Newport weekly independent., 1902-09-12

to gather all the church together. The Reunion.-"Audw when they were come," they gathered the church to gether." Paul and Barnabas didn's send back word they were coming, so that grand public reception could be arranged in their honor. They were not looking for personal glory, and did not plan dramatic entry, with popular applause and glowing speech of praise and welcome from the chair man of the meeting. No, they came quietly into Antioch with no blowing of trumpets, and the first thing the church knew of their return was when Paul called upon this member and Barnabas on that. If you want to make your Rally Day success get the re- turned teachers and members of the church out calling. Paul didn't wait to hear from the platform how the church was getting along. He knew that such public reports sounded well, but they were not altogether reliable. He wanted to learn the real condition of affairs, and he knew the surest way of doing it was to talk with the indi- vidual members. A pastor of church, superintendent of Sunday school, teacher of a class can secure more reliable information in regard to the conditions and needs of the church, | the school or the class, by little iu- dicious calling than by public re- port from every member of the church, the school or the class. I believe Paul had two reasons for gathering the church together. He wanted not only to make report as to his mis- sionary tour, but he wanted to make his report fit the needs of the church. The incidents he told were adapted | to the peculiar conditions in the church. He told of the opposition of the Jews at Antioch to show how 1 prejudice shut out the true light and 1 led to destruction. He told of the despised Gentiles receiving the Cos | pei so as to make the proud and vain- | glorious realize that God is no respect or of persons. He drew the picture of the lame man at Lystra with such vividness as to quicken the sight of all the members of the church to the suf- fering of those about them. He re- ferred to the first faint glimmering of | AoAOIl III ClAO IIIlIiA OI UHC pun towards God which went reaching up, up, up, until it brought down the bless ing of healing and sound feet, so as to encourage the weakest brother in the faith to understa Rd how the love and care of God reaches to the lowest and the weakest and the most unfortunate, riff there is the slenderest thread of faith down which the blessing can flow. He told how the popular ac- claim which would have made of Paul and Barnabas gods and done sacri- flee to them was soon turned to bitter est hate and violence, so as to show that the 'heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked"
 Paul told of the stoning he suffered, too, but not with superior ring in his voice, saying: "See how much more I have suffered for Christ's sake than you!" Not for the purpose of exciting sympathy for himself, but that he might again drive home to the hearts of his hearers that he who is not willing to take up his cross and fol- low Christ in suffering cannot be His disciple; that it is only as we suffer WILL SAI1SO CAdC WC CAA diSo AC1SA H with him.
 Paul "rehearsed all that God had done with them" Notice that Scrip ture does not say that they told all that they had done for the Lord. Paul and Barnabas take back seat and ex- alt their Lord. All that God had done with them is the burden of their re- port. If we were less occupied with ourselves and more completely lost in desire to glorify and honor God there would be more power and inspiration in the reports we make respecting the Lords work.
 Get busy telling what God has done with you and quit telling about what the big ego (self) has done for God. Let the Rally Day reports observe this vital condition, let everything that is done and said be performed with the purpose of fitting a peculiar need of the church and Sunday school. Let no one be glorifed and praised save God and His Christ and the most stimulat- ing reunion you have ever had in your church or Sunday school will be the result and you will be surprised at the impetus which will be given the work. Let the Home Coming be filled with the thought of what God is and what you can be for Him in His hands. Let the prayer not be ''Lord, see what I have accomplished for Thee while away" but:
 "Lord, speak to me, that may speak