Covenanter Witness Vol. 86 - Rparchives.org

Flannelgraph: "The Baptism of Jesus" —Story-o-graph, "The Last Supper" —Thomas CompanyLEADER HELPS FOR UNIT(1) Provide or make in the first meeting a"Worship Notebook" to be kept by eachduring the unit. Include stickers, pictures,verses, questions and answers for eachlesson as child is able. Some of writing canbe assigned homework.(2) Catechism questions — 2 or 3 selectedquestions will be given each topic.(3) Memory verses — called "our worshipverse" — 1 or 2 each lesson.(4) Handwork will be suggested to keep innotebook.(5) Two memory Psalms used over thisunit of lessons.(6) Leader please adjust lessons andnotebook to age and ability of children.Keep in mind the goal of this unit: to instilla love and reverence for God, His worshipand church.Prayer MeetingTopicMarch 31, 1971Family Night SupperWMS TopicApril 1971Mrs. John Allison,North Hills, PittsburghSuggested Psalm: 34:1-6, page 79.Scripture passage: Psa. 37."Blessed are the meek; for they shallinherit the earth." (Matt. 5:5)In order for the Christian to embraceChrist's beatitudes, he must be aware ofthe essence of the requirement: in thiscase, meekness. What is meekness? Wecould begin by defining it as humilitytoward our fellow man, but this wouldhardly fully express the virtue. Meeknessmust be linked with lowliness. As Christwas lowly, so must we be. "Learn of me:for I am meek and lowly in heart" (Matt.11:29). Gentleness is also associated withmeekness. "To speak evil of no man, to beno brawlers, but gentle, shewing allmeekness unto all men" (Titus 3:2).Meekness consists of a pliant heart andwill. "The meek will He guide in judgment,and the meek will He teach His way" (Ps.25:9).MARCH °This command of Christ to meeknessderives deeper meaning from the twopreceding verses. Stone upon stoneChristian character is built as fruit of anorderly progression of God's grace insinful hearts. First there is poverty ofspirit; the realization of our unworthinessbefore God. Then, a sorrowing for that lostcondition. Meekness follows, a by-productof self-humiliation and self-relinquishingin relationship with God.If we are meek before God, we canremain so before other men. The Bibleoffers wonderful examples of meekness.Abram took the second-best land, allowingLot to choose first. He was blessed of God,materially, in spite of this seeminglyinadvantageous beginning. David, theLord's anointed, stood meekly before Saul,even in the face of physical harm. Then,the meekest of men, Jesus Christ, throughHis incarnation, exhibited a humilityunequaled among God's people.What are the fruits of meekness? Wecan exhibit the fruit of meekness, first ofall, Godward. Where this grace abides theemnity of the carnal mind is subdued.Martyn Lloyd-Jones says that theChristian is satisfied with his lot. He doesnot fret over the prosperity of the wicked(Ps. 37:1). He accepts God's chasteningswith a calm spirit and all patience, as didEli when he learned of God's judgment forhis failure to raise his sons correctly. (ISam. 3:18). A meek man is truly yielded tothe will of God.The second way in which meeknesswithin becomes evident is manward. Itcauses the believer to accept daily insultsand revilings. The meek Christian mayaccept instruction from the least of hisfellow believers. "Brethren, if a man beovertaken in a fault, ye which arespiritual, restore such a one in the spirit ofmeekness; considering thyself, lest thoualso be tempted" (Gal. 6:1).But meekness must never be confusedwith weakness. The meek in Christwill not compromise with evil, nor willthey yield their God-given rights. Moses,one of two called meek in Scriptures, wasrighteously outraged when he observed theIsraelites dancing before Aaron's goldencalf and he put the desecrators to thesword. Meekness properly forbids fromprivate revenge, but upholds a Christian'sright to defend God's honor.As with any virtue of God, promisesare not far behind the command. Themeek shall inherit the earth. First, Christgave this promise in a spiritual sense.Psalm 37:11 underlines the ways thatmeek men will see their inheritanceestablished. "(The meek) shall delightthemselves in an abundance of peace. Thissatisfaction comes from God. We havepeace in the face of the evildoer who increasesin wealth and we are content withthe portion we have obtained from God."Better is little with the fear of the Lord,than great treasure and troubletherewith" (Prov. 15:16).The promise covers a literal sense aswell. Psalm 37:3 claims that the righteousman will be fed. We have inherited theearth through Christ who regained theright to it for His elect. Paul said, "For allthings are yours; whether... .the world, orlife or death or things present or things tocome, all are yours" (I Cor. 3:21,22).The Beatitudes begin with "blessed"or happy. Surely, blessedness comes inaccepting Christ and through Him havingshare in the things of this world in whichwe are now and those things which are tocome.LODGE MEMBERSHIP DECREASINGThe Christian Cynosure forDecember 1970 states that in 1970 therewere 15,709 lodges in the United Stateswith a membership of 3,816,494, a decreaseof 47,802 over 1969. Statistics given show alarge decrease in each of the last six years.Every province in Canada showed adecrease; the total decrease according tothe latest figures available was 4,106.Caught With My Hands Full by WinnieChristensen. 141 pages. Harold ShawPublishers, Wheaton, Illinois 60187.Paperback, $1.25. Here is a book full of"down to earth" topics dealt with in an "upto heaven" way. Some of the ten chapterheadings are Opportunities in my Community,Needed: New Attitudes, TheChurch: Inactive or Effective? and theconcluding one, " .And My Neighbor asMyself." You will be glad to have read thisbook. Caught With My Mouth Open was anearlier book by the same author.M.W.D.The oak tree's boughs once touched theground,But every year they grewA little farther from the earthAnd nearer to the blue.So live that you each year may be,As time glides swiftly by,A little farther from the earthAnd nearer to the sky.— Unknown1Qr71 13