Covenanter Witness Vol. 53 - Rparchives.org

The Green Oasisby One Who Was ThereFrom the curling whirlpools of dust, the stateof Iowa emerges as the heart of the corn belt. Iowain mid-July is a hot mass of immovable air seeminglycollected from a steaming witch's cauldron and castout upon the populace which must endure the curse.Millions of automobiles seem to be desperately racingto escape from the torrid heat into the climatic freedom of bordering states and in so doing are suggestive of man's futile attempt to escape the elements.Iowa is indeed a state such as any other including the necessary elements of boundaries and government. But Iowa is much more than this. It is thesearching look of anxiety on the roughened face ofthe farmer as he peers into the north hoping, prayingthat the small black cloud is no illusion and carriesin its wake the promise of revitalizing rain. It is theproud look of the farmer who watches the ever waving leaves of corn ripen into a hundredfold yield. Itis the desperate hope of the farm boy who dreamsof escaping the drudgery which has enslaved himand has left an indelible mark which can never beforgotten. To its inhabitants, Iowa is a huge prisonsurrounded by walls of the tallest corn in the counand yet it offers freedom and comfort to thosetryconfined. To the tourist, Iowa is a desert of incorrigible atmosphere which appears unaware of itsduty to harbor mortals. Thus, the state representsthe life blood of its native sons and the sting of thescorpion to its intruders.while we were yet us"sinners, Christ died for (Rom.5 :8) ; and that "by grace are ye saved through faith ;and that not of ourselves : it is the gift of God : notof works, lest any man should boast" (Eph. 2:8, 9).God had His eye on that Bible, and planned itso that it would get back to the person to whom itwas first given, to be used for his salvation."The Word of God is quick, and powerful, andsharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even tothe dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of thejoints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughtsand intents of the heart" (Heb. 4:12). Tract Clubof America.CURRENT EVENTS .... Cont'd from page 83SUEZ AGREEMENTAfter three years of negotiation, Great Britain and Egypthave drawn up an agreement which will restore the SuezCanal Zone to Egyptian control and remove British troops.Within twenty months, the 80,000 British troops in thezone will be replaced by civilian workers, and after sevenyears Egypt will take over entirely. Britain can send introops again, however, if any of the eight Arab states orTurkey is attacked. The Egyptians are jubilant over theagreement, which will free their country of British troopsfor the first time since 1882. They now expect large-scaleeconomic and military aid from Britain and the U. S.Despite grumbling from some old-line Cnservatives, PrimeMinister Churchill won a 10-1 vote of confidence on theissue in Britain's House of Commons.SIDE-6TEPPING THE QUESTIONTo Covenanters all over the world, however, theforboding state of Iowa represents the mountainsprings serving to satisfy the thirst for new fellowship with God and with one another. Every fouryears hundreds of pilgrim Covenanters return to replenish their canteens with the waters of life. Theirthirsting after righteousness has once again ledthem to the oasis of Grinnell.The town of Grinnell celebrated its centennialthis year. Its 100 years of progress has includedthree Covenanter conventions. As Grinnell celebratesits birthday, the members of the Reformed Presbyterian Church gives birth to a new Covenant withGod. On July 18', 1954, over 600 people renewed theirCovenant with God.The conference was one of illumination, education, and dedication. The speakers selected fromevery phase of the Covenanter Church enlightenedthe people concerning the Covenant, educated themas to the history of previous Covenants, and urgedthe signers to rededicate their lives to Christ's cause.Considering the accomplishment of these threephases, the conference was a tremendous success.The green hills of Pennsylvania are beckoningand the traveler is obliged to return; the wheatfields of Kansas are ripening for the harvest anddemand attention ; the coastline of California recallsits wayfarers and Iowa is once more returned to itslandlord. But the people are returning with theircanteens full and are willing to share the contents.88THE COVENANTER WITNESS