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what it meant for Paul to obey and go over into Europe. As a result we have the gospel today. Lesson Story.—-Paul and a man named Silas were travel ling together from place to place preaching the gospel where ever they went. At one place they met a young man named Timothy, and all the Christian people of that place spoke well of Timothy. He had been taught, from a little child to know the Bible, and to obey the Lord Jesus. When Paul saw how wise and good a young man Timothy was, he chose him to go with himself and Silas, so that Timothy might learn to be a minister, and preach the gospel. They came to Troas, a city near the sea; and there in the night Paul had a vision. He saw a man standing before him, who said, Come over to Macedonia and help us. Macedonia was a country on the other side of the sea; so Paul, and those with him, sailed in a ship from Troas and came to a city of Macedonia, called Philippi. On the Sabbath day they went out of the city a little way, to a place by the side of the river, where the Jews used to meet together to pray; and they sat down and talked with the women who came there, My !,, Boys and girls wouldn’t that have been a wonderful treat to go to church or Sunday School down by the beautiful river, where it was so quiet and peaceful, and have listened to Paul and Silas and Timothy tell the sweet gospel story. . You know chil dren, when I get to heaven I am going to have Paul tell me all about this trip over into Macedonia and into the dif ferent cities, and the wonderful times he and Silas and Timothy had together. Of course we know they had many hard things to face, for we today have hard things too, for Satan does not want people to listen to the Bible or preach ing, and so he makes'it hard and tries to get us to give up. We are not going to give up when hard things come are we? One of the hard things many of us are fighting now, is getting up on time so we will not be late to Sunday School, and a great many of us have already locked the door and kept Mr. Late out,: for we are coming on time every Sunday. One of the women who heard Paul down by the river, was named Lydia; she was a seller of purple cloth. She listened very carefully to what Paul said and believed in Jesus. When she and her family had been baptized, she begged Paul and his friends, saying, If you think I am a believer, come and stay at my houste. And she persuaded them to come and stay at her home. We want to be sure and learn our memory verse so well we will never forget it, for it tells us how we can be saved .. “Be lieve on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.” Do you believe on Him? Closing Prayer. DECEMBER 23, 1923 THE UNIVERSAL REIGN OF CHRIST— CHRISTMAS LESSON Golden Text: “Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession.” Psa. 2:8. Christ is the desire of all nations. Christianity is a world religion. Christ is the one and only ruler qualified for universal rulership. Isaiah presents a Messianic pic ture of a two-fold nature, viz. a Sufferer and a Conqueror. He sees a two-fold coming, viz. one to LESSON suffering and one to glory; one as a EXPOSITION dying Lamb and one as a Judge of Dr. F. W. Farr men. The solution of this mystery is not found by supposing there are two Messiahs as the Rabbis have suggested. It was made clear by Christ and the Apostles in revealing the two advents
of the one Messiah. The first is historic. The second is prophetic. The earliest prophecy in Scripture is that of a Redeemer. (Gen. 3 :15 ). It was repeated in the covenant with Abraham (Gen. 13:1-3). It was reiterated by all the prophets. Jesus of Nazareth fulfilled these predictions. His name revealed his work (Matt. 1 :21 ). He saved not by means of His earthly life, nor by the power of His example, but only through His atoning death. (Matt. 20: 28). Isaiah 11:1, 2 refers to the first advent.. The rest of the chapter describes conditions that obtain after the second advent. The first advent is associated with the cross; the second advent with the crown. The coronation is as necessary as the crucifixion. The kingdom is referred to more than a hundred times in the New Testament. A kingdom is a form of government administered by a king. A king must have dominion. This first phase of the king dom Jesus taught was his rule in the hearts of men. It is received by the child-like spirit, it is not in outward demon stration or in word, but in power. It is an inward condi tion from translation from the power of darkness into the kingdom of the Son. (Col. 1 :13 ). It must be supplemented by the iutward phase which is domain. Before the sec ond advent the earth is domineered by Satan. After the second advent, the earth shall be dominated by Christ. At His first coming He was the Prophet; between His first and second comings He is the great High Priest; at and after His second coming, He will be the King over all the earth. As Priest He intercedes for all nations. As King He rules all nations. The kingdom and the church are not the same. The kingdom is extended. The cvhurch is builded. Christ does not rule over his church. Eph. 1:22 refers to His rulership of all things for the sake of the church. Psalm 2:8 has no application to the present age. The following verse makes that clear. What does He do with the heathen after He gets them? This is the age of grace, not of judgment. The millennial reign of Christ is oyer His enemies, or those who might become such were it not for His restraining power. (Psa. 66:3 margin) Au gustine said “Distingush the times and the Scriptures will harmonize.” The dispensational study of the Scriptures is the method that makes their apparent mysteries plain. In our brief comment on this Christmas lesson, we will confine ourselves to the shortest of the Scripture passages assigned, Isa. 9:6, 7. This remarkable prophecy^given some seven hundred years before Christ— embraces the two DEVOTIONAL advents of Jesus Christ. “Unto us a COMMENT child is born, unto us a son is given.” John A. Hubbard This speaks to us of the great event which we celebrate at this time— the first advent of Jesus. (In passing, note the marvelous ac curacy of the Word of God. It was the “child” Jesus who was born, the Eternal “Son” was given, not born). What was the object of His first coming? Let Him answer. “The Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19 :10 ); “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” (1 Tim. 1 :15 ). He came “to give His life a ransom for many” (Matt. 20 :28 ). “On the cross He sealed my pardon, paid the debt and made me free.” Halle lujah! “Thanks be to God for his unspeakable gift” (2 Cor. 9 :15 ). None but those who have accepted this won drous Gift can appreciate .the meaning of Christmas. “And the government shall be. upon his shoulder.” This part of the prophecy has not yet been fulfilled, but will be, and just as literally as was the other. Just as surely as He
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