For the past several years January has been designated as "Letter-Writing-Month" for the readers of the CLARION HERALD. We are pleased to hear from our readers at any time during the year; but, for our special encouragement, we like to hear from as many as possible during the first month of every New Year.
    After a long time of careful consideration, diligent searching for adequate equipment and all the other things necessary to make a paper both worthwhile and attractive, we believe that we are now in a position to offer something that will be a challenge, encouragement and blessing to our readers in the days ahead.
    With this issue we are going to 8 pages and, as the Lord provides, we hope to provide even more and better materials as time goes on.
    But, we need your prayer support - and will be pleased to hear that you are actually making some worthwhile use of that which we send your way month after month.
    Your letters are always a blessing and source of encouragement

    The parsonage telephone rang insistently. At the other end a terribly frustrated step-mother wondered: "Will it be all right to start sending our children to your church?"
    There were problems in this family. One child, just in her early teens, was already deep into trouble - serving time in a Reform School. Drugs and alcohol had been only part of her problem. A younger daughter, not yet ten, was already heading in the same direction.
    These people were not really "church people" - by their own confession. The parents saw no real need for THEIR "going to church"; but, something had to be done about the children! A meddlesome mother-in-law had insisted that "as a last resort" they ought to try SENDING THE CHILDREN TO CHURCH. "Religion" might be just the thing they needed to get their minds set on something positive - something that would keep them from "going from bad to worse"!
    Any church worthy of the name would welcome such unfortunate children to its Sunday School and services. However, no church can be sure of solving the problems

involved - problems that go far deeper than has yet been recognized by those needing a solution.
    Rebellion, on the part of the children; personal disappointment, a sense of shame, frustration and the inability to cope, on the part of the parents; - important as they are - do not really identify the problem. The REAL problem lies in an inherent SIN NATURE that has been passed down from parent to child, (Psa. 51:5; Rom. 3:23, 19). Nor will merely "going to church", "getting religion" or "being baptized" (or all these things combined) even begin to bring a lasting solution.
    If one really wants a solution to the baffling predicament that seems to be constantly expanding, the best place to start is with the grandparents' being honest with God; the parents' admitting the necessity of God's order in their own lives; and ALL realizing that "the wages of sin is death"!

    (Romans 6:23). There comes a time when every naked, individual soul must "give account" of himself to God who has already provided the way of deliverance from sin - with its guilt and penalty. This He has done by the sacrificial death of His own beloved Son, Jesus Christ, (Jn. 3:14-18). But, this provision - wonderful, marvelous and adequate as it is to meet the soul-need of the entire race of sin-burdened people - is UNAVAILING until the individual sinner:
    1) Recognizes and admits his need of a personal Savior from the guilt and penalty of sin.
    2) Believes the testimony of the Scriptures that Jesus Christ, the very Son of God, is able and willing to save him from his sin, and
    3) Fully casts himself, with all his burden of sin, upon the Savior - asking Him, and trusting Him, for forgiveness and cleansing through His precious blood that was shed on the cross of Calvary.
    4) Fully trusting in the Savior, and committing himself (his past, present, future - his all) into the hands of God, ANYONE (and that includes YOU, dear reader) will find Him faithful to save, keep and satisfy - according to the promise of His faithful word.
    If YOU have not so trusted Him - committing everything into His hands - why not do so RIGHT NOW? THIS is a time that is ACCEPTABLE TO GOD. For YOU it CAN BE the DAY OF SALVATION! And Christ Himself, dwelling in your heart by faith, will meet your every need.

Scripture Lesson: I Corinthians 1:1-9.

    INTRODUCTION: Corinth, in Paul's day, was the Capital of Achaia, in Greece. It was one of the greatest cities in the Roman Empire. It was noted for its wealth, luxury, lust and worldly wisdom. The language used there was the highest form of Greek. Others desired "to speak as the Corinthians do" - for they spoke with accuracy and beauty - with artistic finesse. Corinth was the center of everything intellectual in Greece, but it was morally rotten, utterly corrupt, given over to every manner of sensuality.

