Israel who, because of their worth, were now highly honored, but their worth consisted in the fact that they were men of faith. Point of Contact-Faith is belief. Faith is a relation with God. You know God has a will or a wish, a burning desire about us. He wants to save us. Therefore, unless something comes in between our souls and God's will or wish to save us, we are not saved. This something is faith. Lesson Developed-1. Unless God should make provision for our being saved, we could not be saved. We are all sinful by nature. We know this when we see a little baby crying from "temper." The mother often says, "The baby is not sick, it is crying because of temper.' Now temper is nothing else than sin. Therefore it is easily seen that the youngest child-yes from very birth-is sinful, and we sin as we grow up. 2. Therefore God makes provision for this sin to be overcome. He sent Christ into the world. Christ took this sin of ours, and took at the same time the punishment which God would visit upon us who are sinners. Christ paid the penalty for us. Our faith is that which causes us to know and to believe that all God's promises to us are real and true; that He has spoken the truth to us. Faith believes even though it cannot see what God does or understand how He does it. 3. Ever since Adam and Eve sinned against God's will, there has been sin. There will be sin as long as men are in the world. But Christ has taken away its penalty and punishment. Faith is that bond which joins us to Christ and saves us. God's love is over all, and unless we push His love aside we receive what His love gives. When we do not push it aside but believe that He does for us all that He promises, then we have faith and by faith we are saved. JUNE 23. The Reformation in Scandinavian Countries. By Marion Hirzel. Scripture Lesson-Luke 24:45-48, General Truth-God's word must be taught in its truth and purity over all the earth. Point of Contact-Are we endeavoring to study the Bible as it is written or are we guilty of perverting parts of it to suit our convenience? Are we helping to have God's truth preached in all lands. We believe that the Lutheran faith is the best, we should therefore see to it that it is preached all over the world. Lesson Developed After Christ's resurrection he appeared to the disciples when they were together and explained many things in the Scriptures which they did not understand. He told them that it was necessary for Him to suffer and die and rise from the dead in order that the sins of all people might be forgiven. He said that this truth should be preached in all lands. The disciples did teach and preach the true doctrine of forgiveness of sins but it became very much perverted as time went on until in the sixteenth century the people were in great ignorance in regard to it. This led to the reformation in Germany. But it did not stop there, it spread into all of the countries in Europe. In Sweden and Norway there were men who had associated with Luther and Melanchthon and who had been so much impressed with their teachings that they endeavored to further the work in their own countries. There were several attempts in Sweden toward reforming the church but none of them were entirely successful in themselves. It large ly depended upon the king. During the reign of Gustavus Vasa the first decisive step was taken toward reform. He strongly favored the reformation but the people still seemed inclined toward the old faith. Finally, when he compelled them to choose between his resignation or the reformation, they preferred to keep him and accept the reformation. Under his direction the New Testament and Luther's Prayer Book were translated so that the people could read them for themselves and later on the entire Bible was completed in the Swedish language. After his death there was great danger of going back to Catholicism and it was not until Gustavas Adolphus became king that the reformation had a sure foothold and the Augsburg Confession was adopted. Denmark and Norway had much the same conditions. The church and state were so closely connected that the king played a large part in determining what the religion should be. For a while it would seem as though Catholicism would hold sway, but the growth of the reformation was inevitable and finally the Roman Catholic religion had to give way. The king. Christian III, had the Catholic bishops imprisoned and formally dethroned and seized the monasteries and used them for public purposes such as hospitals and schools. The Augsburg Confession was accepted as the basis for the new religion and the reformation permanently established. JUNE 30. Satan: Who He Is and What He Does. Scripture Lesson-Matt. 4:1-11. General Truth-Satan never comes out openly but is always on the alert unknown to tempt even the strongest Christian. Point of Contact--Have you a friend who would lead you from the Lord's house on Sunday? Or one who tells you that your parents' advice is old-fogish and things are different now? If so, beware. Lesson Developed-The