Northwest Friend, December 1950
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Digital Commons @ George Fox University Northwest Yearly Meeting of Friends Church Northwest Friend (Quakers) 12-1950 Northwest Friend, December 1950 George Fox University Archives Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.georgefox.edu/nwym_nwfriend Recommended Citation George Fox University Archives, "Northwest Friend, December 1950" (1950). Northwest Friend. 85. https://digitalcommons.georgefox.edu/nwym_nwfriend/85 This Book is brought to you for free and open access by the Northwest Yearly Meeting of Friends Church (Quakers) at Digital Commons @ George Fox University. It has been accepted for inclusion in Northwest Friend by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ George Fox University. For more information, please contact [email protected]. HIodtuuiee a -RIEND DECEMBER 1950 ■n^ you io aii rx. BETHLEHEM CI 7-^ ci6 76: B y S c o t t T. Clark ND who knoweth whether thou art come to calendar said, that day to them was Christmas. miracles, and after Histragicdeathfor our sins. the kingdom for such a time as this?"— He came triumphantly from the tomb,"victor of 1755 the settlers in the Lehigh Valley By the calendar it may have been some day in "A" E s t h e r 4 : 1 4 . over death, hell, and the grave. Historyof tells Pennsylvania, us that during threatened the early with winter Indian April or in July, but never-the-less it was massacre, fled for refuge to the village of Beth Severe distressing times come periodically Christmas to them for the Savior was born again in human history, and also in individual lives. The persecution of the early church brought lehem. This latter was a settlement of earnest down deep in their hearts. dark days to the small company of believers. Moravian colonists, who had established friendly The outcome of such crises is not easy to pre What power that story has ! How it has changed dict. Sometimes there are tragic consequences; It was a sad hour when Stephen, the first Christian relations with the red men. But the Indians had the lives of men, and even the course of history! martyr, was cruelly stoned to death. Then Saul been thoroughly incensed, and were aroused to sometimes, great deliverance. Some one has No! I'll retract that statement. It was not the made havoc of the church, leading many be such a frenzy that they broke their truce and said that if we ride in on the crest of the tide we story. No mere story could do such miraculous planned a bloody attack on the village may make a safe landing, but if we are caught lievers—men, women, and children—to prison things. Let us say, rather, that it was the super in the back-wash of the undertow we may be and to death. Such a time as that! Believers All this happened just before Christmas. As natural Holy Spirit of God taking that story, were scattered from Jerusalem, the apostles Christmas day approached ominous signal fires swept out to destruction. which the Bible calls "Good News" (the gospel), In Queen Esther's time, the Jews were in and Ananias were afraid of Saul, even after his flared on the surrounding hills. The tribal and bringing it powerfuUy to bear upon the hearts drums were heard in the distance. The war- great distress. They were in captivity in a conversion. But God brought deliverance. He of men. heathen land; far away from their temple, their raised up Paul for such an hour as this. So we whoops of the savages echoed through the forests, L e t u s t h a n k G o d t h i s C h r i s t m a s t i m e f o r H i s and the hearts of the besieged settlers were filled altars, their priests, and religious services of might multiply illustrations. marvelous plan of redemption—for sending His But what has all these things to do with us in with terror. their God. There were enemies all around them. Christmas morning dawned. It had always Son, born in the likeness of men, to redeem us And now that wicked Haman had laid plot for the our modern times? Certainly these are dis been the custom of these pious Moravians to f r o m s i n . massacre of the whole race. Oh, such a time tressing days. We do not want to appear as a assemble Christmas morning and sing songs of as that! Humanly, they were in dire extremity; "calamity-howler," but leaders in various fields praise to the new-bornChrist-child. Should they no possible way out. Esther sent back word for admit that we are in strategic times. Now again do it this morning?—or should they keep watch all to fast and pray, and she would, at the risk in war, after five short years from the close of at their posts ? They did not hesitate long. This of her life, go in unto the King, to plead mercy. last World War. Our boys being sent back onto was the time to show their faith in God. So they You know the story; God gave great deliverance. the battle fields. And for what? No leaders assembled themselves, sang their Christmas There are many Bible examples of severe seem to know the way out. What will be the consequences? Are the last days upon us? Re songs, prayed and worshipped as usual. crises, nationally and individually. May we When their worship time was over they re mention a few. The children of Israel were in vival meetings sweeping multitudes to God. God sumed their guard. To their utter astonishment such cruel bondage in Egypt, that God said their giving a final call for nations to turn back to Him. and unbounded joy, they saw the Indians break cry had come up to heaven. After demonstrations Who knows whether thou (preachers. Christians) art come to the kingdom for such a time as this? camp and disappear from sight In the distant, of His mighty hand In the plagues, this people wooded hillsides. Miraculously, it seemed, a were caught in a trap, while leaving Egypt. The Is God giving America a last call to come to her Red Sea was on their left, the cliffs in front and knees and turn back to God? Great numbers of bloody massacre had been averted. churches and ministers have turned away from What had happened? on the right, and the enemy's army behind them. the old time gospel, and have become only social Well, later, when peaceful relations had been NORTHWEST FRIEND Oh, such a time! They cried unto God, and he organizations, with no spiritual life or message. re-established, the reason for the dispersal of Published monthly, except August, by Oregon Yearly Meeting of took them through the divided waters of the sea, the Indians was revealed. While the war council Friends Church, at Portland, Oregon. Copy dead-line: 20th of and they sang the song of deliverance on the Moral standards have fallen to an all-time low, each month. with delinquencies, dissipations, drunkenness, of the chiefs was planning the attack, the winds o t h e r s h o r e . broken homes, and crimes mounting at an alarm carried the strains of the Christmas carols to Subscription Price $1.50 per year in advance King Saul disobeyed God, led the nation into the ears of the enraged red men. There was sin, was faced by the Philistine army, defied by ing rate. Oh, who will come to the rescue at T H E S T A F F the giant, Goliath. Such a time as that! God such a time as this ? God is calling for great something about those sweet melodies that R a y L . C a r t e r E d i t o r - i n - c h i e f numbers of faithful saints to-stand in the gap, soothed the savage breasts. They could not carry 1619 S. E. 21st Avenue, Portland 15, Oregon raised up an unknown godly shepherd youth, Telephone EAst 4845 and sound the warning against sin and ruin, and David, who through prayer, faith, and action, out their planned attack, but retreated to their Mildred H. Minthorne Christian Endeavor Society Editor call people back to God. haunts in the forest. 3908 N.E. Maywood PI., Portland 20, Oregon came to the hour, and God gave deliverance. Roger M. Minthorne Treasurer The giant was slain, the army routed, the country What a singular thing it is that that Pennsyl 3908 N.E. Maywood PI., Portland 20, Oregon Now, what is the application of this message? vania village was called Bethlehem, and that this saved, and they sang the song of deliverance. Some will be asking. What has all this to do with happened on Christmas day. YEARLY MEETING BOARD OF PUBLICATION It was adistressingtime when John the Baptist me? Almost every one, some time or other, F r e d e r i c k B . B a k e r P r e s i d e n t and Jesus came. No voice of a prophet for four Nearly two thousand years ago there came Herald Mickelson Secretary passes through some crisis in life. It seems out of the original Bethlehem a song, sung not by Joseph G. Reece, Ray L. Carter Members ex-officio hundred years; synagogue services only a dead that God has to bring us to humiliation in order human lips, but by angels from heaven, announc Emil Swanson, Earl P.