282
T h e K i n g ’ s
B u s i n e s s
June 1932
CHRISTIAN ENDEAVOR . . . B y M ary G. G oodner
[Mrs. Goodner was unable~ to prepare the material fo r this month’s Christian Endeavor topics. The emergency was met by another warm friend o f young people, Rev. Alan S. Pearce, director o f the Cor respondence Department of the Bible In stitute, who contributed the following sug gestive material .—T he E ditor .] JULY 3,1932 W H A T IS F R E E D OM - POLITICAL AND PERSONAL? Hymn—“ My Country ’Tis of Thee.” Hymn—“America, the Beautiful;” Prayer by Leader. Reading o f Christian Endeavor Pledge (in unison). Scripture Lesson (read responsively). Hymn— “ O Happy Day.” Sentence Prayers. Declaration of Independence (read by member o f the society). Special Musical Number. Leader’s Talk. Testimonies and Scripture Verses. Hymn— “ Take My Life and Let It Be.” Benediction. Meditation on the Lesson No more vivid picture o f what political freedom means to a nation is seen than that o f God’s chosen people, the children o f Israel. At a time when the inhabitants of the earth were far from God, having fallen into idolatry, and when the religion o f the true God seemed to be lost, God called Ab ram to be the father o f the chosen family, and later o f the chosen nation (Gen. 12:1). Under God, this people was to be a blessing to other nations (Gen. 12:2, 3 ). But it was not long until, through disobedience, this new race was brought into bondage to Egypt, a heathen nation. During that time, they suffered untold physical agony at the hands of their cruel taskmasters. Read the story in the latter chapters of Genesis and the first few chapters of Exodus. Fre quently during their oppression, the people cried unto God for deliverance. He heard their cry and raised up a leader in Moses, who led them out o f their bondage and up to the borders o f Caanan. But here again, because o f disobedience to the commands of God, the people had to be punished, and they were obliged to remain in the wilder ness for forty years before entering the promised land. W e could go through all the remaining books o f the Old Testament and note that in every instance that God’s people were brought under subjection to foreign powers, it was because of disobed ience to God. The United States o f America owes its political and religious freedom to the men o f deep spiritual conviction who founded this country upon religious principles. Such freedom, whether enjoyed by the United States or any other nation, is due to 1 P eter 2 ¡13-16; J ohn 8 ¡36 Suggestions (o r the Meeting
Christianity. It is Christ alone who can lift a man or a nation out o f the bondage o f sin into glorious liberty. He it was who said, “ I f the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.” What solemn words are those o f the Psalmist: “The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God" (Psa. 9:17) ! But let us look at an other picture: “ Blessed is the nation whose God is the LO R D ; and the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance” (Psa. 33:12). The entire psalm, in which this verse occurs, deals with the blessings bestowed upon all who put their trust in Jehovah. “ Righteousness exalteth a na tion : but sin is a reproach to any people” (Prov. 14:34). It is sin that places both individuals and nations under bondage. Since nations are comprised o f indi viduals, let us now consider the question o f personal freedom. Scripture clearly teaches that all unbelievers are in bondage (cf. John 8:34, 44; Rom. 7:14, 23; Eph. 2 :3 ; 2 Tim. 2:26). The unregenerate one has a mistaken notion that it is the Chris tian who is in bondage, while he himself is free. On the contrary, he is the one who is in bondage to sinful habits, while the Christian can have victory over sin and can live in joyous freedom from the power o f the evil one. Note the following pas sages: John 8:36; Gal. 5 :1 ; Rom. 8:1, 2; John 3 :18; 5 :24; Gal. 3 :13; Rom. 6 :14, 18 O') • 1 ’ What Makes a Nation Great? Not serried ranks with flags un- • furled, Not armored ships that gird the world, Not hoarded wealth, nor busy mills, Not cattle on a thousand hills, Not sages wise, nor schools, nor laws, Not boasted deeds in freedom’s cause— All these may be, and yet the state In the eye o f God be far from great. That land is great which knows the Lord, Where songs are guided by His Word, Where justice rules ’twixt man and man, Where love controls in act and plan, Where, breathing in his native air, Each soul finds jo y in praise and prayer— Thus may our country, good and great, Be God’s delight—man’s best estate. —A lexander B lackburn . Illustrations I. T he S ign of the E agle High, high, high on a rocky cliff I live, far, far up, near the sky, near the sun,
where the strong, loud wind rushes and roars past our nest. I am King o f the Birds. I spread my wings in the sun and look far, far down to the earth, where you silly little people go running about on your silly little business. H o ! I am the American Eagle 1 I stand on your American money—on your dollars, .on your half-dollars, on your quarter-dollars. Do you know why? Many years ago, when George Washing ton was President, he and other wise Americans wanted a sign for the United States. So they made the American seal. They set me on the American seal be cause I am strong, and because I am American, and because my eyes see far, far, far. They put an olive branch in my right claw, because Americans should love peace. They put arrows in my left claw, because Americans should fight when they must. The red o f the shield on my breast means that Americans must be brave. The white means that Americans must be pure. The blue means that Americans must be fair. H o ! I am the American Eagle! I stand on American money to remind Americans that it is better to be brave and pure and fair than to be rich. — S elected . II. C hrist L iberates a D runkard Melvin E. Trotter, the renowned evan gelist, was once a terrible drunkard. At Northfield, Mass., relating his experience, he said: “ There was not anything, in 1897, that I knew about that I had not gone through. I had taken cure after cure. I had taken everything known to science that I knew o f at that time. I had made resolution after resolution. I could no more stay sober than I could fly. When my liberty de pended upon it, I would lose my liberty be cause I would break my pledge. I have signed the pledge with my own blood. I promised the judge never to drink the longest day I lived, and I went right out and did it over again. But just one glimpse of Jesus, and I have never wanted a drink from that instant to this! I don’t want one n ow ; that is the best o f it. And I was saved before prohibition was here.” JULY 10, 1932 LIVING M Y OWN LIFE L uke 15:11-15; G alatians 6:8 Suggestions (o r the Meeting Hymn— “Wonderful Words o f Life.” Hymn—“ I’ve Tried in Vain.” Prayer by Leader. Scripture Lesson. Hymn— “There is Power in the Blood.” Announcements and Offering. Solo— “Back to My Father and Home.” Leader’s Remarks. One-Minute Testimonies as to What Christ Means to the Life. Quiet Hour (sentence prayers for God’s
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