Covenanter Witness Vol. 53 - Rparchives.org

cop."not"pray"for instruction in righteousness: that the man ofGod may be perfect, throughly furnished unto allgood works" (II Tim. 3:16, 17).How to Know Your BibleHere are some simple suggestions that the Biblegives as means of getting the Word of God in ourhearts. Regular "hearing" of the Word preached eachweek as you attend your church services. Take noteson helpful sermons, and above all note the referencesof scripture. You should also have a plan of systematic "reading" of the Bible. Use the Bible ReadingFolders or read a chapter a day ; but when you read,look for something ! Read and ponder that your verysoul might find food, and note the verse or versesthat are of special help. The Bible also says that weare to "study" the Word of God. There are hosts ofprepared studies that would be of help ; or you mayprefer to take a chapter and analyze it. But make ita time when you sit down with a pencil and paper,and study. Don't make the mistake of trying to takemore time than you can consistently continue; oryour Bible study time may become something youdo when you get the time . . . about once every sixmonths. Set a minimum time on a weekly basis, forexample, one hour a week you will spend in concentrated study. The most efficient way of getting theWord of God into our hearts is through "memorization."It is something that can be done in the idlemoments of the day, thus preventing one's takingvaluable time. Anyone can memorize, but few do.Don't feel that memorizing is for youngsters alone,for the scriptures show it to be a principle of theChristian life. You will be amazed at the dividendsthat it pays, for there are many. Begin to memorizetwo or three verses a week with the reference ; andand soon your grasp of the Word of God will beginto deepen. When circumstances arise that call for thevoice of God, you will be "prepared."The Place of Prayer in Soul- WinningMuch could also be said in regard to becomingprepared through prayer. But let it simply be saidthis way. If there are those whom you desire to seebecome Christians, begin to pray for them by name.Take some time daily to get alone with God, where,you can unburden your heart to Himuninterrupted,and intercede for others. Don't make the mistakeso concerned about "how to that youof beingstop praying. The more time we spend with someone,the easier it becomes to talk to him. So it is withprayer ! God says : "Call unto me, and I will answerthee, and show thee great and mighty things whichthou knowest (Jer. 33:3).There is a girl here in Pittsburgh who used towalk back and forth across the Smithfield StreetBridge over the Monongahela River, trying to summon enough nerve to jump in and put an end to herlife. One night about a year and a half ago, shethought she could do it; but as she arrived at thecenter of the bridge, a man spoke to her and said:"If you don't leave this bridge at once, I'll call aFrightened, she left the bridge and went backto her residence; but later that evening she metanother person. This one was a Christian who talkedto her about surrendering her life to the person ofJesus Christ. A few nights later, she did confessher sins and asked Christ to save her and give herlife eternal. Over the past year, her life has beenDecember 29, 1954beautifully transformed as she was helped to getestablished in a regular and systematic intake ofthe Word of God and shown the value of prayer. Afew weeks ago I met another girl who is now aChristian as a result of her life and witness. Andthis is only one of many whose lives have been influenced through her. This story shows that it is inGod's plan that those who become Christians becomea part of His plan in reaching the world. You canbecome a part of that plan too.Tither's CornerHERE IS HOPINGThat this will prove contageousWord has reached us from Olathe, Kansas, thattheir pastor and his wife had made a rather startlingannouncement to their congregation on November21, 1954. That he was resigning as pastor? No! Received a large inheritance? Wrong again! Electedpresident of the Rotary Club? You're all wrong!This is the way we heard it :"The Second Tithe""My wife and I, in appreciation of the signing ofthe Brief Covenant of 1954, and because of our lovefor the Covenanter Church and because we want tosee our Church at large raise the additional $5,000over the budget to send out a new missionary, aregiving at this Thanksgiving Season the "SecondTithe" of our 1954 salary, to be used for our localbudget and Synod's Budget.We do this to encourage the tithing program ofour Church.SignedMr. and Mrs. Frank L. Stewart."Any comment we might make on the above actionwould only tend to spoil it.If there are other news items like this, won'tsomebody please turn them in. We're willing to paythe postage. Don't crowd, but we will try to handlethem as they arrive.D.H.E.P.S. No need to wait until next Thanksgiving. TheNew Year will do.Glimpses from page 402church and state. A Bill of Rights Fund, recently organized todefend civil liberties in the United States is making a grant of$1,000 to the First Unitarian Church to Oppose the requirement of the loyalty oath. While we differ widely from thetheological tenets of the Unitarian Church we think their pointis well taken in this struggle. Many self-styled patriots seemto think that to impose a loyalty oath on religious and educational institutions will rid our land of subversive elements.Oaths mean nothing to Communists and that ilk.Demand Close of OrphanageThe Greek government has ordered the Evangelical orphanage at Katerini, in northern Greece, to close within amonth. The orphanage's executive committee is making aneffort to have the order rescinded. If we mistake not thisorphanage is in the parish of the Rev. Argos Zodhiates. Itcares for about fifty Greek Evangelical orphans and is theonly Protestant institution in that country providing forhomeless children.407