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THE K I N G ’ S BUS I NE S S
AUGUST 13 Scripture: Romans 6:12
AUGUST 18 Scripture: Romans 9:5 “ Christ . . . who is over all, God blessed for ever” (R. V.). Jesus Christ, very God of very God, be- gotten of the Father, is omnipotent; there fore, there is no need for concern over cir cumstances if we are in His hands. “Blessed be the Lord God . . . blessed be his glorious name for ever.” Our Lord and Saviour, we bow before Thee in worship and adoration. We offer to Thee our praise and our thanksgiving, for Thou art our God, and Thou hast become our Salvation. AUGUST 19 Scripture: Romans 9:23 "That he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory” We see the mad scramble all around us for material riches, and the hunger for the power and place which riches provide. How blind we are to the fact that God wishes to make known the riches of His glory in us, the vessels of His mercy. Forgive us, Lord, for every anxious thought, for each perplexing worry, for the secret yearning to be known of men, for the longing for wealth of earth, when ready before us is that great Gift of God. Let Him show forth the bounties of His glory in us. DROUGHT i My heart is parched by un belief. My spirit sere from inward 1 strife; j | The heavensabove are turned j to brass. Arid and fruitless is my life. \ \ j Then falls Thy rain, O Holy J One; Fresh is the earth, and | young once more; j | When falls ThySpirit on my i heart My life is green; the ( drought is o'er! ] j —Betty Bruechert j “For the scripture sait-h, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.” Many things men say bring shame to themselves or to others. A witness to the grace and Gospel of Jesus Christ, and the quoting of God’s Word never bring shame to any one. The Scripture says that we who believe on Jesus Christ shall not be ashamed in speaking of our confession, for “with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” Though my words may be lacking in polish and eloquence, that need not be a humilia tion to me when my subject is salvation through Jesus Christ, the only Saviour. AUGUST 21 Scripture: Romans 11:3, 4 “ What saith the answer of God . . . I have reserved to myself seven thou sand men, who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal.” Often God asks us to serve Him where there seem to be no others like minded. Unbelievers are many and make themselves known. Persecution is the lot of some who are His. Tribulation is promised to all. But we are not alone. There are many thousands who with us raise their hearts and hands to the God of Elijah, praising, thanking, worshiping .Him, There are still “seven thousand” who do not bow the knee to the Baal of today. Let us look up and take courage. AUGUST 20 Scripture: Romans 10:11
AUGUST 22 Scripture: Romans 11:18
"Let' not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof ” Whosoever rules over a country, reigns therein. The ruler of my life does the reign ing from its throne, my will. The will is to decide who shall reign, and what shall be sovereign in our mortal bodies. The decision rests with the individual will; the strength and power to carry it out are gifts from God. When your will says, “ I want this Man, Christ Jesus, to reign over me,” He will take over, and rule your life to the end that blessing, victory, and pdwer will be yours. AUGUST 14 Scripture!: Romans 7:9 "For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died.” Here is a typical instance of the old na ture. That which is forbidden immediately becomes wanted. “ The evil of man’s nature is provoked by God’s .righteous law. When the law says, ‘Thou shalt not,’ man in his self-will says, T will’.”—F. E. Marsh. Mem ory can recall many incidents proving this. But the new nature rejoices in the position it occupies; it delights in the law of God, and this by the severing power of the Cross. When Jesus Christ died, we believers died with Him, and so in Him we are “ dead to the law,” that being raised with Him, ‘‘we should bring forth fruit unto God.” AUGUST 15 Scripture: Romans 7:18 “For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.” How often we quote the first part of this verse; yet how seldom we really believe it: “ In my flesh dwelleth no good thing.” Our thoughts may be these: “ I am kind, I give liberally. I am unselfish, etc.” What is your list of the good things in you? It is not the same as mine, but we all have our private convictions concerning our own commend able traits. Honest consideration of these before God soon shrinks the list, and as the Holy Spirit works, we agree with Paul in concluding that in the flesh alone, there is nothing that is really good. But when we lay hold upon God, in whom we find all good things, through