T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S
September, 1938
298
saw a flower or a tree, that you did not think, “My Father made it.” How you would revere Him! —Sunday S chool Chronicle. O CTO BER 9, 1938 CHURCH WORK—GOD’S WORK I saiah 2:2, 3; E phesians 5:25-27 Meditation on the Lesson In the passage from Ephesians which is the basis for our present meditation, Paul uses the close relationship of husband and wife to illustrate Christ’s unique love for the church. In the Scriptural sense, the church is not an edifice or an organization; it is the God-ordained organism through which divine life must flow and be mani fested to a present evil, unbelieving world. Redeemed sinners, whom Christ loved, and for whom He died, compose the body of believers, the church. In this comprehensive passage Paul un rolls the scroll upon which the past, present, and future of the church is written. As re gards the past, Christ loved the church and gave Himself for it. In the present, He is sanctifying and cleansing it with the wash ing of water by the Word. In the future, He will present it to Himself as a glorious church, without blemish and without spot. What a glorious prospect for the sons of God! True church work is uniquely God’s work, for the power for this work is de rived from Him, and the fruit of the work is for Him. Much modern church work is purely perfunctory and devoid of spirit ual vitality, but work done in the Spirit and for the Head of the true church is never mechanical. Repeatedly, in the Word we are admonished to labor as unto the Lord. “Other sheep I have,” said the Lord Jesus, “which are not of this fold: them also I must bring.” God has honored us with the position of undershepherds, sent out to gather in the wandering ones for whom He died. Oh, that we might be true to our sacred trust! “Yes,” said Aunt Sarah, surveying her bandaged wrist, “the doctor says it’s a bad sprain; and the minister says I know now how the church feels, in not having the use of all its members. The minister didn’t mean that for just a joke, either. I had sense enough, too, to feel I deserved to have him say it to me. A word like that comes home pretty straight when one of your own members is useless and worse. “I’ve never thought before just what be ing a member of the church meant, though I’ve been one for thirty-five years. I guess I ’ve been just about as useful a member to the church as the sprained hand—all stiff and crippled—is to me. There are lots of things I need to do, but I can’t use this member to do them—that’s certain. That’s the way the minister has felt about me, I suppose. I ’ve been a useless member for thirty-five years, and if the rest of the mem bers had been like me, the church would have been paralyzed. I’m ashamed of my self and things are going to be different from now on.”— Forw ard. Helps for the Leader I. C rippled M embers
NO TES on Christian Endeavor By MARY G. GOODNER
nal counsels He has purposed to accom plish. As in creation, so in redemption God completes the work which He has ordained. In His omnipotence He upholds and cares for all whom He has created, and His solici tude is climaxed in His providing the eter nal salvation of their souls. This He did in making the supreme sacrifice of sending His only begotten and beloved Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, to be a propitiation for our sins. In this mighty work of redemp tion, the willingness of the Son was im perative; His desire to do the Father's will was necessary to complete the plan of sal vation. He, being one with the Father, could effectually offer Himself as a Lamb without spot to fulfill the demands of a righteous and holy God. Thus it is that He declared to the designing and accusing Jews who hated Him and desired His life, “My Father worketh hitherto, and I work.” How gloriously complete is our salva tion! Can it be possible that we who be lieve are allied with One who is the Dis penser of all power (cf. John 14:12)? What a hallowed privilege is ours— that of being workers together with God! When Cecil Rhodes lay dying, he is reported to have said, "So much to do— so little done!” He could not say (nor can any other man truthfully declare), as the Master said at the climax of His career, "It is finished.” How glorious for the Son of God thus to reach the goal predicted and accomplish the redemption of a world! —E . W . C aswell . II. R ecognizing G od ’ s H and I have a little sheet of paper in my house on which there is a faint representation of a hyacinth. I have many other pictures far more beautiful, but I regard this one as the most exquisite of them all. My mother painted it. I never see it but I ¿link that her hand rested on it. Suppose you had such a conception of God, that you never Helps ior the Leader I. A F inished W ork
OCTOBER 2, 1938 “MY FATHER WORKETH” J ohn 5:17; 9:4; 14:10 Meditation on the Lesson Work has been classified as the greatest blessing of God to man. However, benefi cial though it may be, work is inextri cably bound up with the thought of necessity. Comparatively few of us possess sufficient resources to enable us to live without working; we must work. In the light of these observations, the statement of the Lord Jesus in John 5:17 is almost in comprehensible to our finite minds. "My Father worketh”! “My Father”—the eter nal God who possesses all things—works! As the psalmist meditated upon the great ness of God’s work he exclaimed: "O Lord, how manifold are thy works! in wisdom thou hast made them all.” The creation work of our God is very great; by His own power He has established the whole uni verse. In Genesis 2r2 we read of the com pleted work of creation when God rested from His labors. Unlike man, God reached the consummation of the task to which He had set Himself. He, being complete in Himself, completes that which in His eter- A 112 page all purpose song book. A score of new songs and choruses. Each— 30c; 4 — $1.20, postpaid Catalog of other publications and prices upon request. HAROLD ALEXANDER, Publisher Evangelist - Singer P. 0. Box 321 Los Angeles, Calif. C O P P E R GIFT B O JC f u l l o f Christmas Cards« FA ST M O N E Y -M A K E R Amazing$1seller. Costsyou only 60c. Take orders for latest sensation. “ COPPER GIFT BOX” embossed on metal foil with 21 newly designed Christmas Folders. Nothing like it on the market. Tops all others in " n _ •”’.wr value and appeal. Many other assortments. Full •I’OTIT lineof Personal ChristmasCards with name imprinted. S O P Just show samples and make big money. Write today. JAN ES A R T STU D IO S, In c., 1 2 2 Anson P l„ Rochester, N.Y. Sells for tffiO i NEWEST PUBLICATION “SINGABLE SONGS OF THE CENTURY”
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