Magyar Egyház, 1957 (36. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
1957-05-01 / 5. szám
MAGYAR EGYHÁZ 11 ways?” But, my friends, “Christian faith rises above likes and dislikes. It doesn’t ask us to do only the things we like to do. Rather, it says, “This is the Lord’s work and it needs to be done,” and we use our hands to do it and love the doing because we love Him who gave His life for us.” We have time for so many other things! We can use our hands, and there are many Christians who do, for bowling, for playing games, for keeping a spare-time job. Is there no time for the work of the Lord, for Christian Service? “There are Christians who find the time to go to parties every week, letting their hands do nothing while their tongues do all the work. Other hands lie idle a countless number of hours while their owners watch TV. But there is no time for Christian Service! Look at your hands! Are they guilty? Those hands, for which Christ’s hands were nail-pierced, those hands do such things—and the work of the Kingdom waits”— lost, ignored, because His work requires a little sacrifice of self. Friends, we cannot serve two masters. We must serve either our own interests, or our Lord. And only in His service can we find true happiness. Let us use these precious hands of ours in Christian service! III. In our hands we hold the key to friendship! “Did you know that you could win a soul by your friendliness? Until you yourself are a stranger in some church perhaps you will not realize how important it is to be friendly.” All kinds of men, in all sorts of times, have sought and valued friends, for friendship is the golden thread that binds together the hearts of men. If we accept Jesus as our Friend, we ourselves assume the obligations of friendship. Next time you see a stranger in church, go over to him, clasp his hand warmly in your own, and with a light in your eyes that says you mean it, make him welcome in the warmth of Christian friendship. IV. With our hands we must faithfully pass on the torch—this wonderful Gospel of Salvation! Jesus gave us this command: “Go ye into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature!” How we have failed Him! In a world which needs Christ, we have dared to ignore our responsibility toward fulfilling this command! How can we refuse to share the glorious news of our salvation through Jesus with the rest of the world! “Young people have the opportunity of passing on the torch in a very special way — in giving their lives to Christian missions, preaching, teaching, evangelism, social service. Parents, have you talked with your children about this? This should be the very first consideration on your list for their future career. Have you prayed with them about this? Do you know of one good reason why they could not, or should not serve Christ as a minister, missionary, doctor, nurse, or teacher? If not, then God is still calling them, through you, to pass on this blazing torch in a special way—to give Light to those who sit in darkness. A few years ago, General MacArthur pleaded from Japan that we send him 1,000 missionaries immediately. “We cannot build the superstructure here unless the foundation be Christian,” he said. But we still have not sent the 1,000. Have you used your hands to pass on the torch to one person today?” V. Our hands have the power of reverently holding the open Bible! “Do your children ever see you reading the Bible? —not just at the table after meals, but during the day or evening, because you love to read it? How can you teach your children that the Bible is our “rule for faith and practice,” and then read such an important Book only at stated times and as a matter of habit or duty?” There is not a day goes by that our hands do not hold the newspaper, the magazine, the novel. Is there a day that we do not hold in our two hands the open Bible? What joy we miss, if this is so—What comfort! For in the open Bible we find the answer to all of life’s problems. In the open Bible lies our strength and our hope for peace and eternal life. “Now look at your hands again. We have seen the weaknesses, we have seen the failures. Do we also see the power that lies in them? The glorious power to win the whole world for Christ? It all depends on our hands! Because of all that Christ has done for us, may our hands be consecrated to His service, powerfully folded in prayer, strong to hold the Bible daily.” “Lord, when I am weary with toiling, And burdensome seem Thy commands; If my load should lead to complaining, Lord, show me Thy Hands. Thy nail-pierced Hands, Thy Cross-tom Hands; My Saviour, show me Thy Hands. Oh God, dare I show Thee my hands?” (Mrs. Charles Krahe was the guest speaker at the 10th Anniversary of the Women’s Guild, Perth Amboy N.J. She spoke on the above theme at this special occassion, which is particularly appropriate now, when we remember Mothers.) A New Reformed Church Weekly . . . A new Reformed weekly paper with the title “Reformátusok Lapja” appeared in Hungary. The editor is István Szamosközi, who writes in a leading article that the service of God’s Word and evangelism is the special task of the new paper. The first number contains a greeting from Bishop Albert Bereczky and reports on the visit to Budapest on March 23 of Dr. Joseph Hromadka, professor of theology at Prague, and Bishop Imre Varga. The Press Department of the Reformed Convention has recently published 50,000 copies of a new catechism, 50,000 copies of the Hungarian Reformed church calendar and a Bible-reading plan. The monthly paper “Református Egyház” (The Reformed Church) will also appear again regularly after April 1. Its board of editors includes Professor Josef Bodonhelyi of the Theological Seminary of Budapest and Professor Endre Toth, dean of the Theological Academy at Debrecen. The editor-in-chief is Janos Bottyán. E.P.S., Geneva
