Rev. W. Roy Aylott in the Fulham ChronicleLondon, England

When modern young people swap idealism for cynicism, declare faith in plae of doubt and go all out for God and goodness, then dispirited middle age starts to recapture hope.

After all has been said and grumbled about the abandonment of religion by modern youth, there remains another fact to take into consideration, one diametrically opposed to the grumbles. It is this, that wherever a church shows signs of new life and vigour you will find youth at the centre of it.

Reports come from near and far describing how young people head the list at prayer meetings, testimony teams, parades of witness and evangelical campaigns. They turn up in their loose knit-wear, duffle coats, and slacks. They listen intently to the sermon; does it measure up to Bible truth and scientific knowledge? They take naturally to prayer. They regard religion as something serious, far removed from convention and external rites.

And they want religion always to come down to earth from the clouds. How those who profess religion think and feel and behave, is to them all-important. Double-lives strike no admiration in their hearts. The following Christian manifesto by the youth of a London borough illustrates these last sentences:—

We solemnly declare that we will try, by the grace of God, to make these promises the guide of our lives:—

(1) The glory of a nation is set in the homes of the people. Therefore, we determine that no impurity shall imperil our home life, and we will use such books, films and topics of conversation as shall strengthen and not undermine the moral life of the people.

(2) We will scorn all dishonesty, from the unpaid bus fare to the "clever deal"; and from stealing another's reputation by idle gossip, to the excuses that we make for our failures; we will seek to be worthy of the wages we earn and the privileges we enjoy.

(3) As our contribution to unity, we will strive for mutual trust in all our relationships, and be prepared to take the first step to put right any misunderstandings.

(4) We undertake to spend time with God daily in prayer and the reading of the Bible; and we will join in the worship of his house every week. So shall we claim God's grace to carry out these promises.

(5) We will meet to study the needs of our community and nation; we will seek contacts with young people of other nations, while being ourselves a demonstration of Christian unity in action.

This forthright declaration ought to make some of us sit up and follow suit. Let youth lead if their leadership is of this quality.

Rev. R. Box in The Daily MercuryMackay, Queensland, Australia

In the Epistle to the Philippian Christians, Paul makes mention of certain rules. Their boast is—Happiness in Six Easy Lessons. ... The rules are outlined in chapter four, but remember they promise nothing unless they are meticulously observed.

"Rejoice in the Lord." In other words, be joyful. This rule is an imperative command to act. ...

"Overcome worry." [Am. Stand. Ver.] "In nothing be anxious." ... Worry is active atheism. If God is on the throne, if He remembers His own, then why worry? If some circumstance is big enough to worry you, pray about it. Commit it into God's hands. ... He who guards your life neither slumbers nor sleeps.

"Exercise positive thinking." Take God's grace and seek to be positive in your thoughts. Shun being negative. Much criticism begins first as a negative thought. The admonition is in verse eight to think on all these good things. Examine the list, now exercise your mind to think on these things.

"Learn contentedness." Satisfaction is not gained in possessions. Contentment is not according to the things we have, but in our attitude to them. Paul had learned to be content in whatever state he was. We can all exercise ourselves to make the most of every situation. A discontented Christian is an insult to God. His very attitude is saying to God, "I am not happy with Your treatment of me." Contentment with godliness, is great gain.

"Exercise the strength of God." Christianity is not an airconditioned express to heaven. The Christian walk is a warfare, a mountain to climb, a race to be run. We need to look to our source of strength. "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." If we can do all things, then let us climb the mountains which are beyond our natural resources. We want to live on the higher plane. Let us learn to attempt great things for God. ...

"Trust God for all your needs." There is no true happiness in insecurity. The promise is that God will supply our needs "according to his riches in glory." Note that the promise is for needs, not for wants. God will supply the needs of His people. Commit this promise to your heart and rest in His faithfulness.