Arizona sun., 1948-02-20

lowship. gaining blessing and rem
dering blessing.
The lesson passage for Sunday is
found in Acts 2:37-47 and Ephesians
4:1-6, with several other passages
which will be quoted before we fin
ish the column for this week.
A HAPPY TIME IN CHURCH
D FAD Acts 2:41-47, and you will
IN find a picture of group of very
happy people. Think Of it, three
thousand people protesting faith in
Jesus and receiving baptism in one
day! But read on-they were not
only happy at church, but they were
happy because they were in the
church. They continued steadfastly
in the apostles teachings and fell
lowship and breaking of bread and
prayer.
They praised God and had favor
with all the people. By their daily
living they were convincing the
world that fellowship in Christ is
not only good on Sunday while we
are at the meeting house, but good
every day.
The happy homes are the homes
where Christian fellowship abounds.
and it is equally true in every area
of life.
AT CHURCH WITH FRIENDS
FL sUas glad .Uben they said unto me,
Let rs go unto THE b0Nse of THE Lord"
Psalm 122:1.
THAT is poetry, you will agree,
l. but it is also actual testimony
not only of the Psalmist. but of
countless junior boys and girls
throughout our land who eagerly
await the sound of the church bells.
Boys and girls delight to go to Sum
day school and worship when the
life of the church is pervaded with
Christian fellowship. There they
meet the finest boys and girls in the
community.
BELONGING TO THE CHURCH
THE passage in Acts 2:37-47 tells
l. us how certain people, after
hearing the great sermon by Peter,
asked how they might be saved. He
told them:
Repent. and be baptized every
one of you in the name of Jesus
Christ for the remission of sins, and
ye shall receive the gift Of the Holy
Spirit.':s
When we invite intermediate
friends to attend Sunday school
and worship services with us, and
they come to know Of the love Of
God, they, too, will want to be
saved. 1t is then the high privilege
of Christian boys and girls to lead
their friends to accept Jesus
Christ as Saviour, and come into
the church.
In Ephesians 4:4-6, we read these
words: There is one body and one
Spirit. just as you were called to the
one hope that belongs to your call,
one Lord, one faith, one baptism,
one God and Father Of us all, who
is above all and through all and in
ALL"
ALL ONE IN CHRIST
THE above passage from Ephe-
l. slams teaches clearly that there
is a brotherhood of man, real and
abiding, when we accept the Father
hood of God, through Jesus Christ.
This is the meaning of the church.
No amount Of man-made creeds can
save US. No amount Of ritual and
ceremony can save us. We are
saved by grace through faith, and
that is the gift of God. When we re-
pent of our sins and believe on the
Lord Jesus Christ. we are saved,
and not until then.
The one adequate solvent for
the crying needs of this frightened
world Is the grace Of the Lord
Jesus Christ. Just as thousands
were saved on Pentecost and
again on the Lords Day when
Peter preached In Solomon's
porch. so today many may be
saved where the Gospel is pro-
claimed In Its simplicity and
power.
We are one in Christ. Of every
race and every tongue. The fellow.
ship Of Christian faith transcends
every barrier - racial. economic,
geographic. political. religious. We
have but to proclaim the universal.
ity of this good news-proclaim it in
our words and proclaim 1t in our
daily lives.
(Copyright By the International Council
Of Religious Education os behalf Of 20
Protestant denominationa. Released b.
WNU Features)