Covenanter Witness Vol. 54 - Rparchives.org

you,"
Almost too soon, the meeting was over, but I
was overjoyed when Gil Dodds met with our team
and coached us on our running. It was a thrill for me
to get this chance to talk personally with the man
whom I admired so much. We talked about running
then we talked about Christ.
That Spring
I Became A Christian
night of 1950 in the Tokyo Stadium
was to be the turning point in my life. For it was
soon after talking to Gil Dodds that I decided to ac
cept Jesus Christ as my
personal Saviour.
And now my life seemed suddenly to take on a
kind of pattern. My early contact with Christianity
through my sister (although she herself has never
become a Christian) my interest in running my
meeting with Gil Dodds my salvation. They all
seemed to tie together in God's plan for my life. And
now I saw the great possibilities of an athlete in Ja
pan witnessing to the young people of Japan for
Christ, for Japanese youth greatly respect athletes. I
decided to devote my life to God through the medium
of athletics.
Since that time much has happened to me.
Through writing to Gil Dodds when he returned to
America and through my friendship with Mr. Robert
son, The Pocket Testament League representative in
Tokyo, I was encouraged to come to America to study
in a Christian college and learn to be an athletic
instructor. So it was, that in the fall of 1952, I found
myself at Wheaton College, Wheaton, Illinois, as a
student and a member of the track team coached by
Gil Dodds.
I received fine training at Wheaton both in
athletics and in the Word of God. Now I am anxious
soon to return to Japan and to begin to lead young
people to Jesus Christ. I know how many of the boys
and girls of Japan are being won over by the false
claims of materialism.
I believe it is all-important that Japan get the
Gospel now..And I would like to ask Christian friends
in America to pray for and support The Pocket Tes
tament League in their wonderful work of taking
God's Word to my people.
Steeple of North Church
The famed steeple of Old North Church, from which
Paul Revere hung his lantern, will be replaced within a
year from the time that it was toppled in last summer's
hurricane. Contributions amounting to $150,000 came in
from all over the nation, and even from England. The last
"over- the-top" contribution of $10,000 was given by the
Colgate-Palmolive Company.
Bingo Games
A bill amending the State constitution to permit bingo
games under the auspices of religious and charitable groups
has been defeated by the House in Delaware. Rejection of
the measure came after exceptional parliamentary man
euvering by legislators who wanted to defer a vote until a
public hearing could be held. Efforts to postpone action
were unsuccessful. Protestant groups have been bombard
ing legislators with anti-bingo telegrams and letters in
recent weeks.
A CHANCE FOR A HOME RUN
By Addison Hardie Leitch
Bogard makes out of Bible reading a kind of
baseball game. When we actually read the Bible we
are on first base. When we understand what we read
we have reached second base. When we understand
what the words of Scripture mean in our own life we
have reached third base. And when we put into prac
tice what the Bible teaches we have scored. Since the
point of the game is to push over the runs, the end
product in Bible reading is to put into practice what
we read. As Bogard points out, a great many Bible
readers never score. On the other hand there are
good people who try to score before they have run
the bases, so the score never really counts; in fact
they have not scored at all. So, everything in decency
and order. First we read, then we understand, then
we make it personal, then we apply it. What a pity to
"die on third"!
United Presbyterian
Gil Dodds says:
Cookie is not only one of the finest athletes,
but one of the most promising young Christians it
has ever been my privilege to coach. He is typical of
hundreds of young Japanese who are being won for
Christ through the marvelous ministry of the Pock
et Testament League. I praise the Lord for PTL
and urge you to give this soul-saving ministry your
wholehearted support.
GIL DODDS Phil. 4:13
Send your gifts for the work of PTL to:
Mr. Alfred A. Kunz, Executive Director
The Pocket Testament League, Inc.
156 Fifth Avenue, New York 10, N. Y.
GLIMPSES from page 290
27. In the past 25 years the congregation has contributed
$2,754,000 toward the missionary
taking
enterprise and is now
care of the personal support of 365 full-time mis
sionaries on 40 different fields of the world.
298
A PRAYER FOR PEACE
Dear Lord, the world has known so many wars,
It bears such bitter, deep and lasting scars,
Reach out Thy hand, O maker of us all :
Bend down Thy listening ear and hear our call
In this, and every other threatening hour.
Only Thy might, dear Lord, only Thy power
Can change the hearts of men can bid them cease
Their avarice and greed
and bring us peace.
Lord of the nations, let no nation reign
To crush another. Free us from all the stain
Of blood and slaughter let us not forget
The loving kind example Thou hast set.
God help us lift the Golden Rule so high
That its bright words will flame against the sky :
"Do unto others as ye would that they do unto
And then will come the day
The crushed will rise, the bound will find release,
And we shall know the blessedness of peace.
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COVENANTER WITNESS