Salvation is greater riches than all the gold, silver, and valuable treasures of this earth summed up together. A treasure that never faileth; a wealth so great that, to the happy possessor, everything of earth is, in comparison, reduced to dust and dirt.

"She can draw cool people, too," said Janice. "Last week she won a prize in our church fair." "I'm going to be a movie artist when I grow up," said Juliann. "Hey Jan, can I see your new movie-star Barbie?" Janice pulled a shiny box out of the closet.

Snip! Snip! The proud vine is pulled off the wall. There, I have cut it down and it won't bother our raspberries again! you say. You must not know brambles. Cutting it down is not enough—we must now get out our shovels and dig out the root or it will grow back.

So God stirs our nests, and we weep and sob and cry—money gone, friends gone, church gone; nobody loves me. Then Jesus Christ stretches out one great wing, and we begin to take hold of Him, and then He moves out and up and away.

Some are making an attempt to draw a distinction between the gift of tongues and speaking in tongues—that "the gift of tongues" is under the control of the individual possessing it while "speaking in tongues" is an uncontrollable overflow of exhortation.

Some have suggested that a colony be established that would exclude all ignorant and obnoxious people. That was not the thought of Christ in founding His church.... He was a friend to the worst, that He might make them fit to be among the best.

Some people today... have been pardoned, but have not got over into the Acts of the Apostles.... But a real Bible Christian has been through repentance at Sinai, has been reconciled at the cross of Christ, and has been baptized with the Holy Ghost at Pentecost.

Sometimes people are fooled, too. There are many things in life which look harmless enough and yet are fatal. We hear warnings about drugs and other harmful things and often forget the most common and most serious death trap of all.

So then I turned from the One who loved me the most and severed the last tie of my salvation. I promise you that it was not the most happy time in my life. It was the darkest. And the most hurtful. God left me alone pretty much.

"So then there remains a rest to the people of God. For he who has entered into his rest, he also has ceased from his own works, as God did from His. Therefore let us labor to enter into that rest, lest anyone fall after the same example of unbelief."

Suddenly the quiet of the room was broken by the bark of Fred's dog, Watch. Slave hunters had tracked us to this very place! ...The rough men searched the house below. The peace of the night had disappeared and danger was very near.

Surely it is worthwhile to carefully review all the evidence that can be accumulated about these spiritual disasters.... God is able to open the eyes of our understanding that we may avoid the same errors where others have made shipwreck.