CHRISTIAN LITERATURE
& LIVING

CONTENTS

• THE CORROSIVE EFFECTS OF FEAR by James W. Skeen
  The three principles of life Adam and Eve violated were love, faith, and hope. They violated love toward God by disobeying Him. They violated love toward each other by not fulfilling their God-given roles. They violated faith by not trusting God's provision for them. They violated hope (God-given meaning for their lives) by seeking self-exaltation and self-reliance instead of accepting their dependence upon a providing God. Proverbs 28:1a gives us a description of fear's activity. "The wicked flee when no one pursues." Fear manifests itself in flight. Outward fear, as might be found in times of war, may result in hiding in a foxhole or "behind a tree." Inward fear, that stirs our thoughts and emotions, may result in any number of psychological and emotional manifestations.
• AN ATTEMPT TO STOP PEOPLE FROM COMING TO JESUS by M. S. Thirumalai.
  As an example of how "democratically elected" governments around the world may try to suppress human freedom to choose and worship God, we give below the ordinance promulgated last year by the Government of Tamilnadu, a state in India. The laws against "conversion" are couched in such terms that the anti-conversion laws are said to not be against individual freedom to profess the faith of an individual's choice, but the laws are meant only as a protection of the individuals from being exploited by those who seek to convert them to a different religion. Clever manipulation of words marks such attempts. The net result is that every one involved in the process of preaching the Gospel is now liable to be prosecuted. These laws are certainly diabolic, and we can win over such diabolic attempts only by prayer to God.
• IN SPIRIT AND TRUTH by George Forster.
  The talk by the well about worship didn't seem to be planned. Jesus had asked the woman about her husband in order to discuss her inner dissatisfaction, evidenced by five failed marriages and a current illicit relationship. She avoided talking about it by switching the subject to worship. Jesus recognized her evasive tactic, and let it take them into a discussion about the heart of a relationship with God. By so doing, he gave us the New Testament's most instructive discussion about worship.This encounter speaks to the issues we face today. Worship still is controversial. Worship still is impacted by racial and cultural factors. Worship continues to be affected by preference and prejudice. Discussion still takes place at unexpected places and occasions. Worship still is a heated subject among lay people and theologians. As with the Samaritan woman, the less we know about worship the more dogmatic and outlandish our declarations sometimes become. Finally, our argument may not be with common people; it may be with God.
• CONSCIENCE, MODERN THINKING, AND WHY WE SHOULD DIE CLIMBING by Leonard Ravenhill.
  Each of us has within us a thing still more wonderful that registers the approach of moral danger, or the transgression of known standards of uprightness. This is conscience. Today, too, men still battle with this inward monitor. They put it to sleep with some slick drug, but it wakes with a louder cry. They slay it, only to find it has a resurrection. They laugh and joke at it in the crowd, but in the secret of their hearts they shrink before its relentless justice. . . . Christianity has been weighed in the balances and found difficult, but not wanting. In the main, it has been rejected. But for my part, I'm tired of clever men. The simple Gospel believed-works!
• COUNSELING AGAINST SUICIDE by M. S. Thirumalai.
  There is an alarming increase in the number of suicides committed all over the world. In the United States it is reported that over 30,000 suicides are committed every year. Literate or illiterate, poverty-stricken or rich, man or woman, or religious backgrounds do not seem to matter much. Personal reasons of failure, depression, and political reasons are some important factors that influence committing suicides. In recent years,suicide is developed into an art for political reasons, citing religious sanctions for such acts. The person who commits suicide causes physical, mental, and spiritual suffering to others. He not only does not love himself, but, through his suicide, hurts others. It is difficult to understand how people practising these faiths would consider such acts as good and noble.

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