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and ask to die. AFTER YOUR DIS COURAGEMENTS. ARISE ! After Visions On the Mount of Transfiguration, our Lord said to the frightened disciples, “ARISE, and be not afraid” (Matt. 17:7), Peter had wanted to build three tabernacles. He wanted those moments to last forever. But one cannot live al ways on the mountain top. . "We canhot kindle when we will The fire which in the heart resides; The Spirit bloweth and is still, In mystery our soul abides. But tasks in hours of insight willed Can be through hours of gloom fulfilled.” For us the lesson is: AFTER YOUR VISIONS, ARISE! The demoniac needed Jesus down in the valley; and He left His glorification on 4he mountain top to go down to him—and later to face the cross. Can you bring your vision down the mountain? When the Emmaus disciples saw thé Lord, they went back the seven miles they had just traveled to tell others. They did not keep their revelation;, they shared it. Luke says of Paul, that “after he had se,en the vision, immediately we endeavored to go” (Acts 16:10). The vision led to the venture. It is wonder ful to have a mountain-top experience, but it brings a heavy responsibility. So, AFTER YOUR VISIONS, ARISE! There is a demoniac down in the valley who needs you. After Instruction In John ,14:31, our Lord said to His disciples, “ARISE, let us go hence.” This order follows -the great message of our Lord, so precious to all weary hearts, beginning with, “Let not your heart be troubled” and ending with His bequest of peace. For us the lesson is: AFTER INSTRUCTION, ARISE! Our Lord was no arm-chair philoso pher. After meditation, He wanted ac tion. “Dreaming in order to do is right; dreaming when we ought to be doing is wrong.” Do not be a sermon-taster, hiding the Word in your notebook i n s t e a d of your heart, running around with “l o a d s o f l e a r n e d lumber” in your head but building noth ing with it. Our Lord said to the Phar isees, “Go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice.” The Pharisees had quoted that all their lives; they knew where it was, but they knew not what it was. In the Great Commission, our Lord bade us teach converts TO OBSERVE all things that He commanded. It is one thing to know doctrine; it is quite another thing to do it Ef we know great truths, happy are we if we do them. After doctrine, duty; after creed, deed. AFTER INSTRUCTION, ARISE! "See ing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be ? . . .” If you are occupied with His coming, prove it by occupying till He come,
Lord’s enemies are on every hand! Do not rush madly forth as Peter did, to slash off ears in misdirected zeal. Some of \is keep the Lord busy putting' back the ears we lop off in a frenzy of “de fending the truth” ! But if we have failed the Lord, slept when we should have prayed (and how often we have!), He does not dismiss us—He gives us another chance. Confess your failure and do not wallow in the’ remorse of it: To dig up old failures is like rummag ing in garbage cans. Forgetting the things that are behind, press on! My brethren, let Us arise! Thé night is far spent, the day is at hand. Let us not sleep, as dor others, for '-‘it is high time to awake out of sleep.” After our sorrows, after ôur discouragements, after our visions, after our instruction, after our failures, let us ARISE! Making Family Worship Profitable By ESTHER WILSON TURNER circumstances, I would suggest: First, have an aim. Put in writing what you hope to accomplish in a year; then divide it into months and the months into weeks. Prepare a daily outline and adhere to it as faithfully as pos sible, always allowing for the leading of the Holy Spirit. Do not think it matters little if you miss a day. It matters tremendously. The childs knows instinctively what the parents regard as of value. And he unconsciously will imitate your evaluation. Show him by your actions and your preparation that this spiritual meal is as important as the food you carefully provide for his body. Again we urge the morning hour be fore breakfast i f ,it is .at all possible. Then your boys and girls can incor porate in the day’s living the thoughts you bring to them in the morning. Also, you can remind them of truths -they have learned, if you mention them tact fully at opportune intervals, such as meal times or just before bedtime. When a. child begins to read books and to use pencils and. paper, a new .world opens to him. On the part of the parent, facilities for teaching are great ly increased. Therefore, let each school- age child be provided with a Bible, note book, and pencil. A blackboard at hand is a valuable adjunct. "Participation” is the key-word now. Remember that what the child does is absorbed to a far [ Continued on Page 246]
After Failure Finally, our Lord said to the sleepy disciples in the garden of Gethsemane, “RISE, let us be going” (Matt. 26:46). They had failed Him. They slept on the Mount of Transfiguration and in the Garden of Gethsemane. It seems to me that if ever I would have stayed awake, it would hgve been then! But-we live in a glass house; we dare not throw stones. We ask, “How could they sleep ?” But how do we? Our Lord said first-to them, “Sleep on now, and take your rest,” and that is about the only thing He said then that we take literally today! But He said next, “RISE, let us be goihg” ! Are you a sleeping Christian? Have you failed the Lord when He needed you most ? Then let not that failure be an excuse to sleep some more. AFTER FAILURE, ARISE! Awake, for your
A S PARENTS, we must realize that the “set-up” of our family wor ship period must change to fit the new needs of the growing child. Many a parent fails at this point, say ing, “I wonder why. our boy isn’t in terested in1Bible study any more.” Is it not because the father and mother have ceased to challenge ‘ his interest, have failed to appeal to new developments in his mental life? The parent must pre pare for these .changes. That prepara tion costs time, study, and patience. But the price will be paid by parents who are sufficiently concerned about the spiritual life of their children. And unless parents thus minister to their families during these early years, the opportunity slips from them and is gone forever. Here is a letter that states the prob lem: “Although I’m not a mother, I have five lovely nephews and nieces under my care. Since their own mother died, I have tried to be a real mother to them. “I realize how important Chris tian training is, but I know that I do hot have the best way to give it, to make it interesting and living rather than a bore. Could you help me with suggestions for our daily worship, also getting the most out of their Bible readings? My chil dren are three boys, ages 18, 16, and 14; two girls, ages 12 and 7.” To this friend, as to others in similar
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