GO TO CHURCH SUNDAY.
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FROM PA>NTlNG BV Pt-OCftHORST
*5 .The Jazz*plc^lre of modern youth la
badly out of focus, and the proof for
It la that Interest In blble study and
religion Is actually on the increase
’ among the rising generation, especial
ly in the cities. Q
11 There Is also nonsuch thing as a
•blble belt" In America, say religious
leaders and publishers of blbles and
blble-study courses, who have been
making an analysis of the reasons for
the steady Increase in blble sales since
the world war. Sales statistics so far
gathered disclose that the city Is Just
'as good a market for religious Items
as the town.
"Almost 17 million blbles and tens
8f thousands of blble-study courses
were sold In the United States last
year,” Btates O. E. Bogart, commis
sioner of the Direct Selling Federa
tion, Chicago, who has been gather
ing the business statistics of the sur
vey, "and 1929 promises to smash all
previous records. ft
"One blble house alone has sevency
flve thousand representatives and dis
tributing channels this year, more
than one-third of which will be ac
tively selling blbles the entire year
through. The lf>28 sales of blble-study
courses ran Ir.lo several Stotired tbou
ud,, courses, the majority in the
•IUmi sod towns.”
Modem youth may not practice
formal religion as keenly as bis grand
parents did, states Dr. James M. Gray,
president of the Moody Bible Insti
tute. Chicago, but "he 1s more uni- •
versally Interested In education and
in studying religion In a sincere effort
to learn Its personal value to hlm.<a
The Increased Interest in religious
rtudy with the blble as its center, la
demonstrated by the constant growth
of the "Family Altar League," a non
sectarian organization which encour
ages parents to gather their children
around them in the home for religious
Instruction or prayer," says John
Meredith, Chicago, secretary of tbs
league which now is backed by many
well-known business men throughout
the United States.
The Increased use of blbles In hotel
rooms Is the final confirmation ct
these facts, says Fred Fulton. Milwau
kee. the successful automotive equip
ment manufacturer who also is in
ternational president of the Gideon
society supplying blbles gratis to
hotels. "We find no difficulty now In
getting hotels to let us supply a *lble
i for every room,” be says 'The blble
Is getting to be standard equipment
and the extent to which It Is used
proves It Is growing more popular
every day.”
luPina/ional Sunday School Le.no,, for SeMrnder 1 {
^.. - a E^RA S RETURN TO JERUSALEM <,
vr,V Ezra 7:6-10; 3:21-23, 31, j2 |
Rev. Samuel U. fricc, D.D.
'About R0 voirs after the first return to Jerusnlen from T>’’ "n,
Rustam urge upi,,',he devout jew to have part in .he rcslora.'^ ;u
' the land which had been given him in peipetuity by J-iiONa^ ;; ,
work of leadership had become a matter ot consc ence to e
meditate'! on the entire situation, for he ‘ had set • 's h.a t to u ^
"aw of Jehovah and do it, and to teach to Israel statute, ...a
^Authorization had been obtained front ^nl
JSSWe’T Though"muctTtreasure . «
was requested. Such a request could not b ■'
A survey st*i> wi.*» niauc ^ thi . .. r,,.nM.» i*»v \
tak • that not a ite was t f
«f rid this tribe furnished thc-Wj -n , .
saer fi csaisd o* rings, and thes v 'e very }
l t? were sent tael to the br, 1 - 1th nn ^ ,
; .... . ■ who became emerg ncy men to
- also secured 220 Nethcnim, whose duties were le • ■ • ■-»
w rshi > bu: highly esscn.ial. • g; non flOO In! h«w*u
\jr mftV an(i valuables to the extent or nearly *a.t ,
- M^we.^ri»-t;r„Ku A
custodians. . .1 rr<«nerjl situation an ! then re
Ezra took three days to size up thet **n««. the Cl)m,araiively
forms her,'an. tor base things had bee. .[>h >v -naj intermarried
few years of residence •>>’ the <-» • r\me({ nations rv:l). Herein had
with the Canaan:tes and seven other n ^s m;i.,c lhe Captivity
been the basic cause oi .he tornur •- then “sat down
neeessarv the. station and Ezra
confound.d 'On the otn rs thc wor,t3 ot the God of Israel
v is joined by those tha» t^mo.ed , • inv return to such
i k..4* Cod is upon u»i iu*.u