DEVOTIONAL COLUMN

Manawatu Standard, Volume L, Issue 110, 5 April 1930, Page 12

DEVOTIONAL COLUMN

PRAYER. Thou knowest, 0 Lord, the fickleness and frailty of our hearts I Wo pray thee make us sensitive to all that would wean us away from thee, or cool our love. Whilst in the world may we not be of it I And may it be evident that thou art our chief love, and heaven the bourne of our hope 1 THE PATH: ,’Tis always better on before, The path it shineth more and more TJnto the perfect day: To-day must ever brighter be ' Than any yesterday to me, Along the radiant way. We live to-day in God-given joy, In peace that knoweth no alloy, In power, in victory; And our to-morrows, should He stay, Can be much brighter than to-day, For He will nearer be. The light of heaven is on this road, Above, beneath, around is. God, And Home is gleaming bright. It may be that to-day He’ll say, “Rise up, my child, and come away, And change thy faith to sight.” PRAYING FOR THE MINISTER. Cease not to cry unto Jehovah our Gc>d for us.—A person called on his minister to tell him he could not enjoy his preaching as much as he once did. “Well, my brother,” said the minister, “before you tell me what you have to find fault with in me let us pray together; will you kneel down and pray for, me?” They knelt down and prayed/ and when they arose, the minister said: “Now, my brother, sit down and tell me what fault you have to -find.” The man said, “Pm ashamed of myself. I have no fault to find at all.” “Why, how is that, my brother?” “Why, sir, since you have asked me to pray for you I cannot find fault with you; I believe now, sir, the fault is in myself; I never prayed for you before, but now I will.” A MISSIONARY GOSPEL. The first message at the birth of Christ was a missionary message.— Luke ii, 10. The first prayer Christ taught men was a missionary prayer.—Matt, vi, 10. The first disciple, St. Andrew, was the first missionary.—John i, 41. The first message of the risen Lord was a missionary message.—John xx, 17. The first command of the risen Lord to His • disciples was a missionary command.—John xx, 21. : The -first apostolic sermon was a missionary sermon.—Acts ii, 17-89. , Christ’s great reason for Christian 'love was a missionary reason.:—John xiii, 35. Christ’s great .reason for unity was a missionary reason.—John xxii, 21. The first coming of Christ was a mis-

gionary work.—Luko iv,>lß-21. The second coming of Christ is to bo hastened by, missionary work..—Matt, xxiv, 14. Our Saviour’s last wish on: earth was a missionary wish.—Matt, xxviii, 19. —lnland Africa.. * SPREAD THE I LIGHT 1 • “Spread the Light 1 Spread the Light! Till earth’s remotest bounds have heard The glory of the Living Word; Till.those that see not have their sight; Till all the fringes of the night Are lifted, and the long-closed doorsAre wide forever to the Light. Spread—the—Light! O them shall dawn the. golden days, To which true hearts are pressing; When earth’s discordant strains shall blend The one true God confessing; When Christly thought and Christly deed, '. Shall bind each heart and nation, In one Grand Brotherhood of Men, And one high consecration.” —'Bees in Amber. JESUS, THE WORLD’S MAGNATE. “Great multitudes followed Him, and Ho healed them all.” In-the four Gospels that .statement is recorded at least thirty times.. That is the best proof wo can have that the people loved Jesus 1 Many and many a time, with tear-filled eyes, He looked upon that crowd of men and women, and children, that multitude of oppressed, sorrowing, sick, suffering humanity, and His heart went out to them in-all the fullness of His great pity, compassion and tender love I “He healed them .all!” we are told. Not one who came in humble faith went away disappointed! What a wonderful power the Master must have had, never to disappoint a human soul! No wonder they loved Him arid followed Him! _ His goodness was obvious; His teaching was wise and with authority; His personality was impressive and incredibly gracious! His words were like healing salve. But with one class He was' unpopular 1 These were the Pharisees, whom He called a “generation of vipers.” They hated Him because He was friendly with the common people. They plotted against Him because He dared to speak the truth. They planned His death because He exposed their shameful extortion, their cruelty, their vice, their hideous hypocrisy in tho name of religion. It fvas not the populace who put Jesus on the Cross. They loved Him and .would willingly have died for Him. It was the Pharisees who caused His crucifixion. So even in our day, the Pharisees still take council against Him, how they may destroy Him, and the hypocrites hate the gentle Saviour. But the ,common people love Him still. They follow Him in multitudes. Humbly they come to Him and He heals them. He knows every art which will assuage 6orrow, comfort grief, purge sin, and redeem humanity 1