Covenanter Witness Vol. 55 - Rparchives.org

out!"gan."view"am"BIBLE LESSONS FOR THE WEEK OF DECEMBER 4, 1955WitnessVOLUME LV, NO. 20 TOPEKA, KANSAS, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 1955"Where Everything Began"byEdwin Raymond Andersonall began, and become touched with that sweet wonI have just called upon a brother who has remotions . . .well, high time to look back to where it sake.cently been given the position as Superintendent ofa Rescue Mission. He was not in his office when Icalled, but was asked to wait. I spent the time bylooking about at "this-and-that," the books on theder of first-love. Some of us are so "advanced" thatwe actually are going backward where spiritual sensitivities are concerned; there is a traffic in unfelttruth, and of a solemn truth, that is dangerous driving! The Lord Jesus must forever be FIRST in allshelf, the pictures on the wall . . . and then my attention was struck by the picture directly above hisdesk.It was not exactly a picture, but one of thosecheap "2 for 5c" picture post-cards of street sceneswhich may be purchased in any five-and-dime store.This was a view of two streets, surrounding buildthings, all ranges, heating the heart as well as molding the mind. "Seek ye FIRST" and then the otherthings will fit into acceptable proportion.There is a certain value then in looking back;back to Calvary, to the dawn of that marvelous meeting with His Precious Person. This is in sympathyings, cars and people,all- that generally makes up with the Scriptures ; "Hearken to Me, ye that followsuch a setting; it was taken in a mid-western city.And in a certain section of the street-corners, a small"x"had been marked and circled.after righteousness, ye that seek the Lord : look untothe rock whence ye are hewn and to the hole of thepit whence ye were digged" (Isa. 51:1). Look backThe brother smiled when I asked about it. "Ina way that is the most precious thing in this office.It was on that corner, at the spot marked V that Imet my Saviour face to face, where He lifted mefrom the miry clay and set my feet upon the Solidthat we may better look up and follow Him in thepaths of righteousness, and find ourselves stirred ofthe Spirit to seek after those deeper treasures of theLord. To think what we were! to think what wemight still be! to think where we might ibe evenRock. Some thirty-five years ago now, a street corner now! . . . but praise His Name, the New Birth (John3) and the New Creation (2 Cor. 5:17) has radicallymeeting conducted by a local gospel group. . . hiseyes misted with remembrance. "Every morning asI come into this office, to take up the work which theLord gave me, I always look up at this view and recall how it all began. You see it serves to keep mehumble and gives the fresh view of Calvary. .changed the course from groan to glory. Lovers willoften ask each other, "Remember that first meetingwhen we saw each other for the very first time?"Well, is not the blessed Lord forever meant to be theLover of our souls ? and should not the love of ourWe all ought to treasure suchscenes,such remembrances, for one of the greatest of Christianneeds is that of the, "fresh view of Calvary," as ifhearts oft recall the blessedness of the cleansing ofCalvary ?It was thus with the apostle as he declares, "Butthe glory of salvation's dawn were but yesterday by the grace of God I am what I (I Cor. 15:10) ;for the spiritual thrill of the redeeming wonder. Thisis particularly true for those of us who have been athat journey on the Damascus road was never forgotten and became part of his missionary passion.long time on the Christian way. There is ever that Don't despise youras you journey"DanAascus"down"peculiar peril of "settling into the hum-drum along; put "heart's finger often upon it and sayroutine, and as one has rightly remarked, "when you softly with thanksgiving, "Here is where it all belose the 'thrill' watch When the thrill topples This will glorify His "so great salvation" andinto the tedious and the living Lord becomes matterof-fact,grant that "fresh which will enrich the life toand we find ourselvesonly going through the deeper worth and richer fruitfulness for His Name's