482
T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S
December, 1936
verse in Proverbs ; the love of pleasure, of wine, and of oil results in poverty in the most inclusive meaning of the word—pov erty to the individual and to the community. When poverty comes to one class of society, every class becomes involved. We must remember that pleasure, the wine, and oil are gifts from God, and are given for the blessing of mankind. But man has proved, by his treatment of the gifts of God, that he takes them to misuse them, making them curses instead of blessings. When gifts are allowed to shut out God, and when those gifts become objects of man’s love, intemperance surely follows with its attendant reaction upon the com munity life. II. T he D anger of I ntem perance (Prov. 23:20, 21)’ W e are warned against association with winebibbers and riotous eaters of flesh, those who descend to drunkenness and gluttony!: The certain consequence of over- indulgence in wine and food is poverty and rags. This declaration may be taken both literally and figuratively; the results of this intemperance are poverty and rags in ma terial ways and poverty and want in spir itual possessions. The effect of this intemperance is “ drowsi ness” which robs a man of the power to think straight and act wisely. It ruins his mental clarity, and it lowers his moral standards. It severs all fellowship with the Creator, and shuts out the hope of enjoying and understanding eternal values — values greater than those that the things of time and sense possess. Revenues from intemperance eventually resolve themselves into losses for the com munity which receives them. No state of; nation can long exist when its members are drunken and gluttonous. Revenues from these sources gradually force all taxes to be increased until the burden becomes un bearable and the community sinks under the financial cost. That cost cannot be cal culated in figures having dollar marks before them. Damage to industry, education, and society must be counted also. III. Intemperance may be avoided, first, by rendering true ,service for the Lord (Matt. 24:45-51). This service will be faithful, performed for the Lord’s approval; it will be wise, done for the Lord’s advantage, and it will be ready for an account to be given, looking for the Lord’s arrival. Such service as this will bring rich reward and satis faction to the servant. On the other hand, the evil servant will cease to expect his Lord to com e; he will live for himself and his own pleasure, and will be taken un awares when the Lord returns. Intemperate living will bring weeping and gnashing of teeth in the day of accounting. Second, intemperance may be avoided by seeking for spiritual benefits from the Lord (John 6:26, 27). Laboring for material benefits alone will lead one into intemper ance with its outcome of misery and despair. Seeking only for the loaves and T he A voidance of I ntem perance (Matt. 24:45-51; John 6:26, 27, 35)
P A T E R H EM O N
63 Versions of the Lord's Prayer in 41 Languages Ancient and Modern, with extensive^ fascinat ing notes by Paul
fishes instead of the things that benefit the spiritual life will result in irreparable loss, and finally inability to receive any spiritual blessings. This is the curse of intemperance of every kind. Third, intemperance may be avoided by seeking for the person of the Lord (John 6:35). Nothing in the material world can sustain or satisfy the spiritual life of man. It is in the spirit realm that man must meet God who is Himself a Spirit. Any degree of intemperance hinders the fellowship of man’s spirit with God and is to be avoided as a plague. Intemperance in reading, in eating, in drinking— in anything —will end with poverty and rags, in body, mind, soul, and’ spirit. A sober community will be a stable, prosperous. community, while a drunken and gluttonous community will be poverty-stricken. Points and Problems 1. “ He that loveth pleasure shall be a ,poor man: he that loveth wine and oil shall not he rich" (Prov. 21:17). The title placed over this lesson is “ The Financial Cost of Alcoholic Beverages” or “ The Econ omic Approach to the Liquor Problem.” Certainly, in general, alcohol has destruc tive economic effects. Yet we have seen individual men who lovid pleasure and wine who were rich in economic wealth. It would be better to approach the problem from a spiritual standpoint. No man who lives for pleasure, and wine, and oil can ever be rich spiritually. Consider the Rich Fool of Luke 12: he loved the things of this world, and his barns were bursting with riches. Spiritually he was a pauper, having nothing but his own soul, and at last he lost even that. 2. Notice that the “riotous eaters of flesh" and the “ glutton" are put in the same cate gory with the “ D. Hugon, world-famous linguist. A Rosetta Stone for Posterity. Just Out. Pocket Edition, 55c; Library Edition, $1.10 mailed. BROAD W A Y PRESS, 1116 S. Hope, Los Angeles. ATTENTION A Beautiful 5" by 7" Steel Engraving The Lord’s Prayer IN TWO COLORS—DEEP BROWN AND ORANGE Send $1.00 for Framed Copy Postpaid Special Rates for Quantities Upon Application HARRY A. PHILIPP 4111 West Imperial Highway, Inglewood, Calif. With the use of this Course, every Young People’s Society may he converted into a School for Bible Training. 1936 STUDIES IN CHRISTIAN DOCTRINE Four Parts—52 Lessons. Part I, The Bible—The God of the Bible. Part II, The Christ of the Bible —The Holy Spirit. Part III, Man—Sin and Redemp tion. Part IV, The Church —Future Events. Send 15c in stamps for current issue. : h r is t ia n PUBLICATIONS. INC 1506 N . 3rd Street, Harrisburg, Pa. Book Missionaries Wanted You may be a real missionary by selling Mrs. Charles E. Cowman's great book STREAMS IN THE DESERT Price $1.50 Postpaid Liberal Commission Oriental Missionary Society, Pub. Dept. 900 N. Hobart Blvd., Los Angeles, Calif. Are YOU This Person? Christian man (or woman); age, 18-60 (say); liv ing in city or town; free all or part of day; good health; missionary in spirit; eager to promote the Gospel in own or nearby community; needing fair financial remuneration. If So, We Need YOU! Ask (without obligation) for particulars about "Colportage” work—the selling of low-priced books by noted Christian authors. Please mention this paper. BIBLE INSTITUTE COLPORTAGE ASSOCIATION 810 N. Wells, Chicago, Illinois BLACKBOARD LESSON Prepare For World-WideService Plan now to enroll this fall. 18 Experienced Instructors. Students also attend the Florida Kes wick Conferences and hear the foremost preachers o f the nation. FUNDAMENTAL—EVANGELICAL For information, catalogue, etc., address FLORIDA BIBLE INSTITUTE Rev. W. T. Watson, D.D., Pres., ________________ Tampa, Fla.
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