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

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DIVINE ATTRACIIION Why sfand ye gazing up info heaven? This same Jesus, which is Taken up from you inTo heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go info heaven. AcTs l:l I. There are many aTTracTions Today calling for our affecfions, buT weias Chrisfians need To be looking unTo Jesus, The auThor and fin- isher of our faifh. lf ye Then be risen wiTh ChrisT, seek Those Thingslwhich are above, where Chrisf siTTeTh on The righT hand of God. Sef your affecfions on Things above, noT on Things on The earTh. Col. 3:l-2. Can we Trufhfully say .as PeTer said, To whom shall we go? Thouhasf The words of efernal life. John 6:68. And l, if l be liffed up from The earTh, will draw all men unTo me. John l2:32. ' ' We need To be confinually reminded of heavenly values in order To keep our eyes and mind upon our precious Saviour who has done so much for us. We owe our whole life To' I-lim. Wherefore, beloved, seeing ThaT ye look for such Things, be diligenf ThaT ye may be found of him in peace, wiThouT spoT, and blameless. ll PeTer 3:I4. I -Norman Reinford . i FELLOWSHIP As This word comes To our mind's eye, iT immediafely leaves a warm cosy feeling in our hearTs as we Think of some of The rich experiences we have had wiTh fellow Chris- Tians in The pasT. We may Think of a special Time when God spoke To us aT a service, which changed The course of our lives. Also, There may have been Times when we meT in small groups, wiTh special prayer concerns. Through which we were richly blessed. Again as we consider This word, we realize ThaT iT is derived from The words fellows in The same ship. Thinking Then of fellows in The same ship, we know ThaT They are headed for The same shore. ln case of a sTorm, They will all work TogeTher To reach ThaT shore safely. If The ship begins'To fill wiTh wafer, They will all faifhfully dip ouT The wafer, in order To avoid disasfer in The midsT of The sea. .This should Teach us a vivid spirifual lesson on Chrisfian Fellowship. As The Sforms of Life are raging, we encourage one anofher To con- Tinue in The sfruggles ThaT none mighT sink beneafh The waves. , , ln a more posiTive way, I-leb. I0:25 ad- monishes us noT To forsake The assembling of ourselves TogeTher as The manner of some is. buT exhorfing one anoTher. Whaf kind of ex- horTaTion do we receive in our assemblies? Heb. lO:24 has The answer, LeT us consider one anofher To provoke one anofher unTo love and good works. Before you wenT To a service. did you ever feel as Though somefhing was wrong, or ThaT perhaps you had cooled in your Chrisfian experience? Then during The service you received whaT you needed as a sTimulanT To provoke you To confinuein love, working for The masfer? I We also believe ThaT sinners have fellow- ship when They geT TogeTher, because They have common inTeresTs. They likewise enjoy one anoTher's company in fulfillingfheir lusTful desires. Paul, in Eph. 5:l I, Tells us as ChrisTians To have no fellowshi wiTh The unfruifful works of darkness, buT raflier reprove Them. ,-Clarence E. lvlarfin GREAT NEED or THE cl-lunci-I WiThouT any doubT we believe The greaTesT need of The Church Today is a company of separafed sainfs of God who will refuse To be swayed by The world's program or,iThe visible Church's aposfacy. No greafer blighf has ever beseT The Church of Jesus Chrisf Than The blighT of compromise and conformify To The world and iTs program. , , We are a redeemed people, a peculiar people, and an holy nafion. We are To shine as lighTs in The world and firmly refuse To bow before The gods of compromise and worldly sfandards. The line of difference befween The Church and The world has almosT been wiped ouT, and Those few of Chrisfls followers who dare To be differenf and refuse To go along wiTh The crowd are so small in number ThaT They are looked upon as odd and peculiar, and even fanafical and narrow-minded. IT does cosT somefhing To be differenf and separafe, buf iT is The only way which leads To'The highesT reward. The whole Bible pleads for a life and walk of separafion among believers. Wherefore come ouT from Them, and be ye separafe, saiTh The Lord, and Touch noT un- clean Things: and l will receive ou, and will be a Fafher unTo you, and ye shall be my sons and daughTers, saiTh The Lord AlmighTy. II Cor. 6:I7-l8.' A -LesTer Shirk 6

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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

