Numidia Mennonite Bible School - Reflector Yearbook (Numidia, PA)

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FACULTY EVE.N UNTO DEATH? In fhe sfudyof church hisfory I am chal- lenged repeafedly wifh fhe willingness of sainfs fo make fhe supreme sacrifice of fheir lives for fhe cause of Chrisf and His Church. In fhinking of fhe courage of 'rhese noble marfyrs, I cannof help buf wonder whaf fhe reacfion of our generafion would be foward- persecufion such as fhe faced. Would we as a group be of such caliber as fo counf fhe faifh more precious fhan our very lives? I believe fhe answer fo fhis quesfion is found in how we are sfanding for fhe faifh righl' now. The person who is willing fo sfand for whaf is righf, even in fhe face of opposifion from friends and relafives, is showing fhe same moral fiber fhaf leads one even fo deafh for fhe cause, if fhaf is required. The person who adapfs fo fhe parficular group he is wifh af fhe momenf, yef claims fo have a fesfimony when wifh -6od's people, will be fhe very one 'ro deny 'rhe faifh when fhe heaf is applied. I believe Bible School is a means God is using fo build up our young people fo give a faifhful fesfimony for His name, even unfo deafh, if need be. I believe 'rhis because I seelfolks going from here and sfanding for whaf is righf regardless of fhe opposifion fhey are facing. , May we all defermine by God's grace fo be all Hewanfs us fo be in fhis generafion. regardless of 'rhe cosf. -Glenn lvl. Sensenig , lT'S RISKY If's foo risky fo eal' food and drink wafer. I mighf swallow some poison. If is foo risky fo drive a car on fhe highway, I mighf have an accidenf. If's foo risky fo have a iob, I mighf nof do my work righf, efc., efc. Such is foolish reasoning, we all agree. Buf such reasoning is employed in more imporfanf areas of life. Some do nof wanf fo become a Chrisfian for fear fhey cannof hold ouf fo fhe end. Some do nof 'resfify for fhe Lord lesf fhey do if wrongly, buf if's worse nof fo say anyfhing. Some will nof affend Bible Schoo. lesf fhey discover a needed change in fheir life. If's a risk fo expose one's life fo infensi- MESSAGES fied Bible sfudy and a Biblical fellowship if we do nof wanf fo change. However, if is impossible 'ro face 'rhez re- sponsibilify relafed 'ro fime or efernify wifhouf a risk. By avoiding 'rhe risk we become con- quered. In essence. such-are saying our Lord is a hard man, reaping where He has noi' sown, gafhering where He has nof sfrawed, and likewise incur God's iudgmenl' according- ly. lvlaffhew 25:24-30. God's remedy for risk is revenue or ready refurns. The Efhiopian eunuch who exposed himself fo fhe Bible, wifh Philip as his feacher, became disfurbed, confused, and his normal pursuif of fravel was inferrupfed. He yielded himself fo aufhorify over him as symbolized by fhe rife of wafer bapfism. Buf God's rev- enue for him was a clearing of his m-ind-no longer in confusion or disfurbance+buf ioy in his hearf and fravelling on his way reioicing. The kingdom of God- is nof meaf and drink: buf righfeousness, and peace. and ioy in fhe HoIy,Ghosf. Romans l4:I7. To have peace and ioy is a giff from God fhaf can only be experienced and never fully explained. If may mean changing iobs, clofhing, hair arrangemenf, cars, companions, efc. Yes, if is risky fo be exposed fo fhe Gospel if we we have our mind made up nof fo change, buf if is foo risky nof fo fake fhis risk. -Isaac K. Sensenig SECRETS-REVEALED , Somefimes we wish we would know iusf which da Jesus will come for us. Then by faifh we hear Him say, I+ is nol' for you 'I'o know 'rhe fimes or fhe seasons which fhe Fafher hafh puf in his own power, lAcfs I:7l. We also wonder why fhe Aposfle John was nof fo wrife whaf fhe seven fhunders uffered, and fhen we hear again, fhe secref fhings belong unfo fhe Lord our God. lDeuf. 29:29l. Buf Jesus came and Ieff us, his friends, in on all fhe secrefs fhaf fhe Fafher fold him. Nof only 'rhe fhings 'rhaf had been kepf secref since 'rhe world began, buf also fhe fhings of fhe fufure which are for us and for our children 'ro know. A special blessing is given fo fhose who read- and who hear and who keep fhe revealed fhings. -Oliver M. Keener 4