Bible does not tell us that Satan assumed any bodily form when he tempted Christ in the wilderness and yet it says he led Him to certain places and it also says that he spoke to Him. Whatever form he took then, it matters not, but the thing which should concern us is as to how we might tell him now. If Satan went about in the world as he is generally pictured-a hideous red being with horns, it would be a very easy problem to discern him and resist him. Unfortunately this is not so, nor does he ever take any specific form. To one person he will be one thing and to another something entirely different. In fact he comes to the same person in many different ways. He may take the form of a person, possibly a friend, who will cunningly prevent us from following the commands of the Bible. Then again he may appear in the form of a desire when we are all alone-a desire to participate in some forbidden practice. Or possibly only our thoughts will be the weapon he will use. To those who are employed, the temptation may be to neglect some part of the work and to those in school it may be the opportunity to cheat or steal someone else's knowledge and pass it for their own. There are so many ways in which Satan appears that it is not possible to describe him in any one. Each boy or girl must learn just where his or her weakness is and then fortify that place against him. He comes in the most subtle way and strikes at the weakest place. No one is so strong or so good as to make the devil afraid or to be secure against him. Even Christ, who knew no sin, was tempted by him. On one occasion, when Christ was in a physically weakened condition after a forty-day fast. Satan tried to entice Him and overthrow Him. Satan never tires, and even though he should fail many times, he will always come back stronger. The surest way to resist him is to know the Scriptures, be so familiar with them that in each case when temptation comes, we can involuntarily refer to them for our answer. If you are in doubt as to whether a thing is right or wrong, test it with God's Word for your decision. JUNE 2. Missionary Topic--Wedding Bells Around the World. By Mrs. E. C. Cronk. Introducing the Topic-The topic may be introduced by the leader or two dainty little flower girls, bearing flowers as for a bride, may come down the aisle together. When they face the League one, or both in concert, may introduce the topic for the meeting by saying: June is the month of roses and the month of brides. In America we have flower girls to scatter flowers in the pathway of our brides to show that we hope their path through life may be full of sweetest flowers. In this big world of ours there are many brides who have no flower girls to scatter flowers in their pathway. There are some things about the wedding bells and the wedding customs in foreign lands that will seem very funny to us and some things that will seem very sad. For our meeting today we are going to hear about the "Wedding Bells in Many Lands," and perhaps we shall see how the boys and girls in America may be flower bearers to make a happier way for all the brides of the world. Bible Lesson -John 2:1-11. Lesson Stories--The leaflet, "A Double Wedding in India," may be read or recited by a Junior. The effectiveness would be increased if a young girl impersonating Dr. Betty Nilsson told this story. She might be dressed in native costume. A few facts about Dr. Nilsson's work in the hospital at Rajahmundry should be given in introduction. "When the Wedding Bells Are Drums" is a story written by Mrs. Leonard, of Muhlenberg Mission, Africa. A good story teller can get from it a most interesting story of wedding customs in Africa and of what Christian missions have meant to the brides and the homes of Africa. Both of these leaflets are in the packet referred to above. Other stories will be published in current issues of Tidings, the Mission Worker, and Luther Boys and Girls. Something to Do.--Christmas nearly always comes late to our missionaries and our mission station, because we do not begin in time to get our Christmas boxes ready. At the beginning of the vacation days the boys and girls should plan to do some work to make a happy Christmas for others. Write to your superintedent of Junior work and ask for suggestions for things the boys and girls can make during vacation days. Be sure that your Juniors are making constant self-denial gifts for missions. Hints. Picture of bride and picture of wedding custom in some mission land. "Wedding Bells" in orange colored letters at top. Time of meeting at bottom. Invitations-Two sheets of organge colored paper tied together with white ribbon, tiny picture of bride and verse, "Some marriage customs we'll tell to you, of Africa and Japan and India, too, which you'll think very strange, but yet are true, on Saturday afternoon at half-past two.' " Plan for the Juniors to give a "Japanese Wedding." JUNE 9. By O. C. Rhode. Scripture Lesson-Acts 23:1-5. General Lesson-The Apostle Paul, of whom we have heard so much in our lessons, is