T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S
June, 1938
262
The First A searching 16-page Five Minute« booklet tract for the rive Minutes Unconverted and the After Death Professing Christian By Ezra S. Gerig $l.50 a lOO. Sample Free BIBLE INSTITUTE CO LPO RTAG E ASS'N. 810 No. Wells St. Chicago, 111.
NOTES on Christian Endeavor By MARY G. GOODNER
l a T r l U H I s M J J r U f Your church, school or ladies’ r society can make money with our parish paper plan. Stim ulates all church activities. Fills empty pews. Samples and particulars free.
JULY 3, 1938 A SINGING RELIGION E phesians 5:19; C olossians 3:16; A cts 16:25 Meditation on the Lesson
Helps for the Leader I. S inging from the H eart
When Jenny Lind was coming to this country for a concert tour, she expressed to the captain of the vessel a desire to behold a sunrise at sea. Accordingly, one cloud less morning he had called her at early dawn. Silent and motionless, she stood by his side upon the deck, watching every change of shade and tint in the sky and their reflection upon the waking waters until the first golden rays shot up from the horizon. As the sun leaped up from the waves, she burst into rapturous song, her deeply religious feeling finding expression in the noble music of Handel’s Messiah. She was unconscious' of the presence of the cap tain and a few sailors who stood near. In the ecstasy of her emotion she lifted her voice to an unseen Hearer, to whose majesty and glory she paid her tribute. Little wonder that Captain West, in describing the scene, exclaimed: “ No one will ever hear ‘I Know That My Redeemer Liveth’ sung as I heard it that morning.”— A. R. H eaps . II. J oyless S ongs Heathenism has no hymn books. Buddh ism, Brahmanism, Confucianism, Moham medanism, and paganism do not break forth into songs of joy. How could this be ex pected of religions whose gods inspire only fear and dread? Charles E. Scott of China describes the Buddhist chants as “ weird” with “ a vein of sadness in them as of joy unattained, of hope unrealizable,’^ and goes on to say, “ They give many people a sense of unutterable homesickness.” — The Sunday School Times. JULY 10, 1938 MESSAGES FROM GREAT May we walk today in imagination into a great auditorium to hear a sacred concert based on Psalm 98. W e may visualize the huge chorus choir composed of a large number of Christians who have been re deemed by the blood of the Lamb. The choirmaster announces: “ O sing unto the Lord a new song; for he hath done marvel ous things: his right hand, and his holy arm, hath gotten him the victory.” Then the choir bursts forth into rapturous adoration, saying: “ The Lord hath made known his salvation: his righteousness hatli he openly showed in the sight of the heathen. He hath remembered his mercy and his truth toward the house of Israel: all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.” Again, the director speaks, this time to the orchestra: “Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all the earth; make a loud noise, and rejoice, and sing praise. Sing unto the HYMNS P salm 98 Meditation on the Lesson
National Religious Press Grand Rapids, Michigan
Significant is the fact that the birth and the death of the Lord Jesus Christ were both prefaced by singing. Although the thought of music is not directly stated in the record of His birth, yet it is most prob able that the angels’ praise to God was a glorious anthem of adoration. In the shadow of Gethsemane, the Lord Jesus and His dis ciples, “when they had sung a hymn,” left the upper room of fellowship for the garden of sorrow. Christianity is truly a singing faith. Saints of God throughout the ages of the world have witnessed the supernatural, sus taining joy which the Lord alone can give to those who are bowed with sorrow, and whose hearts are bleeding with wounds of cruel cutting. Look at Paul and Silas in ihe dungeon at midnight; listen to their tri umphant songs o f joy—totally incongruent with their dismal environment. That is the Christian faith in action! Nothing but the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, rooted in the heart of the believer, could produce such paradoxical yet genuine praise.. “ Praise” is the keynote of the hymn book of the Old Testament, the Psalms. In Psalm 40:3 we read: “And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the Lord.” Did you notice that the pronoun “ it” refers to “ song” ? How can one see a song? That is the genius of Chris tianity ; it transforms believers into living songs who demonstrate the joy that is in their hearts, where Christ Himself dwells. In his Epistles, Paul speaks of the joy of Christ in the heart as producing songs of praise to God. In Ephesians 5 :19, R.V., he exhorts us to speak one to another “ in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, sing ing and making melody with your heart to the Lord.” Since music is a symbol of joy, it becomes the Christian always to have a song, audible or inaudible, for the Lord. In Colossians 3:16 Paul gives a similar exhor tation: “ Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.” Notice his emphasis upon melody “ in the heart.” As children of God, we are now rehearsing for that great “ Hallelujah Chorus” which one day soon will ring throughout the corridors of heaven. Id joyful, confident expectation of that happy occasion, why should we not now sing, “Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honor, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever” ?
JUST WHAT YOU HAVE BEEN LOOKING FOR} fo r your Bible and V acation School Four h un dred assorted outline texts, puzzles, dot draw ings, Alphabet Verses etc., to search out, learn and c o lo r for only $1.00, Postpaid.
This assortment will include the following: 100 Dot to Dot Scripture Text Drawings 100 Scripture Puzzle Drawings 100 Outline Text Pictures 50 Bible Pictures —50 Alphabet Verses e Pictures are all 4y2 by 6 inches and will p r o v id e hours of instructive entertainment for children and young people. Thousands sold each year to Christian Workers among the young for 35c per hundred. Take advantage of this s p e c ia l o ffe r n ow — 400 drawings for only $1.00, postpaid. • C H I L D H O O D D A Y S GRAND RAPIDS, M IC H IG AN
SHOULD JOIN WITH US! A Christian Society for Christian People . . . organized not for profit, but to assist those who have been bereft o f loved ones. Death benefits, according to ages, from $200 to#$1000.00. Average cost $8 to $12 per year. Ministers and others write for territory.
Made with FlippingBook HTML5