Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-04-22
SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON AND
YOUNG PEOPLES MEETINGS
News of Interest to Church Goers By a
Writers Who is An Authority on Religious
Subjects. The International Lesson for
Next Sunday.
Paul: For to me to live is Christ"
Men Who Lead.

Men Who Lead.
There would seem to be warrant
for special evangelistic missions in
the sending Of Barnabas from the
church in Jerusalem to Antioch. The
prosperity of the GOSPEL in this great
city, and the importance of impressing
the city with the Message, appealed
to the leaders of the church So bear
ing their greetings, this evangelist
journeyed to Antioch, Strengthening
the hearts Of the disciples, and adding
to their number. For as the words
of the narrative record-words which
have significantly found their way
upon many a tombstone-"he was
good man, and full of the Holy Spirit
and of faith"
In Antioch began the close and long.
continued association of Barnabas
with Saul. The former did his best
by Antioch, and it was much. Yet he
saw possibilities in this great city to
which he was not equal With the
wisdom and self-abnegation of the
truly devoted, he went forth. to Tarsus
to seek for Saul, whose measure he
had taken as a great statesman,
man for emergencies. He knew that
only the best could suffice for the con-
flict with the great cities. The early
churches thus set an example to mod
ern churches in the way it manned
strategic points with its most efficient
forces. For an entire year Barnabas
and Saul labored together in Antioch,
and it is worth remarking that it is
after a narrative of their labors that
the point is made by the historian that
1.-The disciples were called Christians
first in Antioch
In this connection also we find our
selves introduced for the first time to
the young man, John Mark, whom Bar.
nabas and Saul took with them from
Antioch on their return to Jerusalem.
Mark, in spite of serious defects of
character, was to be one of the histor-
ians of Christianity, and one of the
leaders in the new church. Agabus al
so appears as prophet, foretelling the
famine that was to come upon the
country.
A Famine and Brotherhood.
Railroads and steamships are rap
idly making famines an impossibility.
With the swift increase of intercom-
munication it has become less and
less possible for any part of the world
neighborhood to suffer from hunger
while other sections have abundance.
Two years ago there was a terrible
| famine in remote interior China, which
normally would have harvested hun
dreds of thousands of lives. Because,
however, the spirit of Christianity had
sent its missionaries into even these
remote regions, these men were able
to make appeal to civilization, and,
largely because of American effort,
| this famine was broken.
The Christians at Antioch, and in
deed throughout the entire dispersion,
decided to send relief to the brethren
at Jerusalem. That is the first ex-
preston Of the communal spirit: a
man must stand by his own. This
spirit did not come into the world
with Christianity. The old Jews had
practiced it. The Christian contribll-
ton to mems thinking in this particular
is that they should not only care for
their own, but, like the Lord himself
| be kind to the evil and the unthank-
full
The famine at Jerusalem Is not
recorded at length. 1t was familiar
tale to all these early readers. The
simple narrative Is that relief was
sent by the hands of Barnabas and
Saul to the elders at Jerusalem. In
taking into their fellowship the Gen
tile brethren the Jewish Christians al
Jerusalem, all unwittingly, provided
relief for themselves in extremity. l,
was bread upon the waters. AS
heard an old sage in Chinese famine
4 village say. as he stood with watery
eyes, leaning upon his staff: If yor
foreigners help us now, in some future
incarnation perhaps we shall be able
to help YOU