PREPARE FULLY for L IFE ’S H IGHEST GOALS !
LOVING HIS APPEARING (cont'd) The New Testament presents the Christian life as one of controlled urgency — not a hectic beating of the air (I Cor. 9:26), but a Spirit-directed, disciplined effort to make every mo ment count for Christ. “ See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time, be cause the days are evil” (Eph. 5:15, 16). Since this is so, we need to be dili gent both in service and in the study of the prophetic Word. Yet even in our study of prophecy we must seek wisdom from God in order to strike the proper balance. Some Christians unfortunately think of the prophetic future as a glorified jig-saw puzzle in which they fit the pieces together for intellectual stimulation; for a “ patient w a i t i n g f o r Christ” (II Thess. 3:5) they substitute bickering about the details of prophecy. From what has been written in this field one would get the impression that some are more eagerly looking for Anti-christ than they are for Christ, that some are more desirous of prov ing themselves right and fellow Christians wrong than they are of be holding their Lord. Prophetic study must be life-affect ing or it is indeed lifeless. “ And every man that hath this hope in him puri- fieth himself, even as he is pure” (I John 3:3). Here, as in every area of the Word of God, the personal appro priation of the truth is the essential factor. It is a common failing so to magni fy side issues which are good and important in themselves as to obscure the really essential truth. The Scrip ture emphasizes the imminence of the coming of the Lord Jesus for His own. This is the “ blessed hope” (Titus 2:13) of the believer. If His coming were not imminent, what would be the meaning of the constant stress upon waiting, looking, expecting, watching? A true perspective in pro phetic study involves the centrality of the Person of Christ — “ the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy” (Rev. 19:10) and leads to the order ing of one’s life to please Him. This is not by any means a dispar agement of careful, earnest, inquiring study of the details of prophecy, but rather a plea for putting the essential in first place and the non-essential in a lesser place. The one who by the enabling work of the Holy Spirit is steadfastly looking for his Lord from heaven will thereby have a more penetrating insight into God’s pro phetic program and will interpret Scripture with humility and with love of the brethren. END.
A GOAL WITH SATISFY ING REWARDS Young people who want to be teachers have chosen a wonderful and satisfying goal. To teach the nation’s future leaders is a great privilege, but also a tremen dous responsibility. There is no one bet ter qualified to instill high moral and spiritual values in our youth than the Christian teacher. Westmont is fu lly accredited and offers academic training in the highest tradition to prepare teachers for tomorrow.
• Bible, Christian Education, • History, English • Biology, Psychology • Music, Sociol- ogy • Chemistry, Education, • N atu ral Science, Social Science.
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R oger J. V oskuyl , P h .D., President
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FEBRUARY, 1959
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