Paul stood fearlessly before the people and told them that the unknown god was He who alone was the true God, and the One about whom he was preaching. He said that God made the world and every thing in it. “ He giveth to all life, and breath, and all things.” A fter Paul had told the people about God the Father, he talked to them about the Saviour, God’s only begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. Very few people believed the message o f salvation. Others said that at a later time they would lis ten to his story again. There are some false teachers today who tell us that God is the Father o f us all and that all men are brothers in Him. This is one o f the devil’s ifavorite lies! God is the Creater o f all; He is the Fa ther of only those who have become His children by receiving His Son as their Saviour. When the disciples a s k e d the Lord Jesus to teach them to pray, He told them to say, “ Our Father which art in heaven.” Only those who are His dis ciples may call God their Father. Paul told the people o f Athens that they were “ too religious” (Acts_ 17:22 R .V .). Nearly everyone has some sort of religion, but Christians have a 'Person— a living Saviour! Through Him they come to know God, His Father. Until we know Christ as Saviour, we cannot real ly understand God and His Word. Is God, your Maker, your Father too? M Y I N T H E C O N V E N T • A BOOK OF FACTS! A detailed description of black nunnery in Bristol. Twenty-four great chapters. Margaret Shepherd, escaped nun, described in detail the terrible ex periences of helpless and defenseless girls within the high stone walls of Bristol convent, The most terrible revelations ever recorded. • OVER 6,000,000 COPIES PRINTED! The most extensively read book on the papal curse. No book like this in print. Read this fright ful, heart-breaking story and learn the truth concerning convent life. 258 burning pages. Post paid only $1.35. The edition is limited— so order at once. GOSPEL ART SHOPPE Dept. KB Rowan, Iowa W h e r e P r a y e r Prevails Train for needed Christian service at this growing Bible School— “built with prayer.” The good climate and mountain scenery of the famed Columbia River are an added inspira tion. Accredited courses, FREE tuition, strong faculty, devoted student body. Ask for catalog. Interesting Monthly Sent Free for a Year to All Inquirers M u l t n o m a h School o f the B I B L E W illard M. Aldrich. ThJD., President B. B. Sutcliffe, D.D. Jeha G. Mitchell, D.D. Chairman of Trustee Board Vice-President 703 N.E. Multnomah St., Portland 12, Ore. L I F E C h o ir &m A l i f i y O P u lp it Pine materials, beautiful work, pleasingly low prices. Catalog and samples on request. State your needs and name of church. DeMoulin Bros. & Co. 1126 So. 4th St., Greenville, 111,
JANUARY 11, 1948 BELIEF IN GOD TODAY I sa . 40 :28 -31 ; JOHN 14:8-14
the Messiah shall come and all weakness shall be turned into strength. But it is always true that “ they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength” (v. 31). The Lord promises as well that “ they shall mount up with wings as eagles,” that is, rise above difficulties, above the mists, darkness and doubts of earth into the sunshine o f God's pres ence. The figures o f speech likening spir itual progress to running and walking are employed in this passage inasmuch as we are still upon this earth. Running suggests energetic effort without weari ness; walking implies the steady prog ress the Christian should make as he fellowships daily with the omnipotent God. Do we wish to know what the Infinite God is like? We need only to read the Gospels, fo r He is like the Lord Jesus Christ, One day God came to earth wear ing man’s flesh and bones. Those who look into the face o f Jesus and behold His works and attitudes get the exact image o f God. “ He that hath seen me, hath seen the Father” (v. 9 ), said Jesus. Man needs no vision beyond this. He will never find God in any other way. In a sense believers are blessed be yond thj,at wh i c h Christ experienced (v. 12). Since the Holy Spirit came at Pentecost, spiritual results have out- measured those o f the three years’ min istry o f Christ. Then, too, Christians have the matchless prerogative o f prayer in the name o f Jesus, that is, by His au thority and in accordance with His re vealed will. Who can estimate the honor o f an audience with the God o f heaven at any time? H e I s U nveiled in C hrist (J ohn 14 :8 -11 ) H e P romises B lessing to B elievers (14 :1 2 -1 4 ) M emory V erse : “ He giveth to all life, and breath, and all things” (Acts 17:25). The people in Athens worshiped many different gods. None o f these gods were real; none o f them could create or love or answer prayer. One day, the great missionary, Paul, visited Athens. He saw the people wor shiping idols. He knew that they needed to know about the Lord God who had created them and who loved them enough to give His only Son to die for them. For fear that they might have over looked some god, the Athenians had built one altar TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Helps for the Children G od O ur M aker and F ather (A cts 17 :22 -31 ; M att . 6 : 9 )
Pointers on the Lesson Faith in God presupposes an intelli gent knowledge o f Him. Men cannot be lieve without a basis for belief. This foundation is provided in the Word of God, where we discover what kind of a being the God is in whom we are to put our trust. The Bible declares that “ with out faith it is impossible to please him” (Heb. 11:6). It also furnishes us such a picture of God that every man has good reason to believe in Him. The two pas sages selected for study today present many characteristics of God which are fundamentally important for such be lief. H e I s E ternal ( I sa . 40 :28 ) This means that God is capable of pro viding an eternal salvation. He deals in eternal issues. Those who put their trust in Him have the confidence that their repose will continue beyond the transi tory experiences of this life. They know that “ the eternal God is . . . [their] refuge, and underneath are the everlast ing arms” (Deut. 33:27). H e I s J ehovah (4 0 :28) The word Lord is correctly trans lated Jehovah in the American Standard Version. This is the redemptive name of God. This is the name through which He reveals Himself in love and mercy to sin ful men. After man had sinned, it was Jehovah Elohim who sought him, and provided for him the “ coats o f skins” (Gen. 3:9-13, 21). A careful study of the Scriptures reveals that the Jehovah o f the Old Testament who appeared to men was the JESUS of the New (cf. Isa. 40:3 and Matt. 3 :3 ). This name tells us that God loves man so much that He re veals Himself in saving grace. H e I s T he C reator (4 0 :2 8 ) This statement concerning God denies atheism, pantheism, polytheism and evo lution all at once. The design and pur pose evidenced in the world o f nature argues for one Supreme Being. Scrip ture is in absolute harmony with this de duction ; the opening words o f Genesis are reiterated again and again in its holy message: “ In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.” H e I s O mnipotent (40 :28 -31 ) Undoubtedly the words in this section were given to comfort those in captivity. God’s might is available even to those in such extremity. In this passage there is an intimation of that coming day when
Made with FlippingBook flipbook maker