Steinbach Bible Institute - Star Yearbook (Steinbach, Manitoba Canada)

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MR. EDWARD REIMER DEAN GEOGRAPHY X, ENGLISH, NOVEL AND COMPOSITION The Garden of Youth Youth, with its freshness, beauty, and charm, is indeed very much like a garden. What k ' ind of a garden would you like your youth to be? No garden is complete without a few flower beds. As we plan our gardens let us be sure to give the “Lily of the Valley,” the symbol of the purity of Christ, a very prominent place. The fragrance of the “Rose of Sharon” (the beauty of Christ) Should emanate from our lives. Every garden has at least one or two paths, often winding and wide. But the paths in the garden of our youth must be “straight” (Heb. 12:13) and “narrow” if we want our lives to be successful, if we want God to be our Guide. The paths must be paved with cobble-stones of “righte¬ ousness”. (Psalm 23:3). A garden is not only a place of loveli¬ ness, but also a place of quietness, a place of peace and rest, a place of refuge. The most important place in our garden is a bower, covered by the luxuriant foliage of a broad-leaved vine, in the cool shade of which we can daily withdraw from the ac¬ tivities of the day and the heat of the sun, for a time of refreshing, alone with the Master Gardener. In the fertile soil of youth, weeds will flourish in profusion if given half a chance; hence, be diligent, be viligant young man, young woman, lest “youthful lusts” (11 Tim. 2:22) sprout a “root of bitterness” (Heb. 12:15) and grow into a “gall of bit¬ terness” (Acts 8:23) that may ruin your own life as well as the l ' ives of others for time and eternity. Watch those weeds! The Master Gardener’s Guide Book is ever at your disposal. Do not neglect it. Never! A garden is not merely a luxury, how¬ ever. It is more than a place of loveliness, and a place of quietness. A garden, to be complete, must have a practical function. Even so, youth has a practical function in the Kingdom of God. Youth is the ‘ideal time to bring forth fruit for the Master. (1 Tim. 4:12) In fact, Christian youth be¬ comes a full experience only as it is lived for Christ and others. “And if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul . . . thou shalt be like a watered garden . . .” (Isa. 58:10,11). With the coming of autumn the flowers fade, wilt, and are gone; the stems wither and die; only bouquets picked for others and the fruit garnered in the granaries of heaven will retain fragrance and beauty for all eternity. Edward Reimer Believe the Bible “Great peace have they which love thy law; and nothing shall offend them.” Psa. 119:165. There are some who believe the Bible, And some who believe in part, And some who trust with a reservation, And some with all their heart. But I know that its every promise Is firm and true always; It is tried as the precious silver, And it means just what it says. It ‘is strange we trust each other And only doubt our Lord; We will take the word of mortals, And yet distruct His word; But, oh, what light and glory Would shine o’er all our days If we always would remember That He means just what He says. Rev. A. B. Simpson, D. D. 11

