January 1929
T h e
K i n g ' s
B u s i n e s s
48
themselves hoarse praisin’ his name. Now I’ll tell you how I look at it. I’m working for Jim, here. Now if I’d sit ’round the house here, telling what a good fellow Jim is and singing songs to him and gettin’ up in the night to serenade him, I’d be doing just what lots of Christians do, but I wouldn’t suit Jim and I’d get fired mighty quick. But when I buckle on my straps and hustle among the hills and see that Jim’s herd is all right and not suffering for water and feed or bein’ off the range and branded by cow thieves, then I’m serving Jim as he wants to be served.” Queen Victoria herself taught a Bible class made up of the children of the servants in Buckingham Palace. And we are told that in her Scottish home-the queen and her people took the Koly com munion together, her majesty passing the cup on to the humblest who sat by her side. No wonder that a Scottish high lander when told of these facts said, “Did she do that? Isn’t she a woman a man would die for?” There was One, some nineteen hundred years ago, who came to teach queens and children and servants —One who humbled Himself even unto the cross, that He might sit at the com munion table with the twelve and might “drink it new with them in the Father’s Kingdom,” - wh e n each of us is privileged to sit with Him in His heavenly home as one of that heavenly company. Isn’t He a Man a man would die for? Jan. 28.—To follow. John 21:2-22. Jan. 29.—To serve. John 12:26. Jan. 30.—To imitate. John 14:12-14. Jan. 31.:—To heal. Mark 16:16-20. Feb. 1.—To help. Mt. 8 :14,15. Feb. 2.—To overcome. Rev. 3 :21. In the study of the subject “Christ’s Challenge to Youth,” we are to consider that portion of Scripture in which is recorded the sending 1 forth of the twelve apostles by Jesus. In verses 1-15 we are given the names of the twelve, and their commission. Verses 16-23, the twelve are cautioned concerning the perils that await them, and their attitude toward their persecutors. Verses 24-33, the Saviour en courages them in their new adventure for Him (note the “fear not’s” in this section). The cost of service and its rewards is made known in verses 34-42. There is a lovely legend which says that when Jesus had completed His work on earth, the angel Gabriel asked Him, “What plans hast Thou made, Lord, for carrying on Thy ministry? How are all men to know what Thou hast done?” “I left it to Peter, and James, and John, and Martha and Mary, to tell their friends, and their friends to tell their friends, until the whole world has heard,” replied Jesus. “But suppose Peter is so busy with his nets, and Martha so full of her housework, or the friends they tell so occupied, that they forget to tell their friends, how can the whole world hear?” Then Jesus said, “I have not made any February 3, 1929 The Challenge of Christ to the Youth Of the World Matt. 10:16-42. (Christian Endeavor Day) D aily S cripture R eadings
opening for the prayer-meeting that night was needed. What better keynote could be found? What a difference would be found at once in our social meetings and in every branch of church work if only each professing Christian would say, “I’ve done refusin’.” A Sunday-school missionary, while addressing a Sunday school, noticed a little girl, shabbily dressed and barefoot, shrinking in the corner, her little sun burned face buried in her hand, and sob bing as if her heart would break. Soon, however, another little girl, about eleven years of age, got up and went to her. Taking her by the hand, she led her out to a brook, where she seated the little one on a log. Then kneeling beside her, this good Samaritan took off the ragged sunbonnet, and dipping her hands in the water, bathed the other’s hot eyes and tear-stained face, and smoothed her tangled hair, talking cheerily all the while. The little one brightened up, the tears vanished, and smiles came creeping around the rosy mouth. The missionary, who had followed the two, stepped for ward and asked, “Is that your sister, my dear?” “No, sir,” answered the child, with tender, earnest eyes; “I have no sister.” “Oh, one of the neighbors’ chil dren,” replied the missionary; “a little schoolmate, perhaps?” “No, sir; she is a stranger. I never saw her before.” “Then how came you to take her out and have such a ca’re for her?” “Because she was a stranger, sir, and seemed all alone, and needed somebody to be kind to her.” Motto.