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October, 1942
T H E K IN G '1’ « B U S I N E S S
around'the world, adds his testimony concerning the Lord’s Day: “I believe that the way to an early victory is by getting back to God in humble confession of out sins, and with a realistic and practical obedi ence seeking to know and to do all of God's will. God holds the winds and waves in His hands, and He will work miracles of deliverance for those who please Him, and who put their • trust in Him. ‘ “I would respectfully suggest that our President and others in authority should consider several matters: •.. “They need to weigh with caution whether a seven-day week for work ' at home or for soldiers on the battle field is the Wisest policy. “The spiritual side o f this matter should not be overlooked. In this con nection, we -db well to remember that Christ healed on the Sabbath day, and that He approved labor under certain exigencies—the ox in the ditch, for example. Our President doubtless feels that the ox is in the ditch. He cannot be said to have repudiated God’s one day of rest, therefore, in his temporary order for a seven-day week. “We should remember that there is no command to the church to keep the seventh day, the Jewish Sabbath. As a matter of privilege the first day is set aside by saints in memory of Christ’s resurrection, as a day for worship and rest. Certainly the ob servance of Sunday has no saving e f ficacy. ‘By grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves:* it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast’ (Eph. 2:8, 9), “We should also remember that merely ceasing to work does not even remotely suggest that the masses would worship •God. It means only that the children of God would have opportunity to carry on in their churches—and of course- this implies that there would be a time for the prayer and confession, and the touch with God our Saviour which is so much needed for victory. Perhaps the people as a whole fail to know how vital a place the spiritual life of our people holds in the success Of our .armed forces. “Here is a practical suggestion: Even if the President and his associ ates should feel that Sunday work is a necessity, why should there not be a quiet ten minutes or so on Sundays, as the workmen gather, for the read ing of a chapter from the Bible and a word of prayer at the various plants?, This certainly would show our work men that our government does recog nize that we must have God with Us to have the victory that we need. “What we are urging is that a mere formal recognition of the Lord’s Day is not enough. We need to quicken the consciousness of- our citizens to their relation to Jehovah.’’
ticular surrender to Him for fellowship and for witnessing bn His day is not somethirig that ‘just happened.’ It meant a new personal adjustment of the life to the Saviour, “ In, the present world turmoil there are many of God’s children who are unable to meet together in a service of-worship—those in the armed forces on the active battle front, mission aries in concentration camps, arid the native Christians of occupied, lands who dare not gather for worship. Yet encouraging word continually comes of the evidence of spiritual growth on the part of individuals in these cir cumstances. It is not impossible to honor the Lord even in environments not conducive to the spirit of worship.- It is harder, but it is possible. “ Sunday work does not prevent Christians from ‘assembling ourselves together.’ This fact should be stressed. Such ‘assembling’ must be. planned for, of course—and here again, it is not accomplished by taking the course of least resistance. The evening meal must be ready promptly (in the case of a day-shift worker). There can be no lingering over the meal as one might wish, and the natural desire to relax after work must be resisted if one gets ready for the evening service in time. But the renewal of spirit, mind, and body that comes from the hour spent in the quiet atmosphere of the church is well worth the effort. Any employee, whether he works the day shift, 'swing' or 'graveyard' shift, can attend one service each Sunday if he really desires to do so. “Much has, been Said and written about the nation’s peril if the Lord’s Day is not honored. A ll this is true. The first day of the week, the day on which Christians remember the Lord’s resurrection from, the grave, is con tinually desecrated by the mass of people—and, sadly, among the num ber are many Christians. This should not be. “But with all the evidence of our nation’s having forgotten God, it is well for us to remember instances that show an honoring 'of His day. In at least one war production plant this year, the employees went to work aS usual on the Fourth of July—one of the most significant days in the na tional calendar—and this year that day was a Saturday. But Sunday, the fifth, was given as a holiday and the men were free for that extra Sunday. Perhaps very few appreciated this day, but some at least praised God for whatever had moved those in author ity to grant the Lord’s Day as one free from work, rather than the pre ceding holiday.” A Closing Word This is a time -for every child op God to take a firm stand for the Lord' [ Continued on Page 394J
How Shall the Day Be Used? “The question of a Christian’s work ing on Sunday has been troubling many of God’s children today when war production has made it necessary for plants to run continuously,” de clares a Christian who is at present a part of a great defense industry. “Without going into a discussion of the Christian’s privilege under grace, we recognize that what is expedient in a national and international emer gency suqh as we face now, might not be so during times of peace. 'There fore, on^’s consideration of such a problem as this must be on a differ-,, ent basis than, in ordinary times, and it is a matter for individual decision on the Christian’s part, as he prayer fully considers the problem. “ Though production has been or dered for seven days a week, most if not all of the industrial plants have sufficient relief men in their employ to enable each worker to have one day free in seven. It does not always fall on Sunday. But in each week there is one day free for spiritual and phys ical refreshment for those who desire it. Where the family can cooperate, this one day each week can be spent in feeding upon the Word, in rest of mind and body, and in a general re freshing, just as much as though the day came on Sunday, even if one can not attend the regularly appointed services at the house of God on that day. “ For a long time my reluctance to work on Sunday •shadowed that day. It did not seem like Sunday at all, and I found myself showing rebellion of spirit that made the day a burden. Then I realized that it was possible to go to the job, fresh from an at- ■ mosphere of prayer and trust that surrounded one with a special sense of His presence and that made the day, in very truth, 'a holy day, even though it was spent amid the clamor of machinery and the oaths of men who have no respect for the Lord’s Day or for Him. But this sense of communion with the Lord and of par-
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