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ous world abouf us, fhus causing us fo come shorf of -Gods gracious promise of enfering info fhaf glorious resf provided for all fhose fhaf love Him and keep His commandmenfs. Lef us confinually sfrengfhen each ofher by praying for each ofher. -Benjamin C. Eshbach REJOICE EVERMORE In everyfhing give fhanks: for fhis is fhe will of God in Chrisf Jesus concerning you. I Thess. 5:I8. lf we reallybelieve fhe verse in Rom. 8:I8, fhis isn'f so hard fo do. And we know fhaf all fhings work fogefher for good fo fhem fhaf love God, fo fhem who are fhe called accord- ing fo His purpose. This promise is fo 6od's called ouf ones. If we remember fhaf God wishes us fo be happy even more fhan we do ourselves, we realize fhaf fhe hard fhings are permiffed in our lives fo burn ouf fhe dross so we mighf shine as gold. Neifher murmur ye. as some of fhem also murmured, and were desfroyed of fhe de- sfroyer. I Cor. I0:l0. And why shouIdn'f we be ioyful, when our sins are forgiven, when we have fhe promise fhaf he will be wifh us fo fhe end, and is pre- paring a home in heaven for us? We are ungrafeful fo complain abouf cir- cumsfances when God gives everyfhing good, and confrols all evil. ' And fhe very God of peace sancfify you wholly: and I pray God your whole spirif and soul and body be preserved blameless unfo 'ghggcoming of our Lord Jesus Christ I Thess. -Anna W. Eshbach JESUS TEACHING ON DISCIPLESHIP Jesus made if abundanfly plain fhaf a greaf deal is involved in becoming a Chrisfian. To many people if mighf appear fhaf Jesus made fhe way of discipleship foo difficulf, and fhaf He appeared fo be pushing people away 3 from Him when fhey showed inferesf in Him and His message. This is, of course, nof frue, buf if is frue fhaf He said some very shocking fhings. When fhe mulfifude followed Him, according fo Luke I4, He furned fo fhem and said, You cannof be my disciples. Whaf a surprise if musf have been fo fhe mulfifude fhaf day when fhey heard Him speaking abouf haf- ing fheir parenfs, brofhers and sisfers and 'rheir own lives also if fhey would be His disciples, and whosoever he be of you fhaf forsakefh nof all fhaf he hafh, he cannof be my disciple. Jesus is requiring an undivided Ioyalfy in order fo be a disciple of His. Jesus makes if plain 'rhaf fhere are deep-seafed and far-reach- ing implicafions in discipleship. He makes if very clear fhaf wifhouf faifhful obedience we are non of His. He also makes if clear fhaf discipleship cufs deeply info fhe individual's life, and inferferes radically wifh his former habifs and way of life, and involves recognifion of fhe Iv1asfer's lordship in all of life. -Paul H. Ebersole INFLUENCE Drop a pebble in fhe wafer, Jusf a splash and if is gone, Buf fhere's half a hundred ripples Oufward circling, on and on. Ever wider fhey are spreading, Till fhey pass beyond your sighf, So do words and acfions ever Spread in waves of wrong or righf. Soul fo soul fhe influence passes, Oufward widening evermore, Oh, whaf recordfrhey deliver On fhe greaf efernal shore. Some do nof seem fo realize fhaf fheir con- ducf and conversafion may and do influence ofhers for good or for evil. - All have an influence for good or for evil upon fhose wifh whom fhey are associafed. which nof only fends fo enhance or hinder fheir happiness and usefulness in fhis life buf involves fhe mosf serious consequences imaginable,- even fhaf of efernal desfiny. -Luella H. Ebersole

