by Dr. Lester Harnish Pastor, Portland, Oregon
CHRIST'S RELAVANCY
B r i t i s h s t a t e s m a n , Lord Balfour, former Prime Minister, was ad dressing the student body of the Uni versity of Edinburgh concerning world problems. He challenged them to go into government service, urging them to practice Christian morality and to be trustworthy in all their affairs. When he concluded this lec ture, a Chinese student asked, “Sir, what about Jesus Christ? Does He have anything to do with ethics and honesty? Can He be relevant for the day in which we’re living?” This is a question men want answered today with a certainty. The University of California at Berkeley recently conducted a survey among both Protestants and Cath olics in which the question was asked, “Do you believe there is a God?” One percent of these faiths indicated they were agnostics or atheists. This may seem like a small number, yet, spread out over the population of the United States the figure would amount to more than 100,000. (The F.B.I. reports that we have only 16,370 card-carrying Com munists in our land.) So this total figure should be of real concern to us. While we get excited when we find a Communist in our country; we show little concern about the more than 100,000 atheists in the churches. Even more disturbing, however, is atheism among clergy men. Eloquent religious writers de clare such things as, “Let’s declare a moratorium on God. The idea is passe. He’s not relevant.” First of all, be assured that there is a God. He is not dead. He not only exists but also He is knowable. He is more than a mere force behind this complex universe. He has come into this world for benevolent and re
demptive purposes. He moved, He worked, He loved, He suffered, He wept, He died, right here on this planet. His name on earth was Jesus Christ, The Saviour was far more than a martyr, more than a worker of miracles, more than a teacher of wonderful truths, He was the incar nate Son of God. Keep in mind that Jesus Christ was not like the person most works of art usually seek to portray Him. He was tempted in all points as we are tempted; He has a feeling for our infirmities for while He is divine He was also human. Life for Jesus PRAYER W ITHOUT WORDS Sometimes I do not pray in words, I take my heart in my two hands And hold it up before the Lord, I'm so glad He understands. Sometimes I do not pray in word, M y spirit bows before His feet. And with His hand upon my head, We hold communion, silent, sweet. Sometimes I do not pray in words, For I am tired and long for rest, My weary heart finds all its needs Upon the Saviour's gentle breast. — Martha Snell Nicholson Christ was not easy. I t was as hard as the carpenter’s nails that He drove with a hammer; as hard as the spikes which were driven into His peerless body. He was well-informed on cur rent events. He clearly taught that God is love, and that men ought to love their enemies. His learners, however, were dull. He challenged His followers to turn the other cheek when they were smitten, and to go the second mile, forgiving so often that one would lose count. This so irked the professional religionists of His day that in order to silence Him, they put Him to death. As a
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