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

Page 15 text:

Far from the maddening crowd. . . . . isolated, removed, just by our comfortable selves, we once more this year developed a small society of our own. Our activities took up most of our waking hours, occupied most of thought patterns in one way or another, limited our contacts with people mostly to our fellow-students and teachers. We chose this recessed environment for study, for work, for spiritual and academic development. Many a dagger has been hurled at the private school because of this apparent attempt of removing students and teachers from the maddening crowd and placing them in an ivory tower where reality or the real world is non-existent, and an illusory, idealistic world is created, only to become obsolete the moment we are again in the real world. Whatever the charges are, we, who are connected with this school are quick to rise to the defence. The students did not come here to be brain¬ washed. The school does not exist to produce social misfits (that can be accomplished more effectively by less painful means.) The teachers did not look for a cloister when they accepted positions here. None of us openly claim to be hermits. On the other hand, a continuous effort is made to meet the public, to face reality in the various avenues of practical work, to analyze the outside situation, and to take issue with it. The entire purpose of this school is and shall remain, to train and equip men and women to more effectively fulfill our Lord ' s commandment of preaching the gospel of repentance and peace to all, whether through the means of teaching in the schools of our province, through the means of nurs¬ ing, through the means of any other profession or work. Henry K. Friesen And can it be that I should gain An interest in the Saviour’s blood? Died He for me, who caused His pain? For me, who Him to death pursued? Amazing love! how can it be That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me. The unfathomable love of God for me, a love that gives without demanding anything in return, is my daily experience. As I contemplate the love of God I realize that His love is real because it result¬ ed in action: God SENT His Son; the Son DIED on the cross and ROSE for our redemption and eternal life; the Son intercedes on our behalf at the Father ' s side. Amazing love! My only legitimate response to God ' s love is, again, love in action. First I am commanded to love God with all my soul, strength, and mind: then follows the command to love my neighbour as I love myself. This love becomes concrete in the time, the consideration, and the help I am willing to give. O Love that wilt not let me go I rest my weary soul in Thee. I give Thee back the life I owe That in Thine ocean depths its flow may richer, fuller, be. Doreen Reimer

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The way Christ and His disciples constituted a school of teaching, witnes sing, and prayer (Lk. ll:lf), so must the SBI if they are to fulfill the God- appointed task. Exactly what is essential in order to be a successful school of prayer? Let a twofold answer suffice here. 1) A proper God-consciousness is needed. When the individual is conscious of the omnipotence of God, he will exercise implicit trust--a trust which enables God to work unrestrictedly (Mt. 21:22). When the individual is keenly aware of the omnis¬ cience of God, he will not doubt His wisdom--a wisdom which is essential for a total acceptance of His will in all relationships (Rom. ll:33f). When the individual is persuaded of the omnipresence of God, he may face the problems of life resolutely (Mt. 28;18f). When the individual is aware of the absolute holiness of God, he will exercise the proper awe and fear, which is due to the Creator of the heavens and the earth (Isa. 6 : lf). When the individual realizes the greatness of the priest¬ hood of Christ, he will have a joyful confidence in approaching Him (Heb. 4:15,16). 2) A proper concept of satisfaction is needed. David says, If I regard iniquity in my heart, the kLord will not hear me (Ps. 66:18). John adds, ■ Whatsoever we ask, we receive of him because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight (1 John 3:22). Let us as a Bible Institute seek to get and main¬ tain a proper God-consciousness and a proper life of holiness. God’s design for the Institute will then be executed. IV rvV M ' In the past year I have had a growing concern for our expression of the great commission. There is no question concerning the universality and the relevancy of this Word to the Church in each age. It is, however, in applying this truth that a question arises. The commission says that we are to go into all the world and make disciples of all nations, to teach them to observe all things and to baptize them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost. There is a threefold task in this commission. The three are make disciples , teach them to observe , and to baptize . That is, the mission of the Church is a comprehensive program. This raises the concern I referred to. The com¬ mission as well as the rest of the New Testament teach a total personal involvement of each Christian in this mission of the Church. Are we at times seek¬ ing to avoid involvement by paying someone to go for us? Are we avoiding involvement under the half- truth of Some are called to go, some are called to pray, many are called to give ? Where do we find Scriptural teaching to support such fragmentation of the mission of the Church? Is not the tenor of the New Testament more consonant with the idea that ALL are called GO, ALL are called to PRAY, ALL are called to GIVE ? That is, you are a witness where you are. You can¬ not relegate the witnessing to a select few. I un¬ derstand my Bible to teach that ALL Christians are ministers of reconciliation, i. e. I am a missionary and I cannot pay somebody else to do the job for me. What kind of a missionary am I? Harvey Plett Ben Hoeppmer

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In the medieval ages man was greatly exercised by the question, What must I do to be saved? Heaven and hell were very real. Man was constantly reminded of the horrors of hell by grotesque drawings of the condemned. Martin Luther attempted to re¬ solve this problem by entering the monastery. Man is still asking the same question today though expressed in different words. Today the anguished cry is not, What must I do to be saved? , but rather, What is the meaning of life?” Modern man fears, more than anything else, the idea of living a life which is purposeless, drifting along aimlessly on the tide of time. The question of the ultimate meaning of life was answered for me by Christ. It is He who has been able to satisfy all my longings and has given my life purpose and direction. My experience af¬ firms the statement once made by Augustine when he said, man’s soul is restless until it finds its rest in God. Christ has taught me that life becomes meaningful only when self dies and Christ has the pre-eminence. Such a life expresses itself in loving service of our fellowmen. It is aptly summed up for us in 2 Cor. 5:15, And He died for all that those who live might no longer live for themselves but Jor Him who for their sake died and was raised. is my desire that my life will be lived in such a manner that other people will also come to experi¬ ence the true meaning of life, in Christ. Edwin Plett I ' w ( 12 I was born and grew up on a farm in Southern Manitoba. I first made a profession of faith in Christ at the age of twenty. However, the joy and victory accompanying this experience eluded me for some time. It was only when I allowed myself to become more personally involved in the concerns of the Lord that the Christian walk became meaningful. The experience for which I am deeply grateful is the year I spent in a small Indian village in Northern Manitoba. Being separated from the home church and Christian friends helped me to look more fully to God. It was here that I experienced the Lord ' s presence and realized that joy and victory comes as a by-product of service. I decided that henceforth my life was in the hands of God and I would willingly serve to the best of my abilities. As a preparation toward this end it was my privilege to attend Bible School and College. This year was the first for some time that I was not a student. With its problems and trials has come a certain sense of accomplishment and joy. Although at this point I am unsure what the future holds, I trust that God will lead. Stan Plett