Of the GOSPEL Ricchiuti
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the kaesi Afritan Union Mafiosi of So VOL. 19 — DECEMBER 1965 — No. 2 leaiattce By Paul B. of the GOSPEL Ricchiuti I F one were very still, and listened carefully, he could barely hear it. Faintly and ever so sweetly came a hushed melody threading its way down from the hills. The soft breezes of the night ushered it into the ancient town of Bethlehem. It was the fluted music of a shepherd settling his flock. All day there had been an unusually heavy tramping of feet, mingled with the sound of wheels turning upon the rocky road. Tired visitors had flooded into the town and overcrowded the inn. A man and his wife were even spending the night in a stable. It had been a hard day, but now night had fallen. "And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them and the glory of the Lord shone round about them ; and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the City of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord." Luke 2 :8-11. He brought good news joyous news. News to make everybody happy in all the world. News radiant with the glory of heaven. News that would change history — and a thousand million lives. Thrilled by the glowing vision, the shepherds left their sheep and hastened to Bethlehem "and found Mary, and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger." Luke 2:16. The night goes on, then sunrise. Songbirds fly through a veil of morning mist steaming in the sun. Distant sounds toll the waking of the day. Slowly over the rim of the hills peers the brilliant ball of the sun. Cattle tread upon well-worn paths leading to pasture land. This is the beginning, the start of a new day. And Christ, the Rock of our salvation. God's love is mani- of a new era. fested through Christ whose revelation is given Crowds begin to move in the market place. These to us in the Holy Scriptures. The essence of Christian are they who slept while the Saviour was born. religion is love; love to God and to our fellowmen. There is a slight rumour about a star, shepherds, Christ our perfect example tells us in John 13:34, 35 and angels. It is soon forgotten. They have more that, "A new commandment I give unto you, that ye important business here, with Rome. They are here love one another; as I have loved you, that ye to be taxed. This is their concern. also love one another. By this shall all men know The radiance of the gospel flashed in a brilliant that ye are my disciples." star against the blackness of that night. It has shone When love is not expressed, it fades and finally down the darkened centuries. It shines still today, dies out. When Christianity is not manifested, it glowing with hope, joy and peace, and good will. dies out. If it is not shared with others it vanishes. Hope of life eternal. joy at sins forgiven. Peace Christianity is manifested in worship, in trust, in through confidence in the goodness of God. obedience, in self-surrender, in faith-sharing, in kind- Soon will arise another brilliance in the sky, ness and love and in a prayerful life. outshining the star of Bethlehem. The heaven will There are many Christians in our fold today who blaze with glory as Christ comes to the earth the are so selfish that they have decided to keep their second time. Happy are those who have this hope religion to themselves. They fail to realise that God's in their hearts today. arithmetic is not man's in the sense that, the more a Christian gives to others the more he is paid back. The major cause of squabbles and dissensions in our Churches today is that the members do not go out to win others to the fold. They, therefore, have time to sit down and relax, chat, think about unnecessary matters and find fault against their neigh- Christians & Christianity bours. The devil is actively engaged enlisting idle men into his army. By Japheth Agboka, Someone has said, "The Church is never a place, Student, Adventist College of West Africa but always a people; never a fold, but always a flock ; never a sacred building, but always a believing If there are some related topics that should assembly. The Church is you who pray, not where thoroughly be noted by Christians today, they should you pray." The Church is then an organized body that be Theology and Christian Religion. Many people moves in unison. The Church should be an army in confuse the meanings of these two terms. Whereas which all the Christian soldiers are active and disci- Theology is a science of God, religion is an art of pline is maintained. living. Theology and religion are bound together by In the old sam-buggy days in the United States a strong chord of brotherhood and thus they are when wagons, pulled by horses, were used in travell- mutually dependent upon each other. What then ing, passengers who were going places bought their is religion in the real spiritual sense? It is a life — first, second and third class tickets. Since the wagons the life that a man lives when he gets the awareness were not divided into classes, all the passengers that he owes a personal obligation to God his had to sit anywhere they liked. What made the Maker and as a result walks in right filial relation difference? During the course of the long journey, with Him. The Christian is convicted in his mind of as soon as the wagon came to a hill and the team God's nature, of His requirements, of His mercy of horses could no longer pull the wagon forward, and love. the third-class ticket-holders had to come down and Not all Theologians are Christians; for theology push. The second-class ticket-holders would walk by is just an intellectual understanding of the nature the side of the wagon and watch while the first-class of God. But when theology — a knowledge of God ticket holders would be riding unconcerned in the — is coupled with Christianity — an art of living wagon. If the Church is the wagon, what kind of a Christlike life, — a new man is born, not of flesh Christian are you? A first, second or third class and blood but of the Spirit of God. Christian? Dr. Augustus Hopkins Strong has said that: "Reli- The Apostle Paul admonishes us in Colossians 2: gion, in its essential idea, is a life in God, in 6-10 that, "As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus communion with God, and under the control of the the Lord, so walk ye in Him. Rooted and built up indwelling Spirit of God." When the Christian in Him, and established in the faith, as ye have places himself, submissively, under Christ, the Holy been taught abounding therein with thanksgiving. Spirit works through him and he knows the truth Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy which becomes the foundation of his faith that is after the rudiments of the world, and not after built on Christ. The Christian religion, therefore, is Christ. For in Him dwelleth all the fulness of the a spiritual experience based on the faith in God the Godhead bodily. Ye are complete in Him." Creator of the universe who is revealed through May God bless us as we strive to walk with Him. Page 2 WEST AFRICAN ADVENT MESSENGER Saved in a Humble Dispensary By Mrs. H. I. Watts Wife of the President of the Bougainville Mission, British Solomon Islands "What is that I hear?" above the bed, and a long plastic tube can save their "Think it is the wind, whining through the trees," girl. my husband replies. The mother is quietly crying by the head of her "Sounds like someone wailing — see, it is louder daughter's bed now and the father clasps the cold now !" Sure enough, the noise proves to be the strange, hand of his beloved girl in his own and his face eerie wailing, characteristic of the native in the South wears the anxious drawn look of one fearful and Pacific, and it is coming from a group of natives deeply worried. approaching our small "house-sik" (clinic) on the As I look from one to the other of the family, island of Bougainville in the Solomon Islands. Does my mind flies back to nursing in the homeland. Often it mean that help is needed, or is it too late? I had been by the bedside of a seriously ill patient "Dear God, we need your help. Please give us and been deeply moved by the anxiety and sorrow wisdom to know what to do and to be able to remain shown by the loved ones. Now, nursing under calm, whatever the emergency." much different conditions and among these primitive With this prayer on my lips and in my heart, Solomon Island people, I could see that their love I hasten across from our home to the humble little was just as deep and their anxiety just as real. two-roomed dispensary, which has to serve as out- As we wait for the steady "Drip-drip" to bring patients clinic, infant welfare clinic, obstetric hos- strength to the near lifeless body, we pray again.