Olivet Nazarene University Digital Commons @ Olivet Herald of Holiness/Holiness Today Church of the Nazarene 1-29-1969 Herald of Holiness Volume 58, Number 05 W. T. Purkiser (Editor) Nazarene Publishing House Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.olivet.edu/cotn_hoh Part of the Christian Denominations and Sects Commons, Christianity Commons, History of Christianity Commons, Missions and World Christianity Commons, and the Practical Theology Commons Recommended Citation Purkiser, W. T. (Editor), "Herald of Holiness Volume 58, Number 05" (1969). Herald of Holiness/Holiness Today. 1601. https://digitalcommons.olivet.edu/cotn_hoh/1601 This Journal Issue is brought to you for free and open access by the Church of the Nazarene at Digital Commons @ Olivet. It has been accepted for inclusion in Herald of Holiness/Holiness Today by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ Olivet. For more information, please contact [email protected]. January 29, 1969 Alive unto God-Through His Word (See page 3.) OF HOLINESS General Superintendent I Stowe I Bridging the Generation GAP Youth week—1969. Executive Secretary Paul it. However our generation As the spotlight is focused Skiles, Conquest Editor Paul has advertised it and dis­ on the younger generation, Miller, the General NYPS played it all out of propor­ Council, and hundreds of we must confess that it is tion and has led young youth leaders across the people to believe that in­ much easier to talk about church are doing an in­ hibition is dangerous, when them than to them. The creasingly effective job of just the opposite is true. boys’ long hair and the girls’ involving teen-agers and Youth Week—1969; a time short skirts get their share young adults in the life and for the older generation to of attention all the way ministry of the church. realize that the greatest ser­ from the principal’s office But Youth Week is also vice which we may render to the pulpit (and this is an opportune time for par­ to our children is to give not out of order!), but how ents to give attention to them Christ . much gets through to them bridging the generation gap. ... the Christ who really is questionable. This isn’t easy. Some are understands them be­ Among other things, prone to give up. Others cause He was exposed Youth Week demonstrates are ready to give in. We to the same basic teen­ a sincere effort by the can’t afford to do either. age temptations which church to build a bridge Too much of both our they face; across this generation gap. present and our future is ... the Christ who recog­ This is nothing new. The wrapped up in our bewil­ nized parental author­ Church of the Nazarene has dering and bewildered off­ ity, for the Scripture been working at this task spring. Some of their says, “... he went home from its inception. Long be­ problems are self-induced. with them to Naza­ fore the Nazarene Young Some are the by-products reth and was obedient People’s Society came into of their times. Eutychus put to them” (Luke 2:51, being, the Society of St. it this way: “The trouble Phillips). Stephen and Company E with American youth is ... the Christ who loves were functioning as youth overindulgence of unripe them in spite of their organizations in Dr. P. F. instincts” (Christianity To­ customs and costumes Bresee’s “Mother Church” day, July 22, 1966). Will and promises to give in Los Angeles. This con­ Durant, one of the great them happy, satisfying, cern to communicate with philosophers of our day, eternal life as they fol­ and through our younger documents this truth. He low Him. generation climaxed at the comments that sex, the sec­ Yes, in Christ the young last General Assembly in ond strongest instinct, was and older find common the creation of a Depart­ played down by our fore­ ground. He alone can suc­ ment of Youth, which gives fathers, who recognized the cessfully bridge the genera­ this emphasis full stature. danger in overemphasizing tion gap. □ • By Jim Bond Nampa, Idaho ALIVE UNTO GOD - Through His Word Rev. Jim Bond is general president of the Nazarene Young People's Society and pastor of Nampa (Idaho) College Church The world’s most unread best­ so that they might be read and un­ spiritual insight: it does not wait seller—that’s the Bible. No derstood, not only by Scots and on the acquisition of historical un­ other book can compare in Irishmen, but also by Saracens and derstanding, much though that is circulation. In a recent year, over Turks. To make them understand to be prized as an adjunct of