    The account of Paul's first visit to Corinth is recorded in Acts 18. At the first he had lived and worked with Aquila and Priscilla - reasoning and persuading in the synagogue every sabbath day. Eventually the Jews began to oppose and blaspheme, so Paul shook his raiment and said: "Your blood be upon your own heads; I am clean; from henceforth I will go to the Gentiles!" Then he entered into the house of Justus, who lived next door to the Synagogue, and continued to teach.

    Crispus, the chief ruler of the synagogue, believed on the Lord, with all his house; and many of the Corinthians, when they had heard, believed and were baptized. Then the Lord encouraged Paul by appearing to him in a night vision, saying: "Speak, and hold not thy peace: for I am with thee, and no man shall set on thee to hurt thee: for I have much people in this city".

1. Paul is answering a letter received from Corinth, (7:1).
2. The household of Chloe has reported divisions and contentions which Paul considers severe, (1:10-11).
3. The first eleven chapters are written to correct the carnalities; even then he does not deal with all that is wrong, (11:34).
4. Chapters 12-16 encourage their spiritual development.
5. The letter was written from Ephesus where the Lord had opened an effectual door of utterance, (16:8-9).

I. THE AUTHOR INTRODUCES HIMSELF, (vs. 1).

  A. HIS NAME IS PAUL.
    1. At one time he was "Saul of Tarsus" - an avowed enemy

resurrection.

1. Paul speaks here of what God "reckoned" them to be "in Christ"; but this is not the whole truth concerning them.
2. The teaching of the entire New Testament is that their lives should be changed to correspond with that which God reckons them to be in His Son.
1. The one who is holy should BECOME holy!
2. That which has been made complete, through the work of Christ, must be progressively experienced by the submission and cooperation of the sanctified one with the Holy Spirit, (2 Cor. 7:1; 2 Thes. 2:13; I Pet. 1:2).
3. Paul further identifies the members of the Corinthian church as "called saints", (Rom. 8:28-30).
1. God has chosen them "in Christ" as "holy ones". (Romans 1:7).
2. Since holiness is their calling, they ought to BE HOLY! (I Pet. 1:15-16; 2:1, 9).

B. TO THOSE EVERYWHERE WHO CALL ON THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST, OUR LORD - both theirs and ours.


1. This means that the contents of this letter are applicable to whoever truly yields himself under the actual lordship of Jesus.
2. It is surely written for our admonition, (10:11).
3. We may profit greatly by heeding its message, (2 Tim. 3:16-17).
4. Some at Corinth had begun to turn away from the authority of Jesus Christ to follow after men; this departure from the centrality of Christ had resulted in divisions, which Paul wanted to correct.

III. A BLESSING IS PRONOUNCED, (vs. 3).


A. FIRST, CONSIDER THE BLESSINGS INVOLVED.

1. "GRACE" - referring to the realm and order of beauty.
1. It is an intellectual and artistic word which emphasizes BEAUTY, as opposed to ugliness; HEALTH, as opposed to disease; and ORDER, as opposed to chaos.
2. God wants to impart these things to men.
3. Eventually the word came to mean "the activity of God which puts at the disposal of sinning humanity all that gives Him delight" - and that without charge.
4. This is the fountain from which salvation flows, (Eph. 2:8-9; Heb. 2:9; Rom. 5:1, 20; 2 Cor. 12:9).


2. "PEACE (Irene) - involving the end of all strife and conflict;

but much more. The priestly blessing upon Israel included this: "The Lord lift up His countenance upon thee, and give thee peace", (Num. 6:26). There is NO PEACE for the wicked!

1. It can flow only from divine grace.
2. It comes as a result of personal trust in Jesus Christ.

B. PAUL THEN REVEALS THE SOURCE OF ALL BLESSINGS.

1. "From God, our Father".
1. Ours is an exalted "sonship" in Christ, (I Jn. 3:1-3).
2. And we have a common parentage (as brethren, in the body of Christ) - demanding unity.
2. They are also from "The Lord Jesus Christ".
1. "Jesus" is the ONLY Savior.
2. "Christ" designates the one anointed to serve God and men - as king, not only of Israel, but of the whole earth!
3. "The Lord" speaks of our common Master; here Paul appeals once more to a common relationship as a basis for calling his brethren to unity - as they ARE one.

