The Farmville herald. (Farmville, Va.) 1957-current, 1959-11-20

news OIL Jesus.
It is not said that Dr.. Foreman
Philip opened his mouth and gave
the stranger good advice, or con-
demned his sins, or urged him to
turn over a new leaf, or offered him
a book to read, or urged him to
join a church He just told the
good news about Jesus.
Evangelism Is eeed. News-ism
The church today has a tech
understanding big word which
many Christians do not under
stand. It is "Evangelism." When
we hear the word, we think of saw
dust trails, of smass meetings. Of
Billy Graham and the Salvation
Army and special services at the
church on the corner. We think Of
trained choirs and TV and teams.
Like typical Americans. we want
our "evangelism" as we want
everything else. on a grand scale
and organized to the last inch.
Actually. evangelism las Billy
Graham or any good minister car
tell you) is a simple thing. AS a
famous Christian leader from Cey-
Ion. D.. T. Niles. has said. Evan
gelism is n beggar telling an
other beggar where he can find
bread"
Some Christian people say they
do not believe in evangelism Push
the question with them. and you
may find one or the other of two
things to be true: either they don't
understand what evangelism is, or
else they don't really believe in
Christ after all they have no good
news to tell. There is a good and a
bad way to run a newspaper. A
critic may not like the way a par
doesn't mean that newspaper busi-
ness ia bad business.
Philip told his good news effec-
lively. so much so that the name
Evangelist" stuck to him. What
made him 50 good at it He prob
ably never took a course in evan
gelism" all his life. For one thing,
be was a man sensitive and e
sponsive to the leading of the Holy
Spirit. We first hear of him when
the church at Jerusalem is looking
for men to appoint on a committee
Acts 81. Qualifications mentioned
were that the Mel should be "men
of good repute, full of the Holy
Spirit and of wisdom" ut would
seem that being full OF the Spirit
and of wisdom were not thought
of as being the very same thing.)
AT any rate. by the time the Spirit
said to Philip. Go join this char
lot" Philip knew the Spirits voice
II is not necessary to suppose that
the Holy Spirit always speaks. or
spoke to Philip then, in a voice you
could catch on a tape recorder. The
point is that the Spirits will was
made known in Phillips mind, and
Philip knew the difference be-
tween Gods direction and a notion
Of his own. How did this mar be-
come so sensitive to the voice Of
God? No doubt because be had
been obedient before.
w Knew His Bibls
Another reason for Philips NC
eess Is his knowledge of his Bible
II was a rash" thing TO do, may
be, for this dusty pedestrian to
speak to this Very Important Per-
sonage in his chariot But Philip
felt be had the right to speak.
When he heard that official read
ing aloud Cfor that IS what the
Greek word 10 verse % means), in
his dull treaslrer's-rerort voice,
that sublime passage from Isaiah
So. Philip could not hold in. Do you
understand what you are reading?
he cried. The distinguished stran-
ger was too much as%tonished to be
offended. Here he was. a man Of
wealth. distinction. power; but this
poor hiker had something he did
not have: he knew what the Bible
has to say. he knew what ii means
God used this man. who had the
one thing needful. 70 convert 4.
whe had everything but what
he needed God can always Use
those who know and love his Word
tBseeS - c1tire. .orvr.ghteA hv
National C>ureiI Of the Churches At
Christ n the o. s. l.. RA1eAAed b.
Cnmna1ity Pres easvinAJ