may not understand the language of its scholars, nor may we be inspired by the lives of all its members. But it is obvious that the Church is Christ’s, and through His Word He penetrates the hearts of men to be their Saviour and their Master. Yes, the Church has been the instru ment through which men are captured by Christ. You and I have seen lives transformed. We have seen lives which were without purpose changed by the touch of God’s hand to lives with pur pose and hope. It is my conviction that God uses the Church to bring about the miracle of the second birth, the creation of a new man from the old. It would be possible to cite many examples of those among my own cir cle of acquaintances, whose lives have undergone change under these circum stances. I am reminded of one Cauca sian missionary who, early in her life, allowed Christ to reign from within. God took away her temper and re placed it with patience — the patience necessary in dealing with the Japanese people of this area for the past half century. Despite trials and abnormal physical infirmity, she has labored faithfully for God, radiating the love of Christ which all people, regardless of race, can understand. Innumerable Japanese men and women have become Christians through the influence of this one individual. Again there comes to mind another person, a very cultured woman, who gave up her position in a Christian college, because she felt led to open her home to the housewives in her neighborhood for Bible study. Her in fluence for Christ upon her neighbors is inestimable, and she is another ex ample of one whose life has been cap tured by, and who, in turn, is being used of God to capture for Him the lives of others. Then there is the friend whose con fused heart was invaded one day by the love of God. He has recently un dergone some trying experiences, stres ses that would try the soul of the strongest man, but God has under
girded him with His strength. Finally, if I might be permitted to become personal, I would like to use myself as an example of one who came to know Christ as the result of the prayers of those who made up the Church of Christ. Although my par ents were Christians and Sunday school attendance was a part of my youth I did not take Christianity too seriously. I was fortunate in having a praying mother whose one desire was to see her son become a God-fearing man. He, however, was determined to shape a life fashioned in his own mold, and naturally it was a selfish life. But God works in mysterious ways. He deemed it necessary to take me to the very door of death; only then, He knew, would I allow Hun to begin molding my life. After undergoing a prolonged ill ness, and after many prayers had been uttered in my behalf by Christian friends and relatives, the time came when I finally accepted Christ. This was ten years ago. Since then I have been upheld by the prayers of God’s people and have enjoyed their fellow ship. I have made it a point to trust in the Lord and not in my own under standing. In this faith my paths have been directed by God. He has also giv en me the necessary strength to carry out my daily tasks. The point I wish to make here is that without the influence of the Church of Christ, I would prob ably not be here today. God saw fit to use me, and it is my determination to serve Him in whatever capacity He sees fit to utilize the few talents I possess. In conclusion, allow me to say that if the Church is to be the visible evi dence of Christ’s presence in the world today, it behooves each of us to unite our efforts to make the Church an ef fective body through which Christ can continue to work. As members of this spiritual body, it is not only the re sponsibility of the ministry, but also that of the laymen, to pray, and to work, to the end of spreading the gos pel to those who do not know Christ, both here and abroad. 26
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