on trial before the chief men of the land. When he says that he has tried to live right in the eyes of God, he is slapped, but he does not hit back like most people would. He controls himself. Point of Contact-John and Robert, two little boys, are walking along the street. John says something Robert does not like, and Robert punches him. What will happen then? Will John be able to control himself? The Story Told-The Apostle Paul has been preaching to the people about Christ. Some of the chief men of the church and the country did not like what he said. Instead of going to him and trying to get him to see things their way, they arrest him, and bring him into the court for trial. Just as soon as they are ready, he tells them that he has lived before God all his days. That means that he still believes that he was right in the things he preached. The chief of his judges gets very angry at this, and orders that the men near Paul slap him on the mouth. They do this, and although it makes Paul very angry, he does not hit back. but manages to control himself, and answers the chief priest calmly. Every day we have a chance to use our power of "Self Control" in some way or other. Very often when mother interrupts us when we are playing and wants us to do an errand for her. we want to talk back and say we don't want to. If we can get over this wanting to talk back, and try to get over it as well as we can, we are learning to use self control. We know that when we are in church or Sunday school, we are there to learn about Jesus. and that we ought to be real good there. But there are very often bad little boys and girls there, who will do something funny, and try and get us into it. If we will keep thinking hard about Jesus, and that he died for us on the cross, and think about what the Apostle Paul did in our lesson today, we will be able to control ourselves, and not do what is wrong. We all want to do something that is not right almost every day. We must learn to control ourselves, and if we will try to do this all the time, we will be better boys and girls for it. The best thing we can do, when the time comes when we want to be wicked, is to think hard of Jesus, and of this lesson about the Apostle Paul. Hints. Poster-Face of compass drawn on card, verse, "North, south, east, west, our Junior League will be the best, if you come on at Invitation-Same as poster, on small card. Let the children make note-books, scrap-books, and so on at some of the meetings. When a large tab'e is not available, substitute small individual lap boards in the form of square pieces of heavy cardboard or mounting board. With a supply of paste, scissors, crayons, pictures, paper, there is always something children can cut out, color and paste into books. JUNE 16. "Purity." By O. C. Rhode. Scripture Lesson--I John 3:1-3. General Lesson-God calls us His children. We are His children now while we live here on earth, if we do the things that God wants us to do, and keep away from what we call "the things of the world," which are the things God does not want us to do. If we will act as children of God, then we will be pure, even as God is pure. Point of Contact-Take a glass of pure water. It looks fit to drink. Now put one little drop of ink in it. It looks blue, and none of us would want to drink it. If we are true to God, as He wants us to be, we will be pure, but if we let bad boys and girls teach us even one bad habit, we are no longer pure. The Story Told-Our Scripture lesson tells us that to be pure we must become children of God. The lesson refers particularly to being pure in heart. First There are different kinds of purity. there is purity of the body, and then of the mind, and last but not least, of the heart. None of us want to be told that our bodies are not pure. And yet, very often, if we are not very careful, we come into contact with impure things, that get into our bodies, and make us sick. We all like to have people think well of us. People judge us very often by our outward appearance. Girls and boys who do not keep their bodies clean are often suspected of all kinds of impurities. Very often when people look at a boy or girl who is more dirty than necessary, they think, "well, I don't believe I would want my boy or girl to go with them." They don't just think that boy or girl has dirty clothes, or a dirty face and hands, but they think that they are apt to be impure in mind as well. All they can see is the outside, they cannot look into the mind. Then we must first of all keep our bodies clean, so that we may at least seem to be clean clear through. It is just as important, though, to keep the mind clean. Just what do we mean by that? Any boy or girl who listens to a bad story, or uses words that are not the right kind of words to use, will soon have an impure mind, and will soon be disliked by boys and girls and by grownups. We all want to be loved by as many people as possible. If we do, then we must keep our bodies clean and pure, so that we may look all right from the outside, and