Covenanter Witness Vol. 86 - Rparchives.org

Today our scientists are studying the stars, Questions:the planets and moon in an attempt to findout what has been known by God since the 1. What characteristics of God arebeginning. Our Scripture says God placedthe sun in the heavens, setit in its orbit andcaused its heat to reach our earth. Of allrevealed in these verses:Mai. 3:6; I Kings 8:27; Ps. 147:5;Deut. 32:4; Ps. 100:5; Ps. 117:2?the heavenly bodies perhaps the sun is the 2. How is each characteristicmost essential and useful to our daily lives.It gives us light and heat as God planneditrevealed in nature? Unchangeable?Infinite? Wise? Just? Good? Truthful?should. The sun, its great light andstrength, declares the great goodness of ACTIVITIES:God to mankind. The glory of God is so During the last threegreat thatit is declared to all parts of the weeks we have been looking for the namesworld, to all people, regardless of the of animals, flowers, plants, and trees givenlanguage they use. God's marvelous works in the Bible. I wonder which of you was theand power are understood through their best explorer. Tonight our Scripture toldrevelation in nature by English, Italian,Chinese, French, etc. speaking peopleeverywhere. Psalm 97:6: "The heavensus God provides us with food so I thoughtwe would see what different foods arementioned in the Bible. Of course, we can'tdeclare His righteousness, and all peoplesee His glory."The second Scripture, Acts 14:17,tells us that the rains that fall and theseasons that come and go are witnesses tous of the goodness of God. Before theBible was written, the rain and the seasonswere evidence to the world of God's being.Today we have not only the evidence ofnature to witness to us of God's power butalso the Word of God. The Bible tells uswhat God has done and said. The heavensdo not give us rain, but God gives us rainfrom heaven. God not only gives us rainand causes the earth to provide us withfood but He also fills our hearts withgladness. We must thank God not only forour food but also for our gladness. If ourhearts are filled with food and gladness byGod, they ought also to be filled with loveof God and thankfulness to Him for Hisgifts of nature.Finally, God is revealed to us notonly through the visible (or clearly seen)works of creation but also through Hiseternal power and the Godhead. God sentHis Son, Jesus, into the world that wemight be saved and, when Jesus hadreturned to heaven, He sent the Holy Spiritto be with every believer. This is a gift ofGod and one we cannot get by ourselves.Our catechism tells us that God is a spiritand does not have a body as man does.God is also eternal and unchangeable. Heis great and great in power. He is good andmerciful. All of these characteristics ofGod are revealed to us through nature.God's gift of nature to His people providesus with valuable lessons, an appreciationof beauty, a sense of praise, a feeling ofmystery and the revelation of the glorv ofGod."Every good gift and every perfectgift is from above, and cometh down fromthe Father of lights, with whom is novariableness, neither shadow of turning"B(James 1:17).12expect to find many of the conveniencefoods or perhaps your favorite dessert. ButI thinkit will be interesting to see whatpeople in Bible times had for food. Let'sbegin by reading Numbers 11:5; Gen. 18:8;Gen. 32:13,14; Num. 11:32; I Sam 25:18;Prov. 25:25; Num. 6:3; Song of Sol. 2:5;Num. 13:23.Prayer MeetingTopicFor July 28,1971PITTSBURGH EASTNEW WORK FELLOWSHIPI John 1:3By Louis D. HutmireFellowship is a good word to describeour group. The word fellowship means,"act of sharing" (according to Webster).The type of service we have leads to asharing of God's Word.The Lord's Day service begins with apreaching service at 10:00 a.m. The Lordhas blessed us with leadership in the menthatfill our pulpit. These men are Rev. S.Bruce Willson, D.D., Rev. E. C. Copeland,D. D., Rev. S. E. Boyle, D. D., Rev. K. G.Smith, D. D., and guest ministers. Atprayer time, those attending are encouragedto make prayer requests andvarious ones are asked to pray for specificrequests.Following the preaching service theadults discuss the sermon and the youngpeople go to their classes. The adultdiscussion gives some a chance to askquestions, express their understanding ofthe subject, or just sit and listen to othersreason about what God has to tell us.Usually we break up into small groups sothat more people can enter into thediscussion. We just finished a series ofsermons on Romans. I didn't say "completeda study" as we were told we willnever complete a study in any book of theBible, least of all Romans.On the first Sabbath of each month,the fellowship is extended by having a"Brown Bag Lunch" together. This gives ustime for further informal fellowship. Wehave a chance to share each others joysand problems. This makes us betterqualified to pray for each other.Another important part of theFellowship is the Bible studies that arebeing carried on in various homes. Timeand subject are set by each group. It isthrough these groups that we have seen thebest results in outreach.Men of the Fellowship meet eachMonday morning for a prayer breakfast.This is another opportunity to shareblessings and needs with others andit addsstrength to the Lord's work.Socially we try to have a carry-indinner once a month. Recently the dinnerwas used as a time to introduce new peoplefrom some of the Bible studies to membersof the Fellowship.The last dinner was a farewell dinnerfor the Smith and Boyle families. TheSmiths are leaving in July to go to Irelandand the Boyles will be leaving in August forJapan. Sixty-one people attended thisdinner including a Japanese family by thename of Mori. They enjoyed meeting theBoyles as they are from Kobe and aregoing back there in July. They will be livingwithin a mile of the Boyle family. It isamazing to see how the Lord works.Items For Prayer:1. Give thanks for the first year ofthe Fellowship, for the growth seen in lives,and for the outreach seen. This can only bedone through God's help and blessing.2. We are in a transition periodnow. The families of Rev. K. G. Smith andRev. S. E. Boyle are leaving and thefamilies of Rev. D. R. Armstrong and R.W. Nickerson are arriving. Pray for thesefamilies as they go through the time ofmoving and adjustment to their new work.3. Misses Marjorie Horner and GailSpencer met with the Commission andwere received into the church. Pray thatthe Lord will continue to work in their livesand in the lives of others who are consideringjoining the church.4. Pray for the Mori family (parentsand 3 children), that the friendship begunhere may continue in Japan, and that theymay accept the Lord and become membersof the church in Japan.5. Pray for the Lord to direct uswhere He wants us. We are meeting at theSeminary now and are trusting in the Lordfor direction.PAID WITH BLOODBy Clyne W. BuxtonA policeman stepped in front of mycar and motioned me to halt. "The speedlimit on this boulevard is thirty miles perCOVENANTER WITNESS