Him expression of those good characteristics is soon apparent in our daily living. AUGUST 16 Scripture: Romans 8:2 "For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and deatji” The law of. sin and death is strong-lived and enduring. It is that which is responsible for sin in the life. The blow that brings release from its clutches for man was struck by the only One strong enough to break its claims. Jesus Christ, the Author of our faith, has made us free from sin’s bondage; so the law of the Spirit, life in Christ Jesus, operates to give us freedom. Walk in the freedom Calvary purchased, and you will be a witness for the Lord Jesus Christ, today. AUGUST 17 Scripture: Romans 8:26 . "We know not what we should pray for . . . but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for u s” Prayer lacking direction from the ,Holy Spirit may be sincere, but it will be a prayer of hope, not a prayer of faith. It is the prayer of faith which God heeds. De pendence upon the Spirit’s guidance in pray«, r results in power before the Father’s threne.. In the times* of our weakness, His strength is manifested.* “ Holy Spirit, faithful Guide. guic! ■t •— ' V ' m uou to:*•■;• so i.iat our prayer will be pleasing to Him, and effec- :ua! in our living.
"Boast not against-the branches . But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root th ee” It is a wonderful thing to know salva tion; to walk in daily fellowship with God. It is a cause for gratitude to know His grace unceasing; to follow the. path which our Lord has trod. It is exceedingly mar-' velous to know His precious love; to under stand His written Word, and His sure prom ises. In all of this, He has given us a word of warning. “ Boast not.” “ By grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of your selves.” Whatever you have, wherever your place, “boast not.” AUGUST 23 Scripture: Romans 12:1 "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living ■ sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service” Our God is reasonable; that is, He is a rational Being. He has made us in His image; therefore, we are rational beings. He rightly asks of us a reasonable service. So we present to Him all of ourselves, the entire organism: body, soul and spirit, be cause He asks a living sacrifice. We give to Him our body that it may be an instru ment in His hands for service. Because what He receives He sanctifies, and because He does not reject what is yielded to Him, it will be acceptable. This is our “reasonable service.” AUGUST 24 Scripture: Romans 12:6 "Having then gifts differing accord“ ing to the grace that is given to u s” Let us be busy for the Lord, using the gifts the Holy Spirit has seen fit to bestow upon us individually. That will leave no place for envy or laziness because some other person’s gifts seem better than our own. God has been gracious in not leaving the choice with us, for we are prone to make mistakes. Each gift from Him is given to fulfill His purpose and His will; there fore, let us then be up and doing, putting each gift to work in His service, honoring His holy name, and furthering the work of His kingdom. AUGUST 25 Scripture: Romans 12:11 "Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord” From Africa come stories of the fatal sleeping sickness. But there is a worse dis ease than sleeping sickness; “ Spiritual slumber,” it is called by Dr. F. E. Marsh. He says, “ Sickness of soul may arise from the sleepiness of the saint.” Let us awake! Now is the time to be alert to opportunities to warn the unbelievers of their lost condi tion. The world is in a state of unrest, un certainty, unbalance. “Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead,” we should cry out that many may be saved. If we awaken them, and point them to Christ, He will give them life. AUGUST 26 Scripture: Romans 13:8 "Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth an other hath fulfilled the law” God is not speaking here of weakly, sen timental emotion; but of unselfish vital af fection which seeks the welfare of others, not its own. Some one has said that ful filling the law is filling full the hearts of others, filling them full with gratitude and rest; filling to the full this command and the new commandment is to love one an other. Do you pay your debts promptly? “ To love one another” is the most important earthly obligation. Christians owe this debt of love not only to the unsaved but to all fellow-believers. They are not to choose only the lovely and the lovable upon whom to bestow their affection. The early church made an indelible impression upon the world because of the esteem In which they held each other. Let us “ follow in their train!” t
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