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February, 1936
NOTES on Christian Endeavor B y M a r y G . G o o d n e r
the melody out of the very heavens. The great heavy mass, and the man who has molded it, have to wait on the eager, searching spirit of the tone-master, and as the workman works the fine harmonies in to the metal, even so we . . . can work the fine harmonies of the Lord’s Day into the toils and avocations o f each week day. S#rT-HALLOCK. '
Lord’s Day, observed in accordance with His will, assuredly will serve man’s best interests.
MARCH 1, 1936 HOW SHOULD SUNDAY SERVE MAN ? E xodus 20:8; M atthew 12:1-8 Meditation on the Lesson
Helps for the Leader I. T h e L ord ’ s O w n D ay
The Sabbath is one o f God’s earliest in stitutions. “God . . . rested on the seventh day” (Gen. 2:2 ), thus constituting it a Sabbath day, as “ sabbath” means “cessa tion” or “rest.” No other mention of the rest day is recorded, however, until the story of the Exodus. Then God wrote the instruction concerning the Sabbath into the Ten Commandments and subsequently de clared the Sabbath day to be a sign be tween Himself and Israel and a constant reminder o f their separation to God. In Exodus 31:12-16 we read: “And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Speak thou also unto the children of Israel, saying, Verily my sabbaths ye shall keep: for it is a sign between me and you throughout your gen erations ; that ye may know that I am the Lord that doth sanctify you . . . Where fore the children of Israel shall keep the sabbath, to observe the sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual cov enant.” When Christ came, however, He found the Sabbath day so incrusted with tradi tions that He did startling things on that day in order to teach the true meaning o f the day. In our passage in Matthew, we have His challenging declaration: “The Son o f man is Lord even o f the sabbath day.” In Mark’s account of this same inci dent, Christ brings out this truth: “ The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath.” In our Christian dispensation, we have the first day of the week instead o f the seventh as our day to be held sacred to the Lord. It commemorates Christ’s resur rection from the dead. The Jewish Sab bath was a memorial of God’s finished work in creation. Our Sunday or “first day” commemorates Christ’s finished work in redemption. Some people object to the church’s change of day, but we have the example o f the apostles. They met on the first day to worship. Christ had appeared to them at their gathering together on the resurrection day (Lk. 24:1; cf. vs. 13 and 33-36; John 20:1, 19). The disciples knew that “old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” This glo rious “first day” was from thenceforward to be the Lord’s Day. Paul in writing to the Corinthian Christians urged them: “Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store,” thus show ing that Christian stewardship had a spe cial relation to that day. I f Christians would observe Sunday as a day of worship and rest, and would use it wholly for God, they would praise God that He provided these refreshment periods so necessary for our physical as well as our spiritual na tures. Let us always remember that any thing that God requires of His children is intended for their own true welfare. The
A little princess’ recovery from a dan gerous illness was the occasion o f the king’s setting apart a special day of quiet thanksgiving, during which none of the peasants were to stir from their homes. Slipping unobserved from the castle with a basket under her arm, the little princess went among the peasants, distributing her gifts among the needy. A strange guard halted her, and in a gruff voice said, “Don’t you know this is the special thanksgiving day, when no one is allowed on the streets ?” She turned in childish glee, exclaiming, “Yes, but I am the princess, and this is my day .”—Sunday School Chronicle. II. P reventing B lindness A man passing some mines in Pennsyl vania asked a little boy why the field was so full of mules. “The mules are worked in the mines through the week,” replied the boy, “and they are brought up into the light on Sunday to keep them from going blind.” ' Sunday answers the same purpose with men. A blind, dead, tired body and a blind, dead, starved soul are the results of Sundays ill spent.— H allock . III. S tandards in P ublic L ife William Jennings Bryan was one of our public men who, in his world-wide travels, had made himself known as a Sabbath keeping man. He once declined a dinner to be given in his honor on the Lord’s Day, saying, “I am sorry, but it’s Sunday and I go to church. Won’t you go with me?” Such a man does much to raise the Chris tian standard wherever he goes. — S elected . IV. T h e S abbath , th e T un in g D ay There is a fine, picture, says the Gospel Messenger, called “The Tuning o f the Bell.” The workman stands with his ham mer, waiting for some one with a musical instrument, who is looking upward as he touches the strings, as if he would bring At Rest
MARCH 8, 1936 W H Y BE RELIGIOUS A N YW A Y ? A cts 17:23-28 Meditation on the Lesson
This is a remarkable passage and serves as a model to preachers and other gospel workers who deal with those o f different faiths. It is always well not to antagonize the individual whom we would win to Christ. Paul, always the courteous gentle man, addressed his hearers in the usual w ay: “ Ye men o f Athens . . . ” Although we read in verse 16 of this chapter that Paul’s “ spirit was stirred in him” at the idolatry in the city, nevertheless he does not excoriate his listeners. He approaches them with admirable tact, stating: “In all things I perceive that ye are very reli gious” (R. V .), and thus he touches their hearts immediately. , While Paul attempts-not to antagonize, he does not compromise. He unfolds the truth concerning God, showing Him as a Person, the Creator, the_ Preserver, who “giveth to all life, and breath, and all things.” He teaches that, by God’s creative act, all nations of men are o f one blood. This truth would not be particularly pleas ing to his hearers, for the proud Greeks did not want to think that they had any thing in common with the barbarians. Next Paul sets forth God’s work as Pre server of every living soul: “For in him we live, and move, and have our being.” God is the source of all life, .and hence none of us, Christian or pagan, can live or move or continue existence apart from His almighty love and power. But Paul is laying a foundation for the great truth he wants to emphasize—that in Jesus Christ, mankind’s future Judge, God has revealed Himself as the God of righteousness. Paul does not mention our Lord’s name, but he speaks o f judgment “by that man whom he [God] hath or dained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.” The apostle desires to show these men of Athens that in the resurrection o f Jesus Christ, God has shown His interest in all men. Paul, this Hebrew o f the Hebrews, is saying that God cares not only for the Hebrews, but that “ he is not far from each one o f us” (v. 27, R. V .). “God is love” (1 John 4: 16), and He is “not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repent ance” (2 Pet. 3:9). This great thought of God’s nearness to His creatures and o f His concern for them was what the ignorant Athenians needed
By ELBERT L. McCREERY While waiting at His feet In meditation sweet, I heard my Master say: "M y plan is always best. The waiting time's the test; In making haste There’s always waste." And so contentedly I rest.
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