THE KING’ S BUSINESS
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Socialism arid is possible where true love abounds and where the Holy Spirit rules, and only there. But the spirit o f what was done in the early church should guide every individual believer today, even if the exact form o f it is impossible in an organic way. This community o f goods did not continue long in the early church, but the need o f the love that led to it was continually preached. Each day found them in the place set apart for the worship o f God. There, and also at home, they lived lives o f praise, .gladness and single-hearted ness. Such a church must grow and that church did grow. It was the Lord Himself who gave the additions. There was not a period o f great ingathering followed by great reaction and stagnation, but the addi tions were o f daily occurrence, and they were o f the right sort, “ saved” people. Monday, October 9. A c t s 3 : 1 - 3 . Peter and John were men o f prayer, and they observed the regular Jewish hour of prayer, and they went to the house that God 1 had appointed to be a house o f prayer as a proper place to pray (cf. Psa. SS :17; Dan. 6:10; 9:21). The ninth hour, three o’clock in the afternoon, according to the method o f recording time in the Acts of the Apostles, was the hour ,of prayer, because it was the hour o f sacrifice (Ex. 29:39; 1 Kings 18:36) and all approach to God in prayer must be on' the ground of shed blood (Heb. 10:19, 20; 9,22 ; John 14:6). This was the very hour at which Jesus hung upon the cross and thus opened up to us a way into the holiest o f all (cf. Luke 23:44, 46; Heb. 10:19, 20). The man who lay at the Gate Beautiful as Peter and John were entering had often been brought to that place before and was expecting noth ing unusual that day. But something very unusual was to occur simply because two men who really knew God were to pass that way. There is no telling what may happen when one jmeets one who really knows God. All that this man expected from Peter and John was some small coin,
but he was to get vastly more than he expected. At the door o f the temple was a most likely place for one to sit who was seeking alms. Even to this day we see the blind and lame, wherever they are per mitted, sitting at the door o f the temple or the church, thinking that those who are about to enter there will be in an especially favorable mood to notice and help the unfortunate. Peter first took a good look at the man, then he demanded o f the man to look at him. Here are two good points for any one who would bring Christ’s power into the life o f another: W e should first look steadfastly to the one we seek to help, until we understand his case, and then we should demand that the man give us his atten tion. Peter easily got the man’s attention; he gave very earnest heed to Peter and John, not from any sense o f spiritual need, but because he intensely desired ter. get a small coin and expected to receive some thing from them. Peter did not give the man what he asked for, for he did not have it, nevertheless Peter was full o f power. The men whose pockets are empty are oftentimes the men who have a power that is worth more than gold. What Peter did have was far more needful for the man than the silver and gold that he did not have; he had power in the name o f Christ to give the man what money could not buy, to give him power to walk. Peter’s words, “ Silver and gold have I none” are full o f suggestion and indicative o f Peter’s own character and method o f life. He had an excellent opportunity to get silver and gold (ch. 2:45; 4:37), but none o f the large sums o f money handed to him had remained with him. He lived in utmost simplicity, and gave away from day to day what he got. As a rule it 1 has been the men without silver and gold who have done the most for the world’s good (cf. 1 Cor. 4:11). A rich and proud bishop once said to another bishop, that they no longer Tuesday, October 10. Acts 3:4-6.
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