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REMINISCENCE How 'rime flies! Already five years of Bible School are hisfory. Efernify will only reveal whaf has been acccomplished. Many young boys and girls have been challenged fo live a holy life. Many have dedicafed fheir lives fo serve God in a greafer capacify. Oh, how we wish we could say fhey are all living for fhe Lord, buf we know of some fhaf have fallen prey fo our enemy fhe devil, and are living in sin. We do reioice when we see fhose who have been fo Numidia Bible School and are sfill faifhful fo God and fhe church. I chal- lenge each one who reads fhese lines fo pray for fhose who are faifhful, fhaf fhey may re- main, buf especially for fhose sfudenfs whom we know are living in sin. lf we pray earnesfly God will surely answer in due fime. The effecfual fervenf prayer of a righfeous man availefh much. James 5:l7b. -Aaron Weaver SPIRITUAL FRUIT The word fruif in fhe New Tesfamenf is commonly used 'ro describe fhe resulfs fhaf are produced by a Spirif-filled life. The word fruif also presupposes life. Fruif-bearing is a process 'rhaf fakes place only in 'rhe realm of life. In Galafions 5:I9 'rhe aposfle Paul, in re- ferring fo fhe resulfs manifesfed by one who is spirifually dead, labels fhem as fhe works of The flesh. Following fhis in verse 22 he uses one word fo label fhe fruif wifh which a Spirif filled life is laden. He says fhe fruif of fhe Spirif is love. Then he uses eighf words fo describe and clarify 'rhe meaning of love. I. Joy-fhe consciousness of love. 2. Peace-confidence of love , 3. Longsuffering-habif of love 4. Genfleness-fhe manner of love 5. Goodness-fhe acfion of love 6. Faifh-fhe vision of love 7. Meekness-fhe fone of love 8. Temperance-fhe law of love In John I5 we read abouf fhree yields of fruif. I. No fruif. 2. Much fruif. 3. More fruif. Which of fhese yields characferizes our fruif-bearing? ls my life and your life more heavily laden wifh fhe fruif of fhe Spirif 'rhan if was lasf season? -Donald E. Nolf 7 AMBASSADORS FOR CHRIST Fellow sfrangers and pilgrims, do you know fhaf you have a very high calling fo fulfill dur- ing your sfay in fhis world? The Lord has com- missioned you fo be an ambassador. Lef's iusf pause for a momenf and fake a glimpse af fhls high office in fhe world governmenf sysfem. An ambassador is a person commisisoned by fhe ruler of his own nafion fo live in a foreign counfry, and fhere fo faifhfully represenf and promofe his home counfry. In orderfor his service fo be successful he may nof gef in- volved in 'rhe affairs of 'rhe counfry he is visif- ing, buf endeavor fo live a peaceful and blame- less life. This gives us a picfure of our greaf calling. Our cifizenship is in heaven. God, our greaf ruler, has commissioned us fo sfay in 'rhis for- eign counfry fo represenf and promofe our home counfry, which is heaven. By God's grace and power, may we keep ourselves unfangled from fhese earfhly fhings and live peaceably wifh all men, as much as is possible, and hereby faifhfully fulfill our honorable calling. -Leighfon Marfin GOD IN THE FLESH ln fhe beginning was fhe Word, . . . and fhe Word was made flesh. l do nof infend fo plumb fhe depfhs of fhe incarnafion, buf would like fo call affenfion fo fhe 'rerms John uses fo describe whaf he saw in Jesus. God had in fhe pasf been preparing fhe way for fhe Saviour fo come info fhe world. To finife minds His sfeps were painsfakingly slow. Buf fhe fime came in God's plan when fhere broke upon 'rhe world fhe flash of lighf we call 'rhe incarnafion. John says, And we beheld- his glory. Whaf did John see? He saw fhe only begoffen of fhe Fafher, full of grace and frufh. As we observe Jesus in his minisfry, as we see him dealing wifh individuals we are conscious of all fhe facfs abouf God, full of grace and frufh. Grace speaks of fhe greaf love fhaf mofi- vafed God in his work of redempfion. Trufh describes God as a God of iusfice and holi- ness. lf speaks fo us of a God whose lighf of frufh exposes all fhe works of darkness. Jesus came fo declare fhe Fafher whom' no one had ever seen. And we beheld his glory, full of grace and frufh. -Harold Good