A PERIODICAL FOR YOUNG AND OLD

Monthly Letter

My dear young friends,

At the time the Lord Jesus was upon earth and preached to the people, “the people were astonished at his doctrine; for he taught them as one having authority”. His preaching was very impressive, filled with tender instructions, earnest warnings, and precious heavenly advice. Often the Lord used a simple parable to reveal the secrets of the kingdom of heaven. In Matthew 7:24–27, we read about a wise and a foolish builder. The two builders, here mentioned, are the two kinds of hearers of the word of Christ. The one who heareth the words of Christ and doeth them is called the wise builder. The one who heareth the words of Christ and doeth them not is called the foolish builder.

We are all traveling to eternity and we all have a never dying soul. Everyone has or is building a house for his hope, for without hope we would come to despair. By nature we have our hope upon visible things, and we build an earthly house, just like there is no eternity at hand. But my dear young friends, is this not foolish and building upon sand? There are many churches nowadays. Also churches where you may dance, or see films, or play bingo. This is not a church anymore but a place of worldly entertainments, just like Rev. van der Groe foretold 200 years ago.

The world is getting old and the devil also keeps church people so busy with the things of the world; we have so many more privileges but with all this, our obligations are increasing also. Young friends, is most of this not building upon sand? What is left when we are called to enter into eternity? We may not build upon our baptism, and our confession of faith is not sufficient, either. If we are brought up under the truth and have heard the words of Christ so many times, if the way everlasting is explained to us time and again and we harden ourselves more and more, some to such a sad extent that they take television into the house the Lord permits them to live in; is this not building upon sand?

Young people, by nature we always build upon sand. We must be born again. Building our house according to our own insight or desire is always building upon sand. In Psalm 127:1, we read, “Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it”. We certainly are responsible and we are called to work out our salvation with fear and trembling, but we must be made submissive to the will of God. The Lord provided his Word for us and this is a blueprint for a Christian who is called to build his house upon a rock. The Lord Jesus said, “Search the scriptures for in them ye think ye have eternal life and they are they that testify of me”. The Lord Jesus is the only foundation. By grace, a person becomes a wise builder. The wise builder is convinced of sin, righteousness and judgment. He does not dare to build upon his own work, confession or religion. He seeks salvation without himself. He cannot even build upon the many benefits bestowed upon him. He must have the benefactor. The wise builder’s blueprint is the word of God. He searches the scriptures, for Christ said, “they are they that testify of me”. The wise builder is building his house but is not his own employer. He builds as a servant.

He makes many mistakes, he becomes so dependent, praying, “Teach me the way that I shall go”. The teacher of this wise builder is the Law, for the Law is a teacher to Christ. Such a wise builder shall find the Rock of Salvation at the appointed time, that he may build his house of hope upon Christ himself. His house shall stand in the day of tribulations and affliction. O, dear young friends, may the Lord bless us with the blessing of the wise builder who heareth the sayings of Christ, and doeth them. Christ said, “I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock”. God’s people are wise builders, and though on this side of the grave they are many times in darkness, they will come out of a great tribulation. They are traveling to a place and a house, not made with hands, but eternal in heavens, reconciled with God. And the only reason why their house of hope does not fall is, “for it was founded upon a rock and the rock is Christ.”

Your friend and minister,

Missionary Corner

ONE OF THE TWO

Missionary Muller noticed that he was being followed. With a great deal of effort he managed to continue his normal pace. But he listened for every sound —

Perhaps an arrow was already put in the bow, about ready to silently seek its mark. Or was a brown-skinned hand holding a club or a hatchet already raised to strike?

He knew he was continually in danger. The natives were friendly, but quite unpredictable. Of this he was all to well aware. But why was he now being so silently followed?

He began to walk faster. His feet were sticking in the mud. It was difficult to walk here. The air was heavy and damp under the roof of leaves in the forest. Sweat was streaming over the missionary’s body, while insects of all kinds buzzed around his head. A bloodsucker was drawing blood on his arm, but the missionary did not notice, and sweating, struggled on.

And yet there was someone behind him —

They were coming nearer to the village. The missionary began to realize that his follower could have no evil intentions. But why did he not come out into the open?

The forest was becoming less dense.

He would soon be home —

“Sir!”

Quickly the missionary turned about, while with a commotion in the bushes, his follower came into view — it was a woman — with a child in her arms —

Inquiringly the missionary looked at her, as he wiped the sweat from his forehead. Had he been walking so fast because of her?

“Sir! Take my child!” With an imploring gesture she held out the baby.

The missionary shook his head. “A child is better taken care of by its mother, friend.”

Was the child sickly? Was this the reason she did not wish to take care of it? The missionary did not know, but the woman herself supplied the answer.

“Sir! They will kill it. It is one of two!”