besides we must keep our minds pure, because if we do not, people will soon find it out. Even if they do not, there is One who knows what is going on in our mind, and He says we can only be pure if we do as He commands. Worst of all, the boys or girl who does not keep body and mind pure will soon find that the heart cannot be kept pure for God, and that is really the most important thing we want. We want God to love us, and to consider us one So then we must keep our of His children. body pure and clean so that people will think we are good godly children. We must keep our minds pure and clean that people will like to talk with us, and be with us, and that we may by being pure in body and mind, keep ourselves pure in heart, so that God will love us. do this, we will be children of God, and get all the benefit of His love, and when we die, will go to Him in His heavenly kingdom, where we will see Jesus, who, by His life on earth, showed us how to be pure and good. If we Hints. Poster-Large picture of a little girl on card, with hand outstretched and bow of ribbon tied on the thumb-below verse "Tie on ribbon round your thumb, so you won't forget to come to the Junior InvitationL. L. meeting on Same on small card. at Plan for a "Story Hour" in your church or in the library, when some competent person will gather the children together and tell them stories once a week. JUNE 23. "A Real Vacation." By O. C. Rhode. Scripture Lesson-Psalm 119:9-16. General Lesson-How can we keep ourselves right in the eyes of God, even in vacation time. By doing just as the psalmist says-by watching all things we do, and making sure that no matter where we are, we shall remember God's commandments and keep them. Point of Contact-Boys and girls have vacations. Some churches and some Junior Leagues and some Sunday schools have vacations also. How are our boys and girls going to make sure that they will remain true to God even when there is no church service, and when they are away on a vacation. The Story of the Lesson-Some of us go away for the summer months and enjoy a vacation. Some go to grandmother on the farm, some go to the seaside, some to the mountains, some to various summer resorts, and some of us stay at home. Some of the places we go to have no church anywhere near. What are we going to do in that case. When we go to such a place, we should ask papa or mama to teach us something of the word of God each day, even if for only a few minutes, just enough, so that when we get back home, we will want to go back to the church and to Junior League and the Sunday school, and learn more and more about God and about Jesus. Some of our churches close during the summer months, and very many of our Junior Leagues find that they cannot get enough members to come to meetings during the summer to make it worth while having them. As a result the boys and girls who stay at home have no chance to get much instruction about God, and somehow, when they have been away from God's house for a few weeks or months, it seems awfully hard to get back again when the vacation time is over. What are we going to do about it. If we are true Junior Luther Leaguers, and have learned to know what we should be and what we should do in order that we may be God's children, and keep on walking in His way, we will try and get in touch with God or something about Him every day during our vacation. If we want What the psalmist says is true. to be true to God, we must take heed of His word every day, no matter whether it is vacation time or not. Then whether we go away from home and church for vacation, or whether we stay at home, we all should try and do something for If we cannot do more, we God every day. should at least pray to Him every day. Many boys and girls forget to pray when they are away from home. We need God just as much during vacation time as any other time, in fact very often need Him more, because so often we have no one near to see to it that we do not get into bad habits, and that we keep on the right path, which is God's way. If we want to spend a real vacation, such as is meant by our topic today, we will make up our minds that we must pray each day, and that no matter where we may be on Sunday, we should think of it as God's day, and try and We should think of Him as much as we can. try and get someone to tell us a little about God once in a while, so that there will be no danger of forgetting about Him. We ought to try and find out what the Junior Topics for the vacation time are to be, and if possible try and study them and think about them. A vacation that is all fun, and is without a thought of God, is not a real vacation in the sight of God. Hints. Poster "Vacation Days" in colored letters at top, pictures of scenes at seashore, mountain and camp (cut from magazines, verse at bottom "Whether you go camping, or stay at home, whether at the shore or in the mountains you'll roam, come to Junior League on at and learn about a Real Vacation." Decorate the room with tennis rackets, balls and bats, sand