Covenanter Witness Vol. 53 - Rparchives.org

gers"midnight."study."well."Lesson Helps for the Week of January 16, 1955C. Y. P. U. TOPICFor January 16, 1955SHOULD CHRISTIAN YOUNGPEOPLE STUDY ON SABBATH?Exodus 20:8; Jeremiah 17:19-27Psalms122:1-3, page 3165:1, 3, 5, page 839:1-5, page 9961:1, 2, 4, page 151118:14-17, page 285References: Psalms 122:1; Isaiah 58:19,20; Matthew 12:8; Mark 1:21; 3:4;Luke 13:14-16; Acts 20:8; 1 Corinthians 16:1, 2; Revelation 1:10(Used by permission of InternationalChristian Endeavor)Comments by Remo I. Robb, D.D.Mid-year school examinations are dueabout now. Most colleges are based ontwo "semester" schedules. Many highschools use the same name for it, whileothers speak of two "terms" in the year.But no matter what it's called, it means"exams"duringthis week and next.They begin Monday morning. Everystudent wants to enter class with asmuch and as fresh "knowledge" as he cancram into his cranial capacities. So he"has to study on Sabbath" if he's to getthrough. Of course, this study question isnot limited to term examinations. It begins the first week of school in September and keeps up through finals in Mayor June, with possible recurrences duringthe sticky week-ends of summer school.So let's take a look at this problem ofthe Christian student and Sabbath study.The anchoring point is the Sabbath.The Bible teaches plainly that THESABBATH IS GOD'S DAY.Oh, there's a lot of wrangling aboutthat, even among Christians. Some saythat it is a part of the Old Testament butwas not restated for the New. But God'spromise to Noah about summer and winter, and day and night,in the New Testament either, yet everywas not restatedbody knows those things are still in operation and look for them regularly.And with as exacting regularity, theSabbath comes around every seventh dayof each week. It is in theat the beginningBible from the second chapter of Genesis(Gen. 2:1-3)where it is established as asanctified day, to the first chapter ofRevelation (Rev. 1:10), where, being"in the Spirit," John beheld his matchlessvision of his Victorious Lord. You cannever get away from the Scriptural truththat THE SABBATH IS GOD'S DAY.410All the excusesand haranguings ofsophists and skeptics are but selfish attempts to take what is God's and use itfor self. God's time is the first day out ofevery week "to be a holy Sabbath toHimself"not the morning, not thechurch hours, but the DAY.Look next at the Christian's obligationto God. The first obligation is LOVE andthe second is OBEDIENCE prompted bylove. God has commanded, "Rememberthe Sabbath day to keep it holy." Thegenuine Christian obeys God. Experienceis full of men who at a seemingly certainloss chose to obey God and keep God'sday holy, and were blessed by it. TheChristian's effort must be to provide asmuch rest and as little ordinary work asis humanlypossible. What provides restfor the most people should be accepted;what creates work should be avoided forone's self and for others. School studies.all will agree, are work (both ordinaryand ordinarily). Nobody has ever saidthere's rest in study, and if they did theteachers wouldn't like it.Hence, school lessons clearly are notin the Christian's obedience to God withrespect to the Sabbath."Oh," you exclaim, "you've been out ofschool too long. You certainly can't appreciate the full schedules we have tokeep. There isn't enough time forWell, I've been in school more years thanmost of you have been alive, and as forfull schedules you should see me tryingto set one evening agreeable to sevenpeople for a C.Y.P.U. Staff meeting.I know, too, the tendency to put offstudy when anything else can be done.So comes the week end. Friday night, aparty or a big date; home at 1:30 a.m.;sleep till noonj down-town in the afternoon, or maybe run a few errands formom; basketball Saturday night; "bur"gotta get in beforeand coffee;Sabbath afternoonother time." Whymorrow? But the morningstudy? "There's nonot get up early toprogram isanswer mom on the third breakfast call,gulp a glass of fruit juice and a piece oftoast, grab books and run, and turn intothe school hall just as the teacher's closing the door.This sort of a week-end programwrite your own variationsreally is aperfect demonstration of abject disorderliness.Anyone can see that. Yet it is repeated bycountless young people everyweek, and offered as a reason why Sabbath study is a "necessity."lovePaul wrote "Let all things be doneorder."decentlyand in The Christianorder is (1) God, (2) His Law, (3) Myorder, you'll find time for the study in theand obedience. If you will keep thatsix days granted you,full time.and give God HisSTUDY OVER THESE QUESTIONSAND DISCUSS THEM1. How do you deal with teachers whoassume that the Sabbath may be usedfor study?2. Set up a suitable week-end order thatwill include study time on Saturday.3. Is preparing for a young people's topicdifferent from studying a school lesson? How?4. Relate an experience of Sabbath keepingwherein you were definitelyblessed.JUNIOR TOPICJanuary 16, 1955by Mrs. Philip W. MartinA MAN CARRIED TO JESUSScripture: Mark 2:1-12Memory Verse: "When Jesus saw theirfaith, he said unto the sick of thethee."palsy, Son, thy sins be forgivenMark 2:5PsalmsJanuary Memory Psalm 18:12, 13, 16,page 37Psalm 103:1-4, page 246Psalm 32:1, 2, 5, 6, page 74Sing other psalms that your societyhas been learning.As we study these lessons from thelife of Christ we will find many proofsthat Jesus is God. Jesus could do thingsthat no mere man can do. We call thesethings "miracles." He raised .people fromthe dead. Perhaps you could tell some ofthe miracles of healing. Perhaps we thinkthat a doctor can do miracles. The Lordhas truly given doctors much knowledgeabout these bodies of ours and He is stillshowing them more and more ways totreat sick people. But the best definitionof a doctor I have ever heard is a littleboy's definition. "The doctor is the onewho collects the fees after God makesyouFor today's lesson wethese miracles of healing.have one ofJesus was in a house in Capernaum.Someone told that He was there and itwasn'tlong before the house was filledwith all kinds of people. Some were therebecause they really wanted His help.Some were there just out of curiosity andsome were there to see if they couldn'tmake out that Jesus was not God but avery sinful man. This last group, thescribes and Pharisees thought they weresuch good people but their hearts werenot right with God.COVENANTER WITNESS