The missionary was startled. It was thus not because of the work involved in her caring for the child that she wished to be rid of it. He knew that certain roving tribes did not tolerate twins. They believed that the children would be retarded because of a divided mind. One of the two must die, so that the other would have his full mind.

His thoughts went quickly through his mind. What must he do with a baby? The village where he lived would not accept a strange child, out of fear of bringing an unknown spirit into the community. Perhaps he could send it by the next mission plane to the orphanage in the city. This would certainly be better than if the child were to be killed. He hesitated.

The woman was looking at him in anxious suspense, waiting for his answer.

“Does your husband know this, friend?”

“No, Sir. I showed him only the one child. This child I kept hidden in the woods.”

“Won’t you be sorry later, friend?”

The woman began to cry, and kissed the baby passionately.

“Either way I will lose it, Sir. This way it will live. Won’t you take it?” Beseechingly she looked at him.

“Why do you give it to me, friend? Are you not afraid that the white man will take him for a slave?”

“O no, Sir; I have heard that the God of white men forbids this.”

“It is good”, said the missionary, as he gave his consent. “Give it to me.”

The woman held out the baby, reconsidered, and clasped it once more in her arms. The tears ran down her brown cheeks. Once more she kissed it. Then she laid it in the arms of the missionary and fled away —

Alie van Amersfoort (Translated from “Paulus”)

Mbuma Mission

P/B T206

Bulawayo, S. Rhodesia

1st March, 1965

Dear Friends,

I believe Miss Tallach wrote to you just before she went on leave. I expect she would have told you that our little daughter was born on board ship and we were delayed at Capetown for some considerable time because she was premature and too small to travel. However, she is very well now for which we ought to be humbly grateful.

Many thanks indeed for the $50. received. We have also had one “lot” of the combined magazine.

One of our teachers wrote an article for the Young People’s Magazine about a young boy who died at our hospital here with a good hope through grace. We should wonder that we have had such a person to write about. I want to send you a copy for publication if you wish. Our only copy went to Mr. Mijinders, Lisse, Holland, but I will ask him to forward a copy to you.

Our good wishes go out to you in your work. The young of our generation have many and subtle temptations.

Please accept our warm greetings.

Yours sincerely,

A FAITHFUL SHEPHERD BOY

Gerhardt was a German shepherd boy, and a noble fellow he was, too, although very, very, poor.

One day, while he was watching his flock which was feeding in an alley on the borders of a forest, a hunter came out of the woods and asked: “How far is it to the nearest village?”

“Six miles, sir,” replied the boy, “but the road is only a sheep track, and is very easily missed.”

The hunter glanced at the crooked track, and said: “My lad, I am hungry, tired, and thirsty. I have lost my companions and missed my way. Leave your sheep, and show me the road, and I will pay you well.”

“I cannot leave my sheep, sir,” rejoined Gerhardt. “They would stray into the forest, and be eaten by wolves, or stolen by robbers.”

“Well, what of that?” queried the hunter. “They are not your sheep. The loss of one or more wouldn’t be much to your master, and I’ll give you more money than you have earned in a whole year.”

“I cannot go, sir,” answered Gerhardt firmly. “My master pays me for my time, and he trusts me with his sheep. If I were to sell my time, which does not belong to me, and the sheep should get lost, it would be the same as if I stole them.”

“Well,” said the hunter, “will you trust your sheep with me while you go to the village and get me some food and drink and a guide? I will take good care of them for you.”

The boy shook his head. “The sheep do not know your voice,” said he, “and — and —” Gerhardt stopped speaking.

“And what? Can’t you trust me? Do I look like a dishonest man?” asked the hunter angrily.

“Sir,” said the boy, “you tried to make me false to my trust, and wanted me to break my word to my master. How do I know you would keep your word with me?”

The hunter laughed, for he felt that the boy had fairly cornered him. He said: “I see, my lad, that you are a good, faithful boy. I will not forget you. Show me the road, and I will try to make it out myself.”

Gerhardt now offered the contents of his satchel to the hungry man, who, coarse as it was, ate it gladly. Presently some attendants came up, and then Gerhard found, to his surprise, that the hunter was the Grand Duke, who owned all the country around. The Duke was so pleased with the boy’s honesty that he sent for him shortly thereafter, and had him educated. In later years Gerhardt became a very rich and powerful man, but he remained honest and true to his dying day.

Honesty and truth and fidelity are precious jewels in the character of a child. When they spring from piety they are pure diamonds, and make the possessor very beautiful, very happy, very honorable, and very useful. May you, my readers, wear them as Gerhardt did. May we learn to pray as David in olden times:

“Keep me from falsehood, let Thy law

With me in grace abide;

The way of faithfulness I choose,

Thy precepts are my guide.”

