THE K I N G ’ S BUS I NE S S
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SUNDAY, October 10. Luke 4:1-13. How to Have Victory. A great deal depends upon bow we treat Satan in the time o f temptation. Obviously we cannot treat him as Christ did for we are no match for him. How can we say, “ Get thee behind me, Satan.” . Suppose he did so, he would only have the better chance to bring us down. We must hand him over to the One who conquered him. We must get behind Christ ourselves. Then Satan deals with Him and not wjlth us. Satan recognizes his master and re tires. Our deliverance is due not to our own efforts but to Christ’s mighty power. ^The secret of victory is to put Christ between us and the foe. When we are tempted to be impatient, say, “ Thy patience, Lord.’’ When we are tempted to; be afraid, “ Thy courage, Lord,” when we are tempted to retreat and give up the fight, “ Thy victory, Lord.” MONDAY, October l l . Matt. 4:12-28. Teaching and Preaching. After the baptism and temptation of Jesus, He began what is known as the Judean ministry, the record of which is found in John’s Gospel, the first three evangelists passing over it in silence. It was fitting that His public ministry should begin at Jerusalem, and that the first revelation that He was the Messiah should be made in the temple. The results of His preaching were even greater than those of John the Baptist and aroused the bitter op position of the religious leaders. When His offer of grace had been rejected at Jerusalem, He turned to Galilee. He made a full declaration of His Mes- siahship at Nazareth, Luke 4:21, and thereafter Capernaum became the cen ter of His ministry, according to pro phecy. Is. 9:1-2. Matt. 4:13-16. Ex alted to heaven in its privileges, wit nessing His miracles and listening to His preaching, the city failed to im prove its opportunity. Matt. 11:23. TUESDAY, October 12. Mark 1:16-20. Calling Disciples. Eleven of the twelve Apostles were Galileans. Jesus for some time car ried on His Galilean ministry alone. Simon and Andrew had become His dis ciples a year before this time, but for some reason they had resumed their
former calling. The time had now come when they were to be permanently associated with Him as fellow workers. He had need of them and they had need of Him-. He would make them fishers of men. Their occupation would be spiritualized. The expression means to take men alive. Fish were caught to die.' Men were caught to live. Two other brothers were mending their nets when called. This was a humble but necessary business. Jesus had no use for idle people. Only the busy are called. If one is ambitious for higher service, fidelity and diligence in the lower sphere insure recognition and promotion. WEDNESDAY, Oct. 13. Matt. 4:23-25. Preaching and Healing. The Gospel of the kingdom which Jesus preached had its outward man ifestation in the healing of disease. The miracles of healing were not only evidential of His Messianic claims, but due to the outflow of His loving heart. “ He was moved with compas sion.” This is frequently the only rea son assigned. Sickness as the pre cursor of death, is one of the results of sin. Christ not only dealt with sin but with its consequences. “ He comes to make His blessings flow far as the curse is found.” When Jesus gave ab solution no one could witness its opera tion and effect, and on that account they might doubt its reality. When they saw His power exerted in the phy sical realm, they could no longer doubt His ability to deal with sin in the spir itual realm. THURSDAY, Oct. 14. John 3:1-T. Jesus the Teacher. Jesus was called teacher oftener than by any other title. The word “ Master” in the Authorized Version means Teacher and is usually so translated in the Revised Version. His followers were not called adherents, retainers, or subjects, but disciples and that means learners. The first relation He sus tained to them was a teaching relation. Nicodemus called Him “ Rabbi,” which was a term of respect for teachers. He never repudiated it, but always encour aged it. Teaching was His chief busi ness. He was often a healer, some times a miracle worker, frequently a preacher, but always a teacher. There
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