Calendar:Jan. 16th to Feb. 18th.
DAILY BIBLE READING:…… Jan. 16th, 1 Thess. l; Jan. 31, 2 Tim. 2; Feb. 14, Heb. 8.
MEMORY WORK:……….Gospel of John-chapter 1.
MEMORY OUTLINES:Gospel of Luke, for Jan. & Feb.
GOOD READING:… .On the Gospel of John, by J. G. B!
Daily Bible Reading
With the beginning of this year we have a number of the smaller epistles for our daily reading. With these many of you are already quite familiar, able perhaps still to repeat them from memory. You might test your memory by seeing whether you can do so. Only six chapters in Ephesians, but how full they are! We do not think of it as a short epistle, for each sentence and word are so freighted with divine meaning that it demands our earnest attention and much quiet meditation to realize even a portion of the fulness that is spread before us. This is particularly true of Ephesians and Colossians, where the great truths of our place in Christ and of the glory of His Person shine out in such a wonderful way. The responsibilities too that flow from this are so great, and I hope we will all realize more than we have ever done that the power for the daily walk is from the same source as the grace which has saved us.
"As the truth is in Jesus," sets Him before us not merely as the example but as the embodiment of all that our life in the new creation is to be, which means, in the language of Philippians, "that we rejoice in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh." It is a great thing to see that a fruitful life is exactly the same as a fruitful tree. There must be the living link in the power of communion with our Lord. "Abide in Me, and I in you." So we need to take perhaps even more care than usual to see the character and bearing of our chapters, as we read them one by one. Philippians is especially attractive, setting forth for us, as it does, our blessed Lord Himself, and our experiences on the way as we learn of Him.
A dear brother writes, "It is happy to think that on the same day, throughout the country, young fellow-Christians are reading the same chapter; committing to memory corresponding portions, and enjoying largely the same spiritual food." I hope that this idea of "team work" will take a stronger hold upon us than ever, and serve as a kind of bond of union between us, although .separated by such distances.
Memory Work
I think it is time that we should begin to memorize In a systematic way some of the words of our blessed Lord Jesus, and no portion of the Gospels is more suited to this than the Gospel of John. Many of us are already familiar with the first ten or more verses, so there ought not to be much difficulty in covering the entire chapter during the month, provided we do a little at it each day.
Memory Outlines
The memory outlines of Matthew have been a great success for all who have accomplished the work. I will not say I am exactly disappointed that comparatively few have received the Notes on Matthew, though I could wish that there had been many more, but I am very anxious to enlist a great many in our work this year. We will take up the Gospel of Luke, as has already been said in our last number. January and February ought to be abundantly sufficient to enable us to complete this outline, and write it from memory, without very much trouble.
We already know the contents of some of the chapters. Who is there that could not tell us what the 15th chapter is about? And perhaps the 7th is almost as familiar, so I hope you will, in large numbers, encourage one another to carry through this work. You will never regret it, and what you learn in this way will be a nucleus around which you can gather many most helpful, profitable thoughts from this wonderful Gospel. It sets before us the Man Christ Jesus. There is a human tone running through the book. It is the appeal of Him who became a Man that He might appeal to man.
When you write me about some other matter, such as your Greek lessons, etc., I will be very glad to know that you have undertaken this outline work on Luke.
Good Reading
We are trying to combine our good reading with the Bible Class as outlined by Mr. Bloore in the Sunday School Visitor. In this way there will not be a heavy burden upon you in your reading, and at the same time it will contribute to the better understanding of the Bible Class lessons as we go on with them. A brother writes about the Visitor that he does not see why our periodicals cannot be made the best in the world. We are not exactly trying to compete with other magazines, but we certainly do want to have our little paper fit in with your needs, and there is perhaps nothing more important than that you should be thoroughly furnished for your Sunday School class work. So I hope that during the coming year we will have a large increase in the number of those who are following on with this part of our work, and that you will get very helpful results from it.
