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THE KING’S BUSINESS
to acts o f love and sacrifice like hers. We should carefully note that Dorcas made these garments " while she was with them.” That is the time to do things for people, while we are with them. Post-mortem benefactions are more common, but they do not count much with God. I f we are going to do anything for those who need our help, let us do it while they live. If we leave it to our executors it will prob ably never be done. Thursday, December 14 . Acts 9 : 40 - 43 . While Peter was touched with the sor rows o f the widows, he put them all out in order that he might be alone with Tabitha and with God. He was following closely in the footsteps o f his Master and doing the very thing that he had seen his Master do under similar circumstances (Luke 8:51, 54). In such a supreme mo ment as this one desires no spectators; he must be alone with God. Being alone he “prayed." Ah, what power there is in prayer: it can raise the dead. Have you a dead minister? try it on him. Have you a dead church? try it on it. Have you a dead friend, “dead in trespasses and sins? try it on him. If Peter had spent his time grumbling at the corpse it would never have come to life. Praying, not grumbling, is what we need today. Peter first turned to God, then he turned to the corpse. Here is a lesson for Christian workers today. When you have laid hold o f God by prayer as Peter did, then you can lay hold of corpses as Peter did, and you can bid them arise and they will arise. His words to sleeping Tabitha were few, indeed, only two, “ Tabitha, arise,’ and then look; those eyes so long closed, open. Oh, some bright day Jesus Himself will say to all our sleep-' ing loved ones. “Arise,” and their eyes, tpo, shall open and they shall arise, never to sleep again (John 5:28, 29). Peter gave her his hand and raised her up just as he had seen Jesus do in the case o f his own mother-in-law (Mark 1:31). It is not enough that we speak the word that has saving power in it, we need also to give
those to whom we speak the helping hand. The report o f the wonder that had been wrought soon spread throughout Joppa. It was a wonderful proof o f the power of Jesus’ name, the power o f that name even over death, and it was also a conclusive proof that God Himself honored that name as Divine. Therefore, the result was “many believed on the Lord.” Note carefully it was not Peter on whom they believed, “but on the Lord.” How unlike this is to Chris tian Science healings where pretty much all the honor is given to Mrs. Eddy and not to God. Peter evidently was an adept at so hiding himself that men saw “Jesus only.” But while many believed on the Lord, not every one believed on Him. If one is determined not to believe, not even a resurrection from the dead will convince him (Luke 16:31; cf. John 7:17). We hear much in these days about “taking a whole city for the Lord.” But this is empty boasting, it never occurs, “many” may believe, “a great number” may turn to the Lord (ch. 11:21), but when we talk about taking a whole city for Christ we are not talking according to the Book. In the greatest revivals in our large cities, though the converts may be numbered by the thousands, there are far more who are not converted than who are converted. These converts in Joppa did not believe merely about the Lord, they believed “in” or “ on” (R. V .) the Lord. They did not merely accept orthodox statements about Him, they believed in Himself. The proof that one really does believe “on the Lord” is that he accepts Him (John 1:12). How is it with you? Do ybu believe about the Lord Jesus, or do you “believe on the Lord Jesus?” Friday, December 15 . Acts 10 : 1 , 2 . The central figure o f this lesson was a captain in the Roman army. The barracks at Caesarea would have seemed to have been a most unlikely place to find the first convert to Christianity, nevertheless that is where he was found. Cornelius was a reverential man. That is the force o f the
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