We must not grow discouraged. We should “ Pray without ceasing . . . The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much” (1 Thess. 5:17; James 5:16). I have a friend who is ill from worry ing all the time. She worries about everyr thing and declares all the ills in the world are happening, or are going to happen to her. What can I tell her? Worry is a sin. Fretting and worrying indicate a lack of faith in an all-wise and loving Father in Heaven, and that is a sin. First Peter 5:7 is reassuring if only we would heed it, casting all our care upon him, remembering that he careth for us. Many other Scriptures admonish us not to worry, among which some of the most definite are to be found in Matthew 6:25-34, and Philippians 4:6, 7, 19. Why do some churches recite the Apostle’s Creed and say “I believe in the Holy Catholic Church,” when we know there is no such thing? I always substi tute “ the Holy Christian Church.” Please let me know what you think? These words merely mean the church universal, and pertain to all Christen dom, not to the Roman Catholic or the Greek Catholic Churches. This definition is given in all good dictionaries. This question has torn the hearts of many who have been called upon to lay their little ones away in infancy. Be comforted, friends, all infants, including the stillborn, go immediately into the presence of God. Young children who have not reached the age of accountabil ity at death are included. Christ died for “ the world,” and His atonement provides for these. (Read Mark 10:13-16.) In a recent issue of The King’s Busi ness you state that every believer is sealed with the Holy Spirit. Does that mean that every Christian is filled with the Holy Spirit? No, every believer is not filled with the Spirit. It is possile for us to “ grieve the Holy Spirit of God,” even though we have been baptized with the Spirit—to Are babies and young children who die saved?
our own shame we must admit this; we should not •grieve the, Holy Spirit by permitting unconfessed sin in our lives. (Read Ephesians 4:30-32.) In Ephesians 5:18 we are commanded to “be filled with the Spirit.” Never are we commanded to be “ baptized with the Spirit” for this is an act which God alone can work in our hearts by grace, and He does it the mo ment we put our faith in the atoning work of Christ for salvation. We sing “Jesus Paid it All,” but is there not something the believer must do? Good works are important. God ex pects His blood-bought children to bear fruit. A mere profession before a world lost in sin is fruitless. Good works can not save the sinner. Salvation must come first. My unsaved friend, do not trust in your own efforts. You need a Saviour, even Jesus Christ of Nazareth who died for you. Look to Him by faith, and you will become one of His “ sheep.” You will never perish. The Word of the eternal God declares that His Word is “ forever established in heaven.” You will want to witness to the world to His measureless and limitless love. If you fall into sin you will not be lost, but you will not be happy until you confess your sin to your Great High Priest, even Jesus, who will cleanse you from all your sin and un righteousness. You will be Christ’s for time and eternity, and you will be among that blood-bought company of which He has said: “ My sheep . . . shall never perish.” Take Him at His Word and be saved today. Haile Selassie’ s Testimony “ I know I am saved, not by anything that is of character, or the works of the human heart, but by the blood of Jesus Christ alone.” Thus spoke the coura geous Emperor of Ethiopia in an inter view granted on the occasion of the arrival of the first Amharic New Tes taments from the United States. When asked if he might be quoted in this, His Majesty replied emphatically and with a smile, “ With pleasure.” It was also a great pleasure to hear this out standing leader of his country say that it was his practice to read the Word of God every morning. T H E K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S
Dr. Louis T. Talbot
My church is planning a rummage sale with serving of meals, to raise money to repair the building. What is your opinion of this? I am against the proposition, and am meeting with much opposition. Two things might be said regarding this matter. (1) God tells ns in James 4:3, “ Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts [or pleasures].” If we pray with selfish purposes, then we need not expect God to answer our prayers. (2) We must remember that when we pray according to God’s will, He either gives us what we ask, or He gives us something better. His ways are not our ways, and He makes no mistakes. There are many things about God’s ways with us that we cannot understand until we get to Heaven, but we know that we can safely pray and then leave the issues involved with Him. Such means of raising money for the church seem to us to be dishonoring to God. We must admit that many well- meaning Christians work hard arranging these affairs. In the first place God does not want or need money from the godless world, and when the self-righteous unsaved give to such causes, they often think they have won merit thereby, thus deceiving themselves. In the second place, the Lord’s work should be supported by the gifts and offerings of His own people. It is not only the duty of the child of God thus to support His work in the world, but it is a source of untold blessing and joy: “ Bring ye all the tithes into the store house, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it” (Mai. 3:10). The Lord Jesus cleansed the temple of money-changers when He was on earth, so also we are convinced that He would cleanse His “house of prayer” from all buying and selling and money-making schemes of men. You surely must admit that our pray ers are not always answered, even after many years. Why is this? Page Six
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