
He wished that
he had quit before with one disgrace.
“I’m hopeless as a runner now, I shouldn’t try to race.”
But, in the laughing crowd he searched and found his father’s
face,
that steady look that said again, “Get up and win that race!”
So he jumped up
to try again, ten yards behind the last,
if I’m going to gain those yards, he thought, I’ve got to run
real fast.
Exceeding everything he had, he regained eight or ten,
but trying so hard to catch the lead, he slipped and fell again.
Defeat! He lay
there silently, a tear dropped from his eye,
there’s no sense running anymore—three strikes I’m out—why try?
The will to rise had disappeared, all hope had fled away,
so far behind, so error prone, closer all the way.
“I’ve lost, so
what’s the use,” he thought, “I’ll live with my disgrace.”
But then he thought about his dad, who soon he’d have to face.
“Get up,” an echo sounded low. “Get up and take your place.
You were not meant for failure here, get up and win that race.”
With borrowed
will, “Get up,” it said, “you haven’t lost at all,
for winning is not more than this; to rise each time you fall.”
So, up he rose to run once more, and with a new commit,
he resolved that win or lose, at least he wouldn’t quit.
So far behind
the others now, the most he’d ever been,
still he gave it all he had and ran as though to win.
Three times he’d fallen stumbling, three times he rose again.
Too far behind to hope to win, he still ran to the end.
They cheered the
winning runner as he crossed, first place;
head high and proud and happy—no falling, no disgrace.
but, when the fallen youngster crossed the line, last place,
the crowd gave him the greater cheer for finishing the race.
And even though
he came in last with head bowed low, unproud,
you would have thought he’d won the race, to listen to the
crowd.
And to his dad he sadly said, “I didn’t do so well.”
To me, you won,” his father said. “You rose each time you fell.”
And now when
things seem dark and hard and difficult to face,
the memory of that little boy helps me in my own race.
For all of life is like that race, with ups and downs and all.
And all you have to do to win is rise each time you fall.
“Quit!” “Give
up, you’re beaten,” they still shout in my face,
but another voice within me says, “Get up and win that race.”
Then I saw forms of people moving single file along the grass. They were making for the edge. There was a woman with a baby in her arms and another little child holding on to her dress. She was on the very verge. Then I saw that she was blind. She lifted her foot for the next step and it trod air. She was over, and the children over with her. Oh, the cry that I heard. Then I saw more streams of people flowing from all quarters. All were blind, stone blind; all made straight for the precipice edge. There were shrieks as they suddenly knew themselves falling, and a tossing up of helpless arms, catching, clutching at empty air. But some went over quietly, and fell without a sound.
Then I wondered, with a wonder that was simple agony, why no one stopped them at the edge. I could not. I was glued to the ground, and I could not call; though I strained and tried, only a whisper would come. Then I saw that along the edge there were sentries set at intervals. But the intervals were far too great; there were wide, unguarded gaps between. And over these gaps the people fell in their blindness, quite unwarned; and the green grass seemed blood-red to me, and the gulf yawned like the mouth of hell.
Then I saw, like a little picture of peace, a group of people under some trees, with their backs turned towards the gulf. They were making daisy chains. Sometimes when a piercing shriek cut the quiet air and reached them it disturbed them and they thought it a rather vulgar noise. And if one of their number started up and wanted to go and do something to help, then all the others would pull that one down. "Why should you get so excited about it? You must wait for a definite call to go! You haven't finished your daisy chains yet. It would be really selfish," they said, "to leave us to finish the work alone."
There was another group. It was made up of people whose great desire was to get more sentries out; but they found that very few wanted to go and sometimes there were no sentries set for miles and miles of the edge.
Once a girl stood alone in her place, waving the people back; but her mother and other relations called, and reminded her that her furlough was due; she must not break the rules. And being tired and needing a change, she had to go and rest for awhile, but no one was sent to guard her gap and over and over the people fell, like a waterfall of souls.
Once a child caught at a tuft of grass that grew at the very brink of the gulf; it clung convulsively, and it called -- but nobody seemed to hear. Then the roots of the grass gave way and with a cry, the child went over, its two little hands still holding tight to the torn-off bunch of grass. And the girl who longed to be back in her gap thought she heard the little one cry, and she sprang up and wanted to go; at which they reproved her, reminding her that no one is necessary anywhere; the gap would be well taken care of, they knew. And then they sang a hymn. Then through the hymn came another sound like the pain of a million broken hearts wrung out in one full drop, one sob. And a horror of great darkness was upon me, for I knew what it was --the Cry of the Blood.
Then thundered a Voice, the Voice of the Lord. "And He said, What hast thou done? The voice of thy brothers' blood crieth unto Me from the ground."
God forgive us! God arouse us! Shame us out of our callousness! Shame us out of our sin!