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TH E K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S
YOUNG PEOPLE'S TOPICS
others will Join who should be occu pied with other things. We should be. careful not to insist on the com pany of others for times of recreation unless we know that they are free for that time. We do not want to face our Lord at the judgment throne, and hear the accusation that we caused others to waste their time, miss their opportu nities, and lose their crowns because we insisted that they go with us to play. If our pleasures are under the guidance of the Holy Spirit as are our times of ministry, God will be honored, and we will be blessed. JULY 14, 1946 PAUL CONFRONTED BY CHRIST A cts 9:1-20. A GENUINE meeting with the Sav iour always transforms the life and completely alters the manner of living. No amount of preaching had ever reached Paul’s heart. The godly lives of the Christians had only in creased his hatred of the Gospel. One day he met the Saviour. Those few moments in the bright light of Christ’s presence produced lasting re sults as nothing else had ever done. Paul saw Christ and was blinded to everything else for the rest of his life; he fell in love with Him. He adopted the motto, “For me to live is Christ.” To him nothing else was worth while. His tent business was devoted to mak ing money for the work of the Lord. His new companions were lovers of Christ. His message was the suprem acy of Christ. He became a Christ- centered man. For Those Who Have Topics 1. CHRIST CHANGES THE PERSON ALITY. Phil. 3:8. Paul had been a bitter enemy of the Lord Jesus. He despised everything about Him. He was opposed to every effort put forth by the Christians. But a sudden sight of the risen, glorified Christ made him love the things he once hated and made him disdain the things he once loved. Whereas he had been hard, harsh, and cruel in perse cuting the Christians, he became a
Dr. Walter L. Wilson
JULY 7, 1946 GETTING THE MOST OUT OF RECREATION E ccl . 11:9; 1 C or . 10:31-33. B ODILY exercise is essential for strength, vigor, and activity. It aids in keeping the mind clear and fresh for the work of the Lord. Recre ation should never rule the Christian; he should be its master. Sports should be used as medicine for the soul— a diversion and not an occupation. Since the business of the child of God is to make known God’s will to others, his exercise should simply rest and refresh his mind and body for that greater and more important ministry. Recreation periods should be strictly limited in order that they may not usurp time which belongs to Christian ministry. For Those Who Have Topics 1. FORMS OF RECREATION. 1 Tim. 4:8. There are many ways in which the body may be refreshed and revived. Exercise needs to be taken in modera tion else extreme weariness will fol low, and the mind will not be able to function keenly in the service of the Lord. The time element also is most important. We have only twenty-four hours in a day. If too much of this time is spent in pleasure, then too little time is available for the great work of winning souls for Christ. Then, too, care must be exercised that recreation is not so strenuous that it will injure any part of the body, par ticularly the heart. Some games call for exceedingly strenuous action. Let us watch that we do not injure the body instead of improving it. 2. PROFIT OF RECREATION. Mark 6:31. It is not necessary to forfeit the presence of the Lord when we enjoy relaxation, rest, and recreation. The
times when we lay aside the more sober ministries for the lighter and pleasant duties should have the effect of strengthening the heart, resting the mind, refreshing the spirit, and en abling us to return to the task with a new spring in the step and a new inspiration in the soul. Pleasures which do not accomplish these blessed results s h o u l d b e avoided. What sharpening is to the scythe, what charging is to the battery, what a postgraduate course is to the minister —recreation should be to the Chris tian. When the wits become keener, the mind more alert, the body more energetic, recreation becomes the serv ant to make us more useful. 3. PLANS FOR-RECREATION. Psalm 90:12. Life is made up of time elements. It is most necessary that we allocate our time. Too much time must not be given to any one thing if by this other things suffer. When we plan for rec reation and pleasure, it should be with a view to their relationship to*all other activity and service. When important matters need attention, pleasure should be curtailed. We must always be on guard to see that we do not use pleasure as an excuse to avoid duty. It is so much easier to spend an hour playing games than it is to take an hour for prayer and Bible study. Why not make a chart of our time for a week? We will be surprised when we make a check on the way our time is spent. 4. FELLOWSHIP IN RECREATION. John 21:3. It is usually not very difficult to find companions for pleasure. Many friends will accompany you for a good time who will not go with you on the Lord’s business. We have a great in fluence on others in regard to the way they spend their time. When one per son is occupied in some pleasure,
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