pails, etc. Plan, if possible, for a Juniors. summer camp for your Arrange to have your Senior League conduct a Vacation Bible School, or co-operate with other churches. JUNE 30. "Soldiers of the Cross." By O. C. Rhode. Scripture Lesson-2 Tim. 2:1-4. General Lesson-Timothy was a soldier of the cross. Paul was also a soldier of the cross, and it was he who taught Timothy what is necessary to do the work of the Lord. In our lesson Paul tells Timothy some of the things that are required of a good soldier of God. Point of Contact-When a man goes into the army of the United States, he is examined and tried out in many ways, before he is allowed to go to war. When any of us want to be true soldiers of the cross, we must first be tried in many ways, so that God's kingdom may be sure of good soldiers, who will fight well for Him. The Story-The United States is preparing a large army to go to war. Some of the men have enlisted, and are going because they want to; some of them have been drafted, and are forced to go. Whether a man chooses to go, or whether he is forced to go, before he is allowed to go into the fight, he must first be tried out in every way possible, so as to make sure that he will be a good soldier. Some men are naturally brave, and make good soldiers. Some men are not so brave, but with the right training will still make good soldiers. The United States need many soldiers now, so that we may win the war. God needs soldiers all the time, so that Christ may be made known to the end of the earth. The United States will take only big, healthy, strong men, who will be sure to make good fighters. In God's army the size of a person, or his strength or his health make very little difference. Even a little crip pled boy or girl can become one of the best soldiers in the army of God. What we want to find out is just what kind of soldiers God wants, and just what kind of fighting His soldiers have to do. God wants his soldiers to "be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus." That does not mean strong in body. It means that He wants us to believe in him with all our heart. God wants his soldiers to be willing to endure suffering and hardship for Him. Christ dies for us on the cross, that we might be saved. We need not die for our faith, but we may have to be laughed at and made fun of. There are many people who do not want to be Christians. God wants his soldiers to go out after them and bring them into the house of God, and make soldiers of them. Before we said that in our National Army some men enlisted, and some are drafted. We are some of God's enlisted soldiers; we are in His army because we want to be, and because we know that we should fight for His sake. There are many boys and girls who do not want to be soldiers of the cross. If we want to be true soldiers and do our full duty in this army of God, we will be always busy drafting soldiers for God's army, and getting them trained so that they will in the end be good soldiers too. Boys and girls cannot go out to fight the battles of their country, but they can do much in the fight against sin and for Christ. flags, cards Hints. Poster-Children carrying Christian notice of meeting below. Invitations-Small with Christian flag at top, notice of meeting below. Plan for a picnic for the Juniors some time during the summer. LUTHER LEAGUE TOPICS ceives them and receives their obedience. These he would injure and seduce. He is cowardly, for since he cannot vent his rage against God, he does it against God's creatures, men. Luther says that the Devil loves nothing better than to sow differences among true Christians. He would, if he could, rule in heaven, and wants to sit and rule in the Church. He is everywhere, and wherever God builds a Church the Devil builds a chapel beside it. It was Satan who entered into the heart of Judas to betray Jesus. It was he who had to do with the fall of Peter. Tempted by Satan, Ananias and Sapphira lied to the Holy Ghost. He would not only destroy men's bodies but their souls as well. Hence he destroys their faith in God, and shows his power in their hearts when he leaves them stubborn and unchanged. He opposes God's blessed work of redemption and questions the forgiveness and justification of the Church. Since he is the prince of this world, he makes the world so attractive to men that they choose it and its sins, and the more so because their hearts naturally incline them to sin. He is the great enemy of the Gospel, for he is that thief who comes and steals away the word out of their hearts lest men believe and be saved. He it is who sows tares among the wheat, for where the truth is sown there does he scatter his lies. But although his power is great, Jesus has come into the world to break his power and destroy his work. Bible References. Gen. 1:31; II Pet. 2:4; Mark 1:13; Matt. 4:9; Gen. 3:4; Jno. 8:44; I Jno. 3:8; Heb. 2:15; Eph. 2:2; II Cor. 4:4; Rom. 8:29; Jude 6; Rev. 20:10; I Pet. 5:8; Matt. 13:19; Luke 8:12, 14; Jno. 13:2; Acts 5:3; Eph. 6:15-18; Jas. 4:7; Eph. 4:27. |