While speaking of Sunday School work I am very thankful indeed to know that so many of you have "graduated" from the class into the teacher's chair, and yet you will not misunderstand me when I say I hope you will always remain scholars, as well as teachers. That is the beauty about God's Truth. Of some it is said, "Ever learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth," but, thank God, for those who know our blessed Lord the second part of that sentence can be omitted, and that leaves us "ever learning" more and more of the fulness of Him who filleth all in all.
Correspondence
"I purposed writing to you for some time, but the press of daily duties has interfered. Now, however, that I have set apart time in my schedule for correspondence such procrastination should cease. It has been on my heart to thank you for the much needed "help and food" that I have been gleaning monthly, and especially from the Y. B. D. The daily schedule plan has worked out splendidly. The Missionary Department work in Foreign Field is also very interesting and valuable, enabling us to intelligently pray for the Lord's work abroad."
I continue to get very cheering and encouraging letters from different parts of the country. These often come in along with the Greek Testament Lessons, and relate a good deal to that branch of our work, but it certainly is a great stimulus to know that so many are taking notice of the monthly message to them in our Department.
Young Believers' Meetings
As I mentioned before, I have had the privilege of attending a number of these as I have traveled about recently. They have been most enjoyable, and indicate that the Lord is laying it on the hearts of a great many to make practical use of their privileges as Christians.
I attended the other night a very large meeting of this kind, which I think, in some respects, is almost ideal in the way it is conducted. The meeting is held in private houses, in various parts of the city consecutively, and a happy social character marks the whole time. But it is not an occasion for mere sociability. Indeed that element is kept pretty well in the background, and while we had, at the close, some refreshments, it was of such a modest and simple character that it did not obtrude in the least upon that which was the business of the evening. This is as it should be. It is very nice to pass some little refreshment around at the close, but if this is made the main object of the meeting we would soon lose the joy and the usefulness which is our chief object. The truth is, God's things are calculated to give us the keenest enjoyment and pleasure when we really take hold of them with zest. I was very glad to see how free they were with questions, and how eager they were to learn as to different ways of doing things. As I was present they took advantage of that to ask me all kinds of things as to what was before us, and I, on my part, was very glad to learn some things from them.
They have one plan, which is a very good one, of giving out pamphlets to different persons to be read and a little report to be made at the next meeting. In this way a great deal of familiarity can be gained with many of our best pamphlets. I suggested that instead of each one having a different book it might be well to let three or four give their outlines of the same so that we would look at it from different angles. I also suggested that a very good series would be Mr. Cutting's very helpful pamphlets, beginning with "Safety, Certainty and Enjoyment;" then, "The Old Nature and the New Birth;" then, "Never;" and "Forgiveness in its Three Aspects;" then, "Are you a Member and of what?" and, "Brotherly Care and Personal Trespass," and, "Caught up with the Bridegroom and Coming with the King." This series really gives us a splendid outline of what might be called elementary truth.
I am very glad to see a number of the young people talcing up Church Truth, and desiring to become cleared up on that. This is most important. I should be glad to hear from any of you as to what is needed to start a Young People's Meeting, and I might say, in advance, that all that is needed is a sober purpose of heart to get together to seek the Lord's help, and to look to Him in prayer about it. Almost any department of the work could be taken up. Bible study, in a systematic way, might well occupy a part of the time. I gave a little talk the other night on "3 H's,"-The Head, the Hands, and the Heart, and I think that these three will sum up for us what should mark our Young People's Meetings. The Head suggests the furnishing with Bible truth and study, the Hands, work for the Lord, methods, and so on, which can be discussed at the meeting, and the third is the most important of all-the Heart. This would include not only keeping our hearts with all diligence, but telling the desires of our heart in prayer. I hope that our Young People's Meetings will be marked by a good deal of quiet, reverent prayer for very definite objects. Don't let us be afraid of talking about special needs and asking in a very definite way that the Lord would grant these requests. I think one special field that is opened up for our prayers is the work in the foreign field. You know that the workers will come from our ranks, and therefore it is particularly becoming that we should be in prayer for those who have already gone abroad, and for others who are preparing for that. We can also add our prayers that the Lord will raise up still others to go forth with the glad tidings.