Covenanter Witness Vol. 54 - Rparchives.org

suppose,"
would."
water"
water."
water"
you,"
gift."
water."
water"
week."
water."
water."
and Foreign Bible Society and the American Bible
Society. The photograph shows Mr. V. M. Ekmekjian
accountant of the British agency, speaking at the
conference. Mr. Ekmekjian was led to Christ by
the Rev. A. W. Smith, now pastor of our Orlando
congregation, when Mr. Smith was serving as a
short-term teacher at the Academy, 1919-22. Vahan
Ekmekjian graduated in 1922, and since then he
has been employed by the British and Foreign Bible
Society operating in Egypt. Mr. Ekmekjian has a
splendid Christian testimony which he gives fear
lessly.
Dear Friends,
The Lord's Gracious Gift
By Rev. E. Clark Copeland
The following incident occured the other day
wjien Rev. Christou and I were on an evangelistic
tour of some villages. The village priest had just
ordered us to leave his "flock" alone, and informed
us that he had told his people to tear up our tracts,
and pointed to some scraps of paper on the ground
as evidence of their obedience. As we were leaving
the village, we stopped at a water fountain at the
edge of the village to get a drink and wash our
hands. Two little girls had just filled their jugs.
As we washed, I spoke to them. The elder was 12
years old, blond with long braids. Her companion
was about 7, shy, but pleasant. Both were Greeks.
Rev. Christou frequently augmented my Greek !
"What would we do without I asked.
"Die, I quickly replied the older.
"Hasn't God been good to us in providing all
we need for our life here" She shook her head in
agreement, and I continued. "Do you know the story
in the Gospel about the woman who came to the
well to get water and found Jesus sitting
there"
drink"
"Yes,"
she replied with a smile.
"What did she say when Jesus asked her for a
To our pleasant surprise she quoted verbatum
"How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink
of me, which am a woman of Samaria for the Jews
have no dealings with the Samaritans."
"And what did Jesus say to that "
She started to quote again, but got mixed up
and hesitated. I produced a Gospel of John, pointed
to the verse and she read, "If thou knewest the gift
of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to
drink; thou wouldst have asked of him and he
would have given thee living
"What is living I asked, and pointed
to verse 14.
She read, "Whosoever drinketh of the water
that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the
water that I shall give him shall be in him a well
of water springing up into everlasting
life."
"Would you like to have a drink of 'living
water' "
"Yes, I
"Where would you look for it, and how do you
think you would get it"
"I think if I am good I might . .
her.voice was
a bit uncertain and she left the sentence unfinish
ed.
Pointing again to verse 10 I had her read, "...
April 6, 1955
the GIFT of God . . . GIVE me to drink ... He would
have GIVEN thee living
"Now,"
I asked, "how would you get it"
Her eyes twinkled and her smile brightened as
she said, "It's a
"Who gives it"
"Jesus."
"So, if it is a gift, and Jesus gives it, how
would you get it"
She hesitated, so I started to quote, "Ask, and
ye shall receive. .
and she joined in. Again I asked,
"How would you get living
"I would ask for it," she answered confidently.
Handing her the Gospel, I said, "Here, take
this home and read the story to your mother, and
then you ask Jesus to give you living
"Thank she said heartily. They picked up
their jugs of water and started home.
"What are you going to do when you get
home"
I asked.
"I'm going to ask Jesus to give me living
Will you join us in prayer that she may indeed
know the joy of having in her a "well of water
life"
springing up into everlasting even though fa
natics may tear or burn her gospel
Your co-laborer in Christ,
Greetings From Cyprus
By Rev. Thomas M. Hutcheson.
"Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace
that is in Christ Jesus. And the things that thou
hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same
commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to
teach others also . . II Tim. 2:1,2,8.
"For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus
the Lord." II Cor. 4:5.
Pray that we will be channels through which
the Living Word may flow to those destitute of the
Bread and Water of Life in Cyprus.
The Word is still going out in Cyprus through
the schools and churches. Will it bear fruit The
Lord knows what the increase will be. Rev. Cope
land in a letter which I received a few days ago
said, "Rev. Christou and I had a very profitable
time in village visitation this This is one
field which has been somewhat neglected for a num
ber of years, because of lack of sufficient workers.
We give thanks to God that the school has been a
means of opening many village doors to our evangel
ists. Often our students give considerable support
to our evangelists in the informal discussions of the
Bible in the village Coffee Shops.
According to a recent report we are able to
state that 2% of those to whom we give the Word
through the schools and churches have accepted
Christ. This may seem like small dividends, but it
compares very favorably with the results obtained
in the much publicized Billy Graham meetings in
London. I have read that only 2% of all those who
attended those meetings in London accepted the
Lord.
We are not satisfied, however, to stop with 2%
when the Lord said in one of his parables that some
seed sown, "brought forth fruit, some an hundred
fold, some sixtyfold and some thirtyfold." Pray for
us that Pentecost will truly come to Cyprus that
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