Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-06-10
CHRISTIAN ENDEAvoR HOUR
Conducted by Grace Livingston Hfll-Luta
For Sunday, June Il. 1905.

For Sunday, June IL. 1900
Topic: mot Ashamed Of the Gospel" Romans
i:13-17
Is. Now I would not have you ignorant,
brethren, that oftentimes purposed to
come unto you fbut was let hitherto)
that might have some fruit among you
also, even among other Gentiles.
IA. 1 am debtor both to the Greeks. and
to the barbarians; both to the wise and
to the unwise.
10. So, as much as in me is. am ready
to preach the gospel to you that are at
Rome also.
10. For 1 am not ashamed of the gospel
of Christ; for it is the power of God unto
salvation to every one that believeth; to
the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
IL. For therein is the righteousness OF
God revealed from faith to faith; as 1t is
written, The just shall live by faith.
The Lesson.
1t is wonder instead of talking about
whether we are ashamed of the gospel of
Christ that we do not sometimes ask our
selves whether the gospel may not be
ashamed of us. Certainly some of the
lives of those who profess to have grasp
ed hold of that power of God unto saliva
ton do not seem to have been saved
from many of their mistakes and SINS
ouI ely IL we are PcSSSSSSu VI SOAhOtHAho
in which we have confidence we have no
need to be ashamed to recommend 1t to
others.
A lady said not long ago that she never
would recommend anything to her friends
again, be 1T servant, sewing machine or
dressmaker, because just as sure as she
did the thing recommended always failed
her in the most unexpected way. But
there is no possible danger that the Cos
pei will ever fail any one who puts his
trust therein. 1t was that confidence that
Paul had in Jesus Christ and His gospel
that made him feel when he considered
cultured, lofty critical Rome that he was
not afraid to preach his gospel even there,
in the metropolis of the world, for he
knew in whom he had believed and had
felt that power of God unto salvation
in his own life, so that he would preach
no uncertain doctrine, and 1t mattered
not whether the one who heard this gos-
pei were Jew or Greek, rich or poor. bond
or free. wise or unwise, that gospel once
reaching the heart would prove powerful
So he had no need to be ashamed.
Now, what gives confidence? Expert
ence. Would you not tremble to run an
automobile at fearful rate II you had
never tried before? Would you not shake
fl ON head to foot to make public speech
for the first time? Would you dare recon-
mend for an operation upon the life OF
your dearest friend surgeon about
whom you knew nothing?
Is it possible that the reason we are
sometimes ashamed of Jesus is that we
have never really opened our hearts to
Him and let Him come in to us and show
His great power in all its fullness? We
have not known that power. and there
fore have no confidence in it.
Paul has but to think back 10 the days
of his own ''threatenings and Slaughter.
which he went about breathing out, to re-
member the lightning flash and tie voice
Of the Lord from the cloud, and his own
da .zling blindness and the piercing OF his
soul with the words Saul. Saul, why per
thntt IN VI
power OF God had saved him from and
what it could do for others. Have you
an experience of self-surrender somewhere
in your life to look back upon, which you
may speak of with confidence to others?
There is another point. Paul was not
ashamed even before the Romans. How is
it that you and l find it so much easier
to go down into the sums and teach
mission school. to tell the story of Jesus
love to ragged little. urchins and to poor
neglected folk, than it is to witness for our
Lord Jesus in a parlor of well-dressed peo-
pie or go and invite wealthy stranger 10
come to prayer meeting?
Applied Truth.
The Emperor Lycnius came one day into
the court of his palace and ordered Aux
ensius, one of his great commanders, to
draw his sword and cut off a bunch of
grapes and offer them to an image of
Bacchus, which was the same as acknowl-
edging Bacchus to be a god.
Il cannot do it, l am Christian!" de-
clared Auxensius.
What! not at my commando Then you
must quit my service!' said the emperor.
With all my heart, sir, said the Chris
tian, taking off his belt. which was the
insignia of his office.
A citizen of the United States, travelling in
South America, incurred the ill-will of some
one high in authority there, and was tried
IN death had a mum her
of friends from his old home who would
have liked to help him, but their business
interests were such that IL would not do
to let 1t be known that they We're his
friends Also, they feared that it might
but result in their own death sentences. so,
although at heart they were mis- friends and
felt deeply grieVed that he was to die, and
that they could do nothing, they went
about trying TO smile and make the au-
thorities think that they were taking no
part in the affair. But there was one man,
our minister from the United States, vested
with the authority of the government. He
was away trip into the interior when
the trouble occurred and knew nothing
about II until a few minutes before the
hour appointed for the man to be shot. He
had just arrived home and upon being told
of the peril OF citizen of his own country
he started at once for the place of execu-
lion. When he arrived on the spot he found
there was no time for parley. The COM
mander stood with his watch In his hand
and was just about 10 give the order to
fire, when up rode the minister crying
Waltz! and flung the American flag about
the condemned. He carried with him the
power of the whole United States govern
ment and he was not afraid ashamed
to use 1t.
woman, during the war between Eng
land and the United States. in contempt of
our land. spread her ball room floor with a
great American flag. But when her guests
arrived, some of them who loved the Amer
lean flag, when they saw il tramp!ed under
foot, would not enter upon the stars and
stripes, but turned and went away rather
than be disloyal TO the flag of their coun-
try. They were not ashamed to own their
own land. though they were among strang-
ers, who held 1t in contempt.
How to Help the Leader.
Stand up and briefly say you want to tes-
tify that you not ashamed Of the gospel
of Christ, and tell some one thing its power
has done for you.
Parallel assages-Psalms, xl:9,10; I Co.
rinthians, lis; Acts, xx:20-27; ii Corinth-
ians, iv:3,4; Galatians, is; Coossians. i:27,
%; l Timothy Hip; Revelations, xiv:6;
Isaiah, xi:9.
Hints to the leader-The Endeavor Hymn