Arkansas State press. [volume] (Little Rock, Ark.) 1941-1959, 1943-01-15
An Old Standard For
The New Year
BY Rev. A. L. Perkins


Text: John 2:2-We are nov
stepping into the "New Year"
facing new obligations. and o
necessity on account of failure
Of the past, We need to set o
adopt some rules by which to trav
ell. No organization or institution
attempts to operate without
rule or standard. To do so woul'
bring only confusion and no sue
cess. New organizations adopt
constitution and Bylaws, in orde
to have standard by which to b.
governed.
A standard is a rule hy whicl
group is or groups are govern
ed. Some minor organization.
change their rule and set up stand
ards by which to be governed. TIKI
statute books of towns, cities
states and nations are changed
from time to time, and new stanc
ards are set for the common
wealth. The congress. both of oui
state and nation, when in session
drafts changes in the standards
and at times there are near two
thousands bill proposed to alter
the standard of the great govern
ment of the U. s. A. Just few
years ago, the standard of the U.
s. A. was altered in the repeal Of
the 1eth amendment to the con-
stitution. Mr.. F. d. X. requested
. change so t hat the monetary
standard was changed from gold to
silver.
Some standards change, but
there are some old standards which
time cannot change; for instance
decades, scores and centuries have
passed leaving IL inches a stand
ard foot, 16 ounces a standard ID
three feet standard yard and
1000 pounds a standard ton. yet
some things must change.
Old age is often mark Of use
Iessness, therefore women do not
like to tell their age and men deny
being old. Old clothes must be
discarded, old food gets stale, old
houses rot down, old stock peg out
old styles change. old land loses
its fertility, old clocks and watch
es cease to keep time.
1t is common saying, "that
time brings changes;" therefore
Is we look over the shoulders of
the past, and zee the fading foot
steps of 1912 as her sails fade into
the distant sea of history, and
before us we see open pages of
the new book Of 1913 unfolding
day by day its secrets, you would.
no doubt, expect me to effer a new
standard; hut Of all the institu-
tons in the world the church is
an unique exception. No men o,
organization, nor even the church
itself is qualified to set a standard
for the church of the living God.
Nobody is in position to enact
laws for the church but Jesus
Christ. Therefore it is mine to
magnify and encourage, as well
as urge you, to line up with, not
a new, but the same old standard
for the New Year. No its not left
with us to decide what our course
will be the Boss Of the Universe,
has set our standard, and in order
to he the church of God, we must
abide by these orders.
This is a new year, but an old
institution, The Bishop may with
propriety. set up laws for meth
odism. the synod may set up laws
for their organization, the Pope
may offer dictum for the DOMAIN
Catholics, but for the old Mission
airy Baptist, or the New Testament
Church, it is not legislative hcdy,
nor can we make laws. Our laws
were made behind the curtains of
eternity. This is an old declara-
ton of the Missionary Baptist
Church all of these years; "W. &C
cept nothing as a rule, but the
word of God" This TIE same old
standard: "What so ever He saith
unto you do it," This standard
antedates the most ancient histor-
nes, yea it is standard of etcr-
nal DURATION" II is a stand
ard Of perfection. All ages, phases
changes, perils, circumstances of
reflections were taken into CON,
sideration and provided for when
the standard was set.
Let US strive to conform to the
standard for the "New Year.
Walk with me if you please a.
long the shore Of the sea of Cali
lee, and see John, the writer of
this text, yonder he is, with Ze-
bedee, his father mending nets on
the seashore where he came up
from a boy. Yonder he is listen
ing to the voice Of John the Bap-
fist, and now he is following close
on the heels of Jesus. 1t is he that
majorcd in love. and it is from