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REV. BEN HOEPPNER Gebet und Mission “Bettet fur uns und fur das Werk!” so und mit ahnlichen Worten bitten die Mis- sionare. Solche Fiirbitte wird gewiinscht, weil da ein Verhaltnis des Gebets zur Wor-t- verkiindigung ist. Dass so ein Verhaltnis vorhanden ist, zeigt das ird ' ische Leben des Herm Jesu. Sogleich als er seine offentliche Arbeit an- trat, fastete er vierzig Tage. Wenn es gait, seine Jiinger zu wahlen, betete er durch die Nacht. Soil 1 ten die Jiinger den Mission- sinn haben, sagte er ihnen: “Bittet den Herrn der Ernte, dass er Anbeiter aussen- de in seine Ernte.” Er nahm si Oh die Zeit, um die Jiinger Beten zu lehren. We ' iter betete er fiir Petrus, i.e. fiir den Einzelnen. Er betete ehe er seinen letzen Leiden be- gegnete. Besonders heftig flehte er in Ge- thsemane, wo r Blut schwitzte, und am Kreuz, wo er fiir uns starb. Er vergass, auch nieht die Danksagung nach der Erhorung. Wahrend er hier auf Erden war, war das Gebet fiir ihn stets das Vorangehende, das Begleitende und das Folgende seiner Mis¬ sion. Die wiohtige Beziehung des Gebets zur Mission sieht man besonders auch in Chri- sti Auferstehungsleben. Als Hoherpriester zur Rechten des Vaters debt er immerdar, um fiir die Seinen zu beten. Denkt euch — bestandig durch die Jahrhunderte betet er. Uns bleibt hier der Gedanke vor Verwunde- rung und Anbetung stehen. Warum muss er, der Sehopfer, der Herr imd Gott, bestan¬ dig beten? Wir konnen es nieht begreifen. Es wird uns aber verstandlicher, dass das Gebet und die Mission unaufloslioh ver- bunden sind. Die nahe Verbindung des Gebets zur Mis¬ sion wurde genau von der apostolischen Ge- meinde beachtet. Nach dem der Herr ihnen den Missionsbefehl gegeben hatte und gen GERMAN. PRAYER, OLD TESTAMENT, SYNTHESIS, HOMILETICS, CULTS, HISTORY. ENGLISH Himmel gefahren war, hielten sie sich in Jerusalem auf, um einherzig und einmiitig zu beten. Nach der Ausgiessung fingen die Jiinger mit der Mission an — dooh nieht ohne Gebet. Es war, als sie zum Gebet gingen, da Johannes und Petrus den Lahmen heilten und dem Volk das Heil predigten. Es war durch das Gebet der Gemeinde, dass sie mit Freudigkeit anhielten das Wort zu pred ' igen. Ails die Klage wegen der Armen- pflege aufkam, sagten die Apostel: “Sehet . . . naoh . . . Manner . . . Wir aber wollen anhalten am Gebet und am Amt des Worts.” Beachten wir, sie stellten das Ge¬ bet vor die Mission. Dasselbe sehen wir in Apg. 13:1-3. Hier waren die Lehrer zu- sammen mit Fasten und Beten, ehe Barna¬ bas und Paulus vom Heiligen Geist in die Heidenmission gesandt wurden. Epaphras rang mit Gebeten und Flehen fiir die Ge- me ' inde. Auch Paulus Jjrauchte das Gebet in der Mission. Folglich bat er: “Betet . . . fiir mich, auf dass mir gegeben werde das Wort mit freudigem Auf tun meines Mun- des, dass ich moge kundmachen das Ge- heimnis des Evangeliums.” Die erste Ge¬ meinde erkannte die naihe Beziehimg des Gebets zur Mission. Diese Gebetserkenntnis hatten auch die Reformatoren und die Missionare der Kir- ohengeschichte. John Knox flehte: “Gott, gib mir Schottland, sonst sterbe ich.” So waren auch Schwarz, William Carey, Brain- er, Hyden, alle Manner des inbriinsbigen Gebets. Hyden bat um die Errettung zehn Seelen an e ' inem Tage. Der Herr erhorte. So geht das intime Verhaltnis des Gebets zur Mission durch die erfolgreiche Missions- geschichte. Wie wichtig auch das Gebet in der Mis¬ sion ist, so ist es doch nieht der Ersatz der Wortverkundigung. Wenn Gott einen ins Missionsfeld ruft, muss man gehen. Daheim bleiben und beten wiirde nieht zureichen. “Gehorsam ist besser als Opfer.” Angesichts der Beziehung des Gebets zur Mission freuen wir uns fiir die Gelegen- heiten des Gebets in dem Institut. Einmal diirfen wir taglich in dem Andachtssaal ge- meinsohaftlich beten. Auch diirfen wir jede Kiasse mit Gebet beginnen. Zu dem hat man Zeit fiir das Gebet im Kammerlein. Schliesslich haben wir das Fach des Ge¬ bets auf dem Sichulprogramm. Das Ziel hierin ist: “Herr, lehre uns beten!” “Herr, hilf uns das richtige Verhaltnis des Gebets zur Mission zu erfahren!” Ben Hoeppner 10

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REV. ARCHIE PENNER THEOLOGY, GREEK, EXEGESIS, ANABAPTIST AND CHURCH HISTORY Because these things are fact, there ex¬ ists the basic need of man for an inner and outer regeneration. This, thank God, is the very purpose of Christ’s death and God’s demand of repentance and faith; is¬ suing in personal regeneration. A. F. Fenner God is JVhat We Make Him The statement in this title may seem somewhat shocking to some of us. Indeed, it is not a true statement when considered from the standpoint of What or Who God is in himself. God is the unchangeable, eter¬ nal, all-knowing, all-wise and all-power¬ ful God. He is immutable in His love, in His righteousness and ‘in His justice. No power can change Him. However, this statement — God is what you make Him — is completely true when looked at from man’s side and his response to God. The type and measure of our obedience, as well as our decisions and surrender — or the absence of these — are that which makes God what He is to us. A story is told of a schoolboy who was asked what he thought God was like. He replied ' that as far as he could make out God was the sort of person who ' is always snooping around to see if anyone is en¬ joying himself and then trying to stop it. This was what he made of God for him¬ self. Contrast this with a testimony from one who in humble faith walks with his Saviour. If you would ask th ' is Christian what he thought God was like, he would, no doubt, answer that God is a person who knows all things best. He knows What is best for him and in His great concern He is at his side, ever guarding jealously over him for God’s glory and his good. God has created man in His own image. But now man ' in his unbelief is returning the compliment and is creating gods in his own image. This is so dramatically stated by Paul in Romans, chaper one. It is also clearly written across the pages of human history. The Refiners Fire He sat by the fire of seven-fold heat, As He watched by the precious ore, And closer He bent with a searching gaze As He heated it more and more. He knew He had ore that could stand the test, And He wanted the finest gold To mould as a crown for the King to wear, Set with gems of a price untold. So He laid our gold in the burning fire, Though we fain would have said Him “Nay.” And He watched the dross that we had not seen, And it melted and passed away. And the gold grew brighter and yet more bright, But our eyes were dim with tears, We saw but the fire — not the Master’s hand, And questioned with anxious fears. Yet our gold shone out w ' ith a richer glow, As it mirrored a Form above, That bent o’er the fire, though unseen by us, With a look of ineffable love. Can we think that it pleased His loving heart To cause us a moment’s pain ? Ah, no! but He sees through -the present cross The bliss of eternal gain. So He waited there with a watchful eye, With a love that is strong and sure, And His gold did not suffer a bit more heat, Than was needed to make it pure. 12