—“By love serve otte another.” Gal. 5:13. An Episcopal Church in San Diego has a sign in large letters on the concrete curbstone in front of i t : “Free Parking Here Week Days.” The Congregational Church announces that its janitor will watch against automobile thieves during the evening service. In minor things these instances exemplify the spirit of the church to serve all men in all things as much as possible and make the house of God' the common meeting-place for all. One morning a woman came to the minister and said, “Oh, I would give any thing to be in this work [series of evan gelistic meetings] actively and actually; I would give anything to have some living part in the whole which is going on here next week in winning men and women to Christ; but I do not know what to do.” The minister said, “Are you prepared to give the Master the ‘five loaves and two fishes’?” She answered she didn’t have that many. He said, “Do you sing?” She answered, “I try to sing.” Where upon the pastor said, “Will you give the Lord your voice for the next ten days?” She said, “I will.” The first night she sang a soul into the Kingdom. It is said to be almost axiomatic with artists that you “can’t work by two lights.” If one expects to have the proper effect of light and shade he must have one definite, clear, strong light. Said an artist to me in his studio recently, “My studio is a northern exposure, the northern light always being the softest. I always work by one light.” The Chris tian is an artist who always works by one light. He sets his easel so that the light from the throne of God will be thrown upon his work. A converted cowboy gives this as his idea of what religion is : “Lots of folks that would really like to do right think that servin’ the Lord means shouting
barking for an excuse to rest. It is easier to bark than to pull the machine.” It is easier to be critical than to correct. It is easier to hinder than help. Easier to destroy reputation than to construct character. Faultfinding is as dangerous as easy. Anybody can grumble, criticize or censure, like the Pharisees, but it takes a great soul to go on working faithfully and lovingly, and rise superior to all, as the Lord Jesus did. “It was my custom in my youth,” said a celebrated Persian writer, “to rise from my sleep to watch, pray, and read the Koran. One night as I was thus engaged, my father, a man of practiced virtue, awoke. ‘Behold,’ said I to him, ‘thy other children are lost in irreligious slumbers, while I alone wake to praise God.’ ‘Son of my soul,’ said he, ‘it is better to sleep than to wake to remark the faults of thy brethren 1 ’” January 27, 1929 How Can We Serve the World Through Our Church? Acts 13 :l-3 (Denominational Day. Beginning Chris tian Endeavor Week.) D aily S cripture R eadings Jan. 21 .—Missionary Service. Acts 14:6- 18. Jan. 22—The Church Evangelizing. 1 ThesS. 1:1-10. Jan. 23.—Philanthropy. Acts 9 :36-43. Jan. 24.—Setting Life’s Standards. Tit. 2 *7 8 Jan. 25.—The Church Healing. Acts 3:1-10. Jan. 26.—Messages of Good Will. Eph. 2:14-22. He serves his church best Who lives pure life and doeth righteous deed, And walks straight paths, however others stray, And leaves to us his uttermost bequest, A stainless record which all men may read. This is the better way. No drop but serves the slowly lifting tide; No dew but an errand to some flower; No smallest star but sheds some helpful ray, And, man by man each helping all the rest, Makes the firm bulwark of the church’s power. There is no better way. —Accommodated from Susan Coolidge. Every course of action by which we can help and serve others is a ministry, and every such service is truly a Christian wo r k . “I’ve done refusin’,” were the Words of an aged Christian who had un expectedly been asked by his pastor to lead the special meeting for the evening. In commencing the service he stated he had not expected to take charge of the meeting, and so was unprepared to make remarks on the topic before them. “But,” said he, “I have made up my mind that when I am asked to do anything in Chris tian work by one whom I have confidence in, if he thinks it is my duty, even if I do not feel that I am prepared, I will try to do it. I’ve done refusin’.” No better
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