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K i n g ’ s
B u s i n e s s
■August 1930
SNotes on Christian ßndeavor
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September 7, 1930 Our Crusade Plans Exodus 33:12-15 ( Consecration Meeting) There’s many an industrious man Who never gets ahead, Because he does not think and plan, But trusts' to luck instead. He’s not a slacker or a shirk, This plodder in life’s grind; But though he always minds his work, He never works his mind. —Rural Work. * * * T houghts on the T opic Vacation overl Getting ready for school! Facing the future, each of us asks himself, How can I become more efficient in my work and thus reach the goal that I have set? Plans, plans! To reach an objective in the secular realm, we recognize the importance of strict ad herence to a workable system. In our spiritual activities also we should map out some definite course and follow it faith fully. How is this to be done? First, there must be sincere prayer. Let us use the words o f the Psalmist found in Psa. 139:23, 24. Second, there must be a full confession o f the sins that are revealed and a forsaking of them (cf. 1 John 1 :9). Third, we must present our lives to God to be used as He wills (cf. Rom. 12:1; 1 Cor. 6:13, 19, 20). Like Moses in our Scripture lesson, let us pray, “Show us thy way." Then, like the early Chris tians, let us first give ourselves to the Lord (cf. 2 Cor. 8:5). We are now pre pared to oplan, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, for our individual lives and for our society. George Muller, that great man o f faith, gives this testimony: “ I never remember, in all my Christian course, a period now (in March, 1895) o f sixty-nine years and four months, that I ever sincerely and pa tiently sought to know the will o f God, by the teaching of the Holy Spirit, through the instrumentality of . the Word of God, but I have been always directed rightly. But if honesty Of heart and up rightness before God were lacking, or if I did not patiently wait upon God for instructions, or if I preferred the counsel o f my fellow men to the declarations of the Word of the living God, I made great mistakes.” With these thoughts in mind, may each society o f Christian Endeavor prayerfully outline some definite plans for winning others to Christ. * * * S ide L ights When the great span across the East River was finished, the builder was brought down on his sickbed to see the bridge-brought in a, canal boat and an chored in front o f the great span. There,
lying on his pillows, with the drafts of the bridge on either side o f him he looked down at them, and then up at the span and said, “It is like the plan.” May you and I come to our dying hour and look up to God and say, “My life is like the plan; I have finished the work which Thou gavest me to do.”— From Dr. Arthur T. Pierson. At a time when the prairies of South Dakota were dotted with claim shacks made o f rough boards, and often covered with tar paper, one large, two-story, white house was a landmark. It had been planned back in the eastern, home. It was to be a home, not a temporary lodging. Some lives are like the claim shacks, built without a plan, and with no thought of the future. We build our lives better when me make long plans. September 14, 1930 How to Increase Our Membership Acts 2 :42-47 ’Tis the human touch in this world that counts, The touch o f your hand and mine, Which means far more to the fainting heart Than shelter and bread and wine. For shelter is gone when the night is o’er, And bread lasts only a day, But the touch o f the hand and the sound of the voice Sing on in the soul alway. * * * T houghts on the T opic On the day of Pentecost, Peter, in the power o f the Holy Spirit, preached Jesus Christ, presenting Him as the miracle worker (v. 22), the foreordained sacri fice (v. 23), the one slain by the “wicked hands” of Israel (v. 23), the Son of God raised from the dead by the power of God (v. 24), the Messiah foretold in Scripture (vs. 25-31), the prince exalted at God’s right hand (v. 30), the Christ who poured out the Holy Spirit (v. 33), the exalted Lord and Christ (vs. 34-36). Peter’s message was convincing, bringing deep conviction and thoughtful inquiry
(v. 37). It was followed by earnest ap peal to Israel to repent (vs. 38-41). There follows the description of the new church, from which we obtain our lesson (vs. 41-47). The church was obe dient to the Word (v. 41). It was a united church (v. 42). The believers were steadfast (v. 42). They were prayerful (v. 42). They were full o f power (v. 43). They were unselfish and liberal (vs. 44, 45). They were praiseful (vs. 46, 47). No wonder, then, that when such condi tions prevailed the church grew rapidly (v. 47). Membership in an Endeavor So ciety may be increased by many methods, some of them of doubtful value, but mem bers can be added to the Lord only when such conditions prevail as were found in the early Church. So you bring the one next to you, And I’ll bring the one next to me; In all kinds o f weather, we’ll all work to gether, And see what can be done. If you’ll bring the one next to you, And I’ll bring the one next to me, In no time at all, we’ll have them all; So win them, win them, one by one. * * * S ide L ights “Father Carpenter,” as he was familiar ly called, was a Presbyterian layman of New Jersey. Before his conversion he was a “cipher” in the local church. But filled with the Holy Spirit, he became a man o f wonderful spiritual power. Hard ened sinners melted under his appeals and yielded to Christ. Once, traveling in a stage coach between Newark and New York, he found among his fellow pas sengers one believer and six unconverted men. He began at once to press the claims o f Jesus Christ upon the six. Under the power o f the Holy Spirit, four o f them were converted in the coach, and the other two after reaching New York. At the time o f his death it was estimated, on the ground of a careful investigation, that Fa ther Carpenter had been instrumental in winning to Christ more than 10,000 souls. —o— September 21, 1930 How to Improve Our Organization and Team Work ■ Acts 6:1-7 Not alone we conquer, Not alone we fail; In each gain- or triumph, Lose or triumph all. * * * T houghts on the T omc To cooperate is “to operate together for a common object.” No organization can function properly unless each member of the organization is willing to work heart ily with every other member. .When this
First Sight Some one has been so kind as to send me a specimen copy of The King’s Business and I am so delighted with it that I am enclosing money order with my name and nine o f my friends’ names fo r a year’s subscription for each. —From Oneonta, N. Y.
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