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T H E K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S
January 1926
When the prayer closet is closed the heavenly light goes out and spiritual darkness possesses the soul. False doctrine, when first heard, gives the true believer concern, but when this deadly lethargy possesses him, there is a settling down, a soothing of conscience and an absorbing of error. From healthy physical sleep one awakens refreshed and invigorated, but spiritual sleep for the Christian is like an opiate. It produces first a stupor into which the sleeper sinks deeper and deeper. 4 When Samson fell asleep in the lap o f Delilah, he was shorn of his power and we picture him as making sport for men. When a chureh falls asleep she also is shorn of her power and plays harlot with the world. When suppers, entertainments, card parties, dances, smokers, movies, jazz music and mirth absorb its activi ties the world laughs and the devil is delighted. % There is a wonder
has entrusted us, developing spiritually, physically, and mentally as He leads. We are to recognize daily the tremendous seriousness o f living in a world of sin and suffering. We are to surrender all we have and are gladly to Him whose we are. We are never to forget our responsibility as stew ards of the manifold grace of God. We are to let Him fashion and fit us day by day for the service to which He has called us. Worldly riches have proven a snare to most of the saints who have possessed them. The love of money is still the root o f all evil, but the love of souls is the root o f glory. G O D ’S C A L L T O SLEEPING SA IN TS Mr. Pace was surely not dreaming when he made this cartoon, but wide awake. He has been studying condi
tions and knows the present need. He may have been r e a d i n g that stirring message of Paul to the Ephes ian saints: “ Awake t h o u that steepest, and arise from the dead, a n d Christ shall give thee light.” This is a good New Fear’s message for o u r King’s Business Family. Sinners are dead. They are in darkness. Saints are “ lights in the Lord” and should walk as wise men, but many, very many are asleep and do not know it. Ignorance m a y be bliss, but not for the “ blessed o f the Lord.” What is it that lulls the saints to sleep t Ignorance b f God’s Word and of God’s plan for theft lives. They have wrong con ceptions o f the Chris tian life, when they think of it merely as a means o f escaping the
ful picture o f the sleeping church in the scene in the Garden of Gethsemane. Our Lord is suffering agony of soul. His sweat was like great drops of blood. He had left the disciples to pray for Him, but, alas! alas! they failed Him in the hour of His deepest need. A pilot must be on the lookout for the rocks. Watchmen in our great buildings are required to regis ter every, hour as a proof that they are on duty. Are'we register ing! The call comes to e a c h o n e of us, “ A w a k e ! a w a k e ! Arouse yourself. Your place is not to sleep with sinners! Regis ter for duty!’ ’ Let us Bay to the Lord every morning: “ Lord, I am a soldier on picket duty. I am ready for
T H E 1 * 5 H A V E I T !
MEMBERS OF THE'OLD GUARD*
service anywhere at any time. l4>rd, help me to keep my eyes open for the enemy, my riars open for Thy call and my heart throbbing with devotion to Thee. Let me not sleep as do others, but let me watch and be sober, casting off the works of darkness and putting on the armor of light.” Let us be awake to our privileges, to our oppor tunities, to the great need of the world. Let us be awake when He comes. How sad it would be were our Lord to come and find us sleeping and hear Him say, “ What! Could ye not watch with me one hour?” May God awaken us and keep us awake. May we put our whole hearts into our service for Him. Let there be no sluggards among us during 1926, but if our Lord should come before its close, may He find every man, woman and child doing their duty with glad hearts and
wrath of God. If the Christian yields to the fleshly desires o f a life of ease, he becomes an easy prey to Satan’s soothing syrup such as closed the eyes of Samson. Solomon says, “ Love not sleep, lest thou come to poverty.” Many churches are asleep and naturally and logically they are spiritually bankrupt. Reverence for God’s Word goes. Reverence for holy things goes. The family altar goes. Love for personal work goes. Testimony to the saving and keeping and joy-giving power o f the Christian life goes. In their place the church becomes the center of prop aganda for modern ideas and means of making a better world through worldly methods which have a delight ful appeal to the flesh but are repellent to the Holy Spirit.
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