THE FUTURE OUTLOOK
J. F. Johnson Editor & Publisher
Miss Emma p. Johnson News Reporter
L. A. Wise Staff Photographer
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Coronation
Friday, December 25, i> set aside for the celebration of
the birth of out Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, for the year,
1970. This day, that we recognize as Christmas, is a day of
coronation which had it* beginning at the inn to here there
was no room and during a very busy season in which no one
was aware of the coming of the Christ Child. Mary was taken
to the stable where the Christ Child was born.
All of the saints and Biblical characters had arranged
themselves around the Christ Child because they to ere told of
His coming by the prophet Isaiah some 400 years previously,
and only the saints were aware that He was the Christ Child,
since the scene of His birth was such a poor, crude setting.
The Gospel of Luke gives a better picture of most of
the Christ Child's activities during the 33 years He remained
in the flesh on earth because Luke was always classified
as the "Great Doctor," which he emphasised in most of his
writings, internal, external and spiritual. The spiritual side
of the Christ Child is where we get the name "Santa Claus"
which means "giving".
Many of the children of today deny that there is a
Santa Claus, but still they desire to accept the gift in the
spirit which we say His birth lies upon. Yes, toe have mdny
coronation festivities with symbols reigning as the Christ
Child in our churches and schools. We exchange gifts with
one another and with many who still do not believe that the
Christ Child reigns in the souls of human beings today.
Because of the life they live, there are still many, many
Christians who are serving Christ "over yonder" and cant
see the Christ here within themselves and their surroundings.
That is to say, "after my death, I will wear the golden s Up
pers and walk in the streets of pearl in my long white robe
where I will be with the Christ Child who was in the flesh
on earth for 33 years."
The Christ Child stated at his death that he would reign
again in the living flesh for all those who believe in him and
for those who have served Him, have a gift of sacrifice to the
poor and needy friends and loved ones from their heart, be
cause those who believe in Him, dwells with Him and He
dwells with them.
"Tea, to Mm that hast shall be given. Tea, to him that
hast not, even that which he seemeth to have, shall be taken
away and given to him that hast."
Christmas, December 25, it celebrated on the day of the
week when we all come together and render praise of thanks
giving in spirit in our sanctuaries. And all of our churches
should be overrun this Christmas Day, especially by those
who believe in the birth of the Christ Child.
How are you going to spend this day? Where are you
going to spend this day ? In what name should this day be
glorified to you T Will it be just another day? What seems to
be so pathetic to us when we speak about Die exchange of
gifts in the family is that so many mothers and father* don't
know where their chad is and seem to care less. Mothers
often mOke a sacrifice of a little token of some type and say
ing to the chad, "l do this because I know your bones, flesh
and blood come from ma."
I hone heard many mothers say that no mother ever
gave birth to a child and forgot it, regardless of her actions,
ft* as match as Maty brought the Christ Child her eon. a God
In the stature of Man, therefore, J believe every parent; re
gardless, of how poor or how sophisticated they may be, they
Ihoutd think enough of their own child to remind Mm that
Ms blood, bones and flesh came from them and that la not
enough.
It coming from. We
TMnk of those whose parents
they know not where a Christmas c.?. -? wnwny if?
ore sorry that toe do not have the space to remind our readers
of the many golden opportunitieethat they have in glorifying
this occasional date and sharing with other* in a Christ-like
THIS WEEK'S SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON
ALL OF LIFE FOR CHRIST
Beginning Where You Are
In this lesson we will be con- ,
aider ing what it means to know
and serve Christ. Here is how
Rufus Jones, the great Quaker
humanitarian, describes it:
"Mystical experience, we may
say, is the discovery of man's
own nature in its relations with
the Eternal. It is not unlike what
happens to us in our greatest
experiences of beauty. You are
in Dresden and you visit the
Art Gallery. You drift Into a
room and find yourself standing
in front of Raphael's Sis tine Ma
donna. There comes a kind ol
sudden inward 'click.' You feel
an electric flash. You say: 'That
is the most beautiful thing I
ever saw,' or, better still, you
are thrown into a speechless
hush, while your whole being
palpitates and overbrims with
joy and wonder. What has hap
pened? Have you been so deep
ly moved, because you are look
ing at a picture worth twenty
million dollars? Are you so
deeply impressed because you
are in front of a famous work
of art about which everybody
talks, and because you can write
a newspaper article about it
and half pay for your trip? No,
that does not explain the spell.
You have discovered something
which fits the deepest nature
in you and calls forth thie right
response for which you were
made.
"Somewhat so in these high
est mystical moments of con
tact with the real presence ol
God, there is a sense of having
arrived at the goal ol life. There
is a flash ol the Invisible world
breaking in which illuminates
the whole meaning ol liie. You
are aware ol being visited at
home by the long sought Guest
rather than ol having gone to
some foreign region. The empty
frame of life has been fill ad
with the picture that lits It.
