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Problems are discussed, and answers given based upon Cod’s Word, the standard by which we s h h * judged. At home, at school, and at other places, perplexing questions frequent ly arise for which we have no an swer. In our meetings, the very things which have puzzled us are often discussed. Someone may give a testimony or quote a portion of God’s Word which will meet a defi nite need! If we are absent, we miss the blessing. II. THE RESULTS. A. To discover and apply God’s commandments a n d principles to everyday living, putting them into daily practice. In Luke 9:23 we have a challenge from the Lord. Nothing in our lives is of very great value until we assimilate it. One could starve to death with a delicious meal placed before him if he merely sat at the table and did not move a muscle to partake of it. We cannot expect to grow spiritually unless we apply to our lives the precepts God has given us (Jas. 2:17). B. To challenge Christian young people to a commitment of their lives to Him for service, where and how He wills. Psalm 37:5 is a commandment. Jesus Christ has called us not only to be His sons and daughters, His heirs (Romans 8), but also to give our lives unreservedly to Him. We should be ready to echo the words of Isaiah of old, "Here am I, send me” (Isa. 6:8). We are commanded,., “ Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mk. 16:15). W ill you be a deserter, a soldier who fails to carry out the greatest commission ever given by the Cam- mander-in-Chief, the L o r d Jesus Christ, who has never lost one inch of ground to the foe? Or will you say “ yes” to the call with thousands of other young men and women? SEPTEMBER 23, 1945 EXTEND ING OUR SOCIETY’S INFLUENCE P h il . 2 : 12 , 13 ; E ph . 3 : 14-21 By Gerry Hamlett Your society’s influence can go around the world! I do not mean the Christian Endeavor in a large and wealthy church, but your society, re gardless of size or location! God has made it possible, Listen to His words in Acts 1:8: “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be w it nesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.” Yes, the Lord wants you to be a w it ness for Him in your oWn church, your community, your nation; but Hi,
find in Him that peace and joy of which the world knows nothing. Acts 16:31 sets forth the way of passing from darkness into His light. B. That every believer may seek at all times to glorify God. No longer do we belong to ourselves for, "Ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.” God is worthy of all our love and devotion. He wants us to do two things: 1. Worship Him (John 4:23, 24). We must have His Spirit indwelling us so- that we can "worship Him in spirit and in truth,” by being yielded completely to His will. A definite time during the day should be set apart from the rush of our busy life to tell the Lord how much we love Him.
can. Then, to his amazement, all testified, prayed, and a devotional message from the Bible followed. The Sunday following, Floyd found a young chap on his front porch, wait ing to accompany him to his first society meeting. Again he was sur prised, but pleased, with the genuine, friendly welcome accorded by all the Christian Endeavor members. Here he saw young people conducting a pro gram efficiently. There appeared to be a real purpose in it- This was a new experience for him. The next week Floyd was contacted by mail and in person by the Chris tian Endeavor. He continued to attend, and, in the course of time, the "look out committee” challenged him to accept Jesus as his Saviour, and to join the society, both of which he did. Immediately, he was put to work on a committee and given his turn to lead a meeting. He grew in knowledge and experience, and was thus prepared for leadership as an officer in the society. Through the influence of Christian Endeavor, Floyd became grounded in the faith; he joined the church and found his place of service in the Lord’s vineyard. This young man’s experi ence is one of thousands. Young peo ple have found that Christian En deavor is not a program apart from the church, but that it is the threshold of the church by which they may pass into a life of usefulness for Christ. SEPTEMBER 16, 1945 W H Y DO W E HAVE A DEVOT IONAL MEETING? J ohn 4 : 23 , 24 ; C ol . 3:16 By Ine* McGahey Today the world is electrified with questions on every hand. “Why are conditions like this? What will the results be?” Ho query is more pertinent than this: "Why do we have a devotional meeting?” Are we merely attending these meetings just to have a place to go on Sunday evenings, or are we coming to God’s house for a definite purpose, expecting to receive that which will s t r e n g t h e n our lives throughout the week? These meetings are Important. They are the very heart of the young peo ple’s activities, and should be attend ed and encouraged by everyone. Each child of God is an integral part of God’s machinery, and has a definite service to render for His glory. For Those Who Have Topics I. THE REASONS. A. That the way of salvation may be simply and sincerely presented so that anyone who knows not the joy of having his sins forgiven may be- cqme acquainted with the Lord and
Do Not Count As Lost The Sands of Time— if every waking minute and hour of your life is spent in worship and w o r k for the Lord Jesus Christ.
2. Praise Him. We are prone to rush hurriedly into the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ and employ the "gimme” method, never stopping to praise Him for what He did on Calvary when He shed His precious blood that we unworthy sinners might be re deemed (Rom. 5:8). Let us daily take time to “praise God from whom all blessings flow,” and say with the Psalmist, "Praise ye the Lord. Praise the Lord, O my soul.” Read also Psalm 111:1. C. To strengthen and build up the believers (1 Cor. 16:13). 1. We need to “grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ” (2 Pet. 3:18). We need to be strong in our faith in order to withstand the tidal w a v e s of criticism and skepticism which seek to draw us into the quicksands of miser able defeat. 2. Devotional meetings are a means of stimulating our thinking.
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