spirit­ 8 million Bibles and almost 7 mil­ is surely the first step.” ual insight.” lion New Testaments were sold in Erasmus’ dream was eventually The truth is that the message of America. At least one Bible can realized. The results were aston­ Scripture is addressed to every be found in each of the majority of ishing. When the Scriptures, so man. It is God’s personal letter to the Protestant homes in North long read only by those who knew you. He intends that you should America. Hebrew, Greek, and Latin, were understand it. I However, it does not necessarily put into the hands of the ordinary Knowledge of the Bible never follow that the Bible is in everyday man, the greatest revival since comes by intuition; it comes by use or its contents well-known Pentecost was ignited. hard, regular, attentive reading. If simply because there are millions you don’t understand at the first of copies in circulation. In a recent To Study the Word reading, read it again—and again! poll, over 80 percent of those can­ Read it with an open heart and re­ vassed said they believed the Bi­ Is it possible that we are revert­ ceptive mind. Read it daily, sys­ ble to be the “revealed Word of ing back to those undesirable pre- tematically, and devotionally. Read God,” not merely a “great piece Reformation days? Too often these it and walk in its light. Read it un­ of literature.” Yet when asked to days the common man complains til your memory is stored with ■jive the names of the first four that he cannot understand the its sacred thoughts. Read it un­ books of the New Testament, 50 Scriptures. Increasingly, we are til you exclaim with Luther, “My I percent could not name even one. subtly being convinced that the conscience is captive to the Word I The Bible contains and is the Bible is a Book for the experts and of God.” Word of God, but it has no chance biblical study is a branch of tech­ to become the Word of God to the nology. The common man has been Guidance for Life ‘individual unless he pores over it. intimidated and led to believe that Read it and come alive unto That is why it must be read by he cannot understand nor properly God! Several years ago a young everyone. interpret the Bible because he does Cornell student was contemplating I This is why the Reformers of the not have all the facts at his dis­ what to do with his life upon grad­ [sixteenth century were so anxious posal. uation from college. He was very to put the Bible into the hands of Now it is quite true that histori­ conscientious, but confused about the people and in their own lan­ cal understanding and knowledge how he could best invest his life. guage. They wanted the people to of the original languages will add One day while walking across the read the Word of God for them­ new dimensions to one’s Bible campus, he happened by the chap­ selves. reading. It is also true that the el. He stopped for a moment to ■ Erasmus wrote: “I wish that great lessons of Scripture are listen. He heard a Bible text be­ even the weakest woman should spiritually discerned by faith. ing quoted: “Seekest thou great ■read the Gospels, should read the Philip Edgcumbe Hughes has things for thyself? seek them not” Epistles of Paul. And I wish these correctly stated: “Apprehension of (Jeremiah 45:5). were translated into all languages, the message of Scripture requires These words, centuries old. JANUARY 29, 1969 • 3 struck the young man with the curely to I John 1:7. Then came force of an atomic blast. Suddenly the instant reality of a heart he realized that he had been seek­ made pure. ing some way to make himself Amidst much spiritual sham and great. He had been dead to God pretense, we must reaffirm our and divine purpose for his life. faith in the Bible as the Door to Now, moved by the Word of spiritual reality. We can know God, he snapped to attention, com­ that our sins are forgiven because mitted himself completely to God’s message to the sinner is Christ, and became the best known clear: “If we confess our sins, he Christian layman of his generation. is faithful and just to forgive us A Warning to Youth As an outstanding YMCA and mis­ our sins . (I John 1:9). elshazzar had had many sionary leader, he was awarded By meeting the conditions of warnings before the fateful confessing, which certainly in­ the Nobel peace prize. Bhour came. He knew how his This was none other than John cludes renouncing and forsaking, father had lived, and how God R. Mott, world-famous missionary. one can know that his sins are for­ had dealt with him.