VOLUME 22 — DECEMBER - 1968 — ISSUE 12 Christian Friendship radon fas ues bein in lielthom of fda in Me dg of Heted the king bebeld, hee. came anise men fiom the caste fewsalom, claging Whew. ite thal is ein Hinge the fous? fore hace on is Mar tn lhe cast sand ate.come trwvotthje Mim. — When Ketcdl the hing haul head these. things, he wes teralled, bes: omy ty aged peed SA led he oe lhe ep gether, ema nhin Es ~ ean & = (and frankinctnse and Pesca Sa \ ° Aad hirguiatned of fed iradam thal thy eal at wlsen A flaed Uheapaied int thecean ceuntiyanillee sag Selle £08THE FRUIT OF GRACE BEVERLY HILLS, MICH. — “But thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion and gracious, longsuffering, and plenteous in merey and truth,” On November 17, we once again experienced a Joyous day with the Lord as Ann Topelak, a soul redeemed from sin testi- fied: “I was never happy in the material things of life, 1 wanted peace with God and to be forgiven of my sins. I prayed and cried and even at times had doubt in my heart, but I know ‘Jesus died for my sing and loves me too.” UNION CITY, PENNA. — Our hearts were filled to over- flowing on Novernber 24, 1968 when two more souls testified of the grace of God and were baptized into the death of Christ. ‘Many prayers were answered on that blessed day and we give thanks to God for i. mek Capela, son of Bro. Paul and Sis. Anna, testitied of his desire to become one of God's children. Chuck felt condemn: fd and lost. He knew he was a sinner after hearing the Word ‘and the Lord revealed to him what he should do since he was not right with his Maker. He found the Lord through much faith ‘and prayer. The Lord heard his prayer; his burden was lifted and peace was granted, Many times the Lard spoke to him while hhe was on his job and he could feel His very Presence as if He was right beside him. Some of the Jobs to which Chuck has been F Joyce Capela, wife of Chuck — daughter-in-law of Bro. Paul Sis. Anna, knew she was a sinner and wanted o repent but things in the world that kept her back. One night dream that it was the end of the world and she wasn't ‘meet her God. When she awoke she was so thankful it was only a dream. Often she felt terrible and couldn't Heer fear of dying became so intense that she was afraid ‘car. She could no longer go on bearing her burden bt Puls What More? Could any mother wish for more? I stand beside the New Year's Door ‘And Took out on a world so grand ‘And yet confused on every hand: wonder what the future holds For you, my child, as the scene unfolds, ‘And in my heart there is Just one prayer, “May God go with you everywhere.” ‘There are many things 1 could wish for you — ‘And some of them might even come true: But I won't build eastles that crumble and fall — For thet would never do at all And so, in my heart there's just one prayer, “May God go with you everywhere.” PAGE TWO PEACE, WONDERFUL PEACE “thank ‘Thee, who has richly given All that hath made me glad and free.” KITCHENER — “0 satisfy us early with thy merey: we may rejolee and be glad a our days.” Psalm 90: ‘The Lord has again given us great cause to glory in His name and truly we do rejoice with the angels in heaven over the repentence of one sinner. Confessing peace with God and ‘desiring to enter the fold of Jesus Christ is John Nenadov. BARBERTON — We are thankful that John Sehlsefli heard the Call of the Lord and answered by repenting. He knows “Good and upright is the Lord: therefore will He teach sinners in the way.” John, the son of Bro. John and Sis, Elizabeth Schlaefli of Washington, D. C., treasures the peace God gave him and desires to be baptized. Also we are thankful that Sue Reljin, daughter of Sis. Dorothy and the late Bro. Sam, was also an- nounced as having found peace with her Lord. Likewise we ex- perience joy with the angels over the acknowledgement of Karla Temosky having peace with God and man, She is the daughter of Bro. Karl and Sis. Neoml ROCHESTER — “Arise and shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee.” Dottie Toth, wife of Bro, Sam, was recently announced as having found peace with her Lord ‘and Saviour. We rejoice that the Lord still sheds His saving grace upon all who will call upon Him in true repentance and pray that many more will find peace with God while they yet have the opportunity. SOUND ADVICE How much better it is to get wisdom than gold! snd to set understanding rather to be chosen than silver! The high- way of the upright is to depart from evil: he that keepeth his way preserveth is soul. Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall. Better itis to be of an hhumble spirit with the lowly, than to vide the spoil with the proud, He that handleth a matter wisely shall find good: and whoso trusteth in the Lord, happy is he. . . The heart ‘of the wise teacheth his mouth, and addeth learning to his tips. Making The Most of Christmas ‘Christmas is at the door. On all sides we sce.men and women taking loving preparations. Yet tinsel and gifts, festive {ables and good will toward friends and neighbors do not make for genuine Christmas joy. How do we make the most of Christ ‘By centering our thoughts upon the Christ Child of Bethlehem, But we must see more than the Babe and the shepherds andthe wise men. This Babe is “the Word made flesh,” the only S00 of the eternal God. He came to save sinners. ‘Therefore, if we want to make the most of Christmas, we rust realize that we need a Saviour, who is to free tus from the sult of sin, cleanse oar conscience, and make us new creatures. By nature we are black in sin. Nothing we do can change this candition. We have need for Saviour! "To make the most of Christmas, we must belleve that in this Jesus we have a Saviour and come to Him, jist as we are. pleading for forsiveness and peace. “To make the most of Christmas, we must faithfully folow this Jesus! Nothing: must be of greaier Interest to us He must come first always, even now, a8 we make endless preparation for Christmas. Without Him these festive days are meaningless ‘Are we pulting Jesus into the center of our Christmas? CHRISTIAN FRIENDSHIP MESSENGER tat SOUR GUIDE...THE HOLY SPIRIT It is eaid many times the Christian religion is a religion of blood. There is another aspeet of Christianity, and it was given at Pentecost—a religion of fire. We have heard that we should not srieve the Spirit. Don’t put out the fire of God—the Holy Spirit of God. Quench not the Spirit of God. (Thess. 5:19) With God's help, we will dwell on this thought. ‘We must confess that every soul called to God is called by the Holy Spirit, There are two spirits. We please the Spirit of God or the spirit of Satan. There are just two regardless ‘of what men say? Through the Holy Spirit, the sinner is called. 1 is the Holy Spirit that brings them to’ the realization that they need Jesus Christ as their Lard, The Holy Spirit calls and bids you to come to Jesus Christ and change your ways, atti tudes, and minds toward Jesus Christ ‘The Holy Spirit came down as a fire from Heaven, It comes Into the hearts of those that have been redeemed through the blood of Jesus Christ. It eame down in a very clear and distinc! way — a rushing, mighty wind that came from Heaven anc came on those together in prayer waiting for the Sprit. Tt was after this experience that the church really beyan to operate — began to do things and grow and win souls for the Lord ‘All fires illuminate. We have enjoyed them at camp fire — its warmth and glow. Tt does something for us — it relaxes us. It is the Holy Spirit thot illuminates the Lord Jesus Christ in our lives. Is it any wonder Paul says "Don't quench the Holy Spirit ‘of God” — because of its effectiveness in our lives. For those ‘outside the Lord, itis their channel to come to salvation. Fire purifies. The Holy Spirit purifies us. Tt is good when the Holy Spirit purifies you and me and brings us in closer fellow. ship with Jesus Christ. Dear ones, it is also said that fire energizes. The Holy Spirit in its power and fullness gives us the power and energy to g0 on in this Ife. This is the most important thing when we talk {to souls about salvation, and they don't know whether they could overcome. We like to turn them to the Ward of God — Goo ‘through the power of the Holy Spirit has given us assurance that if we let Him work In us we will overcome, |A young man in Denver came to me a number of years ago He had a very tragie experience at work. He cut his thumb off and was in the hospital. That night T cancelled other plans and went to visit him, He had a lot of visitors — non-church people. ‘The Spirit said now is the time to witness. 