The Lexington advertiser. [volume] (Lexington, Miss.) 1904-1985, 1950-01-05

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dent who wishes to
do really thorough ~ r...u.n
work will need a
Bible Dictionary and at least a one
volume commentary on the entire
Bible. Dummelow's macmillan
Col and the Abingdon Commentary
(Abingdon Pressl are among the
best of these.) AS a background
for the studies of the next three
months. the student should read
mi or more good Lives of Christ.
Write to your own church bookstore
for suggestions.
When Is New Years Day?
EVERY day is a New Years Day
- for somebody. The legal holiday
that goes by that n a m e seldom
comes at a real turning-point in any
ones life.
The real occasion is when
some moment0us change oc-
ours, so that after that day life
never flows in its old channels.
In this sense, a very important
New Years Day for Jesus was
the day when he was baptized
in the Jordan river.
Before that day he lived as a
carpenter in one village: after that
day, as a public man. indeed THE
public Man of all times. The pat
tern of his life completely changed.
Decisions
NEW YEARS is a good time to
~ review three things: your de-
c~isions, your life's work, and your
friendships.
Have you put off q decision
for a long time? Now Is the time
to face it. Have you been max
ing unfortunate" decisions,
choices you regret? Now is .
good time to look into these and
see why you have been taking
the wrong road too often. Have
you any bedrock principle on
which you base all your deci-
sions? - Jesus New Year was
marked by certain decisions
made once and for all.
To begin with, there was his bap-
tism. One thing it surely meant:
Jesus that day decided deliberately
to be counted among those who
need repentance rather than among
those who think they don't. Not
everybody came down to the Jor-
dan to be baptized. Some came only
to criticize. Jesus sided with the
sinners, not the critics. 1t was a
lifelong decision. He became known
as the Friend Of sinners"
There were also the further de-
cisions In the wild country where
he went through his temptations.
Each temptation faced Jesus with
a choice; each time his choice was
, on Gods side.
Life's Work
THERE is a great thrill in letting
1 out on the work one is going
to do for the rest Of ones natural
life. Out of the harbor traffic on
to the open seal Jesus now becomes
a preacher, and this was his work
for the rest Of his life. His carpentry
has long since mouldered to dust;
his preaching and teaching are i'm
mortal.
But suppose Jesus had been
slipshod, inefficient, careless
carpenter? Would he have ever
become a great teacher and
preacher? 1t is quite true, the
products Of his shop have van
ished, but there was something
taking shape In that shop which
did not vanish: his character.
Your choice about your future and
final life's work may stu be in the
future; you best work may not
yet have been begun. But the way
you do what you have to do, today.
win help set the pattern for every
choice and every work In your life.
Friendships
NEXT after Jesus life-work came
~ his choice of friends. No doubt
he had known Simon and the others
before. and Mark simply records
In his abrupt way the climax of a
long story. in telling how Jesus
called them.
We cannot imagine Jesus with
out his disciples. 1t is not exag-
geration to say that even the
Son of God would have been q
failure, as q man. had he won
no friends. There would have
been no Christian religion II
Jesus had had no friends.
Around New Years time it is wei
to ask oneself the question. Am
as careful in selecting my friend:
as Jesus was in selecting his
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al " pIE~.. C-Auratian nm behalf az