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THE KING’S BUSINESS
the Gold-dust Twins are quite Christian. But just as children’s mouths are washed with soap and water to teach them not to use filthy speech, so our heavenly Father uses clean and unclean outward things to teach us the filthiness of sinful character and conduct. Jesus taught that the heart by nature is a fountain of filth (Mark 7:21-23). You may imagine the vilest sewer you can and it is a pure fountain as compared with a sinful heart. You might expect such a sewer in the New Jerusalem rather than such a heart. How then can we be clean within? 1. Confess Our Uncleanness (.1 John 1: 9). , . 2. Trust in the ¡Blood of Jesus (1 John 1:7). 3. Pray for a Clean Heart (Ps. 51:10). 4. Quit Our Evil Words and Ways (2 Gor. 7 :1 ; Eph. 5:4). 5. Keep No Filthy Company, —read no unclean books, attend no unclean “movies” (Prov. 4:23-27). 6. Keep Your Heart Set on the Good (Phil. 4:8, 9). 7. Wash With God’s Book (Ps. 119:11; Eph. 5:26). 8. Only the Clean Within Shall Get Within (Rev. 21:27; 22:11, 15) and See God (Rev. 7:13-17). 1. What Shall We Call Success? (1 ) Is it to get pleasure, riches, knowledge, or a great name? Read what the wise king said about that long ago (Eccles. 1-2). Jesus said, “A man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things he possesseth” (Luke 12:15, and see the parable of the rich fool—vs. 16-21). (2) Jesus said, “Seek first the kingdom of God” (Math 6:33). 2. Two Successful Lives. Paul began life with great worldly prospects (Gal. 1: 14). When he became a Christian he counted all that “loss” (Phil. 3:7, 8). Now see what he suffered (2 Cor. 11:23-30 ; 6: 4, 5; 1 Cor. 9:13). The last we read of (Concluded on page 297.) Sunday, June 14—Proverbs 3:1-6 How Can We Be Successful?
is known to be trustworthy. But treating our word lightly will build the character of a liar in everything. 3. The third good that will come-is that one -will get the blessings of sa/lvation which come to all who; faithfully do the things written in the pledge. 4. The fourth good is that we may save our fellows. If 19 out of 20 keep the pledge the 20th will not be likely to break it. Because so many act as if their prom ise was a trifle, the many are careless of theirs. What if God kept His promises to you no better than you yours to Him? No one can keep a pledge in his own strength. No one has any business to promise God that he will do anything ex cept in self-doubting trust in the grace of God (Phil. 3:3; 4:13). What solemn pledge, even to death, did 11 good men break in an hour? (Mark 14:27-31); and one of them very grievously? (Mark 14: 66-71). What band of wicked men were unable to keep their vow and why (Acts 23:12-31)? Have the Junior pledge read. Ask in detail and individually, Do you keep this promise ? Sunday, June 7—Matthew 5:8 Be Clean Within and Without The Beatitudes, vi Who are the “blessed” of the 6th Beati tude? The pure in heart are the “clean w ithin.” The Law of God has much to say about clean bodies, clean food, and clothes. Lep ers were to cry, Unclean! Unclean! if one came near them. The Gospel carries'clean liness where it goes. In heathen houses, and streets, food, drink and clothing there is filth in plenty. But in Christian lands and more and more are clean persons, foods, homes and cities. One of my first instructions was “Keep your nose tied up and your shoes clean.” Christians will be decent, and decency demands cleanliness and neatness. They will keep clean with out. Soap, sapolio, Dutch cleanser, and
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