1 spoke to this man about the Lord as the Lord gave me words. I knew I had to be firm about this. 1 spoke to him and left. 1 went back the next hight and repeated the same thing. After a few days, he came ‘out of the hospital and came to my home. He said the first night T visited him it didn't mean much, but the second night he suffered so much pain even though they gave him much medi cine. He had to think about God and the things T discussed with him, This boy had committed his life to the Lord that evening. He went on to tell me how things were going to work out for him — how he was going to epend the nights and the days. Mon- day night he will go with his friends: on Tuesday he will go to singing, Wednesday night he would go with his friends, et. [listened and said if he thought he could do it that way, go ‘ahead. He was like a lot of converts and was going to convert his family and friends. Three or four days later and there he was ‘again, Something had happened. He was broken up. He said it ‘doesn't work. “T talked to these people about the Lord and they Jaughed at me thinking it was a Joke. The places they went to T didn't feel right about going.” But 1 told him this is the way it is supposed to be. The Holy Spirit is leading and directing you. Don't quench the Spirit! If you will be open and pray to God DECEMBER — 1968 for guidance and His leading, you will find your course. Every: fone needs the Holy Spirit. Ths is the beginning of the work In the letter to the Ephesians, Paul sets the picture of something that would quench the Spirit. Bitterness is right on the top of the list. This will creep into the lives of Christians Paul says to remove all bitterness out of your lives and hearts —all anger. These things grieve the Holy Spirit and will quench the fire of the Holy Spirit in our lives. If we are seeking the fullness of the Holy Spirit and the fullness of life in Jesus Christ we must kindle this Holy Spirit and we must pray — praying that we recognize that we need more of the Holy Spirit and pray how inadequate we are. Dear ones, the more inadequate we fare and the more we recognize how Inadequate we are the more room the Holy Spirit has to workin our lives and we ean enjoy the fullness of the Holy Spirit. There are other things which will quench the fie, We must forgive one another and be tender heart- fed. The Spirit wants us to understand other people and bear and Jove one another. When we are not doing this, we are putting out ‘the fire, The fire then doesn't have the glow and gleam, We are ‘ot walking around with this glow — this joy and happiness, ‘There is a remedy to all this. This remedy is prayer. This remedy is to get back into The Book and search the Seripture to solve our problem. If we will call upon the Lard, He will guide and help us. This week we have come together from coast to coast to this camp meeting In West Virginia. May the Holy Spirit have preeminence in our circle this week and speak to those outside of Christ. May the Holy Spirit in us touch the hearts and have a free course that T as an individual would do nothing to quench this fire but put something on this fire that it may grow and warm the hearts of those who don't know the Lord, ‘We have the biggest responsibility — no matter how young or ‘ld, The Lora has empowered us with the Holy Spirit and wants las to grow and to shine that the fire of the Holy Spirit may be in us and about us in our conversations — the things we do and the things we say. May these be in the will of the Lord. It is ‘my prayer that none of us would be a hinderance to quench this Spirit but that every one of us would be mindful of the Lor ‘and what He has done for us and that there is someone around fas who needs Jesus Christ as their Lord. Andy Meng (Denver) ‘astern Camp 1968 Acts 2:14, Ephesians 4:9092 Sermon Excerpts “Our prayer should not be “sive” me grace to do this or that, all we must do Is pray for the submissiveness to use what He has already given! The only way the Lord can teach us is by the unction of the Holy Spirit. I's not wrong to approach the Lord with urgeney in emergency — that is a reason for prayer — but it is wrong to expect Him to drop everything and serve us right now, rather than in His own time. We must wait fon the Lord! Where is our faith? .. . Many times Tve said thanks to God hat He didn’t answer my prayer the way I want- fed of at the time I wanted it answered. God asks no more than ‘that we must allow Him His time and His way. Jesus doesn't want anyone of us to influence anyone to our viewpoint! We are to Influence them to the viewpoint of God in mind. Wait on the Lord in your need. His delay may be for someone else to get Involved so that many will reap the benefits of God. PAGE THREE