A NEW YEAR’S WISH FROM RHODESIA:

We wish you all a very good New Year and every blessing for 1965. We also wish to thank all our Mission friends everywhere, who have continued throughout the past year to remember us in prayer and to support us with their generous donations and gifts. We only wish you could meet the many and varied patients whom we are able to treat because of your help, and who most important of all, are given an opportunity to hear the Gospel daily at the hospital.

Your sincerely,

Timothy Mission Fund

During the month of February donations in the amount of $115.10 were received for our mission fund, for which we extend our hearty thanks. The balance in our fund as of February 28 was $200.80. An acknowledgment for the amount of $50.00 was received from Rev. J. Van Zweden for the account of Rev. Kuijt. He reported that Mrs. Kuijt had not as yet undergone the operation on her legs. As can be seen in the above story, the problems in the mission fields are many.

John Calvin

(continued)

Furious about the loss of their prey, the chief of police, acting on advice of the church, sent his bailiffs to get John Calvin instead. However, the Lord stands above the craftiness of men. Calvin would certainly have been killed if his enemies could have laid hands on him. The Lord however had much work for him to do. So what happened? John Calvin was together with some friends in an apartment when the bailiffs came to the door. Fear beset all of the young students. They realized that they had come for John Calvin and for nobody else. While some students went downstairs to talk to the policemen, others helped Calvin escape by letting him down with a rope of bedclothes. So Calvin escaped; ran to a friend’s house, changed into the working clothes of a vinedresser and left Paris for Angouleme. Here he stayed with friends for about half a year. One of his rich friends had a voluminous library, entirely at John Calvin’s disposal. Mark how wonderful the Lord’s ways are. Having itme and plenty of books, it was in his mind to give the church some advice on different subjects. That is how he started writing his famous ‘Institutes of the Christian Religion’. While in Angouleme, Calvin preached and served the Lord’s sacrament in a secret place in a cave in the mountains.

In a secret cave administering the Lord’s Supper.

No wonder that John Calvin’s name was put on the list of those who had to be extinguished. Therefore he fled to Italy to a place called Ferrara, where princess Renee, who was married to Duke Hercules, the pope’s grandson, lived in a beautiful castle. She was a supporter of the truth, and at first the Duke had no objections to her having her friends, these Protestant ministers, around her. Many were being persecuted and had fled for their lives to Ferrara, where they could hide. Even when the Duke began to clamp down on his wife’s friends, they still came, but now disguised as monks.

Calvin was also eagerly welcomed by the Duchess. He became her spiritual advisor. However, all the Pilgrims had to leave Ferrara suddenly, John Calvin included.

What had happened? While Calvin was happily engaged in his work, princess Renee informed her friends that the officers of the Inquisition were at hand. Before Calvin could escape he was seized to be sent to Bologna for Trial. Oh what a blow to the friends of the Reformation! Yes, to the whole church. They feared Calvin would not escape death. But God, who delivered Paul and Silas out of the stocks, was also able to deliver Calvin out of the hands of his persecutors. And it pleased Him to do so. When the officers were half way to Bologna, a body of armed men surrounded the whole company and demanded the prisoner’s release. Thus God arose and delivered His servant from the jaws of the lion that was greedy of his prey. Did the princess send those men to deliver Calvin?

We do not know. Anyhow, we can well imagine that Calvin praised God for this remarkable deliverance and that he sang with the Psalmist: “If it had not been the Lord who was on our side, now may Israel say: If it had not been the Lord who was on our side, when men rose up against us: then they had swallowed us up quick, when their wrath was kindled against us.” Psalm 124:1–3.

Back in Ferrara Calvin asked himself: Where to go now? In the meantime news had come that the king of France had offered some months freedom from persecution to the Protestants in exile in the hope they would come back to France and the church of Rome. Calvin made use of this opportunity and visited Paris for the last time. What a disappointment awaited him. There was no quiet place in his native land where he could hide; not even under a false name. Calvin decided to leave his native country seeing the Word of God could not be preached in its anymore. Having settled his affairs in Noyon, Calvin left France forever. Taking with him his brother Anthony, his sister Mary and a few friends, he left for Strassburg and Basle.

The Word of God says: “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord” Isaiah 55:8. How true this was for Calvin. Just at that time there was war between France and Germany. .The troops were fighting in the area of Strassburg. In order to reach this city, he had to go through Geneva, Switzerland, to approach Strassburg via Basle.

Tired and dusty, he came to the old gate, guarded by a sentry in armor. Calvin gave the sentry his name, received a paper recommending him to the landlords of Geneva’s inns, and crossed the drawbridge into the city. He was weary and aching, but after a little food and a long sleep he planned to continue his journey north to Basle at daybreak.

(To be continued)

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