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MAKING STRAIGHT PATHS ln Heb. I2, The aposfle calls us fo a life of holiness of Chrisf Jesus our Lord. The reason here sfafed is so fhaf we have a sfraighf pafh for our feef and af fhe same fime be an influence fo help fhe weak and fhe lame around us fo fhe sfraighf pafh. There are a number of fhings we need fo do fo keep in fhe sfraighf pafh. We need fo lay aside every weighf and fhe sin which so easily besefs us. We may nof despise fhe chasfening of fhe Lord as He endeavors fo direcf our sfeps, and be always ready fo re- ceive fhe confradicfion of sinners gracefully. The feeble knees and drooping hands fhe aposfle falks abouf are somefimes caused by fhe aposfafe condifions around us, which have a fendency fo make us weak in fhe faifh. An- ofher confribufing facfor is fhe lack of real Holy Ghosf Bible feaching and scripfural dis- 'cipline. Here af Numidia, we face fhe consfanf challenge of indocfrinafion, according fo sound docfrine, fhereby creafing a fellowship fhaf is fhe means of provoking ofhers fo also build on fhis good foundafion of fhe aposfles and proph- efs, Jesus Chrisf fhe chief corner sfone. May we all rise 'ro fhe challenge fo liff fhe hands fhaf hang down, sfrengfhen 'rhe feeble knees, and make sfraighf pafhs for our feef. -Sidney Gingrich POTENTIAL 'Pofenfial is a word we frequenfly use in our everyday vocabulary, as well as in relig- ious discussion. If means fhaf a fhing is exisfing in possibilify. Since all humans are free moral agenfs, and we all have, fo some degree, fhe privilege of choice, we may fhen say fhaf a good many fhings are exisfing in possibilify . Jes-us saw in fhe rich young ruler some fhings exisfing in possibilify, and He loved him and proceeded fo insfrucf him how fhose possibilifies could become realify. When fhe young man failed- fo respond as he should have, Jesus longingly looked affer him, unable fo bless as He would have desired fo bless him. Jesus saw in Judas somefhing exisfing in possibilify , and He warned him again and again unfil fhaf which exisfed in possibilify became a biffer realify, and Judas was losf fo fhe cause and for efernify because he chose fo be fhis way. 5 Pefer had pofenfial for good or evil, and because he fook His Masfer's proddings and 'reachings fo hearf, be became a mighfy power in realify, in furning away many fo righfeous- ness. As one looks over a class of young people and sees fhe fremendous pofenfial for good or bad, we can only liff our face and hands heavenward in earnesf pefifion for wisdom fo guide and influence fhese young people arighf. ' Associafed wifh possibilify comes a greaf responsibilify. My prayer is fhaf fhe young feef may be guided sfraighf, wifh goals sef high fhaf we mighf affain unfo a glorious resurrecfion and efernify. -Jesse Neuenschwander THE BEAUTY OF A HOLY LIFE - The Bible sfandard of beaufy and fhe world's sfandard of beaufy are surely exfreme opposifes. The world's sense of beaufy is abominable in fhe sighf of God. We see many who are benf on following fhe fad-s and fashions of fhis sin blinded sociefy. The un- dressing and overdressing of fhe body, deck- ing fhe body wifh all sorfs of jewels, ornamenfs, and painf, ouflandish hair-do's, as well as un- kempf hair on bofh men and women becomes repulsive even fo fhe non-Chrisfian. The Bible says, The way of fhe wicked is an abominafion unfo fhe Lord. Lef us look af fhe Bible sfandard of beaufy. Women are fo adorn fhemselves in modesf apparel having fheir bodies covered, so as nof 'ro make a display of fhemselves fo draw fhe affenfion of men. To have fhe spirif of Hshamefacedness and sobriefy ,, and as Pefer says, fha ornamenf of a meek and quief spirif, which is in fhe sighf of God of greaf price is becoming fo women professing godliness. Likewise, men are fo be busy praying everywhere, liffing up holy hands, wifhouf wrafh and doubfingf' Lives fhaf have been cleansed from sin by faifh in fhe shed blood of Jesus Chrisf, busy doing good deeds for fhe spirifual well being of ofhers, bring honor and glory fo fhe -God of heaven. Lef us endeavor by His help and grace fo give our bodies a living sacrifice, holy, ac- cepfable unfo God , for fhis is only our reasonable service. The Bible says, fhe Lord lovefh him fhaf followefh affer righfeousnessf' -John Wile