July 1928
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July 15, 1928 Getting a Thrill out of Christian Liv ing." Phil. 3 :1-16.
her, “We have all reason to be deeply grateful to your husband for his books.” The reply was a beautiful tribute from a wife to her husband: “I have seen every one of those books lived.” There is a fable of an old lantern in a shed’, which, began to boast it had heard its master say he didn’t know what he would ever do without it. But the little candle within spoke up and said: “Yes, you’d be a great comfort if it wasn’t for me! You are nothing; I’m the one that gives the light.” We are nothing, but Christ is everything, and what we want is to keep in communion with Him and let Christ dwell ip Us richly and shine forth through us.—D. L. Moody. Some people think black is the color of heaven, and that the more they can make their faces look like midnight the more evidence they have of grace. But God, who made the sun and flowers, never sent me to proclaim to you such a lie as that. We are told to “rejoice in the Lord always.jg-H. W. Beecher. One of Haydn’s friends asked how it happened that his church music was al most always of an animating, cheerful, and even festive quality. The great com poser replied: “I cannot make it other wise. I write according to the thoughts I feel. When I think upon God my heart is so full of joy that notes dance and leap, as if were, from my pen, and since God has given me a cheerful heart, it will be easily forgiven me that I serve Him with a cheerful spirit.” There was a reunion of a Yale college class thirty years after graduation. One member had never met with the class in all that time, and when a dignified gray haired man entered the room, the others looked at him with no light of recogni tion in their faces. He smiled, and turn ing to the door, beckoned to his son, a young man of twenty. As,the son entered the room the others sprang to their feet and shouted the father’s name. The boy reproduced the father. Christians not only teach God’s revelation, but are a revelation of God. Christ is seen in them. —-E. S. Lewis. A native in India once came to,a mis sion to be baptized. The missionary in quired where he had heard the Gospel preached and how he had come to that knowledge and desire. The ■man replied: “I have not heard the Gospel preached, but I have lived near a man who lived it.” “What must I do to be saved?” would be more frfequently asked if the Gospel was more generally lived.—S. S. Times. July 22, 1928 Keeping Fit — Physically, Me n t a l l y , Spiritually. 1 Tim, 4 :8; 2 Tim. 1:7; 3 John 2. My body is a temple, To God it does belong;
T houghts on the T opic Keeping Fit—Physically (1 Tim. 4:8). A well-founded life is one which develops along three lines upon which we are to center our thoughts this evening. In the first place, it is all-important for the Christian to realize that his body belongs to God and that it is the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 6:19, 20). Paul, in his letter ‘ to Timothy, recognizes fhat bodily exercise is of little advantage as compared to godliness. The apostle does not mean to say that bodily exercise is in itself improper, but refers to it solely as a means of religion; as supposed to pro mote holiness of heart and life (cf. 1 Cor. 9:25-27 and Col. 2:23). Mentally (2 Tim. 1:7). The mind of the Christian also must be kept pure and clear for God’s use. A sound mind is God’s gift. Let us not abuse it with un holy thoughts which,'will in turn lead to unholy acts. The Greek word for mind as used in, this passage denotes one of sober mind; a man of prudence and dis cretion. The state here referred to is that in which the) mind is well balanced, and under right influences; in which it sees things in their just proportions and relations; in which it is not feverish and excited, but when everything is. in its proper place. Spiritually (3 -John-2). Last but not least, we are to keep fit spiritually. The soul prospers' and grows strong and healthy only as we feed it with the Word of Life and' exercise it in prayer (see Psalm 1). •—o— - C hoice N uggets ' You know how your sewing machine acts when there is too much tension. The thread breaks and gives you much trouble. Therefore, learn-to live with less tension of thought. Learn to relax and let go. Learn to speak in a low and kind tone of voice. Let the truth come to you. A great many people who are seeking,health, s,eek it as if it were some thing that could be bought. The king dom of health is within you. A great many people fail to get health because, although they seek health, they are ig norant of all the ways that lead to health. The habit of viewing things cheerfully, and of thinking about life hopefully, may be made to grow up in us like any other habit.—Samuel Smiles. Health is a trust from God. A man who abuses a trust is greatly to be blamed. Can it ever be right for a man or woman, even in God’s service, constantly to vio late the laws of nature, as in over-eat ing, or by not taking enough time for sleep and in other ways? “Present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God,” said Paul. But a sacrifice in Old' Testament times had always to be “with out spot or blemish.” Of course when God cripples a man for purposes of dis cipline, as He did Jacob by the ford Jab- bok, in order to change his name to Israel and to transform him from being “a sup- planter” to “a prince with God,” that dis ciplined man should present his body, as God leaves it to him, wholeheartedly and with all the energy that remains. But nature’s laws are as much God’s laws as spiritual laws, and by neglect of them the Christian may shorten the period of ser vice in which God could use him. God does not want us “to burn the candle at both ends.”
When a bit of sunshine hits ye, And after passing of a cloud, When a fit of laughter gits ye An’ yer spine is feelin’ proud, Don’t fergit to up and fling it At a soul that’s feelin’ blue, For the minit that ye sling it It’s a boomerang to you.
—Capt. Jack Crawford.
T houghts on th e T opic A thrill! Anything for a thrill seems to be a characteristic of the age in which we are living. Especially do we notice it in the use of the airplane and automobile. Many for the sheer thrill -of performing stunts in the air have met death. True Christian living offers a far greater thrill than any of the thrills com monly sought by young people today. The thrill of Christian living is lasting and genuine, whereas the thrills of the world are passing and spurious. Read the ac counts of some of the Bible characters such as Abraham, Moses, David, Daniel, Paul, etc., and see if these men encoun tered' thrills in their lives (2 Cor. 11:22, 23). Then read the biographies of some of the leading missionaries such as Liv ingstone, Moffat, Brainerd, etc. Our Scripture ijesson taken from the book of Philippians gives the words of Paul, who had passed through great hard ships and was in prison at the time these words of encouragement were written. He exhorts the believers at Philippi to ■“rejoice in the Lord always.” This joy comes from vital union with Christ, who, just before His death, said, “These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you and that your joy might he full." On two other occasions He said: “But the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up unto everlasting life” (John 4:14). “Out of his innermost being shall flow rivers of water” (John 7 :38 R. V.). Have you ever led a soul to Christ? If not, you do not know what a thrill is. No greater thrill can come to a child’ of God than that which comes in leading a soul to Christ. “He that winneth souls is wise.” “And they that ' be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they- that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.” • ■; — 0 —. C hoice N uggets This quotation is credited to Anna F. Burnham: “Some one spoke slightingly to his pastor of a newcomer in the church as an ‘everyday sort of Christian,’ mean ing an average or commonplace Christian. But the shrewd old minister caught up the word with enthusiasm. ‘An every-day sort of Christian, is he? Is he that? I wish I had known it when I gave him the right hand of fellowship. I would have given him both hand's. My greatest trouble is with the every-other-day sort of Christian.’ ” Many years ago, when Dr. Meyer was addressing a conference in the Dome, Brighton, he spied among the audience Dr. and Mrs. Handley Moule. The former was detained in conversation at the close of the meeting, and Dr. Meyer, as he walked out with Mrs. Moule, remarked to '
He bids me keep it for His use, He wants it pure and strong. Whatever harms my body I will not use at all; Tobacco is one harmful thing, Another, alcohol.
Into my mouth they shall not go, , When tempted I will answer, “No,” And every day I’ll watch and pray, “Lord', keep me pure and strong alway.”
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