November, 1944
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He claimed to be. If He had been the impostor some make Him to be, He could not have qualified as Saviour, and you and .I would yet be in .our sins. 1 3a | j ' § Conclusion . - What, a blessing it is, to know that Jesus, is all He claimed to be and that we call trust Him as the great "I AM” ! ,, Fellow Christian Endeavorers, rely upon Him for everything. Feed upon Him, thé Bread of Life, and let the Light o f the world guide and direct you at all times. Surely He will lead step by step to our heavenly home. DECEMBER 10, 1944 THE “ I W IL L ’S” OF JESUS M atthew 16:18, 19; M ark 1 :17 ;' J ohn , 14:18 By Jack Green In the fourteenth chapter of Isaiah we read how Satan, with great con fidence in himself, said five times, “I will.” “Yet, thou shalt be 'brought down to hell,” declared the Lord. Not one of these ambitions of Satan has or ever will come to pass. How different are the “I will’s” of the Lord Jesus! Knowing that “all power... in heaven and in earth” was given unto Him, the Lord had absolute authority to utter that same phrase, “I will.” For Those Who have Topics I. CONCERNING THE CHURCH. “ I will build my church” (Matt. 16:18). Jesus Christ had been rejected as King—“We will not have this man to reign over us” (Lk. 19:14). For centuries, the wall between the Jew and the gentile had been invulner able. Now to have -the gentile world to come into the kingdom without coming under the law of Moses, to which the- Jews have been bound for ages, seemed unfair. Hence they re fused their King.; nevertheless Christ began to establish His church for any who would believe, and He committed unto them the message of reconcilia tion. II. CONCERNING THE KINGDOM. “ I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom” (Matt. 16: 19). I have always been so happy that the Lord saw fit to will to do this. He has given unto you and me the key to open the door of heaven, and to help people enter. There are many false teachings today which claim to unlock the way to glory,. but we know that it is only the Word of God that can win souls to the Saving grace of.our Saviour. Are you using the key that has been entrusted to you, or are you
IT’S AH IDEA The ideas for this month are for the society at Christmas time, and also at the end ot one year and the/beginning of another. • Idea 1. Have the s o c i e t y present to the community a living picture of the nativity scene on an outdoor-platform: The members of the society will take, the positions in' the picture of the shepherds, Jo seph, and .Mary around the manger. Idea 2. Have a Christmas project of goodwill. Choose some hospital or other insti tution in your comjnunity and arrange for a Christmas gift for each patient. • Idea 3. Have a watchnlght party which will culminate in a singspiration and devotional service during the last half hour of the old year. Proper arrangements with your local radio station might make it possible for this part- of the party to be broadcast. This would enable many listeners to hear how Christian young people Welcome the New Year. • Idea 4. At the last C. E. m e e t i n g of the old year have a s u m m a r y hour. Twelve members, one repre senting each month, could re port the w o r l d happenings for the months they stand for, and also list the society’s spir itual gains and new members for the same months. The “months” could carry banners or dress to represent the sea sons.—Carlton C. Buck.
Herman j. Baerg
her people áre dying for want of bread. But, how muQji moire they need the Bread of Life to give them eternal life and to sustáin them spiritually! In John 8:12, Jesus said, “I am the light of the world.” How foolish man is to-grope in darkness-when Jesus offers him light to shine on his path way, and to keep him from, falling into pitfalls! But Scripture gives us the answer as to why man has chosen darkness rather than: light—because his deeds are evil (ef. John -3:19). Even the Christian comes into dark places at times because he will not be guided by the Light of the world. How tragic that is, but what joy is his when he turns his back on the darkness and walks in the light given him in the Word of God! In John 8:58 is Jesus’ answer to the Jews as to His existence. No stronger affirmation of His pre-existence oc curs anywhere in the Scriptures. He had been accused of being a Samari tan, but this answer was not given merely to disprove the accusation. The ■ Jews realized what He meant by these words, and that is why they took up stones to cast at Him: It was blas phemy, to their way of thinking, be cause He as a man was making Him self equal with God. ( The Jews had learned, by the ex perience of following after other gods, that there is but one true and living God. “ Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is,one Loid” (Deut. 6:4) was in delibly written upon their hearts. Thus for any man to claim to be God, as Jesus did, was to them blasphemy in its highest form. The Jews did not understand Jesus’ teaching about His pre-existence because of their formal ism and willful opposition. Sad to say that many people today, and even some who profess to be Christians, deny the pre-existence of Christ. One-of two things is true: Either Jesus was the greatest impostor that ever lived, or else He was and .is what
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comparable to thé religious leaders of Christ’s day, concerning whom the Lord said: “ Ye shut up the kingdom of heaven a g a i n s t men” (Mato 23:13)? III. CONCERNING EVANGELISM. “ I will make you .. . fishers of men” (Mk. 1:17). Perhaps you are thinking that you never could be a fisherman. Consider the “I.” It was the Lord .who spoke that word, the imperative “will,’’ and the word “make.” Let us study to show Ourselves approved; then He will do the making. It is up to Him to use us; we can do nothing in our own power.
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