The Filer record. (Filer, Idaho) 1919-1930, 1923-05-24

Is it an accident that in our own
national history II is the men in
whom God dwelt whom we delight to
honor? William Penn. who founded
a colony with bloodshed; Washing
ton, Lee. who said to a Union soldier
lying beside the road wounded after
the battle of Gettysburg. My poor
boy l hope you will soon be WE'LL"
despite the fact the soldier cheered
for the Union to show his disrespect
for the great Christian general. Lin
coin. Grant. Garfield, Mckinley.
Roosevelt. every one follower of
: the Nazarene. That is the choicest
society in the world
But that group is only typical OF
all really Christian groups. But what
is the price OF belonging to that
group?
The Founder, Himself. dictated the
terms of membership, and they have
never been changed, and. / am con-
WINGED. never will be changed: IF
any man will come after Me, let him
deny himself, take up his cross daily
and follow me-" Luke 1928.
In substance is not that what your
coach said when you entered into
training in athletics. whether for
football, basketball, track or base
bali? IF you desire to be an athlete
you must renounce the desires of the
flesh. train daily and learn to obey
the rules" So intimately does
Christian truth touch every depart
ment OF life, that this is the rule of
all business, all education, all sue
cessful achievement. II has been
the law OF the ages. Paul was
modern nineteen hundred years ago:
Every man that striveth in the
games exerciseth self-control in all
things" And il also a man contend
in the games, he is not crowned, ex-
cept he have contended lawfully"
Have you heard of people being dis
qualified" because they did not abide
by the rules?
A lad of sixteen, asked to saw some
wood for a poor family, excused him
self on the ground he and Joe were
going fishing. The good deacon
said: 1.-The way il comes TO me is
that you and / and the rest of us
are all the Lord Jesus has left TO
tell what a good, self-denying Savior
He was. If there were no Christians
living up to their high calling, Rob
ert, there wouldn't be a whisper for
the Lord-not a whisper-this side
OF heaven. | thought maybe you'd
prize the chance and be glad to take
it," Robert cut the wood and
learned the joy of self-denial for the
sake OF others, that is, the JOY of
following Christ, his Lord.
Everyone who united with this
group was expected to pay the price.
Shall we pay the price? There is
always the rub. The goal is very de-
sirable, but shall we make the re-
quired effort to attain it? When a
difficult task confronted you in
school, did this temptation not meet
you? Did you not debate whether
TO burn the midnight oil, or engage
in the tempting pleasure, risking the
chance of not being called on in
class?
SO to become a real member of
this group, in other words, to be-
come a Christian, some were willing
then as now to pay the price. They
so much desired to have fellowship
with their Lord that they counted no
price dear. So Joseph. having farm,
went and sold IL, and brought all the
proceeds OF it to the apostles and
said Here are the returns from the
farm / sold; use them to best inter
ests of ALL" They called his Bar
Nawbaw," "Barnabas." ("son of
consolation One is tempted to
think a crisis was on, and the apos-
ties did not know whence the money
was coming to meet il, and after a
season of prayer, Bsrnabas came !
bringing the returns from the sale !
of his farm, and all were so rejoiced |
they called him the comforter" for
lin union there is strength" OF
course they honored him, and he be-
came one of the leaders in the little I
band of early Christians.