moved. All obstacles disappear and all difficulties can be surmounted by faith. Let us pray the prayer of faith. LESSON 10 December 8, 1912 In this lesson we are to be led and taught by a little child. The beauty of the teaching of our Lord lies in its sim- plicity, and, in this instance, there is danger of missing the message by rea- son of tihs fact. Let us bow our heads and humble our hearts as did little Sam- uel of old and say, "Speak, Lord, for thy servant heareth." By reference to the text you will see that the emphasis here is upon the word little. Seven times the Lord uses the word in this passage. There are seven characteristics of a little child—Simplicity, Sincerity, Gen- tleness, Generosity, Confidence, Teach- ableness and Obedience, and these seven characteristics correspond with the • character of our Lord. Study them and see how nearly they will fit into your own experience. Be sure to make a distinction between childlike and childish. There are many childish Christians who are not child- like. They, are silly, babbling, peevish, selfish, willful, destructive and disobe- dient. Entrance into the kingdom of God is by the gate of humility—by the bowing of the will to the plan of God, and as a beggar taking the gift of God. "Except ye be converted and become as little children ye shall not enter in." Eminence in the kingdom is found in remaining as a little child in faith and practice. The hardest battle the sinner has to fight is the battle against God's com- mand to surrender all to Him, and it is equally hard for the Christian to submit everything to the dictate of his Lord. God's great men differ very much from the world's men. The victories of the world's men are by force of arms, by force of intellect; the victories of God's great men are through conscious weak- ness, for when they are weak then they are strong. His strength is made per- fect in their weakness. In the book of Revelation 5:5-6, we are told that the Lion of the Tribe of Judah hath pre- vailed to open the book and behold the Lion is a little Lamb, for this is the true rendering. The Little Lamb pre- vailed through the death on the cross. Here is the hard lesson for the flesh. We are prone to pity the child-like char- acter. We do not want to be meek like Moses. We do not want to be poor in spirit as was Job when he said, "I am
LESSON 9 December 1, 1912 Golden Text—Mark 9:23
The lesson for today is one well cal- culated to humiliate us. While Jesus was being glorified on the Mount, the disciples were being humiliated in the valley; while the power of God was being displayed in the heights, the power of Satan was being manifested in the depths. The effect of our Lord's revelation concerning His coming death seemed to stupify His followers, and we find them here discussing theology with the Scribes, in the presence of a demon- possessed' boy, whom they were unable to heal.. When the Lord appeared upon the scene he gave no uncertain testimony concerning their failure. Their failure to cast out the demon was not due to any lack of power at their behest, but to a lack of faith to lay hold of it. They would not put themselves in touch with God's dynamo, so that the power could be utilized. Hear His arraignment: "Faithless generation!" "Faithless Scribes!" Who held in their hands the Scripture which testified concerning the Christ and who held in their hearts the antagonism to the Christ Himself. Faithless multitudes, before whose •eyes Jesus Christ had been manifested in mighty miracles, but who would not acknowledge Him. Faithless followers, who had themselves, before this, been able to cast out demons, but who were now powerless to speak the word. What' was the cause of failure? In Mark Jesus says, "This kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting." In Matthew He says, "because of your un- belief. If you had faith as a grain ot mustard seed, nothing should be impos- sible unto you." Matt. 17.20. Here is a challenge to the Church of God. If thou canst, all things are possible. Fellowship and faith are inseparable. The disciples were out of fellowship with the Lord, and faith departed. When we have close personal touch with the Lord, it is easy to pray, and easy to believe. Fasting aids, in that fasting separates us from the drag of the body downward and gives the soul opportun- ity to rise upward. It is possible for us to prevail in prayer. He says so. He practically puts every power at our dis- posal. The disciples lost irretrievably that day; it stands for all ages to their discredit. Can we accept the challenge of our Lord? By faith eyes may be opened, ears unstopped, dumb made to speak; by faith hearts can be softened and wills broken, mountains can be .re-
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