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Covenanter Witness Vol. 86 - Rparchives.org

Covenanter Witness Vol. 86 - Rparchives.org

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"I say not unto thee until seven times, butuntil seventy times seven." He said, "Loveyour enemies" and "Seek first the kingdomof God and his righteousness." The laws ofthe church are contained in the Scripturesof the Old and New Testaments and sopeople have great inducement for going upto the "mountain of the Lord, to the houseof the God of Jacob."6: The Character of the MessianicKingdom is Justice and Peace."He shall judge among the nations,and shall rebuke many people .... nationshall not lift up sword against nation,neither shall they learn war any more."This transformation is a continuingprocess, but will be completed some timein the future."Lesson based on International Sunday SchoolLessons: the International Bible Lessons forChristian Teaching, copyrighted 1967 by the DivisionJunior Topicfor June 13,1971UNIT: Missionary MindedTHE MESSAGE — MISSIONARIESOF THE REFORMATIONby Miss Martha HutchesonMemory Psalm: Psalm 67, verses 1,2,3.Memory Verse: John 3:16References: I Corinthians 15:1-4, Acts 1:8,Book, Heroes of the Faith.Review some of the missionariesdiscussed last week. What made themmissionaries? Who can be a missionary?Last week we said that a missionary isa person sent by God to tell the Gospel, asPaul said in I Cor. 1:17. Review. The"Gospel" means good news. The OldTestament missionaries told the good newsabout God their Savior. The NewTestament missionaries understood moreabout the "good news" because Jesusshowed them He was the Savior God hadsent. Our memory verse, John 3:16, tells usthis. Before Jesus left this earth Hepromised His disciples that they wouldreceive power to go and tell about Him.Acts 1:8.Paul, the greatest New Testamentmissionary, made it very clear that to besaved one must believe the good news thatJesus died for our sins, was buried and roseagain. I Cor. 15:1-4.It was exciting to see how Christ'spromise of Acts 1:8 began to work.Beginning at Jerusalem God sentmissionaries to tell the good news to allparts of the world. The early missionarieswere often just families who had to move.Everywhere they went they told theirneighbors and friends about Jesus. Some ofthe early missionaries went as far as India,Ethiopia and Spain. (Find on map anddiscuss difficulties of travel.)To make sure that His missionarieswould not f<strong>org</strong>et the good news, God sawto it that the Bible was completed and puttogether. The Bible holds the good news.A sad thing began to happen. Peoplef<strong>org</strong>ot about the Bible and the good news.Church people began to force others tobecome Christians by the sword. Most•church leaders taught that doing goodworks and belonging to church saved aperson instead of Jesus.The world needed the Bible so thatman could learn the good news again. SoGod raised up several missionaries:1. John Wyeliffe — 1320, England,"Morning Star of the Reformation", ascholarly Oxford educated priest. StudiedLatin Bible. Found that it contained thetrue words of God and the way ofof Christian Education, National Council of Churchesof Christ in the U.S.A."12salvation. Because of his Bible study, hewas called "The Gospel Doctor." A friendand he translated the whole Bible intoEnglish. They hired men to hand copy itand then sent men out to preach it. Godhad true missionaries again!! Aren't youglad we have the Bible in English today?2. Martin Luther — 1500, Germany.As a young scholar he discovered a wholeBible in his University Library. He wasamazed at all that it contained that he hadnever heard before. Later as a priest he wasappointed a university instructor. Hebegan to study and teach the Bible. Fromthe Bible he learned the good news ofsalvation in Christ. He was a changed man.He translated the Bible into Germanso the common people could understand it.The Bibles sold quickly. Luther was amissionary to the German people.3. John Calvin — France, 1509. Aftergraduating from law school, he experienceda sudden conversion where herealized that faith in Jesus Christ alonebrought salvation. He began to preach theBible right away. He helped a relativetranslate the Bible into French. He wasused by God to awaken people to theGospel in France, Switzerland, Scotlandand on to North America.God raised up many other men atthis time, like John Knox who preachedboldly in spite of riots and unrest that wasshaking England.Each of these men discovered theBible to be the word of God and werethrilled at the good news they found in it.They went to their own countries asmissionaries. Next week we will discoverhow God began to move people to go toother countries.Project: Complete small Bibles frommatch boxes. Have John 3:16 written onslip of paper. Place inside match boxes.Application: Children can practicetelling one another how one becomes aChristian — the good news — in their ownwords. For proof text use match box Biblewith John 3:16. Have you accepted thegood news? Have you let Jesus change yourheart? Give opportunity for discussion andresponse. God may give you the opportunityto lead a child into the Kingdom.Game: Learn missionaries of Cyprus,station and responsibilities. Review Japan.Jump-up Quiz.Use world globe, pointing outcountries and pictures of missionaries ofthe Reformation mentioned.Prayer MeetingTopicfor June 16,1971PRAYER FOR TAIWANDr. S. E. BoyleMatthew 28:18-20; Acts 16:1-40Psalms: 65:1-6, Page 155; 66:1-3,6,7, Page157; 110:1-3, Page 275; 22:9,12,14, Page 51.Reference ReadingIf the leader can secure these twobooks by <strong>Covenanter</strong> authors, havesomebody read a chapter or two and reportthe substance of the material to the prayermeeting. It will considerably helpdiscussion and prayer on this week's topic.Hoi Moon, by Miss Alice E. Robb, 1970,chapters I, II, pages 1-72.Looking Back From Sunset Land, 1898, byRev. N. R. Johnston, Chapter XLV,"Missionarry Work Among the Chinese inCalifornia," pages 446-460.Nothing would be a more suitableexpression of our church's centennialremembrance of our Covenant of 1871than the opening of a new missionary fieldin Taiwan, if the Lord continues to guidethe church to that goal.Section 5 of the Covenant of 1871:"Rejoicing that the enthroned Mediator isnot only King in Zion, but King over all theearth, and recognizing the obligation of Hiscommand to go into all the world andpreach the gospel to every creature, and toteach all nations, baptizing them in thename of the Father, of the Son, and of theHoly Ghost, and resting with faith in thepromise of His perpetual promise as thepledge of success, we hereby dedicateourselves to the great work of makingknown God's light and salvation among thenations, and to this end will labor that theChurch may be provided with an earnest,self-denying and able ministry. Profoundlyconscious of past remissness and neglect,we will henceforth, by our prayers,pecuniary contributions and personalexertions, seek the revival of pure andundefiled religion; the conversion of Jewsand Gentiles to Christ, that all men may beblessed in Him, and that all nations maycall Him blessed."COVENANTER WITNESS

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