    Grace and Peace are the present possession of those whose lives are hid "with Christ in God", (Col. 3:1).

IV. A FIRM BASIS HAS BEEN LAID FOR THANKSGIVING, (vs. 4-9; comp. Eph. 1:15-16; Phil. 1:3; Col. 1:3-4; I Thes. 1:2; 2:13).

1. GRACE HAS BEEN GIVEN THEM "IN CHRIST JESUS", (2 Cor.8:9).


2. THEY HAVE BEEN ENRICHED BY HIM IN EVERY WAY.
1. "In all utterance" (tongues and prophecy) for they have a message to be borne, (2 Cor. 8:7).
2. "In all knowledge" - understanding for right interpretation of the message.
3. And in the confirmation of "the testimony of Christ". (In them Christ has been manifested: 2 Tim. 1:8; comp. 2 Thes. 1:4-12; I Tim. 2:6).
1. They are lacking in NO single gift ("charisma").
2. They expectantly await the unveiling of the Lord Jesus Christ - the end of all true faith, (2 Pet. 3:4; Rom. 8:19, 23; Phil. 3:20; 2 Pet. 3:10-14).
4. They have the assurance of His faithful keeping, (I Thes. 5:22-24; Psalm 89:30-33).
1. As they KEEP FAITH - abiding in Him.
2. So that they may stand, without reproach, "in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ", (Titus 2:11-14).
3. God's grace reached them in the past, sustains them in

the present and offers great hope for the future.

V. OUR FATHER HAS LIFTED US TO AN EXALTED POSITION: "God is faithful, by whom ye were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord", (vs. 9).

1. THIS IS A CALL TO "SHARE ALL THINGS IN COMMON" WITH OUR EXALTED LORD. (In the world it is unheard of that a slave should share the intimacy of his master!)
1. But, in Christ, we are seated in the heavenlies.
2. Through Him we have "access to God".
3. He encourages us to "ask what ye will, and it shall be given you".
4. "All things" are ours, in Him! WHAT A FELLOWSHIP!!


2. OUR GOD IS FAITHFUL.
1. He took the initiative in our redemption.
2. Though grieved at our sin, He gave the son of His love to pay our sin-debt.
3. With Him, He will freely give us ALL THINGS!

to us. And we do look forward to hearing from you again DURING JANUARY!
    May the Lord bless each of you with the choicest of blessings during the New Year that will be upon us by the time most of you receive this paper.

    Among those professing godliness are far too many who have vast wealth within their hands, but no grace in their hearts; no one is blessed by their goods, (Matt. 19:24). Though these possess much they have no true peace and contentment. But, when one uses faithfully that with which he is divinely endowed, he will find that God "giveth more grace". For such a person has proved himself trustworthy, (Mk. 4:24-25).
    The streams of refreshment (and endowment) which flow from the Rock Christ Jesus are ever sufficient for the true child of God, (John 4:14). Every divine treasure is hidden in Him (Col. 2:3); and, out of His fulness, have we received "grace upon grace", (Rom. 5:20-21). By means of this grace the trusting soul is: called, (Gal. 1:6); justified, (Rom. 3:24); comforted, (2 Cor. 1:3-4); sanctified, (Rom. 15:15-16); and brought unto glory, (I Peter 1:13).
    Consideration of the grace that has been so richly and freely bestowed upon us should make us humble and thankful toward our gracious benefactor and hateful toward all sin. In the sufficiency of that grace is joy and contentment.
    Once we learn to exercise the full potential of our divine endowment of grace God will enlarge the border of our opportunities - giving "more grace" whereby we will be enabled to fulfil His perfect will and purpose for our lives.
    How can we help but praise Him for His AMAZING GRACE?