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T H E K IN G ’ S BU S IN E SS
King, not their worldly, material king. Even the disciples misunderstood this. They knew Christ was their long-loioked-for Messiah, yet they thought that ere long Christ would flash out before the world a mighty, visible and glorious king. Christ tried to set them right and fore warn them by telling them what awaited Him. Observe Christ’s omniscience. He knows the future. His enemies, in killing Him, did not take Him by surprise. Christ’s words shocked the disciples. They resented His having to suffer. All this was incon ceivable with their ideas o f a Messiah King. They thought it a death-blow to all their hopes in Him and a triumph to their enemies. How did Christ rebuke Peter? Recall that when Christ was tempted in the wil derness before beginning His work, Satan urged Christ to cast himself down from the temple, claiming that God had promised to protect Him from injury. In short, he suggested: “Instead of winning, working, suffering for years and at last dying to get people to know -that you are God, why not do something startling which will bring them to your feet instantly?” Satan suggested to Christ a short-cut, an easy way instead o f the way which God had planned. Christ dreaded suffering just as we do. But by way o f the cross-was God’s chosen way o f redeeming us. Christ had M EMORY VERSE : “He hath done all things well.” Preparation .—Today we are going to see how far we can go with our eyes.' (Ask the children to tell you). W e can go much farther with our eyes than we can with our ears. W e can see the mountains that are miles away. But we can see much further than that. We can see the sun, the moon, and the stars. But no matter what we see, it is not in the right way, if all these things do not tell us o f God and
to pay for us with His own life-blood. When Peter suggested an easier way Christ instantly saw that it was Satan again trying to turn Him aside from God’s will. Peter was Satan’s agent. Christ then called the multitudes to Him and said. I f you want to be my disciples you will have to do just what I am doing. Say “No” .to your ,own will and adopt God’s will for yours. Christ said “ Self must die in your life and God take the throne.” What is self? It’s that some thing within us which wants its own way; loves to be noticed and sympathized w ith; is easily hurt, and talks back. It is not enough to suppress self. It is sure to assert itself, just as the animal feigns death, but later lifts its head and deals a deadly blow. Self and God cannot, occupy the same throne at the same time. Christ said, let self triumph and with it possess all that this world contains, yet the soul is lost now and forever. Grain hoarded in the' granery mildews, but buried in the earth means new life many fold. I yield to Christ, -self is buried, new life appears, for it is no longer I that live but Christ in me (Gal. 2 :20) and living for Christ and the gospel I pass from existence into life. Appeal to your girls to accept Christ and confess Him. Make plain that she who does not, is ashamed o f Christ (v. 38). His great love. All who know and love' the Lord Jesus Christ see in this beautiful way that makes their hearts want to say, “thank you,” to the Heavenly Father. When the Lord Jesus was here, He caused many blind people to see, but He told them there were many other people who could see, but not in the better way, because they did not love God in their hearts. Presentation —There was a little town on the shore o f the sea o f Galilee. Peter and Andrew had lived there for many years.
BEGINNERS AND PRIMARY
By Mrs. A. L. Dennis. (Jesus and the Blind Man.)
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