This humble human 111* of ours
has come upon the shore ol its
own true mother sea. Wa coma
back to the same world, the old
time task% the same acenary
and circumstance. Nothing in
the landscape has changed, and
yet everything Is different. Tlx
new acquisition is not am ac
cumulated stock ol ideas, not a
logical prod which can be trans
mitted in words. It is rather an
intensified conviction at the re
ality of God, a deepened faith
which undsrttoc all one's ac
tivities, a peace and set snltj in
the midst of the dttTWtiWios and
even the frustrations that
us, and a radiant spirit of
venture."
The
is Phflippians %
are printed below.
phlllppians 3:7-18
7 But whatever gain I bad, X
counted as loco for the saha of
Christ. 8 Indeed I count every
thing as loss because of the sur
passing worth of knowing Christ
Jesus my Lord. For his sake I
have suffered the loss of all
things, and count them as ref-|
use, in order that I may gain
Christ 9 and be found In him,
not having a righteousness of
my own, based on law, but that
which is through faith in Christ,
the righteousness from God that
depends on faith; 10 that I may
know him and the power of
resurrection and may share his
sufferings, becoming like in
his death, 11 that if possible I
may attain the resurrection
from the dead.
12 Not that I have already
obtained this or am already per- [
feet; but I press on to mair? it I
my own, because Christ Jesus j
has made me his own. 13 Breth- 1
ren, 1 do not consider that I have I
made it my own; but one thing!
I do, forgetting what lies be- 1
hind and straining forward to I
what lies ahead, 14 I press or I
toward the goal for the prize oil
the upward call of God in Christ!
Jesus. 15 Let those of us who]
are mature be thus minded; and I
if in anything you are other- 1
wise minded, God will reveal I
that also to you. 16 Only let us I
hold true to what we have at- 1
tained. I
Memory Selection: God didl
not give us a spirit of timidity J
but a spirit of power and lovel
and self control. ?2 Timothy 1:7 1
Exploring The Questions
Our task in this lesson is to I
examine some very closely I
reasoned material written byl
Paul. Paul covers a lot of ground J
in the few verses under conside
ration, so we could spend aU |
our time examining the mean-l
tog behind each phrase. Space
does not permit this, so let me
recommend The Interpreter*! I
Bible, Volume 11, pages 77-92,1
for further study. Many of you
will find this book already avail
able in your church library art
your pastor's study.
We need to see this passage!
from Phillppiaas in it* context.
few verses are not a theo
logical treatise; they at* part of
a spiritual diaxy or testimony
*?>? whole letter as you
?tudy this If? mi. Pmi |g I
the meaning of Chrfct ay n
has coma about thzoo?i his Ufa
experiences. Think back on what
you remember of Paul's life as
? Jew so that you ???? under
stand the passion with which he
writes about his new beliefs and
his new way ot ltta.
To interpret much of Paul's
writing, we must lean what he
meens whan he usw certain
words and imagery. In this tee
*>n we will need to explore what
he means by knowing Chriet
(verse 8) and what ha intaute
when he uses the word right
eousness (verse 9). Wa win also
explore possible Influences of
the mystery religions on Paul'*
thinking in this chapter. We are
influenced by the ideas current
in our day; we can assume that
Paul, too, was alive to the think
ing and the happenings of hii
times.
Perhaps most important, how
ever, is Paul's unique interpre
tation of the life and death and,
especially, the resurrection oi
Jesus Christ. He only mentioni
it in this passage, but we must
remember that the Resurrection
is the cornerstone of Paul's faith.
Therefore, you will need to study
additional source material on
verses 10 and 11.
The modern understanding of
this passage will lead us to ex
plore what it means for us to
know Christ in our lives in our
times. This is a highly individu
al matter, so what we shall hope
to do is explore what this has
meant in some individual lives.
We have already heard from
Bufus Jones, the great Quaker.
His life is explored in Chapter
3of In Faith and Love, a unit
in the series called Foundation
Studies in Christian Faith.
Someone in your church should
have a copy you can barrow.
Other chapters will also be use
ful.
Finding Help
With Your Questions
Paul's Letter to the Philip
pians is one of the letters he
wrote from prison. Though there
is some disagreement, most
scholars believe that these pris
on letters were written from
Rome during Paul's two-year
imprisonment mentioned in Acts
28:30-31.
Paul was writing this letter
because Spaphroditug, who had
come from the church at Philip
pi with a gift for Paul, was re
turning home. So this is Paul's
thank-you note. Bu. *-aul also
took this opportunity to tU1"
his joy and thankfulness in
Christ, even tv??igh be was in
prison and in danger of death.
A New Btuttaf Point
The Scripture for this leoami
drops in on the ??"'"? at a
thought, so let us go back to the
beginning of the chaptar. Paul
was once again reviewing hie
blameless life as a Jaw in order
to make a resounding conUast.
As a Christian ha had coma to
see that all the
on which ha bad anea prided
himself were wmllilses
Let us think for a
bow radical a ?litumul Paul
was making Have you aver
given yourself to a cause, heart
and soid, only to aaa It torn to
ashes? Paul was a religious fa
natic; his aim was to the
letter of the law. Than ?
he realised It was all for noth
ing.
What happened to Paul? We
(Continued an Page 9)