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THE K I N G ’ S BUS I NES S
THURSDAY, Feb. 10. Rev. 7:9-17. God Will Have His Way. There are no untenanted mansions in heaven. There are no vacant places or empty chairs in the celestial banquet hall. “The wedding was furnished with guests.” The king may have been dis appointed when the invited guests re fused to come, but he was not dishon ored and his purpose was not thwarted. He neither postponed nor cancelled the marriage feast. He found other guests, Matt. 22:8-10. No action on the part of man can defeat God’s cherished purpose, cause him to change his programme or bring his plan to naught. It may be that he has built a mansion in glory for every sinner on earth. John 14:2, cf. Matt. 25:41. If any individual sinner declines this honor and refuses amnesty, some other tenant will be found. The heavenly mansions will not be deserted and dilapidated for lack of occupation. FRIDAY, Feb. 11. Luke 10:1-20. A Highway and Hedge Committee Servants were sent out on an emer gency errand at the eleventh hour to subsidize guests for a feast that could not be deferred. They could not afford to return from a fruitless mission. They must report results. After twenty cen turies of evangelizing that has been dis appointing in its results, would it not be fitting for all believers to resolve themselves into a highway and hedge committee of the whole and inaugurate a world-wide and intensive campaign for souls preceding the coming of the Lord? Would not such an effort be pro ductive of results? Winning men to Christ i s ' the supreme duty. It must take precedence over all others. Neces sarily in view of human freedom the moral appeal must stop short of coer cion but earnest prayerful persistent ef forts will be crowned by the Divine blessing and can not fail to be attended with a large measure of success. SATURDAY, Feb. 12. 1 Pet. 2:1-12. Different Kinds of Christians. . There are some passages of Scripture in which calling may be considered as an equivalent for conversion. Rom. 8:80. 2 Pet. 1:10. If Matt. 22:14, may be so construed, it might read “Many are con verted but few are choice.” How com paratively few there are who even make an effort to measure up to the Divine re quirements! The great need of the church is a standard efficiency goal of
one hundred per cent Christianity. Ore is graded, fruit is assorted and Chris tians are classified. There is an inner circle to which all may aspire to enter. There are crowns awaiting victorious contestants. The question for a church is not how many members but what kind of members. The question for the individual is not how long a life to live but what kind of a life. Quality is more than quantity. God does not ask “How many?” but “What kind?” SUNDAY, Feb. IS. Deut. 8:6-11. Man and the Forth. Sin is essentially insubordination and since this is an exercise of the will, sin pertains only to creatures that have wills. The material .creation was made subservient to its intelligent master and therefore shares the fate of its master. When man sinned the earth was in volved in the ruin. Rom. 8:22. The very soil lacks the fruitfulness that the Spirit gave it. Gen. 3:17-18. This finds illustration in the varying conditions ox the Holy Land according to the predic tions of Lev. 26:3-5, 20, 35. There is a truth revealed here that political econ omists might profitably ponder. The Spirit of promise and prophecy looks forward to the coming qf the Lord when the curse shall be lifted and the whole earth restored to Paradise conditions and be filled with His glory. Is. 59 :20. Zech. 8:3. Hzek. 34:26-27. MONDAY, Feb. 14. Matt. 22:15-22. God and Caesar. The stability of Caesar’s throne rests upon the Divine decree. Rom. 13:1. Human government is a check on the development of sin. The sword of the magistrate which was given to Noah stands for the power of correction even unto death. In its last analysis govern ment does not rest upon the consent of the governed, but upon the will and law of God. The worst government that ever existed is better than none at all. Even if the basest of men holds the posi tion of ruler, Dan. 4:17, he must be obeyed in so far as obedience does not lead one to act Contrary to Divine law, Acts 5:29. This explains why the Apos tles were at liberty to disregard the words of Jesus in Matt. 23:3, and dis obey, the command of the Sahedrin at the game time. Under no circumstances however are we to render unto God
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