THE K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S
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If atten tion is directed to th e gifts themselves they become a snare and a stumbling block and m inister to spir itu al pride. “All these worketh th a t one and th e self-same Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he w ill.” MONDAY, May 16. 2 Tim. 3:12-17. The P roduct of a Christian Home. A religious atmosphere in th e home is of incalculable advantage in th e de velopment qf ch aracter. An irreligious home is a terrib le handicap to a child. T imothy’s home was a t Lystra, Acts 16:1, his m other and grandm other being pious and devout. A lthough his fath e r was a Greek, T imothy was ta u g h t the Jewish Scriptures from a child and th o r oughly train ed in all m atters of doc trin e and conduct. The sp iritual de velopment of Timothy can be traced to th e “ unfeigned fa ith ” which dwelt in his m aternal ancestry. W hat a list m ight be made of those who may be called th e product of such a home! Joseph, Samuel, David in th e Old Testa m ent as well as T imothy in th e New! We may imagine the teaching and tra in ing th a t Jesus received from th e virgin mother. W hat a beautiful example of everything th a t home ought to •be is seen in Nazareth during those th irty hidden silent years! TUESDAY, May 17. 1 Sam. 1:19-28. The M aternal F a c to r in th e Home. The mother of th e Beechers prayed th a t h er children m ig h t-b e converted and become servants of God. H er five sons became m inisters and m issionaries. Susannah Wesley is called th e mother of Methodism because of her influence upon th e lives of h er sons, John and Charles. H er children g ath ered about her death bed and sang a doxology in praise to God for such a mother. I t is said th a t a heath en m other will tak e her babe to th e idol temple and teach it to clasp its little hands in prayer be fore it can u tte r a word. The first twelve years of life are th e most plastic and impressionable. The g reat m ajor ity of those who are saved are converted before they are twenty. A mother’s prayers and precepts in childhood can accomplish w hat no am ount of evan gelism and religious machinery can effect in la ter life. There is an old Chinese proverb th a t a hundred men may make a camp b u t it takes a woman to make a home.
plished by the work of a single indi vidual. Many different causes may have combined to produce conviction, th e giving of a tract, the singing of a hymn or th e earnest personal invitation. It would be hard to say who or w hat was responsible for the final decision to accept Christ. How glorious it is to have even th e smallest p a rt in so g reat a work! Even giving a cup of cold w ater in th e name of a disciple shall in no wise lose its reward. SATURDAY, May 14. Jo h n 21:15-22. Catching F ish and F eeding Sheep. Christian work differs from all other kinds of work th a t men can do. In ordinary work th e workman does usu ally w hat he intends to do and nothing more. In Christian work, th e Worker often does w hat he does no t intend to do. The uninten tional resu lt may su r pass the intended and desired result. The double and perpetual function of the preacher is to save sinners and to edify believers. An old-fashioned preacher said th a t he always took a double b arrelled gun into th e pulpit, one b arrel charged for saints and one for sinners. Many a preacher has been surprised, however, to discover th a t when he was working th e h ard est to bring souls to Christ, he was building up believers and when he supposed he was feeding th e flock of God w ith th e bread of life, souls were being born into th e kingdom. No in tellig en t earnest work for God can be wholly fu tile or fruitless. God’s Word will not retu rn unto H im void. SUNDAY, May 15. 1 Cor. 12:14-27. The Unity of th e Body. The Apostle compares th e constitu tion of th e church to th e construction of th e hum an body. There are many mem bers of the body and each one is neces sary to th e completeness of th e whole. Every believer is a member of th e body of Christ. As th e body of a man is anim ated and operated by th e soul, th e church of Christ is quickened and ener gized by th e Holy Spirit. All sp iritu al gifts a re th e gifts of th e Spirit. Shall He not do w hat He will w ith H is own? May He not bestow w hat and w here it seems good to Him? A lthough th e dis tribu tion of these gifts is determ ined by His infinite, wisdom and sovereign will, they are intended not for private honor and individual advantage b u t for th e well-being and profit of th e whole church. Gifts are a means to an end.
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