Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-09-24
CHRISTIAN ENDEAVOR HOUR
Conducted by Grace Livingston Hill.
For Sunday, September 25. 1904

Topic: Cheering Facts About Missions From
Japan and Korea Zachariah IA: 49, 90
3. Then shall the Lord go forth and fight
against those nations, as when he fought
in the day of battle.
4. And his feet shall stand in that day
upon the Mount of Olives, which is before
Jerusalem on the east, and the Mount of
Olives shall cieave in the midst thereof to-
ward the east and toward the west, and
there shall he very great valley; and half
of the mountain shall remove toward the
north and half of it toward the south
5. And we shall flee to the valley of the
mountains; for the valley of the mountains
Shall reach unto Asal; yea We shall flee like
as We fled from before the earthquake in the
days of Uzziah, king of Judah; and the
Lord my God shall come, and all the saints
with thee.
g. And it shall come to pass in that day
that the light shall not be clear nor dark.
Z. But it shall be one day which shall be
known to the Lord not day, nor night; but
it shall come to pass that at evening time
it shall be light.
And it shall be in that day. that liv-
ing waters shall, go out from Jerusalem;
half of them toward the former sea and
half of them toward the hinder sea; in sum-
mer and in winter shall it be.
8. And the Lord shall be king over all
the earth; in that day shall there be one
LOfO, ana his name one
Verse 20-In that day Shall there be upon
the bells of the horses. holiness until the
Lord: and the pots in the Lords house shall
be like the bowls before the altar
The Lesson.
$50 long as the sun shall warm the earth
let no Christian be so bold as to come to
Japan; and let us know. that the King OF
Srain himself, or the Christians God, or
the great God of ALL If he violate this
command shall pay for il with his head
This was the edict that went forth years
ago when missions in Japan first began,
and missionary who went there among
the first wrote home: Among the most
knowing and suspicious we are regarded as
persons who have come to seduce the
masses of the people from their loyalty to
the 'God-country' and corrupt their morals
generally.
Starting with such a foundat ion it is en-
cOura ging and marvellous to read of the
changes and successes that from time to
time have come to Christian work in this
land Later one of their own men, high in
mower and afterward minister OF the Jap
anese navy said of Commodore Perry. who
negotiated the treaty between our own
country and Japan: "A man VINO, though
supported by ships and cannon, acted with
such gentlenesS, kindness, patience and yet
firmness having force, yet not using it,
could not be a barbarian, or, If he were 1t
were better for the Japanese to become
barbarianS themselves.
During the early years the students of
the Imperial University were disposed to
sheer at and speak disadvantageously of
Christianity, and especially of the doctrine
of a personal God but after faithful work
on the part of the Christian professor of
biology a student of one of the higher
classes told his teacher that all of his class
believed in personal God.
From these small beginnings the growth
has been phenomenal. The Japanese min
washington home.
growing influence of the Bible is remark
able, and makes itself felt everywhere The
Bible contains an overpowering force of
liberty and justice, guided by the united
strength of wisdom and goodness
The words of Joseph Neesima, in his let
ter to Mr. Hardy, his benefactor, who edu-
Gated him to preach the Gospel shows what
the Bible did for Japan when it once found
it's entrance there: 80 God, if Thou hast
eyes look upon me. o God. if Thou hast
ears hear my prayer. Let me be civilized
with Bible. o Lord, Thou send Thy
spirit upon my Hardy, and let him relieve
me from sad condition. o Lord! please!
set Thy eyes upon my Hardy, and keep out
him from Illness and temptation
In wide contrast to the condition of the
country when the missionaries first en-
tered the field reads the news of today
One missionary who has been working there
for sixteen years and is just taking a first
trip about the neighboring islands writes
of the trip. He says that as he arrived one
cold February morning in a slow, heavy
boat, that fairly crawled toward shore, he
was greeted by the sound of some one
whistling There Is Sunshine in My Soul
Today" Think of hearing one of our ia
miliar Christian Endeavor hymns whistled
in that land that was just little while ago
called heather! This missionary also speaks
of finding company of two dozen new
Christians who had sprung up UNDER Gods
direct agency with little help from mis-
sionary, evangelist or teacher, or even
mission money. He says: THE Christians
are the leading men and women of the viii
the best home in the place. AS humble a
brother as my fellow-t traveller could not