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T H E K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S
May, 1938
To Evangelize the Present Generation By RALPH BLAKEMAN Los Angeles, California E VERY time I see one of these little ones receive Christ, I can see in him a possible Moody or Spurgeon”— this her, she became a child of God (cf. John 1 : 1 2 ) .
A teacher who was unable to find a home for a class began doing work among chil dren on the streets. A little Jewish girl thus came to know Christ as her Messiah, and though meeting with violent opposition she remained true. Through this testimony, a large class, now meeting in a home, has come into existence. One little girl less than ten years old, who, because of a prejudiced religion in her home, was forbidden to attend a class again, had already come to know Jesus Christ as her Saviour.’ She obeyed the call of her new Master, and, upheld by prayer of Christians in the neighboring church where the class was held, she came to see every member of the family won to her Saviour and Lord! Now they are all busy in service for the Lord in that church. Only eternity will reveal the full result. A t a decision service for a class of Juniors, twenty-seven decisions were made. A mother who was present had long been dealt with by the faithful workers and had refused to believe on the Lord Jesus as her Saviour. When the invitation was giyen at this children’s service, together with her child she surrendered, tears coursing down her cheeks. She had not come to the meet ing for the purpose of accepting Christ. But the gospel presented very simply to the children found its way into her cynical heart, and, humbling herself as a child (Matt. 18:2-4) before the One who died for
In our decision services we do not at tempt to play on the sentiments of the children, but we prayerfully present the gospel in its simplicity. Often nearly every child receives Christ as Saviour. It has been our experience that almost every child when faithfully shown the way has been born again. But this step does not by any means end the work. Our classes are largely stressing a victorious life in Christ. The children are taught to “ desire the sincere milk of the word,” and to grow thereby (1 Pet. 2:2). W e have seen children who have a fuller knowledge of the W ord than has many a church officer we have known. Widening Spheres of Influence W ith established work in many states of the Union, the Child Evangelism Fellow ship, of which J. Irvin Overholtzer is the national director, has been an agency used of God in the salvation of hundreds of boys and girls. Under the leadership of Mr. and Mrs. Warren R. Ranney, the work of the Child Evangelism Fellowship in Southern California has shown marked progress. A central committee is actively at work. There are also local committees in various sec tions. O f these local groups, the one in Los Angeles (which meets at the Bible Institute of Los Angeles) is most promi nent and has been organized longest; other enthusiastic groups are located in Glen dale, Pasadena, Long Beach, San Pedro, Ontario, and San Luis Obispo. Week-day classes for children are con stantly springing up as more and more Christians catch the vision of the need and the opportunity. In Southern California alone there are now over two hundred such classes. Usually these classes meet in pri vate homes, the children coming directly from school. Often classes start with but one or two children. Many have grown until they now number forty-five or fifty children. Often older children and young people will come to assist in these classes, and thus be trained in Christian service. T o be a teacher of such a class requires no elaborate training or equipment beyond a real born-again experience in the life, a vision of the need, a surrendered life, prayer, and a Bible used under the direction of the Holy Spirit. However, there are materials and training available for all who feel the need— and the desire for assistance grows with the experience of the worker. More and more, volunteer workers are realizing that evangelism of children, particularly of those whose home life gives them no Christian background, calls for methods suited exactly to these boys and girls. Abundant materials and tools for
is the vision and the hope not only of the teacher who uttered the words, but also of many other workers among the Child Evangelism Fellowship, a national fellow ship among believers for the salvation of boys and girls. W ith multiplied evidences to show that many greatly used warriors of the cross have found Christ when they were but little children, there comes to men and women today the Spirit-directed urge for youth evangelism. Commands of the Lord Jesus Christ and conditions in the world about us make plain that the present generation of children must be won for Christ and established in the faith. Members of the Child Evangelism Fel lowship of Southern California, like other workers in the Fellowship elsewhere in our land, are accepting the battle issue in this territory to “ Capture the Children for Christ.” Our commission is to present the “gospel of Christ . . . the power of God unto salvation”— to the children lost in sin. Our longing is that we “might by all means save some” (1 Cor. 9:22), of whom our Lord said, “ Of such is the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 19:14). This ministry, we feel, constitutes the greatest privilege and honor that can come to one this side of glory. Born-Again Children at Work W e could recite many instances to prove the real born-again experience in the lives of children. Take for instance the little eleven-year-old Mexican girl who not only received Christ but also felt keenly the need of her loved ones at home, with the result that her mother, older brother, and her sister were converted. In their home there now is being held a class which is in its second year. In spite of, persecution, the class has doubled in attendance. I had the privilege of speaking to this class recently when two of the girls brought a third who that day for the first time indicated that she was receiving the Lord as her Saviour. In questioning this girl, we found she had been won by personal work of these her friends, but was now making a public stand. And we have evidence that these children stand true, in spite of persecution at home. W e find that some of the children who have been serving in these classes are active in doing personal work among their play mates, using a “ Children’s Guide” of the Fellowship or the “Wordless Book,” win ning others and bringing them to the classes where they are dealt with by the teachers. Could any one doubt that a work of grace has been done in the heart of a child who has such a love for souls?
Boys in a Christian orphans' home are shown here with their Testaments, gifts of the Amer ican Bible Society, New York, N. Y.
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