OLD-TIME RELIGION

“And Jesus said unto him. This day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of
Abraham.” Luke 19:9
Zaccheeus wanted to see Jesus. He had heard much of Him. It is natural for us to come near if we can
to those who are famous, in order that we may have the satisfaction of having seen certain great men.
But Zacchaeus was low in stature and overtopped by all about him. Those who want to see Jesus will
find a way or make a way. Zacchaeus forgot his gravity as chief of the publicans and ran before, like a
bounding boy, and climbed into a sycamore tree to
see Him.
Jesus passed under the tree that Zacchaeus had ascended. Pausing. He called Zacchaeus by name. The
man in the tree might have asked as Nathanael, “Whence knowest thou me?” (John 1:48 Jesus hurried
him down and told him He would go home with him that day.
All who serve Him must come down, humble themselves and not try to climb to Heaven by nighteousness
on their own.
Zacchaeus came down immediately and invited Jesus into his house. Receiving the Lord into his house
was an indication and token of receiving Him into his heart.
Zacchaeus had gotten a good dose of religion- the old-time religion. Being a chief of publicans did not
deter him from testifying for his Saviour. He stood before the family, the visitors within his house and where
the hundreds waiting outside could hear his testimony. He was not ashamed. Jesus said if we loved Him
we would not be ashamed of Him.
We sing the song “Old-Time Religion.” We sing. “It was good for our mothers and it was. It was good
for the prophet Daniel” and it was. It will do when I am dying” and it will. “It will take us all to Heaven and
it will. That old song is full of good theology.  It will do to live or die by.
-John Daniel Brown

FINE CHINA OR THE TIN PLATES

The mother was becoming quite old and it became necessary for her to move in with her daughter’s
family. Things were not working out to well because the older woman did not always put things away and had
a tendency to drop things.
One night at dinner, while passing her plate, the older woman dropped the plate and it broke. Her daughter
was quite upset because this was some of her favorite china. After dinner, the younger women told her son
to go down to the local market and buy a tin plate.
When he asked what it was for, he was told it would be used by his grandmother so she could not break
any more of the fine china. When the boy returned from the market, his mother discovered that he had
bought two tin plates and not just one.
She asked him why he had bought two and not just one as she had instructed and he answered. The
other plate is for you, Mom, when you get old.”
The moral of the story is quite simple. Treat your parents as you would have your children treat you.
(Matthew 7.12)
So be careful old people, don’t break your plate.