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in the world that will bring fame or money, often raises
personal problems of relationship to God. The youth is
tempted to think that he can lay his religion aside for a
time and resume it later; or perhaps he thinks it is too
much to expect that one should sacrifice his personal
ambitions in order to answer the call of God to his
heart.
* Another temptation arises from our friendships.
“God's Word places great stress upon the influence of
association, even on men and women. How much
greater is its power on the developing mind and char-
acter of children and youth! The company they keep,
the principles they adopt, the habits they form, will
decide the question of their usefulness here, and of their
future destiny.”—" Counsels to Teachers,” p. 220. An
old saying has ib," More people are ruined by their
friends than by their enemies.” That sounds repulsive
ab first, bub if carefully studied, one can easily see that
it is very largely from our associations that our desires
and purposes grow. The suggestions of our friends are
often followed without careful study of their significance
or results. And sometimes friendships are formed
which in their final influence tend to draw away from
allegiance to Christ. This is true of our general friend
the transgression of God's law, should be the motto of
every Christian.” — Testimonies,” Vol. 5, p. 147.
The Call of God to Service
The challenge of the hour to the youth is not only
to personal righteousness, buf it 1s also a clarion call to
service and devotion for the advancement of the gospel.
The influence of a consecrated young life, when exerted
upon other youth, is of great power. Work among
those of their own age, therefore, has in it great possi-
bilities for good in winning other youth to fhe Saviour.
What a challenge to Christian service are the thou-
sands of young people of the world about ns! How
much might be accomplished if every Seventh-day Ad-
ventist youth would set forth in a crusade to win other
youth for Christ! Accompanied by godly living, such a
crusade would be irresistible. The word of God spoken
by sanctified young people would have an attractive,
life-giving power. The vision of a youth for youth
movement is inspiring to contemplate. How thrilling it
will be in realisation when the young people of the
church arise together to bring the message of saving
faith to their fellow youth.
The needy ery from foreign fields cannot fail to reach
the youthful ears. There
A Party of Sindents and Mission Launch at Aore, New Hebrides
ships, and in a particular sense does it apply to those
associations which lead on into courtship. We cannot
too carefully guard the future by an earnest and con-
scientious study of the influence of our friends upon our
lives.
A third temptation of Seventh-day Adventist youth
is common to many, and that is, the following of
pleasure. Sin has. been made easy and desirable. It
attracts on every hand, and to the unwary many of the
carefully woven nets of Satan appear innocent. The old
ideas of thrift, economy, and purpose have been largely
supplanted by love of ease, comfort, and pleasure; and
these latter are not conducive to rugged, stalwart Chris-
tian experience.
In all our temptations we must recognise the
challenge to our personal faith and experience with God.
To vield step by step to the everyday temptations of life,
means to yield later in every great crisis of our experi-
ence. The steadfast soul prepares for the future by un-
flinchingly facing derision or mockery, and standing for
principle in every circumstance. In our heart of hearts
we know that real piety does not tamper with sin. An
uncompromising atfitude toward evil characterises the
true Christian. Again, a true test of Christian living is
set before us in the words, Death before dishonour or
have been coming fo us
from time to time reports of
encouraging progress in dif-
ferent fields. Our hearts
have thrilled at what has
been done. Still there are
many needs unsupplied, and
the conditions in some parts
of the world field surely must
make an earnest appeal fo
young people. The number
of workers in Spain and
Portugal is the same as ten
years ago. Vast areas in
Africa are gfill unentered.
There are large provinces in China which have scarcely
been touched. In the Southern Asia Division thers is
only one Seventh-day Adventist to every 113,361 of the
population. These and other needs that might be men-
tioned eannot long remain unanswered.
The servant of the Lord has clearly indicated the
fact that young people are to render a special service in
the advancement of the message. “° With such an army
of workers as our youth, rightly trained, might furnish,
how soon the message of a crucified, risen, and soon-
coming Saviour might be carried to the whole world!
How soon might the end come! ”—" Counsels to
Teachers,” p. 565,
For the youth, it is not merely a matter of support-
ing the cause with money. In a peculiar sense the
Saviour must have been speaking to them when He
said, “ Go ye into all the world.” Youth is young, un-
encumbered, and free to go.
Years ago, when some of our first missionaries to
China were called, the church was not able to plan for
them as it does for missionaries at present. These
young men were advised, first of all, to solicit the money
for their transportation to the field, and then they each
secured a guarantee of one year’s wage from conferences in
the homeland. They went out to a far-away land and