September, 1936
35S
T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S
NOTES
B y M a r y G . G o o d n e r
weak - indeed is the Christian warrior whose heart is not stirred to action by its appeal. The Lord of hosts commands with out respect of persons; the responsibility rests upon each recruit in His army indi vidually. He has called, and now He asks: “Who will go for us?”, A delayed re sponse or a refusal should be accompanied only by a valid reason—not by an alibi or an excuse. Many able followers today are sitting smugly in church pews singing, “Lord o f harvest, send forth reapers,” re fusing to answer that prayer by going as missionaries themselves. The first outstanding foreign mission ary o f the Christian church, Paul, gives in Romans 10 an unanswerable argument for a c c e p t i n g the challenge o f for eign missions. He logically begins by de claring: “Whosoever shall call Upon the name o f the Lord shall be saved.” That Spirit-inspired truth is universal; any one is eligible to be saved—upon one condition. Did you notice that condition? “Whoso ever shall call" our text says. But Paul, proceeding to the next point, says: “How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed ? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard ?”*S P o pular tor its S p ir itual POWER
OCTOBER 4, 1936 BUILDING A CHRISTIAN WORLD R evelation 21 :l-7; 1 P eter 2:11-17 Meditation on the Lesson God has wonderfully planned a new heaven and a new earth for His people, and He has implanted within the hearts of His beloved ones the earnest expectation of occupation with Him. But in His in finite wisdom He has not left them in ignorance with regard to His will for their conduct, manner of life, and relation with this world. While His church is a heaven ly people, having received a heavenly call ing, still this world offers a home tempo rarily. Peter, in his letter to the “strangers scattered,” gives some practical admoni tions. In 1 Peter 2:11 he presents thé first behavior pattern. W e are to “abstain from fleshly lusts,” a most necessary self-re straint, if the Christian citizen is to let his light shine that his Father might be glorified. If su ch a b stin e n ce w ere observed, smoking, gambling, drinking, immorality, and all manner of evil and vice committed because of the desires of the flesh would cease among Christians. Shame be upon the Christians who to them submit and in them indulge, bedimming the testimony of God’s power of deliver ance from bondage, and lowering the per fect standard set by God in His Word for His people! What is our collective influ ence in the world? What is our individ ual help to the world and to one another by way of example? What next shall the Christian citizen possess and portray? Peter lists honesty, good works, law observance, and obedi ence, that, by their well-doing, Christians might “put to silence the ignorance of foolish men” (1 Pet. 2:15). Many leaders today delight in agitating for freedom from all government rule. What liberty, what freedom the Christian citizen possesses, and that without agitation ! Jesus Christ said: “Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:32). “I am the way, the truth,, and the life” (John 14:6). Peter’s pre scription for freedom was and is : “As free, and not using your liberty for a cloak of maliciousness, but as the servants o f God.” The free ones, then, are law- abiding ones. Theirs is willing observance. Have we yet attained to a Christian world? Are we really working toward that day when the Lord Jesus Christ shall' return to bring about a truly Christian world? Are you, as a part, supporting our God’s standard, and living in obedience to His will for His children’s lives? Am I?
our government. The secret of prosperity and the cure for depression are set forth plainly. Truly good government and good harvest are to be linked with praise to God. “ O Jet the nations be glad and sing for jo y : for thou shalt judge the people right eously. and govern the nations upon earth.” The day is coming when the Lord Jesus Christ shall return to reign in per son on this earth. But in the meantime it is important that we recognize God’s sovereignty and render praise to Him. “Let all the people praise thee. Then shall the earth yield her increase.” “ Oh that men would praise the Lord for his good ness.” II. C h rist at W ork T hrough H is P eople (Eph. 4:4-16). It has been said, “ Christ alone can save the world, but He will not save the world alone.” The Lord Jesus has chosen men and women, boys and girls, through whom to work. For each believer He has pre pared a place of service and He has pre pared the one to serve. “And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teach ers; For the perfecting o f the saints, for the work of the ministry.” A revelation of joy awaits, the one who will enter into the privilege of placement for Him and by Him. III. T he C h ristian P rogram (1 Thess. 1:1-10). 1. In a comprehensive, concise, compelling manner, the Christian program is here out lined in two triadic expressions descrip tive o f a Christian life. Verse 3 gives “work o f fa ith " “ labor o f lov e" and “pa tience o f hope." Expanded but parallel in thought are verses 9 and 10: “turned to God from idols” ( “work o f faith” ) : “to serve the living and true God” ( “labor of love” ) ; and “to wait for his Son from heaven” ( “patience of hope” ). Little won der it was that Paul could say: “Ye were ensamples to all that believe in Macedonia and Achaia.” 2 . . A foreigner, struggling with the difficul ties of the English language, had to parse the verb “to love.” He wrote it down as the perfect tense o f the verb “to live.” Love is indeed life perfected. —Sunday School Times. OCTOBER 11, 1936 W H A T ? ME? A MISSIONARY? M atthew 28:19, 20; R om an s 10:13-15 Meditation on the Lesson The Great Commission in Matthew, among the very last words spoken by our almighty Lord, still challenges His people with undiminished force. The Captain of our salvation has issued a command which is not to be obeyed optionally. His “ Go ye” is a trumpet call to battle; soldiers are needed now at the front. Cowardly and
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Helps for the Leader I. G od in H is W orld (Psa. 67:3-7).
Prophecy, promise, and prosperity, min gling in this brief gem o f the Psalms, re veal the answer to the problem of improving
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