The Durant news. (Durant, Miss.) 1882-1985, 1952-01-03

thing in common
among all Of them. ~
Each Of them In Dr.. Eo,snc.
some way has
found Christ. It is q mistake to
think that all Christians must; be
cast In the same mold. or that eAch
of us must plant his feet exactly In
the footprints tfor example) Of St.
Paul.
Sensational Conversions
MT the beginning Of Johns COS.
Apel we find the story Of one per.
son after another who followed
Christ. There Is only one Of these
who believed in Jesus on the basis
Of what could be called . super
natural experience. This was John
the Baptist. He testified that he had
seen the Spirit" chat Is. Gods
Spirit coming upon Jesus.
| Now you cannot "see" the Spirit
in the same way you can see q
fence-post. Even il you take the
, story in the most literal way, and
take II to mean that the Spirit had
taken the visible form Of a dove,
the question still is there: How
would John know that this particular
dove was not dove. but the Holy
Spirit?
Whatever you make of it,
John was an exception. All the
others in the story became fol-
lowers Of Jesus through some
ones word, suggestion, invita-
ton; some one introduced them
to Christ. That still is true.
Very few people who are Chris
tians today started out with some
vision in the sky. some vision Of q
dove or an angel or Of Christ him.
self dixie Paul. later on).
Simpler Cases
| YUST as likely, it was not Spec
} tacular at all. tMost Of the con.
versions recorded in the New Tesla.
ment were not in the least spec.
tacular.)
1t was some one saying. Lets
go to church," or it was a Sunday
school teacher saying, 'Bill, isn't
it time you accepted Christ for your
self" or girl sayi g. How can
! marry fellow that isn't even a
Christian" 1t may be reading a
tract or it may be listening to some
ones testimony in a prayer meet
ing. it might be reading that book
about how some in our time have
found the way, or it might even
be reading this column.
II However ii comes about, two
| things are always true. First.
II some one introduces you to
II Jesus. Then, you make the de-
cision for yourself. You are not
likely to come to Christ unlese 4
seme one else suggests Il and
il helps you; but no other person
| however good, and NO church
| however great and true, can do
j for you what you alone can do
for yourself: make up your own
mind to say "Yes" to Jesus
Christ.
II Nowadays much is saaN about
Fellowship Evangelism'~ There is
nothing mysterious abouf For
II instance, a man who has' never
II thought about becoming a Christian
and perhaps no intention of being
one, joins (say) mems club at
some church . and one thing
y leads to another, and ne gets &C.
II quainted in this way with the min
Il lister or with some one else who has
n had a real and happy experience
with Christ and presently his
II heart is stirred and he too becomes
IL Christian-because he has made
II Christian friends.
Saying a Good Word
NET it Is a strange thing: many
II : people will talk abou. ANYTHING
else they believe in, before they will
II talk about Jesus Christ.
II Suppose that from the begin
II ming every one had been as
II close-mouthed about Him A
II most church members are, 81.
II mon Peter. for one, would never
iii have become = Christian. II Il
II had not been for his brother An
II drew. who knows what vould
II have become Of Sinner Peter.
III In commercial lingo Jesus sells"
II himself. First-rate things ideas 0,
II persons always sell Themselves Blu,
II even the finest articles in the worlc
/ need to have their story told the,
| have to be introduced, people hay.
II to know about them. Every church
every Christian, ought to be Gin the
II best sense) advertising Christ I,
II yours? Are you?
III Copyright 1851 by the niv,s,on .
II Christian Education, Ss,ioni,S islon g
/ .ha has ~